AVOIDING TOOTH DECAY
Tooth decay is a process that involves a balance of the mineral loss and replacement in a tooth over time in response to daily acid attacks resulting from food consumption. Cavities and the decay process can be prevented by working closely with your dental professional and following his or her plan for you. Eating the proper foods at the right time during meals and avoiding foods or snacks between meals can also help reduce your risk. And brushing your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day is a critical step toward balancing the “tug-of-war” on your tooth surfaces and preventing the tooth decay process from continuing to become cavities. Let’s examine this process.
What is Tooth Decay?
The formation of dental caries, or “cavities”, involves three major factors:
* Food or beverages consumed (your diet)
* Bacteria in plaque
* Your current state of oral health
Bacteria interacts with the food you eat to produce waste products in the form of acids, which cause a breakdown or demineralization of areas underneath the tooth surface. This breakdown of the tooth surface is tooth decay.
Think of it this way: Each time you eat, there’s an acid attack on the tooth. A counterattack by your body occurs by rinsing the food and acid away with saliva. The saliva not only buffers or neutralizes the acids, it also contains minerals (calcium and phosphate) that rebuild the areas of the tooth that were demineralized or attacked by the acids. This rebuilding process is known as remineralization. This series of attacking and rebuilding is like a tug-of-war in your mouth. It’s your body’s way of helping protect your teeth from everyday problems. But by fully understanding the cause of dental cavities, and by looking at each of the three factors more closely, we can look at other ways of preventing tooth decay.
Food and Beverages
Foods and beverages that are consumed for prolonged periods of time between meals can tip the balance of remineralization/demineralization in favor of the decay process. Sticky foods, such as caramels and raisins, should be avoided as between-meal snacks, because the acid attack becomes too much for the saliva to prevent and repair. Eating these same foods during a meal, however, allows for the tug-of-war to be a winning situation for a person and their teeth.
If children are allowed to fall asleep with a baby bottle, or if they’re given the bottle to carry around with them, and the liquid, whether it be milk, fruit juices or other drinks, can be used by the bacteria to produce acids, and tooth decay can rapidly occur. This is often known as “baby bottle tooth decay”.
To help prevent tooth decay, limit your intake of sugary, sticky foods and sweetened beverages between meals.
Bacteria in Plaque
The plaque bacteria on your teeth should be removed by brushing at least twice a day and flossing once a day. Usually, a clean tooth can stay healthy. Certain bacteria are more likely to cause decay because they can use the sugars and starches you eat better than others. Bacteria called streptococci mutans and lactobacillus are two types of these culprits. We all have small amounts of these types of bacteria in our mouths, but sometimes they may be present in higher levels. In those situations, you would be at higher risk for tooth decay or more likely to lose the tug-of-war. Your dental team may use a sample of your saliva to measure levels of these bacteria.
Your Current State of Oral Health
The third primary part of the tooth decay situation is your teeth and mouth. This includes everything from the way the teeth are shaped, formed and positioned, to your saliva, dental treatment and oral health habits. Your saliva is very important in many ways, including slowing the loss of mineral from the teeth and replacing it in the remineralization process. But sometimes, certain conditions or medication change the amount and type of saliva in your mouth, allowing the tooth decay process to progress all the way to cavities.
Tooth decay is a process that involves a balance of the mineral loss and replacement in a tooth over time in response to daily acid attacks resulting from food consumption. Cavities and the decay process can be prevented by working closely with your dental professional and following his or her plan for you. Eating the proper foods at the right time during meals and avoiding foods or snacks between meals can also help reduce your risk. And brushing your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day is a critical step toward balancing the “tug-of-war” on your tooth surfaces and preventing the tooth decay process from continuing to become cavities. Let’s examine this process.
What is Tooth Decay?
The formation of dental caries, or “cavities”, involves three major factors:
* Food or beverages consumed (your diet)
* Bacteria in plaque
* Your current state of oral health
Bacteria interacts with the food you eat to produce waste products in the form of acids, which cause a breakdown or demineralization of areas underneath the tooth surface. This breakdown of the tooth surface is tooth decay.
Think of it this way: Each time you eat, there’s an acid attack on the tooth. A counterattack by your body occurs by rinsing the food and acid away with saliva. The saliva not only buffers or neutralizes the acids, it also contains minerals (calcium and phosphate) that rebuild the areas of the tooth that were demineralized or attacked by the acids. This rebuilding process is known as remineralization. This series of attacking and rebuilding is like a tug-of-war in your mouth. It’s your body’s way of helping protect your teeth from everyday problems. But by fully understanding the cause of dental cavities, and by looking at each of the three factors more closely, we can look at other ways of preventing tooth decay.
