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Category Archives: General

How To Assess Your Risk for Tooth Decay

Talking about tooth decay it is the most common oral problem found in people. It is caused due to damage in tooth’s enamel. This happens when harmful bacteria create acid in your mouth that can attack the tooth’s surface. These bacteria attack the tooth’s enamel and dentin by softening them and causing small holes called the cavity. If these cavities are not treated on time can lead to tooth loss.

Tooth decay at an early stage will show no symptoms but as soon as it will increase can cause pain, toothache, sensitivity to sweets, and temperature of food.

Cause of tooth decay:

The main causes of tooth decay are food, drinks, and bacteria. A clear sticky liquid called plaque is always formed on your teeth. The plaque contains bacteria that feed on the sugar present in food and drinks.

The bacteria present on teeth form the acid that attacks tooth enamel’s making it lose its minerals. Drinking beverages that contain sugar can expose teeth to acid which causes enamel to continue mineral loss. Sugary foods and drinks should be consumed with other healthy meals that can clean your teeth of acids. Chocolate, toffee that can stick on teeth for a long time can increase your risk of developing tooth decay.

A risk factor in tooth decay:  

Anyone with teeth has a risk of getting tooth decay. Some factors which you can control while some factors you cannot control.

Things you can control could be limiting sugar intake, alcohol, following good oral hygiene, using fluoride toothpaste, and avoiding tobacco.  

Factors that are not in your control are age, using medicines that contain sugar, and respiratory problems that dry out your mouth like asthma.

Infants and toddlers are at higher risk as they drink milk only with a bottle which occurs when a child is put on the bed with a bottle filled with juice, milk, or formula. The sugar in these liquids feeds bacteria that can cause tooth decay. Teeth in young children are still growing so the minerals in these teeth are not stable making it easier for acids to attack them and eat away the teeth’ enamel.

Diagnosis and prevention of tooth decay:

In the early stage of tooth decay, it may appear as white spot-on teeth, more advanced stage will appear as black spot or hole in the tooth. A dentist can go for an x-ray report to detect decay, while your dentist can also check if a sensitive tooth is soft or sticky.

To prevent tooth decay start brushing twice a day, flossing, and using mouthwash once a day to improve your oral health. Regular dental checkups will help the dentist in spotting early stages of tooth decay by removing all plaque from the tooth.

Treatment of tooth decay:

A small amount of tooth decay on your enamel may be treated by using medicated mouthwash or toothpaste that contains a high level of fluoride.  A small cavity is repaired by performing filling while a large cavity may require Inlay or Onlay or even a crown to protect its structure.

To save the decayed tooth with an abscess, a root canal treatment needs to be done. Once the infection is removed from a tooth, the chamber is sealed and the tooth is restored with a crown.

If the tooth cannot be saved, your dentist will go for extraction but the dentist will treat this as a last resort.

Tips For Keeping Teeth And Gums Healthy

Nowadays oral health is also important to live a happy life. Good oral hygiene is needed to keep gums and teeth healthy. For doing this you need to follow few tips like brushing twice a day and having regular dental checkups. Without proper oral hygiene, you can face gum diseases and tooth decay. Tooth decay or gum problem can even lead to tooth loss or problems with self-confidence.

Following are some tips which you should try to follow to keep gums and teeth healthy:

Brushing twice a day but not aggressively: most people are aware that to keep teeth and gums healthy brushing twice a day in the morning and at night is very important. Brushing them properly removes bacteria, plaque, and food items that are stuck between the teeth.

However, brushing daily is important if it is done with proper technique. Try to brush in a small circular motion, taking care to brush the front, back, and top of every tooth. This process will take almost 2 to 3minutes. People should try to avoid back-and-forth motions.

Brushing using hard bristles toothbrushes and even brushing aggressively can damage your tooth enamel and gums. This can lead to gum erosion, tooth sensitivity, and permanent damage to the enamel of teeth. People should change their brush every 3months or even when brush ends start to frayed, whichever comes first.

Floss once a day: the main aim of doing flossing is small pieces of food particles get stuck between the teeth where sometimes teeth do not reach. Flossing can remove such food particles, bacteria, plaque between the teeth and prevent bad breath which is caused by them.

The dental professional recommends gently push the floss all the down in between the gum line before hugging the side of the tooth in an up and down motion.

Use fluoride: fluoride is a common ingredient that is found in toothpaste and mouthwash to prevent tooth cavities. However, it is found that some of the dental products do not contain fluoride. Lack of fluoride can lead to teeth decay, even if the person is taking care of their teeth on daily basis.

It is found from a study that even brushing and flossing regularly cannot avoid cavities in teeth due to lack of fluoride.

Visit the dentist regularly: dental professionals recommend that people should visit the dentist every 6month for a regular check-up. During your regular checkup, he will clean teeth, remove cavities and hardened tartar.

The dentist will check visual signs of mouth cancer, gum disease, cavities, or any other oral issue. It is recommended that children and adolescents should visit the dentist every 6months while adults who practice proper oral hygiene can go to the dentist less frequently.

Eat the right food: brushing and flossing help to maintain your teeth healthy for a long time but many foods can damage your teeth. Consuming a lot of sugar in your diet can lead to teeth cavities. Common culprits for teeth decay in kids are chocolates, candy, and desserts but many of the processed foods contain sugar.  Try to eat plenty of fiber-rich vegetables and fruits as well as dairy products without adding sugar to them.

Benefits of Hiring Family Dentist

Many people do not visit the dentist regularly like they are supposed to be. Most people only go to the dentist when some issue arises and by that time it could be too late. After a problem arises, your brush and floss regularly, that won’t be enough.

If you have children and family, dental health will be your prime concern every time. After all, your teeth are an integral part of your body. They give structure to your jaw, chewing food, and gives bright smile.

To solve all the problems, hire a family dentist. Here are some benefits of hiring a family dentist:

Money matters: dental services are expensive and if you are going to visit any new dentist that you saw on the internet it will charge you more as compared to the family dentist. But if you consult your family dentist who knows your family well, then he can lend you a significant amount of fee concession. This concession will keep your entire treatment plan under budget. The family dentist keeps a regular eye on overall oral health and avoids any future problems.

Information that has several benefits: when you are consulting your family dentist best part of this is you are under professional supervision who knows about your oral health. This is like a boon for the patient as the dentist will give you regular updates and information related to your oral health. They can even advise in selecting the best toothpaste that can enhance your dental care. Any queries which you might ask for a new dentist can be perfectly solved by the family dentist.

Familiar face: when you hire a family dentist say for any member of the family, he will instantly have a clue about the problem that might have occurred. The reason being the family has the same sort of living habits, as well as a family dentist, would also know the dental history. Without wasting time, your family dentist can quickly prepare a treatment plan that serves your needs.

Offer excellent oral health: one of the major benefits of hiring a family dentist is the fact that they face, so they will offer the best oral health. When you deal with an experienced oral specialist, you would realize they possess valuable strategies and ideas that are essential in taking care of your family members. When you will hire certified and experienced professionals, they will help to prevent your teeth from getting infected.

Availability issue: before seeing any new dentist, you have to prior book an appointment with them. Wait to get an appointment or you will get an appointment for the next day even though you are facing pain in your teeth. The same situation won’t happen when you hire a family dentist, as he/she will have a personal connection with your family. Some family dentists are so well connected to their work that you can even call them in the middle of the night. They will do their best to help you.

Quality of service: every dentist whom you will visit tries to give excellent service, but if you hire a family dentist for your family, then the dentist will give the best quality of service. He will go the extra mile to ensure you are getting quality service.