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Among the many health fads and rumors going around the web, oil pulling is one that we dentists get asked about a lot. The question is, does oil pulling really prevent tooth decay?
Oil pulling is an ancient dental care technique that originated in India about 3,000 years ago. It involves swishing oil in your mouth for about 20 minutes then spitting it out. The rumor is that the oil pulls toxins out of the tissues of your mouth and whitens at the same time. Some people have claimed that it not only prevents but can also reverse tooth decay. Many advocates also mention secondary benefits for your overall health, including improvements to conditions such as diabetes and psoriasis.
In fact, several studies conducted on groups of young adults in India showed that oil pulling did reduce the number of tooth decay-causing bacteria present in plaque. However, some dentists and health professionals have suggested that swishing water in your mouth for 20 minutes would have a similar effect. In other words, there’s nothing special about using oil, in particular, it’s the rinsing action that helps reduce bacteria.
Many dental professionals agree that oil pulling could be a viable alternative to traditional mouthwashes and rinses, but not your normal dental care routine of brushing and flossing. In fact, in studies of the effectiveness of oil pulling on reducing harmful oral bacteria, the control groups were using traditional mouthwash. That means these studies only looked at how oil pulling works compared to regular mouthwash, not to compared to doing away with brushing and flossing.
Some oil pulling advocates claim that it can replace brushing and flossing completely, but dentists do not advise this. From a practical standpoint, the oil can’t clean between your teeth thoroughly like flossing or using a Waterpik. And while it can help prevent the buildup of plaque, it can’t remove it. Plaque can only be removed mechanically, with the abrasives in toothpaste paired with the motion of a toothbrush or a dental hygienist’s tools.
As to the claims that oil pulling can help a wide variety of non-dental health problems, such as asthma, migraines or skin disorders, this may be true, but not directly because of the oil pulling itself. Paying extra good attention to your oral health is bound to impact your general health; the two are closely connected. For example, gum disease has been linked to low birthweight in babies and heart disease and stroke. Tooth loss due to tooth decay often contributes to poor nutrition, which comes with a whole host of health consequences.
Those interested in oil pulling should know that it is only advisable for someone in good oral health. If you have gum disease or are at risk for it, oil pulling could make things worse. If you have questions about oil pulling or any other homeopathic oral care, please talk with us so we can advise you on whether these techniques are a good idea for your oral health situation.
The message that soda is bad for your teeth and your overall health is hard to avoid these days. Most of us already know that sugary soda pop should be treated as a special treat, not an everyday beverage for quenching your thirst. What may surprise you is how many supposedly healthy drinks have a lot of sugar in them.
First, a reminder why sugar is bad for your teeth in the first place. Sugar causes tooth decay because bacteria (many of which naturally occur in your mouth) consume the sugar, digest it, and release it as acid. This acid erodes your tooth enamel and causes cavities. It’s not the sugar itself that’s dangerous, it’s the acid it creates!
So you have something to compare to, here’s the sugar content of popular sodas:
The nutrition labels on beverages can sometimes be hard to understand for Americans who aren’t used to the metric system of measurement. For your reference, one teaspoon of sugar is 4 grams. So 64g of sugar is equivalent to 16 tablespoons of sugar (in other words, a third of a cup!).
Oranges are known for being a great source of Vitamin C, which can help keep your immune system strong. And while this is true of the fruit itself, the juice is less honorable. An orange only contains about 2 oz. of juice, meaning a small 8 oz. glass of orange juice has the equivalent of 4 oranges. So eating an orange with your breakfast makes sense but downing a glass of orange juice is actually 4 times the sugar. Plus, like all citrus juices, orange juice is acidic. That means there are actually two substances in orange juice that could potentially harm your teeth.
Sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade are touted as being a healthy option for anyone who engages in strenuous exercise, and their ads are full of professional athletes reaching for a brightly covered beverage to replenish their bodies. And while 14g of sugar per 8 0z. serving may not seem like a lot compared with soda pop’s 64g, ask yourself, when was the last time you only had only a quarter of a bottle of Gatorade? A regular bottle is 32 oz., meaning if you finish the bottle you’re actually consuming 56g of sugar!
