Keeping You Safe and Comfortable In the Dental Office

A family of a mother, father and a young daughter that are laughing as a dental assistant is with them.

March is “National Patient Safety Awareness Week”, which is a perfect opportunity for us to show you all the ways we help keep you safe and comfortable during your dental experience. Up to 15% of Americans have dental phobias that keep them from visiting a dental office. However, our services use top-of-the-line technology designed to make your dental services quicker, safer and more pain-free. Here are a few ways we help our patients love their dental visit!

 

Do You Visit the Dentist?

Do you see your dentist at least twice a year? If not, you may leave yourself at risk for oral health diseases. The American Dental Association recommends that every person visit the dentist at least twice a year for comprehensive exams and dental cleanings.

 

Studies show that only about 65% of people are visiting the dentist each year. Many of those are only getting to a dental office once a year instead of the recommended twice a year as well, which raises their risk significantly for cavities and oral issues growing severe. If you do the math, that 35% that doesn’t go to the dentist is about 30-40 million Americans each year that skip this part of taking care of their oral health. Busy schedules is a major culprit from skipping the dental office. However, dental phobias are one of the most common reasons as well.

 

A young woman that looks really nervous to be in a dental chair.

Dental Phobias

Do you fear the dentist? Many people do. In fact, in a study by Columbia University College of Dental Medicine—reported by Colgate—they found that 9-15% of people have dental phobias severe enough that they avoid dental offices. That means, they don’t get dental work done that may be crucial for preventing tooth loss and disease. It also means that the routine checkups to find problems while they are small, never happen.

 

A dental phobia is more than simply being scared of a dental office. It is something that can cause physical illness or health problems when thinking about or being in a dental office. The most common symptoms a person with a dental phobia will get include:

  • Feeling like you physically can’t handle being in or near a dental office
  • Intense anxiety or fear with dental services, even non-invasive ones
  • Physical illness
  • Fainting or dizzy spells
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Nervousness
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Trouble sleeping before dental visits
  • Crying or intense negative feelings towards dental work

 

Feelings like these are associated with phobias rather than simply not liking something. Many people may feel some anxiety for a root canal or oral surgery, but it won’t affect them physically or mentally to the degree that a phobia will. We know that many patients deal with some level of anxiety in a dental office, which is why we try to make your dental experience one that is comfortable and one that makes you feel safe.

 

A close-up view of a patient with their eyes closed as they have a laughing gas mask on their face.

Procedures in a Dental Office

Many dental office visits are straightforward and short. We do several dental cleanings and comprehensive exams for each patient each year. These are not invasive. They consist of examining your mouth by looking at your teeth and gums to see how your oral health is doing. A dental cleaning will be a more thorough brushing and flossing than you would have at home.

 

The tools used for this are spinning toothbrushes, a metal scraper tool that removes some plaque and food from your teeth, floss, and toothpaste. We also use tools that will suck out water from your mouth or will spray water to rinse your teeth and gums. These are tools used at your biannual visits. Often, there is television, music or other activities you can do while you or your child gets their cleaning done.

 

If you need procedures for cavities, oral surgery or more invasive procedures, we do all of those in the same office with the same people. To help those with phobias, we have different options you can choose from to get your dental work done while feeling safe.

 

Dental Anesthesia

We want you to feel safe and comfortable in a dental office. For some patients, that means they don’t want to remember much about their dental experience, yet they want to keep their teeth and gums healthy. Some of your options in a dental office to help you feel comfortable include oral sedation, laughing gas and IV sedation. You can choose what you want even for the simplest of procedures:

  • Oral sedation. This is a prescribed sedative that you take 30 minutes or less before your dental visit or procedure. Some oral sedatives help you to simply feel calm and secure at the dental office. Others will help you be pain-free during your visit, or you will get a mix. Many oral sedatives can allow you to be awake enough to converse, but you won’t remember the actual dental work.
  • Laughing gas. This gas is named because of the happy feeling it can give you, which is great for dental phobias. Laughing gas is nitrous oxide, which is a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen. Breathing this through a simple facemask will give you some light sedation and relaxation during your visit. You can even have laughing gas in scented flavors.
  • IV Sedation. This is not commonly used for dental cleanings or exams, but for work that would normally involve shots or drills. If you don’t want to be awake at all for your dental visit, you can request IV sedation. All your work is done for you without you remembering the dental work.

 

We don’t want any of our patients to fear dental work, especially when they have tooth pain or other oral issues that are getting severe. When oral health is bad, it can cause other health problems in the body. To learn what equipment, sedation and tools we use or how we help children feel safe and secure in the dental office, call Dr. Ania’s office today at 303-443-0998!

Posted: March 21, 2019 By: Comment: 0

Help for Grinding Your Teeth

A young adult woman that is looking in the mirror. She is making a face and holding her cheek as if she is in pain.

Do you wake up in the night and realize that you’ve been grinding your teeth in your sleep? This is something many patients with bruxism—or teeth clenching and grinding—have, and it can damage the teeth. Often, grinding your teeth will happen at night and you can’t really control it. However, the right dental help can allow you to deal with the health symptoms—headaches, tooth pain, etc.—that come with this so you can keep a healthy and happy smile.

 

Grinding Your Teeth

Do you wake up with pain or sensitivity in your teeth or face? How about headaches, especially in the morning? There are many causes of symptoms such as these, and many people don’t assume that oral issues are the source. Grinding your teeth is a very common phenomenon that affects millions of Americans. This is when you clench your teeth tightly together at night, which may also be coupled with moving the teeth back and forth forcefully. Most people that grind the teeth don’t realize that they are doing it, as it tends to happen during sleep. However, the effects can definitely be felt.

