Unfortunately, it doesn't matter how old you are. Many people think only children get cavities but the same things that cause cavities in kids, also cause cavities in adults.
Tooth decay and cavities occur when plaque forms on the teeth. Plaque is a clear, sticky substance that contains bacteria. The food you eat provides sugar to the bacteria. The bacteria uses this sugar and produces acid. In turn, the acid will attack the teeth and eat away and the enamel to cause cavities.
To fight cavities, you will need to thoroughly brush your teeth twice a day and floss once a day. This will disrupt the plaque and bacteria formation on your teeth. You will also need to reduce the amount of sugary foods and how often you eat them. A fluoridated tooth paste will also help. If you get a lot of cavities or have recession or decalcified areas we may recommend a prescription strength fluoride to use.
At Envision Dental, I will sometimes see a patient that has not had a cavity in many years, but now they have many. How can this happen? Sometimes, due to aging or certain medications there becomes less saliva which leads to dry mouth. Saliva helps to wash the sugar off of the teeth and neutralize the acid. Thus, no saliva and a greater chance of cavities. To make matters worse, they will sometimes suck on hard candies all day long to relieve the dry mouth. This sugar bath will quickly cause many cavities. They will need to pay special attention to oral hygiene. If they use something, such as candies, to moisten their mouths, make sure they are sugar free. Two good artificial sweeteners to use that do not promote bacteria and acids are Xylitol and Spevia.
But some people, even if they have great oral hygiene and limit sugary foods, still get cavities. How come? Some people naturally have a highly acidic saliva. To combat this, we recommend a product such as Mi Paste. This paste neutralizes the acid and helps to recalcify the teeth. For any one getting a lot of cavities or who are prone to, Mi Paste can also help. We would be happy to answer any questions you have.
Thomas Berard DDS
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Flossing Teeth: No More Excuses!
Do you floss? Or, like many people, do you always seem to find a reason not to?
A 2008 survey found that only 49% of Americans floss daily, and 10% never floss. That's most unfortunate because flossing is extremely important when it comes to preventing periodontal (gum) disease and tooth loss.
"If you were stuck on a desert island and a boat could only bring one thing, you'd want it to bring floss," says Samuel B. Low, DDS, professor of periodontology at the University of Florida College of Dentistry in Gainesville, and president of the American Academy of Periodontology. "But I'm convinced that the only time some of my patients floss is an hour before showing up in my office."
Dentist hear all sorts of excuses for not flossing, yet there are simple solutions that exist for just about all of them:
Excuse #1: Food doesn't get caught between my teeth, so I don't need to floss.
Flossing isn't so much about removing food debris as it is about removing dental plaque, the complex bacterial ecosystem that forms on tooth surfaces between cleanings. Plaque is what causes tooth decay, inflamed gums (gingivitis), periodontal disease, and eventually tooth loss. Flossing or using an interdental cleaner is the only effective way to remove plaque between teeth.
Excuse #2: I don't know how to floss.
Flossing isn't easy. Low calls it "the most difficult personal grooming activity there is." But practice makes perfect.
Here's how the American Dental Association describes the process:
Start with about 18 inches of floss. Wrap most of it around the middle finger of one hand, the rest around the other middle finger.
Grasp the floss tightly between your thumbs and forefingers, and use a gentle shoeshine (back and forth) motion to guide it between teeth.
When the floss reaches the gum line, form a C shape to follow the contours of the tooth.
Hold the floss firmly against the tooth, and move the floss gently up and down.
Repeat with the other tooth, and then repeat the entire process with the rest of your teeth, "unspooling" fresh sections of floss as you go along.
Don't forget to floss the backs of your last molars. "By far, most gum disease and most decay occurs in the back teeth," Low says. Be sure to ask your dentist or hygienist to demonstrate proper flossing techniques if you are still unsure.
Excuse #3: I'm not coordinated enough to floss.
