One day the word “dentures” could become a historical term, once all preventive medicine has been practiced! At the present time, however, someone you are caring for may still need to rely on wearing dentures to get by with their dental health. For this reason, it should be nice to learn some facts about dentures. Usually, wearing dentures is a difficult new experience that is often hard to get used to. Time and practive will allow cheeks and tongue get used to the sensation of holding your dentures in place, if there is adequate dental ridge and muscle tone. A dental adhesive might be needed for the beginner or for someone with insufficient bone ridge or muscle tone.
Upper full denture
When first starting to wear dentures, eating even the most simple foods may seem difficult. The foreign sensation of wearing a plastic appliance over a portion of the mouth shouldn’t feel painful – be grateful that this treatment option is available to restore your oral function and health back the best it can be! After first receiving the dentures, eat simple, non-sticky foods like yogurts, steamed vegetables and eggs. Raw vegetables and nuts should be avoided as these items tend to require rigorous use of teeth. When chewing, place food on both rear sides of your dentures to keep your mouth balanced. This is something that will become easier with time.
As a general rule of thumb, denture wearers tend to have a poorer diet than non-denture wearers, so getting a healthy balanced diet is key. If you find difficulty eating with your dentures, check with dentist as adjustments are routine to keep everything functioning and feeling as it should. Dentures should be a supplementary device intended to add to a person’s quality of life, not detract from it. Speech may also be affected by dentures, and although it may seem difficult or cumbersome in the beginning, after about a month, speech should improve. If not, speak with your dentist about the situation.
Remember, keeping your dentures clean is just as important as keeping your mouth clean. Dentures should be cleaned after each meal, during which the mouth should be cleaned with rinse or lightly scrubbed with a soft bristle toothbrush, to prevent food from sitting beneath the dentures and irritating the gum (which can lead to a fungus infection). Remember, do not sleep with dentures in – the gums need a chance to rest!
It is possible to have a fruitful, fulfilling life with dentures , if the dentures after multiple adjustments or even new sets still have problem to stay in or hurts, there are other options , maybe selections or set up of different denture teeth,ridge augmentation or dental impalnts, Be sure to find out what will be the best restorative options to regain abilit to eat healthy and feeling healthy. every 6 months with your dental professional to prevent any unexpected problems.
What are your teeth made of? What is in that precious white enamel? What is inside your teeth? Teeth play a very important role in our mental and physical health. The function of our teeth not only play a role in allowing speech, but also help us to cut and chew food as the first step in our digestion system.
It is only natural to be curious about what teeth are made of and how they function within our mouth. The root anchors the tooth below the gum’s surface into the jaw bone, while the crown of the tooth extends out past the gum. The outermost hard shiny layer of the tooth is called enamel, and is the hardest substance in the body and functions as a food grinder. 92- 96% of enamel consists of minerals (hydroxyapatite, a phosphate and calcium salt) with the remaining part being water and organic material .
Lying just beneath the hard, shiny enamel surface of every tooth is the dentin layer. This layer of the tooth is composed mainly of calcified bony-like tissue (mostly hydroxylapatite), and like bone it contains collagen, water and other organic components (and is soft in consistency). Throughout the dentin layer are tiny passageways into the deep pulpal layer, connected to the enamel layer – these passages are known as tubules. Unlike enamel, dentin continues to modify throughout a person’s entire life. Dentin can grow or reform in response to a change in tooth conditions, such as tooth decay or attrition.
The innermost layer of the tooth is known as the pulpal layer. This inner sanctum of every tooth consists of nerves and blood vessels. This pulp benefits the teeth in several ways: primarily, the pulp keeps the organic components of the teeth healthy and properly supplied with moisture and nutrients. The pulp also conduces senses such as heat, cold and trauma from the teeth into the body’s nervous system.
The important thing to remember about your tooth structure is that it is subject to change – when bacteria and other substances (like alcohol, smoke or even sugary liquid) is introduced into your oral environment, prompt cleaning (with a toothbrush and floss) is necessary to prevent premature decay. Once decay passes through the enamel layer into the dentin, decay will progress rapidly, even when not easily detectable from visual inspection. Only when the enamel has caved in and broken down does a cavity become visible. If the cavity was not treated early and the underlying dentin layer has already decayed (which can actually extend deep into the pulpal tissue), root canal therapy may be necessary, requiring a post and crown to restore the tooth. Ultimately, prevention is the best solution. Proper home care and regular dental check-ups can detect problems early, and are usually fixed easily.
