In yesterday’s blog, I talked about how the amount of time sugary foods spend on you teeth is much more important (or rather detrimental) to your teeth than how much of it you eat.
And of course that is true.
But there is something else that matters just as much. That is “How” they the sugar adheres to your teeth. Going back to yesterday’s example again, a cough drop can cause damage to your tooth enamel because it spends several minutes in your mouth melting sugary cough suppressant onto your teeth.
But fruit can be worse than cough drops, believe or not. Not just any fruit, of course. But the gooey, chewing fruit you find in fruitcakes, fruit roll ups, and other sticky versions of that healthy food. The reason they can cause such damage is that they not only circulate sugar around your teeth while you chew, they have a habit grabbing onto your teeth with their sticky ways. And they also find their way between teeth and other tight spaces where they cause the worst kind of sugar and acid damage to the enamel. They also slide under the gum line and stay there to build up plaque and tartar where they can cause gingivitis and periodontal disease.
For that same reason, gummy bears, caramel and taffy are also risky choices in sweet stuff when it comes to oral health.
So when it comes to sweets, make wise choices. Whether you choose the chocolate, the cough drops or the gooey fruit candy, brush your teeth soon after and don’t forget the floss.
In yesterday’s blog, I talked about how the amount of time sugary foods spend on you teeth is much more important (or rather detrimental) to your teeth than how much of it you eat.
And of course that is true.
But there is something else that matters just as much. That is “How” they the sugar adheres to your teeth. Going back to yesterday’s example again, a cough drop can cause damage to your tooth enamel because it spends several minutes in your mouth melting sugary cough suppressant onto your teeth.
But fruit can be worse than cough drops, believe or not. Not just any fruit, of course. But the gooey, chewing fruit you find in fruitcakes, fruit roll ups, and other sticky versions of that healthy food. The reason they can cause such damage is that they not only circulate sugar around your teeth while you chew, they have a habit grabbing onto your teeth with their sticky ways. And they also find their way between teeth and other tight spaces where they cause the worst kind of sugar and acid damage to the enamel. They also slide under the gum line and stay there to build up plaque and tartar where they can cause gingivitis and periodontal disease.
For that same reason, gummy bears, caramel and taffy are also risky choices in sweet stuff when it comes to oral health.
So when it comes to sweets, make wise choices. Whether you choose the chocolate, the cough drops or the gooey fruit candy, brush your teeth soon after and don’t forget the floss.
Filed under Blog by staff
Which is more likely to cause tooth decay – a chocolate bar or a cough drop?
If you guessed the chocolate bar, you wouldn’t be alone. When given this choice most people would say chocolate is the big culprit.
But actually, the cough drop is more likely to cause tooth decay (all things being equal). The reason is that tooth decay is not so much caused by the amount of sugar you eat or by how much decadent pleasure you derive from the sweet things you put in your mouth. What’s much more important to tooth decay is how long the sugary substance sits in your mouth without being washed or brushed away.
Because the cough drop sits in your mouth for 5-10 minutes as it helps subdue the tickle in your throat, it also keeps sugar and the acid it produces sitting on your teeth to eat away at your tooth enamel. If it doesn’t get brushed away right away or washed away by mouthwash, water or a good dose of saliva, it can lead to decay.
So next time you have a choice between chocolate and a cough drop, choose the chocolate. Or better yet, choose a sugarless cough drop.
Over the years, I’ve treated patients for a multitude of oral health problems. I’ve treated smokers as well as non-smokers.
What has always struck me is not the difference in oral health rates between these two groups. You can find all the data you want about those differences through the ADA or the AAP.
What has always struck me is how much slower smokers are to heal from oral surgery than non-smokers.
My patients come to me from all walks of life, each with his or her own oral health challenges (whether hereditary or born from lifestyle choices). In the large majority of cases, I can treat their issues (from tooth loss, to gum recession, to advanced, degenerative periodontal disease).
But what I require my patients, who smoke, to do before I treat them surgically is to take a break from smoking. The reason is that the chemicals from tobacco slow healing and in some cases can actually increase the tartar and bacterial count so much so that it prevents healing and causes infection to spread – making surgery more risky than it would normally be.
So if you use tobacco products, including cigars, cigarettes, pipes, chew and even cloves, and you are considering oral surgery of any kind, plan to take a break for a few weeks prior to and following surgery to ensure complete healing and successful surgery.
One of the leading causes of death in the US is heart disease. You probably already know that.
But have you heard about the connection between oral health and heart health?
There have been numerous studies performed by researchers in the past 10 years to understand why people with chronic gum disease (gingivitis and periodontitis) have a higher rate of heart disease than people with healthy gums. Some researchers believe that bacteria from your mouth can attack vulnerable, infected gums (caused by periodontal disease) and then move through the blood stream where the culprits can attack heart, arteries and other parts of your circulatory system. Others believe that the reverse is true; that heart disease causes infections of the mouth.
Quite honestly, the jury is still out on which is true.
