19 Dental Habits to Avoid

26 Nov

Chewing on Ice

person chewing ice
It’s natural and sugar free, so you might think ice is harmless. But munching on hard, frozen cubes can chip or even crack your teeth. And if your mindless chomping irritates the soft tissue inside a tooth, regular toothaches may follow. Hot foods and cold foods may trigger quick, sharp jabs of pain or a lingering toothache. Next time you get the urge for ice, chew some sugarless gum instead.

Playing Sports With No Mouth Guard

hockey player smashing into barrier

Whether you play football, hockey, or any other contact sport, don’t get in the game without a mouth guard. This is a piece of molded plastic that protects the upper row of teeth. Without it, your teeth could get chipped or even knocked out when the action gets rough. Self-fitting mouth guards may be purchased at a store, or you can have one custom made by your dentist.

Bedtime Bottles

habits

It’s never too early to protect teeth. Giving a baby a bedtime bottle of juice, milk, or formula, can put new teeth on a path to decay. The baby may become used to falling asleep with the bottle in his or her mouth, bathing the teeth in sugars overnight. It’s best to keep bottles out of the crib.

Tongue Piercings

woman with tongue piercing

Tongue piercings may be trendy, but biting down on the metal stud can crack a tooth. Lip piercings pose a similar risk. And when metal rubs against the gums, it can cause gum damage that may lead to tooth loss. The mouth is also a haven for bacteria, so piercings raise the risk of infections and sores. Bottom line, discuss the health risks with your dentist first.

Grinding Teeth

person grinding teeth

Teeth grinding, or bruxism, can wear teeth down over time. It is most often caused by stress and sleeping habits. This makes it hard to control. Avoiding hard foods during the day can reduce pain and damage from this habit. Wearing a mouth guard at night can prevent grinding while sleeping.

Cough Drops

cough drops

Just because cough drops are sold in the medicine aisle doesn’t mean they’re healthy. Most are loaded with sugar. So after soothing your throat with a lozenge, be sure to brush well. Whether the sugar comes from a cough drop or a hard candy, it reacts with the sticky plaque that coats your teeth. Then bacteria in the plaque convert the sugar into an acid that eats away at tooth enamel. Hello, cavities.

Gummy Candy

gummy bears

All sugary treats promote tooth decay, but some candies are harder to bear. Gummies stick in the teeth, keeping the sugar and resulting acids in contact with your enamel for hours. If your day just isn’t the same without a gummy critter, pop a couple during a meal instead of as a separate snack. More saliva is produced during meals, which helps rinse away candy bits and acids.

Soda

close up of soda bubbles

Candy isn’t the only culprit when it comes to added sugar. Sodas can have up to 11 teaspoons of sugar per serving. To add insult to injury, sodas also contain phosphoric and citric acids, which eat away at tooth enamel. Diet soft drinks let you skip the sugar, but they may have even more acid in the form of the artificial sweeteners.

Opening Stuff With your Teeth

woman opening packet with teeth

Opening bottle caps or plastic packaging with your teeth may be convenient, but this is one habit that makes dentists cringe. Using your teeth as tools can cause them to crack or chip. Instead, keep scissors and bottle openers handy. Bottom line, your teeth should only be used for eating.

Sport Drinks

sports drinks

There’s no doubt a cold sports drink is refreshing after a good workout. But these drinks are usually high in sugar. Like soda or candy, sugary sports drinks create an acid attack on the enamel of your teeth. Drinking them frequently can lead to decay. A better way to stay hydrated at the gym is to chug sugar-free, calorie-free water.

Fruit Juice

orange soda and orange juice

Fruit juice is loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, but unfortunately most juices are also loaded with sugar. Some juices can have as much sugar per serving as soda. For example, there are only 10 more grams of sugar in orange soda than in orange juice. Fruits are naturally sweet, so look for juice that has no added sugar. You can also reduce the sugar content by diluting juice with some water.

Potato Chips

habits

The bacteria in plaque will also break down starchy foods into acid. This acid can attack the teeth for the next 20 minutes — even longer if the food is stuck between the teeth or you snack often. You might want to floss after eating potato chips or other starchy foods that tend to get stuck in the teeth.

