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Most of us have seen them: little boxes on the sides of toothpaste, toothbrushes, and packets of dental floss that have the words “ADA Accepted” on them. ADA stands for the American Dental Associate, but who are they and what does the seal mean?
The American Dental Association is the largest membership organization of dentists in the United States. It has over 160,000 members from all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The goal of the non-profit organization is to look after the oral health of the public with a focus on ethics and science.
The ADA is made up of dentists and run by a president, a board of trustees, and a house of delegates. The organization was formed in 1859 when a group of dentists met in Niagara Falls, New York. In 1861, the ADA’s annual meeting was cancelled due to the Civil War. In 1907, the ADA Relief Fund was established to come to the aid of dentists who suffered from man-made or natural disasters, in response to the catastrophic earthquake in San Francisco 1906. By 1929, one third of member’s dues were earmarked for scientific research and the Journal of the American Dental Association was the premier dental scientific journal. In 1930, the ADA introduced its seal of approval.
The ADA has a research arm that conducts studies that include tests on the safety and effectiveness of oral health products, which can sport the seal if they pass. In addition to toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss, you can also find the ADA seal on mouth rinses, sports mouthguards, sugar-free gum and even tap water filters. Companies that make these products can submit them for review and the ADA will test their claims to make sure they’re safe and effective for the public. The companies are then free to use the seal in their marketing and on their packaging.
In addition to those seals, it could be said that the ADA also puts its seal of approval on dentists themselves. The ADA is involved in establishing the standards of dental education and training for U.S. dentists. Through the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, they help regulate the testing and qualifications for becoming a licensed dentist in each state. We should note that a dentist doesn’t have to be a member of the ADA in order to be a fully qualified dentist. However, many dentists choose to be members because of the benefits it provides to both them and their patients.
In the daily rush of modern life it can be hard to find time to care for yourself, and this includes taking appropriate care of your smile. Brushing and flossing your teeth properly each day is vital to avoiding tooth decay and toothaches. Mindfulness is good for your health, and there’s no reason that shouldn’t include your dental hygiene routine. What follows is an mindfulness exercise for caring for your teeth. Think of it like a guided meditation for your smile!
At the end of this 4 minute exercise, you should feel calm and content that you have taken proper care of your oral health.
Start by choosing a calm, isolated space. For most people this is the bathroom. If there are other people in your home that are being noisy or distracting, you should close the door.
Measure out your floss. You should use about 1.5 feet (45 cm) of floss to ensure that you have room to grip it while also not using the same length of floss throughout your mouth. Using a fresh part of the floss each time you move between teeth helps prevent the bacteria that cause tooth decay from spreading.
Holding the floss with your fingers a few inches apart, gentle wiggle the floss between your teeth. Curve the floss in a C-shape around each tooth and slowly move the floss up and down, all the way to the gumline and back. Your gums may start to tingle from the movement of the floss. Concentrate on this feeling as a massage for your gums, with the floss as a skillful massage therapist, soothing trouble spots and cleansing you of bad energy. When each tooth has gotten equal attention, discard your floss.
Next, select your toothbrush and carefully apply toothpaste. At this point, start counting in your head. Start with your top teeth and spend 30 seconds on the front of your teeth and the biting surfaces. Hold your toothbrush so the bristles are at a 45 degree angle to your teeth. This ensures that the brush sweeps against the gumline, where plaque and debris tend to accumulate.
Spend the next 30 seconds on the inside (tongue-side) surfaces of your teeth. To best reach this side, tilt your brush vertically and make several up and down strokes on each tooth. After 60 seconds total has passed, move on to your bottom teeth, repeating the process above in two more 30-second intervals.
As you brush, imagine your teeth becoming whiter and smoother. With each stroke, you are loosening and sweeping away sticky yellow plaque and revealing the gleaming surfaces of your pearly whites.
Next, open your mouth wide and gently sweep your brush from the back to the front of your tongue. If you have a tongue scraper tool, use that instead of your toothbrush. This liberates food particles and the bacteria that can cause bad breath and tooth decay from the bumpy surface of your tongue.
