oral health – Page 8 – Latest News from Children's Dental Specialties

Brushing Right After Eating May Harm Your Teeth

Posted on November 28, 2013March 18, 2021

One of the most surprising facts of caring for your teeth is that you should actually wait at least an hour after eating before brushing. In fact, brushing right after a meal may actually do more damage than good.

Here’s why you shouldn’t brush your teeth immediately after eating.

Your tooth enamel, the hardest substance in your body, works to protect your teeth. But acids created by food can wear away that protective enamel. During meals, that acid level gets elevated and your teeth are at their weakest state.

Your body has a natural way to correct the high acid levels in your mouth and return it to a proper pH level. It’s the work of saliva to naturally wash away food particles and give your enamel the balance it needs to continue its protective work.

Brushing right after meals can mean that you are actually attacking your teeth! Even soft-bristled toothbrushes can be highly abrasive when enamel is already weakened by high acid levels. It’s best to let saliva do its job after you eat. You can help the process along by rinsing your mouth with water or chewing sugarless gum which will help to increase the amount of saliva in your mouth even more.

But don’t forget to brush!

Wait at least an hour for your mouth to recover from the acid assault. And don’t forget to brush at least two times a day and for two minutes each time.

Chewing Gum: Facts, Fun and Your Teeth

Posted on November 14, 2013March 18, 2021

The History of Chewing Gum

Chewing gum has a long and fascinating history. For 5,000 years humans have enjoyed chewing on bark tar, resin from the mastic tree and other plants and grasses. American Indians made a form of gum from spruce tree sap. But for most of our history, we have used chicle, a natural gum made from trees in a similar way that natural rubber is produced. Political reform in Guatemala during the 1950’s meant that big chewing gum companies like Wrigley no longer had access to chicle, so by the mid 1960’s most gum was produced from a butadiene-based synthetic rubber.

Will swallowed gum harm me?

Gum made from synthetic rubber may not sound too appetizing, however gum is generally harmless to your body. Have you ever heard people claim that swallowed gum will stay in your stomach for “seven years” or that it will “stick to your lungs”? While it is usually a good idea to simply spit out used gum, only a very large quantity of gum or gum that is swallowed with food or foreign objects poses any risk to blocking your intestinal tract. Your teeth, however, may be another story.

Gum and your teeth.

Because many types of gum contain sugar as a primary ingredient, frequent gum use can be harmful to your teeth. Sugar feeds the bacteria that cause plaque, which in turn hammers away at the enamel on your teeth. A lot of sugary gum means that bacteria are getting a lot of food to grow which can lead to a lot more plaque. Additionally, while many people chew gum for fresh breath, the end result of extra bacteria (caused by the extra sugar) is even more bad breath.

What about sugar-free gum?

Studies have shown that sugar-free chewing gum is actually good for your teeth. When you chew, saliva is produced that helps to wash away food particles. In fact, saliva is your body’s first natural defense against the bacteria in your mouth. Further, some sugar free gum is made with a natural sugar substitute called xylitol that has been shown to reduce cavities and protect teeth. Even with xylitol, however, chewing gum can never replace brushing and flossing. Sugar-free gum can be a good alternative for people who love to chew gum but also want to protect their teeth.

Ideas For A Candy Free Halloween

Posted on October 3, 2013March 18, 2021

What if you want to hand out tooth friendly Halloween treats but don’t want to get on the “trick” list? We believe that a candy free Halloween can be even more fun than one coated in sugar. Here are 5 ideas to help you be the most popular house on the street while saving tiny teeth from cavities one trick-or-treater at a time.

Give a “prize” instead of a treat.

Retailers that sell party favors and supplies are a great place to find prizes that you can hand out to kids. These small trinkets last long after the candy has been eaten and will be remembered much longer as well.

Help kids get creative with clay!

Multi-packs of mini play dough containers are available to purchase or you can even make your own. You could put small batches of homemade play dough in plastic baggies with a quick note explaining that the dough is for play and not food.

Keep kids safe with glow sticks!

Glow sticks are available at really low prices at craft and discount stores. Kids love glow sticks (and so do we!)

Give fun Halloween stickers.

Who doesn’t love a cool sticker? If you have a variety, you can let kids choose their own design that they can then save for later or wear while trick-or-treating.

Get awesome ideas on Pinterest.

A quick search on Pinterest reveals a TON of ideas for a candy free Halloween. You can find craft ideas, inexpensive gifts and handouts that will make every child who comes to your door smile. While your at it, check out our Pinterest boards for even more dental health ideas!

Have more ideas? We would love to hear from you. Leave us a comment below!

Why Do Pirates Have Bad Teeth?

Posted on September 19, 2013March 18, 2021

Have you ever noticed that pirates all seem to have bad teeth? Have you ever wondered why? Probably not, but in honor of “International Speak Like a Pirate Day” we thought we would share why pirates have such a poor reputation for terrible chompers! And the answers might also give us some helpful ideas for taking care of our own oral health.

Scurvy was a serious problem.

