Tips for Breaking Bad Oral Habits

Posted on by Dr. Chea Rainford
Did you know that a lot of little things you do (or don’t do) on a day-to-day basis affect your teeth’s well-being and may fall under a list of bad oral habits? These include not brushing or flossing enough, eating too many sweets too often, or even using your teeth to open a bag of chips.
Bad oral habits die hard, but they can be stopped in their tracks by the following tips:
Floss at least once a day. It helps remove bits of food and dental plaque in places your toothbrush can’t find, helping to keep your gums healthy.
Brush at least twice a day. If brushing is not an option, chew sugarless gum (make sure it’s sugarless!) for 20 minutes after a meal or snack. This helps prevent tooth decay.
Clean your tongue. Regularly cleaning your tongue with a toothbrush or a tongue scraper helps remove the bacteria that causes bad breath.
Replace your toothbrush regularly. Replacing your tooth brush ever 3-4 months is a good idea. Bristles in your toothbrush that are bent and broken don’t do a good job cleaning your teeth.
Eat a balanced diet. Snacking on sweets without brushing increases the acid in your mouth… and the likelihood of tooth decay. Munch on vegetables and fruit instead.
Regular Dental Visits. Your dentist is trained to do damage control in your mouth before it’s too late. You should visit the dentist regularly — every six months.
Adding these to your list one at a time is a good start to kick those bad oral habits. By doing a little self-check on your daily dental care habits, you can be on your way to making sure your teeth, your mouth’s health and your overall health are at their best.

What to Do During a Dental Emergency

Posted on by Dr. Chea Rainford
A dental emergency is always a stressful situation, but it can become absolutely nerve-racking when your dentist is out of the office. Whether it’s late Saturday night and your dentist won’t be back in until Monday, or if your dentist is out of the country on 2-week vacation, a dental emergency can be difficult to manage on your own. There are some basic things that you can do to prevent or cope with dental emergencies when they occur.
The best way to handle a potential dental emergency is to avoid it in the first place. The most common dental emergency is pain or swelling from an infected tooth. In most cases, this does not happen suddenly, overnight. Typically, a person has some degree of pain or discomfort for several days or even longer before they are in severe pain and in need of emergency dental care. The best advice is to visit the dentist at the first sign of any discomfort in the teeth or gums.
If a dental emergency does occur when your dentist is unavailable, there are several things that you can do. Pain in the teeth or gums can often be effectively handled with over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil®), naproxen (Aleve®), or acetaminophen (Tylenol®), to be taken as directed. Rinsing with warm salt water (a teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of water) can help temporarily relieve puffy or swollen cheeks and gums. Some-store bought products like Orajel® can also be effective in relieving minor soreness of the gums. If you have a broken tooth, a piece of wax or even some soft chewing gum can cover a sharp edge until you can get to the dentist.
Your dentist should also be available for advice if a dental emergency occurs. Thanks to cell phones and answering services, patients can often reach their dentist after office hours. This gives the dentist the ability to contact the pharmacy for antibiotics and pain medication should they feel that patients need them. If your dentist is going to be out of the office for more than a few days, he or she should have another dentist available to treat any dental emergencies that may occur.

5 Clues Your Child Is not Brushing

Posted on by Dr. Chea Rainford

 

1. The toothbrush is dry.
It’s tough to keep the toothbrush dry if you’re actually brushing! Make sure to check your child’s toothbrush every day (and night ) – before it has time to dry.
2. You can still see food particles.
After your child has brushed, ask for a smile. If you can still see bits of food on or in between your child’s teeth, send your child back to the bathroom for a do-over.
3. Teeth don’t pass the “squeak test.”
Have your child wet his or her finger and rub it quickly across the outside and inside of his or her teeth. If the teeth are clean, you will hear a squeaking sound.
4. Breath is everything but fresh.
If your child is brushing and flossing regularly, his or her breath should be fresh. The foul odor associated with bad breath is most often caused by food particles — either food left in between teeth or food trapped in the grooves on the tongue.
5. Your child has a toothache.
Even if you can’t tell if your child is brushing well, a toothache is a red flag. Make sure your child sees the dentist right away – a filling or other treatment may be in order.
Remember, brushing is just one part of your child’s total oral health regimen. In order to remove stubborn plaque and tartar buildup and prevent other dental problems, regular exams and cleanings are a must. Plus, your dentist can help reinforce the importance of good oral hygiene with your child.

