12 Things That Can Ruin Your Smile: Dry Mouth

No one likes a dry mouth. But dry mouth is more than just an annoyance, it’s also bad for your teeth. Saliva plays a crucial role in oral health. It washes away bacteria and neutralizes the harmful acids. Saliva protects against diseases in the mouth and provides the first line of defense against microbial infections that can create serious oral health problems.

Dry mouth—a.k.a. xerostomia—results from an inadequate flow of saliva. It is not a disease, but can be a symptom of certain medical disorders or a side effect of medications such as decongestants, antihistamines, and pain killers. Without saliva, tooth decay is more likely to occur.

To manage dry mouth, try sugar-free candy or gum to stimulate saliva flow. Also, moisture can be replaced by using artificial saliva and oral rinses. If the problem persists, you can contact our office to explore other medical options.

Things That Can Ruin Your Smile: Failure To Be A Floss Boss

Many of us are much more diligent about flossing than brushing, but flossing everyday is just as important as brushing everyday. Brushing only cleans the service areas of the teeth. Tooth brush bristles alone are not able to clean between these tight spaces. Floss removes the food that gets trapped between the teeth and gets rid of the plaque that accumulates there before it turns into tartar. Tartar is harder to get rid of and makes it more difficult to brush and floss effectively. It only takes plaque 24 hours before plaque begins to harden and form tartar. That’s why it’s important to floss everyday to prevent its accumulation.

Flossing every day is one of the most important things you can do to protect your teeth. It prevents periodontal disease, polishes the tooth’s surface, and can even help control bad breath. Cleaning between teeth is essential to your daily oral hygiene routine. Need instructions on how to floss? Check out Dr. Berdy’s videos about proper flossing technique and how to floss with a handy wipe in order to clean difficult to reach areas of your mouth.

Things That Can Ruin Your Smile: Lemons, Limes, and Oranges! Oh My!

Many of us are much more diligent about flossing than brushing, but flossing everyday is just as important as brushing everyday. Brushing only cleans the service areas of the teeth. Tooth brush bristles alone are not able to clean between these tight spaces. Floss removes the food that gets trapped between the teeth and gets rid of the plaque that accumulates there before it turns into tartar. Tartar is harder to get rid of and makes it more difficult to brush and floss effectively. It only takes plaque 24 hours before plaque begins to harden and form tartar. That’s why it’s important to floss everyday to prevent its accumulation.

Flossing every day is one of the most important things you can do to protect your teeth. It prevents periodontal disease, polishes the tooth’s surface, and can even help control bad breath. Cleaning between teeth is essential to your daily oral hygiene routine. Need instructions on how to floss? Check out Dr. Berdy’s videos about proper flossing technique and how to floss with a handy wipe in order to clean difficult to reach areas of your mouth.

Things That Can Ruin Your Smile: Aging and Your Teeth

As you age, it becomes even more important to take care of your teeth and protect your dental health. Teeth become more susceptible to decay  near old fillings or roots left unprotected by receding gum lines. It is a common misconception that losing your teeth is inevitable. It’s not true. Your teeth can last a lifetime if you care for them properly.

The danger is not aging, but oral disease. However, you can be protect your teeth if you follow a few of these tips to maintain your oral health:

• Brush twice a day with a toothbrush with soft bristles or an electric toothbrush.
• Clean between your teeth once a day with floss, a Waterpik,  or another interdental cleaner.
• Increase your fluoride protection by by drinking tap water. Since most contains fluoride, it helps prevent tooth decay no matter how old you are.
• Quit smoking. Smoking puts you at greater risk for lung and other cancers as well as increases problems with gum disease, tooth decay and tooth loss.
• Visit your dentist regularly for a complete dental check-up.

By adopting these healthy oral habits, making smart choices about diet and lifestyle, and seeking regular dental care, you can help your teeth last a lifetime.

Things That Can Ruin Your Smile: To Whiten or Not To Whiten…

Everyone wants a smile full of pearly white teeth. Good daily oral hygiene regimen and regular cleanings at the our office are good ways to keep your smile bright, but if you decide you want to do even more to make your teeth look whiter, you should investigate all of your whitening options.