Constant Snacking

raw sunflower seeds

Snacking produces less saliva than a meal, leaving food bits in your teeth for hours longer. Avoid snacking too frequently, and stick to snacks that are low in sugar and starch — for example, carrot sticks.

Chewing on Pencils

habits

Do you ever chew on your pencil when concentrating on work or studies? Like crunching on ice, this habit can cause teeth to chip or crack. Sugarless gum is a better option when you feel the need to chew. It will trigger the flow of saliva, which can make teeth stronger and protect against enamel-eating acids.

Drinking Coffee

spilled coffee cup

Coffee’s dark color and acidity can cause yellowing of the teeth over time. Fortunately, it’s one of the easiest stains to treat with various whitening methods. Talk to your dentist if you’re concerned about discoloration of your teeth.

Smoking

dirty cigarette filter

Cigarettes, as well as other tobacco products, can stain teeth and cause them to fall out as a result of gum disease. Tobacco can also cause cancer of the mouth, lips, and tongue. If you were looking for one more reason to quit, think of your smile.

Drinking Red Wine

red wine glass stain

The acids in wine eat away at tooth enamel, creating rough spots that make teeth more vulnerable to staining. Red wine also contains a deep pigment called chromogen and tannins, which help the color stick to the teeth. This combination makes it easy for the wine’s red color to stay with you long after your glass is empty.

Drinking White Wine

glass of white wine

You might think sticking to white wine would spare your teeth. But the acids still weaken the enamel, leaving the teeth porous and vulnerable to staining from other beverages, such as coffee. Swishing with water after drinking or using toothpaste with a mild whitening agent can fight the staining effects of red and white wines.

Binge Eating

ice cream cone

Binge eating often involves excessive amounts of sweets, which can lead to tooth decay. Binging and purging (bulimia nervosa) can do even more damage to your dental health. The strong acids found in vomit can erode teeth, making them brittle and weak. These acids also cause bad breath. Bulimia can lead to a variety of serious health problems, so be sure to talk to your doctor if you have been purging.

Source: © 2011 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

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Common Dental Product Ingredients

21 Nov Dental_Product_Ingredients
Name of Ingredients Other Name Main Purpose(s)
Aluminum Oxide Alumina A mild abrasive to clean teeth
Calcium Phosphate None Can help re-mineralize teeth.  A mild abrasive for teeth.
Chlorhexidine None An antiseptic and disinfectant to reduce unpleasant odors and plaque formation.
Fluoride None Helps prevent tooth decay.
Methyl Salicylate None A natural plant extract with antiseptic properties.  A flavoring used as an alternative to mint.
Potassium Nitrate Saltpetre Helps reduce the sensitivity of teeth.
Pyrophosphates None Helps prevent the formation of tartar.
Silica Silicon Dioxide A mild abrasive to clean teeth.
Sodium Fluoride None Helps prevent tooth decay.
Xylitol None A naturally occurring sugar substitute which does not cause dental decay.

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Got Braces?

19 Sep

What are Braces?

Braces are applications that dentists put on a patient’s teeth to make them straight so that they can have a leveled bite using both the upper and lower teeth.

A dentist would advice a patient on the best type of braces to use depending on availability, cost, age and maybe even health reasons, depending on the allergies the patient suffers from.

Anyone can use braces, but children respond best to them when they have problems with their teeth, because their bones are still growing unlike adults who may not achieve very good results due to age.

A dentist will first have to identify the root cause of the problem and develop a treatment program. They will advise the patient on the best application necessary, and then treat them by use of the preferred application. Thereafter, they would then monitor the patient’s progress during and after the treatment, to ensure that the teeth are well leveled. Treatment usually takes between 1 to 3 years and is faster for children as indicated above.

Reasons for Having Braces

People use these applications when the lower and upper teeth do not meet properly and it may be caused by several reasons such as genetics and thumb sucking. It could even be accidental. A bad road accident can damage ones jaw, therefore causing them to use braces to rectify the problem.

Unleveled or scattered teeth can lead to jaw problems and may also affect the way a person chews their food, as well as how they speak. This can easily make one lose their self esteem leading to their being embarrassed of their appearance.

Children are more conscious of their teeth, especially when they are school going, because a child may not be courageous enough to face a bully who makes fun of their appearance. If this is not checked, it may impact negatively on the child’s self esteem and that is why most parents go out of their way to purchase their children braces if they have this problem.

