Flossing your teeth is a daily is a needed habit in order to maintain oral health and dental care.  Here is dental tip advise you can add to  your flossing routine.    After flossing smell your dental floss.  That right smell your floss to see what it smells like.  The smell of dental floss can tell you more about your teeth and gums health.  If the floss has a gross or rotten smell this indicates an overgrowth of bacteria between your teeth, which signals decay and means you need to be doing a better job of flossing. A normal, non-offensive scent means you’re doing a good job.

Did you know that there are  foods you can eat that will help keep your teeth white?     Foods such as Apples and celery help to polish your teeth and gums.  Strawberries produce an enzyme called malic acid, which helps keep teeth white, and cheese contain a type of lactic acid that helps zap tooth decay. This along with proper dental hygiene can help you have and maintain health white teeth.

Coffee drinkers may know that by drinking coffee over time it can stain your teeth. However did you know depending on how fast your drink your coffee you have a high risk of tooth decay.

For people that drinks latte or coffee with milk sipping and being a slow drinker exposes your teeth to the lactose or milk sugar, which is giving the bacteria in the mouth a flood of raw fuel metabolize.  (Similar to what happens with Baby Bottle Tooth Decay )   Try drinking your latte or coffee with milk within 15 minutes.  However if you do want to nurse your drink then drink some water or chew sugarless gum to help neutralize the acids in your mouth.

New research from Yale University School of Medicine shows a link between a link increased levels of mouth bacteria and pneumonia and other inflammatory lung conditions.  Other studies over the past have also shown a link between poor oral health care and heart disease. Having good oral health habits and a healthy mouth is also important to your overall health care.

According to a New York Time story with our current technology, dentists are finding what is known as “micro-cavities”, and that some dentist encourage their patients to have them filled.  However is it really that necessary?

The Time told story about a college student that never had any cavities but was surprised to hear from a new dentist that she needed to several filled. She had the work done and paid the $500.00 for the dental services. However when she went back home and saw her family dentist she was told that the cavities were so small, they did not need treatment, and that, she may have just been duped.

Yet it is important to understand that there are difference of opinions on this matter.  Where some dentist feel that they are taking a proactive strategy to protect patients from harm, critics say the procedures are unnecessary and they are driving up the costs of dental care.   You may want to get a second opinion if your feel that you are being told about cavities that seem to be in excess of your normal dental care average.

There may have been times when you used your teeth to open a wrapper or to bite off a stubborn tag attached to a new shirt, and although this may seem harmless enough you can do damage to your teeth.  If you are wanting to keep your teeth looking great, you need to stop using them as tools.

You can easily crack or chip your teeth or cause poor jaw alignment  by wearing down your teeth unevenly. You also want to avoid using your teeth as hands. Do not hold items in your mouth even for a short time. Do not chew on items such as pens and pencils. You may have been told a a kid not to chew on your ice or you can chip your tooth, well that still rings true. Chewing on ice or using your teeth to crack open nuts, or biting on your finger nails all can lead to distorted teeth.

For many people fears about going to the dentist are all to real and such fears prevent them from having the proper dental care that is needed in order to maintain healthy teeth and gums.  If you fear going to the dentist then know you are not alone. Due to dental fears 5 to 8 percent of Americans will not go to the dentist where as another 20 percent of American will go but only when absolutely necessary.

Studies being done by scientists at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, suggest that there are two factors in helping manage dentist-related stress: optimism and humor. They found that when patients went in for visits with a feeling of optimism and the dentists’ offices had an atmosphere of humor to them, patients were much less likely to have fearful, stressful visits.     So when trying to address your dental fears go into the dentist with optimism.  Such as remind yourself how much better you will feel afterwords.

For the most part people want to have nice white teeth.  Therefore yellowing teeth can embarrassing, as well as reduce ones self-esteem. There are many simple dental care methods you can do to maintain white teeth. Having basic dental care habits will help to maintain not only your dental health but help to keep your teeth white. Brush and floss twice a day.  Brush your teeth after having drinks that can stain your teeth such as coffee, tea, soda, and so on.

There are many over the counter toothpaste and mouthwash products that help to whiten your teeth.  You can also use sugar free whitening gums, or over the counter whitening strips.  When these simple method do not work or give you the results you are looking for you may want to go to your dentist to see what your whitening treatment options would be though them.

Current studies support a recommendation of a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables as part of a whole-foods, plant-based diet with limited consumption of meat, particularly processed meat. According to the study in Journal of the American Dental Association oral healthcare professionals can play an important role in preventing oral cancer by educating their patients about oral cancer prevention strategies, including eating lots of fruits and vegetables.

I know that it is best advised  that we should floss our teeth at least once a day.   Every time I go to my dentist she gives me a hard time about how I am not flossing good enough.  I do not know why but I never give much thought about flossing, so I do tend to forget.   When I did floss it was a pain since the floss I would used seem to shred or get stuck between my teeth.  My dentist after giving me grief about my flossing habits gave me Colgate Total dental floss.  Although I still may not floss as much as I should I found I floss more with the Colgate floss she gave me since it does not get stuck in my teeth or shred a part after flossing only one or two teeth.  I am now making a honest effort to floss my teeth daily so I hoping that my dentist will notice on my next visit. It be nice not to have to get yelled at.

