Dr. Morgan is a 1990 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry. She completed her pediatric dentistry residency at the University of Tennessee in 1993 and received her Master of Science in Pediatric Dentistry in 1994.
Since completing her training, she maintained a private practice in Memphis, Tennessee and was an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Tennessee. Originally from Arkansas, she joined our practice in 1995.
Dr. Morgan is a diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and is on staff at Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters (CHKD). She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Dental Association, Virginia Dental Association, Virginia Dental Association Fellows, Tidewater Dental Association, and Virginia Society of Pediatric Dentistry. She enjoys educating students at local schools and community groups about dentistry. Away from the office she enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending quality time with family and friends.
Dr. Shapiro is a board-certified pediatric dentist and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in 2013. Originally from outside Boston, Massachusetts, he attended the University of Virginia for his undergraduate education prior to dental school. After earning his doctorate, he then pursued his passion for providing care for pediatric patients with a two-year pediatric specialty residency at the Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Shapiro has been a native to Hampton Roads since 2016 and has hospital privileges at the Childrens Hospital of the Kings Daughters. He is a member of the Virginia Dental Association, Tidewater Dental Association, American Dental Association, and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three boys, playing guitar, and cooking.
Everybody gets a dry mouth from time to time. Temporary mouth dryness can be brought on by dehydration, stress, or simply the normal reduction in saliva flow at night. But persistent mouth dryness, a condition known as xerostomia, is cause for concern.
Xerostomia occurs when your salivary glands, which normally keep your mouth moist by secreting saliva, are not working properly. A chronic lack of saliva has significant health implications. For one thing, it can be difficult to eat with a dry mouth; tasting, chewing and swallowing may also be affected. This could compromise your nutrition. Also, a dry mouth creates ideal conditions for tooth decay. That's because saliva plays a very important role in keeping decay-causing oral bacteria in check and neutralizing the acids these bacteria produce; it is the acid in your mouth that erodes tooth enamel and starts the decay process. A dry mouth can also cause bad breath.
If you are taking any medication regularly, it's possible that your physician can either suggest a substitute or adjust the dosage to relieve your symptoms of dry mouth. If this is not possible or has already been tried, here are some other things you can do:
Dry Mouth Dry mouth, caused by insufficient saliva flow, is more than a minor annoyance to the millions who suffer from it. That's because saliva helps maintain oral health in a variety of ways. If your mouth is persistently dry, here's what you should know... Read Article