TWO S's OF TOOTH DECAY

November, 2012 »  

Two S's of Tooth Decay —

Sipping and snacking are starting to cause a stir in dentistry.  Because more and more people are in front of a computer all day, they tend to sip on a beverage for a longer period of time than someone who is drinking something to satisfy a thirst.  And, there is that pesky office candy bowl in the next cubicle or the homemade goodies someone left in the break room that everyone likes to grab from here and there throughout the day.  Because of these increased behaviors, there seems to be a link between them and tooth decay.

 According to the American Dental Association (ADA), Americans are consuming foods and drinks high in sugar and starches more often and in larger amounts than ever before.  Continually eating sugary foods throughout the day or sipping on sugary drinks have a hazardous effect on teeth.

After eating or drinking, any sugar left on teeth creates a breeding ground for bacteria.  When bacteria feeds on sugar, acid is produced which can then cause tooth enamel to be eaten away paving the way for a cavity.

When you think of sugary drinks, obviously soda comes to mind (refer back to our fabulous article, How Sweet It Is for more info on the effects of soda on teeth).  But don’t forget those lattes and cappuccinos that everyone is drinking these days.  The milk and other contents in those drinks have sugar to activate bacteria.

• Colgateprofessional.com has suggestions to help with fighting bacteria in your mouth if faced with sipping or snacking during the day. 

• If you feel the need to snack, try nuts or cheese.  These tend to counteract acid production. 

• Snack on veggies.  They are low in carbohydrates, which means they are low in sugars.

• If you eat fruit, try to stay away from acidic fruit and lean more towards firm fruits, which have a high water content. 

• Also, rinse with water after snacking or chew sugarless gum to increase saliva flow, which has natural antibacterial properties.

• If you can control your snacking, but absolutely can’t make it through the day without sweets, have it with a meal when more saliva is being produced to digest food and neutralize acid.  Research has shown that people who snacked during the day had more cavities than those who ate the same amount of sugary snacks with meals.

• Same advice goes with sugary drinks.  Do not nurse it, drink it down and then drink water, chew sugarless gum or better yet, brush.  The sooner the sugar comes off your teeth, the less likelihood for cavities.

No one wants to put a damper on your sweet tooth or latte addiction.  We all need some perks throughout our day, but remember that your teeth are the first victims of anything that is poor in nutrition.

Rinse with water, chew sugarless gum, floss, brush, and see your dentist and hygienist regularly to catch problems early or better yet, to prevent them.

Call for an appointment today at Szmanda Dental Center located in Wausau, Edgar and Wittenberg, WI.

Information compiled from the American Dental Association, Colgateprofessional.com and Staff at Szmanda Dental Center  © Szmanda Dental Center, S.C. 2012

YOU ASKED, WE ANSWERED

You asked, we answered »  

I would like to know more about teeth whitening options.  There are so many different options and prices, I don't know where to start.... —

There are several different options to choose from to whiten your teeth.  Generally, if your teeth are relatively straight and don’t have a lot of stain, you may want to try using something like Crest Whitestrips.  These are strips of a plastic material that come with a bleaching gel already on them. You wear them for ½ hour per day for approximately 2 weeks.  They generally cost about $40.

At Szmanda Dental Center, we offer a couple of different whitening options that have very positive results: 

One option is a take home kit with trays that are made to specifically fit your teeth.  We make trays from impressions taken of your teeth so that any bleaching gel that is used will get into all of the nooks and crannies.  You are given your trays and gel with instructions to take home.  This is an overnight system that you are to wear 7-10 days.  Depending on how much coffee, tea or dark soda you drink that can cause stain, you may need to touch up your whitening once a year or maybe every couple of years.  This system is $199.  Touch-up kits are $50.

The other option we offer is an in-house system called Venus Whitening.  It takes approximately 2 hours with a dental hygienist to complete the procedure.  Extra steps are taken during this procedure to protect your gum tissue from the bleaching gel since it can cause irritation.  The cost of this whitening system is $350 — this includes take home trays and touch-up gel.

If you have any questions about bleaching systems, please give Szmanda Dental Center a call and we will be glad to help you!

© Szmanda Dental Center, S.C. 2012

Information compiled from the Staff at Szmanda Dental Center  

HOW TO PROPERLY BRUSH YOUR TEETH

October, 2012 »  

How to Properly Brush Your Teeth —

Does it really matter how you brush your teeth as long as you brush your teeth?  Yes it does.  As with anything you do, the better you are at it, the better the outcome.

First and foremost in your brushing routine, Szmanda Dental Center recommends using a soft bristled toothbrush.  You are doing your teeth and gums a disservice using a harder bristled brush by literally brushing your gums and enamel away.  The more gentle, the better.

