1500 Summer Street, Stamford, CT 06905
(203) 883-4433
1500 Summer Street, Stamford, CT 06905
(203) 883-4433
Most dental problems are so common that most people believe that they are inevitable. Actually, they are surprisingly preventable.
In my own past experience, as a kid, I always had cavities. My mom took me to the dentist twice a year. I never missed a check-up as a youngster and I always had at least a couple of cavities every single time. My parents and I certainly didn't like it but we didn't know what caused them or what we could do except show up every six months for the inevitable bad news.
Well, after going to dental school and studying about dental disease, I learned that you don't have to keep having decay and gum problems. And in the last twenty years, I haven't had a single cavity, after having had many cavities every single year before that.
At Dental Care of Stamford, we have many hundreds of patients with the same great results. So can you. You'll have to make some changes, but it really isn't that hard. And the sooner you start, the better the results.
Check the things you do to see how you score on effectiveness in preventing dental problems. Add 10 points for each yes.
Score 10 points for each yes answer. A score of 100 points is perfect. You are doing all you can to prevent dental problems.
A score of 70-90 means you are doing an above average job. Under 70 means that you are relying too much on your natural resistance to keep you out of dental trouble. See what you can do to get more control of your dental health.
Everyone is different and your frequency of dental cleanings and examinations should be determined by your dentist and hygienist based on your past history of dental problems and the present conditions in your mouth.
The old rule of “twice a year cleanings” dates back to a deal made between a toothpaste manufacturer, the American Dental Association and the producers of the “Amos and Andy” radio show in the 1940's. Here is the story, for your amusement.
In the 1940's, most Americans were not going to the dentist for routine examinations. The toothpaste company wanted to advertise on the popular radio show. They also wanted the American Dental Association to give them the official ADA Seal of Approval. The American Dental Association wanted to encourage Americans to visit the dentist. And the radio show wanted the advertising revenue. The deal they struck is that the toothpaste company would run the ads on the radio show and, in exchange for an exclusive ADA Seal of Approval for their toothpaste, they would end each commercial for their toothpaste with the words “...and see your dentist twice a year.”
This advertising campaign made the toothpaste the number one selling toothpaste in America and this rather unscientific reason, by sheer power of repetition, became the standard for twice a year check-ups.
So, how often should you go to the dentist for check-ups and cleanings and still maintain optimal dental health? If you brush and floss daily, have no bleeding gums, no visible inflammation in your gums and a history of slight to moderate decay, you can safely go twice a year.
If you do not consistently floss, occasionally have bleeding gums and a history of moderate decay and gum pockets, as measured by the dentist or hygienist, of 4-5 mm, you really need to get professional cleanings every three to four months.
If you have a history of gum disease requiring treatment, such as scaling and root planing or gum surgery, you absolutely must get cleanings every 3 months.
If you have a history of a lot of decay and restorations and gum disease, and don't consistently brush and floss daily plus use a dental irrigator, you may need professional cleanings every 2 months to maintain optimal dental health.
To stop decay, first learn what really causes decay.Click here to learn what causes decay. Then come back here for the next step.
Now you know that decay is caused by ineffective plaque control which allows bacteria to build up. Then the bacteria take the sugar you eat and turn it into acids which eat a hole in a susceptible tooth structure
Click here to learn more about how sugar causes decay, and then return to go the next step.
Click here to get some tips on plaque removal with brushing and flossing. Also you can go to the Dental Store to learn the best ways to remove plaque with devices like a Rotadent Brush and a Hydro Floss Irrigator. Then, return here to continue.
The bacteria in the plaque eat the sugar to make acids. Click here to learn what you can do to make teeth stronger with Fluoride for children and adults, and then return here to continue.
The next step is to catch any cavities while they are still small, before extensive tooth damage has occurred.
Click here to learn about enhanced video dental examinations and why we no longer use the dental pik to test for decay.
Click here to learn about the benefits of dental x-rays. Then return here to continue.
The next step is to find any old fillings that are leaking and where decay is hidden from a visual exam or dental x-rays.
Click here to learn about video dental exam, and then return here to continue.
The last step is to use a repair method that is strong enough not to crack or leak for a very long time. While no dental repair is permanent, there are different methods to repair teeth, and the better you fix a tooth, the longer the repair will last.
Well, there you have it. By following these 6 simple steps, even the most decay- prone people can usually stop decay in its tracks.
Congratulations on your decision to create your own happy, reduced decay, dental future.
Gum disease is the most prevalent disease in humans. In addition to damaging the gum and jaw bone, medical doctors have proven that the bacteria that collects under the gum line can get into the blood vessels and travel to other parts of the body, just like any other infection.
As a result, the bacteria of gum disease have also been proven to cause heart disease and diseases in joints and other organs. In addition, pregnant women with gum disease have been shown to have smaller babies and more spontaneous abortions than similar women without gum disease.
To prevent gum disease, click here to learn what causes gum disease, and then come back here to continue.
The first step to prevent gum disease is proper daily oral hygiene. Click here to learn about proper brushing and flossing, and then come back here to continue.
The next step to preventing gum disease is to get regular professional cleanings. Even the best brushers and flossers will miss areas of plaque between the teeth and under the gum line. That is where the dentist or hygienist can help by removing deposits of plaque or calculus and diagnosing gum problems before they get serious. Click here to learn more about diagnosis of gum disease, and come back here to continue.
Using the right products and devices to make your home care more effective is very important in preventing gum disease. Click here to go to the Dental Store where you can learn the best products to use for optimal home care. Then come back here to continue.
