Back-To-School Dental Tips

With the start of the school year fast approaching, your student is probably stocked up on supplies and sports equipment but do they have a healthy mouth and the tools to maintain oral health?

According to the American Dental Association, a dental examination is as important as immunizations and booster shots and should be a regular part of back-to-school preparations. 

Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that tooth decay affects U.S. children more than any other chronic infectious disease and 19 percent of children ages 2 to 19 years old have untreated tooth decay. Dental pain or disease can lead to difficulties eating, speaking, playing and learning, not to mention hours of missed school.

Your child's back-to-school dental checklist should include:

    • Regular dental examinations to diagnose/treat or prevent dental problems.       The dentist may suggest fluoride treatments or sealants to prevent decay           and can diagnose and treat dental problems to save your child from losing         valuable time at school.
    
    • Regular brushing and flossing is vital.  Your child should brush their teeth            twice a day and floss once daily.  Toothbrushes should be changed every            three to four month, or after an illness. 
    
    • Eating healthy lunches and snacks. Recommendations for your child's sack          lunches include grains, milk, cheese, raw vegetables, yogurt or fruit. If              your child eats in the school cafeteria, review healthy, balanced food                  choices with them before the first day of school. The amount of sugary              foods and soft drinks should be very limited.

Give us a call today to schedule your child’s back-to-school dental examination!

The Importance of Oral Cancer Screenings

This year, 42,000+ Americans will be diagnosed with oral and throat cancers with a 5-year survival rate of slightly more than 64 percent.  

When cancer is detected and treated early enough, health problems are greatly reduced.  During your dental visits, we will talk to you about your health history and examine the entire oral cavity for signs of mouth and/or throat cancer. 

A screening will consist of a visual inspection of the mouth and palpation of the jaw and neck. Regular visits to the dentist can improve the chances of any suspicious changes in your oral health being caught early.

Symptoms of oral cancer may include:
 
   • a sore or irritation that doesn't go away
   • red or white patches
   • pain, tenderness or numbness in mouth or lips 
   • a lump, thickening, rough spot, crust or small eroded area 
   • difficulty chewing, swallowing, speaking or moving your tongue or jaw
   • a change in the way your teeth fit together when you close your mouth
 

If you notice any of these signs or symptoms, and they do not resolve in at least two weeks, make sure to schedule a dental visit.

The Importance of Periodic Dental Examinations

A periodic oral evaluation should be regularly performed (1-2 times a year) in order to determine if anything has changed with your oral health since your last regular visit and to serve as a benchmark of your overall health.
 

During a dental examination, the dentist will perform a visual examination, and possibly take x-rays in order to detect: 


   • New cavities   • Weaknesses in existing crowns, fillings and bridgework   • Gum disease or bone recession   • Teeth deterioration due to abnormal bite, bruxism or TMJ
 
Your dentist may also perform a visual and digital examination of lymph nodes throughout the face and neck looking for any abnormalities, pain, or flexibility within the nodes that could be markers for systemic diseases.  

Likewise, a similar examination of your lips, gums, tongue and other internal mouth surfaces will be conducted, again looking for any signs of oral cancer or systemic diseases. 

 
A periodic oral evaluation is a valuable part of your preventative health maintenance plan, and the dentist is your ally in keeping an eye out for dental disease or other illnesses you may not be aware of.

5 Reasons to Smile More!

In honor of National Smile Month, here are 5 reasons to smile more often:

1. Confidence- Nothing conveys confidence more than a nice smile.
   
2. Improves your mood- A smile will make you and those around you feel better.
   
3. Boost your immune system- Smiling reminds your body to produce white blood cells, boosting your immunity.
   
4. Laws of attraction- Studies show that persons smiling in photographs are more attractive to an audience.
   
5. Fountain of youth- Smiling is the least expensive anti-aging product you can find.
   

Save Face; National Facial Protection Month

Would you know what to do if someone you were with, or even yourself, incurred a facial injury?  April is National Facial Protection Month, and for this month’s here is some information on what to do if these types of injuries occur.
 
The Academy for Sports Dentistry (ASD), American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), and the American Dental Association (ADA), offer the following first aid tips to assist you in case an accident occurs:
 
Fractured/Broken tooth
• Find the broken pieces, store in water or milk.
• See dentist within24 hours – may be able to reattach the broken pieces of tooth.
• Analgesics for pain.

Displaced tooth 
• See your dentist immediately.
• If the tooth is extruded (hangs down) try to reposition.
 
Knocked out tooth
• See your dentist immediately – time is essential! For best results, replantation should be done within 5 – 10 minutes.
• Upon locating the tooth, hold it by the crown (the wide part, not the pointed end/root).
• Rinse the tooth but avoid rubbing it or touching the root. Put the tooth back in its socket; cover with gauze or tissue and bite down to stabilize it. Or, briefly store the tooth in cold milk. Alternatively, spit in a cup and place the tooth in the cup.
• Do not let the tooth dry out. A tooth can usually be saved if cared for properly and reimplanted within an hour.
 