Making Dental Visits Easy for Kids

Posted on by Dr. Chea Rainford
With your help, dental visits can be a positive – even fun – experience for your kids. Our staff will spend a lot of time with your kids to help them feel comfortable and understand what they can expect. You can help us make their next visit a successful one by working with us to accomplish this goal!
Here’s what we suggest:
·        Use only positive words when answering your kids’ questions. Soft, easy, fun and play are good words to use.
·        Avoid using words like pain, hurt, needle and shot. These words make kids (and many adults) scared and anxious.
·        After treatment is completed, you can help continue the positive experience by praising your child and referring to the fun time they just had.
·        DON’T ask negative questions like: Did it hurt? Were you scared? Did you get a shot? These comments could make your child think that there was a reason to be afraid even though they were cooperative and had a good time. It might also make them afraid of future visits.
If your child receives any kind of anesthesia, assure them that their “tickly” or “sleepy” tongue will go away in no time. Most kids don’t mind the numbness, and some even think it’s fun – that’s a good thing.

Nitrous Oxide: A Quick Fix for Dental Fear

Posted on by Dr. Chea Rainford
Sometimes it’s not enough to have a great dentist, caring dental staff and soothing office environment – you or your children may still feel anxious about dental visits. That’s why many dentists use nitrous oxide; it helps calm patients of all ages – from timid tykes to anxious adults. Nitrous oxide (also known as “laughing gas”) has been used by U.S. dentists since the late 1800s. Its benefits are many, and the risks are few.
Nitrous oxide is safe for all ages. Nitrous oxide is considered one of the safest anesthetics available. It is well tolerated by patients of all ages, can be adjusted in various concentrations and is non-allergenic.
It reduces pain and anxiety. The effect of nitrous oxide is often remarkable, for both kids and adults. It’s typical for an adult or child to be relaxed and calm just minutes after receiving nitrous oxide. And when you’re calm, that means a faster, more comfortable dental visit.
You remain conscious. With nitrous oxide, you remain completely conscious and in control of your reflexes. You can talk and respond to your dentist. The point of nitrous oxide is to help you relax.
Comfort comes fast. Nitrous oxide takes effect within minutes and lasts for as long as you’re inhaling. After treatment, oxygen is used to flush the nitrous from your system just as quickly as it entered.

Can Teenagers Get Gum Disease?

Posted on by Dr. Chea Rainford
Gum disease might seem like something only adults get, but the truth is it affects people of all ages. In fact, TeenHealth.com reports that 60 percent of 15-year-olds have gingivitis, the early stage of gum disease. Other studies show that teenage girls may be even more vulnerable to gum disease because of hormonal changes.
This is bad news for teenagers, who may have bad breath or sore gums as the result of gingivitis. But there’s also good news: Gum disease can easily be treated and prevented.
Treatment of gingivitis usually involves a scaling and root planing treatment (SRP) to remove plaque and tartar buildup below the gum line. Just one SRP treatment can reverse the signs of gingivitis and prevent gum disease from progressing.
But how do you keep gum disease from coming back? Pretty much the same way you can prevent it from developing in the first place: brush, floss, get dental cleanings AND eat healthy foods. Healthy eating is where teens often get tripped up – sweets, sodas, energy drinks and sports drinks are heavily marked to and consumed by teenagers.
You can make it easy for your teen to choose healthier options for their teeth and body by making sure the fridge is always stocked with things like fresh fruit, vegetables, cheese and water.

Put Your Dental Fears to Rest!

Posted on by Dr. Chea Rainford
Do you feel uneasy about going to the dentist? If so, there are ways to calm those nerves so you can get through your dental appointment with ease.
Using sedatives and pain relievers, along with local anesthetics if appropriate, we can put you into an extremely relaxed state, while leaving you awake and able to communicate with your dentist the entire time.
By helping you overcome your fear of the dentist, sedation dentistry means you can finally feel comfortable giving your teeth the care they need and deserve. Give us a call to find out about options to help calm those dental-visit nerves.