Many tooth-cleaning options exist for people whose manual dexterity is compromised by poor coordination, hand pain, paralysis, and amputations - or simply by fingers that are too bigh to fit inside the mouth.
One option is to use floss holders. These disposible plastic Y-shaped devices (some equipped with a spool of floss) hold a span of floss between two prongs to allow one-handed use.
Another option is to forgo floss and clean between teeth using a disposible toothpick-like dental stimulators (Stim-U-Dents, Soft-Picks, and so on); narrow spiral brushes (interproximal brushes); or the conical rubber nips (tip stimulators) found at the end of many tooth brushes or mounted on their own handles. Waterpiks, or water flossers are also a good option.
Excuse #4: I don't have time to floss.
Effective flossing doesn't take a while - once a day for a "good three to five minutes" according to Low. But even 60 seconds of flossing is of enormous benefit. As with excercise, bathing, and other daily activities, the key is to make flossing a habit.
"If you make time for your personal hygiene, you can find time to make for flossing," says Maria Lopez Howell, DDS, a dentist in private practice in San Antonio.
She recommends keeping floss in plain view, alongside your toothbrush and toothpaste. If you're too tire to floss before bed, floss in the morning or in the afternoon. Or keep floss on hand and use it when you find the time.
Mark S. Wolff, DDS, PhD, chairman of the department of cardiology and preventative medicine at New York University School of Dentistry in New York City, keeps a stash of dental stimulators in his car. "I use them when I'm stuck in traffic," he says.
Excuse #5: It hurts when I floss.
If flossing causes gum pain or bleeding, odds are you have gingivitis or gum disease - precisely the conditions for which flossing is beneficial.
"Flossing should not be a painful experience," Wolff says. "But stopping flossing because of bleeding (or pain) is just the opposite of what you should be doing." The good news? With daily brushing, flossing, and rinsing, gum pain and bleeding should stop within a week or two. If either persists, see your dentist.
Excuse #6: My teeth are spaced too close together to floss.
If unwaxed floss doesn't work for your teeth, you might try waxed floss or floss made of super-slippery polytetrafluoroethylene.
If the spacing between your teeth varies (or if you have significant gum recession), yarn-like "superfloss" may be a good bet. It stretches thin for narrow spaces and fluffs out to clean between teeth that are more widely spaced.
If you're having trouble finding a workable floss or interdental cleaner on your own, your dentist should be able to offer guidance - and may even offer free samples.
Excuse #7: The floss keeps shredding.
In many cases, broken or fraying floss is caused by a cavity or a problem with dental work - often a broken or poorly fabricated filling or crown. Consult with you dentist.
Excuse #8: I have dental work that makes flossing impossible.
Try floss threaders. These monofilament loops make it easy to position floss around dental work.
A 2008 survey found that only 49% of Americans floss daily, and 10% never floss. That's most unfortunate because flossing is extremely important when it comes to preventing periodontal (gum) disease and tooth loss.
"If you were stuck on a desert island and a boat could only bring one thing, you'd want it to bring floss," says Samuel B. Low, DDS, professor of periodontology at the University of Florida College of Dentistry in Gainesville, and president of the American Academy of Periodontology. "But I'm convinced that the only time some of my patients floss is an hour before showing up in my office."
Dentist hear all sorts of excuses for not flossing, yet there are simple solutions that exist for just about all of them:
Excuse #1: Food doesn't get caught between my teeth, so I don't need to floss.
Flossing isn't so much about removing food debris as it is about removing dental plaque, the complex bacterial ecosystem that forms on tooth surfaces between cleanings. Plaque is what causes tooth decay, inflamed gums (gingivitis), periodontal disease, and eventually tooth loss. Flossing or using an interdental cleaner is the only effective way to remove plaque between teeth.
Excuse #2: I don't know how to floss.
Flossing isn't easy. Low calls it "the most difficult personal grooming activity there is." But practice makes perfect.
