You’re grandfather had dentures, your father had dentures and even your great aunt on your mother’s side had dentures. Dentures are a sure bet for your future—right? Not necessarily.
When it comes to the risk factors for tooth loss, most people think heredity determines their luck. This idea, which is only partially true, leads people to think preventing tooth loss is simply out of their hands. As your Noblesville dentist, I would like to inform everyone who thinks dentures are an unavoidable part of aging—that you’re in luck. You may be able to avoid fake teeth after all.
The Journal of Periodontology published a report suggesting there are a number of other risk factors at play—nine to be exact. Here are the nine risk factors for tooth loss:
• Being older than 35
• Being male
• The fact that front teeth are more likely to be lost than back teeth
• Smoking
• Not brushing your teeth
• Never seeking professional dental care
• Having diabetes
• Having high blood pressure
• Having rheumatoid arthritis
The report lists nine individual risk factors for tooth loss, but only four of these are linked to things that are out of your control. The rest of the factors can be either worsened or improved through behavior, which means that you may have more control over tooth loss than you thought. Making a commitment to brush your teeth, visit the dentist and lead a healthy lifestyle to reduce your risk for diabetes and high blood pressure are all steps you can take to avoid tooth loss.
If you’ve put your oral health on the back burner because you thought tooth loss was out of your hands, it is never too late to
start getting your oral health back on track. Remember, the sooner you take action, the better your results will be. Contact your Noblesville dentist to start taking control of your teeth’s future today.
As your Noblesville dentist, my job is to not only keep your mouth healthy, but also to help improve your quality of life. If you have reoccurring headaches, ear pain or sinus issues that your doctor has not been able to determine the cause of, it is a good idea to ask your Noblesville dentist (or whomever is providing your dental care) about TMJ.
If you have been diagnosed with TMJ or have any of these 5 signs of TMJ, the following list of tips can help alleviate your pain.
Jaw rest:
When you can, keep your teeth apart as much as possible. This will keep you from grinding your teeth so your jaw can get some rest. In order to do this, you will need to start being mindful of when you are clenching or grinding. Avoid chewing gum or eating hard, chewy food or food that requires you to open your mouth widely such as a large sandwich.
Heat and ice therapy:
Applying heat and ice to your jaw will alleviate pain by reducing muscle tension. This practice can also help reduce muscle spasms that can occur with TMJ.
Medications:
Anti-inflammatory medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen or steroids can help control inflammation. Your doctor may prescribe muscle relaxants to control and decrease painful muscle spasms. In certain situations, local injection of cortisone preparations into the TMJ may be helpful.
Physical therapy:
Opening and closing the jaw, massage and electrical stimulation help to decrease pain and increase the range of motion and strength of the jaw joint.
Stress management:
For TMJ sufferers, grinding and clenching are natural habits that will escalate when stress invades. Stress support groups, psychological counseling and medications can be help you find effective ways to manage and reduce stress.
If you think you may have TMJ, contact your Noblesville dentist today.
As you gather around your table this Thanksgiving, you might take a moment to give special thanks to one of Thanksgiving’s most notable staples: the cranberry. It turns out that cranberries can be allies in the fight against cavities.
For years, cranberries, especially cranberry juice, have been known to contain ingredients that aid in curing as well as preventing bladder infections. More recently, doctors began testing the theory that the characteristics of the cranberry that fight bladder infection may help fight the causes of tooth decay.
The American Dental Association released a study led by oral biologist Hyun Koo, D.D.S., Ph.D., at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Koo and his team found that cranberries can actually protect teeth from cavities by making it difficult for the cavity causing bacteria to cling to the teeth.
Koo’s team also found evidence that cranberry juice disrupts the formation of the building block of plaque. Like masons using cement to build a wall brick by brick, bacteria use enzymes to build dental plaque piece by piece, quickly forming a sticky fortress that covers the tooth and gives bacteria a safe place to thrive on sugar and churn out acid. Koo’s team found that cranberry juice prevents bacteria from forming plaque by inhibiting those enzymes and by stopping additional bacteria from adhering to the teeth.
This doesn’t mean that cranberries hold the key to cavity busting and that eating cranberries means you can skip the toothpaste. Since cranberry juice is usually made with large amounts of sugar it will still cause cavities. As for cranberries without the sugar, it is still a good idea to brush your teeth. Think of the cranberry as an extra boost of protection rather than a substitute for your daily oral healthcare routine. Koo is working to isolate the properties that fight plaque so these properties can be added to everyday oral care products. Until then, the ADA still recommends that you continue your normal oral care routine with or without cranberries.
Have you ever wondered how stress affects oral health? You are likely well aware of the effects that stress can have on your overall health. However, you may not realize the ways in which stress can manifest itself in the health of your teeth, gums and jaw.
