West Maitland Dentistry Blog

It’s that time of the year again where our hearts and waistlines seem to grow.  This year I wanted to share some holiday healthy dental tips and recipe ideas that will not only leave your mouths satisfied but will leave them healthy as well!

Tip One: Substitute Out the Sugar

Holiday desserts are notorious for being loaded in sugar.  I recommend substituting out the sugar in your recipe for a naturally sweet substitute such as unsweetened applesauce, honey, agave, stevia or natural maple syrup.  Stevia is one of my favorite sweeteners, it is derived from a naturally sweet plant and comes in a powder form similar to sugar.  When substituting sugar out of a recipe either read the back of the package or look up the ratio.

Tip Two: Find the Fruit

A simple way to skip the sugar but still get your sweet tooth satisfying dessert is by roasting fruit.  Roasting and baking causes the fruit’s sugars to caramelize which brings out its natural sweetness.  Great seasonal fruits to try out are pears, apples and plums.  For an extra seasonal warmth sprinkle on some nutmeg and cinnamon before roasting or top them with crushed pecans or walnuts.

Tip Three: Watch What You Drink

It’s hard to think of a healthy holiday in combination with drinking alcohol, especially when often celebrating we tend to indulge in a cocktail or two.  It’s easy to forget that alcohol is notorious for hidden sugars.  That doesn’t mean you have to completely avoid it but making a few smart choices can help reduce the amount of sugar you take in.

Wine

When it comes to wines dry wines will have the least amount of sugars ranging from 0.5 g for a dry red and 1.5 g for a dry white while sweet whites can have 14.75 g per glass.  So try to avoid those sweet, fruity wines and stick to the dry varieties to cut down on your sugar intake over the holidays!

Alcohol

Most hard liquor itself does not contain sugar and are great options.  The problem isn’t the alcohol itself but the sweet and sugary mixers it is usually paired with. Nix the sweet juices and substitute club soda with your favorite cut fresh fruit instead.

Remember though that any alcohol will dry your mouth out and can lead to more risk of cavities so try to limit your intake and be sure to drink plenty of water.

Tip Four: Make Water Your Best Friend

Speaking of water, water is always a safe bet when it comes to a beverage choice.  If you are drinking cocktails or eating sugary treats try to sip water in-between to help rinse off the sugars, keep you hydrated, and to help keep the pH of your mouth at a healthy level.

Tip Five: Not All Treats are Made the Same

Some sugary treats are more damaging to your teeth than others.  Avoid those treats that are chewy or crunchy ones.

Chewy

Chewy, sticky treats like caramels tend to stay stuck in the fine grooves of your teeth and are difficult to brush out.  If you must indulge find a healthy alternative like sugar free caramels.

Crunchy

Crunchy treats are common this time of the year.  Desserts, such as peanut brittle, can break your teeth or dental work and can do permanent damage.  Try to steer clear of these treats to keep your teeth healthy and strong!

Tip Six: Fill Up on the Good Stuff

Pregame with healthy alternatives.  Try to fill up on healthy options from the cheese plate and veggie platter while drinking lots of water.  This will not only curb your appetite but can help you to say no to those sugary temptations.

Tip Seven: Brush and Floss

With holiday travels and parties coming up it’s easy to get out of your regular routine.  Make sure though you take the time to daily brush at least twice and floss at least once. If you need a refresher on good oral hygiene refer to this blog I posted on tips on keeping your mouth healthy. Following a good oral hygiene routine during this busy season will help make sure you have a healthy holiday and will ease your stress when it’s time for you dental check up!

Try out these tips and trust us your mouths and waistlines will be thanking you!

Did you know hormones play a key part in the health of our mouth?  For many women, this means that it’s important for us to make sure we are paying extra attention to our mouth during these times when our hormones are fluctuating.

During puberty, menstrual cycles, pregnancy or with certain types of birth control, the hormones in women increase.  This increase in hormones leads to more blood flow into blood vessels in the gums which can cause more inflammation. This increased inflammation means a greater risk of gum disease.  The opposite is true for your hormone levels during menopause.  Although hormones decrease, there is still an impact on your mouth.