The American Dental Association (ADA) has given its golden seal to brand name fluoridated toothpastes for their cavity fighting features. It’s no surprise really – topical use of fluoride has been proven to be effective at inhibiting tooth demineralization, promoting remineralization and inhibiting the growth of bacteria associated with tooth decay. Fluoride is marketed in the US as a bone fortifier and is administered at the dentist’s office for nearly all pre-adolescent teeth cleanings. Finally, the idea of fluoridated water may seem like a great thing to add to your new child’s water, because it fortifies teeth – but beware! What isn’t so well known is that the potential toxicity of fluoride is dangerous, and if swallowed in concentrated form or ingested over a longer period of time, it may have potentially damaging side effects.
In 1977, The Institute of Medicine (IOM) specified adequate intakes of fluoride of 0.01 mg/day for infants through 6 months, 0.05 mg/kg/day for children beyond 6 months of age, and 3 – 4 mg/day for adults, to prevent dental caries. Upper limits (UL) of 0.10 mg/kg/day in children less than 8 years old and 10 mg/day for those older than 8 are recommended for prevention of dental fluorosis. Similar levels have been endorsed by the American Dental Association (ADA, 1994) and the American Dietetic Association (ADA, 2000). What does this all mean? Fluoride has an affinity for calcified tissues. The trace amount of daily intake of fluoride is beneficial, but too much of it can result in patchy or mottled looking teeth, known as dental fluorosis (or brittle bones, known as skeletal fluorosis). Studies are needed for health researchers to investigate the relationship between intake levels and human health. 75% of our daily fluoride intake is from water or beverages, like tea and juices.
The fluoride content of a water supply is often described by the term ‘parts per million’ (ppm). 1 ppm = 0.1 milligrams of fluoride per 100 milliliters of water. About 1 ppm seems to be the optimal level of fluoride for a drinkable water supply; a litre of such water would provide 1 milligrams of fluoride. At 2 ppm, mottling of tooth enamel may occur. The actual condition of ‘fluorosis’ or excessive deposition of fluoride in bones is only present after prolonged consumption of 20 to 80 milligrams of fluoride per day.
Repeated exposure to fluorine in naturally-occurring forms (such as in fruits and other produce) is one thing, but overexposing your child to fluoridated baby formula (identifiable by needing to add water to the formula) could put your child’s appearance – and bodily health – at risk. The key take-home message for parents is to avoid added fluoridated liquids or even foods of any kind. No level of fluoride is perfectly safe, and ideally, we wouldn’t need to use it at all – however, fluoride’s teeth strengthening properties, when used in proper doses, can be a beneficial additive.
If your child does develop dark-spotted or mottled teeth after getting his or her primary teeth, pay close attention to their diet! Nutrition should be strictly monitored for fluoride ingestion (including toothpaste!) – if so, he or she should have perfectly clear, spotless permanent teeth erupting around age 5. Experts also agree that it is a good idea to test the water from your home water lines, to see if it is overly fluoridated. Simple take-home tests are available from your local water or health bureau, or can often give past and current fluoride level readings. Do your research to protect your child’s and your health.
It might surprise you to learn that over 20 million individual teeth are extracted from American mouths every year – the devastating news is that many of these extractions could have been avoided. Once teeth “pass the point of no return,” costly implants or other techniques must be used to restore a person’s smile or chewing function properly – and if said person is unable to afford proper treatment, their missing teeth may cause subsequent dental problems or humiliation and devastating blows to his or her self-esteem, even harming job security, depending on what career path said person has taken.
The sad fact of the matter is that less than 10% of people suffering from tooth pain or other signs of future tooth loss ever see a dentist (or dental professional); because nearly all tooth loss is preventable, this is simply unacceptable! Dental phobia, the fear of being judged by a dentist or financial troubles are often contributing factors in why most people suffering from tooth pain never see a dentist, but the consequence of delaying (or avoiding all together) a dental check-up often results in edentulism (missing one or more teeth). Worst of all, oral health problems are systematic (meaning they can affect other systems or parts of the body), and problems grow with time, making the need to see your dentist that much more urgent if you are suffering from tooth pain.
