Xylitol…Have you heard of it? Probably not, but it is one of the newest mainstream artificial sweeteners used in The United States.

Xylitol has been embraced by the dental community because it doesn't cause cavities and even reduces the salivary population of S. mutans (the bacteria that causes decay). That means eating Xylitol sweetened food can actually reduce the number of cavities you might get!!

So far this sounds pretty great, right?!

It is great, but we would like to make you aware of the effect it can have on the four-legged members of the family..your dog. As great as Xylitol is for humans, if enough is consumed by a dog, it can cause a severe insulin reaction resulting in vomiting, lethargy, seizures, and even death. And because of their scavenging nature, this is a real danger to your pet. The amount of Xylitol in 4 pieces of chewing gum is sufficient to trigger a reaction.

In addition to chewing gum, this popular sweetener is found in mouthwashes, baked goods, candies, and many other products, so it is best to keep these items out of "scavenging" range of the dog. And if your pet is unlucky enough to get his furry paws on a product containing Xylitol, you should contact your veterinarian immediately.

I hope you find this information useful.

Bob Henslee
Keeping People Smiling in
Universal City, Converse, Live Oak, Schertz and Cibilo
Since 1979!

1. Tooth Decay (Cavity): a cavity is one of the more common reasons for tooth sensitivity, and this is where the traditional filling comes into play. However, once in awhile the decay is so deep that it gets into the nerve of the tooth. If the decay infects the nerve of the tooth a root canal maybe necessary.
2. Cracked Tooth/Teeth: This can be very painful because the second layer (dentin) or the nerve of the tooth is exposed. Depending on the fracture, either a filling, crown, root canal, or extraction maybe the necessary treatment.
3. Periodontitis (Gum Disease): Believe it or not, our gums (gingiva) play a very important part to our oral health. The health of our gums and bone are the foundation to our teeth. If our gums become infected, this can lead to a toothache by irritating the gums and bone. Some signs of gum disease are that the gums are red, puffy, swollen, and they bleed easily. Some of the ways to help in treating gum disease is to have a deep cleaning (scaling and root planing). There is also the option of placing antibiotics locally around the tooth or either systemically taking antibiotics.
4. Grinding or Clenching Teeth: Do you ever wake up feeling like your jaw hurts? Do you wake up with a headache or your teeth hurt? This can be due to grinding or clenching your teeth. This is a very destructive “habit”. Some people do not even know they do this. Grinding or clenching can also lead to inflammation of the jaw joint (Temporomandibular Joint). One of the more common treatments for the symptoms is by wearing a night guard.
5. Sinus Issues: In Bexar County, Texas a common thing people experience is Cedar Fever. The Cedar trees are everywhere and it affects just about everyone’s sinuses. Having sinus issues can sometimes give the false impression that you have a toothache in your top (maxillary) teeth. The top-back teeth’s roots are sometimes located in the maxillary sinus, and when our sinuses are “inflamed” they will put pressure on the root tips causing us to think we have a toothache. The easiest solution would be to take your favorite sinus medication and/or decongestant.
6. Eruption of Teeth: This happens a lot with younger kids as they are getting in their adult teeth. However, once in awhile the wisdom teeth (3^rd Molars) will come in for an adult. If it’s your wisdom teeth, the decision of adequate space needs to be evaluated. If there is not enough room, then they need to be extracted. You can also take an over-the-counter pain medication (Advil, Ibuprofen, Motrin, Tylenol, etc).
7. New Fillings or Crowns: Every once in awhile after a procedure has been completed some patients will experience some sensitivity to a new restoration. One of the side effects with a new white tooth colored (composite) filling or a new crown is sensitivity to colds. If you are feeling this, this will pass with time. Some things you can do at home to help with the sensitivity is to apply a small dab of toothpaste (that has fluoride in it) on the tooth or taking over-the-counter pain medication.

It's pretty much common knowledge that sugar causes tooth decay. Given this, it would then follow that if you want to avoid tooth decay you should avoid sugar. Sounds simple, right?  But really, it just isn't very practical. Sugar is everywhere in the American diet thereby making it difficult to avoid completely.