Birth Control and Menstrual Cycle Hormones Effects on Oral Health

Certain birth controls can affect wound healing after extracting teeth so be sure to let your dentist know if you are on birth control and what type.

For some women on their period, the increase in hormones leads to more canker sores, small ulcers, forming in their mouths.

Pregnancy Hormones Effects on Oral Health

A large population of pregnant women will experience bleeding gums due to their change in hormones during pregnancy.  This is often referred to as pregnancy gingivitis.  Some studies say 75% of pregnant women notice bleeding gums while pregnant and as many as 2 in 5 pregnant women have severe gum disease.  Another issue seen in pregnancy is wearing down of tooth enamel. The fluctuating hormones often lead to morning sickness which can lead to vomiting.  All that acid you throw up can start to erode tooth enamel (the hard, protective layer of your tooth).  A way to prevent this erosion is by not brushing your teeth immediately after throwing up. Instead, rinse your mouth out with 1 teaspoon of baking soda mixed in a cup of water.  Wait 30 minutes then brush your teeth with a fluoridated toothpaste.

Menopausal Hormonal Effects on Oral Health

When hormones start decreasing, women can experience pain in their mouth.  This pain or burning sensation is called burning mouth syndrome.  This is described as burning, hot, tingling or a numb sensation and can be found anywhere in the mouth in either one or several locations.  The most common locations are the tip and front two-thirds of the tongue.  Even though we don’t know the cause there are different treatment options that can help, like different medications and even cognitive behavioral therapy.

Another common condition caused by low hormones is dry mouth.  Dry mouth can cause sore and sensitive gums, ulcers, infections, and lead to chronic cavities.  Drinking plenty of water can help as an over the counter mouth rinses, gels, and toothpastes made for a dry mouth like Biotene.  Also, sugar-free gum and mints can help stimulate the saliva glands.

Knowing these changes occur can aid in the prevention of gum disease and cavities. Be sure to take extra time to brush, floss or see your dentist if you notice any changes in your gums during these times in your life.

While you can’t prevent every dental emergency from happening, knowing how to react can mean the difference between feeling overwhelmed with panic and having the peace of mind to save your natural tooth. Not only will the following information help you limit your risk for experiencing a dental emergency, but it will also teach you how to handle a knocked-out adult tooth.

How to Limit Your Risk for a Dental Emergency

Good preventive care can help you avoid some common dental emergencies like toothaches and oral infections caused by advanced decay, cavities, and gum disease. Brush your teeth twice daily for two minutes each time and floss at least once each day. Additionally, visit our office every six months for professional cleanings and exams — this allows our expert team to treat any developing problems before they become major issues.

If you participate in contact sports or extreme physical activities, invest in a custom athletic mouthguard. If you receive facial trauma, a mouthguard can often protect you from chipped, broken, and knocked-out teeth.

Learn to Identify a Dental Emergency

Not all changes in your oral health constitute dental emergencies. For example, if you chip a tooth while on vacation, you may want to wait to seek dental treatment until you return home. As long as the chip is not causing you pain and is not cutting your mouth, it is usually OK to wait until a more convenient time to seek treatment. But issues like profuse oral bleeding, severe toothaches, broken dentures, lost fillings, or permanent teeth are always emergencies!

What to Do for a Knocked-Out Tooth

If a permanent tooth gets knocked out, some simple steps can greatly increase the chances of saving it. First, gently rinse the lost tooth with milk or water (taking care to only handle its chewing surface and not its sensitive root) and slide it back into its socket. If that isn’t possible, then place the lost tooth between your cheek and gums or in a glass of milk while you seek emergency treatment. Reimplantation must take place within the hour after injury, and preferably within 15-30 minutes, for the best chance of survival.

Emergency Dental Care in Maitland, FL

To ask our team any questions about preparing for a dental emergency or to receive emergency dental care in Maitland, call our office today!

