Say ahhhhhhhhhhhhto?

Today's funny ... and top 5 holiday dental tips

Top 5 Thanksgiving Dental Tips

1. Crack nuts with a nutcracker, not your teeth. Many a man, woman, and child cracks a tooth over the holiday thinking their teeth are made of steel. Squirrels were made for that, not humans. Truth is, under that hard enamel shell is a very sensitive nerve running through a root surrounded by soft living tissue. Crack the shell, and I'm not talking about the nut, and welcome pain. Yes, cracking a tooth is an intensely painful experience resulting in the urgent need for a root canal and crown. Be smart, use a nutcracker.



2. Don't open beer bottles with your teeth. You may laugh, but a few years ago we had a patient come in with a cracked front tooth. We asked him how it happened and with some reservation, he smiled and told us the truth. "There was this party you see...and I wanted a beer...". You get the picture. $3,000 later we had him in a dental implant and crown with a new smile...which cost could have been avoided.



3. Yes, caramel popcorn balls are too sweet. Skip the caramel popcorn balls..."but how can I skip a family tradition", you say! Easy, munch on a single unpopped kernal of popcorn a little too hard and I bet the BCS championship you will end up in my dental chair. Crack the cusp of a tooth, crack a molar to the root - there is no dental challenge too hard for a carmelized popcorn ball.



4. Brush and floss your teeth after the pies. The single greatest cause of dental decay is food (usually sugar) left on or around the tooth. Brushing and flossing is an obvious solution, it removes excess food and cleans the surface of the tooth. But who remembers to bring their toothbrush and dental floss to a Thanksgiving dinner party, other than dentists. You do...or at least you should. Swing by our office and we will give each of your family members a FREE toothbrush and floss.



5. Don't bite candy canes. I know, it's not Christmas yet, but the day after Thanksgiving someone will whip out candy canes and start decorating your Christmas tree. Don't give in to the temptation to bite down on that candy cane. And just wait until next week when we blog about eating toffee with nuts.


And last of all, and most importantly, be thankful for your teeth and a health smile. And if you are not, give us a call and we will help you get a reason to smile.

Originally posted here!

Today's funny ...

Teeth too sensitive?

TLC: You take a drink of iced tea, bite down on a candy bar, or slurp some hot soup and the electric stinging sensation in one or more of your teeth sends you flying out of your seat. You've got "sensitive teeth," a rather mild name for what can be a wildly uncomfortable condition.

So what's going on? Why do your teeth react to hot, cold, sweet, or sour, and sometimes even to pressure? Dentists have to play detective to determine what's causing a patient's discomfort, since teeth become sensitive for many different reasons, from trauma to dental disease, which can destroy tooth pulp, requiring a root-canal procedure to relieve the pain.

One or more teeth can become sensitive to even slight pressure if it has been "bruised" or otherwise traumatized -- by your accidentally biting down on a popcorn kernel, for example. Often, teeth feel sensitive after they've been cleaned, filled, or otherwise worked on at the dentist's office.

Sometimes this kind of sensitivity can take weeks or even months to go away. In other cases, people can cause tooth sensitivity by habitually grinding their teeth or clamping their jaws tightly shut. This type of sensitivity to pressure isn't something to worry about if it happens once or twice and goes away in a day or two. The tooth or teeth simply need time to recover from the trauma. It's when the pressure sensitivity is persistent that you should suspect something like a break, crack, or decayed tooth and should see your dentist.

Sensitivity to temperature usually means teeth have been compromised in some way. Sometimes it means one or more teeth are hitting too soon or too hard because they have moved out of place slightly, changing how their surfaces meet to form your bite. These shifts may be caused by habits such as thumb sucking, or they can occur because the bone structure of one or more teeth changes.

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.

Bring on the desensitizing toothpaste. Unfortunately, widespread tooth sensitivity due to enamel abrasion or gum-line recession can't be treated with dental fillings. Instead, try brushing with a desensitizing toothpaste, which you can buy over the counter. These special toothpastes contain ingredients that diminish sensitivity by filling channels (known as tubules) in the dentin.

Try putting some of the toothpaste on your finger or on a cotton swab and spreading 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, then spit it out.

Sometimes, people with sensitive teeth need a stronger fluoride rinse or gel than the ones available over the counter. For example, some treatments for gum disease, such as root planing (which reduces plaque), can leave sensitive teeth even more sensitive than usual. In such situations, dentists 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 choppers are naturally sensitive. Wage a daily attack against plaque by brushing at least twice, preferably right after eating and especially before bed, and flossing at least once.

Use a soft toothbrush. Often, people actually cause tooth sensitivity by brushing with too much force and/or brushing with a hard-bristled brush, which 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 (actually, a lighter touch also allows the bristles to move more freely and do their job more effectively than when you press too hard).

Say, "Enough!" to snuff. Chewing tobacco, also known as "dip" or "snuff," is a popular habit in some groups, especially among many male teenagers. They mistakenly believe it's less harmful than smoking cigarettes. However, in addition to causing mouth cancers, chewing tobacco causes the gums to recede, a major cause of gum sensitivity and decay. Just as there is no safe cigarette, there is no safe tobacco.
Habits like sucking on hard candy, while certainly healthier than chewing snuff, can also cause enamel abrasion and tooth sensitivity.

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the Editors of Consumer Guide (R), Publications International, Ltd., the author nor publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.

Top 8 Dental Care Tips

1. Brush your teeth at least twice a day with a fluoride-containing toothpaste.
2. Preferably, brush after each meal and especially before going to bed.
3. Clean between your teeth daily with dental floss or interdental cleaners, such as the Oral-B Interdental Brush, Reach Stim-U-Dent, or Sulcabrush.
4. Eat nutritious and balanced meals and limit snacks. Avoid carbohydrates such as candy, pretzels and chips, which can remain on the tooth surface. If sticky foods are eaten, brush your teeth soon afterwards.
5. Check with your dentist about use of supplemental fluoride, which strengthens your teeth.
6. Ask your dentist about dental sealants (a plastic protective coating) applied to the chewing surfaces of your back teeth (molars) to protect them from decay.
7. Drink fluoridated water. At least a pint of fluoridated water each day is needed to protect children from tooth decay.
8. Visit your dentist regularly for professional cleanings and oral exam.