Of course, tooth loss in rare incidences could be due to injury or genetic problems, mainly caused by poor oral hygiene, bad oral habits leading to tooth and gum disease and eventually tooth loss. For starters, brushing and flossing twice daily and after meals is essential! When food particles are left behind embedded between tooth crevices, bacteria begins a destructive process which eats away at your teeth and gum. Secondly, eating sugary, carbohydrate-laden foods and drinking sugary beverages [frequently] without prompt proper care can erode the enamel on your teeth, making you more prone to tooth loss and gum disease. Without timely dental care, these habits will lead to an untreatable situation and inevitable tooth loss. To prevent all that unpleasantness (and the costly consequences of tooth loss), the best solution is prevention. Prevention means having a terrific home care program, proper diet and habit and getting your regular dental cleanings and check ups every year. When the problem is small (or in a earlier stage of deterioration), problems are much easier to correct and restore. To the end the effort is all worthy, and having a healthy mouth is truly the foundation of good physical health (you can eat and digest healthy, high fibrous food) and mental health (self esteem and being able to smile with confidence)!
In the current recession, unemployment rates are at all time highs! It’s a scary prospect to be faced with possible job loss, but especially in professions where appearance is key (like business), your teeth can make or break a first impression. Just as you wear a suit to appear professional, tidy and attractive, having a great set of teeth will accent the professional, attractive winning smile on your face. The people businessmen encounter every day (colleagues, clients and the like) are constantly evaluating the people they work with. Your job just may get that extra boost of security with a clean, healthy and brilliant smile.
A healthy smile could secure your job!
According to a study recently completed by the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), men are less likely to visit the dentist than their female counterparts. Nearly 45 percent of respondents felt that men don’t see a need to go to the dentist, and about 30 percent of those polled reported that men may not visit the dentist because they are afraid or embarrassed to go. This disturbing trend of not visiting the dentist could not only have devastating effects on one’s teeth and oral health, but on their professional well-being and livelihood!
“In my practice, more men are coming in and requesting bleaching, veneers and bonding,” says AGD spokesperson J. Nick Russo, Sr., DDS, FAGD. “Many have noticed the positive effects from a colleague’s improved smile and realize that a great smile has a lot of value in the business world.” A poorly cared-for smile not only looks bad, but portrays an image of uncleanliness and sloth. “Can a person who doesn’t take care of his teeth, of himself, take care of my portfolio?” This is a question that may be asked in the minds of the people you work with and the people you work for!
As the job market becomes more and more competitive, employers are constantly looking at ways to differentiate potential candidates for positions, and a healthy smile is a great way to make a great first impression. Existing employees are also facing tough competition with young grads who have been raised in households emphasizing the importance of oral health more so than past generations – so what are you waiting for? A healthy and beautiful smile will improve your overall health, your image and your self confidence – it could even improve your job security!
Have you ever thought “when I grow into my golden years, I’ll never smile – my teeth will have fallen out!” It should be common knowledge that teeth do not fall out naturally as part of the aging process, quite the contrary! Teeth are lost in seniors primarily due to poor oral hygiene, resulting in tooth and gum disease. If seniors properly take care of their teeth and maintain regular check ups with their dentist, their teeth will be healthy and strong throughout their entire lives!
It’s no surprise that senior oral health is a top priority and concern for dental professionals across the United States – senior citizens are the fastest growing demographic due to the baby boomer generation, and will soon make up the largest age group in the country! For such a big group, it would seem common sense that dentists are seeing increasing numbers of senior patients, but this is sadly not true. “Seniors often take long absences from seeing the dentist,” says AGD spokesperson Nick Russo, DDS. “Sometimes they stop caring as much because they’re not out in the public very much, and they think oral hygiene doesn’t matter.” I have even had patients in their 80s and 90s who have even received orthodontic treatment (braces)! A person is never too young.
The truth of the matter, however, is that oral health matters just as much for seniors as it does for middle aged people and even young adults! Deteriorating oral health in old age is a choice, not a factual occurrence – and can be prevented rather easily. A person’s smile is the gateway to their heart, and whether that person is 15 or 115, that smile defines who you are. Keep it beautiful! The most important step for seniors (or their children or caretakers) to remember is that oral health is not a luxury – declining oral health is not purely aesthetic, and systemic problems can arise due to declining oral health. For example, genetic links between gum disease and heart disease have been proven to exist. Be sure to schedule biannual (twice yearly) dental checkups and cleanings. Not only are these appointments important for cleaning the teeth and gums beyond what a person can do at home, these appointments are essential in identifying poor habits, developing oral health problems and even cancer screenings.
