Tooth decay is a common disorder among human beings. It is caused by bacteria inside the mouth and on the surface of teeth that feed on carbohydrates, which is rich in starch and sugar. The bacteria begin to digest the food and turns them into acids, and when combined with other substances like food debris and saliva, forms plaque. Plaque is what is left on the surface of the teeth, which softens the outer layer of the teeth, known as enamel, until it continues to create the holes known as cavities. Plaque usually stays in the fissures and pits of teeth, between the teeth, and on the gum line, where it settles and starts to bore holes. When the decay reaches the soft inner layer of teeth, known as dentin, that’s when they start to notice the symptoms of cavities.

What else can cause cavities?

A dry mouth caused by low salivary flow slows down the digestion of food particles, which lessens the risk of plaque attaching to teeth. Genetic problems like tooth size and shape, tooth position, and bite can also be factors that can contribute to your risk of having cavities. When not treated, cavities could lead to other more serious dental disorders, like gingivitis or gum disease, and or periodontitis or inflammation of the bones that support the teeth.

How can you treat cavities?

Don’t be afraid to visit your dentist. When you start experiencing toothaches, that means the cavity has reached the deeper parts of your tooth, and has hit the nerve endings. The dentist will examine your teeth, and may take an X-ray if necessary. The X-ray can also detect cavities that are not yet visible to the eye. They will remove the rotting parts of your teeth and replace it with fillings. For more severe decay, a root canal is advised. The center and decaying parts of the tooth are removed, and then the root is filled. In some cases, a crown can be placed over the tooth.

Make sure to regularly brush your teeth, use other dental care products like mouthwash and floss, and visit your dentist to avoid further damage caused by tooth decay!

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In our last blog post we talked about what to look for in a dentist, but how often should you go? No matter how excellent your dental hygiene regiment, regular visits to the dentist are a necessity. This necessity does beg the question: how often should I go? Unfortunately there is no scientifically true answer. Most go between two and three times a year, and this seems to do the trick. Some go whenever they want, and this my friends, is medically known as foolish.

The purpose of a visit to the dentist – as I’m sure most are aware – is to get a cleaning, and so the dentist can briefly poke around as a check-up. You aren’t a dentist, ok, maybe you are. Let me rephrase, most of you aren’t dentists. For those that did not spend the better part of a decade studying dentistry it’s important to let your dentist perform a regular check-up. Your dentist can spot problems that you may not see or feel. Many dental problems, like cavities, gum disease and even cancer, don’t become visible or cause pain until they are more advanced.

For the large majority of people, a twice yearly visit works just fine. There is no one answer that fits everyone. Some can get away with fewer visits, while others might go three or four times a year.

The difference is a question of risk. People with very little risk of cavities or gum disease can do fine seeing their dentist as little as once a year. People with a high risk of dental disease ought to visit more often. There are many who might be classified as high risk, including:

• Diabetics
• Smokers
• Those with gum disease
• Those with a weak immune system
• Those prone to getting cavities
• Those prone to building plaque

So, ya, visit your dentist often enough to keep that super educated and caring doctor comfortable with the state of your dental hygiene. Dentists get up in the morning to care for their patients – that’s the job. If they tell you to come in every 2 months, you ought to listen to them. If they tell you to come in once a year, that’s just fine too. Either way, make sure to keep a solid dental hygiene regiment: Brushing twice daily for at least 2 minutes and flossing once daily!

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How do I choose the right dentist? Obviously the basics, like location and cost, are important convenience factors. If you live in New Jersey, you wouldn’t want your dentist to be located in Detroit (I hope not). Another convenience factor you should consider, do they take your insurance? If you have insurance, this step is a no-brainer and cost of entry. Beyond the convenience factors there are several other integral pieces to consider.