 

If you are grinding your teeth, you may have symptoms such as:

  • Tight or sore jaw muscles, with soreness in the cheeks
  • Tooth pain
  • Worn tooth enamel, which is visible to a dentist and to some patients
  • Pain or soreness in the face, jaw and even the neck area
  • Frequent headaches or migraines
  • Pain that can extend into the ear area, making you feel like you have an earache
  • Damage to the inside of your teeth from clenching or chewing in the night
  • Frequent wakefulness in the night, sometimes without noticing a cause
  • Holding your teeth tightly together as you are waking up
  • Fractured teeth or dental injuries
  • Teeth that feel loose

 

A woman lying in bed that is having mouth pain upon waking up.

Bruxism 101

Depending on the patient, you may have one or many of the symptoms we listed if you are grinding your teeth. You can be grinding your teeth for years and may not know it until you go to a dental appointment and your dentist points it out to you. The evidence will be noticeable on your teeth, as the pointy parts of your molars will be smoothed out from grinding. You may notice a loved one or child grinding their teeth because of the sound it can make. It will sound like the gnashing of teeth, which may be like glass dinnerware smacking together or strange pop-like sounds.

 

Bruxism is the scientific name given for grinding your teeth. Studies show that patients will clench or grind teeth (or both) during the early stages of a sleep cycle. Some patients will do this during the day with daydreaming or naps as well, but it’s generally easier for patients to notice during the day and stop the grinding.

 

So what’s the big deal with grinding your teeth? If you can stand the symptoms, you may think that you don’t need dental intervention. However, grinding your teeth can lead directly to tooth fractures, flattened teeth, tooth pain and weakening, receding gums and hot/cold sensitivity as tooth roots are exposed from clenching force. This can raise your risk for permanent tooth damage and oral health diseases.

 

A woman lying in bed that is having mouth pain upon waking up.

Mouthguards for Other Oral Issues

Generally, there is a stress component that goes into grinding your teeth, even if you don’t feel stressed. It is a sign of stress and anxiety that will manifest in both children and adults. For both age groups, try to reduce stress, especially before bed by doing relaxing activities. Then, schedule an appointment with your dentist. At that appointment, we can assess tooth and gum damage from grinding your teeth and provide quick solutions for your case.

 

Bruxism is one of the most common reasons we custom-make mouth guards for our patients. However, there are other common oral issues that may necessitate a mouth guard. Those include sleep apnea and TMJ. For TMJ, we will custom-make a mouthguard that helps prevent damage to the temporomandibular joint. Sleep apnea will also likely be treated with a custom-made mouthguard, only that guard will help prevent the tongue from falling back into the mouth.

 

For bruxism, we will take impressions of your bite and send those impressions to a lab. You will then receive a retainer-like guard for your mouth, only it will be rigid and thick to help absorb the force of clenching and grinding. The guard will both keep your teeth in place and will prevent tooth damage from the pressure the teeth place upon one another. Because the force is directed into the dental device, you will quickly see your tooth pain, headaches, and other symptoms dissipate or go away entirely.

 

Sleep and Feel Better with Help

Studies show that a simple dental device can improve your sleep immensely, especially if you suffer from a sleep problem such as bruxism, TMJ or sleep apnea. There is even an American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine because sleep problems are so common in millions of Americans. Whether bruxism is the cause of your oral symptoms and pain or if there is another underlying issue, we can help find the cause. We can then custom-make a device that will help relieve your symptoms, getting you back to normal life. To schedule your consultation, call Dr. Ania’s office today at 303-443-0998!

 

Posted: March 12, 2019 By: Comment: 0

National Nutrition Month: How Does Food Affect Your Teeth?

A young adult blonde woman that is about to sip on a beverage from a mug using a straw.

It’s National Nutrition Month, which means it’s a time to focus on the food you put into your body, and especially the food that comes in contact with your teeth and gums. Your nutrition not only affects how well your body feels, but can affect the health of your teeth. Good foods will help build your teeth up with minerals they need to stay strong. Certain foods and drinks wills strip those minerals away, damaging them. Use this guide to know how food will affect your teeth!

 

Mouth Bacteria and Plaque Production

Foods and drinks do more than give you energy. They can affect how you feel, how you look and even how healthy your smile is. Because so many foods and drinks (or essentially all of them) come in contact with your teeth, damage happens. When you eat, sugars in food and drink mix with bacteria in your mouth to form a sticky, clear and acidic substance called plaque.

 

You have countless bacteria in your mouth that help break down your food for digestion, while other bacteria (the bad kind) forms plaque. This is a substance made when bacteria consumes sugars in your foods and drinks and creates an acidic substance (plaque) as a byproduct. Unfortunately, plaque doesn’t get swallowed, as it’s sticky nature makes it stick to your tooth enamel, especially along your gum line.

 

The acids in it work to slowly weaken your teeth and erode your enamel over time. If you don’t brush and floss your teeth several times a day, you will eventually have weak spots and small cracks in your teeth. That allows plaque to get inside the soft center of your tooth where your nerves and blood vessels are. Infection of that sensitive center part of your tooth is what causes severe decay, leading to large cavities, root canals and even lost teeth.

 

An image of an apple that has be carved to look like it has teeth.

Effects of Food on Your Teeth

What you’re eating will affect your teeth in some way, whether for good or for bad. This is because substances in your food will either strip minerals from your teeth, or they will add minerals to them. The teeth are made up of minerals such as calcium, phosphate, magnesium, etc. When you eat or drink dairy products, some of those same minerals can add to your teeth, strengthening them. Other foods that are acidic in nature or that contain sugar, will lead to mineral stripping and enamel damage.

 

So what foods harm your smile? Anything citrus will damage your tooth enamel. This means lemon, lime, oranges, grapefruit, artificially-flavored or preserved treats and more. Check labels to see if your foods contain citric acid. Any type of acid in a food will break up minerals on your teeth. That is why sugary treats are also something you want to avoid. They actually do lead to cavities—or tooth decay—because of that sugar reaction with mouth bacteria. You want to avoid foods such as:

  • Sugary Treats. Limit your desserts and candy consumption.
  • Mints/Hard candies/Suckers. Any sugar item that you suck on (even cough drops) expose your teeth to a continual supply of sugar and the acids created by mouth bacteria coming in contact with that sugar.
  • Starchy Foods. Breads, pastas, white food items (usually), cookies, crackers and similar foods break down into sugar in your body. They will do the same in your mouth.
  • Hard Snacks. Popcorn, hard nuts, uncooked veggies, and hard fruits can break weakened or decayed teeth.
  • Chewy Foods. Chewy candies, dried fruits, jellies and similar items are naturally sticky, which raises your chances that they will stick to your teeth, exposing the enamel to sugars for longer.

