Not All Candy Is Equally Scary

Not All Candy Is Equally Scary

 

It is that time of the year again where kids eagerly pick out Halloween costumes in anticipation of filling their bags with lots of candy.   While kids have fun dressing up as witches and monsters, many parents may be concerned about the oral health hazards associated with Halloween, especially with the holiday right around the corner.

We here at Avant Dentistry want to assure parents that they need not dread this spooky & sugary tradition.  Halloween can provide children an opportunity to socialize and enjoy treats, while also learning good oral health practices early that they will likely carry with them well into adulthood.  Parents can help prevent cavities for their trick-or-treaters by encouraging them to make smarter candy choices, and of course everything is moderation.  

Not all candy is equally scary.  Candies that melt and dissolve quickly are less likely to stay on the teeth, which decreases the chance of tooth decay.  Try to avoid gooey and chewy candy (i.e. caramels), that linger on the teeth, allowing cavity-causing bacteria in the mouth to produce more acid and thus tooth decay.  Candy sweetened with sugar alcohols, like Xylitol, can actually prevent bacteria from producing such acids.  After enjoying any sugary treat, encourage kids to brush their teeth or at least swish with water, which lessens the amount of time sugar stays in contact with teeth.   For younger children, parents’ follow-up brushing after the child does it him/herself is recommended.   To make it fun, try offering a new, brightly colored toothbrush as a final Halloween “goodie.”   Making it fun for children encourages them to continue good hygiene practices.  Lastly, try to ensure your children eat a healthy hearty meal prior to trick-or-treating, so there will be less temptation to gorge on candy.

Too much sugar, and its effect on oral and overall general health, does not have to be the scariest part of Halloween or any other part of the year.   Regardless of the season, it is always best to make sure your child’s teeth are clean by brushing and flossing every day, followed by regular check-ups and health hygiene visits with your dentist at least twice a year.   If you have any other, questions please contact us here at Avant Dentistry 240-743-4421.

 

 

Back to School Isn't Complete without a Dental Check-Up

Before Classes Start…

It’s almost that time again….the 2013/2014 Academic year is closely approaching!  Whether it’s the returning K-12 or college-bound, starting off the year on the right foot can set the tone for the entire year.  Make it a great start by ensuring your teeth and gums are healthy!

                Why are check-ups important?   Our hygiene visits & checkups are so much more than just a “cleaning” of your teeth and an oral cancer screening; it’s a full examination of your head & neck and how all the components work together.  Not only will this help you maintain a healthy smile, but also help identify and treat potential dental problems early before they become painful, more complicated, and often times more expensive to treat. 

                Dental pain is something no one should need to deal with, especially during the school year!  Share our pro-active approach, and give your student the best start possible!

A few simple yet helpful tips….

þ  “Be an informed consumer…read your labels:” Many popular sport and vitamin drinks contain not only high amounts of sugar (corn syrup, sucrose, etc), but can also be deceivingly acidic…both of which, especially combined can be detrimental to your teeth. 

þ  “Frequency, not necessarily quantity:”   With everything in moderation of course, consider downing your drink rather than sipping on it all day.  Diluting or rinsing your mouth with water after drinking those sugary &/or acidic drinks also helps minimize their negative effects on your teeth. 

þ  “Saliva is good:” Chewing gum helps stimulate saliva, which is a natural protector from cavities.  Just make sure the gum is sugar-free or contains xylitol, a sugar alcohol, which acts to sweeten the gum, yet helps prevent tooth decay.

þ  “Sports—play smart:” Did you know that sports-related injuries knock out 2 million teeth each year?   Make sure you or your student is best protected with a sports mouth-guard.

Tooth Talk Newsletter

Eating cheese may prevent cavities

Eating cheese may prevent cavities

TMJ: What Is It and How Is It Treated?

TMJ:   What Is It and How Is It Treated?

 

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ), located in front of each ear, has been described as one of the most complex joints in the entire body.  The joint apparatus itself consists of the upper jaw, lower jaw, and a disc that lies between, all of which is encapsulated and surrounded by muscles, tendons, and ligaments.  When in proper allignment, the joints and its surrounding structures work harmoniously—enabling the jaw to slide and rotate smoothly, and thereby allowing us to talk, chew, yawn, and swallow.   However, when not well aligned or asynchronous, a number of problems varying in severity may arise—all of which can be referred to as temporomandibular disorders (TMDs).

Signs and symptoms of TMD range from jaw soreness, headaches, radiating pain (behind the eyes, in the face, shoulder, and/or back), earaches or ringing in the ears, clicking or popping of the jaw (with or without pain), locking of the jaw, limited mouth movement, clenching or grinding of teeth, dizziness, teeth sensitivity, a change in the how the upper and lower teeth fit together, to even numbness or a tingly sensation in the fingers.  Please note that none of these signs alone are indicative of TMD, which is why it is imperative that a comprehensive evaluation of your teeth, muscles, and joints are evaluted by your dentist.  

