Dental Care

Read more about the article Energy and Sports Drinks Damage Teeth
Teenagers (14-16) resting with drinks after football game

Energy and Sports Drinks Damage Teeth

There is an alarming increase in the consumption of sports and energy drinks, especially among adolescents. It is causing irreversible damage to teeth – specifically, the high acidity levels in the drinks erode tooth enamel, the glossy outer layer of the tooth. Young athletes consume these drinks assuming that they will improve their sports performance and energy levels. Most of them are shocked to learn that these drinks are essentially bathing their teeth with acid.

Damage caused to tooth enamel is irreversible, and without the protection of enamel, teeth become overly sensitive, prone to cavities, and more likely to decay.

Sports drinks were made to keep your body hydrated and energized during intense exercise. While they may be beneficial during a good workout, these drinks should never take the place of water and should not be consumed casually or on a daily basis.

Tips to protect your teeth if you drink energy/sports drink:

  • Don’t make it a daily habit. Drink sports drinks only during high intensity workouts, not on a regular basis, and minimize the amount of energy drinks you consume.
  • Drink it all at once instead of sipping throughout the day.
  • Chew sugar-free gum or rinse the mouth with water following consumption of the drinks. Both tactics increase saliva flow, which naturally helps to return the acidity levels in the mouth to normal.
  • Wait at least an hour to brush your teeth after consuming sports and energy drinks. Otherwise, you will be increasing the erosive action.

If you have more questions about sports or energy drinks, call us or visit us. We’re happy to hear from our patients.

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Read more about the article Brushing and Flossing to Fight Plaque

Brushing and Flossing to Fight Plaque

As you eat, your teeth, braces and appliances collect food. If food is left on teeth overnight, a thick plaque forms around the teeth and gums. Plaque causes bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease. Bleeding and swollen gums are a sure sign that plaque is not being properly removed. If your gums are swollen and inflamed, you will experience more discomfort during your treatment.

The best way to prevent plaque and tartar build up is to practice good daily oral home care, which includes brushing and flossing.

Brushing

  • Brush for at least 2 minutes, twice a day, with a fluoride toothpaste. Pay special attention to your back teeth, which may have more plaque on them.
  • Brush with gentle strokes so you don’t wear away your gums or teeth.
  • The high speed vibration of electric toothbrush can help break down the plaque and remove it.
  • Brush the teeth for two minutes. Remember, brush the outside, inside and tops of your teeth. Dentists recommend brushing at least twice a day.
  • For fresher breath, brush or scrape the tongue daily.
  • Examine your teeth for food and plaque and thoroughly clean all surfaces of the gums, teeth and braces. Re-examine your teeth to make sure all visible food and plaque have been removed. Extra care must be taken in the area between your gums and the braces.
  • Concentrate on brushing your gums and the gum line as well as your teeth. Two minute brushing, two times per day, is recommended.

Flossing

Some people think flossing is not as important as brushing – but it is! Daily flossing removes plaque and food particles from between teeth and under the gum line, cavity-prone areas your brush can’t reach. If this plaque is allowed to build up under the gum line, gums can become irritated and eventually lead to gum disease. Dentists recommend flossing once a day, in the evening. Failing to floss leaves 35 to 40 per cent of your tooth’s surface uncleaned!

Using a mouthwash can also help fight plaque. If you’re not sure what kind to use, ask your general dentist.

Regular dental check-ups

Although you brush and floss every day, it is very important to continue to see your family dentist at least once every six months for a thorough examination and cleaning of your teeth. If you experience difficulty with good oral hygiene, you might need to see your general dentist more frequently.

