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!

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.

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.

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!

Toothache or Sinus Congestion?

Because there is a sinus cavity right about some of our upper back teeth, our bodies can give us the impression that we have a toothache when there is nothing wrong with our teeth or gums.  If you are feeling pressure in your sinus cavities and you seem to have tooth pain that comes and goes that isn't very severe, you will want to check with your dentist to see if your teeth are the cause or if there is another explanation.  Remember, you are the owner of your mouth, and you make the ultimate decision.  So whatever you are told, try to get all the information you need to make a wise decision regarding your oral health.

Getting rid of the tartar...

http://www.lifesambrosia.com/2009/10/homemade-tartar-sauce-recipe.html

Tartar sauce is great with fish, but the tartar we all need to get rid of frequently is the tartar on our teeth.  Another name for it is calculus, and we all know what that word means:  a hard math class.  The tartar we're talking about is a build-up of bacteria, literally a colony of bacteria, and they've moved in!  The hard tartar usually can only come off during a visit to your dentist for a check-up and cleaning.  Where tartar is more of a problem is if it builds below your gumline, where your tooth brush can't reach.  This tartar is irritating to your body and in response, your body can stay inflamed in the area.  Over time, the inflammation can cause the bone around your teeth to withdraw, making your teeth loose.  The inflammation is what we call active periodontal disease, or active gum disease.
You can do something about tartar to prevent it!  As you brush and floss daily, you are breaking up the bacteria so they can't build tartar.  Without their removal the bacteria can colonize, and this can lead to active gum disease and cavities.  See your oral health professional today to determine any needs you have, and you can ask if there are any areas in your mouth where tartar can get trapped.

Is It Really Just a Cleaning?

"I have my cleaning at the dentist tomorrow..."  Although we may have been raised calling it a dental cleaning, the truth is that much more is going on than cleaning.  Like getting your oil changed as needed, going to the dentist regularly for a "cleaning" is actually much more.  The auto mechanic checks other fluids, asks if there are any concerning noises, malfunctions, etc., and examines everything for any other needs your car may have.  Well, when you see your dentist for your previously agreed upon maintenance visit, you are either given a clean bill of health, or a plan of action is discussed to bring your oral health back up to optimal.  Also, the cleaning that is performed ensures that even the spots you can't reach are cleaned.  By this we mean deep in between your teeth and gums where your tooth brush doesn't reach.  In addition to the cleaning, however, the teeth are examined for any decay, the gums and bone are examined for any trends of recession or inflammation, and any of your concerns can be discussed.  So a "cleaning" is really an oral health maintenance visit!  Don't worry, if you get behind on your maintenance, you can always get back on schedule.