Posts Tagged ‘Dr. Erika Mason’
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
We know that certain foods can contribute to bad breath – garlic, onions, and anchovies come to mind. But bad breath can seemingly come out of nowhere and stick around long after you’ve brushed away debris from your latest food experiment. The good news is bad breath can often be treated with simple steps that will also improve your oral health. At Dr. Mason’s office, we help patients battle bad breath with professional cleanings, as well as tips for oral hygiene, such as the ones you’ll find below.
1. Visit Dr. Mason’s office regularly – bad breath may be a sign of gum disease. Only a dental professional can remove hardened plaque from below the gumline and custom design the right plan of action for a future filled with odor-free conversations.
2. Brush and floss daily – this seems like a no-brainer, but when it comes down to it, people admit to flossing about as often as they flip their mattress. The primary cause of bad breath is a buildup of bacteria between the teeth, so brushing and flossing daily is absolutely essential. (more…)
Tags: bad breath treatment, Dr. Erika Mason, halitosis treatment, Midlothian dentist, natural bad breath remedies
Posted in Oral Health, Wellness | No Comments »
Thursday, July 8th, 2010
If you’ve ever pulled an all-nighter, then you know the effects sleep deprivation can have on your daily performance. But what if you devote plenty of time to sleep every night and still wake up feeling groggy, irritable, and you have trouble paying attention? You may have sleep apn
ea. A common sleep-breathing disorder among adults, sleep apnea can also affect a child’s attention span and academic performance at school. In fact, according to the latest research, children with sleep apnea are more likely to have lower academic grades and behavioral problems than their non-sleep-apnea counterparts.
What is sleep apnea?
An apnea is a lapse in breath that occurs for 10 seconds or longer. People with sleep apnea stop breathing several times – even hundreds of times – throughout the night. The body awakens just enough to take a breath, which prevents the patient from achieving deep sleep. Snoring is a common symptom of sleep apnea, but most people aren’t aware that they have a sleep-breathing disorder at all. (more…)
Tags: academic performance, Dr. Erika Mason, Midlothian dentist, sleep apnea in children, sleep disorders, snoring in children
Posted in Sleep Apnea | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
Gum disease affects 75% of the population.
Cardiovascular disease affects one in every three American adults.
What do the two have in common?
Research shows a direct link between the bacteria in your mouth and your blood vessels. It may sound crazy that an infection in your mouth can contribute to a life-threatening illness, but when you think of your mouth as a portal to the rest of your body, it makes perfect sense. Here’s what can happen:
- Plaque (colorless, odorless substance that collects on teeth) hardens into calculus and collects below the gumline.
- Calculus releases toxins and bacteria that break down the fibers in the gum tissue.
- Toxins and bacteria travel to the bone tissue, causing it to deteriorate.
- This same bacteria can enter the bloodstream, cause blood vessel walls to swell, and trigger an inflammatory response. (more…)
Tags: Dr. Erika Mason, general dentistry, Gum Disease, heart disease, Midlothian dentist, oral systemic health
Posted in Gum Disease, Oral Health, Wellness | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 9th, 2010
Your time is valuable, but so is your dental health. Now you can have high quality dental restorations without spending loads of time in the dentist’s chair. Dr. Erika Mason is pleased to bring you CEREC, which allows us to create beautiful, all-ceramic restorations in just one visit.
What does CEREC stand for?
Good question. CEREC stands for CERamic REConstruction, but what you really need to know is that CEREC features CAD/CAM technology.
Whoa, slow down, you say, that’s an awful lot of letters. CEREC CAD/CAM?
Precisely. CAD/CAM stands for Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Milling. What that means is that Dr. Mason can design your crown with 3D software, and then send that information to a milling machine that creates the crown in our office, in about an hour.
How is this different from regular crowns? (more…)
Tags: CEREC crowns, Dr. Erika Mason, Midlothian dentist, one-visit crowns
Posted in Restorative Dentistry, Technology | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 26th, 2010
When you suffer from headaches every day, you might forget what it’s like to live pain-free. Living pain-free means that you don’t have to cancel plans or call in sick because of headaches. It means you don’t have to swallow expensive prescription or over-the-counter pain relievers just to get through the day. Living pain-free means that you can enjoy a quality of living, a clarity of being, that you never knew existed.
But headaches are normal, right? They’re just a fact of life, aren’t they?