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Read more about the article About Mouth Guards

About Mouth Guards

blog3 Mouth guards cover your gums and teeth to help keep your mouth and teeth from harm. Mouth guards should be used to keep you safe when you play contact or highly physical sports. They also help to reduce the effects of teeth clenching or grinding. In all cases, the goal of mouth guard use is to help you keep your teeth from being chipped or broken, prevent nerve damage, and avoid tooth loss. Also, mouth guards are used for some tooth whitening procedures. A sports mouth guard can prevent serious injuries such as concussions, cerebral haemorrhages, incidents of unconsciousness, jaw fractures, and neck injuries by helping to avoid situations where the lower jaw gets jammed into the upper jaw. Mouth guards are effective in moving soft issue in the oral cavity away from the teeth, preventing laceration and bruising of the lips and cheeks, especially for those who wear orthodontic appliances. Types of Mouth Guards
  • Stock mouth guards – Low cost stock mouth guards can be found at most department stores and sporting goods stores. This type is ready to use, but they do have a few down sides. Most dentists do not advise their use. The drawbacks include trouble related to proper fit as well as the ability to speak and breathe comfortably. This type offers the least defence for your mouth and teeth.
  • Boil and Bite Mouth Guards: This type is made from a kind of plastic that can be reshaped when heated. Boil and bite mouth guards can often be found at sporting goods stores, and they may fit better than stock mouth guards.
  • Custom-fitted Mouth Guards: This type is made in a dental office or lab for the person who will wear it. It offers the comfort and protection. Custom-fitted guards are also the most costly type due to the use of special materials and the time and work needed.
Mouth Guards for Braces Wearers Injury to the mouth can damage invisalign or other fixed appliances. Because of this, it is especially important for those who wear braces to use protective mouth guards during sports. Your dentist or orthodontist can provide you with a custom-fitted mouth guard that will meet your needs. Care for your mouth guard Clean the mouth guard by washing it with soap and warm (not hot) water. Before storing, soak the mouth guard in mouthwash. Keep it in a well-ventilated plastic storage box when not in use. Make sure the box has several holes so the mouth-guard will dry. Heat is bad for mouth guards, so do not leave it in direct sunlight or in a closed automobile. Don’t bend the mouth guard when storing. One should not handle or wear someone else’s mouth guard. Contact us if there are any problems with the mouth guard. Feel free to contact our office to learn more about mouth guards and to schedule an appointment with our general dentist.
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Read more about the article Aging and Dental Health

Aging and Dental Health

Good oral health habits and a healthy lifestyle can help you keep your gums healthy and your smile bright for a lifetime. The age of your teeth depends on how well you have cared for them over the years. Developing a simple daily routine of brushing, flossing and eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables is even more important as we age. Poor dental hygiene and lack of dental care can lead to pain, infection, bad breath, difficulty eating, and social isolation.

Dental concerns for seniors

  • Cavities – In older people, these are found not only in the crown (chewing surface) of the tooth, but also in the root, which may become exposed due to gum recession. Regular dental check-ups are the best way to find and treat dental caries; left untreated, they can cause pain, require more complex procedures, and eventually lead to lost teeth.
  • Gum disease – It is another major oral health issue faced by older people — and it’s presently the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. The disease is caused by plaque bacteria, which thrive on the sticky biofilm that clings to the surface of teeth when they aren’t properly cleaned. Poor-fitting dentures and the presence of certain diseases such as diabetes or cancer can make the problem worse.
  • Sometimes, decreased mobility (due to arthritis or similar conditions) makes routine brushing and flossing more difficult. Special brushes with larger grips and floss holders can help make daily cleaning easier. Therapeutic mouth rinses may be prescribed. In-office treatments can also be effective in bringing gum disease under control.
  • Oral cancer – Oral cancer is a concern at any age, but it’s more likely to show up in a person over 65. Early detection offers the best chance at controlling the disease, and improves survival rates significantly. A thorough screening for oral cancer should be a part of every older person’s routine dental check-up.
  • Dry mouth – It can be harmful to your oral health. Aside from its lubricating qualities, saliva contains beneficial digestive enzymes, acid neutralizers, and bacteria-fighting agents. A number of factors may cause the body to produce less saliva than normal — but in older adults, this problem is often due to side effects from prescription or over-the-counter medications. If you’re experiencing chronic dryness of the mouth, it’s sometimes possible to change your medication, and/or use products designed to relieve these symptoms.