Here's how the American Dental Association describes the process:
Start with about 18 inches of floss. Wrap most of it around the middle finger of one hand, the rest around the other middle finger.
Grasp the floss tightly between your thumbs and forefingers, and use a gentle shoeshine (back and forth) motion to guide it between teeth.
When the floss reaches the gum line, form a C shape to follow the contours of the tooth.
Hold the floss firmly against the tooth, and move the floss gently up and down.
Repeat with the other tooth, and then repeat the entire process with the rest of your teeth, "unspooling" fresh sections of floss as you go along.
Don't forget to floss the backs of your last molars. "By far, most gum disease and most decay occurs in the back teeth," Low says. Be sure to ask your dentist or hygienist to demonstrate proper flossing techniques if you are still unsure.
Excuse #3: I'm not coordinated enough to floss.
Many tooth-cleaning options exist for people whose manual dexterity is compromised by poor coordination, hand pain, paralysis, and amputations - or simply by fingers that are too bigh to fit inside the mouth.
One option is to use floss holders. These disposible plastic Y-shaped devices (some equipped with a spool of floss) hold a span of floss between two prongs to allow one-handed use.
Another option is to forgo floss and clean between teeth using a disposible toothpick-like dental stimulators (Stim-U-Dents, Soft-Picks, and so on); narrow spiral brushes (interproximal brushes); or the conical rubber nips (tip stimulators) found at the end of many tooth brushes or mounted on their own handles. Waterpiks, or water flossers are also a good option.
Excuse #4: I don't have time to floss.
Effective flossing doesn't take a while - once a day for a "good three to five minutes" according to Low. But even 60 seconds of flossing is of enormous benefit. As with excercise, bathing, and other daily activities, the key is to make flossing a habit.
"If you make time for your personal hygiene, you can find time to make for flossing," says Maria Lopez Howell, DDS, a dentist in private practice in San Antonio.
She recommends keeping floss in plain view, alongside your toothbrush and toothpaste. If you're too tire to floss before bed, floss in the morning or in the afternoon. Or keep floss on hand and use it when you find the time.
Mark S. Wolff, DDS, PhD, chairman of the department of cardiology and preventative medicine at New York University School of Dentistry in New York City, keeps a stash of dental stimulators in his car. "I use them when I'm stuck in traffic," he says.
Excuse #5: It hurts when I floss.
If flossing causes gum pain or bleeding, odds are you have gingivitis or gum disease - precisely the conditions for which flossing is beneficial.
"Flossing should not be a painful experience," Wolff says. "But stopping flossing because of bleeding (or pain) is just the opposite of what you should be doing." The good news? With daily brushing, flossing, and rinsing, gum pain and bleeding should stop within a week or two. If either persists, see your dentist.
Excuse #6: My teeth are spaced too close together to floss.
If unwaxed floss doesn't work for your teeth, you might try waxed floss or floss made of super-slippery polytetrafluoroethylene.
If the spacing between your teeth varies (or if you have significant gum recession), yarn-like "superfloss" may be a good bet. It stretches thin for narrow spaces and fluffs out to clean between teeth that are more widely spaced.
If you're having trouble finding a workable floss or interdental cleaner on your own, your dentist should be able to offer guidance - and may even offer free samples.
Excuse #7: The floss keeps shredding.
In many cases, broken or fraying floss is caused by a cavity or a problem with dental work - often a broken or poorly fabricated filling or crown. Consult with you dentist.
Excuse #8: I have dental work that makes flossing impossible.
Try floss threaders. These monofilament loops make it easy to position floss around dental work.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Connecting Oral and Overall Health
Regular dental exams not only help decrease your risk of oral health problems, such as cavities and gum disease, but also may help to diagnose other, sometimes fatal, medical conditions. Many diseases with oral signs may first prevent themselves in the mouth. The dental team can often recognize early signs of serious diseases, such as, diabetes and cancer.
