Sunday, June 30, 2013

Turkey Day Tips For Keeping Your Smile Healthy And Happy

Gentle Dental Turkey Tips

 

Thanksgiving is here and it’s time for family and, of course, food. Most of the food that is served at Thanksgiving is loaded with sugars and carbohydrates. This can give your healthy smile some grief, but there are some adjustments you can make that will help keep your teeth healthy.

 

The carbohydrates in stuffing, dinner rolls and the desserts induce acid production in your mouth. Acid from this bacteria is responsible for tooth decay. You can protect yourself from these acids by following these simple tips:

  • Limit the eating to meal times. Instead of tasting a little bit of everything throughout the day, wait until the meal is actually served. Every time you eat a sugary or carbohydrate-loaded snack, more acid is produced. Waiting for the meal also has the added benefit of keeping some extra weight off.
  • Try to stay away from the sticky foods. Sticky foods take longer to chew and stay in the mouth longer. This increases cavity risk.
  • Even drinks have acids that damage teeth. This includes alcohol, fruit juices and sodas. Rinse with water after drinking these.
  • Here’s something you won’t hear often: Eat more turkey! Eating protein helps counteract some of the acids that are produced by the oral bacteria.
  • Don’t forget to bring your toothbrush to the festivities! After eating, brush and floss. If you forget your toothbrush, rinse your mouth with water or chew sugarless gum. The gum will increase the saliva production and help rinse away food particles.

The post Turkey Day Tips For Keeping Your Smile Healthy And Happy appeared first on Gentle Dental.

Source: http://www.gentledentalgroup.com/2012/11/turkey-day-tips-for-keeping-your-smile-healthy-and-happy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=turkey-day-tips-for-keeping-your-smile-healthy-and-happy

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5 Reasons to Be Thankful for Your Teeth

Reasons to be Thankful for Your TeethIt's easy to take things that we use everyday for granted.  When was the last time you thought about what your teeth do for you?  Whether you think about it or not, your teeth do some pretty amazing things for you that you probably don't even notice.

5 Reasons to be Thankful for Your Teeth

On this Thanksgiving Eve, I thought I would mention a few reasons to be thankful for your teeth.

1 - Your Teeth Help You Chew Turkey

Not just turkey either!  Your teeth tear and grind all the different foods you eat every day.  I vividly remember an experience I had working at a dental clinic before going to dental school.  An older man came in for his final appointment to get his dentures.  He excitedly told me that the first thing he was going to do was to go down to the local grocery store and buy a vegetable tray.  Before that incident, I'd never really taken the time to think about how I would eat without teeth.

2 - Your Teeth Make You Attractive

A smile can go a long way toward improving your appearance.  Without teeth, you wouldn't be very likely to smile.  Every year, people spend millions of dollars trying to make their teeth look whiter, brighter, and more beautiful.

3 - Your Teeth Help You Speak

Try saying the phrase I'm thankful for turkey.  Notice how your tongue touches your teeth during the th and t sounds and your upper teeth touch your lower lip to say the word fo.

Speaking without your teeth is harder than you might think.

4 - Your Teeth Affect the Shape of Your Face

Here's a thought exercise: picture a 101 year old man with no teeth in your mind.

You probably saw a man who's mouth appeared "sucked in" and his face kind of seemed scrunched up and not very tall.  Your teeth support your lips and cheeks and make your face appear longer.  To learn more, read How Your Teeth Affect the Length and Shape of Your Face.

5 - They Keep Your Jaw Bones Strong

Your jaw bones stay as thick and strong as they are because they work hard by holding onto your teeth.  Without teeth, the jaw bones begin to atrophy and shrink from lack of use.  This can make it easy for your jaw to fracture — it's also a reason why people who have been missing their teeth for a very long time can't get a lower denture made that fits very well: they simply don't have enough bone to support it.

Why Are You Thankful for Your Teeth?

