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Wellington, FL 33414
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Posts for: December, 2015
A cavity is a hole that can grow bigger and deeper over time. Cavities are also called dental caries and if you have a cavity, it's important to get it repaired. If you don't go to the Dentist, the acids can continue to make their way through the enamel, and the inside parts of your tooth can begin to decay. If you've ever had a toothache or heard an adult complain about one, it may have been because there was a cavity that reached all the way inside a tooth, where the nerve endings are. Ouch!
Cavity prevention tips:
Though cavities can be repaired, try to avoid them by taking care of your teeth. Here's how:
- Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste after every meal or at least twice a day. Bedtime is an important time to brush.
- Brush up and down in a circular motion.
- Gently brush your gums as well to keep them healthy.
- Floss your teeth once a day to remove plaque and food that's stuck between your teeth.
- Limit sweets and sugary drinks, like soda or juice.
- See your dentist twice a year for regular checkups. We hope you'll hear those two wonderful words: "No cavities!"
Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the last teeth to develop and appear in your mouth. They come in between the ages of 17 and 25, a time of life that has been called the "Age of Wisdom."
Wisdom teeth may not need to be extracted if they grow in completely and are functional, painless, cavity-free, disease-free and in a hygienic environment with healthy gum tissue. They do, however, require regular, professional cleaning, annual check-ups and periodic X-rays to monitor for any changes.
When a tooth doesn't fully grow in, it's "impacted"-usually unable to break through the gums because there isn't enough room. 90% of people have at least one impacted wisdom tooth.
An impacted wisdom tooth can damage neighboring teeth or become infected. Because it's in an area that's hard to clean, it can also invite bacteria that lead to gum disease. Oral bacteria can also travel through your bloodstream and lead to infections and illnesses that affect your heart, kidneys and other organs. In some cases, a cyst or tumor can form around the base of the impacted tooth, which can lead to more serious problems as it hollows out the jaw and damages surrounding nerves, teeth and other parts of your mouth and face.
Why get sealants?
The most important reason for getting sealants is to avoid tooth decay.
Fluoride in toothpaste and in drinking water protects the smooth surfaces of
teeth but back teeth need extra protection. Sealants cover the chewing
surfaces of the back teeth and keep out germs and food.
Having sealants put on teeth before they decay will also save time and money
in the long run by avoiding fillings, crowns, or caps used to fix decayed
teeth.
What causes tooth decay?
Germs in the mouth use the sugar in food to make acids. Over time, the acids
can make a cavity in the tooth.
Of course a healthy tooth is the best tooth. So it is important to prevent
decay. That's why sealants are so important.
Why do back teeth decay so easily?
The chewing surfaces of back teeth are rough and uneven because they have
small pits and grooves. Food and germs can get stuck in the pits and grooves
and stay there a long time because toothbrush bristles cannot brush them
away.
Who should get sealants?
Children should get sealants on their permanent molars as soon as the teeth
come in -- before decay attacks the teeth.
The first permanent molars -- called "6 year molars" -- come in between the
ages of 5 and 7.
The second permanent molars -- "12 year molars" -- come in when a child is
between 11 and 14 years old.
Other teeth with pits and grooves also might need to be sealed.
Teenagers and young adults who are prone to decay may also need sealants.
Should sealants be put on baby teeth?
Your dentist might think it is a good idea, especially if your child's baby
teeth have deep pits and grooves.
Baby teeth save space for permanent teeth. It is important to keep baby
teeth healthy so they don't fall out early.
Sealants can last up to 10 years. But they need to be checked at regular
dental check-ups to make sure they are not chipped or worn away. The dentist
or dental hygienist can repair sealants by adding more sealant material.
The Bad Guys: The Worst Foods and Drinks for Teeth
1) Carbonated Beverages & Other Drinks - Soft drinks are a perennial target of nutrition police, because they add so much sugar to the national diet. The sugar content in a soft drink – as much as a king-sized candy bar – is bad for both body and teeth. But even diet drinks aren’t safe for your teeth! Like their sugar-loaded cousins, artificially sweetened soft drinks contain tooth-damaging acids, such as phosphoric and citric. Even canned iced teas, which normally might be good for teeth, contain flavor-enhancing organic acids that can erode tooth enamel.
2) Not-So-Healthy Vitamins - Even so-called health drinks are brimming with danger for your kids’ teeth. Sports drinks are notoriously full of sugar and acids. And vitamin waters can contain as much sugar as a candy bar. Chewable vitamins – from multivitamins to large chewable vitamin C tablets – are especially bad, because they contain a concentrated acid that tends to cling to and between teeth.
3) Mouth-Drying Consumables – Your kids shouldn’t have to worry about the mouth-drying symptoms of a hangover, but many medications – including common psychiatric treatments – can also leave a dry month that endangers teeth and gums. One must to take extra care to keep the mouth hydrated, from deliberately washing with water or fluoridated rinses, to mouth hydration solutions.
4) Long-Lasting and Sticky Sweets - It’s not news that caramels and other gooey, sugary sweets are bad for teeth. It’s not just the sugar, though; it’s how long the teeth are exposed to sugar. So while those caramels stick and cling tenaciously to tooth surfaces and crevices, hard candies and lollipops are also very bad; they’re designed for a long, leisurely suck. This principle applies to any sweets, from candy to sweet drinks – sugar should stay in the mouth as briefly as possible.
5) Dried Fruits – While fresh grapes and plums are considered “good” foods, if they are dried, they go from hero to villain. Although often touted as healthy snacks, dried fruits like raisins, prunes and apricots, are similar to caramels. Already sweet when fresh, their sugars are highly concentrated as the water is dried away, and their gummy texture can cling to teeth as much as gooey candy. And worse, the fruit is packed with non-soluble cellulose fiber, which can bind and trap sugars on and around the tooth, making it worse than candy.
6) Starchy Foods - Many starchy foods, including white bread, potato chips and French fries and al dente pasta, can easily become lodged between teeth and in crevices. While they may not necessarily taste sweet, the starches can begin converting to sugar almost immediately, not only by the bacteria, but also by the pre-digestive process that begins in the mouth through the enzymes in saliva.
7) High-Acid Foods and Drinks - Citrus fruits and drinks contain powerful citric acid – in fact, such juice is often used as a cleaning agent. While oranges, lemons and grapefruit can be a healthy part of the diet, they should be consumed quickly, preferably as part of a meal, and the teeth should be rinsed afterward. Sucking on citrus fruits should be avoided; this especially applies to the “home remedy” practice sucking lemon wedges for tooth-whitening.
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1037 S. State Road 7 Suite 215
Wellington, FL 33414