Using both Invisalign and traditional braces, we’ve seen their smiles change over the years and sometimes even caught them in the process.
So who has had Invisalign and who has had braces?
100% Xylitol can be consumed in many different product forms: mints, gum, lollipops, and granular just to name a few. Many commercial sugarless gums, which are not 100% Xylitol, contain approximately .5 grams of Xylitol per piece. It is recommended that 6-10 grams of Xylitol be consumed daily by children and adults. Therefore, it is recommended that a product with 100% Xylitol be consumed instead.
Products with 100% Xylitol can be difficult to find at your everyday local grocery store but you can usually find 100% Xylitol at health/organic food stores and on the Internet.
Xylitol is also recommended for infants and can be started with a few grams a day once the teeth begin erupting, working up to 6-10 grams as all the teeth have fully erupted. Since babies cannot chew gum/lollipop/mints, we recommend Xylitol be introduced in a granular form mixed in water. A wash cloth bathed in this solution can be used to clean the newly erupted teeth. Speak with your dentist or a pediatric dentist before introducing Xylitol.]]>
1. Celebrity Smile Makeovers 2. The Seven Myths of Teeth Whitening 3. Teeth Whitening: How White Is Too White? 4. Are Teeth Whitening Kiosks at the Mall Safe? 5. No Time for Teeth Whitening? 4 Tricks for Making Teeth Appear Whiter 6. Why Do I Have Tooth Sensitivity After a Filling? 7. Bad Breath…Top Three Causes 8. Can Sugar Free Gum Prevent Cavities? 9. “It’s Halloween! What Do I Do With All This Candy?” 10. The Truth About Porcelain Veneers Which post did you learn the most from? Have you scheduled your dental appointment for 2012 yet?
Wishing you a healthy and prosperous New Year!
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Picture this: You’re mere moments away from your regular dental visit, anticipating the question, “Have you been brushing and flossing regularly?” In an attempt to clean whatever might be lurking between your teeth before your hygienist or dentist catches you red-handed, you franticly brush and floss hours before your appointment. Once that dreaded questions comes, you give your answer, “Yes of course I do! All the time! I love flossing!,” but get the distinct feeling that they just don’t believe you.
So, how do we dentists know if you’ve been flossing regularly?
Being dentists, we can’t stress enough the importance of regular flossing in conjunction with brushing. Flossing is important to your gum and tooth health and when you don’t floss regularly, there are very apparent consequences.
The most obvious is inflammation between the teeth. When you don’t floss regularly, plaque, bacteria, and debris sit between the teeth causing inflammation. As a result, your gums start to look pink, puffy and inflammed and bleed easily.
The second give away is cavities forming between the teeth. Brushing your teeth, no matter how good and efficient you are at it, will not clean where the teeth meet. The only way to clean in that crucial spot is to floss. If you have any cavities or the beginning stages of cavities, it indicates that flossing is a weak point in your home care regimen.
Lastly, the biggest and most obvious sign that a patient is not flossing regularly is cuts or abrasions on the gums, indicating that the patient may have just flossed or isn’t doing it correctly or efficiently. If you aren’t careful and don’t know you’re way around your teeth and mouth, it will show.
The moral of the story is simple, make flossing a part of your daily regimen! The benefits to your oral health are tremendous.]]>
Thanksgiving is over and the holidays are rapidly approaching. If you’re stumped about what to get your loved one this holiday season here are our favorite holiday gifts and stocking stuffers!
Sonicare Toothbrush: This is our number one favorite home care product and the perfect gift for the holidays. An electric toothbrush is a great way to care for your teeth and electric toothbrushes with sonic action are even better. With a built in timer that also gives a gentle reminder about when to switch to the next part of the mouth, you always know if you brushed your teeth long enough. And the sonic motion gives you a better overall clean. Available at many retailers including Target.com.
A di Alessi Rondo Toothpaste Tube Cap and Floss Dispenser: We absolutely love these little guys. They’re fun and practical, which is why they’re one of our favorite stocking stuffers to give to friends and family members. You can find the Toothpaste Cap and Floss Dispenser on newegg.com.
Purse-Sized Violight Slim Sonic Toothbrush: This is an adorable toothbrush for on the go. Slim and stylish, with eight different case styles, it’s a fun toothbrush that fits perfectly in your purse. Available on Amazon.com.