Maintain your general health with a proper diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, low fat and low refined carbohydrates (sugar), vitamins and minerals. Click here to go to nutrition for dental health, and then come back here to continue.
The last step to maintaining good periodontal health is to be sure that you don't have any bite problems. Bite problems often lead to tooth clenching or grinding. That powerful force on the teeth could damage bone and loosen teeth. Click here to go to the article by Dr. Simon submitted to the Academy of General Dentistry on Dental Problems Caused by Tooth Grinding, and then come back here to continue.
(Link to article bio mechanically induced dental disease)
Congratulations on completing “How to Stop Gum Disease”. Gum disease is, as you can see, rather complicated but, generally, very controllable. The first step is to learn what to do. The next step is to take action, and you'll be on your way to a healthy dental future.
Click here to see an article written for the Academy of General Dentistry on damage to teeth caused by tooth clenching and grinding, and then return here to continue.
(Link to AGD article)
Now that you understand why teeth tend to break, you will be in a much better position to analyze your own situation and take appropriate preventive measures.
To prevent toothaches, you need to be aware of all 4 causes and fight against them.
Decay is the most common reason for a tooth ache. Small cavities that are not close to the nerve canal do not hurt. It is the bigger ones that sneak up undetected, that can lead to abscess and pain. Click here to go to prevent tooth decay, and then return here to continue.
Gum disease, especially in its most advanced stages, is likely to cause a toothache.
Click here to learn about how to prevent gum disease, and then return here to continue.
A traumatic blow to the head or face can injure teeth severely enough to damage the nerve, leading to a tooth abscess. To prevent this type of injury, which often occurs in motor vehicle accidents, always use your seat belts, even for a short drive from home.
Often, injuries to the teeth occur during sporting activities, such as soccer, football, wrestling and basketball. Click here to learn about professionally made mouth protectors.
Damage to teeth due to tooth clenching and grinding can certainly cause pain in teeth. Dentists may mistake this pain for an abscessed tooth. To learn more about tooth
pain problems due to tooth clenching and grinding click here. Then return here to continue.
(Link to AGD article) under progress if not ready yet.
You now have the information you need to prevent most toothaches. Congratulations! Follow these steps to enjoy a pain-free dental future.
Crooked teeth are caused by either developmental problems, such as your lower jaw being bigger than your upper jaw, or local problems, such as sucking your thumb in children, or the tongue or lips putting excessive pressure on the teeth, in the case of an adult.
Development problems also include teeth that are too big for your jaw bones, baby teeth that do not fall out on time or permanent teeth that do not grow in straight. These problems cannot actually be prevented because they are controlled by our genes. However, you can certainly do a lot to discover such problems early, enhance the good qualities and minimize the effects of the bad ones.
In children, at the first sign of crooked teeth or a spacing problem or a habit such as tongue-thrusting or finger-sucking, consult with your dentist. While some parenting philosophies recommend a non-interventional approach to oral habits such as thumb- sucking, there is no question that, if it persists, most of the time it will not only create a big and unattractive underbite, it will also adversely affect the jaw development by forcing the upper jaw to grow out and the lower jaw to lag behind. Allowing such a problem to develop can create a situation that will take years of orthodontic treatment to correct.
Many times, even in younger children, some orthodontic treatment can be done to intercept some developmental problems, before they have a strong and long-lasting effect on the child's jaw bones. This early, interceptive orthodontic treatment can help to lessen or prevent the need for more extensive treatment when the child is older.
Click here to see orthodontic treatment and options, and then return here to continue.
The second general reason people develop crooked teeth is due to local factors in the person's mouth, such as gum disease, bone loss, or the pressures of an uneven bite.
Gum disease can weaken and destroy the jaw bone that holds the teeth. As a result, the teeth can begin to loosen. Once the teeth are not held firmly in the jaw bone, the normal biting pressures or pressures from the lips and tongue can cause the teeth to drift apart, often creating spaces in-between the front teeth. Click here to see how gum disease causes bone loss, and return here to continue.
Excessive biting force from tooth clenching or grinding can also move teeth.
Click here to see an article by Dr. Jerry Simon on cosmetic damage done by tooth clenching and grinding due to an uneven bite. See how it was corrected without braces.
(Link to cosmetic dentistry article)
Wisdom tooth problems are very common and most people are likely to run into them sooner or later.
They happen because most people's mouths are just not large enough for the wisdom teeth to grow in normally. As a result, they usually get stuck, or impacted part way in. In this position, they are highly prone to infection. The only long-term solution is to remove the wisdom teeth.
Until you do so, the best advice we can give you is to get your wisdom teeth checked by your dentist. This will require a visual examination and x-rays. If the wisdom teeth are judged to be candidates for removal, the best thing is to schedule the extractions at your convenience. If you wait for them to bother you first, they can get very swollen and infected. That will result in needless suffering on your part since you'll need a course of antibiotics to quiet the infection before you can have them removed.
If they get infected and painful before you can remove them, the best treatment is to rinse with warm salt water (1/2 tsp. salt in a tall glass of warm water), every one to two hours, non-steriodial anti-inflammatory pain relievers such as Advil 400-800 mg every 4 to 6 hours (if not allergic) and see a dentist to get a prescription for antibiotics.
Some headaches are due to muscle contraction pain that is caused by tooth clenching and grinding. This is actually very common. Many people who think they get stress headaches, sinus headaches, migraine headaches and tension headaches actually get pain from bite-related problems. You can click here to learn about headaches due to TMJ dysfunction syndrome.