Finally, rinse your mouth. This is a good time to start a breathing exercise. As you swish either water or your mouthwash, breathe slowly and deeply through your nose. Try inhaling for 3 seconds and exhaling for 3 seconds. After you’ve swished for the amount of time recommended on your mouthwash (usually about 30 seconds), spit it out the rinse.
Run your tongue around your teeth, enjoying their cleanliness. Take a deep breath, paying special attention to the fresh sensation of your breath. Take a moment to smile, knowing you’ve taken excellent care of your smile.
The paleo diet is a nutritional lifestyle that only includes the types of foods that paleolithic humans (a.k.a. cavemen) had access to. Among many other health benefits, many people who advocate for the paleo diet also claim that it can prevent tooth decay. But it turns out this might not be true.
The logic behind this theory makes sense. Ancient humans ate mostly meat from wild animals, seeds, nuts, and fruits. For years, the common wisdom among paleontologists and anthropologists was that ancient humans got many fewer cavities than modern humans because their diet was low in tooth decay-causing sugars and carbohydrates. It wasn’t until the advent of agriculture that the teeth ancient human skeletons started showing rates of tooth decay that resemble modern humans. The gist of the evidence seemed to be that once humans started consuming domesticated wheat and dairy from domesticated animals, our teeth started paying the price despite having a more stable source of food.
Paleo dieters logically assume that if they stick to a pre-agrarian diet, they won’t have to visit the dentist to fix dental problems as often. While we highly recommend a diet high in good fats and proteins and low in sugar like the paleo diet, we have to emphasize that it doesn’t make you immune to tooth decay. And it turns out, that was true for ancient humans too.
Recent evidence from an ancient burial site in Morocco has revealed a hunter gatherer population from about 15,000 years ago that had tooth decay just as prevalent as modern humans. The explanation is that unlike some paleo populations, these people had access to high-carbohydrate food in the form of acorns. (Carbohydrates turn into sugar in your mouth, which then feeds the bacteria that produces cavity-causing acids onto your teeth.) It remains true that ancient human populations that didn’t have access to lots of carbs from foods like acorns did not have the same problem with tooth decay. Still, this discovery disproves the idea that prevalent tooth decay first appeared during the agricultural revolution 10,000 years ago.
The moral of the story is, if you’re going to eat a paleo diet, be careful about how you choose to imitate ancient humans. They weren’t immune to tooth decay because of their all-natural diet. Even our paleo patients should come to the dentist regularly for checkups!
A dry mouth is a uniquely uncomfortable feeling and should not be dismissed as a trivial issue for one very important reason: a dry mouth can make it more likely that you’ll get tooth decay! The presence of saliva in your mouth is an important part of keeping your teeth healthy.
Dry mouth, which is called xerostomia by dental professionals, is sometimes just a temporary feeling caused by regular activities such as strenuous exercise of speaking aloud for a long period of time. However, some people experience chronic dry mouth, which can lead to big problems over time: in other words, tooth decay.
The saliva in your mouth helps wash away cavity-causing bacteria as well as the food debris that such bacteria might feed on. In addition, saliva contains minerals that help strengthen teeth and can ever re-mineralize weak areas that might be at risk for tooth decay. All of these benefits of saliva are what makes its absence in the case of dry mouth so troublesome.
One of the most common causes of dry mouth is medication. Many medications (some say over 400!) can cause dry mouth, such as anti-depressants, diuretics, and antihistamines. Dry mouth can also be a side effect of radiation treatment in cancer patients because it can interfere with the salivary gland’s ability to create saliva.
Whatever the cause of dry mouth, it’s important to start treating it right away to reduce the risk of tooth decay. One easy solution is to sip water throughout the day to keep your mouth moist. You should also talk to the dentist about your symptoms and see if you may need to use a special mouthwash or artificial saliva product.
If your dry mouth could be a side effect of a medication, you can also talk to your primary care doctor about changing the medication to something that might not cause dry mouth. You should also avoid mouthwashes that contain alcohol, as these can make dry mouth worse. There are many alcohol-free mouthwashes that are just as tasty and effective.
