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.