Facial cuts
• Cover the wound with a clean dressing and apply pressure.
• Dressing may become saturated; do not remove it. Apply more dressing and pressure.
• Go to a nearby hospital for emergency assistance.
Cuts inside of the mouth
• Gently rinse the mouth with cold water.
• Bite on some gauze, a clean cloth or tissue and apply pressure to the wound.
• Go to the closest hospital emergency department for immediate treatment.
 
Jaw injuries
The U-shaped lower jaw often suffers multiple breaks. An upper jaw fracture may cause visible distortion of the face. If teeth fit together properly when the mouth is closed:
• Apply ice to control swelling and take ibuprofen or a similar remedy to control pain.
• Restrict diet to soft foods and if no improvement occurs within 24 hours, seek dental care. If teeth do not fit together properly when the mouth is closed: • Immediately seek emergency care.
• Gently align the jaws.
• Immobilize the jaw; wrap a cloth bandage under the chin and secure it over the head.
• Apply ice to control swelling.
 
Broken nose
• Gently pack the nose with gauze or tissue.
• Apply ice. Do not blow nose. Head and neck injury
• Do not let the injured person be moved unless by professionals or if in danger.
• Immobilize the head by placing rolled towels on either side. • Keep the injured person warm to avoid the risk of shock.
• If unconscious, clear the person’s mouth and hold their tongue forward to maintain an open airway and seek emergency care

Why So Sensitive?

Does eating ice cream or taking a sip of hot coffee or tea make your teeth hurt? Is brushing or flossing uncomfortable? If so, you may have sensitive teeth.

Various causes of sensitive teeth include:

• Tooth decay

• Fractured teeth

• Old fillings

• Gum/periodontal disease

• Worn tooth enamel

• Exposed tooth roots

Normally, a layer of enamel protects the crowns of your teeth above the gum line. Under the gum line, a layer called cementum protects the tooth root. Underneath both the enamel and the cementum is a layer called dentin. 

Dentin is less dense than enamel and cementum and when dentin loses its protective covering of enamel or cementum, microscopic tubules in the dentin layer allow heat or cold or certain types of food to reach the nerves and cells inside of the tooth. Dentin can also be exposed when gums recede, resulting in hypersensitivity.

Sensitive teeth can usually be treated, depending on the cause of the sensitivity. Your dentist may suggest one of a variety of treatments:

• Desensitizing toothpaste. This type of toothpaste contains compounds that help block transmission of sensations from the tooth surface to the nerve.  This usually requires several applications before the sensitivity is noticeably reduced.

• Fluoride gel. An in-office technique which strengthens tooth enamel and reduces the transmission of sensations.

• A crown, inlay or bonding. These types of restorations may be used to correct a flaw or decay that results in sensitivity.

• Surgical gum grafting. If gum tissue has been lost from the root, this will protect the root and reduce sensitivity.

• Root canal. If sensitivity is severe and persistent and cannot be treated by other means, 

Oral Health Tips for Kids, Part 2

How you care for your child’s teeth will affect their ability to learn and to grow up healthy. By encouraging good oral health habits in your family, you will keep your child’s teeth healthy and strong and give them a smile to treasure for a lifetime. Below are some tips to help keep your child’s mouth healthy.

Choosing a Toothbrush
There are so many toothbrushes available, the choice can be overwhelming for some parents. The following are recommendations to help you make the right choice:

• Choose the correct size, based on age (most toothbrush packages are now labeled for the appropriate age group)
 
• Choose a toothbrush with soft, round-tipped, nylon bristles. Medium or hard bristles can injure gums and wear down tooth enamel (this is true for adults as well).

• Replace your child’s toothbrush when the bristles look bent or worn, usually between two to four months of use, depending on the brand

• Let your child help them select their own toothbrush. Kids are more interested in brushing if they are involved in the process
 
• Electric toothbrushes are popular with children and are very effective. Many of the electric tootbrushes also have a built-in timer function, to remind children to brush for two full minutes.

Choosing ToothpasteToothpaste is another important tool in fighting tooth decay.  Do you know how much (if any) to use?
 
• Newborns without teeth should have their mouths wiped with a moist washcloth, after all meals.
 
• Once the first tooth appears in the mouth, depending on your child’s cavity-risk, it can be appropriate to use a “smear” of children’s toothpaste containing fluoride, on the bristles of a wet toothbrush.

• Usually around 2 years of age, children can begin using a pea size amount of children’s toothpaste.
 
• Children should be taught at an early age how to spit out their toothpaste, in order to not swallow the contents.

Proper Techniques for You and Your Children• Adults should help brush their child’s teeth until the ages of 6 or 7, depending on the ability of the child to correctly use their toothbrush.
 
• Try to place the brush at a 45-degree angle to the tooth and use a gentle scrubbing/circular motion technique.
 
• Brush all surfaces of the teeth including the area near the gum line.
 
• Apply gentle pressure while brushing.
 
• Encourage your child to brush for at least 2 minutes, 2 times a day.