Oral Hygiene for Life

Regular dentist visits can do more than keep your teeth healthy — they can tell a dentist a lot about your overall health. Good oral health is essential to good overall health. The best way to achieve good oral health is to prevent disease through daily brushing and flossing and visiting your general dentist regularly.

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Read more about the article Ways to Prevent Tooth Plaque

Ways to Prevent Tooth Plaque

Plaque is one of the most common complaints that often makes people take a trip to the dentists. Plaque forms when decay-causing bacteria attach to the surface of tooth enamel, forming a sticky film. This can build up and harden around tooth and gum margins. The bacteria living in the plaque release acids that weaken tooth enamel and increase the risk of tooth decay. The bacteria and their acids also raise the risk of gum inflammation.

Bacteria feed on sugary and high carbohydrate foods. Low-sugar diets, containing a balance of complex carbohydrate, proteins and oils, are linked to lower levels of dental plaque. Here’s the list of the best plaque-busters that can help keep your mouth cavity-free.

• Toothpaste – Choose a toothpaste containing ingredients designed to prevent plaque. An anti-bacterial substance called triclosan in toothpastes claims to reduces plaque. Some others contain a plaque-dissolving formula that breaks the bonds attaching plaque to the tooth surface.

• Polyphenols – Green tea, red wine and cranberry juice contain substances called polyphenols that reduce plaque-formation and stop cavity-causing bacteria from sticking to teeth. Polyphenols can also help prevent oral bacteria from producing acids that dissolve tooth enamel.

• Olive oil – Limit plaque-formation and strengthen teeth by adding olive oil to salads and cooking. Olive oil contains oleuropein, an anti-bacterial compound that stops ‘gram negative’ bacteria – the type that cause gum disease and bone loss – from attaching to teeth. Olive oil also covers the teeth with a film of fat molecules that prevents plaque from forming. Other dietary fats and oils also help to neutralize acids produced by bacterial plaque.

• Plaque-busting gum – Chew on gums containing Xylitol or Sorbitol, sugar substitutes that have a plaque-reducing effect. Xylitol cannot be utilized by oral bacteria and they starve. As the bacteria die off, there is a reduction in decay.

• Cleaning tongue – Daily brushing routine should be inclusive of tongue also, apart from the teeth and gums. This is because your tongue has many tiny crevices, where plaque and bacteria can get accumulated easily, causing even bad breath. So, make sure to clean your tongue every time you brush your teeth. You will be rewarded will better oral hygiene, which includes fresher breath.

• Drink lots of water – Water can help you avoid plaque buildup, by washing out the bacteria from your mouth. So, make sure that you drink plenty of water after a meal or a snack, even taking care to swish it around a bit in your mouth.

• Professional help – While plaque-reducing toothpastes, gums and drinks can slow the rate of plaque formation, they are unlikely to eliminate it completely. At home, experts recommend regular flossing to clean out food from between teeth. An electric toothbrush will dislodge plaque more effectively than a regular one. However, if it builds up beneath the gums, it raises the risk of gum disease significantly. And the best way to prevent that is by seeing the dentist or dental hygienist who can remove the deposits with special equipment.

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Read more about the article What is Underbite, Overbite and Crossbite?

What is Underbite, Overbite and Crossbite?

The correlation between your overall health and your bite is a direct one because if your jaws and teeth are misplaced or not properly aligned then this may affect your physical health negatively. You may find it difficult to breathe, speak, and eat and your facial appearance as well as smile can also change.

Underbite:

Ideally, the upper teeth are supposed to be slightly above the lower front teeth and the lower front teeth should lie slightly behind the upper ones. Underbite occurs due to the overgrowth of your lower jaw and/or undergrowth of upper jaw, or it could be a mixture of both. When a person suffers from underbite, the lower teeth hang past the upper front teeth. As a result, tooth wear happens and the patient may feel pain in jaws and joints. Underbite doesn’t only affect the upper incisor teeth but also the molars and the patient’s lower jaw becomes much more prominent

It is important to have the underbite assessed as soon as it gets detected. The condition may worsen if not treated timely and if it becomes a skeletal issue from a dental one then surgery may be required to correct it

Overbite:

Overbite is a condition in which the upper teeth overlap the lower teeth. Normally, our upper teeth slightly overlap the lower ones and it occurs naturally. However, the normal range of this gap is between 3 to 5 millimeters. If the gap is greater than 5mm then this condition will be characterized as an overbite.