 

A young adult brunette woman that is about to drink a bottle of water.

Don’t Forget About Drinks

You may be eating great foods that help you feel good and look good, but what about what you’re drinking? Often, many consumers don’t realize that their drinks are packed with either staining materials or several day’s worth of sugar that damage the teeth. We are talking about coffee, tea, sports drinks, energy drinks, juice and especially sodas. Coffee and tea contain substances called “tannins” that will get into tiny cracks and openings in the teeth. The darker tannins will start to change the color of the teeth over time, which is why yellow or gray teeth happens with coffee or tea drinkers.

 

The rest of the drinks we named will either damage your teeth from the sugar content or from the acids those drinks contain. Any carbonated beverage (soda, sparkling water) contains an acid called “carbonic acid”. This acid is what makes those fizzy bubbles possible. However, because it is acid, it will damage your teeth. When drinking these drinks, carbonic acid comes in contact with your teeth, and the acids in it will break up tooth enamel minerals for up to 20-30 minutes after you’ve had the drink. Avoid brushing your teeth during that period, or the acids can take more minerals off the teeth.

 

Sugary drinks have the same effect. Many sports drinks or juices contain citric acid as a preservative, which acts like carbonic acid. Drink enhancers contain this as well. Any drinks with sugar will feed bacteria and create acidic plaque, which also damages your smile. The more sugar you have, the more your teeth can decay and break up.

 

A young adult woman that is eating a carrot with one hand and holding a basket of leafy greens in another arm.

Fight Back Against Decay

Tooth decay is the most common dental disease and the one that happens the easiest. The National Institutes of Health reports that tooth decay is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases among children and adults. However, it’s avoidable if you watch the foods and drinks you consume and if you brush and floss your teeth twice a day for 2 minutes at a time. It’s really that simple! Let us see how the health of your mouth is doing from your foods and drinks. Call Dr. Ania’s office at 303-443-0998 to schedule your dental checkup!

 

Posted: March 5, 2019 By: Comment: 0

Beyond Brushing and Flossing: What More Can You Do?

If you brush and floss your teeth, but you are still getting oral issues like cavities, you may wonder if there is more you can do. Your dentist will always let you know what more you can do in your specific case. However, there are oral health care basics that you can always add into your oral hygiene routine. Those include mouthwash, fluoride treatments, cosmetic dentistry options and more. Here are some tips you can use to go beyond your brushing and flossing!

 

Brushing and Flossing

Do you brush and floss your teeth every day? Twice a day? The American Dental Association recommends that every person (even infants and toddlers) should brush their teeth at least twice a day or more to keep their mouth healthy. That brushing should be done for at least 2 minutes at a time with ADA-approved toothpaste and a toothbrush that fits the size of the mouth.

 

Small children and infants will need the help of parents to brush and floss morning and night and will need help flossing once enough teeth come into the mouth. Flossing should be done 1-2 times a day along with brushing, as flossing reaches about 40% of tooth surfaces brushing misses.

 

Studies have found that at least 3 in 10 millennials only brush their teeth once a day and flossing is done much less often. However, these two habits are key to having a good mouth. You simply can’t skip them if you want to keep your teeth. That’s because your mouth is constantly making plaque when you eat and drink. Sugars in your food and drink will mix with mouth bacteria, creating that sticky, clear film of plaque that coats the teeth.

 

It can be unsightly without good oral hygiene, but because plaque is so acidic, it will break up the minerals of your teeth and decay them from the inside out. That is how a cavity forms, how infections reach the center of your teeth, how patients end up losing teeth and developing oral health diseases. Skip all those issues with good brushing and flossing at home!

 

Adding to Your Routine

You may already be a pro at brushing and flossing and still you get cavities. What more can you do? Start adding in other oral health routines! Mouthwash is a great one to add alongside brushing and flossing. Not all mouthwash is the same. Make sure you check labels to see if your mouthwash needs to be diluted before use. Some are meant to freshen breath by killing odor-causing bacteria, while others will be geared towards cavity prevention, treating gum disease or other oral health issues.

 

Children generally should steer clear of mouthwash, as many types contain alcohol or similar substances that you wouldn’t want a child to accidentally swallow. However, they are completely safe for teens and adults that want to do more than just brushing and flossing. Most brands will prescribe a specific amount of mouthwash that you can measure out in the lid of the mouthwash container. Swish for 30 seconds unless otherwise directed by a label.

 

You may feel fresher breath already because of the bacteria-fighting action of the mouthwash. Users will want to wait about 30 minutes after mouthwash use to eat or drink. This is because many brands contain fluoride that will work best to protect the teeth if it has had 30 minutes to coat the teeth without food or drink interference.

 

Fluoride: How Can It Help?

Fluoride is a naturally-occurring mineral found in the earth’s crust. Because of that, fluoride is also found in many foods that grow in the ground such as green leafy vegetables. Public water sources in the U.S. contain fluoride, as the United States government has added it to the drinking water for cavity prevention. Since that addition, the amount of people getting cavities has gone down more than 25%.

 

Fluoride was originally discovered in the 1930s to be a substance that protected the teeth and reduced the risk of decay from acids and bacteria in the mouth. At dental appointments, your dental cleaning will likely end with a quick fluoride treatment to help strengthen your teeth. For patients that are more prone to cavities (young children, teens, those with oral diseases), treatments may be needed at home. Your dentist can prescribe you fluoride treatments you can easily do at home. However, many mouthwashes and toothpastes will come fortified with fluoride as well.