Start by speaking with your dentist. He or she can review the options with you and tell you whether whitening  procedures would be effective for you. Not all whitening treatments are not for everyone. It’s not clear whether bleaching erodes enamel, but it can increase sensitivity. Those with sensitive teeth may want to think twice before they use some whitening treatments.

Any whitening treatments should be used with moderation. Whitening toothpastes and gels often contain abrasive ingredients that may increase sensitivity. Also keep in mind, as you age, whitening products are not a cure-all. After a certain point, using more won’t necessarily make your teeth any white.

7 Steps to Follow for a Healthy Mouth

My patients often ask me what they can do to keep their mouths in tip top shape. The following is a routine I recommend to all my patients both for improving as well as maintaining a healthy oral environment. While the list may seem long, each time you practice it the routine will become a little easier and faster every time you do it. Following this routine will do wonders for preventing periodontal disease, keeping a beautiful smile, and making your teeth last a lifetime!

Seven steps to follow twice a day to keep a healthy, fresh, and vibrant smile.

1. Water pik

• Water pick are simple water pumps that gently flush areas around your teeth and gums
• Use at a 45 degree angle
• Work systematically around your entire mouth, front to back,  inside & out

2. Rubber tip

• Aids in the removal of debris which can feed harmful bacteria

• Promotes healthy gum tissue by firming – like a workout for your gums!
• Use at a 45 degree angle
• Work in a systematic routine to make sure you clean all areas of your mouth

3. Flossing

• Make sure to pull the floss around your tooth in order to reach all the corner surfaces
• Similarly, push the floss to reach the opposite corner surfaces
• Work systematically around your entire mouth

4. Handy wipes

• tear handy wipes vertically into many strips for future use to save time.
• wrap handy wipe around each tooth to effectively clean hard to reach areas and maintain a healthy oral environment
• If the handy wipe does not fit in certain spaces, do not force handy wipe into gum tissue.

5. Proxabrush

• Use proxabrushes to clean the spaces in between each tooth.
• When used with flossing and brushing the proxabrushes will help maintain hard to clean areas in your mouth.

6. Brushing

• Use electric or manual toothbrush, whichever you prefer and are more comfortable with
• Work in a systematic pattern through all the surfaces of your teeth
• Use a 45 degree angle with your toothbrush, aiming the bristles of the brush into the gumline.
• Work each tooth individually, just brushing all of them back and forth is not very effective

7. H₂O pik

• Use again as in step 1, as a final flush and rinse

It may seem like a lot of work, but trust me- following this routine will prevent future problems such as periodontal disease, decay, tooth loss, and bad breath. Preventing problems before they happen is always easier, cheaper, and less stressful than fixing them after they have already done damage. I believe you can keep your teeth for life and these are 7 important steps to take in accomplishing this goal!

Is Exercise Bad for Your Teeth?

We all know that we’re supposed to stay active. Regular exercise reduces stress, improves sleep, and helps us keep our bodies ready for the beach! However those positive effects may not extend to your teeth according to a study published in The Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. The study found that athletes who undergo heavy training can expect to experience an increased chance of dental problems.

There have been hints in the past that athletes could have a heightened risk for cavities and other oral issues. In a study published last year in The British Journal of Sports Medicine, dentists who examined 278 athletes at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London reported that a majority displayed “poor oral health,” including high levels of tooth decay, often in conjunction with gum disease and erosion of the tooth enamel. The athletes came from the United States and Europe as well as less-developed parts of the world, and most had access to good-quality dentistry, although many had not visited a dentist in the last year. (“Is Exercise Bad for Your Teeth?,” New York Times, 9/24/2014)

Researchers are not ready to say why exercise negatively affects oral health. Many assume that sugary sports drinks could be to blame. One reason might also be the amount of saliva present in the mouths of athletes. As a person engages in strenuous physical activity, the amount of saliva produced lessens, while the alkaline present in the saliva increases. This alkalinity is linked to the development of tarter plaques and enamel erosion.

