Did you know February is National Dental Health Month?

It’s a great time of the year to renew those resolutions about continuing to practice great dental hygiene. Today, Dr. Renee Corbitt thought we’d discuss the importance of preventative oral care. While most people are familiar with traditional heart-saving practices such as eating healthy and exercising regularly, lesser-known are the benefits that great oral hygiene provides to one’s cardiovascular health.

Here are a few tips to help you continue those New Year’s resolutions:

*Remember that poor oral hygiene is linked to serious common diseases such as cardiovascular disease, bacterial pneumonia and osteoporosis.

*Visit our office regularly. The American Dental Association recommends you visit Dr. Corbitt’s Fort Worth office every six months for regular checkups and cleanings. Fluoride treatments twice a year will help prevent tooth decay.

Each February, our team focus on the preventive oral care of our patients. Have you visited our office during the past six months? If not, it’s time to give us a call and schedule an appointment!

If you’ve ever visited our convenient office located in Fort Worth, you know we offer professional individualized dental care to make your smile beautiful and healthy. Dr. Renee Corbitt, along with our personable staff, are committed to providing a clean and comfortable atmosphere for up-to-date preventive, restorative and cosmetic dental care.

Whether you’ve just come in once for a cleaning or your family has been visiting us for years, we’d love to hear your feedback. You can write a review on our Google Places page or on our Yelp listing.

We look forward to reading your feedback!

Dr. Renee Corbitt is pleased to offer our patients the option to reverse the affects of anesthesia at the end of dental procedures. OraVerse, a local anesthetic reversal agent, reverses the effects of anesthesia so that it wears off in approximately 30 minutes, instead of the usual 120 minutes. This is great for those of you who need to get back to work or have important meetings scheduled after your appointment.

This cutting-edge treatment option allows patients to leave our Fort Worth office without the unpleasant side affects that can result from anesthesia. Dr. Corbitt offers OraVerse at a minimal cost to our patients.

Please give us a call if you have any questions about OraVerse, or if you would like to schedule your next appointment. See you soon!

Great news – everyone who “Likes” us on Facebook is entered into a drawing for dinner for two on Valentine’s Day. We will have the drawing Feb. 14. Good luck!!

Dr. Renee Corbitt and our team want to know: Are you brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing after every meal? If the answer is yes, we think that’s wonderful! But, don’t forget that it’s also important to visit our office every six months, in addition to brushing your teeth a couple times a day and flossing. Regular dental checkups are important for maintaining good oral health. Dr. Corbitt can:

• Check for problems that might not be seen or felt

• Show you how to properly brush or floss

During an oral exam we will usually check the health of your mouth, teeth, gums, cheeks and tongue. Checkups will also include a thorough teeth cleaning and polishing. If you have not been to our Fort Worth office in the last six months, it’s time for you to schedule an appointment!

Happy New Year!

The year is almost over, so Dr. Renee Corbitt and our staff thought we’d ask: what was memorable about 2010 for you, and what are you most looking forward to in 2011? Do you have a new year’s resolution, or any exciting plans for the coming year?

Have a safe and happy New Year, to all our patients, friends, family and all our dental and medical colleagues in Fort Worth, Arlington and surrounding communities in the greater Dallas area and beyond.

See you in 2011!

I am excited to announce I will be starting a 5-month mini-residency at UCLA in sleep medicine. I am really excited to start this—they only take 20 doctors at a time and I have been on the list for 2011. Since its creation nearly a half century ago, the UCLA School of Dentistry has evolved into one of the premier dental schools on an international stage.

The program requires I attend one weekend a month from February to June. This will allow me to start treating patients who have sleep apnea and want to stop snoring and get rid of their CPAP machines!

Sleep apnea, a condition in which people repeatedly stop breathing at night, can occur as many as 20-to-30 times an hour. Sleep apnea is considered a serious medical problem that, if left untreated, can lead to high blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart failure and stroke.

There are two kinds of sleep apnea: obstructive apnea and central apnea, and the following symptoms can indicate the presence of sleep apnea. If you notice one or more of the following symptoms, please give me a call as soon as possible at my Fort Worth office.

* Insomnia or difficulty sleeping
* Loud snoring at night
* Waking up at night short of breath
* Snorting or choking sounds during the night (indicating a restart of breathing)
* Headaches upon waking in the morning
* Falling asleep unintentionally during the day
* Extreme drowsiness throughout the day

Happy Holidays!

Thanks for the question. One of the most important steps to improving the care of your gums is recognizing the warning signs for periodontal disease, also known as gum disease.

These can include:

• Gums that appear red or swollen
• Gums that feel tender
• Gums that bleed easily (during brushing or flossing)
• Gums that recede or pull away from the teeth
• Persistent halitosis, or bad breath
• Loose teeth
• Any change in the way teeth come together in the biting position

Our friends at the American Academy of Periodontology created a helpful self-assessment test that can help you determine what your risk is at home. Early detection is critical to avoiding serious and costly dental problems.

Of course, the best way to know for sure what the health of your teeth and gums is would be a visit to our Fort Worth office.

Please feel free to contact our Fort Worth office to schedule an appointment with Dr. Corbitt – new patients are always welcome! Your first visit will help us to understand your dental goals and create a treatment plan just for you. Call today!

At the office of Dr. Renee Corbitt, we embrace technology, whether it’s through the innovative dental treatments Dr. Corbitt offers, our high-tech web site or our Facebook fan page. As you can probably tell, we love connecting with our patients online, whether it’s by sharing news on our blog or communicating ideas on our fan page. For social media to work, however, Dr. Corbitt and our staff understand that conversation is vital, and that’s why we invite you to join in and tell us what’s on your mind. Although social networks are hugely popular these days, we know they’re unpredictable and ever-changing.

While we take a little time to research how to best use social media, we thought we’d ask you, our loyal patients: How would you like us to use our social networks? What would you like us to share on our blog in the coming weeks or months? Please post your thoughts or give us a call!

Dr. Corbitt and our entire team would like to give those patients with flex spend, health savings, or insurance benefits a friendly end of the year reminder that it’s about that time to schedule your dental visit so you can optimize your benefits!

Now is the time to reserve you appointment with us. Space is limited and we get VERY busy around the holidays, so don’t wait to give us a call at (817) 294-8821! We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving break!