Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Soda Or Pop? It's Teeth Trouble By Any Other Name


It's called "pop" in the Midwest and most of Canada. It's "soda" in the Northeast. And it goes by a well-known brand name in much of the South.
People across North America use different words to identify a sugary, carbonated soft drink. But however they say it, they're talking about something that can cause serious oral health problems.
Source
Soft drinks have emerged as one of the most significant dietary sources of tooth decay, affecting people of all ages. Acids and acidic sugar byproducts in soft drinks soften tooth enamel, contributing to the formation of cavities. In extreme cases, softer enamel combined with improper brushing, grinding of the teeth or other conditions can lead to tooth loss. 
Sugar-free drinks, which account for only 14 percent of all soft drink consumption, are less harmful.1 However, they are acidic and potentially can still cause problems.

We're Drinking More and More

Soft drink consumption in the United States has increased dramatically across all demographic groups, especially among children and teenagers. The problem is so severe that health authorities such as the American Academy of Pediatrics have begun sounding the alarm about the dangers.
How many school age children drink soft drinks? Estimates range from one in two to more than four in five consuming at least one soft drink a day. At least one in five kids consumes a minimum of four servings a day.2
Some teenagers drink as many as 12 soft drinks a day3.
Larger serving sizes make the problem worse. From 6.5 ounces in the 1950s, the typical soft drink had grown to up to 20 ounces by the 1990s.
Children and adolescents aren't the only people at risk. Long-term consumption of soft drinks has a cumulative effect on tooth enamel. As people live longer, more will be likely to experience problems.

>What to Do

Children, adolescents and adults can all benefit from reducing the number of soft drinks they consume, as well as from available oral care therapies. Here are some steps you can take:
  • Substitute different drinks: Stock the refrigerator with beverages containing less sugar and acid such as water, milk and 100 percent fruit juice. Drink them yourself and encourage your kids to do the same.
  • Rinse with water: After consuming a soft drink, flush your mouth with water to remove vestiges of the drink that can prolong exposure of tooth enamel to acids.
  • Use fluoride toothpaste and mouth rinse: Fluoride reduces cavities and strengthens tooth enamel, so brush with a fluoride-containing toothpaste such as Colgate® Total®. Rinsing with a fluoride mouthwash also can help. Your dentist can recommend an over-the-counter mouthwash or prescribe a stronger one depending on the severity of the condition. He or she also can prescribe a higher fluoride toothpaste.
  • Get professionally applied fluoride treatment: Your dental hygienist can apply fluoride in the form of a foam, gel or rinse.
Soft drinks are hard on your teeth. By reducing the amount you drink, practicing good oral hygiene, and seeking help from your dentist and hygienist, you can counteract their effect and enjoy better oral health.
Article Source: Colgate


David L. Kitchen, DDS
9850 Genesee Avenue
Suite 540
La Jolla, CA 92037

Telephone: 858.558.1946
info@davidkitchendds.com
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Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Patient Testimonial: Cosmetic Dentistry For San Diego



David L. Kitchen, DDS
9850 Genesee Avenue
Suite 540
La Jolla, CA 92037

Telephone: 858.558.1946
info@davidkitchendds.com
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Tuesday, October 16, 2012

What Is Chellosis?



What Is It?

Cheilosis (also called cheilitis) is a painful inflammation and cracking of the corners of the mouth. It sometimes occurs on only one side of the mouth, but usually involves both sides. This disorder occurs most frequently in people with ill-fitting dentures that fail to adequately separate the upper and lower jaws. People with habits that irritate the corners of the mouth, like licking or rubbing those areas, also are more likely to develop cheilosis. Moisture gathers in skin folds at the corner of the mouth and provides a fertile environment for the formation of yeast (Candida) infections.
People with health disorders such as anemia, diabetes and immune deficiencies are particularly vulnerable.

Symptoms

Cracking, painful inflammation and sometimes weeping at the corners of the mouth.

