What Your Dentist Can Tell By Looking In Your Mouth

DENTISTS AREN’T JUST LOOKING FOR CAVITIES at your routine checkup. A quick examination of your mouth can reveal a lot more about your oral and overall health than you think. The dentist may even discover some of your quirky habits!

Here are a few things dentists may notice when they look inside your mouth:

#1: You Haven’t Been Flossing Regularly

That quick flossing session right before your appointment may make it more apparent to your dentist that you haven’t been flossing on a regular basis. When you only floss right before your dental checkup, your gums may still be bleeding and usually look damaged and inflamed. Healthy gums, on the other hand, appear tight and pink.

#2: You Have A Sinus Infection

Sinus infections are known for causing pain and pressure in your sinus cavity, but sometimes you can even feel it in your upper teeth!

Are you unsure whether you have a toothache or a sinus infection? Luckily, your dentist can tell the difference! A simple home test is to bend over and touch your toes. If the pressure or pain increases upon bending over, it is most likely not a toothache!

#3: You Bite Your Nails

Here’s one of those quirky habits that you can’t hide from your dentist! Nail biters have leveled off, flat front teeth. This is because of the grinding that occurs between the top and bottom teeth.

#4: You Have A Vitamin Deficiency

Dentists look at more than just your teeth—they examine the health of your whole mouth! Vitamin deficiencies in particular can manifest themselves in your mouth in various ways. Here are some examples:
Sores
Changes in the tongue
Tissue sloughing off
Delayed healing
Easily bleeding gums
Burning tongue syndrome
Dentists are often the first to discover a vitamin deficiency and can help get you back on track.

#5: You Used To Suck Your Thumb

If you had the habit of sucking your thumb or finger past the age of seven, there will be significant changes in your bite and the position of your teeth. Telltale signs may remain but these can be fixed through orthodontic treatment.

#6: You Have Another Serious Health Issue

Serious maladies such as oral cancer, diabetes, and heart disease show symptoms in the mouth.

Oral cancer, for example, is characterized by unexplained bleeding, discolored patches, swelling, bumps, or even eroded areas on the lips, gums, or other areas inside the mouth. Diabetes and heart disease visibly affect the health of the gums, shown by increased swelling, bleeding and sensitivity.

We Provide More Than Just A Cleaning

Your dental appointment is much more than just a cleaning! Beyond being able to tell that you bite your nails or don’t floss as often as you should, we can also detect other, more serious health problems and help you get your health back on track.

Your overall health is important to us. Trust us to catch any warning signs that may appear in your mouth. We're here to detect any problems and help you stay healthy and happy!

Thank you for placing your trust in our practice!

Image by Flickr user Tobias Scheck used under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

Oral Health Myths—Busted!

WE’VE ALL HEARD VARIOUS “FACTS” when it comes to our oral health—different ways to clean our teeth and gums, what is good or bad for them, etc. As your trusted dental professionals, we’re here to set the record straight about some of the most common oral health myths.

Myth #1: “If my teeth don’t hurt, they are healthy.”

In reality, many dental problems don’t hurt in their beginning stages, such as chronic gum disease and cavities. When they have progressed, however, to where treatment is quite extensive and expensive, you may begin to feel discomfort. Preventing a problem is always better than treating one. Visiting your dentist as frequently as recommended is key in maintaining a healthy body and mouth.

Myth #2: “Bleeding gums are normal.”

When you wash your body, does it bleed? No! It’s not normal for your gums either. In fact, bleeding gums are the first sign of infection. Gums will bleed because plaque accumulates where toothbrushes cannot reach to remove it. This is why flossing daily is so important! Flossing will help reach these plaque-ridden areas, which adds up to about 35 percent of your tooth surface. To heal bleeding gums, consistently brush and floss gently twice a day. If bleeding continues, come see us so we can evaluate your gums for possible gum disease.

Myth #3: “Always rinse your mouth out with water after brushing.”

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Spit, don’t rinse”? Keep this tip in mind while brushing. Toothpaste contains fluoride which helps protect our teeth from dental decay, strengthens tooth enamel, and even reduces the amount of cavity-causing acid that bacteria produce. So, when brushing, spit out excess toothpaste, but refrain from rinsing your mouth out with water. This will help your teeth remain protected far longer throughout the day!

