Tuesday 17 December 2013

Habits That Wreck Your Teeth: Opening Stuff With Your 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.

Above article from: webmd.com/oral-health

 
Dentist - Six Month Smiles Dallas TX
Energy Square Dental
Bill Blandford, DDS, PC

(214) 369-99664849 
Greenville, Suite 173, Dallas, TX 75206

 

 

Monday 16 December 2013

Habits That Wreck Your Teeth: Bedtime Bottles


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.

Above article from: webmd.com/oral-health

Dentist - Six Month Smiles Dallas TX
Energy Square Dental
Bill Blandford, DDS, PC

(214) 369-99664849 
Greenville, Suite 173, Dallas, TX 75206

Sunday 15 December 2013

Habits that Wreck Your Teeth: 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.

Above article from: webmd.com/oral-health

Dentist - Six Month Smiles Dallas TX
Energy Square Dental
Bill Blandford, DDS, PC

(214) 369-99664849 
Greenville, Suite 173, Dallas, TX 75206

Wednesday 11 December 2013

5 ways to preserve your teeth as you age

(CNN) -- For all intents and purposes, we really get only one shot to take care of our teeth.
The good news is, science and research have taken a front seat in dental education, making today's dentist savvy on "prevention" dentistry rather than the "drill, fill and bill" mentality of decades ago.
Things like adhesive dentistry, recalcification and dental implants have given dentists more options. But for many patients, it's a lot of information to process.
Here are five ways you can ensure that you hang on to your teeth as you age:

Educate yourself on dental care

Dentistry today has taken a much more conservative approach. But it can be hard to know what your options are. Here are some key points that you should know about dental treatment.

• Small cavities can be recalcified. Strong doses of fluoride, or something called MI Paste, applied directly to small cavities can actually recalcify or rebuild the enamel, removing the need for a filling.

5 things to do at the dentist's office
That said, the key to recalcification is early detection. Regular dental visits are crucial to early detection.

• Fillings, crowns or any dental restoration should be replaced or heavily scrutinized every eight years.

Some patients are of the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" era. But the reasoning behind this advice is to eliminate the spread of recurrent cavities that lurk under dental restorations.

The longer you wait to replace dental restorations, the more problems you can run into. If the decay spreads undetected, it may eat up too much healthy tooth structure and need the support of a crown or reach the nerve and need a root canal.

• Make sure your children are getting fluoride treatments until at least the age of 15. Kids, especially, consume a lot of sugar, which breaks down into a biproduct of acid that erodes teeth, quickly causing cavities. Fluoride is a great treatment in rebuilding enamel and neutralizing those acids.

Use an electric toothbrush

In dentistry, the electric toothbrush has been one of the biggest advances in home dental care. Ninety-nine percent of patients don't really know how to brush with a manual brush and, more important, don't brush for the full two minutes needed.

The dental screening that could save your life

Electric toothbrushes remove the confusion and have a timer to ensure that the full brushing is done at each session. Improper brushing can lead to plaque buildup, swollen gums, cavities and overall poor oral health. The sonic brushes remove plaque and get into hard-to-reach places like in between teeth and under the gums to ensure a healthy mouth.

If you grind or clench, wear a night guard

Grinders can wear away a millimeter of tooth structure per year if undiagnosed. Clenchers may not see any immediate signs of wear on their teeth, but the pressure that clenching puts on your teeth is destructive. It slowly breaks down the supporting bone around the teeth, leading to gum recession, bone loss and inevitably tooth loss.

If you feel that you may fall into either of these categories, you should be wearing a night guard. It may not be sexy, but it's much sexier than missing teeth.

Know what oral hygiene regimen is right for you

Today, there has been a lot of money and research into better oral care products. But understand that there is an actual regimen of toothpaste, mouth rinse and "extra-care" products that's right for you.
The first step is defining what "type" of patient you are. I like to break it down into four basic types: cavity-prone, sensitive, stainers and those with bad gums.

Baby's teeth: What you should know
You can ask your dentist which category you fall into. Each product in the sea of dental products in the drugstore has key ingredients tailored for each category of patient. Using the right oral care products can make a big difference in the longevity of your teeth.

Choose the right dentist
Fortunately -- or unfortunately -- your dentist has a lot to do with the preservation of your teeth. Make sure your dentist is up on all current research and his office is updated and state-of-the-art, but most important, make sure your dentist is taking time and looking after you. It sounds simple, but it's probably the most important item on your checklist.


By Dr. Michael Apa, Special to CNN
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/09/health/preserve-teeth-apa/
December 10, 2013 -- Updated 2245 GMT (0645 HKT)

Wednesday 20 November 2013

Habits That Wreck Your Teeth - Tongue Piercings

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.


Above article from: webmd.com/oral-health

Dentist - Six Month Smiles Dallas TX
Energy Square Dental
Bill Blandford, DDS, PC

(214) 369-99664849 
Greenville, Suite 173, Dallas, TX 75206

Tuesday 19 November 2013

Habits That Wreck Your Teeth - Playing Sports With No Mouth Guard

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.


Above article from: webmd.com/oral-health

Dentist - Six Month Smiles Dallas TX
Energy Square Dental
Bill Blandford, DDS, PC

(214) 369-99664849 
Greenville, Suite 173, Dallas, TX 75206

Monday 18 November 2013

Habits That Wreck Your Teeth - Chewing on 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.


Above article from: webmd.com/oral-health

Dentist - Six Month Smiles Dallas TX
Energy Square Dental
Bill Blandford, DDS, PC

(214) 369-99664849 
Greenville, Suite 173, Dallas, TX 75206

Monday 28 October 2013

Oral Warning Signs Can Indicate Serious Medical Conditions

Regular dental exams not only help to decrease a patient's risk of oral diseases, such as cavities and periodontal (gum) disease, but they may also help to diagnose other, sometimes life-threatening, medical conditions.
 