 

Visiting the Dentist

Seeing your dentist is perhaps the most important habit you can establish besides brushing and flossing your teeth. That’s because only a dentist is qualified to find the presence of tooth decay, gum disease and other oral diseases and treat them properly. Studies—such as one by the National Institutes of Health—have found that tooth decay is the #1 most “prevalent chronic disease” Americans face. Gum disease is a close second even though this disease affects 64.7 million American adults.

 

The American Dental Association has made various statements about the importance of dentistry and frequent dental visits. “Frequent” means every 6 months or every 3-4 if you have oral health diseases. These appointments are so important to your health that many insurance plans will cover biannual exams and dental cleanings. However, studies show that only about 65% of people (at least in the U.S.) are actually visiting a dentist each year. Often, that’s only one time. That percentage of people is starting to go down, and children tend to see the dentist even less. It’s no wonder oral health problems affect so many.

 

If you want to do more for your oral health, make sure you and your family go to your biannual dental visits. Doing so can help your dentist find tooth decay, oral cancer, gum disease, infections and more before they become large or severe. If you have yet to schedule your dental appointment this year, you can do so by calling Dr. Ania’s office at 303-443-0998!

Posted: February 25, 2019 By: Comment: 0

Soothing Mouth Sores and Oral Issues

A teal background that has a brunette, young adult woman that is making a face and holding the left side of her mouth.

Mouth sores such as cankers, cold sores and infections are some of the most common oral health problems patients get after cavities and gum disease. These issues can be quite uncomfortable for patients, especially if they happen often. Changes in oral health care habits can help reduce the mouth sores and oral issues you get. However, when they happen, you can use these tips to help soothe and relieve those mouth sores quicker!

 

Common Mouth Sores

Have you ever had pain in your cheeks or gums and discovered a sore? This is nothing to panic about, but something that happens quite often with patients. The most prevalent ones we see include:

  • Dental caries
  • Gum disease
  • Canker sores
  • Gingivitis
  • Thrush
  • Hand, foot and mouth disease
  • Herpangina
  • Oral herpes/cold sores

Some of these conditions are genetic, whereas others can be caught very early. With any mouth sore, you want to get them under control or work hard to prevent them in the first place. Many mouth sores and infections can actually be avoided with good oral hygiene and keeping mouth bacteria to a minimum. Dental caries (tooth decay), gum disease, oral bacteria and more never have to happen if you brush and floss away the gunk that likes to stick around in your mouth.

 

A close-up view of canker sores in a boy's mouth.

Relief of Canker Sores

One of the most common mouth sores is the canker sore. This is a type of sore that can be very tiny or very large. Some patients will have these sores be 1/3rd to ½ of an inch in diameter in the mouth. Others will get tons of tiny canker sores. You may be a patient that only gets canker sores in times of stress or sickness. The cause of these stores is still being studied, as every person’s body will get these mouth sores for different reasons. The thing most patients have in common is that canker sores can be uncomfortable and even painful (hence the reason it’s called a sore).

 

Some evidence suggests that infections or illness can cause canker sores to happen. However, there have been many studies done that link canker sores to stress levels. Studies show that stress can contribute to developing sores in your mouth. Those sores are actually considered to be tiny ulcers in the mouth, and you can reduce their frequency with good de-stressing activities.

 

Remedy Mouth Sores At Home

When it comes to sores in your mouth, salt will become your best friend. For centuries, people have used salt to help wounds heal faster and better, and that includes sores in the mouth. If you’ve ever had oral surgery (like wisdom teeth removal) before, a sickness or infection in the mouth, your dentist may have told you to rinse with salt water. Studies show that salt is a natural mineral that helps speed healing in the soft tissues of the body.

 

Salt can take away the sting of mouth sores and make them go away faster. Simply fill a cup with warm to hot water and dissolve an ample amount of salt into the water. Water will have to be hotter to melt the salt, but you can let it cool a bit before swishing with it. Then, several times a day, swish the salt-water mixture in your mouth (making sure it is warm). Within a day, you should see less pain and your mouth sores getting better.

 

A blonde, young adult woman that is looking in a makeup compact mirror, pointing to a spot near her mouth and making a confused face about what the spot could be.

Professional In-Office Help

There are some mouth sores that you just don’t want to handle on your own at home. With chronic oral health diseases such as tooth decay and gum disease, you want a dentist to monitor sores closely. Any sores that bleed or continue to grow in size are ones you want a dentist to look at. You may want both medical or dental counseling for canker sores that grow to be ½ inch or larger, especially if you have many of them. Having multiple mouth sores cold be a sign of infection, illness or an oral health disease.

 

Oral cancer is a serious condition that can present itself in the form of mouth sores, especially if you feel tenderness and lumps in the soft tissues of your mouth but you can’t see them well. This cancer claims almost 50,000 lives every single year in the U.S. Luckily, with oral cancer, we do in-office screenings at every dental cleaning and comprehensive exam you have. This is a time when we can see mouth sores forming and provide the right topical and oral medications to help relieve them.

 

Cold sores are a type of sore that come from the herpes simplex virus. This is a recurring sore, but you can reduce how many you get with over-the-counter creams and medications. Stress, sunlight, the cold, trauma and oral health problems can cause these to flare up. With some sores (like canker sores), if the problem is recurring very frequently, it could be a sign of a chronic condition such as Crohn’s disease or celiac. In this case, we can refer you to the right medical professional for intervention. Mouth sores can be unpleasant, but almost all of them are very treatable when you seek dental help and change your habits at home.

 

A woman in a dental office holding the left side of her mouth as a dental professional speaks to her.

Healthy Mouth through Healthy Habits

Issues such as tooth decay and gum disease are ones that should be handled by a dentist, as these conditions will continually worsen without dental intervention and good oral hygiene habits at home. That means brushing your teeth at least twice a day for two minutes at a time as recommended by the American Dental Association.