Personalized Turtle Tooth Fairy Box: This is a great gift for the children in your life. It comes in two colors, blue or purple, and can be personalized. Being a dentist, this is the first gift I gave my niece. And although she doesn’t have any teeth yet, it looks very cute on her dresser! This and other tooth fairy boxes are available on chasing-fireflies.com
Diabetes is a serious disease that affects how your body processes sugar. Another aspect of the disease is a reduced resistance to infection and decreased or slower healing. It is estimated that around 20 million people have diabetes but more than half of those people are undiagnosed.
There’s a dental connection too. Because of the reduced healing and increased susceptibility to infections, people with diabetes are more prone to developing oral infections as well as periodontal disease, when compared to those without diabetes, a two-fold problem for diabetics.
Diabetics are more prone to periodontal disease, which is the chronic inflammation and infection of the gums and surrounding tissues. If left untreated, it can lead to irreversible destruction of the tissues and tooth loss. Also, serious periodontal disease has the potential to affect a diabetics blood sugar control which in turn reduces healing ability and further increases the susceptibility to infection.
Diabetes can also cause other oral problems such as thrush or candidiasis (a yeast infection in the mouth) and dry mouth. This can lead to soreness, ulcers, infections and cavities.
Diabetes is a serious disease that affects many aspects of our health. Its important to keep your blood sugar under control and see a physician regularly to maintain good health. Also, you should be seeing a dentist regularly to help keep your oral health pristine and aid in maintaining good overall health.]]>
We want to cover the topics that you really want to know about.
What’s the best way of finding these topics? Going directly to the source- our patients and readers!
Send us a question or topic that you would like us to write about and we’ll address it in one of our upcoming blog posts.
And of course, if you have any personal concerns, call us at our office: (212) 245-2888.]]>
Smoking is not only bad for your heart and lungs but your mouth too.
Here are the alarming statistics:
- Smokers are three times more likely than non-smokers to lose all their teeth. This figure has not changed from a decade ago.
- Smoking can result in periodontal gum disease, bad breath, staining of the tongue and teeth, delayed healing and complications with certain dental procedures, plaque build-up, and a diminished sense of taste and smell.
- About 28,000 people are diagnosed with oral cancer a year and 7,200 die from oral cancer each year.
- It has been reported by the Academy of General Dentistry that a one-pack-a-day smoking habit can cost you the loss of at least two teeth every 10 years. Smoking can also lead to seven times the risk of developing gum disease compared to non-smokers.
- About eight out in ten people with mouth and throat cancers are tobacco users. On average, 40 percent of those with the disease will not survive more than five years after being diagnosed, as quoted by the American Dental Association.
- According to the American Cancer Society, it is estimated that about 8 out of 10 oral cancers could be prevented by avoiding both tobacco and alcohol use. Many of the chemicals found in tobacco can damage DNA directly. Scientists are not sure whether alcohol directly damages DNA but they have shown that alcohol helps many DNA-damaging chemicals get into cells more easily. This may be why the combination of tobacco and alcohol damages DNA far more than tobacco alone.
How does botox really work? Botox acts on the muscle its injected into by relaxing and reducing the strength of contractions. It is a highly refined purified protein with absolutely no live bacteria that lasts approximately 3-6 months. As the effects of Botox wear off, strength gradually returns to the contraction of the muscle affected.
Therapy with Botox for Grinding, Clenching, and TMJ Disorder
Many people grind and clench their teeth and/or suffer from TMJ Disorder. Your teeth should only touch together approximately 30 minutes a day, for chewing and swallowing. People that grind and clench put their teeth together more then 30 minutes a day. The hyper-function of the muscles used to move the jaw and put the teeth together can lead to: excessive wear to the teeth, broken teeth, inflammation/hypertrophy of muscles used to move jaw, TMJ Disorder, and headaches. Treating a patient with Botox in combination with a night guard can significantly reduce the symptoms from hyper-function of these muscles.Gummy Smiles
Some patients have excessive gum tissue showing when they smile or talk. This could be due to excessive jaw growth, short upper lip, hyper-function of upper lip muscles, and/or altered gum tissue growth. Patients will sometimes go through gum or jaw surgery to reduce a “gummy smile.” An non-invasive alternative treatment option to treat “gummy smiles” is injecting botox into the upper lip muscles that produce a smile. By relaxing these muscles of facial expression with botox, the amount of gum tissue exposed when smiling is reduced.Wrinkles
Wrinkles are caused by muscles that fold the skin overlying.
When the contraction of the muscles that cause facial
expressions are reduced, wrinkles are reduced or go away completely by allowing the skin to recover. Dentists are experts in the anatomy of the head/neck region and are excellent sources for injections in the area. An added benefit is that patients typically see the dentist for routine cleanings every 6 months, the perfect time to have the Botox re-done.
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