SmilesByGlerum News

Drugs, Dry Mouth and Dental Decay

Medications can often solve one problem, but then lead to another. As we see in dentistry, one of the common side effects of many drugs, including antidepressants, antihistamines and allergy medications, is dry mouth. By reducing saliva production, dry mouth can leave you susceptible to cavities, excess plaque, fungal infections in the mouth, and bad breath.

Signs of dry mouth can include: saliva that seems thick or stringy; sores or split skin at the corners of your mouth; bad breath; difficulty speaking or swallowing; a burning or tingling sensation on your tongue; change in your sense of taste; increased plaque, tooth decay and periodontal (gum) disease.

Most of us take saliva for granted, but it is actually an important natural defense system in the mouth. It protects the teeth by washing away sugars and not allowing bacteria to stick on the teeth long enough to promote the development of cavities.

Some tips to help prevent dental decay that stems from dry mouth include:

• Establishing a consistent, daily flossing and brushing routine.
• Using a mouthwash specially formulated for dry-mouth sufferers.
• Chewing sugarless gum, to help stimulate saliva production.
• Drinking more water, and avoiding coffee, tea and other caffeinated drinks, in addition to alcohol, all of which can dry out your mouth.

Please keep us updated on the medications you are on. If a lack of saliva is interfering with your oral health and your enjoyment of food, make sure you talk to us, and to your doctor.

What’s My Best Option: a Crown, or a Veneer?

The role of both porcelain crowns and porcelain veneers is to cover existing teeth with attractive outer shells, resulting in straighter, more even teeth and a beautiful smile. But when do you need porcelain crowns, and when will veneers suffice?

A dental crown fits over your whole tooth to serve as a completely new outer surface. Its strength makes it especially applicable for teeth such as molars, which are subject to significant chewing and biting forces.

Dental veneers, on the other hand, are thin “shells” of porcelain or ceramic that are bonded onto the front side of a tooth (the side that shows when you smile) to cosmetically correct tooth imperfections.

A dental crown may be recommended in the following situations:

• To protect a weak tooth from breaking, or to hold together parts of a cracked tooth.
• To restore a broken or worn-down tooth.
• To cover and support a tooth with a large filling.
• To hold a dental bridge in place.
• To cover a tooth that is misshapen or severely discolored.
• To cover a dental implant.

A dental veneer is often applied:

• To fill gaps between teeth.
• To correct minor shape problems.
• To produce a whiter appearance to mildly stained or darkened teeth.

Come in and ask us which smile solution may be appropriate for your particular dental improvement.

©2010 Market Connections^® Inc. | Dental Health News^®

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Working Out a Safe Smile

If you play sports regularly or engage in a dedicated exercise program, your healthy initiatives are commendable. But before you stretch and don your protective gear, your dental team wants to ensure you remember to protect your smile, too.

Our first piece of advice for any athlete is to get fitted for a professional mouthguard. Even if your chosen activity isn’t a contact sport such as football or hockey, your mouth still needs to be protected from any kind of impact or stress. In fact, even weightlifters — who subconsciously clench their teeth when hoisting heavy weights — are wise to wear a mouthguard to avoid the risk of tooth fractures.

Bodybuilders and other athletes who use anabolic androgenic steroids should also be aware that, according to the American Academy of Periodontology, prolonged use of these drugs is closely associated with gingival overgrowth. Meaning, steroid users may suffer from overgrown gums, a condition that makes it easier for bacteria found in plaque to accumulate and attack supporting structures of the teeth, potentially leading to gum infections.

As well, the consumption of sports drinks is a popular way to re-hydrate after a workout, but be aware of the corrosive interaction between these beverages and your teeth. To help, consume your sports drink in one sitting, instead of sipping it throughout your activity, therefore limiting the amount of time your teeth enamel is exposed to the drink’s acids.

Ask us for more tips on sporting good dental health. And remember, we’re all on your dental-health team!

If you haven’t already scheduled your next dental appointment, please call us today at 561-374-8922

Whiter, Brighter, Better?

Many people who make the decision to whiten their teeth become so pleased with the results that they increase the frequency of their whitening program, believing that if white teeth are good, whiter teeth must be better. What’s the right white for you?

Some people try to match the color of their teeth to the whites of their eyes. However, a more effective way to get a good idea of your ideal tooth shade is to view our shade guides. Together, we’ll match your current tooth color to the corresponding color on the chart, then show you how whitening can change that shade. Even a change of two or three shades can make an impressive difference in a smile.