Bad breath, medically known as halitosis, is a common and often embarrassing problem for most adults. The American Dental Association reported that some studies showed that almost 50% of adults experience it at some point in their life! While most cases of bad breath are easy to fix, sometimes the culprit behind the problem can be cause for alarm. We’re going to go over some of the most common explanations for bad breath and what you can do to stop it.

Common Causes

Poor Oral Hygiene.  Poor oral hygiene is one of the most common causes of bad breath. Food particles find their way in between teeth and onto the tongue. Lack of or improper flossing and brushing can leave these particles behind to start building up an unpleasant smelling plaque. When this plaque starts hardening, an inflammation process starts the beginning stages of periodontal disease. This makes the smell worsen more.

Infections in your mouth.  Dental infections as a result of tooth decay, abscesses, or sores from dentures can cause odors.

*Tobacco.  *Smokeless tobacco and cigarettes are a very common origin of bad breath and negatively can accelerate the progression of periodontal disease.

Dry Mouth. Decreased saliva production oftentimes leads to halitosis. Dry conditions in the mouth mean less plaque and food debris is rinsed away. Several factors cause dry mouth such as medications, alcohol use, and certain health conditions such as Sjogren’s syndrome, diabetes or HIV/AIDS.

Food. Coffee, spicy foods or foods with strong smells are digested and generally emit strong odors.

Metabolic Disorders or Diets. Diets where fats are broken down often result in the release of large amounts of strong-smelling chemicals called ketones. These diets are usually low in carbs and high in fats. Metabolic disorders, such as diabetes, sometimes produce these strong-smelling ketones, especially if diabetes or disorder is uncontrolled.

Diseases and Disorders.  Both chronic reflux (GERD) and postnasal drip are examples of disorders where fluids release from parts of your body and flow into your oral cavity. These fluids are both unpleasant smelling and foul-tasting.

Mouth, Throat and Nose conditions.  We already discussed infections in mouth as being a source but infections of the throat and nose can also produce a stench. Foreign particle lodgment produces bad breath, examples are food lodged in the tonsils and foreign particles in the nose, often seen in small children.

Prevention and Remedies

Better oral hygiene.  Regular brushing, flossing and dentalcleanings will dislodge food particles and prevent that smelly plaque from accumulating. Using a tongue scraper aids in removing plaque from your tongue better than the toothbrush alone. Try adding a bacteria-killing mouth rinse to your regimen as well. For tips on how to have better oral hygiene check out our early blog post!

*See your dentist.  *Visit your dentist regularly so he or she can catch problems when they start early. Catching problems early mean less of a chance of having an unresolved infection or periodontal disease.  If you believe you already have either of these discuss treatment with your dentist for not only curing your bad breath but improving your health as well.

Stop smoking tobacco or using smokeless tobacco.  Not only will this add years to your life but make your breath much more minty clean.

Increase your daily water intake.  Hydration is key when trying to lessen the effects of dry mouth. Drinking more water also aids in rinsing off that plaque and food debris that likes to stick around your mouth.

Decrease Dry Mouth.  Chewing sugar-free gum or sucking on sugar-free melts or lozenges stimulates your saliva glands into producing more saliva. Also, the use of lubricating mouth rinses and gels are helpful to coat the mouth and lessen the effects of dry mouth.

Alter your diet.  Avoid spicy foods or those with strong odors that can either cause lingering odors in your mouth or tend to cause digestion issues such as reflux. Limiting your alcohol consumption will help keep your mouth hydrated to avoid that bad breath.

Consult your medical doctor or an ENT doctor.  If you believe the cause of your bad breath is from foreign particles lodging in your tonsils/nose/throat, GERD, chronic infections, postnasal drip or a metabolic disorder than consult a medical doctor to treat not only the bad breath but the more concerning underlying issue.

Schedule your appointment today for a cleaning and make sure you keep bad breath away!

Root canal therapy is designed to save a tooth that is badly decayed, infected, or otherwise damaged. While root canal therapy may have the reputation of being unpleasantly painful, advances in modern dental technology mean that root canals are easier and more comfortable than ever before! In this post, we bust many of the common myths about this restorative treatment. If you or a loved one has an upcoming root canal procedure, the information below will put you at ease by helping you know what to expect.