Dentist’s Background and Qualifications

It is perfectly acceptable to inquire about the school that your dentist attended and the degree(s) he or she acquired. Is the degree displayed prominently in their office? If not, maybe you should ask to see it. This might seem like an overreach, it’s up to you. Feel out the situation. If you aren’t comfortable it’s probably a bad sign anyways. It’s important to note here that each specialty in the field of dentistry, endodontic, orthodontic, etc., is subject to it’s own medical degree.

Comfort and Cleanliness

This is a super important step in deciding your dental office. Is it clean? Is it comfortable? Take a visit and check out the office. There is no sense in going to a dentist that keeps it’s shop in ill-repair. You have to feel comfortable with your dental office. The place should be spotless, it should have relatively new equipment (at least it should look new ). This is a feel question but with tangible answers, only you can decide what’s acceptable here.

The Staff

Once you are comfortable with the physical location, it is important to look for a good staff when assessing your potential dental office. Your first visit will likely be a simple cleaning or a consultation.  If you’re nervous, ask for just that.  This will allow you to meet the staff.  Is the receptionist nice? Is the dental hygienist friendly?  These are all important questions to ask yourself while you’re experiencing your first visit. It’s important to find a dentist and staff that truly cares about you and your dental health.

While there are many factors that you may personally want to consider when finding a dentist (for example, do they take your insurance?) assessing the above will ensure that your experience is a pleasurable one.  And if you’re someone who struggles with a bit of dental phobia, you are sure to be a bit more at ease if you’re confident in your dentist, his/her staff, and the professionalism that they offer.

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Yes, flossing is vital to any proper dental hygiene regiment. It removes plaque and food particles that good brushing just can’t reach. By not flossing you risk tooth decay and gum disease caused by plaque. Indeed, studies have shown that flossing helps to prevent heart attack and stroke. It’s such an insignificant task, why aren’t you doing it more often – for that matter, why aren’t I?

Let’s commit to this right now. Once daily. That’s it. We’re in. I’ll even do you the favor of laying out the proper dentist approved technique.

1. Grab about 18 inches of floss. Wrap it around your middle fingers so that only two inches (or so) is visible.
2. Hold the floss tight, and gently insert a clean section between two teeth. Make sure not to snap the floss down between your teeth. Gently, with a back and forth motion, slide the floss down. Snapping with force can cause damage to your gum tissue.
3. Once in, curve the floss around a tooth and slide it up and down. Make sure to reach beneath the gumline as this is where a lot of the food particles live. Then move to the other tooth and repeat.
4. Remove the floss from between these teeth. Again, be gentle! Do not snap the floss, but remove it with a back and forth motion.
5. Continue through so that you reach all of your teeth in the same fashion. And we’re done!

It’s that simple. Might take you 2-3 minutes. You waste time doing all sorts of crazy nonsense every day. Give yourself a break, sit down in front of America’s Got Talent after dinner tonight, and floss. You can thank me later

By the way, there are two types of floss. If you’re like me, and get annoyed when your floss shreds, you’ll appreciate this knowledge. The two types of floss are multifilament and monofilament. Multifilament is nylon based and will shred. It is cheaper than monofilament, which is virtually shred-resistant. Both, when used properly, are equally effective. Count me amongst those who will now strictly be seeking Monofilament floss

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Don’t Damage Them

First, be careful of what foods you eat. Hard foods, like raw carrots, candies and some nuts, can put stress on the teeth and work against what the braces are doing to bring them into the correct position. Sometimes they can even damage the braces themselves, bending wires and damaging brackets. That can be complicated and expensive to fix. If you want to eat hard candy, suck on it instead of biting down. Anything that needs a lot of chewing, like toffee, is also a bad idea. This applies to chewing gum and non-food items like ice, your fingernails or the ends of pencils. You should also wear a properly fitted mouth guard if you play contact sport or are at risk for blows to the mouth.