No! Even though millions of Americans suffer from daily headaches and migraines, many without seeking treatment, headaches are not normal. In most cases, if the body sends pain impulses to the brain, then it means there is a problem that needs to be addressed. For many, this problems stems from clenching and grinding the teeth (bruxism). (more…)
Tags: Dr. Erika Mason, headache prevention, Midlothian dentist, NTI-tss, TMJ treatment
Posted in Headaches | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
Crooked, stained, broken, unshapely teeth? No problem. With porcelain veneers, Dr. Mason gives patients their dream smiles in the blink of an eye. Also called “instant orthodontics,” porcelain veneers quickly and effectively correct slight misalignments, conceal stains, and erase flaws in just two visits to our Midlothian dental office.
So, what are porcelain veneers, and why are they so great? You may have heard about porcelain veneers from a friend or family member. Aside from teeth whitening, they’re the most popular cosmetic dental enhancement on the market. Porcelain veneers are thin, porcelain casings placed on the surface of teeth. In the past, patients who wanted to improve their smiles without braces turned to crowns, which require tooth reduction. In comparison, porcelain veneers are a much more conservative procedure that requires very minimal tooth preparation. Like porcelain crowns, veneers prove extremely durable, highly esthetic, and they resist stains. With porcelain veneers, you can enjoy a bright, beautiful smile for years and years. (more…)
Tags: Cosmetic Dentistry, Dr. Erika Mason, Midlothian dentist, Midlothian VA cosmetic dentist, porcelain veneers, veneers dentist Midlothian
Posted in Cosmetic Dentistry | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010
If you’re unhappy with the alignment of your teeth and hate the thought of wearing metal braces, you’re not alone. Millions of adults have turned to Invisalign for a metal-free alternative to wire-and-bracket braces. With Invisalign, you can have a breathtaking smile without compromising your mature image. Dr. Erika Mason proudly offers this discreet orthodontia at her Midlothian, VA dental office.
Answers to common questions we receive about Invisalign:
What is Invisalign?
Invisalign is a series of clear, acrylic aligners custom designed to gradually move your teeth into their ideal position. The aligners are removable and disposable. After wearing an aligner for two weeks, you will “graduate” to the next in your series. Most patients wear between 20 and 30 different aligners before completing their treatment. (more…)
Tags: clear braces, Dr. Erika Mason, Invisalign clear braces, Invisalign dentist, Invisalign dentist Midlothian, orthodontics
Posted in Cosmetic Dentistry | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
Ahh, summertime. You wait and wait for this magical time of year filled with swimming pools, barbecues, sand castles, and bicycle rides. You wait and wait, and then one day you walk outside and BAM. The hot summer sun alights your shoulders, and you panic. Bathing suits, tank tops, flip flops, beach towels… you need so many accessories to complete your summertime persona. Dr. Erika Mason’s here to remind you not to forget the most important summer accessory – your smile!
Smiles and summertime seem to go hand-in-hand. Yet, buildup from mornings spent swilling coffee and evenings enjoyed with a glass of red wine have left tell-tale stains on your teeth. Yellow and orange tinges sap your self-confidence and prevent you from sharing a radiant smile with friends and loved ones. Summertime is the perfect time to consider professional teeth whitening with Dr. Mason. After just a matter of days, our potent take-home whitening system will increase the wattage of your smile exponentially, so you can face the world with a brighter, bolder smile that reflects your brighter, bolder summertime self. (more…)
Tags: Dr. Erika Mason, Midlothian cosmetic dentist, Midlothian dentist, teeth bleaching, teeth whitening
Posted in Cosmetic Dentistry | Comments Off
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
Did you know…
An estimated 80 million Americans snore?
Snoring may indicate a more serious health condition known as sleep apnea?
Approximately 15 million Americans have some degree of sleep apnea?
People with sleep apnea are 30% more likely to die prematurely of stroke or heart attack?
Snoring may seem like a trifling bother, but it can actually interfere with your sleep, your health, and your relationships. Snoring results when airways are blocked by soft-tissues, preventing the constant flow of air to the body. Air forces its way through, causing the noisy vibrations that rumble the household and prevent you from getting a restful night’s slumber. Many patients who snore actually stop breathing for 10 seconds or longer during sleep. Patients with recurring lapses of breath have a condition called sleep apnea. (more…)
Tags: dentist, dentistry, Dr. Erika Mason, Midlothian VA, Sleep Apnea, snoring
Posted in Sleep Apnea | Comments Off
We know that certain foods can contribute to bad breath – garlic, onions, and anchovies come to mind. But bad breath can seemingly come out of nowhere and stick around long after you’ve brushed away debris from your latest food experiment. The good news is bad breath can often be treated with simple steps that will also improve your oral health. At Dr. Mason’s office, we help patients battle bad breath with professional cleanings, as well as tips for oral hygiene, such as the ones you’ll find below.
