Damage from Cracking

Biting your nails increases the risk of damage to your teeth from cracking or chipping. Our nails are made of a substance called keratin, which is a tough protein our body uses to also make our hair. When your nails grow, new cells push the old cells out, and these old cells can harden. This hard material isn’t meant to be chewed on, making the chances of damaging your teeth that much greater.

Wearing Down the Teeth

Our teeth are meant to chew food, not tough substances like fingernails! Since your teeth need to last you a lifetime, any excessive wearing of your teeth can cause problems. By biting your nails, you wear down your teeth faster, increasing the chances of enamel erosion, a misaligned bite, and other dental problems.

Increased Risk of Bruxism

With a habit like nail biting, the body gets used to using this outlet as a way to deal with stress and anxiety. Even if you stop biting your nails, you may grind your teeth instead. Teeth grinding is often an unconscious practice that happens during sleep or in times of stress. This puts enormous pressure on the teeth which can lead to headaches, jaw pain, enamel erosion, and eventually tooth loss.

Damaged Gum Tissue

When you chew on your nails, this often creates jagged, uneven edges. As you continue to put your fingers in your mouth and bite your nails, you risk gum damage. This is because your nails can come into contact with your gums and scrape or break the surface. This not only exposes your gums to bacteria from your nails, but it also makes your body work harder to heal the gum tissue.

Spreading Bacteria

Fingernails can carry significant amounts of bacteria, depending on how clean your hands are and how long your nails are. Whatever you touch or eat can remain on your fingers. If you’re not washing your hands often—this is particularly true for children— bacteria can accumulate. These bacteria often aren’t harmful, unless introduced in the right situation. This is exactly what can happen when you put your fingers in your mouth to chew on your nails. Bacteria are then introduced into the oral cavity that wouldn’t normally be, which could harm your smile by making your mouth more acidic or even your body by contracting infections like pinworm.

Nail biting isn’t worth the risk of damaging your teeth, and it’s a habit that you can kick. By looking into alternative stress coping mechanisms in addition to keeping your nails neatly trimmed, you can stop biting your nails and protect your smile for good!

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The instruments used to conduct your root canal are different than in the past. They’re thinner, more flexible, and more precise. They allow the procedure to be completed quickly and efficiently in one visit, unlike the several visits it took in the past. These advanced tools make cleaning out the infected tooth pulp easier, therefore maximizing your comfort during the procedure.

Digital X-Rays Make Life Easier

Digital x-rays allow your dentist to see if a root canal is needed, but they also help you receive a faster diagnosis with less radiation exposure. These digital images also enable your dentist or endodontist—a dentist who specializes in saving teeth—to see if your tooth’s root has been totally cleaned out after the process. As a result, getting a root canal these days is much like getting a deep cavity filled!

Anesthesia Is Better

As our methods of anesthesia have improved, your dentist is able to keep you totally comfortable throughout the entire procedure. Local anesthesia is all that’s needed, and many patients only need an over-the- counter pain reliever afterwards rather than heavy sedation with narcotic pain medication. If you’d like to be sedated, you can talk to your endodontist about accommodating your needs.

Materials Are Refined

The materials used during root canal therapy have also been enhanced, from the rinse used to clean out your tooth to the filling used to seal the canal. This leads to more successful procedures among patients and a longer life for your toot canal. Crown technology has also been improved, resulting in a better fit for your unique smile after your tooth has been sealed!

People Engage in Preventative Care

These days, people are aware of the role they play in their own oral care. Home health care techniques have improved in addition to awareness of the importance of dental visits. People visit their dentist more regularly, which makes early detection of a problem with your tooth’s roots easier. When a root canal is needed, the procedure is often less involved and easier to treat.

Root canal therapy is a procedure that’s gotten a bad name, but is not at all what people say it is. Technology has allowed oral care professionals to make your root canal as comfortable and quick as possible. Root canal therapy only takes about an hour—no longer than a professional teeth whitening! If you’ve been avoiding a root canal, now’s the time to talk to your dentist about getting this procedure done to save your tooth!