It’s important to remember that a lot of the “Hollywood” smiles people aim for may involve more than just tooth whitening. While whitening will certainly reverse years of everyday staining to give you a younger, fresher appearance, you may want to find out more about bonding, crowns and dental veneers, which will provide both the tooth color, and the perfect tooth shape and smile symmetry you desire.

Please ask us to explain the many cosmetic dentistry options available, to provide you with the white, confident, beautiful smile of your dreams.

©2010 Market Connections^® Inc. | Dental Health News^®

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Stressing the Bottom Line

Connecting your stress level to your gum line to your financial bottom line may not seem like a logical track of association, but you may be surprised at how one can affect the other.

For many people, today’s stressful environment stems from money, and the economy in general. Chronic stress can initiate a host of health problems, including a weakened immune system, high blood pressure, and even periodontal (gum) disease. Indeed, chronic stress is associated with higher and more prolonged levels of the hormone cortisol, which research has indicated can lead to a more destructive form of gum disease.

Gum disease is typically triggered by a bacterial infection in the mouth. The American Academy of Periodontology has evidence that links infections in the mouth to other, seemingly unrelated, medical problems in some people, including a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, uncontrolled diabetes, preterm births and respiratory disease.

Therefore, it’s easy to understand why a study published in the Journal of Periodontology documents that patients with severe gum disease have 21 percent higher health care costs, compared to patients with no gum disease. With this information in hand, the connecting line from your mouth to your wallet becomes ever clearer.

Even if nothing in your mouth hurts, we cannot stress strongly enough the importance of regular dental checkups. Gum disease, for one, is something that is often hard to detect without a formal examination, which is why your dental visits should be a regular part of your overall health schedule. We urge you to be diligent with your dental appointments, especially if you already have heart or lung disease, diabetes or osteoporosis and low bone mass, if you are thinking of becoming pregnant, or if you have a family member with gum disease. Routine oral examinations can also uncover symptoms of oral cancer, eating disorders, substance abuse and HIV.

Stress can trigger a quick spiral into bad habits, which can then affect physical and mental health. Smokers tend to increase their tobacco use — a proven trigger to gum disease — while drinkers may step up their alcohol dependency. Stress can also lead to depression, which affects people’s desire to take care of themselves, including oral hygiene neglect. Not brushing or flossing allows the accumulation of plaque, tartar and bacteria to collect on and between the teeth, inflaming the gums and precipitating gum disease.

Nighttime teeth grinding (bruxism) is another common stress indicator. Patients are often surprised to learn that their sore jaws and frequent headaches are a direct result of teeth grinding, or that they even grind their teeth at all! A professional dental inspection will confirm bruxism, and we can create a nightguard, and make recommendations on how to further reduce the trauma caused by the grinding.

Managing stress and its effects on our mental, physical, and financial health begins with taking care of small concerns before they become big, expensive problems. Don’t wait until there’s a problem.

If you haven’t already scheduled your next dental appointment, please call us today

An Apple a Day Keeps the Dentist at Bay?

More and more people these days are making a conscious effort to replace unhealthy snacks with fruit, and soda with fruit juice. At the same time, dentists are beginning to notice more signs of acid wear on patients’ teeth. The explanation for this paradox is that it isn’t what you eat or drink, but how you consume them.

To counteract the effect of fruits and other acidic foods on tooth enamel, it helps to pair the foods with cheese or nuts. For example, consider munching on a few nuts after finishing your apple. Similarly, balance the acidic effect of your glass of wine or juice by following it with some cheese. These healthy pairings are delicious ways to protect your teeth while adding additional health benefits to your diet.

Fruit juices are another deceptive choice. While obviously better than soda from a nutritional standpoint, fruit juices do contain natural sugars and acids. Parents feeding their baby juice are urged to wipe their child’s teeth and gums with a soft, wet washcloth following the feeding, and to never to let the baby fall asleep with a bottle of juice in his or her mouth.

Following an acidic food or drink, remember to rinse your mouth with water, but don’t brush. Brushing can actually expedite the acid’s eroding effect on the teeth. Wait at least an hour, allowing enough time for the acidity in your mouth to neutralize before you brush.

©2010 Market Connections^® Inc. | Dental Health News^®