However, there are few sports that exist without the risk for injury. Even sports deemed to be relatively safe such as soccer and volleyball can cause injury to your smile.

So what can you do to prevent teeth damage while playing sports? Here are your top picks for protection.

Custom Mouthguards

Mouthguards are the number one way to protect your teeth during sports. Although there are many mouthguards available over the counter, your best bet for optimal protection will be a custom mouthguard. Custom mouthguards are made at your dentist office specifically for your smile. This means there’s minimal room for harm because every tooth is protected.

Mouthguards are required in many children’s sports and are recommended for sports such as basketball, hockey, football, lacrosse, softball, volleyball, wresting, and boxing. Never forgo a mouthguard during contact sports—it could save your smile by absorbing the impact and protecting your teeth!

Wear a Helmet

Helmets are required for some sports and recommended during others. Although designed to protect your head, helmets do the job of protecting your smile in the event of a head injury. Whether it’s a few knocked-out teeth or a broken jaw, helmets are absolutely worth the investment for the following sports:

Rugby
Horseback riding
Skateboarding
Sledding or skiing
Football
Baseball
Bicycling

Wearing a helmet during these sports can protect your smile in the event that injury occurs!

Healthy Teeth Are Strong Teeth

Teeth that are healthy and strong will naturally be more resistant to injury than those that are weak from decay or gum disease. Getting regular checkups with your dentist can ensure that your teeth are strong and healthy.

Your dentist can also fit you for a custom mouthguard during your appointment. It’s always important to protect your smile when it comes to sports—both on and off the field!

Keep an Emergency Kit

Preventing injuries to your teeth is advisable but in some cases, accidents still happen and teeth can still be injured. It’s wise to keep an emergency kit with you for this reason. In your emergency kit, you should have the names and numbers of nearby dentists who may be able to see you for an emergency visit. If they cannot, go to your local emergency room.

You can also keep:

Cotton absorbers such as cotton balls and gauze
A cold compress that can be activated on site
Alcohol wipes to clean the site
Ibuprofen for pain
A container for a knocked-out tooth

Make sure to talk with your dentist before doing anything to the site beyond controlling the bleeding!

Tooth injuries during sports can be as minor as a chipped tooth or as severe as a broken jaw. Preventing injuries is the best way to stop them—but when an accident happens, be prepared. Always wear a mouthguard or a helmet as appropriate for your sport, keep your smile healthy, and have an emergency kit on hand!

The post How Can I Prevent Teeth Damage While Playing Sports? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Make a Dentist Appointment

Although it might feel like your tooth is fine at the moment, you need to make a dentist appointment right away. Call and tell them what happened and ask when they can fit you in. The following suggestions will only last a few days at the absolute most. You need to get your tooth repaired as soon as possible!

Make Use of Dental Cement

Over-the-counter dental cement can usually be found at your local pharmacy. If you apply this to your filling, it can substitute as a protective layer if your dentist appointment is a couple days away. If you had a crown placed over your filling and it came loose, you can try to fit the crown over the tooth. If you choose to do this, it’s imperative that you clean the crown first. You can also use the dental cement to temporarily “glue” your crown back on.

Try Clove Oil for Pain

Since your cavity is the result of eroded enamel, your affected tooth is going to be pretty sensitive. You may experience a mild pain from temperature or exposure, or it may be intense. To help cope with the pain, you can try clove essential oil. It’s relatively inexpensive and can be found at most supermarkets. Dab a very small amount—about a Q-Tip size—onto your cavity to help ease your tooth pain.

Keep Your Mouth Clean

It’s important to keep your mouth clean while your filling is exposed. You don’t want any food particles or bacteria making a home in there. Carefully remove food debris, brush gently around the area, and try to chew on the opposite side of your mouth. You may also choose to rinse with warm salt water, which may help ease pain.

Sugar-Free Gum Can Help

As with dental cement, sugar-free gum can work as a temporary filling. It may even help ease your tooth sensitivity. Never use gum that has sugar, otherwise it can make the cavity worse and irritate the area. Simply chew a piece of gum and place over the area. Keep it on for as often as you’re able to until your appointment.