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Keep Calm— Smiling Reduces Stress

Stress and anxiety fade when a smile crosses your face. By releasing endorphins (your happy chemicals), smiling can turn your anxiety and stress into a relaxed, pleasant face. Try it next time you’re at work or feeling overwhelmed at home.

Endorphins are released when the muscles in your face work to construct your smile, and even a fake smile or laugh works! You can help your brain to relax and release endorphins whether or not you’re actually feeling happy, amused, or tickled. In addition to reducing stress, endorphins can also help people suffering from chronic pain. Endorphins work to fight the feeling of pain in the body, so things like exercise and smiling that release endorphins are now on your to-do list. Release tension with a smile!

Smile to Fight Illness

Did you know that smiling can actually boost your immune system? Increase your white blood cell count with a smile! In addition to reducing stress (which can encourage illness, as white blood cell count plummets), you can help your body to better respond to intruders and illnesses with a smile. So relax, smile, and brave the flu season with a grin on your face!

Smiling can even be good for your heart because it helps you to better deal with stress and illness. This study shows that people who smiled more had healthier hearts (or, hearts that recovered faster from stress) than those didn’t.

Get Extra Benefits with Laughter

You may be smiling through a telephone call with an old friend, but for those times you bubble over with laughter, you’re getting some extra health benefits! From richer air into your lungs to stimulate major organs to dropping your stress levels and leaving a great feeling from your increased heart rate, laughter truly is the best medicine.

Having a good laugh can increase circulation, boost your immune system, better your coping mechanisms in response to stress or anxiety, and improve your mood. Feeling happy is more than just a passing endorphin rush—turns out feeling happy can actually lead to being happy!

If you’re self-conscious about your smile, visit your dentist to get your smile cleaned or beautifully restored. Although you may not feel like smiling with a stained, chipped, or gapped smile, your dentist can help you to gain your confidence back and enjoy the health benefits of your smile every day. Smile and laugh to be healthy!

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Causes of Gum Recession

Gum recession could be happening for a variety of reasons, some of which could be out of your control. For example, genes largely determine your gum health, so if your parents have recessing gums, you could be at risk too! However, here are some things you could be doing to cause gum recession:

Brushing too hard. Brushing too hard is so damaging to your tooth’s enamel. You should always be using a soft-bristled toothbrush and brush gently. Hard brushing simply isn’t necessary to get that plaque off! Also, remember to floss gently as well.

Not seeking orthodontic treatment. If you have overcrowded teeth, this could influence gum recession.

Teeth grinding. Grinding your teeth can cause inflammation in your tooth’s root and fractures in your teeth. If you suspect you’re a grinder, get to the dentist as soon as possible to learn how you can stop doing this!

Injury or trauma. If you’ve had an injury or trauma to your mouth such as from an accident, this could cause gum recession.

Poor oral hygiene habits. Skip brushing on most days? Don’t remember the last time you flossed? Drink soda and alcohol frequently? You’re setting your mouth up for some serious problems in the future. Poor oral hygiene habits can lead to gum recession! Now that we know some of the things that can cause gum recession, let’s learn what we can do once it starts happening.

Treatment for Gum Recession

Treatment for gum recession will depend on the root cause of your gum recession. Like many other medical conditions, the earlier you catch it, the better. This is why it’s important to pay attention to the symptoms of gum recession and changes in your mouth. If hard brushing is found to be the culprit, you’ll simply need to adopt better brushing habits and switch to a softer toothbrush. It can take practice to learn to brush your teeth gently, especially if you’ve been brushing your teeth too aggressively for years!

If you’re grinding your teeth, you and your dentist can discuss how to prevent this habit and what you can do about it, such as wear a custom mouth guard while sleeping. If you have poor oral hygiene, your dentist may recommend a deep cleaning in order to help restore your gums’ health and encourage healing. If you have severe gum recession, you may need gum grafts.

Gum recession isn’t pleasant, but you can prevent damage by seeking orthodontic treatment if needed, brushing gently, and as always, getting regular checkups with your dentist. Your dentist can spot gum recession before it causes you unpleasant symptoms!

