Blog

Most of us have been brushing our teeth every day since we were very young children. So we’ve figured out how to do it by now, right? Truth is, most of us could stand to improve our brushing technique. To get healthier results, check out our infographic for four tooth brushing hacks from Dr. Rick Barfield. We’re also happy to share oral hygiene tips ...

From jelly beans to chocolate bunnies to Peeps, Easter is a time when many of us indulge in candy. We would never tell you to completely skip sweet treats, but you can make the holiday easier on your teeth by making smart candy choices and by following some oral hygiene best practices. Check out this Easter candy advice from your dentist. If you have ...

If you have dental phobia, you’ll be glad to know we offer two kinds of sedation dentistry at 1st in Smiles. Both will help soothe your nerves, but oral sedation is the better choice for people with more serious cases of dental phobia. Watch this video with Dr. Rick Barfield to hear more about our two sedation options: laughing gas, received through a ...

It’s April 1, a day when many of us fall for pranks by our family and friends and even by companies like Google. There’s little harm in most April Fool’s jokes. We wish we could say the same for DIY dentistry. A quick search on the internet finds there are very few dental services at least some folks haven’t tried to do themselves at home. Some ...

Lydia knows that she could go anywhere to get her teeth cleaned, but she chooses to come to our office in Plano, TX. She appreciates the personal care and attention provided by our team every time she visits. And as you’ll hear in the video below, we’ve helped her with a variety of issues since she’s been one of our many patients. Do you think ...

Getting older has its advantages. You have more experience and more knowledge. You are better prepared for many of the twists and turns that life throws your way. You are aware of the many ways your body changes, too. You probably aren't as fast or as strong as you once were. You probably need more time to recover whether you were doing work in the yard ...

Stacey is pretty open about not being a fan of flossing and about not wearing her retainers after she had braces as a teenager. When she came to 1st In Smiles looking to improve her teeth, she had more than one thing that she wanted to do. As you will hear in the video below, there was no “dental shaming” at our office. We worked with Stacey to give ...

You aren’t happy about it, but it’s there. You have a broken or cracked tooth. Depending on which tooth is affected, you may feel self-conscious about smiling or speaking in front of other people. You also may notice increased sensitivity or pain when biting or chew with your damaged tooth. The best option in this situation is to take care of the ...

Dry mouth is a common problem. It affects everyone from time to time. If this becomes a chronic condition, however, it’s something you need to take steps to address. Our team in Plano, TX will be happy to help you keep your healthy smile. We can help you address the consequences of having a dry mouth and discuss options for alleviating this problem as ...

Sports are good for your physical fitness. But there’s one part of your body that doesn’t benefit from athletic activity: your mouth. According to an article in the Journal of the American Dental Association, up to 39 percent of all dental injuries are sports-related. Wearing an athletic mouthguard dramatically reduces your risk of injury. At 1st in ...