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.