When you lose a filling, don’t panic! You will need to see your dentist as soon as you can, but it’s not exactly a dental emergency. You can employ the use of these materials and practices to help you out in the meantime. Remember, seeing your dentist can fix the cavity right up. Fillings don’t last forever and you’ll need to replace yours eventually!

Post image courtesy of All Brite Dental

The post Lose a Filling? Don’t Panic! Here’s What You Can Do Until You See Your Dentist appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Start Early

The earlier you get your children used to oral care, the more readily they’ll accept this habit. You can begin brushing your child’s teeth as soon as they have teeth. Prior to this, wiping their mouth with a clean cloth will suffice. And you can begin flossing as soon as your child has two teeth that touch. These habits will get your little one used to care before they’re able to do it themselves!

Have them Teach a Sibling

Many kids love teaching other kids how to do things. After your oldest has learned how to properly brush their teeth, have them show their little brother or sister. This will encourage them both to brush their teeth, floss, and show their healthy smiles to mom and dad before school or bedtime!

Make Brushing Time Fun

If your child is resistant to brushing, you have lots of options for making this time more creative and fun. Here’s how you can teach your child that brushing doesn’t have to feel boring or unnecessary!

 Listen to a two-minute song. Encouraging kids to brush for at least two minutes can feel like an eternity, depending on how young your child is. To make the time go by, listen to a favorite song that’s about two minutes and brush together the entire time!

 Use a reward system. In the event that brushing is a really trying time in your house, try a reward system. Create a chart and give your kids stickers or tokens every time they brush their teeth and floss. When the tokens add up, they get a prize!

 Consider apps to track progress. There are many apps that can help your kids see just how well they’re doing with their oral care. There are even toothbrushes that you can sync with your phone that shows you where you’re missing spots!

Be Familiar with the Family Dentist

Trust your kids to brush well, but always check their progress. An important part of doing this is through regular checkups with your family dentist. The earlier your kids see the dentist, the more comfortable they’ll be when they go for checkups. They’ll learn the dentist is friendly and fun, not scary and painful. Your dentist can also assess your child’s oral health and tell you what needs to improve as well as what he or she is doing well.

Teaching your kids about how important oral health is can feel like a long process. Start early to help ease the transition into self care. Have them teach their little brother or sister how to brush their teeth. Make brushing time fun when things get tough and as always, visit your dentist to ensure your child’s smile is as healthy as possible!

The post How to Promote Healthy Dental Habits for Your Children appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

They Were Essential to Our Ancestors

Wisdom teeth likely became part of the human jaw on account of our distant ancestors. These people ate a diet that consisted of lots of raw, crunchy foods such as roots, plants, and nuts. Even meat could be difficult to consume for people who lacked the proper utensils! These third molars were present in people who had larger jaws than we did. Over thousands of years, our jaws and our faces have actually gotten smaller. We no longer have the need for huge jaws with lots of teeth. Although our ancestors likely found wisdom teeth to be a great help when chewing their food and preventing their teeth from wearing down too much, today, wisdom teeth are really no longer needed.

Evolution Has Rendered Them Unnecessary

On account of our smaller jaws, there’s no longer room for an additional four large molars in our jaws. Although wisdom teeth come in at a time when the jaw is fully developed, there still just isn’t much use for them today. Our foods have also gotten easier to eat. No longer do we need to crunch on raw roots and plants when we have the ability to cook meals and cut up our meat for easy consumption. Today, wisdom teeth do more harm than good to the majority of people. Wisdom teeth often become impacted in modern humans. Impacted wisdom teeth do not have enough room to erupt through the jaw and end up crowding the other teeth or causing pain. In fact, impacted wisdom teeth have been happening to humans for centuries. The oldest case dates back to the skeleton of a woman found in France who lived 15,000 years ago! Her remains showed severely impacted third molars.

Wisdom Teeth Today

35% of people never even develop wisdom teeth. The possible cause of this is because evolution may be phasing them out again, as modern humans no longer need wisdom teeth. Some people may develop less than four wisdom teeth. It’s rare to have more than four, however. Wisdom teeth cause of host of problems to people today. They can cause infection if they don’t erupt through the gumline all the way. They are difficult to brush, can cause jaw pain, crowded teeth, and ruin orthodontic work.