Myth 1: Root Canals Are Extremely Painful

In the past, treatments for root canals may have caused pain. Now, with advances in dental techniques, modern root canal therapy alleviates pain — most patients report not experiencing any pain during the treatment and feeling significantly better afterward! Typically, the dental issues that require root canal therapy (an advanced infection, tooth decay, a damaged nerve) do cause pain, but treatment will repair the issue and ease any pain.

Myth 2: You Only Need a Root Canal for a Severe Toothache

While severe toothaches signal that you might need root canal therapy, sometimes patients without pain may still need extensive restoration. For example, you may feel nothing at all if you have a dead tooth, but you’ll need root canal therapy to preserve your tooth’s natural structure.

Myth 3: Root Canals Always Require Multiple Appointments

Typically, our team at West Maitland Dentistry can complete a root canal procedure in one or two appointments. This depends on the scope of the infection or damage, the complexity of the procedure, and whether you need follow-up appointments for additional tooth restoration, like placing a crown.

Gentle Root Canal Therapy in Maitland, FL

Not only does root canal therapy ease pain and repair tooth damage due to infection and decay, but this procedure will also preserve your natural tooth and prevent an extraction. To ask our team any questions about our restorative dental treatments or to schedule your next appointment, contact our office today!

Have you ever experienced a little sharp twinge after drinking something cold? Or maybe after indulging in a sweet treat?  You’re not alone, a survey of dentists show that 1 out of 8 people is struggling with sensitive teeth.

Why is a Tooth Sensitive?

Tooth sensitivity is caused by the overlying outer layer or tissue of the tooth, the enamel or cementum, being lost. When one or both of these layers are lost, the underlying layer of the tooth, called the dentin, is exposed.  The dentin layer has tiny tubes that interact with the nerve layer of the tooth.  When the tiny tubes are in contact with something extreme, such as cold, hot, sweet or acidic, it will communicate with the nerve and cause the nerve to flare up causing that jolt that is felt until the food or drink causing the pain is removed.

What Can Cause Teeth Become Sensitive?

There are several ways that you can lose your enamel/cementum, such as cavities, wear from brushing too hard or grinding your teeth, acid erosion or bone loss.

Another cause for sensitive teeth can be due to fillings, old and new.  Old fillings, over time, can pull away from the tooth causing small gaps between the filling material and the tooth.  These gaps can cause sensitivity when foods or drinks flow into them.  New fillings as well can cause sensitivity.  This sensitivity should typically only last a few days.

Sensitivity can is also found when teeth are cracked or the start of infections.  Sensitivity is more noticed during biting with cracked teeth, while infected teeth tend to have a lingering sensitivity that if left alone becomes an ache.

What Can be Done About Sensitive Teeth?

First, finding out the cause is important when deciding how to treat your sensitivity.  Discuss your sensitive teeth with your dentist. It is always helpful to keep a journal of when you feel the sensitivity to help narrow down the cause.  In your journal be sure to log where you feel the sensitivity, top or bottom, left or right, front or back, how often you feel it, the duration of time you feel it, and what caused it, such as eating something cold, hot or biting.  Also rating the sensitivity from a scale of zero to ten can be helpful to your dentist.

For patients who have lost enamel/cementum, it may be easy as switching toothpastes to one specifically for sensitivity or by placing a filling to cover up the exposed dentin.  Those who have faulty fillings may need them replaced.  If the sensitivity is from a cavity, a filling should reduce the sensitivity. More aggressive treatment is needed for a tooth that is cracked or infected, such as a root canal and/orcrown.

It is important with sensitivity that you follow up with your dentist to make sure that if there is any underlying issues, such as a cavity or crack that it is not left untreated.

Ed Helms

So no, Ed Helms did not actually pull his tooth for the movie The Hangover. But, his celebrity dental fun fact is that he is actually missing that tooth in the movie and in real life! Ed Helms permanent front tooth never came in, when this happens we call the tooth congenitally missing. At a younger age, he had an implant placed to replace the congenitally missing tooth. For the movie he had the implant crown removed and a black prosthetic placed to make it look like he was missing a tooth. When he wasn’t on set he had a removable appliance he could put in to make it appear the tooth was in place. After filming ended he had a new crown made and permanently inserted to replace the tooth again.  Now that’s what we call dedication to the role!