The post Spotlight on Gum Recession: Why Is It Happening and What Can You Do? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

What Causes It

You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again—sugar is terrible for your teeth. The same is true with children, who can experience tooth decay if they frequently drink sugary drinks and then the sugar is left to sit on their teeth for long periods of time. Baby bottle tooth decay can also happen if you let your child go to bed with a bottle filled with a sweet drink. Tooth decay happens as a result of bad bacteria in the mouth that can cause cavities. Even if you’re careful about not letting your child have too many sugary drinks, you could pass bacteria from your mouth to your baby’s mouth if you share utensils, etc. Tooth decay is generally result of a combination of these factors when it comes to baby bottle tooth decay.

How to Prevent It

Tooth decay is preventable for your toddler! To help prevent baby bottle tooth decay, try not to let your saliva end up in your child’s mouth, whether it be from sharing food or cleaning pacifiers. You can also clean your baby’s gums by wiping them with a clean cloth after each meal. When the baby teeth arrive, you can already start brushing them gently!

Other healthy habits include never letting your child drink sugary drinks out of a bottle, which should only be reserved for milk, and don’t let them go to sleep with their bottle. Around the age of one, your child should be able to drink from a cup. Encourage this as well as healthy eating so your child has minimal chances of developing tooth decay among their baby teeth!

How Important Are Checkups?

Dentists are trained to notice the signs of tooth decay long before you would ever see a problem. Pain is often the last sign that things are going wrong and the teeth are damaged. Taking your child in for a checkup when their baby teeth come in can ensure everything is healthy in your baby’s mouth and that tooth decay isn’t already happening. Baby teeth are important because they allow the permanent teeth to come through properly in the jaw—you can think of it as saving space for the adult teeth to come in.

Baby bottle tooth decay is preventable, and your child can have healthy baby teeth to encourage the growth of healthy adult teeth! Remember that sugar isn’t just damaging to your child’s body—it’s also not good for their oral health, especially if their mouths are exposed to sugar for lengthy amounts of time. If you haven’t already, schedule a visit with your dentist for your child if their baby teeth have started to come in. Developing healthy habits early can save your child’s teeth!

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Teeth Don’t Weaken on Their Own

Your teeth are incredibly strong little things—they aren’t meant to weaken as we age, but they can if we don’t take good care of them. What these means is that if you grind your teeth, chew on inedible objects such as ice or pencils, and have a poor diet lacking in nutrients or high in refined sugar, your teeth can eventually get worn down and weaken.

Grinding as well as chewing on inedible objects can cause unnecessary wear and could even cause you to fracture your teeth or lead to overly sensitive teeth as a result of damaged enamel. Your enamel—the hard protective shiny layer over your teeth—is vitally important. Loss of enamel is irreversible and can cause extremely sensitive teeth, root damage, and even loss of teeth.

Keep Bacteria at Bay

You have both good and bad bacteria in your mouth, and the bad bacteria is what causes plaque to form and eventually build up if you don’t brush regularly or have poor brushing habits. There are many things that can upset the balance of good and bad bacteria, such as dry mouth, eating too many sweets, and not brushing or flossing. When the bad bacteria take over, problems arise.

This is usually when dentists see gingivitis, or, the beginning stages of periodontal disease. This disease causes bad bacteria to take over your mouth and severely impact your teeth and their roots. Signs of gum disease include bleeding gums, chronic bad breath, or even loose teeth. Bacteria causes infections, which is why it’s important to keep your teeth clean and brush a minimum of once a day.

Stay Hydrated

One of the biggest things that can affect our oral health as we age is dry mouth. Did you know that as you age, you’re more likely to be dehydrated? This is because you may not feel as thirsty and your body doesn’t conserve water like it used to. In other words, you don’t realize that you’re dehydrated because you may not feel thirsty.

Older adults are also more likely to be on different medications—and many medications can cause dry mouth. Saliva protects your teeth, and when it’s absent, this leaves room for the bad bacteria to take over and cause problems like gum disease and tooth decay. Which is not something you want to be dealing with during your retirement years!

