The Future is Bright!

A good friend told me about her first car and how she learned a valuable lesson.  Her oil light had been on for a couple of weeks, and she thought the light meant she needed to change the oil.  She planned on doing it, but soon the car wouldn't run.  Only then did she learn from her mechanic that the oil light indicates that oil needs to be added.  She had run the car almost completely out of oil, cracking the engine block!

You may see where I am going with this:  sometimes we were never taught how to effectively prevent problems with our gums and teeth.  We might visit our dental office only once per decade to avoid the bad news we expect.  I encourage you to take control of your oral health, and become the expert on your own health.  There may be an initial expense, sometimes large, but after you gain good oral health it is easier and cheaper to maintain it.  Then your future oral health can be bright.

What You Were Born With...(part 2)

Also on a microscopic level, our bodies have a skin junction that blocks any bacteria from getting past it into the bone around our teeth:  our gums.  In this case, the best scenario is to prevent any damage to the gums.  Just like water pipes, barnacles of bacterial deposits can build up on our teeth, causing our gums to be unhealthy.  Ultimately, the tartar can cause us to lose bone around our teeth.  Regular dental office visits to get 'cleanings' are needed.  Although 'cleanings' is what we call them, really the dentist or dental hygienist is cleaning deep down around the teeth where we don't reach when we brush or floss.  This regular maintenance is necessary to prevent problems later on.  Think about what a wonderful machine we have in the human body, and find out how you can best take care of yours.

What You Were Born With...

Part 1:  It can be easy to nitpick everything we don't like about our bodies:  too fat, too thin, not enough hair, too much hair, etc.  There is something to be said about being happy with ourselves, especially when we consider what a wonder the human body is!  The human hand is one example of great complexity and functional ability.  Also, our bodies have the best sickness fighting mechanism as a machinery that copies the virus or bacteria, then specifically attacks it.

On a microscopic level, our teeth have a fascinating structure that is inherently very strong, and that isn't completely replaced by dental restorations.  It is better to avoid drilling more away from a tooth any more than needed so that there is more of that natural structure left.  Teeth are very strong, relatively speaking:  we basically have gemstones in our mouths! It bears repeating that prevention is our best ally for lifelong dental health.

When Whitening...

Everybody wants to look great, and we all want to feel great about the way we look.  People notice our teeth, and nowadays, we want our teeth to look white.  White teeth make us look younger, healthier, and more vibrant.  Did you know that you can over-whiten your teeth?  A good rule of thumb to make your teeth white and still natural-looking is to compare the whites of your eyes with your teeth.  If your teeth are whiter, especially if you notice a blue hue to your teeth, then they may not look natural.  Another thing to remember is that crowns and fillings and veneers don't transmit light the same way that natural teeth do, so your teeth may be different hues in different lighting:  teeth look different on a sunny day as compared to the inside of your home.  Keep in mind that the best way to keep your teeth looking good is to take care of them, including seeing your dentist regularly for prevention and cleaning the spots you may not be reaching when you clean your own teeth.

Camping!

Noah, age 3, thinking about making a run for it! ~2009

My family and I are trying to catch some of the last cold weather this weekend before the baking heat rolls into Arizona.  Having camped all through my childhood, I grew to love being outdoors away from comforts of the city, but enveloped by the beautiful Arizona wilderness.  Many Arizonans know what I'm talking about, and our state has a wide variety to enjoy.  In particular, my children love the campfire food and are engrossed by the pine trees in Northern Arizona.  It's rejuvenating to our spirits, I think, to live for a day or two close to nature.  It can help us take stock of our lives and be grateful for small blessings, like running water or mattresses.  Should you find yourself out and about, remember to care for your teeth.  The great thing about a toothbrush and toothpaste is that it is portable.

Electric!