It’s no wonder that many people find removing their wisdom teeth is a simple solution to experiencing pain, discomfort, or crooked teeth from impaction. Although wisdom teeth were certainly helpful at one point, wisdom teeth are commonly removed today. Our ancestors used their third molars to help them consume foods that were essential to their health. Now, we have smaller jaws and less room for wisdom teeth than our descendants did!

The post Why We Have Wisdom Teeth: Explained! appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

You ideally want a dentist who can treat all ages when you have a family. Finding the best dentist for every member in your household can make keeping up with dental appointments easy. How can you find the right one? Here’s how you can find one great dentist to fit all your needs in one place!

Find a Dentist Who’s Experienced

Finding an experienced dentist is a must regardless of what age you are. However, when you have a family, you want a dentist who’s equally experienced with children and teenagers. Children often require more skills to treat than adults, and you want the dentist to be kid-friendly. You should also take into account any special needs your family has. Does one of you experience dental anxiety, or do you have a child with special needs? Talk to the dentist you’re considering about their experience in working with different patients. The right dentist will be able to accommodate all your needs!

Your Family Dentist Should Take a Holistic Approach

When searching for a dentist, you want a professional who cares. If you have a cavity or gum disease, your family dentist shouldn’t just fix the problem, but talk to you about preventative measures in addition to treatment.

Your ideal family dentist will take a holistic approach and talk with you about your oral health habits. He or she should also be able to offer tips on what you can do better. From avoiding sugar to becoming a better brusher, your dentist should be invested in your oral health just as much as you are. Look for a dentist who offers more than just treatment during appointments—find a dentist that wants you and your family’s oral health to be the best it can be.

Visit the Office and the Dentist

Visiting the dentist you’re considering can make all the difference. Evaluate the location and cleanliness of the office. Check for play areas and look for staff members who are friendly with kids. You want an office that offers emergency services when needed and has the experience to handle everything your family needs.

If you have dental anxiety, talk with the dentist about their accommodations. They may offer sedative dentistry or even laser dentistry to help you feel more at ease. You want a staff and a dentist that’s great with kids and gets to know you and your family.

Finding the perfect dentist in one location with appointment flexibility and expertise is well worth the effort. Ask your friends and family for recommendations. Visit local dentists in your area and talk to the staff. Your family dentist should be conveniently located, friendly, and knowledgeable. Get all your oral care needs in one place with the right dentist for the entire family!

The post Finding the Right Dentist for the Entire Family appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

The Power of Smile Therapy

Smile therapy is an effective technique that tricks your brain into thinking that you’re happy or that something is funny. This creates more endorphins (chemicals released from the pituitary gland responsible for making you happy) and thus, happiness. This often leads to genuine smiles as well, but a real smile or a fake smile doesn’t matter to your brain—it’s the actual muscles in your face that trigger a response from your brain chemicals to increase happiness. Not only does this make you cheerier, but it also helps improve your health.

Show Some Teeth

Showing your teeth in the form of a smile can actually improve the positivity you experience, regardless of whether or not you’re experiencing positivity at the time. Smiling while experiencing stress—especially when first feeling stress—can inhibit your body’s reaction to the stress whether or not you actually feel good. Therefore, the simple action of smiling can actually combat stress and improve your immune system as well as change your mood. Smiling also makes you more attractive and is contagious! Watch others smile when you flash some teeth their way.

Increase Positive Experiences

Smiling can also trigger your brain to perceive things as funnier than they really are. When you’re not smiling, something may not seem amusing or funny. Try experiencing the same thing again with a smile on your face. Chances are you’ll react differently. By employing the muscles in your face that are responsible for smiling, you can prompt your brain to believe that something is funny or is making you happy, which in turn increases your mood and can lower stress levels. Since stress can hinder the immune system, doing away with stress can help improve your body’s immune function.

Smile therapy may sound like a trick, which it essentially is—on your brain! However, research has proven this theory true time and again. By faking a smile, you can actually make a difference for your mood in addition to reducing your stress and being more appealing to other people.

Are you self-conscious about your smile? Schedule an appointment with your dentist to see what he or she can do. It’s never too late to get your dream smile to practice some smile therapy on yourself and on others to feel better!

