When the apple bites back

 

“An apple a day keeps the dentist away” - I love this proverb, but reading a fellow blogger’s, Stasha’s post about a funny loo accident/incident involving an apple (don’t ask me how I associated, I am quite strange, huh?) made me think of an important thing about brushing that I feel, I have to share with you.

I am pretty sure that a lot of us don’t know what effect eating some kind of food can have on our tooth enamel. Acid wear can make your teeth more sensitive to temperatures and it also makes your teeth more prone to decay. This is called acid erosion. Cola contains phosphoric acid, while juices have natural citric acid and ascorbic acid. Both of them can damage your tooth enamel.

Here you have a handy-list.

These are the factors that can cause acid erosion:

  • acidic beverages (soda pops and soft drinks, fruit juices and wine) as they contain large amounts of citric acid
  • grazing through the day
  • brushing your teeth directly after eating or drinking anything else than water
  • constant vomiting (bulimia) or reflux causes acidic contents to be in frequent contact with the teeth, developing erosion

This is how you should do to avoid acid erosion:

  • Rely on dental floss during the day (only brush in the morning and in the evening)
  • Rinse your mouth after food consumption during the day
  • Drink a lot of water
  • Avoid snacks and constant snacking during the day, letting your mouth getting back it’s acid balance
  • Avoid brushing your teeth for at least half an hour after consuming acidic food or drink (and brush gently when you brush)
  • You can reduce the contact of acidic drinks with your teeth by using a straw
  • Try to include milk or other dairy products in your diet

 

Did you know about this already? Do you have some more tips for avoiding tooth erosion? Please share them!

Taking Care of Sensitive Teeth

 

Lots of millions of people all around the World know that sensitive teeth can make life in general a nightmare as it causes pain and discomfort that can make eating or drinking a painful experience.
Normally, this condition presents tooth pain after drinking cold liquid, eating hot or cold foods, or breathing in cool air. If the pain becomes unbearable, you should immediately go and see your dentist, as the nerve of your tooth could be exposed. Normally, sensitive teeth starts when the gums begin to pull away from the teeth and eventually the roots of  the teeth. When the gums pull away, the roots will be exposed to cavity too.

The exposed root tips contain small tubules that lead directly to the nerves of the teeth. Whenever pressure, hot, or cold elements travel down the tubules, it will trigger the nerves and result in pain. People with healthy teeth have these tubules covered by their gums.

Some tips for making you feel better once you have sensitive teeth:

  • Reduce the pressure when brushing your teeth. Brushing them hard tears at the gums, which can lead to sensitive teeth. If you have sensitive teeth now, you should try using an electric toothbrush that massaging your gums firmly too or simply use a very soft-bristled toothbrush (I use Curaprox ultra soft 5460).
  • There are several toothpastes out there on the market that contain potassium nitrate, which helps you to reduce pain and discomfort associated with sensitivity. Although there are several toothpastes to choose from, according to my experiences Elmex’s Sensitive toothpaste is the best, as it simply affects the nerve of the tooth and stops the pain where it starts.
  • Mouthwash can also help tooth sensitivity, providing it contains fluoride. It is important that the mouthwash does not contain any alcohol, like Listerine does. Elmex’s Sensitive Mouthwash is a good choice here too.
  • Avoid professional (peroxide-based) teeth whitening treatments as they could cause or make your teeth even more sensitive.
  • If you have tooth decay, get it fixed by a dentist as soon as possible. Tooth decay is a bacterial infection of the tooth and one of the main diseases of the mouth where the enamel and the dentin are softened, allowing bacteria access to the dentin tubules and ultimately, the pulp. This process causes inflammation which makes the tooth very sensitive to any irritation.
  • Bad bite, recent fillings or dental work, partial tooth fracture, and advancing gum disease can cause sensitive teeth too, make sure that you consult your dentist immediately about this.

Tooth sensitivity is something that many of us unfortunately have to deal with - although there are ways that you can fight back or prevent the pain and discomfort.

The great importance of dental floss

I am pretty sure about the fact that a lot of you out there have never ever used dental floss before. Maybe some of these people have heard of it, or even tried using it, but found it a difficult and a time consuming procedure.