 

Floss 1-2 times a day as well, use mouthwash to reduce mouth bacteria and limit your sugar intake to prevent cavities and gum disease. All of these steps will help you from developing sores in your mouth. You can prevent many mouth sores through good oral hygiene. For all of your questions about your oral health and changes you see inside your mouth, call Dr. Ania’s office at 303-443-0998!

 

Posted: February 18, 2019 By: Comment: 0

Taking Care of the Adult Teeth All Life Long

A family of four that is all brushing their teeth together in their shirts and bathrobes.

Many elderly have missing teeth or total tooth loss. You may wonder if that is something that will inevitably happen. However, it’s not. You can keep your natural teeth all life long with the right oral health habits and frequent dental visits. These are tips for taking care of baby teeth, adult teeth and the teeth during all those transitioning years!

 

Taking Care of the Baby Teeth

Infant oral care is quite easy once you know how to do it. Here are some things to know about your little one:

  • As soon as the first baby tooth comes in, it needs to be brushed. Use a rice-sized amount of safe infant/child toothpaste.
  • Brush your infant’s tooth/teeth at least twice a day, or after meals.
  • Never leave a baby with a bottle for naps or during the night. Sugars in the milk (both breast and formula) cause tooth decay very quickly.
  • Wipe an infant’s gums and smile with a damp cloth to remove milk sugars and food particles after feedings.
  • Start them off with dental visits sometime between 18 months and 3 years to check for tooth decay or oral health care problems.
  • Use a gum brush for small infants and graduate to an infant toothbrush as they get a bit older.
  • No sugar. Children should have less than 6 grams of sugar in a day and infants should have none. Never put soda, sports drinks or sugary drinks in cups or bottles for infants.
  • Brush and floss your child’s teeth for the first few years until they can do it well on their own.

 

A beautiful, young adult woman that is flossing her teeth as she smiles off to the left.

Childhood Years to Teen Years

Children may not be able to brush their teeth properly until they are 3 or older. It takes time for them to develop the dexterity they need in their hands to make all the brushing movements. When a child can hold utensils well and eat alone with those utensils, they are definitely ready to start transitioning to brushing their teeth on their own.

 

During this time, help them to know how to hold a toothbrush correctly and hold their hand as you teach them the brush strokes and the movements. Teach them to put about a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on their toothbrush. As a person ages, they may use more toothpaste. As soon as the spaces between the teeth become smaller with a child, flossing should start. Flossers are great tools that children can learn until they can floss with string floss properly. Mouthwash and fluoride should only be used by the direction of a dentist in a child.

 

What if your child doesn’t want to take care of their teeth with brushing and flossing? Try these tips:

  • Get bright, colorful child toothbrushes that have their favorite characters on them.
  • Sing a song while they brush.
  • Have your child watch a 2-minute video clip of something they like as they brush for those 2 minutes.
  • Make it a game! Brush along with them and see who can get cleaner teeth.
  • Have a reward chart for children where they get stars, stickers or earn small prizes over time for brushing well.
  • Let a child practice on you. Show them how you take care of your teeth and then have them practice on your teeth and theirs.

 

Orthodontic Treatment Helps the Health of Your Teeth

As children grow older, their mouth is getting bigger as they get taller. The baby teeth will start to fall out starting around age 5, and adult teeth will start to come into the mouth. If your child has crooked teeth as a small child, they may need orthodontic treatment before the adult teeth come in.

 

As the baby teeth fall out, adult teeth will come in to replace those teeth. There will be 32 adult teeth total over the years that teens and pre-teens are getting their adult teeth, which include the 4 wisdom teeth. There will be more teeth coming in to replace the 20 baby teeth because there is more room in the mouth. If there are speech or eating problems present in your child, definitely consider orthodontic treatment to correct bite and alignment. Then, when all the permanent teeth come in, consider having them get orthodontic treatment to just align the teeth. A straight smile is one that is much easier to clean, which can help a child to have a healthy mouth all life long.

 

A young adult male dentist that is pointing at an x-ray image in front of his young adult brunette woman patient.

Your Adult Teeth

Many adults struggle with proper oral hygiene, even though most people know that brushing and flossing is important. We provided so many tips for children because oral health care starts when you’re young. Those who teach children proper oral care early-on can expect to have children and adults that generally take better care of their teeth. Studies show that oral health care problems lead to the most chronic and prevalent diseases that Americans face. Gum disease alone affects at least 64.7 million Americans. Tooth decay (cavities) affect even more.

 

You avoid these with the simple habits we’ve mentioned. As a teen or adult, brush your teeth at least twice a day, for 2 minutes at a time. Floss 1-2 times a day, making sure to get up into your gum line. Scrape the teeth gently as you move the floss down your teeth. Limit your sugar intake throughout the day, as sugar makes plaque, which decays your teeth. Teens and adults can use mouthwash to kill decay-causing bacteria. Fluoride treatments and dental sealants may also be advised by a dentist. To know for sure, schedule a comprehensive dental exam and cleaning with a dentist, and make sure you have these appointments at least every 6 months. These measures will help ensure you don’t have tooth loss as you age.

 

Tooth Loss: Is It Inevitable?

Tooth loss is not inevitable. There are plenty of people that live their entire life with their natural teeth because they took care of their smile. That can be you! For more tips on taking care of your pearly whites, call Dr. Ania’s office today at 303-443-0998!

Posted: February 12, 2019 By: Comment: 0

How Does Plaque and Tartar Affect Your Smile?

A woman patient that is speaking with a dental professional as she sits in a dental chair.

If you look in the mirror at your teeth, you may wonder what that clear substance is around your gum line. That sticky, clear film is known as plaque, and it’s the substance that leads to tooth decay, gum disease and oral health problems. Tartar is the hard, stuck-on form of plaque that is very difficult to remove without the help of a dentist. Find out how plaque and tartar affect your smile and how to keep the teeth free of both!