In order to reduce the risk associated with intense exercise, athletes probably want to make sure that they are consuming plenty of water during their workouts. Of course, regular brushing, flossing, and routine professional dental cleanings doesn’t hurt either.

Best Brushing Technique? Who can say…

When it comes to the best way to brush your teeth, dental professionals often do not agree.

Researchers in Britain scoured the information available from dental textbooks, research studies, and  15 of the world’s leading dental associations and found little agreement among the supposed dental health “experts” about the best way to brush.

According to an article in the New York Times, “the study, published in the August issue of the British Dental Journal, found no randomized trials of brushing technique and very little agreement on how to go about cleaning teeth.” ‘Randomized trials’ are the gold standard of clinical study design. Without them, dental professionals are left to debate amongst themselves the relative merits of different brushing techniques.

Sources fall into two main camps. The first group, including the American Dental Association, recommends the Bass technique, which calls for holding the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gums and brushing in short back-and-forth strokes. While others suggest the Fones technique, with its wide, sweeping circles over the entire surface of the tooth.

Our office recommends the use of the modified Bass technique. You can watch this short video to see Dr. Berdy explain the best way to make sure you are taking care of your teeth for a lifetime.

Fall is coming…should your teeth change colors like the trees?

Now that fall is approaching, I felt it appropriate to ask: should your teeth be like leaves and change colors? Teeth usually change colors when an external event has occurred, such as a fall, trauma from a blunt object, or tooth decay (a cavity). They can also change colors due to exposure from the fluids we drink, such as tea, coffee, and sodas as well as the artificial colors that are added to the foods we eat (to make them look better, certainly not for any nutritional value).

The normal, natural color of teeth can vary greatly. As you may know, teeth are made of two substances. The hard outer shell is known as enamel, and the inner portion called dentin.

The color of enamel can vary from white, to shades of yellow or even gray. Sometimes, the enamel can be stained because of the different chemicals you were exposed to in the water you drink as the teeth were being formed. The enamel can also be malformed if you had a serious illness as a child (during the tooth forming years). Furthermore, genetics can also play a roll in enamel formation and color. Smoking can also stain teeth, and in combination with staining liquids can make your teeth look really bad.

As we mature, the enamel portion of the tooth will wear and become thinner. Now, some of the inner portion (dentin) can start to show through and influence the tooth color. The dentin may actually become visible when the overlying enamel shell has partially or completely worn away. Add to that the staining power of foods and liquids that pass through our mouth, and you can understand why teeth can get stained and ugly. Call us to schedule an appointment and we can recommend options to restore the natural beauty of your teeth.

Alzheimer’s and Periodontal Disease. A link?

Memory, walking speed, and problem solving are all more likely to affect those with periodontal disease, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

The study […] looked at 3,166 adults aged 60 or over from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and compared their performance in tests of memory and walking speed. The results showed that the people with none of their own teeth performed approximately 10% worse in both memory and walking speed tests than the people with teeth.

The study did not postulate a causative link between tooth loss and early-onset memory problems, but it is thought that tooth loss could be an early indication of oncoming mental and physical decline among the older population.

“Regardless of what is behind the link between tooth loss and decline in function, recognizing excessive tooth loss presents an opportunity for early identification of adults at higher risk of faster mental and physical decline later in their life. There are many factors likely to influence this decline, such as lifestyle and psychosocial factors, which are amenable to change.” says lead author Dr Georgios Tsakos UCL Epidemiology & Public Health).

Regular dentist visits are important for prevention of gum disease. Dr. Berdy and your hygienists can remove plaque buildup that can irritate the gums and lead to tooth loss. We also can detect early signs of gum disease. Just remember, prevention begins at home. Brushing and flossing twice daily, eating right and avoiding tobacco will help prevent gum disease.

Introducing… Antioxidant Therapy!

A New Way To Protect Your Oral Health

Our office is introducing a new unique approach to addressing problems with the inflammation and bacteria in your mouth that cause disease and decay. The antioxidants in PerioSciences gel and toothpaste will neutralize free radicals that cause the oxidation of our tissues and result in inflammation, infection and eventually disease.

