Lake Oconee Dentistry Blog

AFTER FINISHING LUNCH AT WORK, DO YOU BRUSH YOUR TEETH? A survey reveals that despite knowing that a healthy, attractive smile affects both personal wellness and professional image, very few people are brushing at the office.

The survey, carried out by The Academy of General Dentistry and Oral-B Laboratories, polled more than 1,000 full-time employees about their oral care habits and the importance of a healthy smile at work. Their findings were very interesting.

The Importance Of A Healthy Smile At Work

• 96% of respondents thought a smile was very or somewhat important to a person’s appearance.
• 40% ranked “smile” as the first thing they noticed about a person at work.
• 32% cited “bad breath” as their co-workers’ least attractive trait.

Office Eating And Brushing Stats

• 3/4 of respondents ate twice or more a day at work.
• Only 14% brushed their teeth!

Changing When You Brush

The sugars and starches in the food you eat can cause an “acid attack” on tooth enamel. Even after the visible evidence of food disappears, plaque bacteria continues to grow. If you don’t brush, those workday meals, snacks, and beverages stay on your teeth and can increase the likelihood of tooth decay and gum disease. So brush! Let’s adjust the when of brushing just a bit, to your advantage: brush your teeth after breakfast, after meals at work, and before you go to bed.

Some Foods Are Better For Your Teeth Than Others

Helpful Tips For Brushing At Work

• Leave a toothbrush at work and increase your likelihood of brushing by 65%!
• Step it up at home—the better you brush at home, the better you’ll brush at work.

Suggestions?

If you brush your teeth regularly at work, do you have any suggestions to help the rest of us, who may not be as valiant? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page.

Thank you for being a part of our practice.

5,000,000 TEETH ARE KNOCKED OUT during sporting events each year, according to the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation. Yes, that’s six zeros, meaning five million! If people don’t start protecting themselves, the Tooth Fairy may be able to retire—and we don’t want that!

April is National Facial Protection Month. Regardless of your age (adults get teeth knocked out too), we want to help you keep your smile beautiful.

Protective Gear Greatly Reduces Chances of Injury

By simply wearing properly fitted mouthguards and other forms of protective gear, athletes of all ages can greatly reduce the risk of traumatic facial injury. So, this spring, as team rosters fill up and your urge to hit the field or court grows stronger, remember to use appropriate protective gear.

Three Safety Tips For You And Your Family

1. Wear a mouthguard for all contact sports including baseball, soccer, football, and lacrosse. Other sports may apply too!
2. Wear a helmet and/or protective eyewear when appropriate. Face shields can also help protect your skin.
3. Be alert. Whether in the game or cheering from the sidelines, pay attention.

Check out this fun video highlighting the importance of mouthguards!

We want everyone to be active but smart during the upcoming seasons and beyond! If you’re unsure of the type of protective gear you should wear for a sport or outdoor activity, please ask us. We’re here to help make sure you have a blast this spring and summer, all while being safe.

Add Your Story

Have any of you had an experience where protective gear really made a difference? We want to hear about it. Leave it in the comments below or on our Facebook page.

Thanks for being our valued patients and friends.

CAN YOU IMAGINE HOLDING YOUR SMILE perfectly still for 15 minutes until the camera clicked? That’s how long it took for a photograph to expose in 1839.

Later, exposure times were significantly cut back, but it still took at least 20 seconds. To make sure pictures weren’t ruined, photographers asked their subjects to stay completely still and not adjust their bodies or facial expressions. No wonder people were so stiff and serious in old time photos! They were probably frustrated, tired and bored!

Now, snapping a photo takes no time at all. In fact, most people have an HD camera in their pocket all the time (called a smartphone). Today, when someone whips out a camera, it’s just second nature for us to flash a quick smile. But it wasn’t always that way. Why?