Obviously, on its own, tea doesn’t contain any sugar, but over the centuries humans have figured out that adding sweeteners to tea can be pretty tasty, and iced tea is no exception. The trouble is that iced teas are marketed these days as natural and healthy, and you can easily overlook how much sugar they contain. For example, Arizona Iced Tea contains 24g of sugar per serving and Snapple Lemon Iced Tea contains 23g. The good news is there are unsweetened varieties of iced tea available for purchase, and you can always make your own so you can control the amount of sugar yourself.
In a dentist‘s fantasy world, all our patients would avoid sugary drinks completely, but we know that’s not realistic. All we ask is for our patients to have some awareness of what they’re subjecting their teeth and bodies to. After all, our ultimate job is protecting your smile! Remember, just because something has a reputation of being healthy and natural, and advertising that says so, doesn’t mean it can’t do harm.
Dental implants are one of the greatest innovations of modern dentistry. They are true prosthetic replacement teeth, consisting of an artificial titanium tooth root with a porcelain crown attached. Over 3 million Americans have dental implants, and that number is increasing by 500,000 people per year (source). With dental implants becoming a more and more popular solution to replace missing teeth, it’s fair to ask: how long do dental implants last?
The short answer is that dental implants can last a lifetime. Here’s the long answer.
Anyone who has had to have a crown or a bridge replaced or dentures re-fitted knows that not all dental restorations last forever. These three types of restorations can each fail for their own reasons. In the case of crowns and bridges, they can fail if the original tooth structure they’re attached to gets compromised due to decay. Most dentures eventually need to be refitted or replaced when bone loss causes the jaw to change shape.
Luckily, if you get dental implants, you don’t have to worry about the same risks. One of the reasons that implants are considered the best and most advanced option for replacing missing teeth is they are not subject to the same failure problems as standard crowns, bridges, or dentures. That isn’t to say that dental implants work perfectly all the time, but recent studies have shown that dental implants have a 98% success rate (source).
Many dentists conservatively estimate that implants will last about 25 years. The reason we can’t guarantee they’ll last a lifetime is there haven’t been very many long-term studies of dental implants yet.
Dental implants in their modern form were invented a little more than 50 years ago. In 1965, a Swedish scientist named Per-Ingvar Brånemark placed the first dental implant in the mouth of a man named Gösta Larsson. When Larsson died in 2006 at the age of 75, his original implants were still in place. They had lasted over 40 years!
Just like your natural teeth, the health and longevity of a dental implant depend on looking after your oral health. Dental implants are cared for just like natural teeth with daily brushing and flossing and regular dental checkups. Smoking can make it much more likely for dental implants to fail, as can pre-existing gum disease (periodontal disease). These health factors should be taken into account before a patient decides to have dental implants placed. If you’re interested in replacing missing teeth with dental implants, come see us and start a conversation!
Ask anyone over the age of 40 and they’ll tell you that getting a dental filling used to mean adding a gleam of metal to your mouth. Recently, modern dentistry has adopted new high-tech materials that imitate the look of natural teeth, allowing tooth-colored dental fillings to become the norm in many dental practices around the world.
Metal fillings are still a perfectly normal and effective way to repair a damaged tooth. Metal fillings are called amalgam fillings by dentists. This name comes from the fact the material is an alloy of metals (including silver, copper, tin, and zinc). Some amalgams can also contain small amounts of mercury, but the American Dental Association has determined that the amount of mercury is so small that it doesn’t post a health risk to patients (source). However, if you’re concerned and would rather avoid the presence of mercury completely, you should choose composite fillings or gold fillings instead.
Composite resin fillings are what dentists call tooth-colored or “white” fillings. Composite is an artificial tooth-like material that is a blend of hard durable plastics and glass. In this way, composite resin imitates your natural tooth enamel, which is also a glass-like material. The dentist also adds coloring agents to the composite resin to ensure it is indistinguishable from the rest of your tooth.
Gold fillings are a different type of metal fillings. Unlike amalgam, they are made entirely from gold. Also, unlike amalgams and composite fillings, gold fillings are cast from a mold of your tooth then applied, a process that requires two dental visits. Both amalgam and composite fillings are sculpted from a pliable material then hardened in place, allowing the treatment to be completed in one visit.
You should know that some insurance companies consider amalgam fillings to be the standard of care and view composite fillings as a cosmetic option. While amalgam and composite fillings serve the same purpose in terms of repairing your tooth, composite fillings cost a little more. As a result, some dental insurance plans don’t cover or reimburse the cost of composite fillings as much as they cover amalgam fillings.