Food and Beverages
Foods and beverages that are consumed for prolonged periods of time between meals can tip the balance of remineralization/demineralization in favor of the decay process. Sticky foods, such as caramels and raisins, should be avoided as between-meal snacks, because the acid attack becomes too much for the saliva to prevent and repair. Eating these same foods during a meal, however, allows for the tug-of-war to be a winning situation for a person and their teeth.
If children are allowed to fall asleep with a baby bottle, or if they’re given the bottle to carry around with them, and the liquid, whether it be milk, fruit juices or other drinks, can be used by the bacteria to produce acids, and tooth decay can rapidly occur. This is often known as “baby bottle tooth decay”.
To help prevent tooth decay, limit your intake of sugary, sticky foods and sweetened beverages between meals.
Bacteria in Plaque
The plaque bacteria on your teeth should be removed by brushing at least twice a day and flossing once a day. Usually, a clean tooth can stay healthy. Certain bacteria are more likely to cause decay because they can use the sugars and starches you eat better than others. Bacteria called streptococci mutans and lactobacillus are two types of these culprits. We all have small amounts of these types of bacteria in our mouths, but sometimes they may be present in higher levels. In those situations, you would be at higher risk for tooth decay or more likely to lose the tug-of-war. Your dental team may use a sample of your saliva to measure levels of these bacteria.
Your Current State of Oral Health
The third primary part of the tooth decay situation is your teeth and mouth. This includes everything from the way the teeth are shaped, formed and positioned, to your saliva, dental treatment and oral health habits. Your saliva is very important in many ways, including slowing the loss of mineral from the teeth and replacing it in the remineralization process. But sometimes, certain conditions or medication change the amount and type of saliva in your mouth, allowing the tooth decay process to progress all the way to cavities.
Ways to Help Prevent Tooth Decay
Sealants: The deep grooves and pits in some teeth, such as molars, can also be trouble spots for decay. One way to prevent this type of decay is to have your dental team paint a shaded plastic material called a pit and fissure sealant on these areas. Once the sealant hardens, it acts as a barrier protecting the tooth surface from plaque and acids.
Fluoride Supplements: Fluorides also play a significant role in preventing decay. By adding fluoride to your water or including a fluoride rinse in your daily oral routine, you can help better protect your teeth from cavities and bacteria. Fluoride supplements are also available and can help keep your mouth clean and healthy.
Fluoride Toothpaste: One of the best ways to prevent mineral loss from the tooth or demineralization and help the replacement process or remineralization is by using toothpaste that contains fluoride. A small amount used daily helps balance the tug-of-war situation in your favor. Many scientific studies over a long period of time have proven this to be one of the most effective ways to prevent tooth decay. Brand new advances in toothpaste technology have made this even better by including antibacterial components, such as the tin in stannous fluoride.
Sealants: The deep grooves and pits in some teeth, such as molars, can also be trouble spots for decay. One way to prevent this type of decay is to have your dental team paint a shaded plastic material called a pit and fissure sealant on these areas. Once the sealant hardens, it acts as a barrier protecting the tooth surface from plaque and acids.
Fluoride Supplements: Fluorides also play a significant role in preventing decay. By adding fluoride to your water or including a fluoride rinse in your daily oral routine, you can help better protect your teeth from cavities and bacteria. Fluoride supplements are also available and can help keep your mouth clean and healthy.
Fluoride Toothpaste: One of the best ways to prevent mineral loss from the tooth or demineralization and help the replacement process or remineralization is by using toothpaste that contains fluoride. A small amount used daily helps balance the tug-of-war situation in your favor. Many scientific studies over a long period of time have proven this to be one of the most effective ways to prevent tooth decay. Brand new advances in toothpaste technology have made this even better by including antibacterial components, such as the tin in stannous fluoride.
BEAT YOUR BAD BREATH 
If you suffer from chronic, severe bad breath, also known as halitosis, it’s important to identify the cause so you can determine an effective treatment.
Halitosis has many causes, including the following:
* Tobacco use. If you smoke, quit. Your bad breath may be due to other causes, too, but tobacco use is a guarantee of bad breath. If you are ready to quit, ask your doctor or dentist for advice and support.
* What you eat, or don’t eat. Certain foods, such as garlic, contribute to bad breath, but only temporarily. Once they are absorbed into the bloodstream, the smell is expelled through the breath, but the odors remain until the body processes the food, so there’s no quick fix.
* Dry mouth. If your mouth is extremely dry, there is not enough saliva to wash away excess food particles and bacteria, which can cause an unpleasant smell if they build up on the teeth.
* Infections. Bad breath that seems to have no other cause may indicate an infection elsewhere in the body. If you have chronic bad breath and your dentist rules out any oral problems, see your doctor for an evaluation. Bad breath can be a sign of a range of conditions including respiratory tract infections, chronic sinusitis or bronchitis, diabetes, or liver and kidney problems, so it’s important not to ignore the problem.