Diabetes:
More than 25 million people in the US suffer from diabetes. They have high blood sugar levels and a low resistance to infection and an increase in the chance of:
During your regular dental check up, we look for signs of oral cancer:
Eating Disorders:
Eating disorders include anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. They can damage your oral and overall health. They can rob the body of much needed nutrition such as vitamins and minerals. The person is often malnourished and sickly. The gums can become soft and tender, bleeding easily. The excess acid from vomiting can eat away tooth enamel, making the theta thin, sensitive and more prone to decay. They may also experience swollen salivary glands and dry mouth.
Regular dental exams, allows the dental team to look for damage to your mouth, teeth, and gums. It allows us to also look for early signs of health problems. Make sure to let us know any changes to your health history and medications you are taking.
Regular dental exams not only help decrease your risk of oral health problems, such as cavities and gum disease, but also may help to diagnose other, sometimes fatal, medical conditions. Many diseases with oral signs may first prevent themselves in the mouth. The dental team can often recognize early signs of serious diseases, such as, diabetes and cancer.
Diabetes:
More than 25 million people in the US suffer from diabetes. They have high blood sugar levels and a low resistance to infection and an increase in the chance of:
- Gum disease, including swollen and tender gums that bleed easily
- Tooth decay
- Taste impairment
- Inflammatory skin disease
- Persistent bad breath
During your regular dental check up, we look for signs of oral cancer:
- Sores that bleed easily and do not heal
- Crusted, rough areas of skin
- Lumps or thick hard spots
- Changes in the lymph nodes
- Tenderness, pain, or numbness inside the mouth
Eating Disorders:
Eating disorders include anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. They can damage your oral and overall health. They can rob the body of much needed nutrition such as vitamins and minerals. The person is often malnourished and sickly. The gums can become soft and tender, bleeding easily. The excess acid from vomiting can eat away tooth enamel, making the theta thin, sensitive and more prone to decay. They may also experience swollen salivary glands and dry mouth.
Regular dental exams, allows the dental team to look for damage to your mouth, teeth, and gums. It allows us to also look for early signs of health problems. Make sure to let us know any changes to your health history and medications you are taking.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Why are my gums receding?
You may have noticed your teeth have discolored by your gum tissue. Your teeth may appear longer than you remember.Are your teeth more sensitive than ever before? These are a few signs your gums are receding. Healthy gums cover the root surface of our teeth so just the enamel shows. Over time gums may retreat to expose delicate root surface which is more susceptible to cavities, abrasion and erosion. Here are a few of the causes of receding gums grinding/clenching habits, orthodontic treatment, periodontal disease and/or aggressive tooth brushing habits. It is important to preserve as much gum tissue as possible to avoid painful sensitivity, root cavities or notches worn in the side of teeth. Gum recession is a serious condition. You cannot grow gum tissue back and gum tissue grafting can be painful and costly. Give us a call to schedule an initial exam with Dr.Berard and the Envision Team we are committed to providing you the best in dental care!
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
What's up with Wisdom Teeth?
Wisdom teeth are a third set of molars that come in at adulthood.The teeth are named that, because you are at a more mature age than when your other teeth came in. Wisdom teeth vary in size and shape. You may have a couple, all four, or none at all. Many people have had their wisdom teeth removed as teenagers or young adults usually after orthodontic treatment. This is a preventative procedure done prior to the teeth coming in to avoid new crowding or a relapse of crowding. Wisdom teeth that are left to come in the mouth may have trouble along the way. Wisdom teeth can get trapped in the bone (impacted) or only a part of the tooth comes in due to lack of room. Wisdom teeth can cause even more problems as you get older. Periodontal disease can start around the wisdom teeth putting the teeth in front of them in jeopardy. These teeth are hard to clean and you may get an odor from them giving you chronic bad breath. Also, you're likely to get a cavity in one or more of them leading to costly dental repairs. Removing wisdom teeth when your young is a wise decision, because you are healthier and you will heal twice as fast than if you wait till your older. If you have any questions about your wisdom teeth call Envision Dental today!