Jim Carrey

When Jim Carrey was in grade school a classmate jumped on him causing his front tooth to fracture off. For his role in Dumb and Dumber, he convinced his dentist to remove the filling to make the tooth chipped again for the role!  After the movie ended he had the filling replaced to return to his normal smile.  We applaud him for the lengths he went through and can’t imagine this movie without that signature smile!

Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts is known for her famous, large, pearly smile but she holds a fun dental fact. Julia’s former home town dentist encouraged all the children in her town to excel.  If one of his former patients won a major award he promised a tube of toothpaste to every child in town. On March 21, 2001, Julia Roberts received the Best Actress Oscar for her role in Erin Brockovich. Anticipating her win, her dentist had ordered 10,000 tubes of toothpaste!

John Lennon

The most expensive tooth to date is one belonging to former Beatles’ member John Lennon. After having the tooth extracted Lennon supposedly allowed his housekeeper to give the tooth to her Beatles enthusiastic daughter. The tooth sold at an auction in 2011 for $31,200 to a Canadian dentist.  That’s a lot of bang for one buck tooth!

Katy Perry

Speaking of expensive teeth, this next celebrity dental fun fact was so pricey it set a record! Singer, Katy Perry, wanted to add some bling to her music video, Dark Horse. Instead of just using the usual boring jewelry, she decided to work with her dentist to come up with a grill for her teeth. The custom grill has massive amounts of diamonds and precious gemstones on it.  It’s loaded with so many jewels that it is valued as the most expensive grill in the world according to Guinness World Records, at a whopping $1 million!

Mick Jagger

When speaking of flashy celebrity dental facts we have to include rock and roller Mick Jagger.  Mick had an emerald gemstone placed on one of his upper incisors. After people kept thinking he had spinach caught between his teeth he decided to change it to a ruby. Although nobody thought he had spinach caught in his teeth anymore, they did think he had blood on his teeth! He finally settled on a diamond to jazz up his smile.

Not only can missing teeth impact your ability to talk and eat properly, but it can also negatively affect your confidence. We’ve heard from countless patients with missing teeth that they avoid photos because they’re embarrassed about their smile, or that their missing teeth otherwise negatively affect their life. If any of this applies to you or your loved ones, we’d love to help through the variety of dental restorations we offer at West Maitland Dentistry.

What Is a Dental Restoration?

Dental restoration involves restoring not only the function of your natural tooth but also the appearance of your smile. Depending on the number of teeth you are missing and their location, we might opt for a bridge, a denture, or a dental implant. Our goal is to provide individualized treatment that resolves your issue, suits your budget, meets your goals, and boosts your confidence so that you’ll feel comfortable showing off your smile!

Dental Implants

Dental implants are a permanent solution to missing teeth. If an evaluation of the health of your jawbone and your gums reveals you are a good candidate for a dental implant, we will first surgically implant a biocompatible titanium post in your jaw. This titanium is completely safe and will fuse with your jawbone. In fact, it will help strengthen your jaw and prevent bone loss. Once the surgical site heals and the rod fuses with your jaw, we will fit a tooth-colored dental crown on top of the post. This crown will be so realistic-looking, virtually no one will be able to tell you have an artificial tooth!

Dental Bridges

Dental bridges fill the space where one or more teeth used to be. There are multiple types of bridges — some are supported by natural teeth, others are supported by dental implants. During your consultation, our team will examine your mouth and consider your oral health history to determine if a bridge is the best type of dental restoration for your smile.

Dentures

Full and partial dentures replace multiple missing natural teeth. A denture is a removable appliance made of a gum-lookalike base and artificial teeth. While dentures allow for normal talking and chewing, it may take some time for you to adjust until the prosthesis feels completely comfortable. Because dentures are removable, they are typically the least invasive but require additional maintenance to keep them clean and well-fitted.

