Cosmetic Dentistry Blog

Have you had your dentist ask you questions like, “Are you snoring or sleeping bad?' or “Do you suffer from halitosis no matter what you eat or do?' or “Do you suffer from acidity?' This is usually the dentist trying to figure out if you have other health problems due to bad oral health. Very often poor dental health is actually a pointerknowing about.

Mouth odor which is so terrible and everyone hates, could be the result of poor digestion, bad eating habits, gastroenteritis, and many other similar problems. High acidity also causes yellowing of teeth, plaque and even cavities. Snoring is another example where oral health points to underlying health problems - in this case it is respiratory disorders.

Recent studies show that even heart diseases could be detected through the analysis of the condition of your oral health. Tooth infections and abscesses can influence the immune system to such an extent that the heart would be affected as well. When there are acute and continuous recurring infections of the jaw bone in particular, it is often a pointer that the heart is under threat as well.

This is why it is important to visit us at least every six months so you would not only ensure the health of your teeth but also your health overall. Our professional dental staff would be able to tell you whether what you are suffering from is due to poor dental hygiene or poor eating habits.

There are a few things that you should always do to ensure that your teeth stay healthy and disease free.

1. Brush your teeth two to three times a day - generally the best habit is to brush immediately after a meal. However, brushing 2-3 times a day would suffice. Brushing usually helps to remove any remaining food particles from in-between teeth and also wash away any acidic remnants.

2. Flossing is a must - flossing is once again a very important daily activity which you should never ignore.

3. Avoid sugary foods - Generally speaking this creates acidity and gastric problems. When sugary matter remains on the teeth it weakens the enamel and causes cavities.

It is very important that you pay attention to the health of your teeth and mouth in general for neglecting this aspect may impact negatively the rest of your body.If you are experiencing bad oral health  problems or haven not visited us in the last six months contact us and set up your schedule today.

In this blog post, we’re going to talk about tooth enamel. We’re going to explain what enamel is, its importance, the causes of erosion,  and enamel repair options. 
 
First off,  just what exactly is  tooth enamel?  Enamel is the thin outer covering of the tooth.  You might be surprised that this tough shell is the hardest tissue in the human body. Enamel covers the visible part of the tooth professionally referred to as the “crown”.  Because enamel is translucent, you can see light through it. But the main body of the tooth, the dentin, is the part that’s responsible for your tooth color - whether white, off white, gray, or yellowish. Sometimes coffee, tea, cola, red wine, fruit juices, and cigarettes stain the enamel on your teeth. Regular visits to your dentist for routine cleaning and polishing can help remove most surface stains and make sure your teeth stay healthy. Keeping your enamel in good condition and protecting the dentin.
 
So as you can probably tell from the above paragraph, enamel is important to your oral health. Enamel helps protect your teeth from daily use such as chewing, biting, crunching, and grinding. Although enamel is a hard protector of teeth, it can chip and crack. Enamel also insulates the teeth from potentially painful temperatures and chemicals. Unlike a broken bone that can be repaired by the body, once a tooth chips or breaks, the damage is done forever. This is due to the fact that enamel has no living cells, so the body cannot repair chipped or cracked enamel.
 
Tooth erosion happens when acids wear away the enamel on teeth. There are many factors that can contribute to enamel erosion. So we’ll just break it down into a short list for you folks:
 

• Excessive soft drink consumption
• Fruit drinks. Some are actually more erosive than battery acid!
• Dry mouth or low salivary flow
• Diet (high in sugar and starches)
• Acid reflux disease
• Gastrointestinal problems
• Medications
• Genetics

Modern dentistry offers many solutions to enamel decay.  The two most common treatments for enamel damage is bonding (for slight and partial damage)  up to totally covering the tooth with a crown.  The dental crown is used to treat a significantly vulnerable tooth against further decay. Of course we can’t cover every conceivable condition and treatment option in this single blog post, but we do want you to capture an understanding of the more commonly used treatments for enamel damage.  Contact us today to set up an appointment if you suspect that you have enamel problems. Again, chipped teeth and heavily stained teeth can be strong indicators.

We encourage you to look through Dream Smile Dental's website because we are happy to provide a wealth of dental health and consumer educational services.  We welcome your questions and look forward to hearing from you.