Scurvy is more than just a pirate insult. It’s a disease caused by a lack of vitamin C and it can cause severely weakened and receding gums. Pirates were often the victims of scurvy because they spent months at a time on the open seas with no access to fresh fruits and vegetables. It wasn’t uncommon for pirates to have missing teeth due to poor gums. What does this mean for us? Eating a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables can help us avoid looking like scurvy pirates!

They didn’t brush their teeth.

It wasn’t until 1938 that the modern toothbrush was invented. Until then, if pirates cleaned their teeth at all it would have been with a “chew stick” which was less than effective at keeping teeth clean and plaque at bay. Thankfully, today we have a lot of tooth-brushing options, the best being soft bristled and made to fit the size of your particular mouth. Brushing for at least two minutes, twice a day can help you keep your teeth ship-shape.

Cavities were left untreated.

It’s hard to make oral care a priority when you’re sailing the ocean and looking for innocent ships to plunder! Modern technology has made a tremendous difference in early cavity detection, but pirates would have had to rely on pain as an indicator that something was wrong with their teeth. By the time a cavity is severely hurting, however, it means that tooth decay has grown so severe that enamel and dentin have been worn away exposing sensitive nerves located in the pulp of your tooth. While we may not be able to enjoy the thrills of the open sea, we’re pretty thankful that regular dental visits can keep bacterial invaders at bay.

There were no real dentists!

In times past, dental services were practiced by people who had many trades. A pirate “dentist” may very well have also served as the ship’s cook, boatswain or master gunner. And while they may have tried their best at helping with dental care, being good with a cutlass doesn’t necessarily mean a pirate would make a good dentist! We love what we do, and we’re focused on proving the best dental care possible in a caring and relaxed environment. Pirates may not have had access to professional dental care, but you do, and we hope to see you soon, matey!

Yogurt and Your Teeth.

Posted on July 18, 2013March 18, 2021

Yogurt is a dental super food. Yogurt is more popular than ever as a healthy choice for those seeking to supplement their diet with a food that will help their overall health. Several respected studies over the last few years have continuously shown that yogurt has benefits far beyond digestive health. Here are a few of the exciting ways that yogurt can help keep you smiling:

Yogurt helps gums.

A Japanese study of 1,000 adults revealed that the healthiest gums were found in those that ate the most yogurt. Probiotics, the “good bacteria” found in yogurt are the possible reason as these active cultures may help to slow the growth of cavity causing bacteria. Healthy gums are essential to your overall health because gum disease can put you at an increased risk for a wide range of complications including heart disease.

Yogurt strengthens teeth.

Yogurt is high in calcium which helps to keep your teeth strong. Calcium works by maintaining the density of your skeletal bones through years of deposit while your body is growing the most. For this reason, children especially benefit from the calcium found in yogurt. Once permanent teeth appear, calcium continues to help prevent tooth decay by keeping enamel strong.

Yogurt fights bad breath.

Researchers have discovered that eating six ounces of yogurt each day greatly reduces the bad breath causing compounds like hydrogen sulfide. It turns out that the probiotics found in yogurt help to keep “smelly” bacteria in check.

Yogurt makes your mouth less acidic.

Cavity-causing bacteria love an acidic mouth. Yogurt counters this by balancing your mouth’s PH levels and creating a less hospitable place for bacteria to thrive.

The best yogurt for your dental health is plain and sugar free. Greek yogurts are an even better option because they often contain the highest amount of probiotics. If you or your children crave a sweet addition to your yogurt, you might sparingly choose a small amount of fresh fruit or a natural sweetener

Soda vs. Teeth

Posted on June 6, 2013March 18, 2021

Good news for teeth: Soda consumption in the U.S. is falling. For the eighth-straight year soda consumption has decreased to its lowest level since 1987. Many school districts have banned sugary carbonated beverages from their cafeterias. Well-known politicians have attempted to limit access to large quantities of soda, and even the national “Let’s Move” campaign is urging kids to drink water instead of soda.

But there’s still a lot of soda being consumed, especially by kids. Estimates have shown that one in five children consumes as many as four servings of soda every day. Many teens drink as many as twelve soft drinks a day!

Soda is not only bad for your body, being a major contributor to obesity, but it’s incredibly damaging to your teeth because its war on them hits in two major fronts: acidity and sugar. You may have seen the popular science experiment where an egg is placed in soda and left overnight. Not only will the egg be permanently stained, but if left long enough the acid in the soda will completely dissolve the shell. Just like in the experiment, every time you drink soda it bathes your teeth in acid that eats away the hard enamel protecting your teeth.

This is where the second attack occurs. Soda is extremely high in sugar, containing more than 4 tablespoons in a 20 ounce bottle. Sugar feeds the bacteria that cause cavities. Teeth that are already softened by a constant washing of highly acidic soda are further damaged by this increase in bacteria.

The good news is that it’s never too late to make healthier choices. Replacing soda with water is not only better for your teeth, but also better for your overall health. You can also help reduce the effects of the occasional soda by rinsing with water after consumption and using fluoride toothpaste. Don’t forget to brush two minutes, two times each day and make sure that you are up to date on your dental appointments!