In general people get braces so that they can have leveled teeth. This is because they are easy to clean and cavities may not form as easily as they would in a mouth with scattered teeth.

Scattered teeth are not so easy to clean and can hide germs in areas where a toothbrush may not be able to reach.

Different Types of Braces

There are various types of these applications and each depends on a person’s preference as well as their ability to afford. Braces could be metallic, gold, clear, and invisible and they all vary in price. A dentist is always better placed to advise a client on what is available and what is best for them, depending on their health situation.

They also vary in terms of how they are stuck inside a person’s mouth. Some can only be removed by the dentist whereas, others can easily be removed by the patient anytime they want to clean their teeth or sleep.

Great care should be taken by the wearers of braces, and those engaged in sports are advised to use brace guards for their own protection as well as for the applications.

These applications resolve the scattered and unlevel teeth problem by exerting gradual force on the teeth to make them level by slowly moving them over time.

Nobody should go through life unhappy with their appearance and in need of braces because a dentist can always work out a treatment program which is affordable by anyone who is willing to pay.

Call us today for a complimentary consultation to find out which options are better for you.

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Healthy Habits for your Kids!

13 Sep

Now that your kids are back to school, it is a good time to check on their nutrition. This is a continuous challenge, especially if you are struggling with your picky eaters, but there is help!

Here are some tips to help avoid bad eating habits and encourage a lifetime of good nutrition and healthy habits:

  • Buy what you want them to eat.  It is easier to avoid bad habits if it’s not in the house.
  • While you are shopping in the produce section, involve your child by talking about the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables.
  • Be creative by incorporating healthy foods into their favorite foods.
  • Redefine the idea of dessert by offering fruits or yogurt instead of the sugary options.
  • If your child rejects the meal you’ve prepared, don’t prepare anything else as this can encourage picky eating and power struggles over food.
  • During mealtimes, enforce “No TV Policy”.  Not only are you removing distractions, you’re removing the possibility of ads for sugary snacks and fast foods. 
  • And most importantly… set a good example by eating a variety of healthy foods yourself.

Achy Feet?

12 Sep

Does running, working out, or spending all day on the go leave you with achy feet? Dr. Mark Cheng explains the science behind the pain and how to relieve it. Click below to watch the video.

9 Foods Kids should NOT eat

9 Sep

Note: The following recommendations are for school-aged children. Infants and toddlers have different specific nutritional needs not addressed in this article.

  1. Chicken Nuggets
  2. Sugary cereal
  3. Lunch meat & hot dogs
  4. Juice & juice-flavored drinks
  5. French fries
  6. Potato chips
  7. Fruit leather
  8. Donuts
  9. Pizza

Posted by Joe Wilkes in Team Beachbody

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4 Tips for Healthy and Safe Grilling

22 Jul

It’s that time of year again. Hot weather sets picnic fever – and the nation’s barbeque grills – ablaze. In fact, according to the Hearth, Patio and Barbeque Association, 4 out of 5 American households will fire up backyard grills this summer.Safe Grilling for your summer

Experts at the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) recently issued their yearly advice for healthy grilling. This year, that advice is bolstered by new evidence in a just-published report on the prevention of colorectal cancer.

“Two aspects of the traditional American cookout, what you grill and how you grill it, can have a role in raising risk for cancer,” said AICR spokesperson Alice Bender, MS RD. “Big portions of red and processed meat are a well-known concern with respect to colorectal cancer. And although the evidence on the link between grilling itself and cancer risk is less strong, it only makes sense to take some easy cancer-protective precautions.”

Bender noted that when any kind of meat, poultry or fish is cooked at high temperatures, especially when well-done or charred, cancer-causing compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) form. These substances can theoretically damage DNA in ways that make cancer more likely.

“The good news is that there are four simple strategies you can use to make allowances, manage risks, and grill more safely,” Bender said.

1. Get the red (meat) out, add other colors

Focus first on grilling colorful vegetables and fruits, and cut back on the amount of red and processed meat on your cookout menu. Plant foods contain a variety of naturally occurring compounds called phytochemicals, many of which provide their own anti-cancer protection.