Did I miss any reasons why you're thankful for your teeth?  Speak your mind in the comments section below.  Thanks for reading, and to all of my fellow Americans: Happy Thanksgiving!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OralAnswers/~3/L15nj1UvW2Y/

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Global Tablet Shipments to Outpace PC Market by 2015, IDC Says

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/dentaltechnologyblog1/~3/d7xovSFpZFI/global-tablet-shipments-to-outpace-pc.html

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Student uses twelve apps to monitor her every move

Are you one of those people who uses their smartphone to check things like how well you’re sleeping, how far you’re running, or how much you’re drinking? If so, you’re part of a growing movement called “Quantified Self” – that’s people using technology to analyse their lives. A recent report found 150 million health apps have been downloaded so far – that’s expected to reach 1.4 billion by 2017. Sara M Watson is a Masters Student at the Oxford Internet Institute – she’s currently using 12 apps to monitor her daily life.

Source: http://www.dentapress.com/headlines/5241-student-uses-twelve-apps-to-monitor-her-every-move.html

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Coconut oil could combat tooth decay

Digested coconut oil is able to attack the bacteria that cause tooth decay. It is a natural antibiotic that could be incorporated into commercial dental care products, say scientists.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/dentistry/~3/3stiDOCE7Y4/120902222459.htm

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Saturday, June 29, 2013

Can a Sinus Infection Be Caused by a Tooth?

Sinusitis and Tooth PainA couple of years ago, I wrote a post discussing sinus infections, prompted by my wife's experience.  She had severe tooth pain caused by a sinus infection.  While that post discusses how a sinus infection can cause tooth pain, it never addressed the opposite question: Can a tooth cause a sinus infection?

Sinuses are simply chambers in your head that allow air to circulate to get warm and moist before it travels down to  your lungs.  Normally, the body is able to keep the sinuses clean and healthy, despite the dark, moist environment that bacteria love.

However, when conditions are right, bacteria can grow out of control in the sinuses, causing a sinus infection.  One cause of sinus infections is the common cold.  Interestingly enough, teeth can also cause sinus infections.

Before we get into a discussion on how teeth can cause sinus infections, we'll talk about where the sinuses are located.

Where Are Sinuses Located?

There are a few different sinuses located in the facial area — around the cheeks, nose, and above the eyes.   The diagram below gives you a little better idea of where the sinuses are, and how they look when they are healthy, versus how they look when they are infected.

Sinusitis Diagram

If you look at the diagram above and imagine a row of upper teeth, you can see how the roots of the upper teeth come into close contact with those sinuses on each side of the nose.   These sinuses are known as the maxillary sinuses.  While there are several sets of sinuses, the maxillary sinuses are the only sinuses that can also be infected by a tooth-related problem.

How Often Do Teeth Cause Sinus Infections?

Hupp's Contemporary Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery textbook states, "Periapical or periodontal infections of maxillary posterior teeth may erode superiorly through the floor of the maxillary sinus.  Approximately 20% of cases of maxillary sinusitis are odontogenic."

Basically, that's a fancy way of saying that tooth and gum abscesses of the upper back teeth can eat through the bone and invade the maxillary sinus.  It further says that about 20% of all maxillary sinus infections are caused by tooth infections, rather than another cause.

Below, you'll find a couple of examples of how tooth infections or abscesses can cause sinus infections.

A Case of an Abscess Close to the Sinuses

Here is an x-ray of a tooth that had a root canal and crown done previously, but the infection at the roots had never quite healed.  I have outlined some of the important structures below for those of you who are not accustomed to reading x-rays.

Abscess Near Sinus in a Molar

I colored the sinus blue and the tooth infection red in the x-ray below:

As you can imagine, the infection and the sinuses do overlap, as you can see in the x-ray below.

Abscess Near Sinus in a Molar Abscess and Sinus Outlined

Although it looks like the sinus and the infection are overlapped on the x-ray, it doesn't necessarily mean that the infection has broken into the sinus and causing a sinus infection.  It could be that the abscess is either in front of or behind the sinus in this x-ray, because the x-ray is simply a snapshot of the whole area and doesn't tell us if things are closer to the front or the back.