Dentists are able to assess a patient's overall oral health and may recognize symptoms of serious diseases, including diabetes, cancer, and eating disorders, which often manifest as signs and symptoms inside of the mouth. Click here to learn more.

Above article from KnowYourTeeth.com

Dentist - Six Month Smiles Dallas TX
Energy Square Dental
Bill Blandford, DDS, PC

(214) 369-99664849 

Greenville, Suite 173, Dallas, TX 75206

Monday 21 October 2013

Halloween Tips

Halloween is around the corner, which for most children means bags of free candy and a
chance to build up the stockpile of sweets for the winter. Being one of the most fun times of the year for families, Halloween can also present parents with a variety of health and safety challenges.
The American Dental Association, America's premier source of oral health information, has prepared a list of 10 suggestions to help parents maintain good oral health for their children around the Halloween holiday and throughout the year.
1.     Consume Halloween candy and other sugary foods with meals.
Saliva production increases during meals and helps neutralize acids produced by bacteria in your mouth and helps rinse away food particles.
2.     Avoid hard candy and other sweets that stay in your mouth for a long time.
Besides how often you snack, the length of time food is in your mouth plays a role in tooth decay. Unless it is a sugar-free product, candies that stay in the mouth for a long period of time subject teeth to prolonged acid attack, increasing the risk for tooth decay.
3.     Avoid sticky candies that cling to your teeth.
The stickier candies, like taffy and gummy bears, take longer to get washed away by saliva, increasing the risk for tooth decay. 

Click here to read more tips.


Above article from: ada.org

Dentist - Six Month Smiles Dallas TX
Energy Square Dental
Bill Blandford, DDS, PC

(214) 369-99664849 
Greenville, Suite 173, Dallas, TX 75206

Monday 14 October 2013

Don't Forget to Clean Your Tongue

Your oral health routine should always include brushing your tongue with your toothbrush or using a tongue scraper, which you can find in the dental products aisle at the drugstore. That’s important because foods can get stuck in the grooves of your tongue, causing bacteria to grow. Other oral health problems that can develop if you don't clean your tongue are a bad taste in your mouth, staining on your tongue, and bad breath, Abayon says.


Above article from EverydayHealth.com

Dentist - Six Month Smiles Dallas TX
Energy Square Dental
Bill Blandford, DDS, PC

(214) 369-99664849 
Greenville, Suite 173, Dallas, TX 75206

Friday 27 September 2013

12 foods that naturally whiten your teeth



We've all been told to avoid red wine, dark berries, and black coffee in our quests for pearly whites, but what about foods that actually brighten your smile? Try these natural solutions for a brilliant beam. | By Julia Marino

Strawberries
They may be bright red, but malic acid, a chief component of this summery fruit, acts as a natural astringent to remove surface tooth discoloration, says Dr. Irwin Smigel, president of the American Society for Dental Aesthetics. Fresh, juicy strawberries taste great in any meal—salads, desserts, cereal—and are widely available at farmers markets this time of year, so getting your daily dose is both simple and delicious.

Apples
The loud crunch you hear when you bite into this hard fruit may be annoying, but it's also good for your choppers. Apples' crispiness strengthens gums, and their high water content increases saliva production, dispersing and neutralizing colonies of bacteria that lead to bad breath and plaque, says Smigel.

Water
Drink lots of water to keep your mouth hydrated and your smile bright, advises Smigel, who recommends sipping and swishing between glasses of wine and when eating dark, pigmented foods to prevent staining. However, while water reduces the acidity in your mouth and the resulting damage to your enamel, Dr. Smigel warns against imbibing too much sparkling water, which has greater potential to erode enamel and harm teeth.

To view all 12 foods go to: Yahoo - http://tinyurl.com/p6mru46
Above article by: Julia Marino

Dentist - Six Month Smiles Dallas TX
Energy Square Dental
Bill Blandford, DDS, PC

(214) 369-9966
4849 
Greenville, Suite 173, Dallas, TX 75206

Thursday 19 September 2013

Healthy Mouth, Healthy Body


You already know that in order to avoid cavities and more serious dental problems, you have to take good care of your teeth. But consistent brushing and flossing habits do more than just protect your oral health — they also help keep a host of other serious conditions at bay. Heart disease and stroke, for instance, have both been linked to poor dental hygiene.

Above article from everydayhealth.com/dental-health/101.aspx


Dentist - Six Month Smiles Dallas TX
Energy Square Dental
Bill Blandford, DDS, PC

(214) 369-9966
4849 
Greenville, Suite 173, Dallas, TX 75206

Thursday 12 September 2013

Your Family’s Oral Health



Have you heard that you should only take care of the teeth you want to keep? It's true!
That's why at any stage of life, it's important to practice good oral hygiene at home and to visit your general dentist regularly. Starting early is critical to success in preserving a healthy smile for a lifetime. 
KnowYourTeeth.com has loads of information and resources for families who want to know more about good dental care and oral health.  Whether you are an expectant mom, a teen dealing with braces, a grandparent, or someone in between, we have the answers for you. What's more, kids will find games, quizzes and other ways to make learning about dental care more fun! 
Visit www.knowyourteeth.com for more great dental information

Above article from KnowYourTeeth.com


Dentist - Six Month Smiles Dallas TX
Energy Square Dental
Bill Blandford, DDS, PC

(214) 369-9966
4849 
Greenville, Suite 173, Dallas, TX 75206