Red Gums Raise a Red Flag!

Posted on by Dr. Chea Rainford
On your last visit, you may have noticed we paid special attention to your gums. That’s because recent studies have shown a link between oral health and overall health, so keeping your gum tissue healthy is one of our top concerns.
You can do your part by keeping a close eye on your gums between appointments. If you notice swollen, red or bleeding gums in the mirror, it may be a sign of periodontal disease, which needs prompt attention.
Simply being aware and letting us know about any of these signs is the best way to ensure that your teeth, gums and whole body stay healthy for life.

Tired Of Having Worn Teeth?

Posted on by Dr. Chea Rainford

How we perceive our smile and appearance affects our self-esteem, our moods and how we function in social and business relationships. Common conditions that impact negatively on your smile include broken, cracked or worn teeth, discolored teeth, missing teeth, crooked teeth, decayed teeth, gaps between your teeth and/or “gummy smiles.” Each patient and each specific circumstance must be evaluated on its own merits. Factors such as occlusion [bite], oral habits, available space, health of the gum tissue, severity of the problem and patient expectation must be taken into consideration while planning your cosmetic makeover. Worn teeth are not only cosmetically displeasing, but they can result in functional problems also. This situation may lead to headaches, oral pain or periodontal [gum] conditions.

When teeth are worn down severely, there is loss of vertical height of the overall bite. This can be detrimental to one’s face, portraying a “collapsed” appearance. The muscles that open and close one’s mouth get use to certain patterns and degree of mouth opening. When trying to restore the normal bite and vertical height of one’s teeth, patients are often kept longer in temporary restorations to be sure that their muscles can tolerate the size of their new teeth. With a proper, carefully thought out treatment plan, the cosmetic and functional results can be dramatic. Call our office if you think you’re a candidate for this type of procedure.

Here, Use My Toothbrush…

Posted on by Dr. Chea Rainford

Ever use someone else’s toothbrush? You may think twice about doing it again after reading this:

• Toothbrushes can be a source of repeated dental infections.

• Toothbrushes can cause a bacteremia (bacteria entering the bloodstream) that may result in an endocarditis (a heart infection).

• Toothbrushes can harbor and transmit viruses and bacteria.

• Toothbrushes can retain 50% of the herpes simplex virus for one week.

• Gingival [gum] inflammation can be reduced by changing toothbrushes biweekly.

Still think it’s sexy to share a toothbrush? How about sharing food? Kissing? Certain bacteria can be transmitted from site-to-site in the mouth via dental instruments or from person-to-person sharing someone else’s eating utensil. In juvenile periodontitis, virulent bacteria can move from an infected site to an uninfected site in the same mouth. Certain bacteria can be transmitted between spouses. Certain bacteria can be transmitted between parents and children. Certain bacteria can be transmitted from dogs to children.

So you see, bacteria once thought to be localized to specific sites in the mouth, can be migratory. We’re not advocating that you stop tasting a scrumptious morsel or two at a four-star restaurant; we are advocating that everyone maintain good dental health not only for themselves but for the sake of those they love.

As far as ridding toothbrushes of bacteria, soaking them in a mouthrinse containing essential oils for 20 minutes kills 100% of the bacteria on the bristles. Ultraviolet light also sanitizes toothbrushes. But when researchers* tested the efficacy of using a toothpaste containing a common disinfectant compound – triclosan – they found little benefit when it came to eliminating the offending bacteria attached to the toothbrush bristles.

So what can you do about bacterial contamination from toothbrushes? Soak them in a suitable mouthwash, expose them to ultraviolet light, or from a practical stance, change them frequently. As for kissing someone, the benefits may still outweigh the risks …as long as you have an inkling as to their periodontal status!

*Warren DP, Goldshmidt MC, Thompson MB, Adler-Storhz K, and Keene HJ: The effects of toothpastes on residual microbial contamination of toothbrushes. JADA 132:1241-1245, 2001.