Grove City Family Dentistry Blog

The temporomandibular joints connect the jawbone to the skull. Located at the sides of the head near each ear, these joints play an essential role in eating, speaking, and making facial expressions. In fact, the temporomandibular joint ( TMJ) is one of the most frequently used and complex joints in the entire body.

TMJ disorder can develop when one or both of the temporomandibular joints stop functioning properly. This may happen due to any number of causes and may result in chronic ear pain, jaw stiffness and soreness, difficulty opening the mouth, jaw popping or clicking, and headaches. Sufferers of TMJ disorder may experience either sharp pain or a dull, constant ache.

Distal
The direction indication in the mouth.  It indicates the direction away from the middle of the jaw.

Today is Angie’s last day as an employee of GCFD. We wish her all the luck in the world. She’s a great person and will go far!

If you have a child who will be a new patient with us soon, here are a few helpful hints to make their first visit simple and easy:

1. Bring your child to an appointment with you.  This will help them get familiar and comfortable with the atmosphere at our office and with the friendly staff.

2. Try not to use the words like: needle, hurt, gas, drill, pull.  These words may cause unnecessary fear.

3. Be happy and stay positive when you bring them to their appointment.  Let your child know that we have balloons and a special toy tower machine.

4. Michelle is one of our Assistants who suggests that buying a children’s book on the first visit to a Dentist is a good idea also. 

We have researched some good, inexpensive books that would be perfect to share with your child before their big day!

What to Expect When You Go to the Dentist   By: Heidi Murkoff & Laura Rader

Just Going To The Dentist   By: Mercer Mayer

The Berenstain Bears First Dental Visit   By: Stan & Jan Berenstain

Enamel
Hard calcified tissue covering dentin of the crown on the tooth.

Pulp
Connective tissue that contains blood vessels and nerve tissue which occupies the pulp cavity of a tooth.

At Grove City Family Dentistry we are proud to be green, and even more proud to say that we started taking steps years ago, which has set us apart from other dental offices. This includes using a company that uses recycled material for our staff’s scrubs and taking the next step with our patient record process. What this means is that our office has no paper files; instead we use computer software to store images, notes, radiographs etc. This results in literally tons less paper being used over the years, as we have been “paperless” since 2004.

The cans that we recycle go to a local travel baseball team that they in turn get money to support their team with. The paper we receive from outside sources such as magazines, newspapers, and used envelopes are given to a local church to recycle, that they in turn get money for. These commitments allow us to not only help support a healthy earth but also a strong community.

Prophylaxis
The procedure of teeth polishing.  It also means the prevention of disease.

Radiograph
An image produced by projecting radiation, as x-rays, on photographic film. Commonly called x-ray.