Your dentist can help you take the best care of your teeth as you age. By eating healthy, brushing, not smoking, flossing, and addressing dry mouth, you can ensure your teeth stay healthy for life. Also remember that teeth grinding and chewing on non-food items is more damaging to your teeth than you think!

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Yes, Gum Chewing Has Been Linked to Bruxism

Did you know that chewing on non-edible objects such as pencils or gum can actually lead to teeth grinding? This is because it encourages your jaw muscles to clench and increases your chances of grinding your teeth at times when you’re not chewing gum. When you’re chewing gum, your jaw muscles aren’t able to relax. This leads to your muscles being more familiar with the clenching and grinding feeling of constantly chewing.

When this happens, your muscles may be more adept to feel comfortable doing these things even when you’re not chewing gum. It’s important to remember that your jaw should be able to relax and not always be stimulated! This will help reduced your chances of developing the habit of grinding your teeth. Let’s look at what you can do to prevent teeth grinding.

What Can You Do?

If you often chew gum and have jaw pain, it’s time to call the dentist. You may be unknowingly grinding your teeth and causing lasting damage to your smile. While the occasional episode of bruxism won’t hurt you, developing a habit of it will. You can actually wear your teeth down, damage the roots (which can cause painful sensitivity and root damage, eventually leading to root canals), lose enamel, and you could even lose your teeth.

It’s important to know that there is treatment for bruxism. If you suspect you’re grinding your teeth, visit your dentist. He or she can inspect your mouth for any damage as well as talk with you about treatments. Besides limiting or excluding chewing gum from your life, try to relax. Don’t chew gum all the time, if at all. If you’re stressed or anxious, this can encourage you to grind your teeth as well.

Develop relaxation habits, schedule time for yourself, or exercise to help manage your stress. Your dentist may also suggest a custom nightly mouth guard if your teeth grinding is happening at night to limit the damage you do to your teeth!

If you grind your teeth, it’s a good idea to kick the chewing gum habit. Encourage your jaw muscles to relax! Visit your dentist to ensure you aren’t damaging your smile for life. Teeth grinding is a dangerous habit, and chewing gum has been linked to encouraging teeth grinding due to the constant clenching of the jaws. Stay relax and talk with your dentist about what else you can do to overcome your teeth grinding habit. Your smile will thank you!

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Make dental health your New Years Resolution in 2016. Keeping on top of your dental health is as easy as scheduling checkups, brushing and flossing appropriately, and choosing the right foods. Follow these tips for keeping your smile healthy in 2016!

Schedule Regular Checkups

If you don’t have a regular dentist yet, now’s the time to find one. Even if you aren’t keen on scheduling regular checkups, having a dentist that you trust in the event of a problem or emergency can make all the difference for your dental care. Let’s not forget that regular checkups can help prevent problems before they happen. Your dentist can often spot problem areas that will go ignored until a more major problem is imminent.

It’s a good idea to schedule regular checkups with your dentist every six months. Your dentist may advise that you only need to stop in for yearly checkups if you’re on top of your dental health at home, or he or she may suggest that you need to come in every few months. It all depends on your unique smile and if you have any existing dental health problems. Remember, visiting a dentist twice a year can prevent problems, encourage oral health, and even save your smile!

Brush Properly, Floss More

Brushing your teeth prevents the buildup of plaque, removes bacteria, and keeps your smile looking great. However, brushing doesn’t count for much if you aren’t doing it properly. If you tend to brush your teeth hard, you may actually be wearing away the protective enamel that covers your tooth and its roots. Once this is gone, it can’t be replaced. Proper brushing involves soft, swift strokes that focus on small areas at a time. Talk with your dentist about how to properly brush your teeth.Flossing is also important to keep your smile looking its best. Food is easily trapped in between teeth, and over time, this can even cause infections, gingivitis, and chronic bad breath. Yuck! No matter which flossing tools work best for you, be sure to use them. It’s ideal to floss at least once a day. Ask your dentist how you can make flossing easy!

