Preventing Tooth Decay

Tooth decay [caries, cavities] is probably the most prevalent disease, affecting almost everyone during his or her lifetime. The good news is that it isn’t life threatening and is essentially preventable. The tooth decay process starts with dental plaque [sticky mixture of bacteria, food & debris]. Bacteria [germs], which naturally live in everyone’s mouth, but thrive in plaque, utilize carbohydrates from your diet, especially refined sugar [sucrose] to produce acid. Acid, if produced frequently, will demineralize [dissolve] the tooth enamel structure, which is the hardest substance in the human body. From there the acid will continue to eat through the underlying dentin layer until the bacteria and their waste products reach the pulp [nerve]. Left untreated, tooth decay can lead to root infection and eventually loss of your tooth.

There are visible signs of a cavity. Initially, it will appear as a small white spot, which in time will turn brown. As the decay continues, a hole in the tooth may become apparent. There are also warning symptoms such as sensitivity while brushing or to hot or cold foods or to breathing in air. Of course a painful toothache is a definite sign.

Prevention

The most important prevention technique is daily removal of plaque with flossing and brushing. If possible, good oral hygiene should be practiced after every meal.

Using fluoride to strengthen the enamel and help remineralize teeth is a highly reliable prevention tool. Use only a fluoride, ADA recommended toothpaste. At our office, we give topical fluoride treatment to children up to age 18. We can also fabricate custom trays to be used at home with a gel fluoride for adults who have rampant caries or who are more predisposed to having tooth decay. We also recommend fluoride drops or vitamins for infants who don’t live where the public water supply is fluoridated. Call our office to see if your water is fluoridated. Diet is significant in caries prevention. . Studies have shown that the nature and frequency of sugar intake is more important that the amount. If the sugary food is very sticky like caramel, gummy bears or jam, it will remain on the teeth for a longer period of time. If you or your children are constantly snacking on sugary foods, there is a continuous acid attack on your teeth. What do we do to prevent this potential problem? Avoid having sugar in your mouth for long periods of time. Stay away from sucking candies and chewing gum [unless sugarless] and refrain from drinking soda pop regularly [unless diet]. Try to cut down on the number of snacks per day. If you must snack, substitute foods that most like but don’t promote tooth decay. Examples are popcorn, pretzels, fruits, nuts, cheese, pizza and vegetables. Consuming sugary foods with a meal or for dessert has a less detrimental effect, because increased salivary flow during meals helps to wash the food away. Also, it is usually nearer the time that most people will brush their teeth. Keeping this in mind, it is better for children to eat sweets at a time and place that allows them to brush soon afterwards. As your children are growing, make sure they get plenty of calcium [dairy products] so that their tooth enamel develops properly. Finally, because you may be asymptomatic and unaware of the beginning of tooth decay, it is critical that you visit our office every 6 months for a check-up. Some cavities are hard to detect, especially those between the teeth. Sometimes, only bitewing x-rays can discover them. We will also give you a professional prophylaxis [cleaning], which is an important part of prevention.
 

Setting Priorities for Good Dental Health

Many people have bleeding gums, and they don’t think twice about it. They view it as a minor inconvenience. If you were bleeding from any other part of your body, you wouldn’t hesitate to see a physician. If you lost a body part you wouldn’t hesitate to have it replaced. We have 32 teeth - they are all body parts.

While we may not need our teeth to live like one needs a heart, we need our mouth to be pain-free and functional to enjoy a good quality of life.
This is our passion. Make it yours and the rest will fall into place. Call and ask us how we may help you achieve your oral hygiene and health goals and ensure a greater quality of life.

But like exercising, dieting or anything that requires a routine, many of us fall short of a sustained effort to accomplishing long-term results. Why do we run out of toothpaste, floss, toothbrushes vitamins, etc. when we know their importance? Why do we have problems maintaining an oral hygiene regimen? Perhaps, we don’t make the answers priorities.

Call (757) 229-1224 today to schedule an appointment with one of our hygienists.

Carbonated Beverages are Bubble Trouble

The single biggest source of calories [7%] in the American diet is from carbonated soft drinks. A carbonated beverage is one that releases carbon dioxide in normal atmospheric pressure. Artificial carbonation was first introduced in 1767 and after 1830, the sweetened and flavored lemon-lime, grape and orange carbonated drinks became very popular. Today, heavily sweetened, carbonated drinks or sodas are among the most popular beverages in the world. Consumption of carbonated soft drinks peaked in 1998 when consumption was 56.1 gallons per person per year. Soft drinks provide large amounts of sugar [mostly high-fructose corn syrup] to many individual's diets. The empty calories of soft drinks contribute to health problems, particularly obesity and tooth decay [caries]. A study from Harvard shows that soft drinks may be responsible for the doubling of obesity in children over the last 15 years.

Carbonated soft drinks not only have a high sugar content that contributes to tooth decay but also have a very acidic pH that can erode tooth enamel. Some of these drinks, especially the colas have as much caffeine as a cup of coffee and can disrupt children's or adult's sleep and leave them feeling tired during the day.

These carbonated soft drinks are also related to gastric distension, which can trigger reflux. Studies show the consumption of one can of soda a day corresponds to 53.5 minutes of elevated acid levels in the stomach.