There is nothing wrong with using a manual toothbrush.  We recommend brushing your teeth for 2 minutes to ensure sufficient time to remove plaque and give the fluoride time to remineralize your teeth.  Also, we need to use circular, light motions to make the most of the time we spend brushing.  If either of these two requirements is difficult to achieve, we recommend getting an electric toothbrush.  The price ranges from $6 to over $200, and even the least expensive can give some benefit in doing more brushing work within the period of time you brush.  Just remember to still brush lightly, as the mechanical action of electric toothbrushes increases the chances of doing damage to your teeth or gums. (See previous post 'Ye Olde Washboarde')  If you have questions about what electric toothbrush to buy, talk to your oral health doctor about the options. (Originally posted Feb 2012)

Radiation

Recently, some news channels have been making claims that there is a link between dental x-rays and the most common type of brain tumor.  Unfortunately, how the news is explaining it, it sounds like if you get dental x-rays, you are going to get a brain tumor.  A careful look into the actual research study shows that the results are not clear.  Since the study shows that there was a higher risk for one x-ray than for multiple x-rays, and because it relied on a person's memory to describe how many x-rays they had, it would be wise to wait and see if further studies come out that more clearly show a link between x-rays and brain tumors.  Remember, x-rays from many years ago exposed people to lots more radiation than the digital x-rays of today.  In fact, see the chart here from the American Dental Association's website.  In the chart, normal x-rays to see between your teeth at your cleaning appointment are a very small amount of radiation.  Getting x-rays taken are important to ensure good oral health for your teeth, gums, and early cancer detection.  The researchers who produced the study even agree that x-rays are important, and that we should all be aware of the risks and benefits.

"It Only Took Ten Minutes to Fix That!"

When taking our car to a mechanic, we can sometimes not understand the need for all of the 'diagnostics' done by the mechanic.  Even if the problem with our car only takes 2 minutes to fix, it may take hours to find, and it's only right to recognize that a good mechanic may still need that time.
Good dentistry requires time, especially because we are so much more complex than a car!  Each persons mouth is different, and even each tooth and the gums surrounding it may be different.  Remember that your dentist has gone to many years of education with the requirement to continually educate herself/himself.  In part, all of this education is to help the doctor determine what oral health problems a patient is dealing with, and then help the patient get back to good oral health.
In fact, when you go to the dentist for a "cleaning", you are really going in for a check-up.  Finding out that an old silver filling that you got when you were 10 years old is starting to fail is important.  Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent more problems in the future.

Money, Money, Money

No, this isn't a post about your cash getting burned up in the gas tank.  Nowadays, costs seem to be rising for everything.  Sometimes, although we would like to save money by skipping our cleaning appointments with the dentist, we may be hurting our wallets more in the future.  Many insurance companies cover cleanings and exams twice per year at least.  Like we posted previously (here) the cost of prevention is much less than the cost of 'patching'.  Plus, usually, by the time a tooth is hurting you, it's going to cost more to fix, so early treatment is usually less expensive.  Just like changing the oil in your car is crucial to future use of the car, getting your oral maintenance taken care of is crucial to keeping your oral health in the best condition.  Also, if work needs to be done on a tooth, usually it is less expensive to treat that one tooth, than it is to pull the tooth and fill in the void!  There are two things you can do that will save you money.  First, educate yourself!  Find out more about your health so you can make lifestyle changes if needed.  Second, get your oral health check-up and maintenance to prevent, and save yourself some money!

Featuring Flavored Floss

The advertisement for this floss made it sound like you could feel more motivated to floss if your floss had the "amazing flavor of crispy fried bacon".  I'm not sold, however, giving it more thought, I guess I do feel like brushing my teeth and flossing when I have the after-taste of bacon, that filmy, savory taste that isn't content to stay in my mouth, but permeates the fabric of my clothing and attaches itself to furniture and the air in my house like lichen.
Really this is for the single ladies seeking competing cohorts of cavemen.  What better way to get him to pop his heel during your first kiss?  Best stick with mint, in my opinion, but here is the website if you're interested.  Apparently there is a whole line of scents and other bacon products for that guy you think will only like you if you appeal to his hunger for crispy pork fat.
 http://www.mcphee.com/shop/products/Bacon-Floss.html

In all seriousness, though, bacon or other flavor, floss will help you prevent decay and gum disease.  The bacteria we all carry around in our mouths needs only roughly twelve hours to begin building colonies, and the colonies are taking minerals from your teeth even before the twelve hours.  So, at least once per day, make sure you floss.

On a Bacon Roll!

And I'm sure they have bacon-flavored rolls, too!  This product description was more accurate in describing the "coating your mouth" with smoky meat that will happen if you venture into the toothpaste version.  Unfortunately, the only thing to do is try it, maybe they're right about the mob of potential friends you will make when you open your mouth.  Just imagine the looks of love and camaraderie you'll get, each hanging on your every word!