All I can tell using dental floss is one of the best (if not the best) things you can do for your dental health. Cavity develops from bacteria left inside your mouth, and leaving food rests in between your teeth contributes to bacteria development that attacks your teeth. On the other hand some of us with tight gaps between our teeth can experience a very odd “spanning” feeling when something is stuck between the teeth. I am one of these persons and that is why I use dental floss every time I have eaten something that can get stuck in between my teeth (not yoghurt for instance).

The recommendation is to use floss at least once a day, advisably in the evening, before going to bed.

Having narrow gaps is making my floss shopping a pain in the “butt”, I have tried the whole selection of flosses that are out there on the market, and found that only a single one (luckily) I am able to use in between my teeth, the others won’t fit at all since they are being to wide. This brand is Oral-B.

It is really important to show your children how to floss too, and give them a specially designed floss.

Remember to always floss BEFORE brushing your teeth, this way you brush in between your teeth too (where the food rests were before flossing).

Note: This is not an ad for Oral-B, I just want to try to help the people who thought that they were not able to use dental floss when taking care of their teeth.

How the hell did I get so damn obsessed about teeth?

Back in my young ages I did not care too much about oral health. AND the worst problem was that my parents gave it a shit too. I AM VERY MAD AT THEM because of this. They let me brush my own teeth when I was small, and never ever checked me. As a small kid you don’t understand the importance of a good brush. I just had a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste, brushed my teeth (at most) twice a day, morning and evening and THAT was it. I did not even care about missing some of the brushing occasions or eating some candies or chocolate after brushing my teeth in the evenings. On the other hand I ave not even heard of floss or fluoride either.

As far as I can remember, my parents had very bad teeth, I recall my father with black and missing front teeth and both my parents with loose teeth at their late thirties already. This terrified me somehow, and that was the point when I got obsessed with my own oral hygiene.

At that time I had a bunch of holes (cavities) already in several of my teeth and by the age of 18 I had to have one of my teeth removed (pulled out). So I decided not to end up there where my parents were, so I tried to overcome my fear of THE DENTIST and started to visit a dentist. I got all of my teeth filled and fixed and since then I’ve been going there recently, even for check-ups without any reason.

Now I know that your oral situation does not only depend on the genes transfered from your parents (if they had bad teeth, you tend to have them too) but on the fact how you take care of them during your life.

I read a lot about oral care, simple and cosmetic dental procedures, filtering out everything valuable to apply on myself and my kids. I try making the oral situation better for my friends and family members as well by giving them advices, but they don’t seem to listen to me, everyone has this huge fear of dentist, and when they react it is most usually too late.

You can not imagine how much you can do for your teeth just by using floss once a day before going to bed!!! So if you are interested in my ramblings about oral hygiene, keep reading my blog, and I promise, I’ll try to give you some important information and relevant issues that are free of medical expresses and easy to read.

Cheers!

Is your unborn baby “sucking” all the strenght out of your teeth?

You can get to a point where you may think so. So did I during all of my pregnancies. My teeth kept breaking and I definitely felt that they were getting weaker and weaker not mentioning those inflammations that popped out time after time. You start wondering…

He are some facts about oral health during pregnancy:

  • Pregnancy is truly a delicate time for expectant women because of the drastic hormonal changes that affect practically every aspect of their bodies, including their oral health. During pregnancy, the risks of gum disease increases, which also puts the baby’s health at risk. This is why taking good care of teeth as well as gums is very important for pregnant women.
  • There is an old wives’ tale -which is not totally true-, that one loses a tooth with each pregnancy, and while women will certainly notice a difference in their oral health during and after their pregnancy, there are a number of steps they can take to minimize the risk and ensure their teeth stay as healthy as possible.
  • Oral hygiene during pregnancy is very important to maintain. Due to the change of hormonal balance the gums may become irritated by dental plaque. Brushing at least twice a day and flossing daily after meals will help prevent dental decay and gum inflammation. Pregnancy Gingivitis is not fatal, but it is often very painful and can cause bleeding bleeding gums. Buy and use an extra soft toothbrush and use dental floss to avoid this.
  • Attending dental check-ups regularly, even during pregnancy is highly recommended. You do not have to be afraid of pain-killer injections as they only take regional effect. BUT avoid any bigger dental treatments when you are on your first trimester that can harm your baby, such as dental X-rays.
  • Make sure to maintain a diet that is both healthy and balanced, it should contain a lot of cheese, yogurt and other dairy products, all of which are excellent sources of essential minerals that help develop strong teeth and gums. The baby’s first set of teeth form during the pregnancy’s first trimester (12 weeks).
Try to remember these basic facts and you’ll manage your teeth health during your pregnancy just as fine as I did. Cheers!