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
What is OSA? Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a narrowing or total closure of the airway during sleep. This happens because the tongue and soft tissue in the back of the mouth press backward on the airway when you lay down. Most people are not even aware that they may be suffering from this condition and that it could be effecting daily life. People who have OSA may have hundreds of episodes every night where the airway becomes completely blocked and they stop breathing for ten seconds or more. The brain then recognizes the lack of oxygen and prompts the body to take a breath.
The lack of deep sleep caused by OSA can severely stress your body's systems, most notably the cardiovascular system and your metabolism. Because of the healing and recovery that takes place when we sleep, conditions like the following are often linked to OSA. These include Obesity, Hypertension (High Blood Pressure), Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease, Erectile and other Sexual Dysfunctions, Stroke, Congestive Heart Failure and even Death. Headaches, Depression and increased fatigue-related accidents can also be related to OSA.
* 40-80% of stroke victims also suffer from OSA
* Untreated OSA patients are at a 40% greater risk of suffering depression
* If you have OSA, you are twice as likely to die in your sleep and 7 times more likely to have a motor vehicle accident.
* Studies show that about 50% of people who snore also have OSA.
Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea is frequently treated with a CPAP machine. This is a device that increases air pressure in the throat by forcing oxygen through a mask that is worn over the nose and sometimes over the mouth as well. This forced pressure in the throat prevents the airway from collapsing on the inhale during sleep, allowing for a more restful night for the wearer. Many people with a CPAP machine do not use it on a nightly basis for a number of reasons. The head gear required with a CPAP limits sleep positions and people who travel often find that it is not convenient to transport. This device also requires electricity for use and has parts that need to be replaced on a regular basis and it can take some time to adjust to the sounds it makes. We often hear that patients do not like their CPAP and choose not to wear it.
Dr. Berard has special training in treating OSA with a device that is small enough to fit into the palm of your hand. This device is called the SomnoDent(R) MAS; it is highly effective in treating sleep apnea and it is convenient to use. The SomnoDent(R) is an oral appliance specially fitted to your mouth and teeth. It consists of a separate upper and lower piece that allows you to speak, yawn and drink. The SomnoDent(R) MAS allows treatment of mild, moderate and severe OSA by moving the lover jaw slightly forward. This creates a slight tightening of the soft tissue and muscles of the upper airway, which prevents obstruction when sleeping. It also prevents the tissues of the upper airway from vibrating as air passes over them, which is a major cause of snoring.
If you know you snore, if you find yourself exhausted when you wake up, easily fall asleep while reading, watching tv or sitting inactive in a public place like a movie theatre or meeting, it would be wise to see Dr. Berard to see if you are suffering from OSA. Please call the office today at 231-933-9000.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
The Legend of the Tooth Fairy!
Many Centuries ago in Europe, when a child's tooth fell out, it was common to have it buried in the ground. It was usually placed in the garden or fields surrounding the child's home. This was done to encourage the permanent tooth to grow. Another reason for this tradition was a long believed superstition. It was believed that if a witch got a hold of the child's tooth, a curse would be placed on the child. This curse was similar to a voodoo curse. Fortunately, burying the tooth would prevent this from happening.
As people migrated to the United States many of their superstitions and traditions also came with them. However, many people moved to towns and cities without their own land available, so in order to maintain this tradition children were encouraged to bury their teeth in flower pots and planter boxes to ensure that it was still covered with dirt.
Over the years the tradition has evolved from burying the tooth in the earth to "burying" it under a pillow. During the night the tooth is replaced with a treat or money. The Tooth Fairy?
What do you tell your child when he/she asks what the tooth fairy does with their tooth? You could explain by having them look up at the sky on a stary night and count how many shiny teeth they see sparkling up above. Wink Wink!!
Lynne
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