We also recommend electric toothbrushes, such as Sonicare.  These brushes usually have timers on them that count down a two-minute brush time.  It’s amazing when you first start using these brushes how long two minutes actually is and you realize how little time you have spent brushing your teeth before.  Electric toothbrushes can do a better job getting at areas that you may miss by adding a little extra boost to your brushing; some vibrate, some spin and cup the tooth similar to your dental hygienist’s polishing tool.  They can move thousands of times per minute versus a few hundred with a manual toothbrush.  Essentially, electric toothbrushes do the work for you when used correctly rather than you doing all of the work with a regular toothbrush.  If you aren’t able to get an electric toothbrush, using a regular one will do.  In fact, some people prefer manual toothbrushes instead of electric as they don’t like the feel, it can be ticklish, and it can be messy.

With either kind of toothbrush, there are techniques to get the most out of brushing:

• As we said before, use a soft bristled toothbrush and be sure to brush at least twice a day.  Once in the morning and once at night is the preferred protocol.  Once a day is not going to cut the muster, as they say.  Preferably, if you can, three times a day would be great (once after each meal).  If you can’t brush after lunch, try to swish with water and try chewing sugarless gum.  You can do this after you snack also.

• Make sure that the size of your brush head can reach all areas of your mouth, including behind those back molars.

• When your brush head looks worn, replace it!  In fact, it should be replaced prior to the worn-look.  The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends replacing it every three months.  Think about it; your toothbrush gets a workout two-three times a day AND, your mouth is the most bacteria-ridden place in your body. 

• And for Pete’s sake, do not share your toothbrush.  As Szmanda Dental Center’s website Tip of the Month states:  The Center for Disease Control advises “the exchange of body fluids that such sharing would foster places toothbrush sharers at an increased risk for infections.”  Ewwwww.

The ADA has these suggestions for the proper way to brush your teeth:

• Place toothbrush at a 45° angle to the gums.

• Move the brush back and forth gently in short strokes.

• Brush all sides of the teeth (cheek side, tongue side and chewing surfaces).

• Tilt the brush vertically to clean the tongue side surfaces of the front teeth and move the brush up and down several times.

• Brush your tongue.  Bacteria hides in all those little crevices in your tongue and brushing them away can eliminate bad breath.

Along with brushing goes toothpaste.  Technically, toothpaste is not necessarily needed to brush your teeth, but there is something to say about that foaminess!  There are numerous toothpastes to choose from and the choice is really up to you.  Just make sure that there is fluoride in the one you choose. 

Ask your hygienist at Szmanda Dental Center how she thinks you are doing with your brushing technique and if she has any suggestion for improvement.  She may also recommend a certain toothbrush or toothpaste for you depending on your individual needs.

And, remember; don’t forget to floss at least once a day!  But that’s a whole other subject………………..but just do it already!

Information compiled from the American Dental Association, the CDC and Staff at Szmanda Dental Center  

 © Szmanda Dental Center, S.C. 2012

YOU ASKED, WE ANSWERED

You asked, we answered »  

Handling a Patient Who Hasn't Been in for Awhile.... —

At Szmanda Dental Center, when a patient visits us that hasn't been to the dentist in a long time, they usually will see the hygienist first, unless they have specific concerns they need to see the dentist for, such as a toothache.

We start by taking a full mouth series of xrays, which tells us how healthy the teeth and bone are. Then we assess whether the patient may need just a regular cleaning or if they are experiencing periodontal problems and then we take a different approach.

Patients who are periodontally involved get deeper cleanings known as Root Planing and scaling. Depending on the severity of the bone level and gum tissue health, they may need to be referred to a periodontist to improve their oral health.

We don’t lecture our patients, we like to educate and keep them informed about their specific oral health concerns.   We understand that there are issues that come up as to why it has been so long since their last visit to a dentist.  Our job is to make you comfortable while you are here and let you know what options there are for your specific needs.

ORAL PIERCING

September, 2012 »  

Oral Piercing —

In today’s society, we see a lot of body art being displayed on people’s faces.  We often see eyebrow rings, nose rings, and cheek piercings.  As dental professionals at Szmanda Dental Center, we are more concerned with the piercing site of the area around the lips, the lips themselves and the tongue.

Obviously, this is not just a fad, as it has been around for a long time.  We don’t want to discourage people from doing it; we want them to be aware from our standpoint, what can happen to their oral health as a side effect from this fashion and make a knowledgeable decision.

One of the main things Szmanda Dental worries about when we see a tongue ring is chipped teeth.  According to WebMD, 47% of people wearing tongue jewelry for 4 or more years have at least one chipped tooth.  This tends to happen due to continuous abrasion of the metal or plastic from the tongue ring on enamel causing small fractures.  These chips that occur can of course be fixed with fillings, but continuing to wear a tongue ring will most likely break out the filling if could break the enamel to start with.  If this happens, most likely a crown will have to be placed, which can be a costly fix.