 

Mouth Bacteria

Studies have found between 500 and 700 different types of bacteria in the human mouth. However, most people only have between 30 and 34 different types in their mouth on a regular basis, and not all of those are bad. In fact, bacteria is needed to help break down and digest the food you eat each day.

 

Not all of that bacteria gets washed away with your food, nor does it only help in digestion. Some, instead, lead directly to tooth decay. When you eat, sugars in your foods and drinks will mix with mouth bacteria to create a sticky, clear film. The combination of sugars, food particles and mouth bacteria make the substance—called “plaque”—acidic. Studies report that food that’s not washed away with swallowing and even from brushing will stick to your teeth almost immediately. This is because the bacteria is recolonizing and the acids in your plaque is working at breaking up minerals in your teeth.

 

A close-up view of a patient's mouth that has plaque and lots of tartar on the back of their teeth. The "after" image is on the right showing what the smile looks like after dental treatment.

Plaque and Your Mouth

There is an estimated 10 trillion—and yes we said “trillion”—bacteria per milligram of plaque. That’s an awful lot of bacteria working to hurt your teeth. And they will if you’re not taking care of your oral health through frequent brushing and flossing. If you brush and floss away the plaque that collects in your mouth, you significantly reduce your risk for oral health problems. The recommendation by the American Dental Association is to brush your teeth at least twice a day, for two minutes at a time. Then, you should floss 1-2 times a day as well to get the 40% of tooth surfaces that brushing often misses. Add in mouthwash to kill extra mouth bacteria that would cause your mouth decay and fluoride toothpaste or treatments to build a stronger barrier between your teeth and bacteria.

 

What Is Tartar?

If you don’t brush and floss, you can experience tooth decay and even gum disease. Tooth decay happens when plaque breaks up minerals in your teeth enough to decay them. This happens when plaque stays on the teeth for too long. Often, that decay is not even visible until it has become severe for the tooth to turn color. The goal is to brush your teeth several times a day so that your teeth never decay. That will also help prevent gum disease, which is the best friend of tooth decay.

 

Because plaque is acidic and it sits along your gum line, it irritates the gums. They start to bleed easy, become darker red, inflamed and even swollen. Eventually they will pull back from the teeth to get away from plaque. This gum recession can happen so much that the gums aren’t supporting the teeth, so they fall out. That is the full-blown gum disease stage. You notice the first stage with bleeding or red gums, and that’s when you want to hit your oral hygiene hard.

 

Plaque can actually change states on your teeth as well, which is common with people that have gum disease. It can become hard, brownish or yellow on your teeth. This is when plaque becomes tartar, and it is quite hard to remove on your own. Tartar forms when plaque is left on the teeth. It can then mix with certain minerals when you eat and drink, and the mixture will makes some of the leftover plaque hard. It can bond to your teeth like cement, becoming a mineral deposit.

A young adult, attractive male that is flossing his teeth.

Treatment for Tartar Buildup and Gum Disease

Once tartar forms on your teeth, you really can’t remove it yourself. You need the help of a dentist or that tartar can continue to build up until it covers your whole tooth. Only higher-powered dental tools can get that mineral deposit off your teeth. Because tartar is a form of plaque, you will likely have some decay and signs of gum disease under that tartar. Inflammation and decay will continue to happen under the surface of tartar, which is why you want to get it taken care of.

 

We can remove plaque and tartar buildup at your biannual dental cleaning and comprehensive exam. If you have severe plaque and tartar, you may need a separate appointment so we can fully clean your teeth. Removing tartar in-office is much better than dealing with gum disease at home. Full-blown gum disease may involve more lengthy dental services, but we can definitely help patients with this condition. However, prevention is always key. Simply brush and floss your teeth well each day to keep a healthy mouth!

 

Get a Healthier Mouth Today

Having a healthy mouth, and one that is free of plaque and tartar is fairly simple: brush and floss your teeth and reduce your sugar intake. Doing these three things can help your oral health significantly. It can even extend the years you have your natural teeth. As we mentioned, tooth decay and gum disease are some of the most chronic problems Americans face. Knowing that, it’s okay to not be perfect with your oral health. However, it’s always great to try each day to be a bit better. Incorporate the oral health suggestions we’ve mentioned and see how your oral health improves. To know how the health of your teeth and gums is doing, make sure you schedule your comprehensive dental exam by calling Dr. Ania’s office at 303-443-0998!

Posted: February 5, 2019 By: Comment: 0

Warning Signs for Gum Disease

 

A male patient that is having root planing and scaling done on his mouth for gum disease.

Ever had your gums bleed when you’ve brushed your teeth? That bleeding is a warning sign for gum disease, even if your gums look like they are fine. There are various warning signs that present themselves in your mouth if you are at risk for full-blown gum disease. You want to notice those signs when they happen so you can take measures to get your oral health under control. Use this guide to know what to look for!

 

Gum Disease: What Is It?

When you hear the word “disease”, you don’t always think of the mouth. However, one of the most common diseases happens in your mouth. It’s called gum disease, and it’s a painless condition that can lead to tooth loss without intervention. Cavities are a common disease that is caused by sugar and poor oral hygiene. When you eat, sugars in your foods and drinks mix with mouth bacteria to create plaque. That plaque sticks to your teeth, decaying them as it breaks up the minerals.

 

At the same time, plaque is irritating your gums because it is acidic. In response, your gums become irritated and inflamed. If you don’t start brushing and flossing, the gums will simply start to pull away from plaque. With enough recession, the gums become mushy and your teeth start to fall out. Once a patient gets to that stage, there is little that can be done. That is why you want to notice the early warning signs for gum disease so you can avoid it.

 

A close-up view of a mouth that has gum disease and tooth decay.

Early Warning Signs

Statistics show that around 64.7 million Americans have gum disease. Many don’t even realize that they do because this is a painless condition until a patient gets to the severe stage of the disease. You have to notice the physical warning signs. Have you ever noticed darker red gums in your mouth? This is a warning sign of gum disease. When your gums are irritated, they become darker red and inflamed. They may even be swollen. However, the first sign for many patients is that the gums bleed much easier when you do brush and floss.