So, what is the solution?

The solution is to identify those forms of sugar that cause most of the problems or the "bad sugar". And this can be done very easily. The "bad sugars" are liquid sugar (such as soft drinks, Kool-Aid, coffee with sugar, etc.), sugar mints, and sugar chewing gums.

If you can avoid these forms of "bad sugar" your chances of getting cavities are almost zero. That's right! If you want a candy bar, a slice of apple pie, an orange, or almost any form of sugar that you can chew up and swallow, go for it! You might gain weight, but at least your teeth won't rot.

I hope you find this info useful. 

Bob Henslee
Keeping People Smiling in
Universal City, Converse, Live Oak, Schertz and Cibilo
Since 1979!

Last week we performed the final adjustments on an implant retained denture. This is fairly new territory for our office but looks like a very promising service we will be able to offer to more of our patients in the future.

The patient that received the implant retained denture has both an upper and lower full denture and is very happy with the results. Because the dentures are "snapped in" to her jaw via the implants, she can chew what she wants without worrying that the dentures will come loose, she is comfortable, and best of all, she loves the way she looks.

I have been a practicing dentist serving the residents of Universal City, Schertz, Converse, Live Oak and Cibilo for over 40 years. After all this time I still get deep satisfaction when I can improve a patient's life,  and being able to chew and to look nice are important elements in a person's sense of well being.

Bob Henslee

One of the most common concerns I hear from my patients is "Doctor, my teeth are very sensitive." However, an exam often reveals a healthy mouth with no obvious reasons for the complaint.

So what is going on here? The answer may be surprising.

It's your toothpaste!

The chemicals in toothpastes that control tartar and whiten teeth have one bad side effect…they cause sensitivity. Furthermore, the amount of whitening and tartar control you get from these products is minimal. And just to make it more maddening, they cost more than plain toothpaste!  The resulting amount of sensitivity can be enough to affect your diet, as you tend to avoid foods that cause the most pain. I have seen patients that can't even breathe through their mouths because of the sensitivity.

A change to a desensitizing toothpaste or a plain toothpaste that doesn't have a whitening or tartar control agent will, in a surprising number of cases, solve the problem.

I hope you find this information useful.

Bob Henslee
Keeping People Smiling in
Universal City, Converse, Live Oak, Schertz and Cibilo
Since 1979!

On January 25th, it was Sandra's Birthday.  The Henslee Dental Team celebrated her birthday by going to Acapulco for lunch.  It is one of the team's favorite places to eat lunch, right in Universal City and very accessible from Schertz as well..

Thank you Sandra for your dedication and your hard work!  Happy Birthday!!!

The Henslee Dental Team is pleased to inform you that Dr. Henslee and Dr. Hafen will be leaving early this Thursday to participate in some continuing education courses over the weekend.  Dr. Henslee is going to Dallas to start a course on Advanced Orthodontics, while Dr. Hafen is headed to Utah to for two courses on implant dentistry.

We are proud that our two doctors continue to better their knowledge and add new ideas and concepts to the practice in order to provide our patients with better care.  We are proud to be able to offer dental patients in Universal City, Schertz, Cibilo, Converse and Live Oak a full and wide rangy of up-to-date dental procedures.

Keep Smiling!

I wanted to let you know that our first dental newsletter will be coming out shortly. As the premier Universal City Dentist, we will be offering tips on a wide range of health related subjects. Yes, for sure your teeth and how to best care for them and preserve them will be first- we are dentists after all! But we are going to also include other important and related information about better living and how to have not just strong and healthy teeth, but tips that will help you with strong bones and other  tips for a healthy lifestyle. Stay tuned to this blog as some of these tips will be appearing here as well. Also if you live Schertz, Live Oak, Converse or Cibilo, you may be interested to sign up for the dental tips newsletter, which we are also providing via email. Just send us your email address and we will get you the hot tips!

Welcome to Henslee Dental. My name is Jean and this blog is going to keep you up to date on everything dental. Feel free to comment!