Although the exact cause of TMD is still somewhat unclear, most dentists will agree the symptoms often arise from problems within the joint itself or excessive strain on the muscles that control chewing, swallowing, and speech.  It is evident however that injury to the jaw, TMJ, or head and neck muscles can cause TMD.  Other possible causes include excessive pressure on the TMJ from long-term clenching or grinding of teeth, dislocation of the disc of the joint apparatus, presence of arthritis in the TMJ,  physical and mental stresses, which can cause tightening of facial and jaw muscles and clenching of teeth, or bite discrepancies which can lead muscle disharmony. 

Treatment options of TMD vary, many of which do not include surgery.  These can include simply resting of the joints, practicing relaxation techniques and stress management, behavior modification, physical therapy, orthopedic or bite appliance therapy, bite correction (via orthodontics, restorative, equilibration, or appliance therapy), posture training, diet modificiation, ice and hot packs, medications and/or pain relievers, or even surgery. 

 

 

 

 

http://ezinearticles.com/?Temporomandibular-Joint-(TMJ)---What-Is-It-and-How-Is-It-Treated?&id=7286091

 

 

Soda – you’ve heard it’s bad for your health, but did you know its effect on your teeth?

We are only given a single set of natural teeth in life, so it is critical that we care for them properly by practicing excellent home-care and maintaining good oral health. One of the most common consequences of soda drinking is dental caries, or tooth decay.   A less obvious repercussion of soda drinking, even diet soda, is its extremely acidic and corrosive effects on teeth.  Some studies have gone so far to have made similar comparisons between drinking soda and drinking battery acid fluid!  The pH of the mouth is typically approximately 6.8, and anything below 5.5 is acidic enough to start dissolving tooth enamel.  It’s astounding the pH levels of drinks that otherwise seem pretty innocuous. 

             Even within just 3 minutes of drinking soda, it starts eroding layers of tooth structure, putting them at further risk particularly when combined with other damaging risk factors such as a sugary diet, heavy brushing, ice-chewing, or grinding. The resulting damage can be considerable!  Compounding the erosive effects of soda alone, regular sodas also contain considerable amounts of refined sugar, which bathing your teeth in, creates plaque and provides a food source for the colonies of bacteria inhabiting your mouth.  The bacteria metabolizing this food source releases toxins as a by-product, leading to demineralization of your teeth and producing an unsightly yellowish mottled chalky appearance.  Eventually this leads to bad breath and cavities that need to be treated by a dentist. 

            So the next question we hope you’re asking is, “how can I prevent this?  The most obvious, but probably less than desirable, is to cut soda completely out your diet --substituting with fresh fruit juices, milk, or water are better alternatives.  Keep in mind, however, citrus juice should be consumed in moderation due to its highly acidic nature.  However, it’s best to drink such acidic juices in a single sitting as quickly as possible, rather than sipping on it all day.  The concern is more frequency than quantity—so have your drink and be done with it.  Energy drinks and power drinks should be minimized as well, as they also contain a large unexpected amount of sugar.  The use of straws has also been recommended, with that idea that the straw reduces the contact of the soda with your teeth.   Efforts should also be made to avoid sipping on your acidic and/or sugary drinks for an extended period of time, as this puts your teeth at more risk with this repeated bathing.  It’s always best to rinse your teeth with water afterwards to hopefully wash out or at least dilute the sugar and acidity, in efforts to preserve the enamel on your teeth.   Fluoride (in most tap-water, toothpaste, some mouth rinses), and of course regular visits to your dentist, all help reduce your cavity count and strengthen your enamel.  Often times, when necessary, prescription strength fluoride toothpastes or rinses may be recommended for patients who display a moderate to high-caries risk.  Managing your oral health is important. Teeth are unfortunately not something that the body can regenerate, and the intent of course is to have them throughout your lifetime.  By taking care of your teeth today, you are less likely to need more extensive (and often more expensive) dentistry tomorrow! 

                                                      

http://www.livestrong.com/article/479073-can-soda-affect-teeth/#ixzz2VXmpTw5X

www.avantdentistry.com

 

Teeth Do More Than You Think...

Teeth do more than you think… in addition to chewing, eating, speaking, and smiling, they also act to support the height of you face.

Envision your mouth consisting of two sections, anterior (front teeth) and posterior (back teeth). The anterior teeth are used primarily for cutting and tearing food, while the posterior teeth are designed mostly for grinding and chewing.  Less commonly known however is the support teeth provide to create the vertical height of the face.   If teeth are lost or shortened (i.e. grinding) the height of the face closes down, also known as “bite collapse”.  Such collapse affects other surrounding jaw and facial structures including skin, muscles, and jaw joints.  As the height of the jaw decreases, wrinkles increase and the corners of the mouth droop.  Additionally, eating food may become more difficult, as front teeth by design are meant more for tearing food rather than grinding.  Of course there are also the significant social consequences (smiling, speaking, singing, laughing, etc.) that are affected from tooth loss.   These combined with the inability to effectively chew a more nutritionally sound diet all lead to overall poor general and mental health.

We at Avant Dentistry embrace the proactive approach in preventing our patients from experiencing these problems. Patients that are noticing these signs, please feel free to call us to discuss the various treatment plan options that may be available for you.

www.avantdentistry.com