If you take a look at the x-ray above, you can see how close the maxillary sinus is to the upper teeth.  Sometimes there is only a thin membrane separating the roots of the upper teeth and the sinus, making it very easy for an infection to travel into the sinuses.

Although this person wasn't exhibiting any symptoms of a sinus infection, but the x-rays do a good job of showing just how close the abscess is to the sinus.

A Case of Sinusitis Caused by a Tooth

This person had chronic sinusitis for the last few years, that started shortly after she had a metal post put into one of her upper back teeth.  Upon looking at her x-rays I noticed that the metal post that was put in one of her upper teeth looked like it had pierced through edge of the tooth and gone slightly into the bone.  This caused an abscess that was leaking into her sinus.

Here's the x-ray of her upper right teeth:

Sinus Infection Caused by a Tooth Abscess

To make the x-ray below easier to see, the tooth is green, the infection is red, and the sinuses are blue:

Sinus Infection Caused by a Tooth Abscess with Abscess, Tooth, and Sinuses Outlined

Sadly, due to the fracture in the tooth caused by the large metal post, the tooth had to be extracted.

The oral surgeon who extracted the tooth told me that the tip of the tooth broke off just above the metal post, causing the root fragment to get pushed into the sinuses during extraction.  He had to open up the sinus to retrieve the root and he was able to suction out a lot of the infection — he said it was a pretty bad infection.

Teeth Can Cause Sinus Infections

While sinus infections can cause teeth to to hurt, hopefully this post has helped you see that infections from the upper back teeth can easily make their way into the sinuses and cause sinus infections.

It is important to remember that unhealthy teeth are just one cause of sinus infections, and that there are several other causes.  If you suspect your sinus infection is caused by a tooth, you should see your dentist to confirm this.

Do you have any questions, concerns, or comments?   Feel free to leave a comment in the comments section below.  Thanks for reading!

Image credits: Top picture © Lightspring/Shutterstock.com - Sinusitis Diagram © Alila Medical Images/Shutterstock.com - All Others © OralAnswers.com

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OralAnswers/~3/oplTSH8ukoM/

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Colored Fillings

Green Colored Filling

"Your child has a cavity."

Not many parents want to hear those words, especially if their child has dental anxiety.

Last summer, I saw a three year old child who needed to have a filling on one of his upper molars.

The only reason he sat still in the chair long enough for us to remove the decay and get a filling put in was because we told him we were going to give him a yellow colored filling.

He loved tractors, and wanted it to be yellow like his toy tractor. When he was all done, we took a picture of it and gave it to him so he could show his friends and family.

I've found that giving children a colored filling (along with some other things we do to make the comfortable), helps them to sit in the dental chair and get their needed dental work completed.

Find out why baby teeth need to have fillings if they just fall out.

Colored Fillings

Pink Colored FillingColored fillings are made of the same composite materials as tooth-colored fillings, they simply have more exciting coloring added to them.

At our office, we have five colors to choose from: blue, green, yellow, orange, and pink.

To the right, you can see how the pink filling looks on a tooth - it's what most of the girls end up choosing.  That filling, as well as the green one above, was placed to fill in a cavity that formed between the teeth, which is one of the more common places you can get a cavity.

While we can do a colored filling to repair most cavities in baby teeth, nobody has had us do one on a front tooth yet!

 

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OralAnswers/~3/iY5ZYfRgo0s/

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New evidence on how fluoride fights tooth decay

In an advance toward solving a 50-year-old mystery, scientists are reporting new evidence on how the fluoride in drinking water, toothpastes, mouth rinses and other oral-care products prevents tooth decay.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/dentistry/~3/eys3l_Nu-cM/130501112855.htm

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Dentist In Spring Allows Patients To Request Appointments Online

Dr. Michael Morris, Spring dentist, improves patient care by offering online appointment requests via practice website.

Source: http://www.dentalprnews.com/medical_dental_articles/2013/06/dentist-in-spring-allows-patients-to-request-appointments-online-349863.htm

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Fun Summer Food: Grilled White Fish

-By Carmen A. Woodruff Summer has officially arrived! We’ve all yearned for the longer days, lighter work schedules and vacation time with family and friends.  And when it comes to cooking, Michiganders can’t wait to break open the abandoned grills that have been buried in the snow and sleet throughout the winter months. We’ve shared [...]