The post Need to Reduce Stress Fast? Try Smile Therapy! appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

If you have sensitive teeth, you can still benefit from teeth whitening without having painful side effects such as severe tooth sensitivity. The following are your best teeth whitening options for sensitive teeth!

Professional In-Office Whitening

Getting a professional teeth whitening is always your best option, especially when it comes to sensitive teeth. This is because at-home whitening kits are easy to misuse due to the amount of peroxide in the whitening strips or trays. These aren’t customized for your unique smile and if tooth sensitivity is a problem before you attempt to whiten your teeth, you could make the problem worse by trying to do a professional’s job at home.

Your dentist is the professional best equipped to handle your tooth sensitivity and protect your teeth during the procedure. During a professional whitening, a buffer is generally used in the peroxide gel to protect your tooth’s enamel from any damage. Talk to your dentist about tooth sensitivity before the whitening procedure to ensure maximum protection for your sensitive teeth!

Laser Teeth Whitening

Laser teeth whitening is becoming a popular treatment that provides fast yet dramatic results for your smile. In less than an hour, you can have a completely transformed smile at your dentist’s office! During laser teeth whitening, a higher concentration of peroxide is used and your dentist uses a laser to accelerate the whitening process.

With laser teeth whitening, precautions are taken to prevent tooth sensitivity and protect your teeth. This could include using a desensitizing toothpaste or doing a fluoride treatment after the procedure, as well as fully protecting your gums and teeth from the bleaching agents during the procedure. Laser teeth whitening shortens the length of time your teeth are exposed to the peroxide and can erase stains in as little as 20 minutes!

Fluoride Treatment Post Whitening

Whether you get a traditional in-office teeth whitening or laser teeth whitening, your dentist may choose to do a fluoride treatment after the procedure to minimize the chances of tooth sensitivity and help protect your tooth enamel from damage. Your dentist may also choose to customize your tooth whitening procedure by using a less intense peroxide solution to further protect your sensitive teeth. Talk to your dentist about getting a fluoride treatment post whitening to help alleviate your tooth sensitivity after the procedure!

Getting your teeth whitened is a simple yet effective change that can completely transform your smile. You don’t have to miss out on having brilliantly white teeth just because of tooth sensitivity. Talk to your dentist about laser teeth whitening or a professional teeth whitening with a fluoride treatment afterwards to minimize tooth sensitivity. You can have beautiful white teeth that don’t hurt!

The post The Best Teeth Whitening Options for Sensitive Teeth appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Although lots of food will be available, it’s important to still eat well in order to maintain your healthy smile. Sweets in moderation are fine, but avoid constantly snacking on sweet treats or sipping on sweet drinks. The longer your teeth are exposed to sugar, the more damage your teeth can incur.

It can feel difficult to be choosy about foods during a time when you have so many options—but you can help your body and your smile by still eating healthy. If you want to sip on sweet drinks, using a straw can help the sugary liquid to bypass your teeth, therefore limiting your exposure!

Water Is Your Friend

Not only does water help combat sugar’s effect on your teeth, but it can also prevent the staining that comes with drinking red wine or coffee. Staying hydrated also helps to keep your mouth’s vital oral bacteria in balance, therefore reducing your risk for cavities!

If you’re eating sugary foods or drinking sugary drinks, try to sip on water while doing so. Rinsing with water after consuming sugar can help hugely, as it prevents sugar from clinging to your teeth and damaging your enamel. If you’re drinking wine, remember that red wine can stain your teeth significantly more than white. Drinking water can help to minimize staining of your teeth and damage from the acidic alcohol.

Keep to a Routine

As busy as things can get during the holidays, don’t skip brushing or flossing just because you’re short on time. Always make it a habit to brush in the morning and brush and floss before bed. Keep a travel toothbrush in your bag and some floss just in case you forget these items while traveling or end up spending the night at a relative’s house.

If you can’t brush for whatever reason, keep a pack of sugar-free gum sweetened with xylitol with you. Chewing on gum sweetened with xylitol can help increase saliva flow, therefore helping to reduce bad bacteria and prevent cavities. Keeping to a routine during the holidays isn’t only comforting, it benefits your smile as well!