Myth #4: “Mouthwash will solve my bad breath.”

There can be many causes for bad breath and mouthwash alone is not the solution. Bad breath can be caused by certain medications, illnesses, foods, and poor dental hygiene. The most effective way to fight bad breath is through regular brushing, daily flossing, and especially tongue scraping. Tongue scraping gets rid of any remaining bacteria on your tongue, which is the real culprit behind bad breath.

Myth #5: “Brush your teeth immediately after eating.”

We may think that brushing right after eating is good because it gets any food particles that are left behind in our teeth. But brushing within 30 minutes of finishing a meal can actually weaken tooth enamel, especially if you’ve consumed anything sugary or acidic, such as citrus. After a meal, it is best to thoroughly rinse your mouth out with water or chew sugarless gum to increase saliva production. After about 30 minutes, however, brush away!

Busted!

We’ve loved busting these oral health myths so that you have the best and most accurate information out there. If you have any questions, call or come in to see us!

Thank you for reading our blog and placing your trust in our practice!

Your Regularly Scheduled Visits Are About More Than Clean Teeth

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED why it’s so important to see us every six months? From oral health maintenance to serious disease prevention, there are a lot of reasons to keep your semi-annual visits on your calendar.

Open Wide And Say “Aahhh”

So what do we look for when we examine your pearly whites? During typical checkups we examine the overall health of your teeth and gums, looking for signs of tooth decay, gum disease and checking up on the condition of existing dental work. X-rays may also be taken to ensure the health of the roots of your teeth, and to reveal things we cannot see.

Once we examine your mouth and teeth, it’s cleaning time. We do so by:
Doing an overall cleanliness check
Removing plaque and tartar
Polishing your teeth
Flossing between your teeth

After your teeth are cleaned, we’ll talk about recommendations for keeping your teeth and gums healthy until your next regular visit.

Thinking Outside The Mouth

While a clean and vibrant smile is a definite confidence booster, it can also promote sound overall health. Bacteria from untreated gum disease can spread to other parts of the body and increase the risk of heart disease and other serious conditions.

We can also spot warning signs of other conditions. Things such as vitamin deficiencies, osteoporosis and even diabetes can present symptoms in our mouths.

We Care About Your Whole Body Health

Our practice is focused on the latest treatments to create healthy and resilient smiles. In addition to helping your smile look and feel its best, we’re committed to your overall health. We want to make sure you’re as healthy as possible when you visit us!

Thank you for being our valued patient and friend!

Image by Flickr user Seth Lemmons used under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

SMILE, It's New Years Resolution Time!

It’s that time of year again, time to think about how to improve with a New Year’s Resolution. Statistics say that about half of us will make some sort of resolution- whether it be something popular like losing weight or quitting smoking- but only a few will follow through. If you are thinking of something easier and more attainable, why not pledge to have better oral hygiene? Here are some tips that can lead to a beautiful, healthy smile the whole year through:

Brushing

• Select a toothbrush that is comfortable for you. If you opt for a manual toothbrush, make sure that it is soft bristled so that you don’t damage your teeth or gums.
• Hold the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to your gums and gently brush back and forth, making sure to brush at least two minutes total, at least twice a day. Don’t forget to brush your tongue too.
• Use a fluoride toothpaste that has the ADA seal of approval. The American Dental Association does plenty of research on the best products for your oral health.
• Use a new toothbrush or change your electric brush head every 3 months

Flossing

• Use an 18 inch strand of floss, winding one end around your left middle finger and wrap the other middle finger about 2 inches away. As you use the floss, wind the used floss around your left finger and expose fresh floss from your right side.
• Keep the floss tight and gently go between your teeth, making a “C” shape as you gently glide the floss under your gums.
• Don’t forget to floss behind the last teeth- this disrupts any plaque forming behind them. 

