Over the past two decades, narcotic and opioid pain medications have been overwhelmingly common for the treatment of postsurgical pain in dentistry and oral surgery. But the evidence that has been presented over the past several years has shown patients are suffering a number of problems with the use of narcotics. Pharmacists, physicians and dentists are all in agreement that pain management has to restrict or eliminate the use of narcotics. Over the past 5 years, we have been moving away from the prescription of narcotic and opioid pain medications, both in the number of prescribed doses and the number… [ Read More ]

I’m Chris Rafoth, the dentist at Lyons Creek Dental Care. This video explains the patient benefits of high tech dentistry. The first time you encounter high technology is in your examination. We can use digital x-rays, which are much more accurate than conventional x-rays. We use intraoral cameras that are high-resolution digital cameras that provide us a tour of your mouth much more clearly in real time. We also use laser and light fluorescent technology to discover tooth decay. We take the guess work out of deciding whether or not you got a stain on your tooth or a true… [ Read More ]

In times of stress, it may be difficult to add your oral health to your list of things to remember, but is important to know how stress can affect your smile and oral health. Dr. Rafoth speaks to the effects stress can have on your teeth. Immune System Breakdown “Stress can directly cause immune system breakdown, which can be connected to deterioration in dental health,” says Dr. Rafoth. “Prolonged stress needs to be managed for your overall health.” Canker Sores “We most commonly see canker sores (apthous ulcers) emerge in times of stress.” While canker sores are generally harmless in… [ Read More ]