About PerioSciences

PerioSciences researches, formulates, and markets topically applied, antioxidant-based oral care and oral hygiene products. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, PerioSciences has established a new category of products – antioxidant-based oral care. PerioSciences is committed to world-class research and to providing the most advanced products for oral health. Using a state-of-the-art business model, PerioSciences partners in sales and distribution with dental professionals, hygienists, and specialists as well as and other medical professionals and medi-spas.

A revolutionary product category

In the 1970s, it was for hair. Researchers and developers realized that most hair treatments were harmful to hair, so they found ways to incorporate nutrients into products, resulting in a new product category. The first products were sold through exclusive salons by professionals who were in the best position to explain features and benefits of the high-end products.

In the 1990s, it was for skin. Scientists and dermatologists found that antioxidants could have dramatic results on skin cells. As they incorporated these natural compounds into skin care products, they created another new product category, “cosmeceuticals.” Again, professional aestheticians and medi-spa owners—along with dermatologists and plastic surgeons—became the logical channel for providing the advanced products to patients and clients who wanted the most high-caliber skin care available.

Today, it is for oral care. A major focus in science and medicine in recent years has focused on the interaction of oral health with overall, systemic health. At the same time, research has shown that new technologies, including antioxidants, can be incorporated into oral care products. Once again, dental and medical professionals are at the forefront of a sweeping trend for a novel product category and are in the best position to educate their patients on the best-in-class products for optimal oral health.

A unique approach to oral care

Historically, oral care products concentrated on eliminating bacteria in the mouth. Alcohol, the primary ingredient in many products, kills bacteria but also dries oral tissue. However, dry tissues create a fertile environment in which bacteria can actually thrive.

Another anti-bacterial agent is hydrogen peroxide, which is included in many breath products as well as in teeth whiteners. Published research has shown that hydrogen peroxide triggers an oxidation process that leads to a condition called oxidative stress—a precursor to inflammation.

The PerioSciences approach is to work in concert with the body’s natural defense system in the oral cavity. Saliva has natural antioxidants and natural anti-bacterial agents. The antioxidants in PerioSciences products complement those in saliva, and our polyphenol components work with the saliva’s antimicrobial agents. Altogether, our natural ingredients are gentle on soft oral tissue, but provide powerful plant-based antioxidants and polyphenols to enhance the salivary system.

Patient-focused benefits

Some oral care products are designed around a certain feature or function: anti-cavity, whitening, anti-bacterial, and so on. The PerioSciences strategy is to develop products that meet the needs of patients, and provide a combination of benefits for their condition. Smokers want ingredients for breath-freshening and for counteracting the negative effects of nicotine. Health-minded people want the most advanced products available for maximizing their oral and systemic health. Some patients want ingredients that can relieve dry mouth or taste changes due to medication. People with serious oral diseases want high-powered products that address infection and inflammation but are also soothing and pleasant to use.

The PerioSciences commitment is to develop products that focus on comprehensive oral care benefits for patients.

Convenience for the Patient with Innovation

Because dental and medical professionals are in the best position to interpret the vast research published on antioxidants, PerioSciences sells its high-end line of oral care products through dental offices and medi-spas. The line will not be available in stores or pharmacies. During office visits, patients can sign up online for the easy and convenient shipment, including auto-refills. PerioSciences ships products from the warehouse directly to the patient’s home so professional offices do not need to maintain inventory, but we do stock a small amount of product so our patients can walk out of the office with product in hand. Be sure to ask Dr. Berdy or your hygienist about PerioSciences during your next trip to the office!

3-D Printing: Prosthetics, Dental Appliances and More!

The Future is Here! (Almost)

The growth of 3-D printers is offering an explosion of benefits for medical manufacturing. As use of the technology grows, the implications for the production of  medical products, from prosthetic devices to dental appliances, are just now being realized.

According to the New York Times “state-of-the-art prosthetic replacements are complicated medical devices, powered by batteries and electronic motors, and they can cost thousands of dollars. Even if children are able to manage the equipment, they grow too quickly to make the investment practical.”