Our Team Can Restore Your Smile!

To ask us any questions about dental restorations or to schedule a consultation, contact us today.

Summer break is in full effect, but that doesn’t mean you need to take a break from good oral hygiene habits too!  Follow these summer tips to maintain your healthy smile over these next few warm months.

Cut down on Sugary Drinks/Foods

Summer heat brings about barbecues, parties and being outdoors more than usual.  Often at these social settings, sugary drinks and foods are served, such as ice cream, popsicles, sweet tea.  Try to avoid these sweet treats and stick to fruits or water.  If you still crave that frozen treat try substituting frozen fruits, such as bananas and grapes, for your favorite popsicle or ice cream!

Swimming

Rising temperatures make swimming a perfect summer activity for all ages.  Swimming for extended periods can cause brown stains to start appearing on teeth.  To avoid this make sure your children know proper breathing techniques while swimming.  Also brushing off plaque before swimming can help prevent these stains.

Prevent Dental Emergencies

School being out means plenty of time for children to enjoy lots of outdoor activities.  Riding bikes, swimming and playing sports can all lead to dental trauma.  To avoid injuries to the mouth have your child wear a mouthguard when engaging in physical activity.  When swimming, make sure they obey rules such as no running and horse playing in the pool.

Sunscreen

With the sun ablaze most of us remember to put sunscreen on our skin.  It is important though to remember to include your lips as well.  Your lips are a part of your skin that are easily forgotten but can also get skin cancer.  There are several lip balms on the market with SPFs out there to help protect against harmful UV rays.

Stay Hydrated

Dehydration can occur easily over the summertime.  If you don’t drink adequate amounts of water, dry mouth can become an issue.  Dry mouth is a very large cause of cavities so when the temperatures rise to make sure so does your water intake.

Schedule an Appointment

Daily schedules loosen up over the summer with school being over.  August becomes a mad rush to get kids in before school starts.  Avoid losing out the most wanted appointment times by scheduling over the summer.  Give us a call today to schedule your appointment and we hope these tips help you to stay healthy and cool over the summer!

According to the American College of Prosthodontists 120 million Americans are missing at least one tooth. There are many reasons that people can lose their teeth, such as cavities, periodontal disease, trauma or genetics. Missing even one tooth can cause a gap in your smile leading to an unwanted appearance.

Although a missing tooth can affect your confidence when smiling, did you know it can also affect your ability to eat and can also cause permanent damage to other teeth in your mouth? Here are some ways these spaces can impact the remaining dentition:

• More Stress…the adjacent teeth have more stress on them now. This lack of support can cause bone loss, mobility or a fracture in the tooth and can eventually lead to another extraction and more lost teeth!
• Totally a Drift…since there is nothing for the adjacent tooth to contact, it will start drifting forward into the missing space. This can cause difficulties in keeping the area clean and can lead to decay.
• Gravity Takes it’s Toll…if the missing teeth are on the bottom, the opposite tooth on the top will start drifting down.  Gravity will cause the top tooth to move down since there is nothing to stop it.  Eventually, the tooth can drift down so much that with enough bone loss the tooth will need to be removed.

The good news is there are several ways to replace missing teeth. The most common options are an implant, bridge, or partial denture. All of these options can stop the impacts of the missing teeth while also improving your smile and chewing capabilities.

Check out this case below and how Dr. Dhaliwal helped this patient with a missing tooth.

BEFORE

This patient was concerned about the missing tooth.  The tooth broke off under the gum line and wasn’t able to be saved.  The patient didn’t care for the look of the gap when she smiled.  Also, she found it difficult to chew in that area.

AFTER

After an evaluation, Dr. Dhaliwal and the patient both agreed that a bridge would be the best treatment option.  The bridge not only took care of the missing tooth but also replaced a broken crown in the tooth in front of the missing space and helped strengthen the tooth behind the missing space that had a large failing filling.  Both the patient and Dr. D were super excited with the results.

Improve the health of your mouth and schedule your consultation with Dr. Dhaliwal today to discuss what options you have in replacing your missing teeth!