Why People Didn’t Smile In The Early Days of Photography

The Serious Nature of Formal Occasions

Photography was rare and expensive. Most people only had a few opportunities during their entire lifetime to have their photo taken. Therefore, when the rich were being photographed, they treated the “event” with the utmost seriousness. They preferred the thoughtful, tortured look to the playful kissy-face look that’s so popular today.

Poor Dental Health

In the 1800s good dental care was not widely available. Modern dental procedures designed to help people keep their teeth for life were unavailable—so, most people had missing, broken, chipped, or rotten teeth. Even if the technology would have allowed them to show their smiles to the camera, they may have preferred to keep their mouths shut.

When Did Things Start Changing?

Starting in the 1900’s, we see more natural-looking, relaxed poses. But why did we start smiling? Well, we’re not really sure. But one theory is that a picture is our introduction to someone new, and when we meet someone new, we usually make a good impression with a welcoming smile.

Keep Your Smile Camera-Ready

• Photographers recommend smiling three-quarters of the way, so your eyes stay open and your lips don’t stretch above your gum line.
• Check your posture—a craning neck or a tucked chin can distract from a gorgeous smile.
• Keep your smile healthy! A healthy smile is a beautiful smile!

Are You Still Holding Back Your Smile?

We live in a wonderful time where modern dentistry allows us to enjoy healthy, beautiful grins. If, for any reason, you’re uncomfortable with your smile or dental health, let’s visit. We want you to feel 100% confident when you smile.

The 1800s are behind us, including the fashion and the seriousness. Thank you for trusting your smile to our practice!

Just For Fun!

Do YOU have a family or personal photo shoot story (good or bad, funny or serious)? Please tell us about it by posting in the comments section below or on our Facebook page. We’d love to hear it!

DO YOU EXPERIENCE sudden, sharp pain sometimes when you drink a glass of ice water, eat ice cream, or sip hot coffee? You’re not alone. One in eight adults experiences tooth sensitivity—the kind of sensitivity that isn’t due to a problem such as a cavity. So what’s causing it? Surprisingly, one of the most common causes of tooth sensitivity is brushing with too much force.

How Could Brushing Hurt?

Over brushing is problematic because it wears down the protective layers of your tooth enamel. It can also push back your gums, exposing the dentin layer under the enamel even more. This dentin layer has microscopic tubes or canals that lead to your tooth’s nerves. If these tubes are exposed to hot, cold, or even acidic foods it can lead to discomfort and tooth sensitivity.

Tips For Better Brushing:

• Watch which direction bristles face when you brush. They should be perpendicular, not parallel.
• Hold your toothbrush loosely, like a pencil.
• Use soft, round motions to brush. Don’t saw back and forth.
• Use soft or extra-soft bristled brushes. Brush softly! Apply just enough pressure to feel the bristles against your gums.

Put In The Time

When it comes to cleaning teeth, elbow grease doesn’t do the trick. Consider this mantra: brush smarter, not harder. When regularly brushing, the plaque you’re trying to get rid of is fairly soft and can easily be brushed away with a soft brush.

During the two minutes you’re brushing it’s good to be thorough, but there’s no need to scrub the same areas over and over again.

Questions?

Are you experiencing tooth sensitivity? Over brushing isn’t the only possible cause. You may want to request an appointment so we can talk about your symptoms and determine the reason for your pain.

You can also leave a question below, or you can ask a private question on our Facebook page.

Thanks for being a valued patient in our practice!

HERE ARE SOME INTERESTING STATS about soft drinks:

• The average soft drink serving size has tripled since the 1950s.
• The average person drinks about 45 gallons of soda per year.
• 7% of adults drink four servings or more per day.
• At least 20% of children drink four servings or more per day.

Soft drinks are loaded with sugar and empty calories. Consumption has been linked to obesity, diabetes, and heart problems.

But of major concern to us, as your lifelong oral health partner, is that sugary, carbonated drinks really bully your teeth!

1. The Acids Eat Away At Your Tooth Enamel

Your tooth enamel is strong—the hardest substance in your body, in fact. But the phosphoric acid and citric acid in soft drinks (ironic name for sodas, isn’t it?) is stronger.

