5 Tips to Encourage Good Dental Health in Your Child

We know most children would rather do just about anything than to go brush their teeth. Like picking up their toys and helping set the table, brushing teeth can seem like just one more chore. We don’t expect our children to understand how important it is to brush our teeth properly and regularly to ensure good dental health, and that’s where we as parents can step in and encourage good dental health in our children.

We also know that sometimes parents aren’t sure where to start and whether or not they are covering all those dental healthcare basics. So we thought we’d give parents some tips on how to encourage good dental in your child!

Tip #1

Routine.
Many parents recognize that having a steady routine benefits the household and the family. Establishing a steady routine for brushing and flossing also benefits children’s good dental health and helps to establish good dental health habits.

Tip #2

Regular Pediatric Dental Checkups.
Our children’s bodies are growing and so are their teeth and gums. As children grow, their mouths adjust to growing changes and teeth and gums adjust and grow also. Regular dental checkups with your child’s pediatric dentist are important to monitoring those changes and growth.

Tip #3

Fluoride.
Fluoride helps protect growing teeth from cavities. Be sure your child uses a toothpaste with fluoride.

Tip #4

Sealants.
Your child’s pediatric dentist will recommend sealants to seal tiny cracks that would otherwise be a haven for plaque and bacteria to create cavities.

Tip #5

Brush After Snacks.
Encourage healthy snacks for those in-between meals that growing children need. Eating healthy foods is good for children’s overall health and is also good for children’s dental health.

How to Take Care of Your Dental Retainer or Mouthguard

April is National Facial Protection Month, which means that health professionals across the United States are working together to provide resources and tips about how to protect your face from physical harm. It is well known that professional athletes wear a mouthguard to protect their teeth from damage while they are participating in physical activities. Whether you are a professional or not, it is always important to wear a mouthguard or dental retainer while you are engaged in any sport activity. Some may think that using a mouthguard or dental retainer is unsanitary, but with proper care, your mouthguard will remain clean and will provide sufficient protection for a long time.

How do you care for your mouthguard/dental retainer?

• The most important thing to keep in mind if you want to maintain the effectiveness of your mouthguard is to avoid clenching your teeth, or chewing on it. A mouthguard should rest comfortably along your upper teeth without interfering with your comfort.
• It is important to wash your mouthguard with cold water while scrubbing it with an antibacterial soap and a soft brush to sanitize it after each use.
• Although more sturdy, a dental retainer should be treated carefully quite like a rubber or plastic mouthguard. Dental retainers should be washed with antibacterial soap and warm water after each use.
• It is also a good idea to store your mouthguard/dental retainer in a hard case in a cool room to protect it while it is not being used.

Proper facial protection is not limited to the use of a mouthguard/dental retainer. Always wear a helmet while you are riding a bike, skateboarding, or rollerblading to protect your head from serious injury.

How Does Saliva Help Our Teeth

Disgusting, annoying, and unsanitary are only a few of many negative words that may come to mind when someone thinks of saliva. While saliva may seem to be a gross subject which is uncommonly discussed among people, it is something that every person lives with which plays an important role in basic health. Saliva is often taken for granted, and is actually incredibly essential to the proper function of many biological processes such as proper digestion of nutrients. Saliva may seem to only aid in the process of helping you chew your food, but you may wonder why it continuously accumulates in your mouth throughout the course of a day when you are not eating. You may not believe it, but saliva is actually essential to keeping your mouth in good health.

Importance of Saliva

Saliva plays a huge role in regulating the bacterial growth within your mouth. This means that without saliva, we would suffer from endless infections within our mouths; many of which could eventually develop to become life threatening over time. Saliva is also extremely important because it provides many beneficial aspects which help our teeth stay healthy.

How Saliva Helps Our Teeth:

Saliva is essential to regulating the growth of plaque on your teeth. Plaque is an aggressive biofilm which is composed of millions of types of bacteria which collects on your teeth and gums which often leads to diseases of the gums and decay of the teeth. Saliva is acidic, therefore aids in the process of preventing tooth decay while you are between times of practicing proper oral hygiene throughout the course of an average day. Saliva is also rich in calcium, which means that it aids in the process of strengthening the protective enamel which forms on your teeth.