Stress can cause:
Here are some tips for managing these ailments:
Mouth Sores
Canker sores are small ulcers with a white or grayish base with a red border that appear inside the mouth. Although experts aren’t sure what causes them, they do think that stress, as well as fatigue and allergies, can increase the risk of getting them. Most canker sores disappear in a week to 10 days. For relief from the irritation, try over-the-counter topical anesthetics. To reduce irritation, don’t eat spicy, hot foods or foods with a high acid content, such as tomatoes or citrus fruits.
Cold sores, also called fever blisters, are caused by the herpes simplex virus and are contagious. Cold sores are fluid-filled blisters that often appear on or around the lips, but can also crop up under the nose or around the chin area. Emotional upset, fever, a sunburn or skin abrasion can trigger an outbreak.
Like canker sores, fever blisters often heal on their own in about a week. Treatment is available, including over-the-counter remedies and prescription antiviral drugs. Ask your doctor or dentist if you could benefit from either. It’s important to start treatment as soon as you notice the cold sore forming.
Teeth Grinding
It is common for people who are stressed to clench and grind their teeth. Clenching and grinding (also known as bruxism) can occur during the day or while you are sleeping. People are usually unaware that they are clenching and grinding their teeth, and stress often increases the severity of this unconscious habit.
Grinding your teeth can lead to problems with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), located in front of the ear where the skull and lower jaw meet.
See your dentist and ask what can be done for the clenching and grinding. Your dentist may recommend a night guard, worn as you sleep or another appliance to help you stop or minimize the actions.
Poor Oral Hygiene
We have all had the urge to skip our oral hygiene routine and head straight to bed. This is especially true during stressful times. It is also easy to give into unhealthy eating habits like indulging in sugary food and drinks. All of these stress induced reactions will increase your risk for tooth decay and other problems.
Just reminding yourself of the importance of hygiene and healthy eating may help. It is a good idea to stick to a regular exercise regime, especially in times of stress. Make a point to cook healthy meals and stay active so you avoid letting your mood get the best of you.
Tooth decay occurs when foods that are high in sugar and starch are left on the teeth. This is where plaque, the substance that clings to your teeth and causes cavities originates from. The good news is that tooth decay is preventable. Here are steps you can take to ensure that you are doing your best to avoid cavities and prevent tooth decay:
Halloween is here again. It’s the time of year when your kids are ready to stock up on Halloween candy to last the winter. Although Halloween candy can present challenges to your child’s dental health, you don’t have to opt out of the fun altogether.
The American Dental Association (ADA) has prepared a list of 10 suggestions to help parents maintain good oral health for their children around the Halloween holiday and throughout the year:
If you have ever had sensitive teeth, you can relate to the stinging sensation that can send your flying out of your seat from simply taking a sip of ice water or biting into an ice cream bar. So why do your teeth react to hot, cold, sweet or sour and even sometimes to pressure? Teeth become sensitive for many different reasons so it usually takes a visit to the dentist to get to the bottom of your discomfort.
By far the most common cause of tooth sensitivity to temperature and sweet or sour foods is exposed dentin, the hardened tissue just beneath the tooth’s enamel that contains microscopic nerve fibers. Dentin can become exposed as a result of dental decay, food or toothbrush abrasion, or gum recession. Regardless of the cause, exposed nerves make the teeth sensitive.
If you develop sensitivity in one or more teeth, first see your dentist to determine the cause. Then, if your sensitivity is caused by simple enamel abrasion or by normal gum recession, try the following home remedies for relief.
Try desensitizing toothpaste. Try brushing with desensitizing toothpaste, which you can buy over the counter. Put some of the toothpaste on your finger or cotton swab and spread it over the sensitive spots before you go to bed. Spit, but don’t rinse. Within a few weeks, your teeth should begin to feel less sensitive.
Try a fluoride rinse. Fluoride rinses, available without a prescription at your local pharmacy or in the dental section of grocery stores, can help decrease sensitivity, especially for people plagued with decay problems. Use it once a day. Swish it around in your mouth, and then spit it out.
If this doesn’t help, you may need a stronger fluoride rinse or gel than the ones available over the counter. In these situations, your dentist can apply a fluoride gel that helps relieve the problem.
Keep your teeth clean. Plaque, the white gummy substance that forms on teeth, produces an acid that irritates teeth, especially if your teeth are naturally sensitive. Attack your plaque daily by brushing at least twice, preferably right after eating and especially before bed, and don’t forget to floss.
Use a soft toothbrush. Did you know you could actually be causing tooth sensitivity by brushing with too much force and/or brushing with a hard-bristled brush? Abrasive brushing habits can damage the protective tooth enamel. When the gum-line recedes (often as a natural part of the aging process), exposed dentin becomes even more vulnerable to toothbrush abrasion. Use a brush with the softest bristles you can find, and apply only a small amount of pressure when brushing.
