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Dry Mouth Puts Your Teeth At Risk

Posted on: 02.4.16 By Dr. Lee Ann Brady

Having enough saliva in your mouth is important to both your general health and your dental health. Our saliva is part of the digestive system and helps us break down our food. Not having enough, dry mouth, can compromise our digestion and add stress to our stomachs. Saliva is also an essential piece of the health of our mouths and teeth. It moistens the tissues, cleanses food particles off the teeth and protects us against the germs that cause cavities.

There are many things that can cause the saliva to change in either quantity or quality. As a normal part of aging our mouths will get more dry. Many commonly prescribed medications that treat high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and anxiety and depression can decrease the amount of saliva we produce. There are also some common medical conditions that can cause dry mouth. Whatever the cause when we have less saliva, or the saliva changes we need to know that we are at greater risk of getting cavities, having ginvigivitis and losing teeth.

I very commonly have patients come in who have not had a new cavity in decades, and suddenly they have several areas that we have to fix with fillings or crowns. When we start to figure out what happened it comes down to a change in their bodies ability to protect the teeth due to lack of saliva. We can also tell during your exam by the visual appearance of your saliva, tongue and gum tissue if you are suffering from dry mouth even before you may have symptoms. What I hope we can do is have this conversation with our patients before they have new dental problems to fix. Discuss with your dentist or hygienist any new medications that you have started taking, any changes to your health or any concerns you have about your saliva. It can be a simple matter of increasing your prevention by using a prescription toothpaste at home, having a fluoride treatment at your hygiene appointments or using other simple preventive strategies.

Here are some signs of dry mouth to watch out for:

Feeling like you need to have a sip of water more often
Needing or wanting to chew gum or use mints or hard candies
Your upper lip sticking to your top teeth
Red irritated tongue of gum tissue
Burning when you eat spicy foods.
Dry throat
Bad Breath
Hoarseness

Choosing The Right Toothpaste

Posted on: 01.25.16 By Dr. Lee Ann Brady

Choosing the right toothpaste can be a daunting task, as the choices are varied and vast. Some of us have a hands down favorite and always use the same kind. This preference is often based on flavor, consistency or a recommendation from our dentist or hygienist. Others of us buy whatever we have a coupon for or the drugstore has on buy one get one free special. Here are some interesting facts that may help the next time you have to choose a toothpaste.

Cleaning your teeth is the responsibility of the toothbrush, and water is all you need to use.
Toothpaste freshens your breath and delivers protective chemicals like fluoride and calcium.
Whitening toothpastes are usually more abrasive and can contribute to damage to crowns and veneers, as well as accelerate the rate of tooth wear.
Sensitivity toothpastes contain a chemical called potassium Nitrate which does reduce temperature sensitivity with regular use.
Tarter Control and Whitening toothpastes may increase temperature sensitivity in some people.
Many toothpastes contain Sodium Laurel Sulfate, so if you are sensitive to this ingredient you need to read the ingredients carefully.
Children’s toothpastes are different, and are designed to be safe if swallowed in large amounts.

So with these facts in mind, it will be easy to narrow down the choices and still find the flavor you prefer in either gel or paste, and you’ll still have to deicde whether to buy the tube or the pump!

The Danger of Sour Candy and Gum

Posted on: 01.18.16 By Dr. Lee Ann Brady

There is something magical to our taste buds about the combination of sour and sweet! As you peruse the racks of gum and candy, the lemon, lime and orange flavors are right there calling to you. We love how they taste and we love how they make us salivate. From small kids with their sour patch kids and sour gummy worms to adults who utilize lemon drops the dangers are the same. The acidic pH of the sour candy and gum is an enemy to your teeth in two ways. First it erodes and dissolves the structure of your tooth and secondly it creates a favorable environment for the bacteria that cause cavities. Our teeth do best in a neutral or basic environment which means a pH over 7. Some of the most popular sour candies have a pH in the range of 2 or 3. Tooth enamel begins to dissolve at a pH of around 4. Its the job of our saliva to keep the pH nuetral, and correct for when we eat really acidic things. If you eat sour candy, gum or mints often enough, or suffer from a lack of saliva your mouth may often be at a pH low enough for tooth damage to occur.

The other challenge is that the bacteria that cause cavities prefer to live in an acidic environment. This means that if your mouth is often below a pH of 7 you will have a greater number of these bacteria. If you are also feeding them sugar, and they are living on teeth already damaged from the acid, it can be a triple whammy! If you can try and limit the amount of sour candies, gums and mints you consume. When you do try and rinse your mouth out as soon as possible. Don’t go right in and brush until the pH of your mouth is back to normal in 15-30 minutes, or you could cause excessive abrasion to the enamel.