 

The bleeding is often the way that dentists can tell you’re not flossing enough. When you brush and floss often, your gums stay healthy and strong and they won’t bleed when they’re being cleaned. With gum disease, the gums will be much more sensitive and will bleed, even if you don’t notice the sensitivity. The mild stage of gum disease is called “gingivitis”. About 8.7% of Americans are in this stage, and about 30% have progressed to a moderate stage. That is likely due to not knowing that gingivitis is present or from not following oral hygiene practices. Look for all of these signs and change your eating and oral hygiene habits to reverse the problem while it is only in the gingivitis stage.

 

Periodontal Therapy

With gingivitis, dental cleanings and hitting the oral hygiene habits hard are usually the best ways to reverse your condition. In fact, many people have gingivitis and don’t even know it because it is so early-stage. You know you have it if you have the warning signs we mentioned. Check your mouth often for these signs. If you don’t notice them, we will tell you during your dental cleaning and comprehensive exam.

 

We do see patients with moderate and severe gum disease. With these patients, we have to take additional measures to either get gum disease under control or stop the progression. Scaling and root planing is one method we use on patients to avoid tooth loss. You may need this service if your gums are starting to pull away from the teeth or if you continuously have gum inflammation. Tartar often accompanies gum disease, so if you have tartar spread all the way down to the roots of your teeth, you will need planing and root scaling.

 

This is a treatment that cleans the gum pockets from bacteria, plaque and tartar. Without cleaning, those gum pockets can reach the point of infection, furthering damaging the teeth and gums. Scaling and root planing requires local anesthesia because it can be uncomfortable by how thorough it is. Afterwards, your gums can start healing from the plaque and substances that were hurting them. For patients with very advanced gum disease, gum grafts may be needed to help cover the teeth before tooth loss happens.

A woman that is making a face as she looks at a red spot on her gums that could be gum disease.

Great Oral Health Habits

Many Americans won’t ever have severe gum disease that leads to complete tooth loss. However, many will. Studies show that at least 8.5% of Americans have that severe stage of gum disease that you really can’t come back from. That is why dental intervention early-on is so important if you want to have the ability to eat normally throughout your life. Your body gives you warning signs of gum disease for a reason, and they are ones you want to listen to.

 

How are you supposed to know you have gum disease? Go to the dentist! These visits need to happen twice a year if you want to avoid oral health diseases that can be devastating to your smile. We can spot the early signs of gum disease before it ever gets to a bad stage. If you aren’t already, we will suggest that you brush your teeth 2-3 times a day for at least 2 minutes at a time. For sensitive gums, you will want to choose a soft-bristled toothbrush to protect your teeth and gums as you brush.

Make sure you’re flossing 1-2 times every day, as this gets 40% of your tooth surfaces that brushing misses. We often give patients gingivitis tablets or have other methods of helping them see what areas in their mouth aren’t getting cleaned enough. Practicing these habits and even adding in mouthwash and special gum disease products can help get your smile back to normal. For instructions on good oral health habits or questions about gum disease, call Dr. Ania’s office today at 303-443-0998!

Posted: January 24, 2019 By: Comment: 0

How X-Rays Changed Dentistry

A brunette young adult woman that is in a dental chair going over her dental x-rays with the dentist and hygienist.

In centuries past, dentists did not have a way to see what dental issues were happening below the gum line. They could only guess at what was causing a patient tooth pain or discoloration. However, that all changed in 1895 when the x-ray was discovered. With the introduction of this new light wave, dentistry was about to make amazing leaps and bounds in the discovery of dental cavities and how patients were treated. Where dentists once had to simply remove teeth, because of x-ray imaging, they can now see the exact size, shape and location of cavities. Find out how that technology evolved and how it is used on you!

 

Old Dental Techniques

Dentistry has been around for thousands of years. People in 2000 B.C. had dental needs just like people have dental needs today. Did you know that tooth decay—which you know by the name of cavities—is the most chronic, prevalent disease in the United States? That’s because about 92% of the population has tooth decay by the time they reach adulthood. Many have it in their infancy, and it is the literal decay of the teeth that can’t be reversed.

 

People thousands of years ago had tooth decay, but did not have the type of modern equipment to deal with it. The first dental school in the world wasn’t even established until 1828, with the first dental college opening in 1840. Both were in the U.S., and almost all effective dental technology was discovered or invented after this time. In fact, if you lived before that time, you would likely go to a barber if you were having tooth pain.

 

Barbers and surgeons were the ones to see for any type of tooth or mouth issue. However, their ability to fix the dental issues were limited. There was simply no way to really tell what was going on inside a patient’s mouth without cutting open the gums or cutting into the tooth. This is why many people simply had a full tooth painfully pulled when a cavity started to cause them pain or infection. It led to many people losing teeth over time or to having complete tooth loss. It is still this way in many countries. However, dental x-rays completely changed the field of dentistry.

 

An image of a hand using a pointing tool to point to a part of a dental x-ray. there are other dental x-rays on the table next to the main x-ray and bitewings.

Dentistry and the Dental X-Ray

Many aspects of modern dentistry wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the discovery of a specific type of lightwave called the x-ray. This is an electromagnetic wave that cannot be seen by the naked eye. It has a short wavelength, which means it carries a high amount of energy. It’s reported that the x-ray was first discovered in 1895 by a man named Wilhelm Rontgen. He was a German physicist and there were already discoveries that had been made with different types of radiation at this time.

 

Wilhelm ended up discovering a new type of radiation by chance as he was working in his lab one day. He noticed that fluorescent light would show through certain materials, but not others. This was especially true when it came to the human body, as this new lightwave would show through skin, but not bone or teeth. With a bit more testing, the x-ray is what was discovered.

