Is chewing gum good or bad for your teeth? This is a really good question, especially with all the controversial information out there about chewing gum and the health of your teeth.
The answer to the question is that it depends on what type of gum you are chewing. Chewing gum with sugar is not good for your teeth because it causes excessive sugar to build up in your mouth and get ground in between your teeth. The extra sugar in your mouth is a home for the bacteria that causes tooth decay and infection.
However, chewing sugarless gum is actually good for your teeth. The American Dental Association approves of chewing sugarless gum for twenty minutes after a meal when you are unable to brush your teeth. Chewing the sugar free gum will actually make your mouth produce additional saliva that will help rinse the acid off your teeth after eating.
If you enjoy chewing gum, it's great to know that you don't have to stop. All you need to do is get rid of the sugary gum and replace it with sugarless gum to do your teeth a favor. It's also convenient to grab sugarless gum when you won't be able to brush your teeth after a meal. Who ever thought that chewing gum could be good for your teeth?
The most recent research revealed that everyone can benefit from fluoride and fluoride treatments because they helps to prevent tooth decay for people of all ages. Getting a professional fluoride treatment at your dentist's office helps to ensure your teeth are protected against possible tooth decay.
Certain physical and oral conditions may make you more susceptible to tooth decay including:
- dry mouth from a health condition or taking medication which minimize saliva in your mouth causing acids to build up because they are not being neutralized by saliva;
- receding gums give room for bacteria to grow and teeth decay more quickly; and
- braces can trap bacteria that leads to cavities.
A fluoride treatment at the dentist's office is a pleasant, painless experience. The dentist or hygienist will dry your mouth and apply a foam, paint or varnish with fluoride and sometimes a mouth guard is used that you will wear for a few minutes. After the professional fluoride treatment you cannot eat or smoke for at least thirty minutes. Your mouth will feel clean and refreshed after a fluoride treatment.
To prevent future tooth decay and have the best oral hygiene possible, visit your dentist for a professional fluoride treatment today.
Remember all those old photos from 100 years ago? Did you ever wonder why so many of the people in them never smiled? It was because their teeth looked awful, and back then there were no aesthetic dentists to help!
So don't feel badly if your teeth have become a little dull and yellow over the years—everyone's teeth become yellower and less attractive with age—just thank your lucky stars aesthetic dentistry is here today!
Actually, our forebears had bigger problems than yellow teeth. Many of them had lost a number of teeth due to a poorly understood need for dental hygiene and not a dentist in sight who could fill cavities, perform dental implant surgery, apply porcelain veneers, bond gaps between teeth, invisibly realign crooked teeth or repair cracked teeth.
You're a lot luckier. You have an aesthetic dentist on your side.
The first step in solving your dental problems is one you have to take all by yourself: Deciding that whatever those problems are, you WILL find a solution and you ARE willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve that goal!
Once you've made that decision, you need to schedule an evaluation appointment with your dentist.
If crooked teeth are the problem, you have many types of solutions from which to choose these days. Invisible braces, metal braces placed behind the teeth instead of in front of them, ceramic braces, sapphire braces—even gold braces if you want them!
If decayed teeth are your problem, get ready to have them drilled out and filled, or pulled and replaced. Crowns are another option for some teeth with cavities, and if you must have a tooth removed, you may be able to use a bridge to replace it.
Chipped or cracked teeth, or those with too much space between them may be treated with bonding material that exactly matches the color of your natural teeth
Less than white teeth can receive chairside whitening treatments to give you a gleaming smile.
No matter what your dental problems are, they have solutions with today's marvelous dental technology. So for heaven's sake, don't delay—call your dentist and schedule that first appointment today!
With over fifteen percent of American adults suffering from chronic facial pain, a major question is what is temporomandibular disorder (TMD)?
Several jaw muscles and two joints make it possible to open and close your mouth and they work to help you chew, speak and swallow. The structures are the ligaments, muscles, jaw bone, mandible or lower jaw and two joints, the TMJ's. The TM join is complex that works with the surrounding muscles and any complications in this system can cause painful TMD. Symptoms can include pain or and around the ear, headaches, neck aches, tender jaw and clicking or popping noises when you open your mouth.
During a thorough examination with appropriate x-rays a dentist can help find the source of your pain. Some TMD pain is not as easily diagnosed, depending on whether it is related to the muscles, jaw or TM joint. Your dentist may take a mold of your mouth and refer you to another physician for further diagnosis and treatment. Some treatments for TMD involve manipulation and other techniques which are non-invasive and in other cases, more aggressive treatment is required.
If you have pain in your face or jaw, make an appointment with your dentist today to determine the cause of the problem and whether you could be suffering with TMD.
Everyone is seeking the elusive fountain of youth to remain young for as long as possible. There are a myriad of lotions and potions available on the market that claim to help you restore your youth and look better. A sure way to take years off your appearance is to get an Extreme Smile Makeover.
