Solution Dental

Eating sweets is bad for your teeth, but do you know why? Do you know that even eating ‘good’ foods can be bad for your teeth or that eating at certain times during the day is better than others? If you don’t understand that when and what you eat can affect your teeth, then read on.  You’ll probably learn more than your dental hygienist ever told you!

The problems all revolve around plaque, that sticky, whitish substance that covers your teeth after you eat. As you probably already know, carbohydrates break down into sugars, the fructose, maltose, glucose and lactose that fuel our bodies. We think this process happens after food leaves our mouths, while en route in our digestive tracts.

That’s true for many foods, but some foods begin breaking down right in our mouths. These foods are referred to as fermentable carbohydrates. Bacteria living on your teeth use the sugars found in fermentable carbohydrates like cookies, crackers, cake, soft drinks, cereal, even bananas to produce very strong acids.

These acids can cause demineralization, a process by which the minerals inside a tooth’s enamel begin to dissolve. Damaging acids are continually produced as long as these foods remain in contact with the tooth bacteria.

That’s why sipping soda all afternoon is more damaging than drinking an entire can during your meal and why sticky foods (potato chips, raisins) and foods that get stuck in the crevices of molars can do more damage than foods that don’t stick. Those who snack on sugary foods throughout the day also have a higher incidence of tooth decay.

Fortunately, the body can combat demineralization with a process called remineralization. Saliva facilitates the remineralization process by helping to neutralize damaging acids. Therefore, foods and sugar-free gum that help increase saliva are good choices for combating tooth decay. However, when remineralization takes place more slowly than demineralization, in other words when the process is out of balance, tooth decay may still result.

Eating disorders such as binge eating where an individual consumes large quantities of food only to purge them shortly afterwards also causes serious mineral loss because of all the stomach acids that come into the mouth during a purging session. That’s why those suffering from eating disorders often experience tooth decay and demineralization.

When it comes to the teeth and your overall state of health, it’s a good idea to stick with the food categories and amounts advised by the US government in its updated Food Pyramid. The ‘good’ foods to choose include whole grains rather than refined grains, non-citrus fruits (citrus contains a lot of acid), dark green leafy vegetables, lean proteins and calcium-rich foods and beverages.

Cheese is a good food to eat for counteracting acids and so are chicken and nuts. Milk contains lots of minerals that can enhance the remineralization process. Fruits with high water content are also good because they promote saliva. Sugar-free gum that contains xylitol is a good choice as are sugar-free hard candies.

There is this belief among some people that dental care for babies isn’t an important issue because those ‘baby’ teeth will be replaced by permanent teeth. They believe that because baby teeth fall out, the focus should be on the child’s permanent teeth.

It’s true that primary teeth fall out and are replaced by permanent teeth. But one of the most important reasons to teach proper dental care to children is so that the habits they learn early will stick with them throughout the rest of their lives. If good dental habits aren’t in place by the time permanent teeth begin appearing, which is around 6 years of age, developing good habits will be more difficult later on.

Most babies start getting teeth when they are 6 months old. The bottom row central incisors typically are the first to appear, followed by the top row central incisors. All together there are 20 primary teeth and they usually erupt according to a ’schedule’ that most infants follow. The last primary teeth to erupt are the second molars and they’ll appear between the ages of 2 and 3.

If not properly cared for, an infant’s teeth can begin to decay from the moment they first erupt. Infant dental decay is painful and should be avoided. Of course, at only 6 months old, an infant does not have the physical or mental skills needed to brush her or his teeth. At this stage of life, it’s up to the caregiver to clean a baby’s teeth using either a toothbrush designed for an infant or a very soft washcloth. Just gently brush or rub the tooth (teeth) once a day, before bed.

Pediatric dentists advise that the first visit to a dental clinic take place when the baby turns 1. That first visit is important and the dentist will want to ensure your baby is getting fluoride from drinking water. If not, the dentist can write a prescription for fluoride which will help protect the child’s developing teeth from dental decay. If a baby’s teeth are showing signs of spotting or staining and the baby has not yet turned one, it’s a good idea to visit the dentist sooner.

To keep decay under control, don’t give infants sugary drinks, especially at night from a bottle. During the day, don’t fill a baby bottle with sweet drinks to use as a pacifier. Keep in mind that most milk and formula and even fruit drinks contain sugar. Doing any of the above can cause baby bottle tooth decay. It’s not a good idea to coat a pacifier with sugar either as that can also lead to decay.

At age 2, children can begin daily brushing using a small dab of fluoride toothpaste. Be sure to supervise the tooth brushing. The child should not swallow the toothpaste.

At meal and snack time, steer clear of sugary drinks, foods and snacks. Teaching your child early on to eat vegetables and healthy snacks will limit tooth decay and is an excellent way to instill good eating habits.