Source: http://www.omfdental.com/blog/2013/fish/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fish

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Why Do We Have Two Sets Of Teeth?

gentle dental blue tooth ribbon Have you ever wondered why we have two sets of teeth? At around 6 or 7 years old, our baby, or milk teeth, start to loosen and eventually fall out. This is a natural process and soon new teeth replace the ones that fall out. The baby teeth actually help in making sure that the “permanent” teeth erupt in their natural spot.Lower organisms on the evolutionary chain that have teeth can sometimes develop new teeth throughout their lifespan. The teeth of these species are usually designed for slashing, while the teeth of higher life forms are designed for chewing.Human baby teeth stimulate and guide the development of jawbones and permanent teeth. This means that even though the teeth are “temporary”, they are still important and should be taken care of.

A theory exists indicating a child’s teeth would be too small for an adult mouth, hence the need for the smaller teeth to be replaced with larger teeth. There are normally only 20 baby teeth compared to 28-32 adult teeth.

Gentle Dental recommends that you assist a child into developing good hygiene habits early.

The post Why Do We Have Two Sets Of Teeth? appeared first on Gentle Dental.

Source: http://www.gentledentalgroup.com/2013/02/why-do-we-have-two-sets-of-teeth/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-do-we-have-two-sets-of-teeth

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Friday, June 28, 2013

Menopause and Dental Decay

Surveys of adult patients in the waiting rooms of UK and Ontario dental practices show that almost half are age 50+.  That means that 1 in 4 patients are women entering or experiencing...

Source: http://blogohj.oralhealthjournal.com/clinical/medical-news/menopause-and-dental-decay

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KATI MORA: Asking the right questions keeps healthy eating simple

Although your mind may already be swimming in questions, it is important to identify the right ones that can help you unlock your path towards healthy eating. Although generic questions can get overwhelming, personal questions can often help someone 

The post KATI MORA: Asking the right questions keeps healthy eating simple appeared first on 247HealthNews.

Source: http://247healthnews.net/kati-mora-asking-the-right-questions-keeps-healthy-eating-simple/

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Human microbe study provides insight into health, disease

Microbes from the human mouth are telling scientists something about periodontitis and more after they cracked the genetic code of bacteria linked to the condition.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/dentistry/~3/q0Ks5Ynvg_I/130318151641.htm

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Technology and Tranformers… Why Universal is the Best Place to Ride

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/dentaltechnologyblog1/~3/E0gZzdFmWys/technology-and-tranformers-why.html

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Kirk Watson – Reasons to Support Women's Health & Oppose SB 5

SB 5 jeopardizes the health of Texas women. SB 5 would do little to prevent abortions. It will do a lot to prevent legal ones. It makes it much har. – Kirk Watson – Texas State Senator.

The post Kirk Watson – Reasons to Support Women's Health & Oppose SB 5 appeared first on 247HealthNews.

Source: http://247healthnews.net/kirk-watson-reasons-to-support-womens-health-oppose-sb-5/

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Evidence that new biomimetic controlled-release capsules may help in gum disease

Scientists are trying to open a new front in the battle against gum disease, the leading cause of tooth loss in adults and sometimes termed the most serious oral health problem of the 21st century. They have developed a new treatment approach.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/dentistry/~3/XcJdHYk0Dd4/120820093757.htm

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Thursday, June 27, 2013

Eruption Cyst: Photos of a Purple Bump on the Gums

A little over a year ago, I wrote an article discussing eruption cysts.  Those are the bluish-purple bumps that can form on the gums right before a tooth pushes its way into the mouth.

Upon first glance, many parents are understandably concerned that their child has a serious problem in their mouth.  The photo I used in the original article isn't very clear, and I thought it would be good to post a couple more photos that were recently shared with me.