Vegetables like asparagus, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant and corn on the cob are favorites, because grilling brings out flavors that even the pickiest eaters enjoy. Cut into chunks for kabobs, cook in a grill basket or toss with a small amount of olive oil and grill whole.

Cut fruit before putting it on the grill: apples, peaches and pears can be halved and bananas split lengthwise. Use fruit that is about a day or two away from being completely ripe so it retains its texture. If you brush fruit or the grill with a bit of oil, it won’t stick, and remember to watch closely so it doesn’t get overdone. Serve as is, with a sprinkle of cinnamon or a dollop of plain frozen yogurt.

2. Marinate the meat

If you choose to grill meat, mix it up: Try chicken or fish instead of sticking with burgers and hot dogs. Whatever meat you choose, start by mixing up a marinade with some of your favorite herbs along with vinegar or lemon juice. Keep the meat marinating in the fridge while you prepare the sides. Marinating meat has been shown to reduce the formation of HCAs. Precisely why marinades are protective is still under investigation; some evidence points to the acids (vinegar and citrus) or the antioxidant content. Even just 30 minutes in the marinade can help.

3. Partially pre-cook

You can do this in the microwave, oven or stove to help reduce the amount of time the meat sits on the grill exposed to high heat. To ensure safe food handling, just be sure to put the partially cooked meat on the preheated grill immediately to complete cooking.

4. Go slow and low

To reduce the amount of HCAs and PAHs that end up in, and on, the meat, slow down the cooking time with a low flame and keep burning and charring to a minimum. More tips: cut off any visible fat (to reduce flare-ups), cook food in the center of the grill and move coals to the side (to prevent fat and juices from dripping on them) and cut off any charred portions of the meat.

Reprinted on July 22, 2011, courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research. For more information, please visit www.aicr.org.

Dental Tips – A Short List

12 Jul

Here is a short list of dental-health tips that most patients have either forgotten or never knew:

General Dentistry

Don’t eat ice cubes. It is the season for this refreshing pastime, but it can result in fractured teeth. Many older fillings are made of silver, which doesn’t bond to teeth like the white amalgams and can cause tiny cracks because of the stress of chewing hard items like cubes, candy or unpopped popcorn kernels.

Brush at 45-degree angle. To clean the sulcus (the space between the gumline and the point where gum attaches to the tooth), turn your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle and get the bristles in there. A normal depth for the sulcus is 2-3 millimeters, but if it reaches 7-8 it’s time to start worrying.

Deep pocket cleaning.  To clean in a particularly deep pocket, try tying a single or double knot in your floss to catch any food particles.

Flossing the back teeth. When flossing the back teeth, curve the thread around the tooth and push it underneath the gumline.

When to change your toothbrush. When the outer bristles of your brush start to flare, it’s time to change it.

Rinse until you get to your toothbrush. If you eat a sweet snack and can’t get to your toothbrush for a while, rinse with water to delay the sugar’s activity.

Stop smoking. Smoking is so destructive to teeth and gums that many periodontists won’t even treat these patients because the prognosis for recovery is so poor.

Courtesy of The American Dental Association‘s website: ada.org

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Dental health tips for kids

11 Jul

Kids dental check-up starts at age one

Good dental hygiene leads to healthy adult teeth. Here’s how to help care for your child’s pearly whites:

  • Take your child to a dentist by the child’s first birthday or when the first teeth arrive, whichever comes first.
  • Begin helping your child floss by the time their last two molars come together, which usually happens when children are 2 1/2 to 3 years of age.  The cavities tend to start in between the teeth.
  • Don’t let children brush their own teeth until around the ages of 7 to 9 — or until they’re able to tie their shoes or cut their meat on their plates.
  • Curb thumb-sucking by approximately age 5 to prevent developmental abnormalities.
  • Don’t allow young children to carry around sippy cups containing anything but water.
  • Cut down on sugary snacks between meals.
  • Limit sticky foods such as raisins and fruit roll-ups, which cling to the teeth. Experts note that raisins are very nutritious, but they tend to get wedged in the teeth and stay put. Encourage children to take a sip of water after eating these and other snacks.
  • Take care of your own oral health. Research shows that the bacteria that cause decay can be passed from caregivers to infants and young children. Rinsing with anti-bacterial mouthwashes has been shown to significantly reduce the number of cavity-causing bacteria.
  • Limit the sharing of spoons and bottles between caregivers and children and among children themselves.
  • Let older children chew sugar-free gum. Gum increases the flow of saliva in the mouth and helps neutralize acids on the teeth. Further, studies have suggested that chewing sugar-free gum for 20 minutes after meals can help prevent tooth decay. The ADA recommends gum containing xylitol.(http://www.ada.org/5098.aspx%3FcurrentTab=1).  Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar substitute, as well as gum that has the ADA seal of approval. (NOTE: Chewing gum is considered a serious choking hazard for young children.)
Courtesy of HealthKey.com

To Parents: Risk of Popular Teething Medications!