No matter what anyone tells you, your wisdom teeth do not make you smarter! Wisdom teeth are the last of the permanent teeth to erupt. The late teen years and into early adulthood is when wisdom teeth typically begin to erupt. Located behind the molars, these teeth are sometimes referred to as the third molars.

Oftentimes wisdom teeth don’t actually erupt because they are extracted before they have a chance. Since they are the last to make their appearance in a mouth that’s fairly full already, there sometimes isn’t enough room in the mouth for the wisdom teeth to take their place.

When there is no room for these teeth to emerge, they are considered impacted. Sometimes, when wisdom teeth try to erupt even though there isn’t enough room, they end up in a sideways position, still unable to erupt.

There may or may not be pain when wisdom teeth are impacted. If these teeth do make an attempt at erupting, the gum might begin to feel swollen and possibly even painful. These attempts sometimes cause pain in the jaw or the surrounding teeth which is another reason why these teeth are extracted.

Infections and tooth decay can form when a wisdom tooth only partially erupts which is why extraction typically is the preferred alternative in this case. And when wisdom teeth look for routes through which they can erupt, their search can cause other teeth to move out of place in response.

Problems with chewing can arise when teeth don’t line up properly, and that’s yet one more reason why extracting wisdom teeth may be necessary.

To date there is no procedure available that can move a wisdom tooth into the correct position so that it erupts where and how it should. Therefore, when it comes to the wisdom teeth, there usually is just one decision to make – to extract or not to extract.

An x-ray of the area is the most reliable way of determining whether extraction of the wisdom teeth is necessary. The x-ray can see below the gums where the naked eye cannot. The x-ray will show the location and positioning of the wisdom tooth and will also show whether or not there is enough room for the wisdom teeth to properly erupt.

If it is decided that extraction is required, when and were the procedure takes place will depend on the number of teeth to be extracted and how far below the gum line they are located. The person’s overall tolerance to pain and his or her degree of anxiety will also be evaluated.

Sometimes the procedure can take place in the dentist’s office or dental clinic in about a half an hour or less. Other times, however, it makes more sense to visit a surgeon so that all wisdom teeth can be removed. In this case, the person will be sedated and given a local anesthesia. There likely will be pain after surgery, but it should go away in a few days.

How long has it been since you started using that toothbrush you used this morning? Is it fairly new? Is it a month old? Two? Three? Is it older than that? If you’re still using the same toothbrush you got from the dental hygienist three months ago or worse, even longer, then get yourself to the store and purchase a new one as soon as possible!

You need to regularly replace your toothbrush because over time, the bristles are going to start breaking down. You’ll know when this is happening because they’ll start looking frayed and they’ll flare outwards. Once this breakdown starts to happen, it’s not going to be possible for your toothbrush to work as effectively or efficiently as one with bristles that are standing straight up.

If your toothbrush is relatively new but you’ve just gotten over a cold or the flu, or if you’ve had a cold sore, an infection in your mouth, or a sore throat, it’s a good idea to throw out the toothbrush you used during that sickness or infection. Bacteria can live among a toothbrush’s bristles and using that toothbrush may cause reinfection.

Bacteria can also grow on toothbrush bristles when you haven’t been sick, especially if bristles aren’t thoroughly rinsed after each use. Food particles can remain on bristles and that can lead to the development of bacteria, another reason why frequently changing your toothbrush is a good idea.

After you’ve finished brushing your teeth, it takes only a moment to ensure that your toothbrush is clean. Remember, its job is to remove food particles and plaque from your teeth, which it does, but sometimes those particles that have been removed will stick between the bristles of your toothbrush. While you are rinsing the excess toothpaste and foam from the toothbrush, be sure to rinse away any food particles too. When you’re done rinsing, take a close look at the bristles. If needed, rinse again.

Some people think that sticking their toothbrush in the dishwasher or the microwave oven is an effective way to clean/sanitize it. The truth is, these environments are too harsh for most toothbrushes and will only cause them to become damaged.

After you’ve rinsed your toothbrush, it needs to air dry to inhibit the growth of bacteria. Always store your toothbrush upright in an open container. Don’t lie it down inside a drawer and don’t enclose your toothbrush inside a case or other type of airtight container. With no air circulation, the moisture will create an environment ripe for bacteria growth.

To prevent cross-contamination, you never want the head of your toothbrush to touch the head of another toothbrush either. It’s also not a good idea to share your toothbrush with others. To date, there’s not been any solid proof that toothbrush sanitizers or mouth rinses with antibacterial agents offer any better protection than good cleaning habits so read the product’s claims carefully before making any purchases.

And always remember – when in doubt, throw it out!