Photos of Eruption Cysts

Eruption Cyst Front Teeth

The photo above shows two eruption cysts over the permanent upper front teeth.  The teeth are still white, the purple color is due to bruising that has occurred between the gums and the permanent tooth.  Usually, no treatment is necessary and the teeth will come through within a couple of weeks.

Purple Bump on Gums

This photo shows an eruption cyst where the upper left six-year molar is preparing to come into the mouth.  Many parents may not even notice eruption cysts when they occur this far back in the mouth.

Fact: Since many eruption cysts occur on the back teeth and only last a few weeks, they often go undetected.  Because of this, nobody really knows how common eruption cysts really are.  Most estimates say that they occur in under 1% of all children.

To Treat or Not to Treat

Normally, eruption cysts don't need any treatment.  The tooth will usually poke through the eruption cyst and come into the mouth on its own within a couple of weeks.  If the eruption cyst is causing lots of pain, or if it is causing concerns due to its appearance (as in the first photo), it can be cut open to expose the tooth.

You can click the following link to check out a picture of a tooth after its eruption cyst has been opened.

More Pictures of Eruption Cysts

You can find more photos of eruption cysts in this article that appeared in the Indian Journal of Dental Research.

If you have any questions or concerns on eruption cysts, feel free to leave a comment in the comments section below.  Thanks for reading!

Photos generously provided by Dr. Sarah Hill, a pediatric dentist in Oak Harbor, WA.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OralAnswers/~3/V6Q_KHSvUCA/

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Chatsworth Dentist, Dr. Kashfian, Offers Dental Implants for Restoration of Missing Teeth

Dr. Kambiz Kashfian, dentist in Chatsworth, uses dental implants for restoring missing teeth.

Source: http://www.dentalprnews.com/medical_dental_articles/2013/06/chatsworth-dentist-dr-kashfian-offers-dental-implants-for-restoration-of-missing-teeth-348634.htm

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In West Des Moines, Iowa; Quality Orthodontic Treatment Means the Needs of the Patient ALWAYS Come First!

andquot;Everything we do is based on core values,andquot; says Dr James Stork of Stork Orthodontics. andquot;Honesty, integrity and respect are the foundation of how we treat our patients!andquot;

Source: http://www.dentalprnews.com/medical_dental_articles/2013/06/in-west-des-moines-iowa-quality-orthodontic-treatment-means-the-needs-of-the-patient-always-come-first-345642.htm

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Kids Receive Free Dental Care in Virginia

In the month of July, West Virginia is the host of a series of free dental care days for children.

Source: http://worldental.org/free-dental/kids-receive-free-dental-care-virginia/11905/

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Interested in How Tablets are Evolving Into Dentistry?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/dentaltechnologyblog1/~3/mTQKvyfHcYw/interested-in-how-tablets-are-evolving.html

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Colored Fillings

Green Colored Filling

"Your child has a cavity."

Not many parents want to hear those words, especially if their child has dental anxiety.

Last summer, I saw a three year old child who needed to have a filling on one of his upper molars.

The only reason he sat still in the chair long enough for us to remove the decay and get a filling put in was because we told him we were going to give him a yellow colored filling.

He loved tractors, and wanted it to be yellow like his toy tractor. When he was all done, we took a picture of it and gave it to him so he could show his friends and family.

I've found that giving children a colored filling (along with some other things we do to make the comfortable), helps them to sit in the dental chair and get their needed dental work completed.

Find out why baby teeth need to have fillings if they just fall out.

Colored Fillings

Pink Colored FillingColored fillings are made of the same composite materials as tooth-colored fillings, they simply have more exciting coloring added to them.

At our office, we have five colors to choose from: blue, green, yellow, orange, and pink.

To the right, you can see how the pink filling looks on a tooth - it's what most of the girls end up choosing.  That filling, as well as the green one above, was placed to fill in a cavity that formed between the teeth, which is one of the more common places you can get a cavity.

While we can do a colored filling to repair most cavities in baby teeth, nobody has had us do one on a front tooth yet!

 

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OralAnswers/~3/iY5ZYfRgo0s/

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