Diagnosis

Your dentist or physician first will look to see if your dentures are fitting properly. He or she also will ask about your oral habits, such as licking the corners of your mouth. Blood tests may be done to test for anemias or immune deficiencies, and a smear or culture from the area may be tested to detect bacterial or yeast infections.

Expected Duration

Once the underlying cause is corrected, healing usually is quick.

Prevention

If you wear dentures, visit your dentist to be sure they fit properly and adequately support the face. Avoid licking or rubbing the corners of your mouth.

Treatment

Treatment focuses on eliminating causes such as oral habits or poorly fitting dentures. Infections may be treated with steroids or antifungal or antibacterial medications applied directly to the affected area. Severe infections, particularly in people with underlying medical problems, may require antifungal drugs that are taken orally.

When To Call A Professional

If you experience constant or repeat inflammation in the corners of your mouth, you should contact your dentist or doctor.

Prognosis

Good, once the cause has been eliminated.


Article: Colgate
David L. Kitchen, DDS
9850 Genesee Avenue
Suite 540
La Jolla, CA 92037

Telephone: 858.558.1946
info@davidkitchendds.com
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Tuesday, October 9, 2012

All About Cavities


What's In Your Mouth?

To understand what happens when your teeth decay, it's helpful to know what's in your mouth naturally. Here are a few of the elements:
  • Saliva: Your mouth and teeth are constantly bathed in saliva. Although we never give much thought to our spit, this simple fluid is remarkable for what it does to help protect our oral health. Saliva keeps teeth and other oral tissues moist and lubricated, washes away some of the food particles left behind after we eat, keeps acid levels in the mouth low, and protects against some viruses and bacteria.
  • Plaque: Plaque appears as a soft, gooey substance that sticks to the teeth a bit like jam sticks to a spoon. It is, in fact, colonies of bacteria, protozoa, mycoplasmas, yeasts and viruses clumping together in a gel-like organic material. Also in the mix are bacteria byproducts, white blood cells, food debris and body tissue. Plaque grows when bacteria attach to the tooth and begin multiplying. Plaque starts forming immediately after a tooth is cleaned; it takes about an hour for plaque to build up to measurable levels. As time goes on, different types of microorganisms appear, and the plaque thickens.
  • Calculus: If left alone long enough, plaque begins to mineralize and harden into calculus or tartar because the plaque absorbs calcium, phosphorus and other minerals from saliva. These minerals form crystals and harden the plaque structure. New plaque forms on top of existing calculus, and this new layer can also become calcified.
    • Photo Source
  • Bacteria: We have many different strains of bacteria in our mouths. Some bacteria are good; they help control destructive bacteria. When it comes to decay, Streptococcus mutans is the bacterial strain that does the most damage. It attaches easily to teeth and produces acid.

How Your Teeth Decay

You need food, particularly sweet and sticky food, for the bacteria in your mouth to produce acids that will attack the tooth enamel (outer surface of the tooth). Sugars, especially sucrose, react with bacteria to produce acid. The acid from the bacteria can decay your teeth.
It's not just candy and ice cream we're talking about. All carbohydrate foods, as they are digested, eventually break down into simple sugars, such as glucose and fructose. Some of this digestion begins in the mouth. Foods that break down into simple sugars in the mouth are called fermentable carbohydrates. These include the obvious sugary foods, such as cookies, cakes, soft drinks and candy, but also pretzels, crackers, bananas, potato chips and breakfast cereals. The sugars in these foods combine with the bacteria normally in the mouth to form acids. These acids cause the mineral crystals inside the teeth to begin to dissolve.
The dental caries lesion forms when these acids start to dissolve a tooth's outer protective layer, the enamel. A cavity forms when the tooth decay breaks through the enamel to the underlying layers of the tooth. You can reverse a caries lesion (before it becomes a cavity) by using a variety of fluoride products. These include fluoridated water, fluoride rinses for use at home, and, of course, any commonly used fluoridated toothpaste.
Every time you eat, the bacteria in your mouth produce acid. Therefore, the more times you eat the more times your teeth are exposed to an acid attack.