Extensive and prolonged use of a pacifier worsens the condition and so do habits like thumb sucking, tongue thrusting and/or breathing from the mouth.

Crossbite:

Crossbite is a condition that may involve a single tooth or multiple teeth. A crossbite is when the lower tooth overlap the upper tooth Usually, crossbites are directly related to the narrowness of upper jaw and it can occur in the front or any of the other sides of the mouth.

When crossbite happens, one or more teeth may start tilting either toward the cheek or towards the tongue. Either way, this tilting affects the alignment of other teeth and paves way for different oral health issues such as teeth wear, bone loss and gum diseases. It must be noted that crossbite may occur on one or both sides of the jaw. Due to this condition, the jaw bone becomes excessively burdened and comes under stress.

Crossbites are also hereditary in nature because the tooth and jaw bone shapes are governed by genes. However, crossbite may develop if the baby teeth loss is delayed or new teeth emerge abnormally. Habits like careless chewing style and thumb sucking worsen the condition.

Treatment:

Early orthodontic intervention may be required to shift teeth into an ideal position or to guide the growth of the jawbone If the condition is ignored surgery may be required. So, you must consult your dentist to consider the appropriate treatment and correct the abnormal growth or tilting of teeth.

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Read more about the article Is Deep Cleaning Good or Bad for Gum Disease?

Is Deep Cleaning Good or Bad for Gum Disease?

“Deep cleaning” often means scaling and root planing to a dentist or periodontist. Scaling is the process by which plaque (bacteria and food mixture) and calculus (tartar or mineralized plaque deposits) are removed from both supragingival (above the gum) and subgingival (below the gum) tooth surfaces.

Root planing involves removing plaque, calculus and smoothing rough root surfaces with fine scalers and ultrasonic instruments. This “planes” the roots under the gum to provide a smooth, clean surface to which the gums can reattach. After treatment, the goal is for the gingival (gum) tissue will become tight, pink, and healthy, with no bleeding or redness. Hopefully, the pockets that have formed between the teeth and the gums will shrink, reducing the need for surgical intervention.

Root planing is a treatment approach for gum and periodontal disease. However, the patient must be aware of certain issues:

  • After root planing, teeth can become temporarily sensitive to cold air or cold liquids.
  • After treatment, the gums will shrink as they get healthy and spaces between the teeth may develop. You may also experience gum recession on the outside surfaces of some of your teeth, but either situation is better than leaving gum disease insufficiently treated.
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Read more about the article Tips for Healthy Mouth

Tips for Healthy Mouth

Taking care of your health and your mouth one of the most important things to do keep your smile healthy. Brushing your teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and having regular check-ups with a dentist can help keep your teeth healthy. Also, don’t forget to floss daily.

Following simple tips may help you save your valuable time, money and energy from combating dental problems.

  • Maintain healthy diet – What you eat and drink can cause tooth decay, so a healthy diet is important for your teeth. A healthy, balanced diet includes plenty of fruit and vegetables, as well as starchy foods such as bread, rice, potatoes and pasta (choose wholegrain versions and eat potatoes with their skin where possible). You should also eat sources of protein such as meat, fish, eggs, beans or other non-dairy sources of protein, and some milk and dairy foods (ideally lower fat options).
  • Reduce sugar from your diet – Limiting the amount of sugar you eat and drink is important to prevent tooth decay. A lot of the sugars we eat and drink are in food and drinks such as sweets, chocolates, sugary drinks, juices, syrups etc. When fruit is juiced or blended, as in smoothies, the sugars are released from the structure of the fruit. Once released, these sugars can damage teeth, especially if you drink fruit juice frequently.
  • Quit smoking – Smoking can stain your teeth yellow, cause bad breath, and increases your risk of gum disease, breathing problems, lung cancer and mouth cancer. Giving up smoking is important if you want to look and feel better.
  • Limit alcohol consumption – Alcohol misuse has been linked to an increased risk of developing mouth cancer. The most important risk factors for mouth cancers are the combined effect of smoking and drinking alcohol. (ref: oracancerfoundation.org)
  • Eat right – Some other substances such as wine, tea or coffee can stain your teeth. Keep them to a minimum to stop your teeth becoming stained.
  • Use mouthwash – Using a good mouthwash will not only keep your breath fresh, it can help keep harmful bacteria away.
  • Drink lots of water
  • Rinse your mouth after every meal.

