The type of gum is the most important factor in whether or not chewing gum is bad for your teeth. This is because chewing gum that contains sugar is actually bad for your teeth—the consequences outweigh the benefits. Your teeth are being exposed to acidic sugars over a period of time, therefore increasing your risk for cavities.

However, sugarless gum can actually be beneficial for your smile. It stimulates saliva production, therefore promoting a healthy environment for good bacteria, and therefore can help decrease plaque and acid-forming bacteria. The increased saliva flow can also help to free trapped food particles from your teeth!

May Help Reduce Cavities

Not all sugarless gum is created equal. Sugarless gums created with xylitol are better for your teeth than gums created with other artificial sweeteners, which tend to be more acidic. Xylitol is alkaline-forming, which means it can help promote a healthier bacteria balance in the mouth and minimize your chances of enamel erosion and cavities.

Sugarless gum sweetened with xylitol should be your top pick because it may help reduce cavities. Xylitol can also hinder the growth of the bacteria involved in cavity formation. Regular chewing of sugarless gum with xylitol may help promote a healthier bacteria balance of over time because it can inhibit harmful bacteria from bonding to tooth surfaces!

When Chewing Gum Is Bad for You

Chewing gum isn’t the best practice for everyone, regardless of whether or not it’s sugar-free! There are times when chewing gum actually is bad for you. These occasions include:

 If you’re experiencing symptoms of TMJ. Temporomandibular Joint disorder, or TMJ disorder, affects your jaw and the muscles that operate your jaw. People who experience jaw locking, tenderness, or facial pain should avoid chewing gum and visit their dentist.

 If you chew gum with sugar. Chewing gum with sugar is not recommended. It’s better to sip water or crunch on vegetables than to chew gum with conventional sugars!

 If you use it to replace brushing and flossing. We’ve all been running late and popped some gum into our mouths instead of brushing our teeth—but if you do this on a daily basis, you’re robbing your mouth of the best oral hygiene practices that can save your smile! Chewing gum—even sugarless gum—should never replace your regular brushing and flossing routine.

Chewing gum can be very beneficial for your smile if you choose a quality sugar-free gum that’s sweetened with xylitol. This can help prevent cavities, encourage healthy bacteria, and result in a healthier mouth. Avoid chewing gum if you have TMJ disorder or favor gum with sugar, and as always, visit your dentist to ensure your teeth are healthy!

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People who make excellent candidates for dental bridges often have one or more teeth missing consecutively from one area in their mouth. You could have one missing tooth, or even up to three in a row missing—either way, you could make a great dental bridge candidate. This is because dental bridges effectively “bridge” the gap between teeth, even if you’re missing more than one tooth. However, dental bridges usually aren’t an option when you’re missing more than three consecutive teeth in one area. When you’re missing a few teeth, talk with your dentist about whether or not a dental bridge could restore your smile!

You Have Healthy Teeth

Dental bridges need healthy teeth on either side of the missing spaces in your mouth in order to be successful. This is because these teeth will essentially support the dental bridge and securely anchor it for years to come—dental bridges typically last around six years, but can last even longer if you take great care of your smile! Having dental bridges requires that you take excellent care of your teeth.

If you have tooth decay or gum disease surrounding the teeth or tissues near your missing teeth, you won’t be able to qualify for dental implants until these conditions have been treated. If your teeth aren’t in great shape but you have enough jaw bone, you may qualify for implant-supported bridges, which take advantage of dental implants in order to properly support the bridge!

You Don’t Like the Idea of Dentures

Dental bridges are essentially “fixed” dentures, meaning they are permanently adhered to your teeth and not meant to come out. However, partial dentures are also an option for patients that are missing one or more teeth. Partial dentures are typically removable, require some extra cleaning, and tend to not be as secure as dental implants or dental bridges.

If you dislike the idea of having a partial denture, consider dental bridges. If you’re a candidate for a partial denture, you may also qualify for a dental bridge, which provides more security than partial dentures but without the need for oral surgery like dental implants!

A dental bridge could be the solution to your missing teeth! Dental bridges effectively close gaps, match your natural teeth, and prevent the uncomfortable and unsightly shifting that can come with missing teeth. Talk to your dentist about whether or not a dental bridge would be right for you—they can conduct a thorough evaluation and talk through all your options with you!

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At first glance, sports drinks might seem like a good replacement for soda, but this is one alternative you should skip. Sports drinks frequently feature high fructose corn syrup, dyes, and salt as their ingredients. The sugar content in these “healthy” drinks is virtually no different than that of conventional sodas—a can of Coca-Cola has 39 grams of sugar, while Gatorade has 34 grams. Not looking so healthy, now are they?

Grab: Seltzer Water

Seltzer water is just carbonated water, so if you love those bubbly drinks, reach for this instead of soda. Some seltzer waters come flavored with fruit juices, like lemon, lime, or even pomegranate and tangerine. Although there is some fruit flavoring in these, the content is much healthier than soda—zero grams of sugar. Seltzer water is a healthy alternative to soda, so grab!