The study done was to investigate the prevalence of dental trauma among primary school children aged 6–11 years in Belgaum, India.

A sample of 13200 children from primary schools of Belgaum district was examined for dental trauma. The total number of children suffering from dental trauma was found to be 1946 (14.74%). A significant gender influence on the occurrence of dental trauma was observed, with more boys (17.26%) experiencing dental trauma than girls (12.29%).  More than 3 mm overjet and incompetent lips were also significantly associated with dental trauma in children.

The findings of the study showed that dental trauma has a moderately high prevalence among Indian primary school children. Community, especially parents and school teachers, should be educated about prevention and early management of dental trauma in children.

Dental caries is the most common chronic childhood disease. Despite strong evidence of genetic components, there have been few studies of candidate genes and caries. In the Iowa Fluoride Study, it tried to assess genetic and environmental factors contributing to childhood caries.

Environmental factors (age, sex, race, tooth-brushing frequencies and water fluoride level) and three dental caries scores (d2fs-total, d2fs-pit/fissure, and d2fs-smooth surface) were assessed in 575 unrelated children (mean age 5.2 years). Regression analyses were applied to assess environmental correlates.

The Family-Based Association Test was used to test genetic associations for 23 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in 7 caries candidate genes on 333 Caucasian parent-child trios. They evaluated the associations between caries status and the level of both single and multiple SNPs (haplotype) respectively. Permutation procedure was performed for correction of inflated type I errors due to multiple testing. Age, tooth-brushing frequency and water fluoride level were significantly correlated to at least one carious score. Caries on pit and fissure surfaces was substantially higher than on smooth surfaces (61 vs. 39%). SNPs in three genes (DSPP, KLK4 and AQP5) showed consistent associations with protection against caries. Of note, KLK4 and AQP5 were also highlighted by subsequent haplotype analysis. Our results support the concept that genes can modify the susceptibility of caries in children. Replication analysis in independent cohorts is highly needed in order to verify the validity of our findings.

It is important that people with diabetes pay extra attention to their oral health care and that their dentist know that they are diabetic.  Studies have shown that those with diabetes are more susceptible to the development of oral infections and periodontal disease than those who do not have diabetes. In addition, oral infections tend to be more severe in people with diabetes than in those who do not have the condition.

Under many dental insurance plans bleaching or teething whitening may not be covered, since many dental insurance plans will not provide benefits for cosmetic services.
Bleaching or teeth whitening can be normally be performed by your dentist in the their office or under dental supervision, at home.  Generally your dentist will create a custom mouthpiece to ensure the correct amount of whitening solution is used and that your teeth are properly exposed. Typically, whitening at home takes two to four weeks, depending on the desired shade you wish to achieve. Whitening in the office may call for one or more 45-minute to one-hour visits to your dentist’s office.

Dental bonding is tooth-colored material which can be used to fill in gaps or change the color of teeth. Dental bonding normally requires only a single office visit. Although dental bonding can lasts several years, it is more susceptible to staining or chipping than other forms of restoration.

Bonding can also is be used as a tooth-colored filling for small cavities. Additionally, it can be used to close spaces between teeth or cover the entire outside surface of a tooth to change its color and shape.

Question:  New mom to a  three week old.  I was told it is important to take care of babies gums before their teeth start coming in.  I seen dental wipes but a work friend told me about Spry Dental Defense System Tooth Gel I was wondering if any one had any review or opinions if this is a good product to use.  My fried said it is easy to use and better then toothpaste.

Answer:  Dental wipes are easier to use and are great when you are out.  It is important to take care of your baby gums and teeth.  I would also suggest talking to your dentist and see what he or she advises

Dental Crowns or caps as they use to be called are used as a cover for a tooth to restore it the tooth to its normal shape and appearance.  Crowns are also sometimes used to if a tooth that had root canal or very large cavities

Cosmetic dental care can be costly and is normally not covered under many dental insurance plans. When making the step to have cosmetic dental services choosing the right dentist is very important.

You want to make sure the dentist you choose is skilled in cosmetic dentistry. The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry advises that you ask the dentist for the following.  Any before and after photos of other patients dental treatments done by the dentist.  This is normally provided on the practice website.
Ask for references and make sure the dentist can provide proof of continuing education.

Another helpful tip is to use review sites such a Yelp, Angie’s List. Google, Yahoo and Facebook are also ways to find out more about the cosmetic dentist in question.
 

Green and Black teas contain polyphenols, antioxidant plant compounds that prevent plaque from adhering to your teeth and help reduce your chances of developing cavities and gum disease.    Christine D Wu PhD, who has conducted several studies on tea and oral health care, states tea also has potential for reducing bad breath odor because it inhibits the growth of the bacteria that cause the odor.  Many teas also contain fluoride (from the leaves and the water it’s steeped in), which helps protect tooth enamel from decay.

Teeth are one of the first things that many people notice. Therefor having bad teeth can effect not only your oral health but your confidence.    General dentists are able to perform a variety of cosmetic procedures to help improve your smile. These procedures can range from subtle changes to major repairs, fixing flaws such as discolored, chipped, misshapen or missing teeth.