 

Crowns for the teeth - is that a good solution?

Despite the fact that there are numerous types of different dental care issues, there are some really common approaches towards these problems. One of the most common dental approaches to many dental care issues to use the crowns for teeth.

The crowns for teeth have been used for many years but they started to become even more popular these days because of several reasons. First of all, in the past the crowns were made of low- quality materials. Also, only the people from the lower classes used to wear those things because the richer people have different options ahead of them.

One of the most common reasons why the people used to neglect the dental crowns is the fact that they were made of really bad materials. Some people experience some really unfortunate allergic reactions and this is the primary reason why they had to leave those dental crowns for good.

However, nowadays all this is changed. Nowadays, the dental crowns are made of high quality materials and this is the main reason why the people are going to feel extremely happy about that. In the past, the dental crowns disturbed the natural appearance of the tooth. Nowadays, thanks to the new technologies and the different materials, which are used in the process of creation of those dental care structures, the dental crowns are not going to disturb the natural appearance of the tooth. They are going to look absolutely white and this is the primary reason why the people are going to be quite happy about that.

One more thing, the dental crowns are made of porcelain these days. This is going to become a golden standard in the process of creation of those dental care structures. You may ask why. Well, you must know that the dental crowns, made of porcelain, are going to look absolutely natural in the tooth because they appear white. Also they are  strong enough and that is how the general strength of the tooth is improved tremendously. This is something that all people want and that is how the people are going to enjoy to have some of the best dental crowns in their teeth.

Dental crowns - mostly pros

A lot of people need or going to need dental crowns sometimes during their period of life. Just think about it. How many of your relatives do have the dental crowns already installed in their mouth? It is sure that at least 3 of your close relatives have at least one dental crown installed in their mouth. Do you know why those dental care structures are so popular?

The dental crowns have been invented decades ago. There is a historical data, which confirms the fact that many of the pharaohs have been having those dental structures installed in their mouths.

However nowadays many of the patients want to have the dental crowns installed in their mouths because they are cheap and they are able to help them a lot. The dental crowns are made of many different materials and this is the primary reason why the prices of the dental crowns could go up or down.

However if you know what you are looking for, it is going to be quite easy for you to get what you need as soon as possible. You could ask the dental care provider that works in the local clinic for some advices. Keep in mind that the knowledge that he might have is quite limited and this is the primary reason why you most certainly are going to need a second opinion about that. This is the best way to achieve what you are after. The dental crowns are inserted super-fast in the patient’s mouth and you will not have to worry about wasting a day or two to get those dental care structures installed in your jaw bone. The only thing that you need to do is to buy the right dental crowns for you.

However before you actually buy those dental crowns, you must set up a budget for them. Keep the price of the selected dental crowns within the budget that you have chosen because you do not want to ruin your family budget.

Many dentists do recommend getting the dental crowns, if you have some kind of a dental problem, which could not be fixed by the conventional methods. This means that a lot of people are going to get the dental crowns in the near future because it turns out that the quality of the dental crowns is pretty good. At the same time these dental crowns are not as expensive as the dental implants for example. Do you know how much one good set of dental implants is worth? The average price is like $1000. Now, do you know how much one good set of dental crowns is worth? You are going to be in an excellent position to get excellent dental crowns for no more than $200.

And guess what, you are not going to need a surgical operation. That is why getting the dental crowns is far better compared to the other dental care structures. They are cheap and they are effective. Do you need more to convince you? Try this: they are installed pretty easily and you will not have to think all the time about the outcome of the procedures because you can be certain that it is going to be excellent.

Many of the good dental care clinics can offer you the possibility to get those dental care structures installed, this means that you are going to be able to pick the clinic that you like most. That is how you’ll receive exactly what you need and you will be more than happy because of the excellent choice that you have made. You are not going to regret it because the dental crowns are going to deliver you permanent results and these results will be pretty permanent.