Better Than the ER!

If you've ever sat in an 'emergency' room of a hospital, you know that it can be traumatizing in and of itself!  There is a good reason to take your mouth or teeth concerns to your dentist, as stated in a recent article.  The Pew Center on the States is a research organization, and they found out that the number of people going to the ER for avoidable dental problems has risen in the last five years.  In other words, more people go to the ER when they have a problem with their teeth now than they did five years ago.  It is very important to establish a relationship of trust with your own oral health doctor.  This way if you have a problem, you can be seen as soon as possible for it.  Even if it's on a weekend, you'll get better care with your own doctor.  The ER is for emergencies, and if you have an emergency, then go by all means.  However, you can find out how you are doing and possibly prevent oral health problems by seeing your dentist.

Here is a link to the Pew Center on the States:   Pew research
Here is a link to the DrBiscuspid article

Leave It to the Kids!

Maybe you are familiar with what happens to some unsupervised children and food:  it becomes a war!  Amazingly enough, it is easy to let kids decide how clean their teeth will be.  It just seems easier to let them brush their own teeth, especially those strong-willed-independent-types.  Besides keeping the kids from hosing $5 in toothpaste into the sink to make it look  like in the commercials, kids need supervision to help them brush correctly until they are about 8 years old.  Each parent will need to make the decision as to when they think their child is ready to brush solo.  Preventing cavities is vital both to prevent spending a lot of money on baby tooth fillings, and to prevent the fear that some children may develop if they have to have cavities filled at a young age.  Talk to your dentist about when your child is ready to brush their own teeth, and how they are doing brushing their own teeth.  Two other posts that may be helpful are:  No Bottles for Bed and Remember!.

Trauma!

Infants like to head-butt, and as they get older they can knock out their teeth in too many ways to name here.  If a tooth is banged or knocked out, you should see a dentist about it as soon as possible.  It is okay to rinse with milk a tooth that has been knocked, but don't scrub it, even if it looks dirty.  There are healing parts of the tooth that will be lost if you scrub it.  So, just rinse it off with milk, and then store it in milk until you get to the dentist's office.  You need to have the tooth re-inserted within 24 hours, and really as soon as possible for there to be a chance to save the tooth.  And remember, most dentists hesitate to see a stranger, a brand new patient, for an emergency like this on a weekend or in the middle of the night, so start building a relationship with your oral health physician before an emergency.

The Wonder of Electric!

There is nothing wrong with using a manual toothbrush.  We recommend brushing your teeth for 2 minutes to ensure sufficient time to remove plaque and give the fluoride time to remineralize your teeth.  Also, we need to use circular, light motions to make the most of the time we spend brushing.  If either of these two requirements is difficult to achieve, we recommend getting an electric toothbrush.  The price ranges from $6 to over $200, and even the least expensive can give some benefit in doing more brushing work within the period of time you brush.  Just remember to still brush lightly, as the mechanical action of electric toothbrushes increases the chances of doing damage to your teeth or gums. (See previous post 'Ye Olde Washboarde')  If you have questions about what electric toothbrush to buy, talk to your oral health doctor about the options.

What Does This Have To Do With My Mouth?

When you go to the physician's or dentist's office, you are frequently asked to fill out a health history form.  You may wonder why your dentist needs to know about your surgeries or any medications you take.  In fact, this information is very important to your dentist.  Many times, sickness manifests itself in some way in your mouth, to begin with, but also, having some work done in your mouth may stress your body's systems too much.  Your dentist wants to help you gain the best oral health you can, and this is unavoidably connected to your overall health.  So, next time you feel like grumbling about those health histories, remember that this information will help to avoid any complications and may help in the diagnosis of your oral health.

One Piece of the Puzzle...