Learn more here: https://youtu.be/oGONgDGd5bE
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The modern toothbrush has only been around for about 90 years, but it is the latest in a long evolution of tools to fight tooth decay, stretching back thousands of years and involving a whole range of flora and fauna!
Long before our ancestors used toothbrushes to ward off tooth decay, people chewed on sticks or twigs to clean their teeth. The earliest chew sticks found date back to 3500 B.C. in Mesopotamia and a tomb from 3000 B.C. in Egypt. Archeological finds also indicate that people used bird feather quills and porcupine spines to pick and clean their teeth.
Chew sticks are still around in the Middle East and northern Africa in the form of miswaks (also called siwaak or sewak). A miswak is made from twigs from the Salvadora persica tree (or arak in Arabic), which is easily frayed to form a brush-like tip at one end. In addition to being an alternative to the toothbrush for cleaning teeth, these sticks are part of pious ritual for many Muslims.
The next evolution in anti-tooth decay tools came from China, where the first actual toothbrushes were invented. During the Tong Dynasty around the years 600-900, the first bristled toothbrushes appeared. They typically had handles made from bone or bamboo and had bristles made from the stiff hair of northern hogs.
This Chinese invention of bristled toothbrushes eventually made it to Europe in the 1600s. Europeans changed the design by replacing hog hairs with horse hair, which were softer and therefore preferable.
The first mass produced toothbrush was designed by William Addis of England in 1780. (It was around this same time that being a dentist became a formally recognized medical profession, which some scholars correlate with the rise in sugar in European diets due to colonial trade.) Addis actually created the first prototype from a piece of bone when he was briefly in prison! After gaining his freedom, he started mass producing the toothbrush, eventually passing the business on to his son. Their Wisdom Toothbrush company was family owned until the 1990s and still produces modern toothbrushes in Europe.
The next big innovation in toothbrushes came with the invention of nylon by the Du Pont chemical company in the 1930s. From then on, most toothbrushes were made with softer nylon bristles. Not only were they more pleasant to use and easier on the teeth, they were less likely to harbor bacteria like old-fashioned bristles made from animal hair.
The next big invention in toothbrush technology came with addition of electricity. The first electric toothbrush was invented in 1954 and became available in the United States in 1960. Like modern electric toothbrushes, the earliest ones involved a motor that vibrated the brush, supposedly enhancing the action of the bristles.
Who knows what the future of toothbrushing holds (maybe toothbrushing robots!). What every dentist (and patient) knows is that if you stick to using a soft bristled toothbrush (replaced every 3 months) to brush your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes, there are healthier smiles in your future!
The best way to maintain a healthy smile for a lifetime is great dental health habits. Here are a few hacks to your daily routine beyond the usual brushing and flossing that can help prevent tooth decay.
Washing a great meal down with a beverage can be very satisfying, and you can give you teeth a healthy boost by ensuring the last thing to touch your lips after a meal or a snack is water. Water can help flush away sugar and debris that the bacteria in your mouth would otherwise get to feed on and turn into tooth decay-causing acids.
Both with meals and throughout the day, don’t just stick to bottled water. Many prefer bottled water due to the taste, but you could be doing your teeth a disservice by avoiding fluoride. Over 70% of Americans live in communities with fluoridated water. Fluoride is a natural mineral that can prevent and even reverse tooth decay, and is also found as an active ingredient in toothpastes and mouthwashes (though obviously in much larger concentrations than in tap water). But filtered bottled water has either no fluoride or so little that it has no measurable benefit for your teeth.
All of us know we’re supposed to brush twice a day, and most people brush when they get up in the morning and before bed. But you can give your oral health an extra boost by brushing after every meal, including lunch. The problem is, most of us aren’t at home for lunch, therefore we’re away from our toothbrushes and floss. That’s an easy fix! Just stash a soft bristle toothbrush, a travel size toothpaste and roll of floss at your desk, in your locker, or in your car. You’ll have no excuses to leave the remnants of lunch stuck to your teeth!