However, please remember that all decisions about your oral health should be between you and your dentist. How much of the cost of a treatment is covered by your insurance should not be considered with the same weight as a treatment recommendation from a clinician or your own personal preferences. In other words, don’t feel obligated to choose one treatment over another based on what your insurance covers or reimburses you for. If you prefer to have nearly invisible, tooth-colored fillings, you should feel free to choose composite fillings.
If you have any questions about the options we offer for fillings, or any questions about the treatment procedures, please feel free to ask us at any time!
Among the many changes that women experience in their bodies when they become pregnant, changes to their oral health may be among the most surprising and perplexing. Pregnancy can put women at higher risk of certain oral conditions, such as gingivitis and cavities, so it’s good to know what signs to look out for and how to prevent problems.
There’s an old saying that “You’ll lose a tooth for every baby.” It was once believed that pregnancy caused tooth decay so severe that a woman should expect at least one of her teeth to decay beyond repair or fall out each time she got pregnant. Thankfully, with our modern understanding of dental health and dental technologies, this ominous adage is now far from true.
One of the most common signs of pregnancy-related oral changes is bleeding gums. Women may notice blood when they brush or floss. In addition, the gums may be swollen and tender. This inflammation is caused by hormonal changes and is known as pregnancy gingivitis. While pregnancy gingivitis is fairly common, it can progress into irreversible periodontitis (gum disease) if good oral health habits aren’t followed. This is particularly serious because studies have linked periodontitis to complications such as low birth weight, premature birth, and preeclampsia.
Pregnant women are also more prone to cavities and tooth decay. Scientific studies have found that this is due to hormonal changes that cause saliva to become more acidic. This acidity makes teeth more vulnerable to decay, which is caused by the acid excreted by bacteria. While there isn’t a way to prevent this chemical change, pregnant women can reduce their risk of problems by avoiding sugary foods and being especially vigilant about keeping their teeth clean through regular brushing and flossing.
With all of these pregnancy-related changes, it is particularly important that your dentist knows you’re pregnant as soon as possible. Even if you just suspect you’re pregnant or are trying to get pregnant, you should tell your dentist as soon as possible, especially if you’re already at risk for periodontitis. Your dentist will offer you advice on your oral care during pregnancy and may choose to delay certain planned treatments or procedures until after your baby has arrived.
While most people finish losing their primary teeth (also called baby teeth or milk teeth) by age 12, there are some adults who still have at least one baby tooth! Still having a baby tooth is actually not that uncommon, and depending on a patient’s individual situation, there are a number of options for what to do about it.
The usual cause of a retained baby tooth (i.e. a baby tooth that didn’t fall out on its own) is the absence of an adult tooth to replace it. Kids start losing teeth when their adult teeth (permanent teeth) grow in behind them and start pushing the baby tooth out. However, sometimes the adult tooth never develops, leaving the baby tooth in place while other adult teeth grow in around it. While it isn’t exactly known why permanent teeth sometimes fail to develop, it probably has something to do with genetics, as retention of baby teeth tends to run in families and is slightly more common in women (source).
For patients, the most common concern regarding a retained baby tooth is aesthetics. That is to say, having a baby tooth among your adult teeth can look pretty strange because baby teeth are so much smaller. This is especially true if the tooth is one of your front teeth that shows when you smile.
For your dentist, the concern about your baby tooth may be more clinical in nature. These baby teeth can still fall out even after you reach adulthood because they sometimes have shallow roots and therefore aren’t very secure in your mouth. Without an adult tooth to take its place, this lost baby tooth leaves a gap that can cause problems with the function of your bite and the alignment of your other teeth. Your adult teeth will tend to shift toward the gap, causing them to become crooked.
If it looks like your retained baby tooth doesn’t have a strong and deep root structure, your dentist may recommend removing it. After the tooth is removed, there are a few options. The best option is a dental implant, which is a prosthetic tooth with a metal tooth root. Dental implants function just like natural teeth. However, if there has been bone loss where the baby tooth used to be, there might not be enough bone to anchor an implant into. In these cases, the dentist may recommend a permanent bridge or partial denture to fill the gap.