After a biannual checkup plan has been cemented, it is key to remember to brush and floss, for two minutes, after every meal. If brushing and flossing is not occurring after meals, food particles turn into bacteria which destroy enamel and gum tissue. Also, stay away from sodas (diet or otherwise!), candy and other sugar-laden foods and drinks. Water or tea would be a much healthier substitute. Extend your beauty and your life by taking your oral health seriously. Your teeth and gums will take care of you, if you take care of them!
Counterfeit Toothbrushes? You’ve heard of counterfeit DVDs and handbags, but toothbrushes? Believe it or not, brand name toothbrushes are a hot commodity, and some unethical business people are trying to bank on naive consumers. So be careful what you buy and what you use for your dental health.
Watch out for counterfeit brushes!
In February, grocery stores and pharmacies across Ottawa were surprised to find their suppliers had been conned into buying massive shipments of fake Colgate toothbrushes, and they were supplied to the stores to be bought by general public . The brushes that were affected include the Colgate Massager, Colgate Navigator, Oral B Classic 40, Oral B Contura and Colgate 360. These toothbrushes were not made by Colgate! Canadian health officials have released the following statement: “If an imitation is suspected, consumers should stop using them immediately, as the quality, safety and effectiveness of counterfeit products cannot be assured.”
It is true that most of the burden to check for false brushes is on the back of the retailer, but it is still important to be vigilant about your toothbrush – only buy from reputable dealers (like big chain grocery stores) and if your brush looks suspicious – jagged packaging, poorly printed logos or something similar, take it back to the store from whence it came. A counterfeit toothbrush is not made to the same quality control standards as true brand-name brushes: counterfeit brushes (which usually originate in China) have been known to have bristles which fall out quickly, leading to throat irritation and, in a more extreme case, a possible choking hazard for young mouths. A toothbrush’s quality can be measured by specific features such as a well designed handle and thorough rows of columns of properly spaced tufts of end-rounded bristles.
Genuine Colgate toothbrushes will have instructions and labeling printed in English and French only, and should say “Distr. by/par: Colgate-Palmolive Canada Inc” on the packaging. In addition, the Colgate logo should be embossed into the toothbrush handle itself, just under the brush head. These counterfeit brushes have not been detected in the United States as of yet, but due to the globalization of most large corporate supply chains (including those of Proctor & Gamble, the parent company of Colgate), these brushes could easily find their way into American grocery stores and convenience shops. Be vigilant about your toothbrush purchases to ensure you are using a high quality brush – you can only clean your mouth properly with the proper tools, and a genuine toothbrush is an important one!
Mark came in with a severe tooth ache, and after an examination, I could see the tooth was severely broken down. The basic options were to either save the tooth – going through root canal therapy and finishing with a post and crown restoration, or to remove the tooth and restore with a dental implant and crown. “Should I save my tooth, or should I pull it!” This is the eternal question!
Root canal therapy (also known as endodontic therapy) is a procedure of treatment for the pulp of a tooth once it has become infected – the inner pulpal material must be removed, in order to protect and decontaminate the tooth from future microbial invasion to the jaw bone. Once a root canal procedure is performed, however, the lack of nutritional supply in the tooth (once the organic tissue is removed from the tooth during the procedure) will render the tooth brittle, the weakened tooth should be reinforced and restored properly, with a post and crown.
Root canal treatment does have a bad reputation due to the pain and the stigma associated with the procedure. Often times, a patient will have a root canal performed and think the procedure was a success, only to have pain and infection return several years down the line. The complexity of the anatomic root variation could be an obstacle and techniques can often be tedious, which is why specialized service is usually performed by a highly trained dentist or endodontist. Special tools like microscopes are also often necessary for a successful procedure. Advanced instrumentation and technique will ensure long-term success.
Regular dental checkups are vital to properly maintain your dental health. If the unhealthy dental condition requires a root canal treatment or an extraction, have your dental professional explain the pros and cons of each option, then make an educated decision. If there is a mystery pain, a 3-D image (Morita Survey of CT scan) would be invaluable for proper diagnosis. Regular dental x-rays are not capable of capturing images of a cracked tooth nor accessory root canals (which are small and difficult to see). These tiny cracks or canal issues can lead to prolonged discomfort, which you may have thought was a figment of your imagination! If the prognosis was poor, or a tooth has broken down so much that it has become unrestorable, extraction and a dental implant might be a more sustainable investment to you dental health. Prevention is always the best treatment! Brush and floss your teeth twice daily and after meals. If you have any dental pain, schedule an appointment with your dentist sooner rather than later.