Avoid: Juices

Juices tend to be marketed as healthier than soda, but the truth is that they compete in the sugar world just like sports drinks! Fruits are healthy, fruit juice is not—with none of the fiber to help your body digest it, the sugar in these drinks ends up spiking your blood sugar. Avoid these as much as you can, or mix with seltzer water to cut down on consumption.

Grab: Kombucha

Kombucha is a type of fermented tea that’s loaded with healthy enzymes, probiotics, and comes in great flavors with just a little fruit puree added. With supermarkets carrying many different types of kombucha these days, you should grab this healthy beverage. It’s carbonated just like soda, and your kids likely won’t miss the sugar. Give it a try!

Avoid: Energy Drinks

Energy drinks have loads of sugar and caffeine. Not only are these drinks unhealthy, they can be dangerous as they speed up heart rate. These drinks tend to be popular with teens, but you’ll want to pass these by at the store. They’re not worth the “energy” they deliver, and the sugar and acidity of these drinks is terrible for your teeth.

Grab: Tea

You’ll need to read the labels when grabbing bottled tea at your supermarket, as many of them sneak sugar in there. Buy some unsweetened tea and let your kids flavor with lemon or raspberries at home. Or, introduce your family to flavored hot teas, which can be beneficial and healthful for your body and mind. Strawberry green tea, for instance, tastes fantastic and is shown to increase concentration and memory. Who wouldn’t want that in the afternoon?

These days, you have many options when it comes to choosing alternatives for soda. Forgo the sports drinks, energy drinks, and juice in favor of seltzer water, kombucha, and tea. These positive changes can ensure healthy teeth for you and your family, not to mention healthy bodies!

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Signs and Symptoms

It’s important to know the signs and symptoms of oral cancer so that you can visit your doctor or dentist if you notice any of the following:

– A sore in the mouth that doesn’t go away.

– Swelling or lumps inside the mouth (including lips or gums).

– White or red patches in the mouth.

– Bleeding from the mouth without a cause.

– Numbness or pain around mouth, face, or neck.

– Difficulty moving your jaw—this may include trouble swallowing, speaking, or chewing.

– Bad breath.

– Weight loss.

While mouth sores are the most common symptom, there are other symptoms you should know, including a change in voice, sore throat, or ear pain. This is why it’s always important to visit your doctor if you have any signs or symptoms!

Risk Factors

You can decrease your risk of getting oral cancer by adjusting your lifestyle. The biggest influential risk factors including smoking or using tobacco products, but did you know that frequent drinkers of alcohol increase their risk of oral cancer by more than six times? The risk increases if you smoke along with drink alcohol frequently. Men are also twice as likely as women to get oral cancer.

Risk factors also include having a family history of cancer or oral cancer, extreme sun exposure, and even human papilloma virus (HPV) may increase your risk for certain cancers. It’s also important to eat well: a diet with plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits as opposed to one heavy in meat and processed foods could help prevent cancer!

What Can You Do?

Be knowledgeable about oral cancer. Know what the signs and symptoms are so that you can recognize them if they happen to you and visit your doctor or dentist. If oral cancer is suspected, a biopsy will be taken. Regular checkups with your dentist can help to ensure your mouth is healthy, and always talk with your dentist about any symptoms you’re experiencing. You can also manage any risk factors you have that could lead to oral cancer, such as using tobacco products, drinking alcohol often, or exposure to the sun.

Taking the best care of yourself includes knowing what to look out for when it comes to certain diseases, including oral cancer. Over 25% of people who get oral cancer don’t smoke and drink infrequently. Know the signs and symptoms. Manage your risk factors. Visit your dentist regularly. Treatment for oral cancer is most successful when it’s detected early and can save your life!

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What situations call for a root canal retreatment?

New Decay – Using an x-ray, your dentist may notice new decay that is occurring. Sometimes this occurs when a crown placement is delayed. As a result, the tooth has time to decay further. Reinfection of the root can occur, or continued decay of the tooth.

Reinfection of the Root – Sometimes this is the result of a delay in placing a crown. At other times, some of the infection is in a curved or narrow root canal resulting in a complication of the original procedure.

Original Filling Is Leaking – When the filling leaks, this can allow another infection to spring up. This can also occur if the crown becomes damaged.

Tooth Is Fractured – If a treated tooth becomes fractured, additional treatment becomes necessary.

Tooth Did Not Heal Properly – This can have numerous causes ranging from complications in the size or shape of the root canals to crown and filling issues.

While root canal treatments are successful about 97% of the time, even a successful treatment may spontaneously fail on occasion due to the causes noted above. If this occurs, retreatment can once again successfully save the tooth for many years, often for the rest of a person’s natural life.

Should I Opt for Retreatment if There Is No Pain?

Sometimes your dentist will catch something on an x-ray that you don’t even feel yet. When this is the case, it can be tough to decide to undergo retreatment. However, it is important to remember that by the time pain is felt, a lot of damage is done. For a tooth that has already experienced a root canal procedure, the best chance of saving the tooth is by performing retreatment before the new concern gets worse. While you may not be in pain now, your dentist will only recommend retreatment if an issue is imminent. Waiting for the pain to start may make it too late to save the tooth.

Once again, retreatment only presents one alternative, and that is extraction. That means that if the conditions above present themselves, retreatment is the best option.

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