Avoid Risky Foods

Braces create more places where bits of food can collect. Some foods are more of a problem, especially those that tend to leave crumbs. As well as pieces of food, acids can build up around the brackets attached to the teeth, and this can quickly result in cavities. Acidic foods should be avoided, too. Soft drinks (even diet drinks), sports drinks and fruit juice are also acidic and should be kept to a minimum or avoided altogether. Here are some of the most important foods to avoid:

• Citrus fruits
• Apples
• Cherries
• Tomatoes
• Pickles
• Muesli
• Granola bars
• Salsas
• BBQ Sauce

To reduce problems, keep the mouth moist by taking frequent small drinks of water. If you suffer from any condition that reduces saliva, you should see a doctor right away, as this increases the risk of tooth decay. Smoking, alcohol and caffeine all tend to reduce salivation, too.

Get Regular Checkups

It’s likely that you’ll be seeing your orthodontist every few weeks to have the braces adjusted. Don’t forget to arrange regular visits to your dentist, too. Because of the increased risk of problems caused by the braces, it’s important to have regular checkups to deal with anything before it becomes serious.

There are a few issues that might need an unscheduled visit to the orthodontist. If the braces start to cause irritation or the wires are poking into the rear of your mouth, make an appointment right away. Also do so if any part of the braces becomes damaged or broken. Braces with detached brackets or bent or broken wires aren’t doing their job, and any delay in getting them fixed will just mean you have to wear them for longer.

Keep Everything Clean

When wearing braces, it’s essential to brush your teeth thoroughly at least twice a day and ideally after every meal or snack. Use a soft brush and a good fluoride toothpaste. If your braces are fitted with elastics, remove them before brushing and replace them as soon as you finish. Don’t brush aggressively, but press firmly enough that the bristles get into the gaps between braces and teeth; this is why a soft brush is better. Make sure you brush thoroughly around all the brackets. Floss threaders are one way to deal with the gaps between teeth. Intradental brushes are also good and are often easier than floss to use with braces. Use an antibacterial mouthwash when you are finished. Consider using a fluoride supplement to keep teeth more resistant to decay

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Cleaning

1. Wet a small washcloth.
2. Wipe over the gums once daily to remove formula or breast-milk buildup.
3. The wiping will also promote circulation in the area.
4. Alternately, wet a very soft toothbrush and use it to wipe to gums clean. Check out our newborn brush here
5. Some babies may be born with a tooth. It’s advised that you clean this tooth in the same way, with a very soft toothbrush or a wet washcloth. Do not use toothpaste unless otherwise instructed by a medical professional.

Your baby’s teeth will have formed in the jawbone while still in the womb. All 20 primary teeth will have developed. At approximately 6 months, your baby’s first teeth should protrude from the gum-line. Proper dental care impacts tooth formation and healthy tooth formation will affect your baby’s ability to eat, speak and may even influence his or her appearance.

Avoid letting your newborn fall asleep with her bottle. Formula can stay in the mouth and promote decay. Known as bottle mouth or baby bottle syndrome, as the baby learns to hold her bottle, falling asleep with milk or formula in their mouth can become habit. This does negatively affect their teeth, promoting tooth decay among the primary teeth. It is advisable to avoid letting this become a habit.

Pacifiers

Pacifiers are a perfectly normal and healthy tool for mothers. They help to soothe teeth between feedings, and even apply a little pressure to the gums before primary teeth erupt – stimulating blood flow. However, long-term use is not advised. When the primary teeth erupt, it can cause misalignment. Also, do not dip the pacifier in formula or juice, or anything sugary for that matter, as this can lead to tooth decay.

So that’s it. Proper care over the first six months of your child’s life is super important and can have lasting long-term affect. Make sure to clean daily, and avoid letting your baby become too attached to his or her bottle and pacifier.

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Diagnosis

If you notice a painful spot in your mouth, try to have a look at it in the mirror. A canker sore shows as a round yellow or greyish patch with an inflamed red border. They vary in size from tiny spots to over half an inch in diameter. If it’s on your lip there may be swelling around it, too.