Be Prepared

Always be safe with your teeth—remember that they are not meant to open packages or crack nuts. Your beautiful smile needs to last you for life, so treat them with care and take care of them. You can be prepared for any type of dental emergency by asking your dentist for an emergency referral before the holidays. This way, should something happen, you’ll have an expert to look after your smile despite the fact that many offices are closed during the holidays.

This holiday season, you can protect your smile and keep it healthy with these easy tips. Simply by eating healthy, drinking enough water, and keeping to a routine, you can show people your beautiful pearly whites all holiday season long. Impress your dentist in the New Year by taking care of your smile during the holidays!

The post Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Smile During the Holiday Season appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

The Appearance of Longer Teeth

You know your smile. But would you notice if your teeth gradually got longer over time? Many people don’t realize that their appearance has changed and that their teeth actually look bigger or longer than they did before. The appearance of longer teeth is one of the signs of gum recession and can be indicative of gum disease. Take a close look at your teeth—does it look like there’s more of the tooth and less of the gum visible? You could be looking at gum recession!

Red or Swollen Gums

Gums affected by gum disease and gum recession are often red and swollen. Your gums should be firm and pink, but if your gums have a puffy appearance and look to be swollen out from your teeth at the gumline, you could be seeing a sign of gum recession, especially if red or irritated gums are present in addition to these other signs. Red or swollen gums may also bleed when you brush or floss.

Brown Spots at the Gumline

This is a sneaky sign of gum recession that often isn’t noticeable until it’s a large enough area for you to spot! When your gums begin to recede, a brown area can form at the top of your tooth near the gumline. This means that the root of your tooth could be exposed—this can lead to extreme sensitivity to hot and cold, pain, and even a tooth infection. If you notice that your gums are pulling back and are seeing some root exposure, get yourself to a dentist as soon as possible!

Larger Spaces Between Teeth

Teeth are meant to fit together evenly, but when you begin to notice that there are larger gaps in-between your teeth than there were before, your gums could be pulling away from your teeth. These larger spaces between teeth could mean the absence of vital gum tissue, which protects your teeth just as much as your tooth enamel does. When spaces begin to get bigger or you notice gaps in your smile (especially at the roots of your teeth), you may be experiencing gum recession.

The earlier gum recession is identified, the easier your treatment will be. If your gums progressively recede, you could even need surgery for gum grafting to repair your affected gums. Schedule a visit with your dentist to talk about gum recession and gum disease. As a common oral health problem, you could be experiencing signs of gum recession and not know it—but your dentist will be able to tell and can help you treat the condition before it gets worse!

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Why Are People Afraid of the Dentist?

Most people who are afraid of the dentist have a specific reason for it. It can spring from any number of

issues such as:

– A bad experience

– Anxiety disorders

– Substance abuse

– PTSD

– Victims of abuse

While a bad personal experience is the most commonly cited reason for fear of the dentist, all of the other issues come down to the same thing – fear of not being in control. When the dentist has his or her hands in your mouth, you can’t even really say if something is wrong. For many, that sparks feelings of anxiety. However, dentists are working hard to change the perception of the oral care industry.

Treatment Options for Those with Fears

Seeing your dentist is very important to the health of your teeth and your overall health (since dental problems can quickly affect other parts of the body). What are some of the ways that dentists are encouraging fearful patients to get back in the chair for important cleanings and checkups?

New Technology – New technology is making the dental experience far better. Patients may experience little to no pain at all, even if there is a problem that needs to be corrected. Cleanings are often performed with ultrasonic solutions and actual scaling with metal tools is kept to a minimum.

Sedation Dentistry – You only need to be coherent enough to get in the chair and agree to any procedures that are necessary. Then you can be giving anything from pharmacological agents that keep you relaxed to ones that ensure you barely remember being in the chair at all. Sedation methods include everything from topical numbing agents to complete sedation.

The fact is that even if you had a bad experience in the past, going to the dentist is very different than it used to be. Even patients who aren’t afraid of the dentist are having better experiences simply because hygienists and dentists are trained to use painless technology. Yes, even the tens of millions who fear to be in a dentist’s chair have new options allowing them to keep their teeth professionally cleaned with no need for anxiety.

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