The best way to improve bad breath is to follow a thorough oral care routine including twice-daily tooth brushing and daily flossing to remove the food particles and bacteria that can cause bad breath. Mouthwashes only improve bad breath for the short term, and if you have a chronic problem, your dentist may suggest an antimicrobial rinse to help keep bacteria at bay.
DENTAL HYGIENE FOR PLAQUE AND TARTAR CONTROL
Two important dental hygiene issues are plaque and tartar control. Patients often confuse plaque and tartar and how they’re related to each other. Read on to learn how to differentiate them and tailor your dental hygiene routine to help control them.
Plaque
Plaque is a sticky, colorless deposit of bacteria that is constantly forming on the tooth surface. Saliva, food, and fluids combine to produce these deposits that collect on teeth and where teeth and gums meet.
The buildup of plaque can trap stains on the teeth, and it is also the primary factor in gum disease. Fighting plaque is a life-long part of good dental hygiene. Plaque can also lead to the development of cavities, which further weaken your teeth.
Plaque can begin forming on teeth four to 12 hours after brushing, which is why it is so important to brush at least twice a day and floss daily. Brushing teeth, although necessary, is not enough. Make sure to floss every day in order to get those hard-to-reach places between teeth to help prevent the buildup of plaque.
Tartar
Tartar, also called calculus, is a crusty deposit that can trap stains on the teeth and cause discoloration. Calcium and phosphate bind to form crystals on the teeth. These calcium phosphate crystals eventually harden within plaque, forming calculus. Certain types of chemicals called pyrophosphates help to decrease calculus buildup by stopping the growth of crystals on the tooth surface and preventing new crystals from forming. Tartar creates a strong bond that can only be removed by a dental professional. Its formation may also make it more difficult to remove new plaque bacteria, thus potentially creating problems further down the road.
Dental Hygiene for Prevention
Plaque and tartar do not affect everyone in the same way; individuals vary greatly in their susceptibility and resistance. For many of us, these deposits build up faster as we age, meaning the older you get, the more closely you have to monitor your dental hygiene routine. There are, however, several ways in which you can alter your dental hygiene practices to help protect your teeth from the buildup of plaque and tartar.
* Having your teeth cleaned professionally every six months, or more frequently as recommended by your dentist or hygienist
* Brushing with a toothpaste that contains pyrophosphate, such as Crest® Tartar Protection, which adheres to the tooth surface and inhibits the formation or growth of calculus crystals
* Brushing with Crest® Pro-Health or Crest® Vivid White, which contain sodium hexametaphosphate, a pyrophosphate specially formulated to not only inhibit calculus, but also loosen and break the bonds of extrinsic stains for powerful whitening and a protective barrier to prevent future stains
DIABETES AND PATIENTS WITH PERIODODNTAL DISEASE
Did you know diabetes can help contribute to dental health issues? If you are an adult with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, and your blood sugar control is sometimes not as good as your doctor wants it to be, you could be at greater risk for developing oral health problems. One of these potential threats includes a serious type of gum infection called periodontal disease that can lead to the loss teeth. Diabetes may lower your ability to fight the germs that cause periodontal disease, also known as gum disease.
Periodontal Disease and Blood Glucose
Periodontal or gum disease is a serious gum infection that can lead to tooth loss and might prevent you from achieving the nutritional goals set by your doctor or diabetes educator. If not detected by a dentist or hygienist or if left untreated, periodontal disease can cause an infection that destroys the bone supporting your teeth. As the gum disease progresses, symptoms might include tooth loosening or shifting, bad breath or bleeding gums. Periodontal disease can worsen blood glucose control and vice versa. If your blood glucose is high or fluctuates, you are at risk of developing severe periodontal disease.
Symptoms of Periodontal Disease
* Red and swollen gums.
* Gums that bleed are not healthy. Even if your gums bleed only when you brush too hard, ANY sign of bleeding is not normal.
* White or yellow pus around gums.
* Teeth that are longer and gums that have pulled away from teeth.
Consider the following questions:
* Have you ever noticed blood (red) on your toothbrush, on your food, or in your saliva?
* Do you have any loose teeth or teeth that have shifted on their own?
* Have you ever been told you had gum disease or had a tooth pulled because of gum disease?
* Do you use any tobacco products?
* Has it been over two years since you last saw a dentist?
* Is your hemoglobin A1c level greater than 7.0?
One or more responses of “yes” warrants a dental examination for periodontal disease.
If you have diabetes, be sure to pay special attention to your oral care routine, because periodontal disease is preventable with proper oral hygiene and regular dental visits.