Mouth Rinse

• Again, watch for that ADA seal of approval to make sure your mouth rinse is safe and effective.
• Studies show that rinsing with an appropriate mouth rinse significantly reduces the number of bacteria in your mouth. Rinse for 30 seconds each time you brush.
• Fluoride containing mouth rinses have also shown to be more beneficial than just using fluoride toothpaste alone.

From all of us at My Family Dentist, we want to wish you and your family a Happy New Year. We look forward to seeing you in our office in 2012!

FLOSSING BASICS

The American Dental Association advises that flossing your teeth thoroughly be done once or more per day. Overly vigorous or incorrect flossing can result in damage to the gum tissues therefore this article will provide some basics on flossing.

What is flossing?

Dental floss is made of either a bundle of thin nylon filaments or a plastic that is indicated for plaque and debris removal in areas where teeth contact with each other. The floss is gently inserted between the teeth and scraped along the teeth sides, especially close to the gums. An alternative tool to achieve the same effect is the interdental brush, which is more helpful in areas where the gums have receded in between the teeth.  The two frequently used dental flossing methods are the spool method and the circle, or loop, method. Control of the floss and ease of handling can be seen in both methods.  Flossing of teeth is a complex skill, so until children develop adequate dexterity (which is usually around the age of 10 to 12 years), an adult should perform flossing on the child. Younger children whose teeth still exhibit primate spaces (where there is no contact between adjacent teeth) will not require flossing.

The spool method

The spool method is particularly suited for teenagers and adults who have acquired the necessary coordination required to use floss. When using the spool method, a piece of floss approximately 18 inches long is used. The bulk of the floss is lightly wound around the middle finger. Space should be left between wraps to avoid impairing circulation to the fingers. The rest of the floss is similarly wound around the same finger of the opposite hand. This finger can wind, or “take up,” the floss as it becomes soiled or frayed to permit access to an unused portion. The last three fingers are clenched and the hands are moved apart, pulling the floss taut, thus leaving the thumb and index finger of each hand free. The floss is then secured with the index finger and thumb of each hand by grasping a section three quarters to 1 inch long between the hands.

The loop method

The loop method is suited for children as well as adults with less nimble hands or physical limitations caused by conditions such as poor muscular coordination or arthritis. For the loop method, the ends of the 18-inch piece of floss are tied in a knot. All of the fingers, but not the thumbs of the two hands are placed close to one another within the loop. Whether using the spool or the loop method of flossing, the same basic procedures are followed. The thumb and index finger of each hand are used in various combinations to guide the floss between the teeth.  When inserting, floss, it is gently eased between the teeth with a seesaw motion at the contact point. The gentle seesaw motion flattens the floss, making it possible to ease through the contact point and prevent snapping it through, thus avoiding trauma to the gums in between the teeth. Once past the contact point between teeth, the floss is adapted to each approximating surface by creating a C-shape. The floss is then directed downwards towards the gumline and back to the contact area (up-and-down against the side of the tooth) several times or until the tooth surface is clean. The procedure is repeated on the adjacent tooth in the proximal area, using care to prevent damage to the gums in between while readapting to the adjacent tooth. A clean, unused portion should be used for each area between teeth. 

In general, Teeth flossing is best performed by cleaning each tooth in succession, including the back surface of the last tooth in each quadrant. Incorrect flossing can often be detected through observation of the gums and the technique. Signs that suggest incorrect use of dental floss include cuts on the gums, bleeding gums, indentation on the soft tissues of the mouth, and wear on tooth surfaces and gumline. If flossing trauma is evident, further instruction should be given until the individual has become adept. Proper instruction and practice allows most motivated adults to master either the spool or loop method of flossing. In certain circumstances, the use of a floss holder, floss threader, variable-thickness floss, or pre-cut floss strands with a stiff end may be more effective.

It is important to note that a flossing habit has traditionally been difficult for people to embrace. In reality, only a very small proportion of individuals practice daily flossing. Floss may be superior to other interproximal (the area between teeth) cleaning methods, but for those who have not or will not adopt a flossing behavior another interproximal device may be more effective than no interproximal cleaning. A less effective device used on a regular basis is superior to irregular use of a more effective device.
(Source: http://www.intelligentdental.com)