For many adults with a retained baby tooth, that tooth is just as healthy and secure as their adult teeth. The only difference is its size and shape. The most common aesthetic solution to make your baby tooth match the others is dental bonding. This is when the dentist uses a tooth-colored material (a composite resin) to build-up the tooth so it is the appropriate size and shape. This material is permanently bonded to the baby tooth, allowing it to look natural and function normally.
There are a lot of considerations that go into deciding what should happen for an adult with a baby tooth. Your dentist will do a full evaluation of your situation, including diagnostic x-rays, and help you decide on the best course of action.
Dental assistants are often described as the dentist’s right hand. They are vital members of the dental team who ensure that you are cared for in a timely, efficient manner in a super clean, germ-free practice. While the exact duties of a dental assistant vary from state to state, province to province, and country to country, in all places their role is to help with any tasks that don’t require a dentist or a dental hygienist’s certification and training.
Many dental assistants (called dental nurses in the United Kingdom and Ireland) have both clinical and administrative skills and responsibilities. This means they help the dental practice run smoothly and efficiently and they are also directly involved with certain parts of your oral health care.
The most common interaction most patients have with a dental assistant is taking x-rays. Dental assistants have specialized training and certification to take dental x-rays and will often help out the rest of the dental team by taking care of this task.
Most dental assistants are also in charge of infection control at the dental practice. This means keeping the dental operatory and all the tools the dentists and dental hygienists use perfectly clean and germ-free. For example, metal hand tools are sterilized using a system called an autoclave that uses high-powered, super-hot steam to eliminate any microbes that could cause illness. The dental assistant also gets the dental chair ready for you before your visit.
Expanded duties or expanded function dental assistants (EDDA or EFDA) have specialized training and certification that allows them to perform certain dental procedures on a patient under the direct or indirect supervision of a dentist. For example, in some states, an EFDA can help the dentist by applying dental fillings.
Whatever a specific dental assistant’s job duties may be, his or her mission is to make sure every patient is comfortable, safe and welcome. Be sure to appreciate your dental assistant next time you visit our office!
If you need a chipped tooth repaired or want a fast and relatively affordable way to change the look of your smile, dental bonding is the solution. Most people are familiar with dental bonding as a procedure to repair a chipped tooth after an accident, but it can be used for cosmetic purposes too.
Dental bonding is when the dentist permanently bonds a white or tooth-colored composite material to one of your teeth. First, the dentist will use a chemical to slightly roughen the surface of the tooth that needs the bonding. This will help the material stick better. Then the dentist will apply the composite, which starts out as a malleable putty. The dentist will sculpt and shape the composite into the appropriate shape, then cure it with a high-powered light. This light-curing makes the composite hard, like your real teeth.
Dental bonding can be used to replace the missing part of a tooth that has been chipped due to an accident or broken due to tooth decay. In these cases, tooth-colored composite replaces the missing part of the tooth, restoring it to its original shape and function, while also protecting the exposed soft inside of your tooth from further damage.
Dental bonding can also be used as a purely cosmetic procedure to change the way your smile looks. For example, if you have a tooth that is smaller than the others (sometimes called a peg tooth), dental bonding can be used to make it bigger. If you have gaps between your teeth but don’t want to invest in braces, material can be added to widen your teeth
slightly so the gap is reduced. Dental bonding can also be used to lengthen teeth that look too short or are not even with your other teeth.
While cases involving tooth decay may include other treatments as part of a larger treatment plan, dental bonding is generally a quick procedure that takes about an hour. Because it is non-invasive, dental bonding doesn’t require anesthesia and doesn’t cause any post-procedure pain or recovery time.
Teeth that have had dental bonding don’t need any specialized care after the fact, just keep up a good oral health routine and treat them like regular teeth. If you’re interested in bonding as a way to improve or repair your smile, start a conversation with the dentist next time you visit us!
When people think of a smile makeover, many people think of braces. And it’s true that braces can create a very powerful before and after image. However, not every smile makeover involves braces. There are quite a few ways to re-shape your smile that don’t involve as much time or investment as braces.
Veneers were originally invented as a quick fix for the teeth of Hollywood stars, and they’re still a great way to re-shape your smile quickly and easily. Veneers are thin porcelain sleeves that are slipped over your natural teeth and permanently cemented in place. Veneers can be designed to fix gaps between teeth, make them more uniform in shape and size, or cover teeth that are stained or discolored in a way that cosmetic whitening can’t fix. Placing porcelain veneers is a fairly fast process that mostly involves preparing your natural teeth so the veneers fit securely. Getting veneers is painless and doesn’t require any healing time.
