​      A very common dental habit among our dental patients is clenching or grinding their teeth, especially at night time. This habit is known as bruxism, and it can be very painful and even destructive. Patients that have the signs and symptoms of bruxism may not realize that treatment is available. Here are a few of the warning signs to look for if you suspect you are clenching and/or grinding your teeth:

• Soreness or discomfort in your jaw or teeth upon waking
• Clicking or popping of  the joints in your jaw (often referred to as the TMJ)
• Unexplained headaches
• Family members hear you grinding your teeth while you sleep
• Excessive wear in areas teeth contact one another

 
If you feel you may be experiencing bruxism, you should schedule an appointment with your dentist. Your dentist will examine your teeth for excessive wear as well as check your temporomandibular joints (TMJ) for soreness and loss of mobility. Left untreated, bruxism can damage teeth to the point that restorations are needed, cause mobility of individual teeth, or even cause tooth loss. Your dentist will also try to determine what might be causing you to clench or grind your teeth. These causes could include stress, a non-ideal bite, sleep apnea, and even certain medicines. During your appointment, your dentist may recommend treatment such as an occlusal night guard. This appliance helps lessen the damage to your teeth by preventing your teeth from touching while you sleep. Other treatments may include stress management or a referral to a specialist.
          The bottom line is: if left untreated, bruxism can cause permanent changes to your teeth and TMJ. Scheduling an appointment with a dentist is the best place to start in determining what might be causing your bruxism and help you find the proper treatment.

​If you feel you might be dealing with this condition, please don’t hesitate to give us a call here at MCHD Dentistry- we may be able to get you out of the “Daily Grind”.

​Why is it important to take care of baby teeth?
Won’t my child just lose them anyway?
Children will have all of their primary teeth up until the age of 6, and then they will start losing them and begin to get their adult teeth. Primary teeth are guides and place-holders for permanent teeth. They are also vital to your child's health and speech, as they help a child chew and speak clearly. Children who have to have extractions of primary teeth from decay, primarily from poor home care and frequent sugar exposures at night, are at a higher risk of orthodontic irregularities (malocclusion). Malocclusion in children put them at a higher risk of needing orthodontics or braces at an older age.
 
When does my child need to see a dentist and how do I take care of his/her teeth?
Our staff at MCHD Dentistry would like to see your child by age 1 (and so does the American Dental Association). Even if he/she only has a few teeth, that's ok! We use our time with the parents and children at their first dental visit to begin a lifelong relationship and give parents tips on how to take care of their child's teeth, such as:

• Children should have their teeth brushed 2xday by a parent/guardian, once in the morning and once at night.
• Children should not take anything to bed to drink with them, unless it is water. Absolutely no milk, juice or soda should be given to the child in his/her crib.
• Children should only have limited amounts of sugary drinks, like juice, tea, milk, and soda, during the day. Parents should try their best to limit those sugary drink exposures to mealtimes, thus lessening the negative effects of sugar and acid. 

 
It is very important to teach your child to take care of his/her teeth at an early age. Primary teeth are just as important as permanent teeth and they should be well taken care of! Call 304-598-5108 to schedule your child's first dental visit today!

​We can’t wait to meet you and your whole family!

MCHD Dentistry  has been doing some office renovations lately. Our most recent one is the Kid’s Playroom and waiting area that we have added. Now while you are waiting to be seen, children can play in our Kid’s Playroom, sit and read books about dental care, or watch a movie on our television. Parents and adults have a waiting area just outside the Kid’s Playroom, and in the hall. Along with the Kid’s Playroom, we have also spruced the office up with some fresh paint and new flooring and furniture. 

With our growing office, we have also added some new employees to our staff to help with all of our growing family of patients.  On average, we are seeing 36 new patients each month, and because of our patient growth our schedule is starting to book about a month out in advance (thank you all for your referrals- it's the biggest compliment that we can get!).  To help alleviate this timing issue, Dr. Carrier has generously given up his office space so we can add another operatory to help get our wonderful new and existing patients seen in a timely manner. 

Because of Dr. Carrier’s vision, the Health Department is graciously allowing us to renovate our storage room as well, and turn it into a conference room as well as a shared office for Dr. Carrier and our billing manager.

Things will continue to run smoothly and we will be even more efficient once our new operatory is completed. However- don’t fret! There will be NO fee increases in the near future for these renovations, so you won’t be seeing any extra come from your pockets. We’re just making the office more comfortable and modern to better meet your dental needs.