Having missing, cracked or stained teeth can put years on your appearance and make you look old before your time. You can improve your smile by visiting a cosmetic dentist to help you transform your problem teeth.
If you suffer with coffee, tobacco or tea stained teeth, professional tooth whitening can make them five to ten shades whiter in just one or two painless treatments. A hydrogen peroxide gel is applied to your teeth and the effects are heightened with the use of light or heat.
For teeth that are discolored, cracked or slightly misaligned, dental bonding is a quick process that improves their appearance immediately. A tooth colored dental material is molded around your teeth by the dentist and heated to harden it and make it just like your natural tooth.
Even if you have cracked, broken or severely stained teeth, porcelain veneers can give you a brand new smile. Thin, tooth colored shells are bonded to the fronts of your teeth for a true Hollywood smile. For teeth that are missing completely, your cosmetic dentist can discuss modern options such as dental implants, bridges and natural looking dentures.
To look as youthful as possible, talk to your cosmetic dentist today.
A big question for most parents is when a child should first see their dentist for a preliminary dental examination.
An answer answer to this question is that your child should have their first dental visit by their first birthday. Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry agree that children who are at potential risk of getting early childhood cavities should visit a dentist by the time they are 1 years old. Formerly the answer to this question was after a child's first tooth came in, but national public health groups have updated their advice.
Because more than one in four children in the United States today have cavities by the time they reach the age of four, and sometimes as early as the age of two, children should visit a dentist sooner rather than later. Parents can help at home by managing a child's diet to avoid sugary snacks and assist a child with good oral hygiene such as brushing with a fluoride toothpaste twice a day and flossing daily.
By taking your child to the dentist early, you encourage healthy dental habits and help to prevent problems before they start for a lifetime of great smiles.
Smoking is a lot of things. In the past, it was thought to add glamor and sophistication to a person's image. Remember those old movies that portrayed devil-may-care beautiful people smoking at cocktail parties?
Though the glamor surrounding smoking is long gone, it remains a great way to do several other things. Exposing yourself to nicotine, which is the most addictive substance in the world, or making your clothes, your hair and your breath reek of tobacco. In addition to these dubious "benefits" smoking can also ruin your teeth and gums.
After years of smoking, the stains that nicotine leaves on your pearly white teeth can be practically impossible to eradicate. In addition, toxic gas and other substances you take into your mouth when you smoke can do lasting and sometimes irreversible damage to your gums, which is why long-term smokers so often end by wearing false teeth.
Smoking is not your friend. However soothing the immediate effects of nicotine are, they are terrible for your health and appearance. If you smoke, do your pearly whites a favor and stop immediately. If you don't smoke, don't start—your teeth and gums will thank you!
Brushing your teeth should is never the most comfortable chore in the world - when you brush correctly, it may cause a slight bit of discomfort to reach all the important places in your mouth and remove plaque. Your gums may even bleed slightly, which is often considered to be normal.
However, too much discomfort is a sign of oral health troubles lurking and you should see your dental professional as soon as possible. These signs may include bleeding, swollen gums, overly sensitive teeth and outright pain.
While brushing too hard can scratch the enamel of your teeth, not brushing firmly enough does not remove plaque properly. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush with a fluoride toothpaste approved by the American Dental Association with short back and forth strokes on all the surfaces of your teeth. Don't forget to brush along the base of your gums and your tongue to get rid of additional plaque and bacteria in your mouth. Ideally, you should brush your teeth for at least two minutes twice daily and floss once a day to remove plaque from in between your teeth that your toothbrush cannot reach.
When you brush properly, the bleeding from your gums should minimize over time. To reiterate, signs you should see a dentist include gums that continue to bleed when you brush, swollen gums and bad breath that cannot be explained. These signs could indicate gum disease or even more serious health problems and should be immediately discussed with your dentist.
If anxiety about dental visits is stopping you from taking care of your teeth, stop letting anxiety control your oral health—make a decision and start taking steps to implement it today!
A good way to begin is by reminding yourself that the only person in the world who can control your life is you. If you’ve experienced traumatic dental care in the past or just don’t get along all that well with the dentist you’ve been using, choose another dentist who will better understand your dental needs and be committed to fulfilling them in the best and most harmonious way.
Choose a dental office that offers the latest techniques in dental care, including conscious sedation, a new technique which lets you sleep through even the most complex procedures and significantly reduces your dental anxiety.
Once you’ve chosen a dentist, set an appointment, and keep it. If necessary, ask a friend or family member to support you by going to your appointment with you.
Choose to make your oral health your highest priority. Improving your oral health improves your life. Good dental health means that your mouth can feed the rest of your body, speak for you effectively, and share your emotions with others in the best possible way.