We all clean our teeth with tooth brushes, but how do you clean the tooth brush that cleans your teeth?
Keep your tooth brush clean!
Tooth brushes get used cleaning your teeth at least two time daily, and we should all be using toothpaste and water with our brushing. Afterward, we rinse our mouth out and clean our toothbrush under running tap water, shaking off any excess water and then keep the toothbrush upright, allowing it to air dry until next time. Such a cleaning routine is usually adequate for a healthy person. It is good to know however that any toothbrush can harbor millions of bacteria at any given time. The oral cavity itself harbors hundreds of different kinds of microbes and bacterial organisms, which inevitably become transferred onto the toothbrush as you clean your teeth. Most bathrooms also harbor lots of bacteria, which can transfer to your brush if the brush head is contacting any not-so-clean surfaces or another toothbrush. Should you be concerned with sanitizing your tooth brush?
Thankfully, our immune defense mechanism protects against offending microbes, and most bacteria on your tooth brush will pose no health risk to you. Don’t be germ phobic, but it is always good to have few more pointers under your belt regarding how you can keep a cleaner toothbrush. Do not share a toothbrush! Wash your toothbrush before and after each use. It is important to clear all bristles of any remaining toothpaste or food debris to prevent excess bacteria from forming. If you are sick, it’s a good idea to soak your toothbrush in a 3% (standard over-the-counter) solution of hydrogen peroxide for 5-10 minutes to sterilize your cleaning tool. Also, it’s a good idea to have several toothbrushes at your disposal, dried and cleaned and ready to go – rotating toothbrushes can increase their longevity. When storing your toothbrush, make sure to have adequate ventilation to prevent molding or bacteria from forming.
My last tip is to take a good look at your your brush: if the ends of bristles bend , get a new one! Normally, the life span of a is 3 to 4 months; if you have an electric toothbrush check the shape of the bristles (it might be time to replace the brush heads). It’s always easier to stock up a few brushes to assure you’ll always have a good toothbrush available to keep your oral hygiene up to snuff. A clean mouth makes you feel refreshed and keeps your body healthy!
Respite with Chardonnay, sip the stress away! It’s carefree time. On the other side of the coin, white wine can also make your cosmetic dentist frown for your dulling smile. We are talking about the tooth stain effect from white wine – what’s that, you ask? White wine stains your teeth? You probably are already aware that certain foods can cause staining and discoloration to your teeth – but many foods or beverages without a strong or dark color (which look innocent) can still cause stains on your teeth.
White wine can stain your teeth - just like red wine!
A new NYU study shows white wine has an acid content that tends to increase the risk of stain or darkening of your teeth, if combined with other habits of drinking tea, or similar dark beverages. Do not be fooled by the crystal clear appearance of a white wine – it certainly is capable of dulling your teeth. Certain acidic properties present in wine (white, red or rose) create micro-porosity etching rough the surface of your teeth, which make your teeth much more susceptible to stains from other foods. For example, if you were to drink a glass of white wine with your spaghetti dinner, the acidic properties in the white wine could make your teeth more prone to staining from the red spaghetti sauce in your meal, or the cup of tea after the dinner beside your wine! Red wine is still more “dangerous” to the pearly opalescence of your teeth than white, however, as it contains pigment molecules known as chromagen, which will stain your teeth., but all wines contain tannins act as a binding protein, which will aid chromogen to saturate themselves upon the surface of the tooth.
Sodas and other beverages like ice tea and cocktails can wreak havoc upon your teeth as well, and not just the color! Stringent acids or sugars (turned into acids) present in most sodas (and acidic fruit juice, like lemonade) are the worst type of liquid to expose your teeth to, and can cause tooth erosion and tooth decay. A bleaching effect of phosphoric acid in the soda can also weaken your bone in addition to their staining properties. If you must drink any of these liquids, be sure to brush and floss after every meal – or at the very least, rinse your mouth or have a glass of water. Do not allow your oral environment stay in an acid bath! If you can feel astringency or drying of the mouth, drink some water and rinse your mouth before brushing to prevent rubbing the acid into your teeth.
Please enjoy your glass of wine, just be wise about the consequences! Yes, we can still keep your healthy and clean looking smile if we keep up the good oral hygiene habits. You can always consult with your dental professional for tips.
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