As it may have become apparent, saliva may be considered gross, but is incredibly important to the overall health of every person. Although saliva helps strengthen and clean teeth, it is also important to follow a strict routine of brushing and flossing your teeth a few times each day. Always make a point of visiting your dentist regularly to ensure that your teeth and gums are in pristine condition to avoid any negative developments of your oral health.

Do You Suffer From Teeth Grinding?

It isn’t unusual for people to grind their teeth on occasion. However some people tend to grind them more than others. As a result of this there are a few problems that can develop from teeth grinding. Luckily, there are a number of ways to prevent or reduce this occurrence and its damaging effects.

The problem of grinding our teeth, also known as “bruxism”, most commonly occurs while we sleep. The reason this is a problem is that fractures can occur as a result of teeth grinding. In addition, grinding can wear down our teeth and their many layers causing much pain and sensitivity. If you wake up with a dull headache or a sore jaw it is likely that you are suffering from teeth grinding.

In order to treat teeth grinding many dentists will prescribe a mouth piece that will help protect your teeth and reduce the effects of grinding. These mouth pieces may also help reduce the likelihood of grinding.

Causes of Teeth Grinding

Many people believe that teeth grinding is a result of stress in our daily lives. Speaking with your dentist and physician is the best first step to assessing the cause of the problem. If stress is the cause of your grinding problem behavior and activity changes may reduce the likelihood of its occurrence. Changing your diet, adding an exercise regimen, or taking more time to relax before bed may help lower your stress levels.

Trying to discover the cause of grinding your teeth may help reduce its occurrence. In any event, seeing your dentist and doctor first is very important. If you can’t prevent yourself from grinding your teeth, protecting them is the next best thing. Consulting with a dentist and being fitted for a mouth piece will protect your teeth from nighttime grinding and keep them healthy and you happy.

Do You Need to Use a Mouthwash for Good Oral Health?

You may visit your dentist several times a year for routine checkups and additional treatment for cavities on a rare occasion. While most visits to the dentist involve having your teeth cleaned every three or six months, you can be assured that your dentist may give you a proper lecture about your oral hygiene. Unfortunately, many people tend to forget to brush their teeth and floss regularly, which can lead to several issues involving the health of their teeth and gums. Most people brush their teeth regularly, yet tend to completely forget about flossing, which is an essential part of maintaining good oral health.

Importance of Brushing and Flossing

Flossing is essential to oral health because it helps remove plaque, and bacteria-saturated food particles from between the teeth and gums, which may cause gingivitis, infections, or tooth decay. The bacteria that is left behind will certainly cause issues to your oral health over time, and will require additional treatment to get your mouth back to a healthy state. Once gingivitis has been discovered, it is common for your dentist to prescribe you to use a special antibacterial fluoride mouthwash to heal the inflammation of your gums, or fight infections. This fluoride mouthwash is typically required to be used twice daily over the period of a month. Your dentist may also recommend that you use an over the counter mouthwash once you run out of the special fluoride mouthwash.

Mouthwash: Is it Good for Oral Health?

Using mouthwash is not an essential part of maintaining good oral health if you follow a routine of properly brushing your teeth, and flossing regularly. Although, mouthwash can be quite beneficial to nearly anyone who uses it. Using mouthwash can help remove food particles and plaque that was left behind after flossing. Using mouthwash is also a great way to kill bacteria in the mouth. Mouthwash is a great way to freshen up your breath and kill bad odors before you meet with people, or if you simply want to get rid of a bad taste in your mouth. Some people may suffer from a dry mouth, which is worsened by a mouthwash which contains alcohol; there are many alcohol-free mouthwashes which are available at many stores.

Always talk to your dentist before you begin using a mouthwash to make sure it is a good option for you and will not negatively affect your oral health. Also make sure to properly brush your teeth and floss daily to maintain good oral hygiene.

Chewing Gum – Bad or Good for Oral Health?

What is sweet, gets mushy over a period of time, yet is a favorite with the young and the old alike? You got it right, chewing gum. It is no exception that irrespective of one’s age, creed, class or geographic barriers it is perhaps the most favorite form of candy. Whether you are happy, or sad, stressed or frenzied, the answer to it all is a friendly fellow in the form of gum. But, is chewing gum good for you?

Chewing gum is an age old favorite. It could be regular gum or sugar free and it is available almost at every shop.

How Does Chewing Gum Benefit or Harm Us?