Beware of cheap dentists!

A lot of people are quite interested in cheap cosmetic dentistry and there is a good reason for that. The majority of the people are having some kind of dental problems. Many of those dental problems are going to evolve up to the point, where the patient is going to have his tooth completely destroyed. Sometimes, the tooth may look yellow or dark and that is why the cosmetic dentist has to do something to deal with this kind of problems.

However since you are searching for an inexpensive cosmetic dentist, you shouldn’t search in big dental care clinics. The majority of those cheap dental care providers are located in small dental care clinics and you are probably not going to be impressed of the outlook of the hospital. Keep in mind that you are interested in the quality and the prices of those dental care procedures which means that you should not care about how the hospital looks, you are there to get results.

The personnel of the hospital is mostly quite young and tremendously polite and they are going to make your visit there absolutely fantastic. This is really good for shy patients. That is why you are going to be impressed with everything that is observed out there. The results are going to impress you and you are going to keep in mind the fact that if you need to get another dental care procedures completed, there is one place that you can trust.

Cheap does not mean poor quality of the services that are carried out at those dental care clinics. It means that the dentists who have chosen to work for less money are going to deliver you the services that you need and you are not going to pay a lot of money on those dental care procedures. However there are always exceptions. Here are some things that should make you suspicious:

  • If the dentist can not provide you his/her degree
  • If you find the prices way too low compared to other “normal” dentist prices
  • In case you visit their site (consultation office or dentist’s surgery) and you find it dirty or messy
  • In case you don’t find the dentist that you are consulting with sympathetic or if you experience bad vibes that you can not explain
  • After entering the surgery you can not see sterilized instruments and can not find the sterilizing machine
  • In case the dentist and his assistants are not wearing proper sterilized clothes/aprons (normal street ware) or they have dirty shoes on

These are just some common sense advices, if you experience any of them you should get out of there and look for an other clinic or small dentist office.

Why is it so difficult to find a good cosmetic dentist?

A lot of people are looking for the best cosmetic dentist. But how can you find a good one and how can you know that the dentist that you have found is really good? I’ll tell you!

A lot of people do seek their help and that is the main reason why the number of cosmetic dentists is so great. There are numerous dental care providers who work in the big dental clinics. That is how the patients are going to receive the therapy that they need. They are going to be in the position to pick the right one for them.

However, the question “How to pick up the best dental care provider” comes in the mind of many patients. The best way to pick up the best cosmetic dentist, who deals with cosmetic problems, is to go to the dental care clinic and ask for the best dental care provider. Probably, the person who is on the reception is going to smile at you. However, this is the best way to know who the most popular dental care provider is. That is how you are going to know what people think about the cosmetic dentists who work in these big clinics.

An other and maybe the easiest way to search is to go online and search the Internet for good dentists who live near you. Internet contains a lot of information and you are going to know everything that you need to know about the cosmetic dentists near your town. Most of the websites that you are going to visit will contain dentist’s personal profile where you are going to see his achievements. You are going to see how good he is. You will be able to see when he graduated, where he graduated from, his specialties and etc. However, keep in mind that you won’t find out about his attitude towards the patients, which is something really important for all human beings. Well, there are several things that you must know before you go to this type of dentist. To find a good cosmetic dentist, you must first check how good he/she is. It is wise to ask the patients that have been treated by this dentist already. This is the way to get first- hand knowledge about how skillful this person is.

Also, you must ask these people how much they have paid for the services of the cosmetic dentist. This way you are going to be in the position to tell whether it is worth to visit this dentist or not. The smartest people are even examining the work of the cosmetic dentist that they focus on.

A lot of people need help from a cosmetic dentists because a lot of people do have troubles, which are related to their dental health. Many people experience unfortunate events, where they may lose their teeth. When this happens, the patient is going to need help from a cosmetic dentist who must take care of this problem as soon as possible.

A lot of people find the best cosmetic dental care specialist only if they follow the above listed instructions and tips. It is quite easy to get what you need, there are so many good cosmetic dentists and I am pretty sure that you are going to find the best one for you!