Spokane Dental Blog

For the safety of our staff and patients, Spokane Dental is temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we are here for patients with emergency dental needs. If you are experiencing a dental emergency or have a question, please call us and leave a message so we can get back to you. To assist our patients, here is some information about two of the most common dental emergencies:

Following the recommendations of our local government, the CDC, as well as the ADA, Spokane Dental has cancelled dental appointments to protect our patients amidst the COVID-19 crisis. While we are unable to see patients for non-urgent or non-essential dental care in the office, we still want to support our patients in any way we can. You can reach our office at 509-466-2373. Our office staff is regularly checking voicemail and responding to any concerns. We can also offer some helpful dental tips for keeping you and your family healthy during this time.

As a dental patient, it can be easy to get confused with regard to the various terms and treatments involved in this industry. You don’t work in this world every day, so it’s understandable that you would get a little confused. At Spokane Dental, we want to make sure that our patients are perfectly clear regarding the treatment options we provide, so this post should help clear up one potentially confusing topic.

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, and the perfect time to address the importance of your child’s oral health. Although children’s “baby teeth” will be lost and replaced by permanent adult teeth, it is still vitally important to care for them.

Dental implants are an excellent option for patients with gaps in their smile, or who need teeth extracted (pulled). Dr. Smith places implants using the most up to date and effective technology and materials. At Spokane Dental, we know that a dental implant can make a huge impact on a patient’s quality of life, whether it is to replace a tooth, secure a partial denture or bridge, or seat a full denture. One of the most frequent questions we are asked when a patient is considering dental implants is “What’s the recovery like?”

If you have a damaged tooth, your dentist may suggest that a crown be used to restore the look and function of that tooth. Quite simply, a crown is nothing more than a cap that is used to cover a natural tooth that has suffered some type of damage. Rather than just living with the damaged tooth and its decreased function, you can turn to a crown for a quick and easy way to address the issue.

Gum disease is a term commonly used in reference to a condition called periodontitis. This is an inflammation of the area around your tooth, and it can cause significant problems if allowed to go untreated. Specifically, you may end up losing a tooth or multiple teeth if you have significant gum disease.

In the dental and medical fields, oral health used to be completely separate from whole body health. Now we know different, and acknowledge just how important it is to have healthy teeth and gums for the whole body. Just as bad oral health affects the body and quality of life negatively, good oral health makes a positive impact on whole body health. Here are some gum health basics:

A root canal is not only a procedure in a dental office, but an actual part of the anatomy of a tooth. The root canal is the cavity inside the tooth that houses the nerve. A root canal procedure as most know it is the cleaning out of that space in an infected tooth. When a cavity or infection reaches the nerve of a tooth, it can be very painful for a patient. Dr. Smith performs root canals in the office, and with certain cases requiring more extensive treatment he refers to an endodontist that specializes in root canal therapy. Wondering if that sore tooth or gum area may need a root canal? Here are the four signs you may need one:

Let’s be honest – root canal treatments don’t have the best reputation in terms of patient comfort. In fact, some people will even use a root canal as a comparison to something else uncomfortable or undesirable, saying sarcastically that something is about as fun as a root canal. But here’s the thing – it’s not that bad! Early root canal treatments may have been rather unpleasant, but in the world of modern dentistry, this is a procedure that will provide minimal discomfort to the patient and can lead to significant pain relief in the end.