Here are some of the factors why chewing gum is not preferred by dentists:

1. For those of you who use braces or invisalign to help align teeth, chewing gum is an absolute ‘no-no’. The chewing gum typically will get stuck on the wires or the plastic of the invisalign and can ruin the tightness or the actual shape that helps to align teeth. It defeats the purpose, rather causing more harm than glory.

2. Typically chewing gum – sugar free or regular – has some sugar content in it though the degree may vary. This aggravates cavities in more ways than one. The juices from the gum are not good for those suffering from cavities. In addition, the gum may get stuck in some crevice of the teeth, causing the formation of a cavity even to the dentures in good condition.

3. Over the years the number of people suffering from TMJ has increased. TMJ is a Temporomandibular Joint Disorder and is painful for those who suffer from it. More than medication, TMJ needs to be treated with proper jaw exercises. Chewing can help worsen the situation by reversing it rather than helping.

4. It is also seen that those who are in the regular habit of chewing gum also end up having bad teeth alignment. This is more for children who are in the process of shedding their baby teeth for permanent ones. Chewing gum can affect the shape of the teeth, and cause bad alignment and setting. It could later lead to braces or other medical conditions that may be hard to cure.

This is as far as the cons of chewing gum are concerned. Some say that chewing gum helps to pull out the deposits or other food particles that may be trapped in the crevices of the teeth, in case of a situation where one can’t brush. The removal of these deposits helps to prevent the growth of cavities and prevent tooth decay. It is best to floss your teeth regularly instead of chewing gum.

If you are addicted to chewing gum, it is always advisable to talk to your dentist. It perhaps may not be a bad idea to see if it has caused any harm, and therefore, take the necessary precautions.

Senior Dental Care

Growing older is an unavoidable part of life, and many people may argue that one’s older age is the golden years of their life. Retirement can be wonderfully relaxing to finally take a break from the stress one experienced during decades of hard work. Many senior citizens spend their time traveling the world, visiting with family, exploring new hobbies, and many more enjoyable activities. As you grow older, it is important to consistently monitor your health to assure many more years of quality life so you may continue to do many of the things you love to do. One aspect of health that is often overlooked by seniors is their dental health, which is imperative to continue eating good food, avoid infection, and continue to receive proper nutrition.

Practice Proper Dental Hygiene

It is important to practice proper dental hygiene over the course of one’s life because your teeth are a vital aspect of your health. Routine visits to the dentist assure that you are well informed about possible infections, diseases such as gingivitis, and tooth decay issues. Most people get at least one cavity in their life, and it is always best to discover the cavity when it is in its early stages of decay to avoid further damage, and correct the issue. Some people get more cavities than others, and fillings may fall out over time. It is important to replace lost cavities in haste. Some seniors may find that their teeth may even crack, which requires corrective action through having a crown placed over the tooth to restore its shape and strengthen it.

Use Safe Teeth Whiteners

Many seniors will find that their teeth are stained from years of drinking coffee, soda, or smoking which may make them feel unhappy about their smile. There are safe tooth whitening options which do not negatively affect teeth which are available for all senior citizens. Seniors may also find that some of their teeth have simply worn out to the point of causing harm through being loose and painful while they are eating. Dental implants are a great option which are becoming more affordable with each passing year.

Senior dental care is a high priority for any dentist because teeth do tend to wear out over time. You are assured to be treated with respect in a professional and compassionate manner, while being given the high quality dental care that you deserve. Be sure to practice proper dental hygiene, and make routine visits to your dentist so you can be positive that your teeth and gums are at their best health possible.

Impacted Wisdom Teeth? What You Can Do

It isn’t uncommon for many of us to gain discomfort in our mouths from developing wisdom teeth. It isn’t entirely uncommon for someone to require no dental or medical treatment for their teeth, but this isn’t always the case. Many times when wisdom teeth come in they can cause intense pain. When wisdom teeth grow in and there isn’t enough room for them they are referred to as impacted. Impacted wisdom teeth can cause a great amount of discomfort and pain. Furthermore, impacted wisdom teeth can damage your other teeth by crowding them.

If you develop impacted wisdom teeth there are few things you can do:

• One thing to do for the pain when you feel like you may have impacted wisdom teeth is take some over the counter (OTC) pain medication such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications or NSAIDs. If you are unsure what these are it is usually ok if you take whatever you would for a muscle ache or a headache. There isn’t much else you can do for the pain.
• The next thing you should do is make an appointment with a dentist. A dentist will take a look at your teeth and see if they are impacted or if there is another issue that needs to be addressed. If your dentist decides that your wisdom teeth should be removed then they will likely refer you to an oral surgeon.
• Meet with an oral surgeon and discuss your options for removal of your teeth.