Having a healthy mouth is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to overall health, but it is just as vital a piece!  Our mouth is connected to the rest of our body.  Our mouths have a great capacity to heal when they are healthy, and sometimes this can mean that your mouth is easy to ignore when it comes to prioritizing your health.  You may be tempted to say that the gum disease or cavities are not hurting right now, so they can wait for treatment.  As far as gum disease is concerned, oral health physicians are still unable to predictably re-grow the bone you lose, so at this point, any bone you lose to gum disease is lost forever.  Also, once a tooth is drilled to remove a cavity, only a filling or other non-tooth material can be used to fill the space.  Let's face it, no dental material is as good as what your body formed to begin with.  And even though our parents or grandparents got by fine with dentures, they had resigned themselves to it.  If we ask them whether they prefer real teeth and tasting their food, or getting dentures, they would probably say they wished they could go back and take better care of their mouths.  All of this is why our attitude toward our mouths today should be one of prevention and pro-activity.  This is our health after all!

Built to Last...

We have many examples of ancient architecture that has lasted for centuries and even millenia.  The quality, you could say, was awesome, and although the result today is worn and shows its age, it did persist over time.  What does this have to do with dentistry?
Well, here at AZ Family Dentistry, we care about quality.  We strive to provide the longest lasting restorations possible for each individual.  Just like ancient architecture lasted despite environmental forces, the restorations we provide will be subject to the overall adverse environments that are our mouths.
For every example of ancient, quality architecture, who knows how many buildings fell that were of equal quality, but were just subjected to too much environmental force.  Imagine how many buildings would still be standing if they had been cared for meticulously and protected from those forces.
As far as our mouth is concerned, the same principle applies:  imagine how long we could get our restorations and/or natural teeth and gums to last if we were meticulous in caring for them and protected them from the things that cause them to fail.  As oral health professionals, we enjoy hearing about restorations and natural teeth and gums that last a lifetime.  Ask your oral health professionals how you can best maintain your teeth, gums, crowns, bridges, and fillings.

Bacteria!

There are millions of different bacteria, and many different kinds live in our mouths.  A handful of species are known to cause cavities.  Recent research into possibly eliminating only the harmful bacteria produced the future possibility of a mouthwash that keeps us from getting cavities.  Here is a link to a summary article:  http://www.procprblog.com/ucla-develops-innovative-anti-bacterial-mouthwash-to-wipe-out-tooth-decay .

It seems that if the mouthwash proves safe, we will have a powerful tool to prevent oral health problems.

The Power of Sight

This is an enlarged photo of between two teeth.  The pink skin is gum tissue.  The blue arrows are pointing to a fracture in the tooth above a silver filling.  When you go to the dentist, you are not just having your teeth cleaned.  You clean your teeth at home.  One of the important parts of your regular dental office visit is to have your dentist check for fractures and signs of failing restorations, such as the one pictured here.
With this information and your oral health doctor's recommendations in mind, you can make wise decisions about what to do to maintain your oral health at the optimum level.  One part of the optimum level is having teeth that can be cleaned at home.  The crack pictured here not only weakens the tooth, but it can be a microscopic crevice where bacteria build-up and create a cavity.  There is a possibility of fracture in this tooth, maybe even to the point where the tooth cannot be saved.  Regular visits to your dentist's office will help you stay ahead of the game.

No Bottles For Bed

Having four children myself, I am aware of the ease of giving a baby a bottle to put it to sleep.  Did you know that this may be very bad for a baby?  If a baby is put to sleep with a bottle, there is a chance that the child will develop cavities.  Babies should be helped to go to sleep without a bottle if possible.  A bottle should only be given to a child during the day and only up to one year of age, then they should be taught to use a sippy-cup or cup.  As soon as they're born, the baby's guardian can brush the gums with a finger, getting the baby used to having their mouths cleaned every day, which they will learn to do themselves once they are older.  Parents should help their children brush their teeth until they are eight years old.  Once the teeth come out, or erupt, the baby can be taken to their first dentist's office visit.  This helps the child to become accustomed to the dentist having instruments in their mouth, which they will need to learn in order to maintain their teeth.  Sometimes, a pediatric dentist's office has an easier atmosphere for children.  If you see any staining on an infant's teeth, get them to a dentist as soon as you can to prevent any tooth decay.

Don't Let Your Teeth Be Loose...