12 Jun

On April 7, FDA announced that parents and caregivers should not give OTC gel or liquid benzocaine products, such as Anbesol and Orajel, to children younger than 2 years old unless directed to do so by a physician. Baby Teething

The agency’s action comes in response to nearly two dozen reports of methemoglobinemia, a rare but potentially fatal condition in which the amount of oxygen carried through the bloodstream is greatly reduced, stemming from use of these medications.

As an alternative to the commonly used teething medications, the FDA referred parents to recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, or AAP, that suggest gently rubbing or massaging their teething child’s gums or giving the child a firm rubber teething ring.

It is also suggested that parents and caregivers give teething babies something that is cold but malleable, such as a wet washcloth that has been wrung out, twisted like a rope, and frozen.

If these methods do not work, some pediatricians suggest that parents and caregivers provide a weight-appropriate dose of acetaminophen. However, proper dosages and per-day dosing limits should be maintained because of the risk of liver damage posed by the medication.

Some pediatricians discourage parents from treating their children with certain homeopathic remedies, such as teething tablets that contain belladonna and amber teething necklaces. Belladonna is a poison, and necklaces of any kind pose multiple safety risks with small children.

As for benzocaine, the FDA has said in its safety announcement that children younger than age 2 years should not be given the medication except on the advice of and with supervision by a physician. The agency also cautioned that the topical anesthetic should be used sparingly — no more than four times a day — and only when needed.

The FDA said that methemoglobinemia has been reported with all strengths of benzocaine gels and liquids, including concentrations as low as 7.5 %. The products, which are used to treat canker sores and other irritations of the mouth and gums in addition to teething, have been associated with methemoglobinemia in adults as well as children.

Of the 21 cases reported to the FDA, 10 were considered life-threatening.  Meanwhile, the FDA also has received more than 300 reports of methemoglobinemia associated with the use of benzocaine sprays to numb the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat, including 32 cases that were categorized as life-threatening.  Three deaths have been reported.  The agency issued a separate safety announcement related to those products, which include Hurricaine, Cetacaine, Exactacain and Topex.

The risks associated with methemoglobinemia and benzocaine are not yet included on the labels of any benzocaine products, according to the FDA.

The following is a list of OTC products containing benzocaine*:

Americaine Dent’s Maxi-Strength Toothache Orajel Medicated Toothache
Americaine Hemorrhoidal Dermoplast Antibacterial Orajel Mouth Sore
Anbesol Dermoplast Painrelieving Orajel Multi-Action Cold Sore
Anbesol Baby Detane Orajel PM
Anbesol Cold Sore Therapy Dry Socket Remedy Orajel Ultra Mouth Sore
Anbesol Jr. Exactacain Oticaine
Anbesol Maximum Strength Foille Otocain
Baby Orajel Freez Eez Outgro
Banadyne HDA Toothache Red Cross Canker Sore
Benzocaine Burn Spray Hurricaine Rid-A-Pain Dental Drops
Benzodent Ivy-Rid Skeeter Stik
Boil Ease Maximum Strength Kanka Soft Brush Sting-Kill
Cepacol Sore Throat Lanacane Tanac
Cetacaine Lanacane Maximum Strength Thorets
Chiggerex Mycinettes Topicale Xtra
Chiggertox Navogan Trocaine
Comfort Caine Orabase with Benzocaine Walgreens Oral Anesthetic Paste
Dentapaine Orajel Denture Plus Walgreens Zilactin-B
Dent’s Extra Strength Toothache Orajel Maximum Strength Zilactin Toothache and Gum Pain

*This list is not all-inclusive

Reference: American Academy of Family Practice, FDA

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