Signs & Symptoms of TMD

Posted on: 01.10.16 By Dr. Lee Ann Brady

TMD, short for Temporomandibular Disorder, comes in many forms and covers numerous problems that occur with the teeth, muscles and joints. Due to the varied nature of the things that can cause TMD, the signs and symptoms can be very different from person to person. The issues can be painful and affect your ability to eat and speak, or can be happening silently. The causes range from a traumatic accident that injures the head and neck to grinding or clenching your teeth, and can include medication, stress or even ergonomics as the triggers. If you are concerned that you may have TMD, also commonly referred to as TMJ, ask your dentist to complete a joint and muscle exam, as well as complete an analysis of your bite. Often a simple solution like wearing a nightguard can manage your symptoms and prevent your TMD from becoming a serious, chronic concern.

Symptoms of TMD:

Temporal Headache (on the side of your head over your ear or across your forehead)
Stiffness when opening and closing your mouth
Muscle fatigue in your face when chewing
Pain when yawning, chewing, smiling or talking
Pain in and around your ear over the jaw joint
Inability to open wide enough to eat a hamburger
Mouth locking in an open or closed position
Noise in your jaw joint when you open or close

Signs of TMD that your dentist or hygienist can observe before you have symptoms:

Inflammation in your facial muscles
Inflammation in your jaw joints
Damage to the cartilage in your jaw joints
Loss of tooth enamel due to grinding
Cracks & Fractures in your teeth as a result of tooth clenching
Limited ability to move your lower jaw

The Pregnant Woman’s Guide to Oral Health: Protect Your Teeth!

Posted on: 09.21.15 By Dr. Lee Ann Brady

The first few months of a new pregnancy can be filled with ups and downs, from uncomfortable physical changes to the joys of wondering what the baby’s sex will be. Most mothers know automatically from pop culture and informational texts that they will need to avoid certain foods, take pre-natal vitamins, and let their roots grow out, but what they may not realize is that oral health should be on the top of their pregnancy to-do lists.

Our number one piece of advice is to schedule a check up at the dentist during your pregnancy. While pregnant, your body is going through changes at a microscopic level that can affect the health of your teeth and gums and add unforeseen difficulties.

According to mouthhealthy.org, pregnant woman are prone to a few oral health related issues that a check up can either prevent or diagnose quickly. These can include pregnancy gingivitis, increased risk of tooth decay, and even non-cancerous pregnancy “tumors” which are simply plaque related areas of swelling that can show up on the gums.

Before even considering all of these potential consequences of pregnancy (some of which simply stem from changes in diet and hormones), keep in mind that it is perfectly safe to visit the dentist while pregnant. The American Dental Association (ADA) has even stated that dental treatment “…is safe throughout pregnancy…”

Your dentist is trained to be just as careful as any other practicing “Dr.” and will be sure to determine the safety of local anesthetics, X-rays, and any prescriptions they may prescribe. Make sure to let them know you are pregnant and then they can tailor any necessary treatment with that important consideration in mind.

Armed with this information, you can fully engage in a holistic approach to health care during your pregnancy. Protect your teeth!

How Small Aesthetic Dental Repairs Can Make A Big Difference

Posted on: 08.24.15 By Dr. Lee Ann Brady

For many patients, their perceived happiness with their teeth has a lot to do with the color and symmetry of their smile. In previous posts we discussed the best options for brightening a smile to the desired level of whiteness and the significance of flossing in your oral hygiene regimen. What many patients do not realize though is how cost effective other small aesthetic dental repairs can be in providing them with their ideal smile, whatever that may look like.

A common aesthetic issue that many people have is a chipped tooth. The tiny nick may not be particularly noticeable or upsetting, but just that little bit of imperfection can be a frustrating insecurity during a job interview or a meeting with a client. Our patient Jenna had much the same feelings about two decalcification spots and a chipped corner on one of her front teeth.

Here was how her teeth looked before treatment (click to enlarge):

That slight asymmetry in Jenna’s smile (in this picture: the front upper right tooth, known as the upper left central to the dentist) made her self-conscious, but Desert Sun Smiles dentist Dr. Lee Ann Brady was able to repair the issue with ease. Dr. Brady used composite filling material to fill in and even out the teeth where needed.

Here is Jenna’s perfect smile post-op:

Now Jenna’s smile is not only white from a recent whitening treatment at the Desert Sun Smiles office, but her front teeth are symmetrical. The entire process of repairing the spots and chip took less than an hour and can be reasonably priced depending on the number or complexity of the issue (Bonus: It will also be covered by most dental insurance plans). Cosmetic dental fixes provide bang for your buck and can leave you with a lasting sense of confidence in your smile.