Have you ever wondered if there are natural home remedies for dry mouth? Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, is a condition in which saliva production shuts down. Sometimes a common cold can cause a dry mouth. Other causes include medications, the aging process and health conditions, such as depression, stroke or diabetes. If your condition is mild, you may be able to treat your mouth dryness at home, naturally. Here is a list of remedies for dry mouth:
Tip 1
Drink water. Sipping water throughout the day can help keep your mucous membranes moist, says Medline Plus. If you don’t like water, choose another sugar-free beverage to sip regularly.
Tip 2
Concentrate on breathing through your nose. The Mayo Clinic says that breathing through your mouth can make your mouth dry. If your nose is stuffed, treat your congestion by inhaling steam from a hot shower or using saline drops, and then blow your nose well.
Tip 3
Run a humidifier in your bedroom, especially at night. A cool mist humidifier can help keep your mouth more moist, and can also help to relieve nasal congestion, which may exacerbate your dry mouth.
Tip 4
Choose foods that are moist, recommends BreastCancer.org. If you want to eat something that is dry, try moistening it with broth, gravy or sauce. Pick cool or room temperature foods over hot foods.
Tip 5
Suck on sugar-free candy or chew sugar-free gum to stimulate saliva production. Do not suck or chew on products that contain sugar, because the sugar coupled with inadequate saliva can put you at risk for dental cavities.
Tip 6
Make lifestyle changes, if necessary. Avoid caffeinated beverages, because they can be drying. Alcohol and tobacco can make a dry mouth worse, so cut down on drinking and smoking or quit.
People often attribute the signs of TMJ (Temporomandibular joint disorder) to sinus issues, earaches or migraines. The inability to ameliorate their symptoms leads them to believe that it is something that they will have to live with. While not every ache and pain in this area can be attributed to TMJ, it can be useful to understand the most common signs of the disorder so you can seek treatment before the symptoms worsen.
TMJ is a persistent and painful problem that afflicts millions of Americans. The temporomandibular joint is located underneath your ears, where your jaw connects with your skull. This joint is necessary for many activities that involve your mouth, including eating, talking, laughing and yawning. TMJ disorder refers to the pain and discomfort that can occur when this joint stops working properly.
Here are five signs of TMJ:
1. Pain in the head, face and/or jaw is the most common symptom of TMJ. Oftentimes, this is mistaken for migraines or sinus headaches. You may have reoccurring scalp pain, facial tenderness or pain and swelling of the jaw itself that can radiate into the neck, shoulders, back or arms.
2. Pain or ringing in the ears that can lead to loss of hearing. Due to the close proximity of the temporomandibular joint to the ears, TMJ symptoms can easily affect this area as well. Symptoms include earaches, tinnitus and diminished hearing. These signs may also indicate an ear infection, but if TMJ is to blame, no infection will be detected. Dizziness or a recurring feeling of vertigo may also point to TMJ, since the symptoms can be quite similar to those of an inner ear disorder.
3. Unusual noises when opening or closing the mouth. If you or others around you have noticed a clicking, popping or grinding sound when you open or close your mouth, this could indicate TMJ. Such noises are perhaps the second most obvious indicator of TMJ, after pain. These sounds may occur on their own, or they may accompany other symptoms such as an inability to open the jaw evenly or completely, uncontrollable jaw movements or a jaw that deviates to one side when opened.
4. Eye pain and vision problems. Eyes may ache, water or feel sensitive to light, and vision may become blurry as a result of TMJ disorder. Additionally, inexplicably bloodshot eyes or a feeling of pressure behind the eyes may also be a sign of TMJ when taken in conjunction with other, more typical symptoms.
5. Problems in the teeth and gums. Given that TMJ disorder is an issue with the jaw, it is not surprising that symptoms may move into the mouth as well. Sensitive or generally achy teeth, a sudden tendency to grind the teeth or clench the jaw, and other tooth problems that seem to have no specific dental affliction as their source could all point to TMJ. Additionally, difficulty swallowing is another possible indicatory of TMJ disorder.
At Family Dental Innovations, we are committed to maintaining a standard of excellence in personalized dental care that we believe our patients deserve. We provide our patients with a comprehensive treatment plan that addresses all their dental needs from standard cleanings and screenings to restorative and cosmetic dentistry and everything in between. Our goal is to help be the best Noblesville dentists.
As a husband and wife dental team residing in Noblesville with three children, we are a true family dental practice with strong community roots. That is why we are spreading our love for Noblesville with a list of reviews and overviews of some other wonderful Noblesville dentists who we are proud to call colleagues in our community, and who we think complete the list of the Best Noblesville Dentists.
If you are looking for a new dentist in the Noblesville area, Family Dental Innovations is accepting patients. Contact us to schedule your visit today.