Take care of your teeth and gums with proper daily routine of brushing and flossing.  If your diet has impacted your oral health with severe tooth decay or tooth loss, call us at Expressions Dental to know your treatment options.

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Read more about the article Taking Care of Temporary Dental Crown

Taking Care of Temporary Dental Crown

Temporary dental crowns are a temporary fix until a permanent crown is ready. The primary reasons for wearing a temporary crown are to keep the tooth protected from external stimulus, keep the tooth from shifting and serve as a dress rehearsal for function and aesthetics for the permanent crown.  Here is what you need to know about taking care of the temporary crown for the couple of weeks that you have it cemented:

  • Avoid sticky, chewy foods (for example, chewing gum, caramel), which have the potential of grabbing and pulling off the crown.
  • Minimize use of the side of your mouth with the temporary crown. Shift the bulk of your chewing to the other side of your mouth.
  • Avoid chewing hard foods (such as raw vegetables), which could dislodge or break the crown.
  • Slide flossing material out-rather than lifting out when cleaning your teeth. Lifting the floss out, as you normally would, might pull off the temporary crown.
  • Let your dentist know if the provisional crown should fracture or fall out, even if the tooth is not sensitive. The teeth are prone to shifting when not covered by the temporary crown.  Going without your temporary crown even for couple of days may cause the final crown not to fit properly.
  • Be sure to call your dentist’s office if the temporary crown feels too prominent to your bite. It is more likely to break or come uncemented.
  • If you experience prolonged sensitivity or pain, please call your dentist’s office.

If your temporary dental crown comes off at any time during the waiting period for the permanent restoration, please contact our office immediately. It is very important for us to get the temporary back in place as quickly as possible, to ensure that the permanent restoration fits properly.

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Read more about the article How To Stop Teeth Grinding? Causes and Treatments

How To Stop Teeth Grinding? Causes and Treatments

Teeth grinding or bruxism is the involuntary clenching, grinding and gnashing of the teeth. Some people are regular, forceful tooth grinders. Often it happens during sleep, but some people grind their teeth when they are awake. Teeth grinding can be a result of stress. For example, some people grind their teeth when they are angry, concentrating or feeling anxious. It can occur in both children and adults.

Effects of teeth grinding

  • Cracked tooth enamel

  • More wear and tear on the teeth than is normal

  • Broken teeth or broken restorations (for example, fillings)

  • Strain on the jaw joint

  • Pain in the jaw joint or limited movement

  • Tooth loss (rare)

Causes of teeth grinding

  • Emotional stress, such as anger or anxiety

  • Mental concentration

  • Physical stress, such as illness, poor nutrition or long-term pain

  • Some dental treatments, such as fillings that sit ‘too high’

  • When teeth are coming through in babies and children

  • Taking antipsychotic or antidepressant medications

  • Regularly drinking alcohol, smoking and using recreational drugs such as ecstasy and cocaine

Treatment for teeth grinding

If you think you grind your teeth, see your dentist or other oral health professionals as soon as possible. They will look at your teeth and talk about possible treatment options that may include:

  • Repair of tooth damage

  • Fixing fillings that are too high

  • A special mouth guard (‘bite splints’) to wear at night so that the guard is worn down instead of your teeth.

Other treatments may include stress management therapy, relaxation techniques, cognitive behavior therapy etc.

In case of teeth grinding, you may seek help from your dental clinic, your doctor, psychologist or from a physiotherapist depending on the cause of teeth grinding.

Ref: www.nhs.uk/conditions/teeth-grinding
www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au

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