Don’t have an extra tooth brush stashed away? Get some sugar free gum. Chewing gum after a meal can be about more than just fun flavors and having something to occupy your mouth. The American Dental Association recognizes that chewing sugar-free gum can actually help prevent cavities. That’s because the act of chewing gum stimulates your mouth to create more saliva, which can help neutralize acids from your foods and flush away debris.
We all know that drinking too much sweet sugary soda pop can cause tooth decay. Sodas should only be an occasional treat (like a cupcake or a candy bar), not your main source of hydration or caffeine. To get around this issue and still enjoy a sweet drink, many people turn to sugar-free varieties. The only problem is that sugar-free sodas can cause tooth decay too!
Sodas sweetened with real sugar or high fructose corn syrup are bad for your teeth because they feed bacteria. This bacteria processes the sugar and creates acids, which sit on your teeth in the form of plaque and cause dental erosion.
Sugar-free sodas don’t feed decay-causing bacteria. They skip that step altogether. Many sugar-free sodas are acidic on their own, meaning the soda itself can cause dental erosion. Tooth decay occurs when dental erosion eats away at the hard protective outer layer of teeth, leaving the softer dentin underneath exposed. This is how cavities eventually form.
While diet sodas can be a great choice when it comes to reducing the amount of sugar or calories you consume, it’s good to keep in mind that there’s no “easy way out” when it comes to good dietary choices. In other words, soda pop of any kind should only be consumed in moderation (including “energy drink” varieties). Nearly any dentist you ask will agree that a balanced diet that includes a minimal amount of sugar, processed foods, and acidic foods is the best way to maintain your oral health. Think of your balanced diet as the best possible kind of dental insurance (and the cheapest)!
We know that a soda habit can be hard to kick. Often it’s the sensation of cold, crisp bubbles that makes soda hardest to give up. Believe it or not, many people find they get the same satisfaction and refreshing sensation from plain carbonated water. Just keep in mind that fizzy water contains carbon dioxide, which turns into carbonic acid in your mouth, so it’s more acidic that still water and therefore more risky for your tooth enamel. When you’re seeking refreshment, regular water is always your best choice!
If you have any questions or concerns about how your favorite drinks affect your teeth, please feel free to start a conversation with the dentist or the dental hygienist. We’d be happy to share our advice!
Dentists no longer use Novocain when treating patients. No, this doesn’t mean we’ve somehow managed to make dentistry completely painless (we wish!). We mean that Novocain is no longer the anesthetic of choice for dentists. In fact, it hasn’t been for many years.
Novocain is actually a brand name for procain. It was first created in 1905 and started being used in dentistry soon after. Believe it or not, before that, cocaine was the anesthetic of choice for procedures! Novocain was more effective and didn’t have addictive side effects, so it won out as the anesthetic of choice for many decades.
However, there was a serious side effect that caused dentists to start moving away from using Novocain. Many patients can have allergic reactions, sometimes severe, to the chemical that results as Novocain is processed by the body. By the 1980s, barely any dentists were using Novocain anymore. For the past 30 years or so, lidocain has been the local anesthetic that most dentists use. Lidocain was invented in 1943 and is sometimes called cylocain or lignocain. There are few other local anesthetics that dentists may choose based slight variations in their effect, such as being longer lasting.
Lidocain the same way that Novocain does: it’s a nerve blocker. When lidocain enters nerve cells, it prevents them from sending pain messages to each other, therefore the feeling of pain can never reach your brain. Think of it like an email spam blocker. The spam keeps being sent, but it never reaches your inbox so you never see it or experience it.
Local anesthetics like lidocain are usually used in restorative dental procedures, such as crowns or root canals. They are also used in combination with nitrous oxide (laughing gas) or general anesthesia in more complex procedures such as surgical extractions and placing dental implants.
So if Novocain hasn’t been used dentists in a long time, why do patients under 30 still know what it is and ask about it? Our best guess is that patients have heard about it from their parents, grandparents, or TV and movies. If you’re curious about local anesthetic and how we might use it in your treatment, please feel free to ask!