3-D printing offers a practical and cost-effective method of producing medical devices, that given the price, have previously remained out of reach for far too many of those in need.

For dental offices, 3-D printing takes the efficiencies of digital design to the production stage. By combining oral scanning and 3D printing, dental labs can accurately and rapidly produce crowns, bridges, stone models and a range of orthodontic appliances.

 

With a 3-D printer doing the hard work, we soon will eliminate the need to do manual modeling and will be able to fabricate dental appliances quicker and at a fraction of their current cost.

 

For those eager for the day when everything from scheduling to finished restoration can be achieved digitally and quickly, the future is (almost!) here.

Why Do Teeth Turn Yellow?

Celebrities and fashion models might always seem to have perfect pearly white teeth (photoshop helps!). For the rest of us, it isn’t always that easy. There are many causes for yellow teeth, but they fall into two broad categories: extrinsic and intrinsic discoloration.

Extrinsic stains are the ones that we find on enamel, the hard protective surface on the visible areas of the teeth. These stain are mostly due to diet, such as heavy consumption of coffees, colas, sweets, and red wine.

Additionally, smoking and chewing tobacco are well-known culprits behind extrinsic stains, as is poor dental hygiene, which allows dental plaque to accumulate on the teeth.

Intrinsic stains occur within the tooth, when various factors alter the light-transmitting properties of the enamel and the underlying dentin.

Numerous medications can cause intrinsic stains. If children take the antibiotics tetracycline and doxycycline while their teeth are still developing (before the age of 8), their teeth may turn brownish-yellow.

Aside from extrinsic and intrinsic stains, two other factors can contribute to yellow teeth: genetics and aging.

Similar to your complexion or the color of your eyes, you may simply be born with teeth that appear more yellow (or more white) than other people’s teeth. Part of this has to do with the thickness of your enamel, which is semi-translucent. That is, if you have thin enamel, the true color of your naturally yellowish dentin will shine through.

Similarly, your enamel thins as you age, making your teeth appear more yellow.

Are your teeth worth it?

I was watching my dog clean his teeth and thought wouldn’t it be nice if as we ate our food, our teeth cleaned themselves? Instead of a wonderful slice of San Francisco sourdough bread, I could grab a man chew out of my bag and go for the clean teeth look and get rid of my dog breath. Or, if I was a cat I could go to the vet and, for a mere several hundred dollars, have my molars scaled and get rid of that fish breath that my owner hates. But would he measure my gums, check for cavities, give me a fluoride rinse, do an oral cancer screening and give me a toothbrush?

Next time you have your teeth cleaned at our office, know that you will have the best of the best taking care of your teeth and gums!

How To Pick The Right Dentist?

Not many people “enjoy” going to the dentist, but sometimes the experience can go from merely uncomfortable to potentially disastrous.  Given the news lately, we though it would be helpful to give our readers a few tips to make sure that they are picking the right dental office to care of their oral health.

1. Referrals

The best way to make sure that you have a good experience at the dentist’s office is to choose a dentist who’s been recommended by others you trust. Ask family, friends, neighbors or coworkers for their recommendations. If they like the experience at their dental office, chances are, so will you!

2. Professional Associations

Professional associations such as the American Dental Association (ADA), Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), and the American Academy of Periodontology maintain lists of their members which can be a helpful resource when you are looking for a reputable dentist or dental specialist.

3. Dental Insurance Benefits

Your dental insurance provider will maintain a list of participating providers in your local area. Just remember, these list aren’t maintained according to the quality of the services provided. It is still important to include other factors in your final decision.

4. Meet for a consultation

Many dental professionals offer complimentary consultations. For example new patients at our practice can meet with Dr. Berdy, discuss their case, and review potential treatment options, free of charge. So if you’re still not sure whether or not a potential office is the place for you, ask to meet with the doctor and then make your decision.

Mouthwash: Yea or Nay?

Many of our patients inquire about the best mouthwash or other oral rinses to use in order to compliment their brushing and flossing. This post will explain a few things you should know.