 

Serious advances in medicine and dentistry came once x-rays were invented. These rays would pass through the body and on films would produce images of the bones and teeth that absorbed x-ray waves instead of having them pass through. From that time forward, the rays were used to see inside the body and inside the mouth. It completely changed a dentist’s ability to see what was inside a patient’s tooth instead of simply guessing at the problem. X-rays also provided a way to find and treat a cavity instead of simply removing a tooth.

 

A brunette woman patient in a dental office that is having her dental x-rays done with a Dental Cone Beam CT machine.

Technology in Dental Offices

Have you ever had dental x-rays taken at your dental appointment? Odds are that you have. These images are taken at comprehensive exam and dental cleaning appointments. Most patients will have x-rays taken at least once a year, if not at every 6-month check-up. The most common way to take x-rays of your teeth is with bitewings and a moveable x-ray machine. Patients can sit in their dental chairs, and while biting down on a small film of paper, they can have an image taken when the x-ray machine is right by their cheek. In just a few minutes, there are photos of a patient’s teeth.

 

Imaging doesn’t stop there though. Now, in many dental offices there is a Dental Cone Beam CT machine. This machine allows a patient to stand upright while resting their chin right on the machine. Similar to an actual CT scanner, the machine will rotate around a patient’s body, focusing on the head and dental structures. In just a few seconds, we can get images of your teeth, gums, jaw structures, nerve pathways and soft tissues of the mouth. Without dental x-rays, your experience as a dental patient would be vastly different. However, with x-rays, we have the ability to find cavities when they are very small and treat them. To get your x-rays and comprehensive dental exam, call Dr. Ania’s office today at 303-443-0998!

 

Posted: January 2, 2019 By: Comment: 0

Add a Better Smile to Your Resolution List

A beautiful blonde woman with perfectly curled hair that is smiling with her eyes closed.

Studies show that health and fitness are the major areas that people want to improve when it comes to New Years resolutions. However, many don’t realize the connection between their oral health and overall health. The better you take care of your teeth and gums, the more your body benefits and the healthier you can become. When it gets hard to hit the gym in 2019, you can at least know you are taking steps towards better health when you follow these tips for better oral health!

 

Resolutions for a Better Smile

When you think of chronic illnesses in the United States, do you think of any that involve your oral health? Many don’t. However, the National Institutes of Health report that tooth decay—which you know as “cavities”—is the #1 chronic disease that Americans face. Many don’t even realize that they may have this disease, or that it is a disease at all. Because cavities are areas of your teeth that have died, and that decay can spread, it’s like other diseases. You have to stop the problem and get it under control or it spreads.

 

Too many people are affected by tooth decay and gum disease worldwide. Gum disease is a condition where the gums swell, become red, bleed and recede from the gums enough to have the teeth fall out. This condition goes hand-in-hand with cavities, as they all start with eating and not keeping your teeth clean. However, gum disease—which affects 64.7 million American adults—is completely preventable. So are cavities. Because of this, you can definitely make some simple resolutions for a better smile in 2019.

 

A close-up view of a woman's mouth that has stained, yellow teeth in the image on top and white teeth in the image below.

How Can You Improve?

The great thing about getting a better smile, is that it’s something you can work towards easily, every single day. How? Start by brushing and flossing your teeth! These are such easy habits that dentists tell patients they should have every time they come into the office. Because they are so easy and simple, some patients may assume that they aren’t that important. However, they make all the difference to your oral health.

 

Brushing should be done at least twice a day, if not after every meal, as recommended by the American Dental Association. Why? When you eat, sugars in your foods and drinks will mix with your mouth bacteria to make plaque. That plaque is a sticky, acidic film that will stick to your teeth. If it’s left on there, it will break up the minerals in your teeth and will decay them over time. Plaque also causes your gums to recede, which can lead to mushy, bleeding gums and tooth loss. Simply brushing your teeth gets rid of that plaque and your risk for tooth decay and gum disease. It’s that simple!

 

Brushing should be done with a new toothbrush that fits the size of your mouth. Switch out your toothbrush once it’s been about 3 months or if the bristles of your toothbrush start to become frayed. Use fluoride toothpaste, which can help provide you a stronger shield against acidic plaque.

 

Don’t Forget the Basics

Brushing isn’t the only habit you should have. People may brush, but they can often forget the other basics of good oral hygiene like flossing the teeth and visiting the dentist. Flossing is something every patient can improve on, as it’s something many aren’t doing correctly or at all. Get about 18 inches of new floss when you do floss, and devote 2-3 inches of that floss to every few teeth in your mouth.

 

Wind the floss around either your two pointer fingers or your two middle fingers, with about 2 inches of space to floss with. Floss up into your gum line, where your gums make a small triangle shape. As you floss, scrape the floss against your teeth gently to remove extra plaque. This is a small habit you can incorporate into your oral hygiene routine in 2019, or something you can improve on if you already floss. Floss 1-2 times a day, and don’t forget it! This step gets about 40% of your tooth surfaces that brushing simply misses, so you can get 100% of your teeth with both brushing and flossing.

 

Adding mouthwash to your routine is easy as well. This small basic can kill mouth bacteria that would become plaque. Reduced bacteria means less plaque, less decay and a better smile. Fluoride is a naturally-occurring mineral that can help strengthen the teeth. Using fluoride toothpaste or fluoride treatments from time-to-time can help your teeth stay stronger.

 

Gold Balloons that spell out "New Year's Resolutions". The balloons are surrounded by papers that say different resolutions on them as well as confetti.

Dental Visits

Don’t forget to schedule in your dental visits in 2019! The recommendation is for 2 visits each year, where we can do comprehensive dental exams and cleanings on your teeth. You can be doing all the basics at home, and still get a cavity depending on your health and what you eat. However, if you go to your dental visits, we can find cavities and gum issues when they are tiny and fix them easily.

 

As you can see, good oral health is founded on simple, small habits done each day. If you want better oral health and overall health, simply add these habits into your day or improve how you do them. To schedule your dental visits or for more tips on getting a better smile, call Dr. Ania’s office today at 303-443-0998!

Posted: December 28, 2018 By: Comment: 0

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