Doctors classify canker sores into three main types. Minor ulceration is when the sores are from 3-10mm (from an eighth to nearly half of an inch) across. These usually heal after about two weeks but can be intensely painful. Major ulceration is where the ulcers are more than 10mm across. They can take over a month to heal and frequently leave a scar. Finally herpetiform ulceration consists of clusters of tiny, 1-3mm ulcers. These usually heal with no scarring in less than a month, but while they last can be extremely painful and may need medical support.

Causes

Canker sores affect over 15% of the population, although many cases are mild. They’re most common in people aged from 16-25 and usually clear up naturally in the late 20s. Women are more likely to be affected than men and they are extremely rare in anyone over the age of 55. The cause is a bit of a mystery, but some factors associated with them are known:

• Consumption of citrus fruit
• Physical trauma, especially wearing a brace or biting the inside of the mouth
• Lack of sleep
• Deficiency of iron, vitamin B12 or folic acid
• Injury from sharp or hot foods
• Quitting smoking
• Lactose intolerance
• Food allergies

Canker sores also often affect people with celiac disease or Crohn’s disease, and have been linked to falling progestogen levels in some women. There seems to be a genetic element, because many sufferers have a family history of the problem.

How to cure canker sores

The best treatment is natural prevention. Braces should be coated in dental wax to cut the chance of sharp edges causing minor injuries which could then ulcerate. Regular use of a mouthwash that doesn’t contain alcohol can help prevent canker sores, and for some people zinc supplements may do the same. In general, good oral hygiene reduces the chances of any small cuts becoming ulcerated. Learn how to ACTUALLY brush your teeth from our previous blog post.

Once canker sores appear the usual treatment is pain management. Avoiding spicy foods will reduce the pain, and rinsing the mouth with salt water or mouthwash can also help. Pain-relieving pastilles designed to treat mouth ulcers are available from pharmacies and can be effective, especially in children. If necessary a doctor can cauterise the ulcers by painting them with silver nitrate, which won’t help them heal but will reduce pain. Lysine supplements have been shown to help herpetiform ulcers clear up faster. Toothpastes that don’t contain sodium dodecal sulphate were previously thought to reduce the risk of canker sores. The latest evidence suggests that they don’t, but do reduce pain once the sores have appeared and prevent the sores from growing so large.

There’s no doubt that canker sores are unpleasant and painful, but the good news is that they generally heal on their own and can usually be managed with safe over the counter treatments. If they’re really bothering you, though, your dentist or doctor should be able to help.

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I’m that way. But why? When you give two seconds pause on the matter it’s obvious that you could likely improve. And since you are already investing time doing it, why not make sure you brush your teeth effectively.

Luckily, you’re friends here at ToothbrushSubscriptions.com are here to help! Here’s a brief lesson on how to brush your teeth effectively.

First, note that proper brushing should take at least 2 minutes. Most don’t come close to that. Since we’re knee deep in this exercise, why don’t we time ourselves brushing tonight before we go to bed. Don’t cheat either (I know you’re going to cheat). Start the clock, brush, and don’t look at the clock until you’ve finished brushing.

What did you get? 20 seconds? I only got 15. It’s fine. It’s a tedious task, but like they say, oral health is indicative of overall health. It’s such an easy task, just make sure to get 2 minutes in.

Now that you are going for a full 2 minutes, let’s make sure we’ve the basics down. When brushing:

• Use short, gentle strokes.
• Pay special attention to your gumline, making sure that the bristles overlap into your gums when brushing.
• Don’t forget your back teeth and the areas around fillings & crowns.

Concentrate on thoroughly cleaning each section as follows:

1. Clean the outer surfaces of teeth – upper then lower.
2. Follow that by cleaning the inner surfaces of your teeth – again, upper then lower.
3. Then clean your chewing surfaces, all of the flat part of your molars and frontal teeth.
4. And finally, for fresher breath, be sure to brush your tongue too.

It’s a simple game folks, no reason we all can’t just get it right!

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