Brushing is meant to do just that, compliment flossing and brushing. In no way should it be considered a replacement for a consistent and thorough brushing and flossing regime. That is the only method for keeping you mouth clean and healthy.

That said, rinsing out your mouth is a good method of removing loose food and debris and is a useful practice after meals. In that respect, it does not really matter what you use to rinse. Water does the job just as well as mouthwash.

If you are going to use mouthwash, there are two main types to consider. We divide oral rinses into two main categories:cosmetic and therapeutic. Most “whitening” and “fresh breath” rinses fall in this category. These contain hydrogen peroxide which may or may not help white teeth (the jury’s still out).

As for fresh breath, no rinse “treats” bad breath. The best these rinses can actually claim is to “mask” bad breath. If someone is having a consistent problem with bad breath, the causes can range from periodontal disease to oral cancer. The only way to be sure is to schedule an examination with a specialist, like a periodontist, to diagnose and treat the condition.

Therapeutic rinses on the other hand are designed to address a particular problem such dry mouth or plaque removal. The active ingredients in these rinses can be fluoride, which aids cavity prevention, or xylitol, which is known to fight tooth decay.

The important thing to remember though is that mouthwash cannot replace brushing, flossing, and regular visits to the dentist for professional cleanings. In other words, mouthwash? It doesn’t hurt, but to do the job right, just remember to brush and floss like mom taught you!

Just Don’t! Do-It-Yourself Orthodontia

A new craze is sweeping through YouTube and dentist agree, it’s absolutely crazy. According to some over-ambitious YouTubers, the new “it” treatment in orthodontics is D.I.Y. teeth straightening or gap closing using plastic aligners and elastic bands.

Thousands of unsuspecting viewers are logging on to the Internet and taking the advice of amateur orthodontists who advice that they can straighten teeth for a fraction of the cost of traditional orthodontia. The problem? When something sounds too-good-to-be-true, it usually is.

Rubber bands and other types of homemade braces can cause root damage, gum recession, and weaken the underlying bone that supports our teeth.

Dr. Berdy and other dental professionals warn that these types of treatments can cause periodontal problems and, in extreme cases, even lead to tooth loss. Orthodontists (hopefully working with an expert periodontist!) are able to take X-rays, make models of your teeth and jawline, and can anticipate the effects of orthodontic appliances.

So from Dr. Berdy’s mouth, hopefully, to your ears, when it comes to dental work, it’s usually best to trust your dentist, not the Internet.

Let’s talk about toothbrushes.

What should you use? It comes down to two basic types, powered (electric) or manual.

Toothbrushes come with big handles and little handles, many bristles or few bristles. Studies have shown that powered brushes work better but only if they are used correctly! One of the best electric toothbrushes I have found and I recommend to my patients is the Philips Sonicare FlexCare or FlexCare Plus. It’s a bit expensive, but many patients have remarked that their teeth feel nearly as clean as they do after a cleaning! They can often be found at local drugstores, Walmart, or Amazon.com.

A manual brush that is well applied works wonderfully. Don’t forget, the bristles of the brush should be soft, so as not to harm the gums or tooth. Brushes used to be real stiff and made from boars hair, but studies show that although they were efficient at cleaning, they were harmful to the gum tissue and caused excessive tooth wear. Ideally, you should get your teeth healthy and clean after every meal. They should be as clean as if you have just had a professional cleaning. Brushing, along with flossing, rubber tipping, and water picking, is a crucial part of your home regimen to keep a healthy mouth and prevent periodontal disease. If you ever have questions, don’t hesitate to ask myself or any part of our team- we will be happy to show you proper technique. Happy brushing!

Love Your Gums (and your periodontist)!

Our practice is joining forces with the American Academy of Periodontology to keep the love alive with a public relations campaign to spread the message of gum health to our patients and referring doctors. We want to help the public understand the value of loving your gums for life!

A periodontist is a great partner in maintaining your overall oral health. We can help you identify potential periodontal health problems and putting the right solutions in place.

Watch the video  for more info!