Optimize Your Diet

You’ve heard that sugar isn’t good for teeth—but it’s not the only corrosive substance out there. Other foods and beverages such as alcohol, soda, juice, coffee, dried fruits, citrus fruits, and starchy snacks like potato chips can damage your teeth. Even dairy can be corrosive to the teeth due to its acidic nature. Do you have to stop eating or drinking all these things? No! The point is that by keeping up with brushing and flossing, you can help keep your mouth healthy. Also by choosing healthy foods to snack on throughout the day such as carrots, apples, and celery. Keep sugars and starches to a minimum!

Taking care of your dental health is easier than you think. By making your dental health your New Years Resolution, you can ensure your smile stays healthy for life. Schedule a checkup with your dentist, keep brushing and flossing, and reach for carrot sticks instead of lollipops. Happy New Year!

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Eating Habits Increase Risk

One of the greatest factors influencing tooth decay in children is diet. The fact is that young people love candy, desserts, and soft drinks. Between fast food, vending machines, and sugary beverages, it’s no wonder that young people are experiencing tooth decay.

How does a diet high in sugar result in tooth decay? The bacteria in the mouth thrive in acidic conditions. Sugars create acidic conditions in the mouth. As a result, bacteria can multiply faster leading to plaque, tartar buildup, and tooth decay.

Poor Oral Care Habits Also to Blame

The average youth also struggles to stay on a good oral care schedule. We may remind our children to brush their teeth in the morning and evening when they are little, but do we keep after their routine as they get a little older and should know better? It’s no wonder that tooth decay, already prevalent in younger children, increases dramatically around age 12.

How to Promote Good Oral Care in Your Household

How can you help your children not to become a part of the statistics listed above? Here are some suggestions.

Set the Example – Let your children see you brush your teeth. If there is room in the bathroom, make brushing a family routine, and have your child brush at the same time.

Teach Technique – Your children will need your help to learn how to brush properly. Teach them how to floss as well. We are always more likely to do something regularly when we know how to do it.

Education – When we know something is beneficial, we are more likely to go out of our way for it. Train children to understand the importance of caring for their teeth.

Dietary Instructions – Replacing colas with water can go a long way toward preventing tooth decay. Kids often grab the sweetest options available, so swap sugary snacks for fruit.

With a little training and encouragement, children can have strong and healthy teeth well into adulthood. Start training young, and don’t forget to schedule regular dental visits.

The post Did You Know: Children Are at High Risk for Tooth Decay appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Learning Proper Dental Care

One of the main things a dentist will try to do with a young patient is instill a sense of the necessity for dental care. This isn’t done through scare tactics, but rather through building appreciation for good oral health, and by attempting to make dental care fun.

To that end, the hygienist will likely use a flavored toothpaste for a child, rather than the usual mint toothpaste. You can keep the fun going at home by getting toothpaste flavors that your child enjoys. You can also purchase a fun toothbrush. This will also encourage your child to brush.

As you can see, reinforcing what the dentist says will be vital. After all, you are with your child every day. The dentist only sees your child twice a year.

How to Brush and Floss

Often, it is the hygienist that actually clean your child’s teeth, and either the hygienist or the dentist will discuss the proper way to brush and floss. While children are more likely to imitate a parent, the dentist is usually seen as an authority figure, and we find that many children are more likely to absorb the information being told to them. In fact, according to a study released by the NIH, 90% of children feel more comfortable when their dentist is wearing a white coat. Perhaps this helps the child to associate the dentist with being a professional.

Learning Proper Nutrition for Oral Health

Your dentist will also likely address nutrition with a child. While a child may not want to hear that candy and soda are bad for their teeth, this is an important part of making sure that cavities don’t form. Of course, children often struggle with moderation. Again, it will be up to the parent to teach a child that one piece of candy now and then is okay, but eating an entire bag on a regular basis is a sure way to be back in the dental chair quickly! A healthy diet is key to maintaining excellent dental health, and a dentist is a great authority figure to share the proper “do’s” and “dont’s” of healthy eating habits.

In summary, your dentist will try to teach your child the foundations of good oral health. However, it will be up to you as a parent to help children develop proper oral care habits and reinforce the information they learn when visiting the dentist! With an excellent dentist in your corner, your child will have all of the knowledge necessary to keep a healthy, happy smile for a lifetime.

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