Dentures give us or our loved ones another chance at life:  they offer the ability to chew and have a nice looking smile.  Over time, a set of complete dentures can become loose.  Loose dentures are not good for our mouth because of the support system of dentures:  our bone and gums.  Dentures rely on having a ridge of bone and gum tissue to support them and keep them in place.  Once teeth are lost, the body re-absorbs the bone, making the ridges smaller.  Of course, the dentures are plastic and they stay the same, which creates looseness.  Another culprit is if the dentures stay in all the time, not allowing the skin to breathe and recover.  The irritated skin can also contribute to faster resorption.  Any looseness can cause the bone to be re-absorbed faster!  Many people with dentures may think that they don't need to see their dentist.  It is important that although you have dentures, you see your oral health professional at least once per year to evaluate the supporting tissue keeping your dentures fitting well.  Also, make sure you remove your dentures often enough to let the skin relax and recover.  Talk to your dentist about how often you should remove your dentures.

Keep You and Yours Safe

We know that smoking can have a negative impact on our mouths, both with the dryness and callousness it causes, and with it's lowering of our defenses.  These effects from smoking can have an impact on our families and friends if we are not careful to smoke away from non-smokers, like children.  Our mouths are one of the locations where cancer can be devastating both in the look of our face, and in the proximity to our brains and nerve centers.  The best solution would be to quit smoking.  The next best is to keep our loved ones safe by not smoking around them.  If you are interested in quitting smoking, there are many aids at your disposal.  Discuss these with your physician or dentist.

Remember!

One of the most difficult parts of improving your habits is the "habit" part of it!  Habits take time to create.  When it comes to your mouth, good home-care habits are essential for good oral health.  Only seeing your dentist or dental hygienist a handful of times per year can help have a healthy mouth, but it's the things you do on a daily basis that have the most long-term impact.  Especially now that we have a new year to begin good things, make good oral cleaning habits part of your new year.  If you find yourself forgetting your mouth's needs frequently, make a renewed effort to remind yourself of the importance of brushing and flossing every day.  Many of us struggle with remembering something new when our lives are already full, but making sure we take care of ourselves is something we can afford to change.  A couple of ideas to remember are to put your toothbrush on your pillow.  Brushing at night is very important, (see other posts).  Another good way to remember is to write a sticky note that has your new and improved bedtime routine.  After a few days of remembering, the habit can stick.

Aspirin Burns!

There have been at-home care treatment rumors that when feeling a toothache, just put an aspirin tablet on the gums near the tooth pain, and it will help relieve the pain.  There may be some truth to this rumor, but the rumor doesn't reveal the side-effects.  If you feel a toothache, go see your dentist to fix the problem.  Our bodies feel pain for a reason:  to warn us that something isn't right.  Sometimes we manage the pain, or it goes away for some reason, and yet the cause of the pain is still present, threatening to return at the most inconvenient time!  Placing aspirin on our gums directly can burn the gums, causing more pain for up to a couple of weeks while the burns heal.  As a temporary relief, if you can take aspirin (consult your doctor), swallow the tablets instead of rubbing them on the gums!

Ye Olde Washboarde

Do you remember the old way to wash clothes?  Having washed my clothes by hand in Argentina, I know how tedious it can be if you really want to get the clothes clean.  What a luxury to have a machine that cleans our clothes for us!  Oddly enough, it's seems amazing that now all we have to do is throw our clothes in a machine that stirs the water for around 45 minutes, and we get the same result as an old washboard, but perhaps it's easier on the clothes.
What does this have to do with dentistry?  Well, in the same way a washboard is tedious and rough on clothes, brushing our teeth hard is rough on our mouth.  In fact, our mouth gets cleaner when we brush lightly for longer time, doing the same thing as a washing machine:  agitating as much as we can softly, over a couple of minutes, cleans our teeth better.  This is especially true with electric toothbrushes.  We should just agitate lightly for at least two minutes and follow up with flossing or something to clean between our teeth.  So next time you catch yourself brushing hard, remember the washboard!

We updated our website!

Check out our improved website at the same website address:  www.azfamilydentistry.com.

The Frayed

Maybe it's been a while since you replaced your toothbrush, but hopefully it doesn't look like this...Frayed toothbrushes don't clean our teeth as well, but they do a good job at creating a false sense of security.  The stiff, frayed bristles don't clean the pits of our teeth anymore, and they also don't reach down into small areas near the gums where cavities and gum disease form.  For the same reason that you wouldn't want to use a frayed toothbrush, you'll want to stick with soft bristles:  the hard bristles just don't clean as well and they may even hurt your mouth.  The American Dental Association recommends replacing your toothbrush or toothbrush head at least every three months.  See ada.org for more information.