Not only are dental professionals concerned about this, but some piercing facilities also have a growing concern.  A local tattoo and piercing shop, Expressions Ink, has in fact stopped piercing the tongue altogether due to the amount of chipped teeth they were seeing.

Other than cracked or chipped teeth, in accordance to the American Dental Association (ADA), here are other effects to consider prior to piercing your tongue:

·      Excessive drooling due to increased saliva production

·      Infection, swelling and pain

·      Damage to fillings

·      Scar tissue

·      Nerve damage (loss of taste and movement)

·      Hypersensitivity to metals

·      Injuries to gum tissue

One of the above listed items is infection.  Remember, the mouth is host to huge amounts of bacteria.  It literally is the dirtiest place on the body.  Because of this, an oral piercing has the potential of causing heart problems.  The ADA warns that oral piercing carries the risk of endocarditis, which is an inflammation of the heart valves or tissues.  Bacteria can travel through the bloodstream from the piercing site to the heart where it can establish a colony on heart abnormalities.

Another popular piercing on the face is the lip area.  Although the actual piercing site heals fast, you have to be careful while healing takes place due to the risk of infection from anything such as food or liquids that come into contact with the area.

Szmanda Dental Center’s concern with a lip piercing is the wear that it can cause on gum tissue.  Constant friction with the lip ring causes abrasion of the gum tissue and eventually wears it away.  Once its gone, there’s no going back easily.  The only way to fix this is to have gum grafts done, which can add up financially.

When gum tissue is worn away, this exposes areas of the teeth that aren’t normally exposed causing sensitivity and also can cause the tooth to loosen due to poor support of surrounding tissue.

And just like tongue piercing, lip rings can chip teeth and also cause nerve damage to the tooth or the lip.

If you choose to have a facial piercing, please be sure to discuss concerns with the piercing facility you plan on having the procedure done at.  Discuss sterility, check on health certificates and licenses, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.  Any professional should be happy and willing to address your concerns.

Please also feel free to ask any questions at Szmanda Dental Center and we will do our best to address them.

Information provided by Szmanda Dental Center Staff, ADA, and WebMD.

© Szmanda Dental Center, S.C. 2012

CLENCHING/GRINDING

August, 2012 »  

Clenching/Grinding —

Are your teeth or jaws sore when you wake up in the morning?  You may be clenching or grinding your teeth at night without even knowing it.

Clenching or grinding your teeth, technically known as, bruxism, can be caused by numerous things, such as stress, caffeine and alcohol consumption, and even smoking. 

Because your jaw is in movement during the night, your body is not resting to fall into a deep sleep.  Experts say that during nighttime bruxism, the upper and lower teeth come into contact up to 40 minutes per hour and with a force of up to 250 lbs on particular teeth.  This is why you can wake up with sore teeth/jaws and can feel tired.  During normal chewing, your teeth come together for a total of 20 minutes a day with 20-40 lbs of pressure.¹ 

You can also grind or clench your teeth unconsciously during the day.  It may be mild, but if done often enough, it can lead to jaw joint problems and damaged teeth (teeth may become loose, fracture or wear down).

For bruxism (pictured at left) issues during the day, the best thing to do is be aware of it.  Catch yourself doing it and stop yourself.  Also, avoid chewing gum and activities such as chewing on pencils as this leads to jaw muscles learning the habit of clenching.  Relax those jaws!

If you suffer from headaches, a sore or stiff jaw, tenderness in the jaw joint or sore teeth, most likely you could be a night grinder.  Obviously when you are unaware of the behavior, you can’t consciously stop it.  Szmanda Dental Center recommends a bite guard or night guard to help with sleep bruxism.  This appliance is relatively inexpensive and can save your teeth from being damaged.  It’s a short appointment that requires an impression, which will get sent to a lab for the guard to be made and within a few days, you could be feeling relief from any soreness or teeth issues due to grinding.

Sometimes we even recommend something as simple as a bite adjustment done in our office to align your teeth more ideally and that can take care of minor bruxism issues.

If you suspect you might be a grinder/clencher and have questions or concerns about it, please talk to the doctors at Szmanda Dental Center.  They can take a look to see if there is any telltale signs on your teeth from bruxism or talk to you about your symptoms and then come up with a solution for your particular issue.  We are here to help you so please don’t hesitate to ask!

Information compiled from the American Dental Association, The Mayo Clinic Staff, WebMD, Caring.com and Staff at Szmanda Dental Center  

© Szmanda Dental Center, S.C. 2012  |  1

 Caring.com (Melanie Haiken)