Month: November 2017

The day is finally here! According to The History Channel, “the most familiar story of the first Thanksgiving took place in Plymouth Colony, in present-day Massachusetts, in 1621.”  Today, nearly four centuries later, we’ll sit down to bountiful meals with our favorite friends and family to express our gratitude for everything life has blessed us with. At Dr. Craig Armstrong’s Houston dental practice, our entire team is excited for this beautiful holiday. We truly have so much to be appreciative of, and we’re delighted to kick off what is sure to be a stellar holiday season. We wanted to share our Thanksgiving joy with you in this blog. Read on to learn more about our thankful thoughts on this Turkey Day.

Loved Ones

The poet Joseph Brodsky once said, “Cherish your human connections: your relationships with friends and family.” We’re apt to take his advice this Thanksgiving! Dr. Armstrong and our team are incredibly grateful to have supportive, wonderful friends and family at our sides.

Good Food

Of course, we can’t even think about Thanksgiving without conjuring up images of golden turkeys, creamy mashed potatoes, rich gravy, bright cranberries, sumptuous pumpkin pie, and so much more. Our Houston dental team enjoys an extravagant Turkey Day feast just as much as anyone else! However, as oral health professionals, we do want to gently remind you to drink plenty of water, try to avoid too much snacking, and take it easy on the sugar on this festive day. Getting a cavity would put a real damper on the upcoming holiday season, but if you follow our tips, you can have your Thanksgiving cake (okay, probably pie) and eat it too, enjoying your meal while maintaining your mouth.

Dedicated Dental Care

Way back in 1621, those Plymouth colonists were unfortunately probably eating their famous meal with missing, blackened, cavity-filled, crooked teeth. We’re thankful today and every day for the marvels of modern dentistry! With advanced technology like digital X-rays and Dr. Armstrong’s extensive knowledge of oral health, our team is here for you. We offer a wide range of general and restorative dental treatments to help you keep your mouth healthy and functioning, so you can relish your Thanksgiving meal.

Beautiful Smiles

Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh put it well when he said, “Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful.” We couldn’t agree more! We are thankful for all of our patients’ delightful smiles. We’re also grateful for the opportunity to help you make yours even better with a wide range of cosmetic dentistry options. We love seeing our patients walk out of our Houston dental practice with renewed confidence and dazzling grins, ready to take on the world and make life more beautiful.

Our Wonderful Team

We are also filled with gratitude for our amazing team. Every clinician in our practice is caring, experienced, skilled, and a joy to work with. Of course, our dentists are also outstanding. Dr. Armstrong’s decades of experience and prestigious fellowships make him an incredible leader for our team and provider for our patients. Dr. Sauer was also named by his dental peers as one of America’s Top Dentists, and Dr. Katzmark has earned numerous awards for her excellent work.

Our Patients!

Our Houston dental team has so much to be grateful for, but the number one thing on our Thanksgiving list is you! Our patients are the reason we do what we do every day. We are delighted to answer your questions, maintain your oral health, remedy your conditions, enhance your smile, and get to know you during your appointments.

Take Care of Your Grateful, Gorgeous Grin

We hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday, and we look forward to seeing you soon! Remember, if you haven’t had a dental exam and cleaning in the last six months, it’s time to make an appointment. Contact our Houston dental practice today to schedule your next visit.

Original Source: https://www.craigarmstrongdds.com/the-armstrong-team/thankful-thoughts-thanksgiving/

 

Your tongue is one of the most important parts of your mouth. You use it to speak, swallow, taste, and much more. So, when something goes wrong with this oral organ’s sensitive tissue, you’re likely to notice right away. Even a seemingly minor sore on the end of your tongue can be very uncomfortable, interfere with your daily activities, and possibly signal a more serious issue. Fortunately, Dr. Craig Armstrong and our Houston dental team are available to assist you with all mouth matters. We’ve made it our mission to help our patients enjoy excellent oral health in all aspects. There is no question or concern too small for us. In the following blog, we explain the sources of sores on the tip of your tongue and describe how we can help you remedy this condition.

Tongue Sore Symptoms

How can you tell if the annoyance at the end of your tongue is, in fact, a sore? If you’re suffering from this condition, you may notice:

• Red, white, or yellow discoloration on your tongue tissue
• An aching, sharp, stinging, raw, burning, or itchy feeling at a specific point on the tip of your tongue
• Sensitivity to hot, cold, sweet, or acidic food and beverages
• Difficulty tasting food or beverages, especially if they are sweet (since the taste buds that perceive sweetness tend to be located at the tip of the tongue)

If the cause of your discomfort is a sore, these symptoms will most likely be concentrated at a certain point on your tongue. In contrast, other issues may create more generalized soreness, sensitivity issues, discoloration, and taste differences across your entire tongue.

Common Causes

The sources of sores on your tongue range from completely benign to more serious concerns, so you should always pay attention to changes in your oral tissue and see Dr. Armstrong for assistance. Some of the most common causes for sores on the tip of your tongue include:

• Injury. It may seem obvious, but one of the most widespread reasons for tongue sores is oral injury. For example, if you took an ill-advised sip of scalding hot tea or accidentally bit down on your tongue, a sore might develop while the tissue heals.
• Allergic reaction. This is another common culprit for mouth sores. If you eat something you’re allergic to, your tongue may develop an irritated patch in response.
• Ulcers. As the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) explains, “aphthous mouth ulcers are painful round or oval sores that can occur anywhere in the mouth and are common on the underside of the tongue.” These are sometimes created by “damage to the mouth” through injury, but can also result from “stress, anxiety, eating certain foods, stopping smoking, or hormonal changes.”
• Infection. Bacteria, fungi, and viruses can sometimes overtake your tongue and cause sores. For example, NHS points to “oral thrush,” a fungal infection, as a common cause for tongue pain. Fungal infections are more common, but bacteria and viruses can also lead to sores.
• Geographic tongue. People with this condition lack some of the papillae (tiny bumps) on their tongues, which can create localized red patches and soreness.
• Neuralgia. There are thousands of nerve endings in the tongue. These are important because they allow us to feel, move, and taste with our tongue. However, if these become injured or upset, they can lead to a condition known as neuralgia. NHS explains that, while relatively uncommon, tongue sores could result from “glossopharyngeal neuralgia…severe tongue pain thought to be caused by nerve irritation.” Neuralgia can occur throughout the tongue or at a specific point, such as the tip.
• Oral cancer. A sore on your tongue could be a symptom of oral cancer. The growth of malignant, irregular cells can create sores.

These are just a few of the potential reasons you might develop a sore on the tip of your tongue. We recommend that you see Dr. Armstrong for an extensive, accurate diagnosis.

Treatment Options

The remedy for your tongue sore will depend almost entirely on the cause of your condition. When you come into our Houston practice, Dr. Armstrong will thoroughly examine your mouth for oral pathology, ask you about your oral history, and perform any relevant diagnostic tests to determine the source of your sore. In some cases, such as injury or an ulcer, the condition should go away on its own within one to two weeks, but we can provide topical treatments and rinses to hasten the healing process and alleviate symptoms. However, in the case of more serious, holistic issues such as neuralgia or oral cancer, we will likely send you to a specialist for more in-depth treatment.

Are You Suffering from a Sore on the Tip of Your Tongue?

Dr. Armstrong and our Houston dental team can help! Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

Original Source: https://www.craigarmstrongdds.com/cleanings-and-prevention/theres-sore-tip-tongue-heal/