But what is absolutely clear is that by getting your teeth examined regularly by a reputable dentist, not only can you maintain top-notch oral health. You can also get an early warning for heart disease.
. . . .yet another reason to find a dentist you are comfortable with and visit him or her regularly.
Dentistry is field that is constantly changing and evolving. Procedures that weren’t possible a few years ago such as direct bonding to aveolar bone to secure implants are now a regular part of my practice.
To stay abreast of the changes, I read regularly, attend and teach classes, and stay current with associations, etc.
Recently, I read an article from a colleague that compelled me to speak out about dentists, who don’t listen to the patients they serve. In this particular article, my colleague called for people (especially those over 30) to brush their teeth 3 times a day, 5-7 minutes at a time. And to follow a very involved routine of brushing with a dry brush first, then applying and reapplying toothpaste as it ran dry during these prolonged brushing sessions.
Certainly, I am an advocate of my patients keeping their natural teeth long into their elder years. But I also recognize that oral hygiene habits must fit reasonably into the patient’s lifestyle.
So for all of you out there, who may be worried that you can’t brush your teeth for nearly ten mintues, and that dry brushing and paste-brushing and flossing is more than you can stand in the wee hours of the morning or the late hours of night – remember to keep it simple. Brush a couple of times a day for at least two minutes and floss once. Use bacteria-fighting mouthwash as you can stand it. And you will be doing a good job of retaining healthy natural teeth for a long time to come.
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It may surprise you to learn that a majority of smile enhancement work can be accomplished in a matter of hours and in a single office visit. I’m referring to reshaping and contouring. And it is used by experienced dentist to make small changes or to correct irregularities. However, this procedure is best performed on otherwise healthy (free of gingivitis, cavities or deep cracks).
- Crooked teeth
- Chipped teeth
- Teeth with rough or jagged edges
- Overlapping teeth
All these irregularities can be corrected by a seasoned cosmetic dentist through reshaping and contouring procedures — often in a single visit.
Even short teeth that make for an overly gummy smile can be corrected through tooth lengthening.
So if you have a smile that you’ve often thought could be improved with a little tinkering, visit a cosmetic dentist to see if reshaping and contouring is the answer for you. You may just walk in with a smile slightly askew, and walk out with a picture perfect bite.
As people age, its funny how the little things mean so much more.
Bear with me while I explain.
Consider a healthy, happy, buxom 20-year-old with slightly crooked teeth. He or she goes to college, perhaps plays sports. And if they are like my college-age kids, they smile a lot. Yet you barely notice that third tooth on the right that is slightly askew.
Fast forward 10 or 15 years, and the now 30-something-year old is a professional, working for a big company. She might be on the fast track to management. Or he might be a top notch sale rep. Both are wearing suits every day and meeting, shaking hands with new people and greeting them with a smile. But now that slightly crooked third tooth begins to mean much more than it did in college. Today it has probably turned a few more degrees outward and may also be a little discolored because it is more difficult to brush. But it may suggest to powers that be that he or she is not quite as polished as the next man or woman with the perfectly-straight smile.
Certainly, this may sound like an extreme example. But the truth is that for more than 50 percent of people, your smile is the first thing they notice.
My friend has a new puppy, and I got the biggest kick looking into his mouth the other day as he panted and drooled and smiled at me as I pet him.
Did you know dogs’ teeth can be crooked and out of alignment? Not that anything is ever done about it, but this dog’s teeth were a mess. He had a row of baby teeth that had yet to fall out, and his new permanent teeth had already grown in. It looked a little like a shark’s mouth.
It made me think of how very fortunate we are to live in a generation that offers so many options for improving smiles and cosmetic health problems. (I’m talking about us humans now). If your tooth is knocked out, never fear. An implant and a crown will make it look like nothing ever happened. Crooked teeth are easily fixed by any one of a number of different types of braces. Root canals save infected and diseased teeth that normally would be lost. And stained teeth can sparkle once again after some simple teeth whitening.
If you have lived with a smile you are not confident with your whole life, or if an injury or disease to your mouth has caused you to be self-conscious of your smile, learn more about different things available to you. Cosmetic dentistry offers many new techniques and solutions to oral health issues.
Dr. Charles Martin and Team
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All too often patients come to me after many, many years spent wondering.
– Wondering if the issues with their smile can be solved
– Wondering if the cost (in dollars) will be too high
– Wondering if the change will change their looks
– Perhaps hoping that it will
– Perhaps hoping that it won’t
One thing that I can tell you is that most cosmetic dental problems can be solved. The materials that are at a well-trained dentist’s disposal today are light-years ahead of what was available just 15 or 20 years ago. There are amalgems to match your tooth color precisely, implants that (in the hands of an experienced cosmetic specialist) can look as natural as your real teeth and hold up even better. There are also contouring and reshaping techniques that today that can be used instead of bonding – or in many cases along with it. And the majority of these smile enhancers are very affordable.
The point is that if you are considering smile improvement, stop wasting time wondering. Talk to your dentist or learn more about what is available. The answers may surprise you.
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