Thursday, August 30, 2012

Back to School Dental Tips

It is that time of year again when students of all ages are going back to school. It is important to remember that in addition to the recommended supplies, a healthy mouth is also a necessity.

According to the American Dental Association, a dental examination is as important as immunizations and booster shots and should be a regular part of back-to-school preparations. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that tooth decay affects U.S. children more than any other chronic infectious disease and 19 percent of children ages 2 to 19 years old have untreated decay. Dental pain or disease can lead to difficulty in eating, speaking, playing and learning as well as millions of hours of missed school.

Students' back-to-school checklist:

-Regular clinical and radiographic dental examinations to diagnose, treat and/or prevent dental problems are always important. In school guardians and teachers may not always realize there's a dental problem, so a regular checkup before school is especially important. Your dentist may suggest fluoride treatments or sealants to prevent decay and can diagnose and treat dental problems such as decay to save your child discomfort and lost attendance.

-A regular hygiene program including brushing with fluoride toothpaste and flossing. Visit the dental care section when you're out shopping for school supplies. If parents buy several toothbrushes they could have their child change to a new one every three months or so, or after an illness. If it's hard to remember when to change a brush, you could try to change it every time report cards come out. Ask your dentist for a recommendation on how often to change toothbrushes and other hygiene tips.

-A tooth healthy diet plan. Include portable healthy lunch items and snacks in your child's sack lunch, including grains, milk, cheese, raw vegetables, yogurt or fruit. If your child eats in the school cafeteria, review healthy, balanced food choices with him/her before the first day of school. It is always a good idea to reduce sugary foods and soft drinks as excessive sugar can not only cause dental decay, but is also unhealthy for a young person's overall health.

-Wearing a properly fitted mouth guard while participating in organized sports, PE classes or playground activities.

Good luck to all the kids who are headed back to school and remember if you take care of  your teeth now, they will return the favor for a lifetime!

Monday, August 6, 2012

Worn Teeth

Under normal circumstances a layer of enamel covers your teeth. This enamel is very hard and protects the tooth from daily wear and tear. 

However your tooth enamel may be worn away in several ways:


Attrition

Attrition is the gradual loss of enamel through "wear". A small amount of attrition may be caused by normal speaking and eating, but this typically doesn't produce excessive wear. More extreme cases of attrition are typically caused by bruxism, the grinding or clenching of teeth against each other. Bruxism typically occurs at night while the patient sleeps, so often the patient is unaware of the grinding or enamel loss. The first line of defense against bruxism is a night guard.  

Abrasion

Abrasion is the wearing away of tooth enamel by a foreign object. Common causes of abrasion are:

Brushing too hard - When using a soft bristle tooth brush, it isn't necessary to press hard. The soft bristles will bend into all desired positions with minimum pressure. 
Unnatural biting habits - Fingernail biting, chewing on pens or pencils, holding needles or pins between the teeth, etc.
Oral jewelry - Patients with pierced lips and/or tongue often wear away the enamel on adjacent teeth 

Erosion

Erosion is the chemical wear of tooth enamel. Typically this kind of wear is caused by an acid. Citric acid is one of the most common agents. Citrus fruit (lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit) contain citric acid, as do most soft drinks and citrus juices. Some candies also contain citric acid. Many soft drinks contain additional harmful acids. Coffee and tea also contain corrosive acids. Bulimic individuals (people who intentionally and repeatedly induce vomiting) also expose their teeth to very strong stomach acids.
Occasional exposure to most dietary acids is rarely a problem, but repeated exposure to high levels of these acids can cause premature wear. Some common habits to avoid are:

 -Regularly sucking on lemons or limes
 -Regularly eating or sucking on candies, especially "sour" candies as they often contain sugar and citric acid!
 -Drinking several soft drinks daily, even "diet" soft drinks
 -Drinking several cups of coffee or glasses of tea daily

Even if you only occasionally eat or drink highly acidic foods, it's a good idea to at least rinse your mouth with fresh water when you are finished. This is to reduce the amount of time that your teeth are exposed to the acids.