The best approach is to cut down or avoid carbonated drinks. Many schools have removed the soft drink vending machines in their halls and cafeterias. If not, it's best to drink through a straw so the soda is swallowed from the back of the mouth and does not come in contact with the teeth causing decay. Substitute other beverages such as water and more nutritious beverages like milk and juices.

Preventive Dentistry: Toothbrushing

Toothbrushing is an effective way of removing plaque [sticky mixture of bacteria, food & debris] from your teeth. Daily removal of plaque can prevent tooth decay and periodontal [gum] disease. Select a toothbrush that will provide easy access to all areas of your mouth; this includes one with a small head [1 inch by ½ inch] and a flexible head or handle. The brush should have soft nylon bristles with round heads and a wide handle for a firm grip. There are also a variety of electric or sonic brushes that work well. Call our office for a recommendation.

Establishing a daily pattern and a consistent approach to your brushing technique is important to ensure that you have accomplished adequate cleaning. One easy technique involves placing the toothbrush at a 45° angle to your teeth and gently brushing in an elliptical motion. Start on the same quadrant [same side, lower or upper] each time. Brush the outside of the teeth, the inside and the biting surface. Repeat this action with the other three quadrants. When you are finished, brush you tongue. Adequate brushing should take 3-4 minutes.

There are other effective brushing methods that may be appropriate for you, depending on the condition of your teeth and gums. Bring your brush to your next check-up visit and have our hygienist review your technique.

Toothbrushing is most effective if done right after eating. It would be a wise idea to keep an extra brush at work for after lunch or snacks. Toothpaste is not necessary if you are using fluoride toothpaste at home 1-2 times a day. Just rinse with water when you are finished.

Effective toothbrushing starts with habit and routine and ends with time, diligence and good technique.

New Teeth While You Wait

Between work and family obligations, most individuals have very hectic and tight schedules. Often dental treatment is put off because of actual or perceived time commitments on the part of a patient. This office has invested in a hi-tech system called CEREC that allows us to fabricate a permanent all ceramic crown [cap], onlay or veneer in one single office visit. This means fewer injections, less drilling and less time taken away from your daily activities. This computerized system allows us to use strong, tooth-colored ceramic materials to restore your teeth to their natural strength, beauty and function. These materials closely match the composition of natural tooth structure. The significance of this fact means when you eat hot food and drink something cold, the restoration and tooth expand and contract at almost equal rates, minimizing the chance of your tooth cracking. Also, the ceramic restorations are chemically bonded to your teeth, so we can preserve as much healthy tooth structure as possible.

First, we examine the tooth or teeth to determine the appropriate treatment. It could be a simple filling, or a full crown, depending on how much healthy tooth structure is remaining in our clinical judgment. Next, we administer an anesthetic and prepare your tooth for the restoration, removing decayed and weakened tooth tissue. This preparation is just like we would do for many other restorative techniques.

Then, we take an Optical Impression of the prepared tooth. Instead of filling a tray with impression "goop" that you must bite into and hold in your mouth until it hardens, we coat the tooth with a non-toxic, tasteless powder. A camera is used to take a digital picture of your tooth. This whole Optical Impression process only takes a minute or two.

Next, the CEREC machine helps us create the restoration for your tooth. The CEREC 3D software takes the digital picture and converts it into a 3-dimensional virtual model on the computer screen. We use our dental expertise to design the restoration using the CEREC 3D computer program. Within a few minutes, with the click of a button, the restoration design data is sent to a separate milling machine in the office. A ceramic block that matches your tooth shade is placed in the milling machine. About 10 - 20 minutes later, your all-ceramic, tooth-colored restoration is finished and ready to bond in place. Finally, we try the restoration in your mouth to ensure proper fit and bite. The restoration is then polished and bonded to the prepared tooth. Your tooth is restored with no "temporary" or return trip necessary. Please call our office to see if you are a candidate for this procedure.

6 Easy Ways to Prevent Cavities in Kids

Kids and cavities seem to go hand in hand. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28 percent of children ages 2 through 5 have at least one dental cavity, compared to 24 percent a decade ago. Although 4 percent may not seem like a lot, that increase represents thousands and thousands of children and cavities -- as well as a trend in the opposite direction of the last 40 years, when tooth decay was on a gradual decline. So if you have children and cavities are a concern, here are six easy ways to reduce the risk:

1. Avoid giving your baby juice or formula at night. The sugar in juice and formula causes the bacteria in the mouth to produce the acids that cause baby bottle tooth decay. Use fluoridated water instead.

2. Choose low-fat foods from the basic food groups. Raw fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole-grain breads and low-fat dairy products are great for your child's overall health and their dental health!

3. If you must, give sweets only as a dessert. If your child must have sweets, limit it to dessert or following a main meal. Late-night snacking and frequent snacking are a major culprit of cavities in children.

4. Invest in a water filter. Instead of spending extra on bottled water, invest in a filter for your sink, or a filtered water pitcher. Fluoridated tap water is an excellent resource to help the battle between children and cavities.

5. Don't share cups or utensils. Cavities are contagious. So if you have them, you can pass them onto your child by sharing cups and utensils.

6. If you smoke, stop. The University of Rochester's Strong Children's Research Center has discovered a link between smoking, children and cavities. Results from a study show that children of parents who smoke are more likely to develop cavities.

For more information, or to schedule a cleaning, call your favorite Williamsburg dentist, Dr. James A. Burden, at (757) 941-7079!