A gummy smile, where the gums cover more of the tooth than normal, can make teeth look small and make a person’s smile look more juvenile that they’d like. Luckily, cosmetic gum contouring (also called a gum lift) can re-shape gums, revealing more of the tooth crown to make teeth appear longer without actually having to change the shape or position of your teeth. Gum contouring can also make a gumline more uniform, for example, if gum tissue covers more of one of your front teeth than the others, making your teeth appear to be different sizes. Because gum contouring involves removing gum tissue (usually with a special dental laser), the dentist will use local anesthetic to numb your mouth during the procedure. There is some healing time after gum contouring during which your gums may be sore or sensitive, but this usually subsides within a few days. Like veneers, a gum lift is a fast way to dramatically change the appearance of your smile.
Aesthetic bonding is the process of adding composite resin or porcelain to a tooth in order to change its shape. Bonding is most commonly used as a way to repair chipped teeth, but this treatment can also be applied for aesthetic purposes. For example, if you have a large gap between your front teeth, instead of shifting the teeth using braces, the dentist can used bonding to make the teeth a little wider so there isn’t as big of a gap. Bonding can also be used to make an usually small tooth (sometimes called a peg tooth) that didn’t develop properly the same size as your other teeth. Best of all, bonding is not an invasive procedure so it requires no anesthetic and no healing time afterward. Bonding usually only takes one visit and is very affordable compared to some other smile makeover treatments.
If you’re thinking of changing the appearance of your smile, it’s best to talk to the dentist about your options. While many people get their teeth straightened with braces for cosmetic purposes, braces are primarily used to treat poor alignment, which can lead to other oral problems or jaw problems. If in addition to crooked teeth you have a bad bite (your top and bottom teeth don’t like up correctly), the dentist may recommend that you get braces after all.
Whether you’re a good candidate for veneers, gum contouring or bonding may also depend on other aspects of your oral health. Ask us today for a cosmetic consultation to discuss which smile makeover treatment is right for your oral health situation and your goals for your smile!
The most effective and best teeth whitening treatment you can receive is a professional teeth whitening session at the dentist. The dentist has access to specialized whitening products and knows how to whiten teeth quickly and effectively. However, if you aren’t ready to invest in a professional teeth whitening, you may be tempted to buy an at-home whitening kit at your local drugstore or pharmacy. But do these kits really work?
The quick answer is yes. Over-the-counter teeth whitening products use the same chemicals as professional teeth whitening products at the dentist. The difference is the store-bought kits have these chemicals in much lower concentrations, so they are less powerful.
The bleaching agent in most kits is peroxide, which can remove both surface stains and deeper stains. Professional whitening technology also relies on peroxide-based bleaching agents. The difference is that the dentist uses a high concentration of bleaching chemicals over a brief amount of time, and the at-home kit uses a low concentration of bleaching chemicals over a longer period of time. Bleaching at the dentist usually lasts less than an hour and is often accelerated by a shining a special light on your teeth. Bleaching at home usually involves wearing strips, trays filled with gel, or a painted-on gel for a few hours per day, over the course of several days or weeks.
One common problem that makes at-home whitening less effective than professional teeth whitening from the dentist is inconsistency in applying the treatments. Many people start the treatments and repeat them on a regular basis for a while, then forget or stop when they don’t see an immediate difference. The key to ensuring the whitening treatments work is following the directions and doing the treatments as frequently as you’re supposed to.
A good way to ensure you actually complete your at-home teeth whitening process is to set a white teeth goal on your calendar. By this we mean: pick a special event coming up in the near future and make yourself a promise to have whiter teeth by then. Choosing an event where you’re likely to get your photo taken a lot is a good idea, such as a birthday, anniversary, or a wedding. For brides especially, we recommend whitening your teeth before the big day. Nothing will make yellow teeth stand out quite like a white dress!
Before you go out and buy an at-home whitening kit, it’s a good idea to have a chat with the dentist. Only a dental professional will be able to tell you whether teeth whitening, whether professional or from the drugstore, will work the way you want it to.