Many people have their wisdom teeth removed and it is a common and often painless process. Recovery is usually very quick from this procedure. During recovery after your impacted wisdom teeth are removed your dentist or oral surgeon will give you directions on how to best facilitate the healing process; a list of “dos and don’ts”.

Make Dental Health Part of Your New Year’s Resolution

The New Year has finally come and with it many people have created New Year’s resolutions. Many people make an effort to stop eating low quality foods and to start exercising more. Some people like to set a goal to get a new job, home, or apartment. But this year one of the best things to do is make dental health part of your new year’s resolution.

Making dental health part of your new year’s resolution is just as good, if not better, than most of the resolutions people decide on. One of the great things about this is that it is doable and realistic unlike some ideas people attempt to commit to. While wanting to lose 40 pounds is great, there are a lot of things getting in your way, but when it comes to oral health it is extremely easy to get on track and to stay there for years to come!

Improve Your Dental Health

1. One way you can improve dental health is simply being more invested and concerned about it. If you have been using the same old tooth paste and same type of tooth brush maybe it’s time for a change. Our bodies change over time and so do our needs; what may have worked for us in the past may not work now. Talking with your dentist about proper tooth paste and types of tooth brushes is a great start to getting on track.

2. Flossing is another great way to make dental health part of your new year’s resolution. We rarely take care of our gums and they make up a large portion of our mouths! Only taking care of our teeth and not our gums is like only taking care of the tires on the car and not the rest of it! Flossing is a great way to keep your mouth healthy and healthier gums means healthier teeth.

Making dental health part of your new year’s resolution is an overall good health practice. Many studies have shown that there is some connection to good oral health and overall health in the rest of the body. Some studies even show evidence that people who take care of their mouths and teeth have lower incidences of heart disease and heart related illness. So stop waiting around and make dental health part of your new year’s resolution!

Importance of Flossing Your Teeth

Almost all television commercials promote models with a perfect set of teeth and a bewitching smile. This is true in real life too. You are a model in your own world. As a famous saying goes, one is never complete without a smile. In order to be able to do so, you surely need to sport sparking white dentures that in effect is proof of good health and dental hygiene. A bad oral health not only affects your physical presence and appearance but can put off people given your bad breath and yellowing teeth. In addition, bad oral health is also a cause of heart and stomach ailments that could be serious to one’s daily existence.

Dentists all around the world preach the significance of good oral hygiene. The American Dental Association has also conducted research and come out with guidelines that can help one to develop good oral habits on an everyday basis. It is simple and reaps good results if followed religiously. Regular brushing of the teeth three to four times a day and after every meal is a must. You must make sure to brush your teeth for at least three minutes and make sure each and every corner is brushed. Flossing is also a very important method that helps to keep your gum and teeth clean.

Why is flossing as important as brushing?

While we eat, particles of food get lodged in between the hard to reach areas of the teeth. While brushing cleanses the outer portion of the teeth the crevices remain untouched. With time, the food particles decay and start forming plaque on the teeth enamel. Plaque is sticky and hard to remove. In addition, bacteria forms which lead to bad breadth and gum problems. The bacteria also settle on the tongue as we almost never clean the tongue. This bacterium is very harmful as it affects ones overall health as well. Flossing after brushing always helps to remove the lodged food particles from the crevices and cleanses your teeth thoroughly. The bacteria formation is also significantly reduced.

Flossing also helps to maintain your periodontal health. It prevents the formation of gum disease and diseases like gingivitis – commonly referred to as bleeding of the gums. It makes your gums stronger and healthier in the long run. It is almost like a cascading effect. Good teeth and gums help in doing away with bad breath and foul smell. You will certainly have a less number of people who put their hands on their mouth while talking to you – a sign that certainly is living proof of bad oral health!

You may think that you can resort to cosmetic treatments to improve the condition of your teeth. Cosmetic treatments definitely make your teeth look good. But good oral health will save you from spending hundreds of dollars in cosmetic treatments. Spend five minutes after every meal in brushing and flossing your teeth can do you a world of good. This guarantees pearly white teeth and a complete good health and makes you a real life model.

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