Types and Stages of Decay

Dental decay, also known as dental caries, begins first inside the tooth. A white spot appears on the enamel where the tooth has started to weaken inside. At this stage, the tooth can repair the weakened area with the help of fluoride and minerals in saliva. But if the decay continues and breaks through the surface of the enamel, the damage is permanent. The decay must be cleaned out and the cavity filled by a dentist. Left untreated, the decay will worsen and destroy a tooth all the way through the outer enamel layer, through the inside dentin layer and down to the pulp or nerve of the tooth.
In young children, teeth that have recently emerged have weak enamel and are highly susceptible to acid decay. A type of decay called baby bottle tooth decay or early childhood caries destroys enamel quickly and is common in children. This type of decay can eat through enamel and leave a large cavity in a matter of months.
Older adults sometimes have chronic caries: cavities that don't seem to get any worse or do so at a very slow rate. Teeth with chronic caries will tend to be darker in color because the edges of the cavities become stained from normal eating and drinking.
Root caries (decay in the roots of the teeth) is more common in older adults. Older adults are more likely to have gums that have receded from years of hard brushing or periodontal disease. They also are more likely to have dry mouth (xerostomia), which increases the risk of decay. Dry mouth is caused by many common medicines. Be sure to ask the doctor or pharmacist if any of your medicines cause dry mouth.
Decay can form beneath fillings or other restorations, such as crowns. Sometimes, bacteria and food particles can slip into a tooth if a filling hasn't been placed properly or if the filling cracks or pulls away from the tooth, leaving a gap.

Preventing Cavities

Do you or your family members get cavities frequently? Dental research has identified factors that increase your risk of getting decay. Next time you visit the dental office, ask about your risk factors and discuss the best ways to reduce your risks and limit dental decay.
To prevent your teeth from decaying, you can do two things — strengthen your teeth's defenses with fluoride and sealants, and reduce the number of bacteria in your mouth.
Fluoride strengthens teeth by penetrating the tooth structure and replacing lost minerals to repair acid damage. Everyone should brush with a fluoride toothpaste every day. Dental offices sometimes recommend additional toothpastes, gels and mouthrinses for both children and adults.
Sealants are protective coatings placed over the tops of chewing teeth — molars and premolars. They block bacteria and acids from sticking in the tiny grooves on the chewing surfaces of these teeth. Children should get sealants soon after their teeth erupt into the mouth.
Although you can never get rid of all the bacteria in your mouth, you can control bacteria by brushing regularly and flossing daily, seeing your dentist and dental hygienist regularly for a thorough cleaning and check-up, and reducing the number of times each day that you consume fermentable carbohydrates.
Some prescription mouthwashes (those that contain chlorhexidine) can help prevent decay by reducing the number of bacteria in the mouth. Chewing sugarless gums, especially those with xylitol, can help reduce decay and increase the flow of saliva.
Article: Colgate

David L. Kitchen, DDS
9850 Genesee Avenue
Suite 540
La Jolla, CA 92037

Telephone: 858.558.1946
info@davidkitchendds.com

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Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Cosmetic and Restorative Dentistry

There are many reasons why adult teeth may need restorative treatment. The most common reason is decay, followed by fractured teeth, and old restorations needing replacement. If we recommend that a tooth with a cavity be treated and more than a few weeks pass after the initial diagnosis, the cavity will almost always get bigger and can cause pain. Once this happens, it will likely require more extensive and expensive treatment. 

 The tooth may even have to be removed and replaced with a false (or artificial) tooth. If you have a cavity and it needs a restoration, there are different kinds of materials that may be used to restore the functionality of the tooth. Please remember that a tooth may need treatment before it causes pain. If a tooth causes pain, it may be able to be saved, but the treatment time and cost typically increase due to the complexity of the necessary procedures.

Video Source: CheckDent via YouTube
David L. Kitchen, DDS
9850 Genesee Avenue
Suite 540
La Jolla, CA 92037

Telephone: 858.558.1946
info@davidkitchendds.com
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