2. Carbonated Sugar Is Replacing Calcium-Rich Milk

In 1966, Americans drank more milk (33 gallons/year) than soft drinks (20 gallons/year). Contrast that with 2010, when the average American drank 45 gallons of soft drinks and only 20 gallons of milk.

3. Diet Isn’t Really Better

You can remove sugar from the equation, but the acid is still there! In fact, many sugar-free soft drinks are more acidic than high-sugar ones.

Root beer may be the safest soft drink for your teeth, even though it’s loaded with sugar. Why? Because it’s comparatively low in acid.

4. Constant Sipping Creates A Constant War Zone

Every time you take a sip of a Coke, your mouth becomes an acid-attack zone. It takes your mouth up to 30 minutes to rebalance and create a safe zone for your teeth again. Until then, your teeth ARE losing protective substance, leaving them more vulnerable to cavities, and sensitivity.

5. It’s A Dessert Disguised As A Beverage

Don’t believe us? Here’s the math… One 12 oz can of Coke (the smallest serving available) has 39 grams of sugar, which is more than…

• 3 snack packs of Chips Ahoy
• 2 servings of frozen yogurt
• A whole slice of apple pie WITH ice cream on top.

So, minimize the damage by:

1. Drinking less! Replace soft drinks with milk, water, even juice.
2. Drinking it all at once, instead of sipping all day.
3. Swishing it down with water to clear away the sugar and acidity.

A Fun Little Video Done By 5th Graders For The “Pour It Out” Contest!

What Do YOU Think?

What are YOU doing, if anything, to cut back on beverages that aren’t great for your teeth? Are you trying to drink more water? Any secrets for doing so that you can share with us and with our other patients? Please comment below, or on our Facebook page. We love hearing from you.

Thanks for being our valued patient!

March 17–23 is Root Canal Awareness Week. We know there are misperceptions out there about root canal therapy. We also know that it’s a topic people don’t typically visit about in a favorable light. Root canal therapy has always been a bit of a “whipping boy” in dentistry—and, its reputation is probably undeserved. This is especially true given today’s awesome treatment advancements.

The Most Common Misperception

The problems that lead up to needing a root canal can be painful because they affect your tooth’s pulp and nerves. Oftentimes people associate root canal treatment with the discomfort that made the treatment necessary in the first place. Don’t forget that root canal therapy is the solution, not the problem! And, root canals don’t need to be painful.

Today’s Ingredients For Comfortable Root Canal Treatments:

1. safe, effective anesthesia
2. extremely precise tools
3. incredible imaging technology that enhances how and what we see
4. shorter treatment times

A Useful Overview Of Fillings, Crowns, And Root Canal Therapy

If you’re anxious about having a root canal, or about any other dental treatment, please let us know. Or if you have questions, please ask us. Your comfort is our #1 priority. Don’t postpone important dental care because of fear. We listen and we care. Let’s take great care of your oral health, together.

Thanks for your trust in our practice. We appreciate you!

ARE YOU SLEEPING AS WELL AS YOU’D LIKE? If you said “no”, you’re not alone. A 2011 poll by the National Sleep Foundation found that nearly two thirds of adults say their sleep needs are not being met. Two thirds! Even more surprising is this: your sleep deprivation may have something to do with your oral health. Really.

Sadly, we can’t solve all of your sleep problems, but there is one major sleep impediment that we CAN help with, one that you may not even know about…

Sleep Bruxism

Bruxism is defined as the involuntary or habitual grinding of teeth, typically during sleep. 70% of people demonstrate some kind of bruxing behavior, and for at least 8% of adults, it can cause major problems.

Are You A Sleeping Bruxist?

Since it usually happens during sleep, it may be hard to know if you’re grinding your teeth. Rest assured (no pun intended), here are some symptoms of bruxism you will want to watch out for:

• Constant waking while sleeping
• Regular headaches
• A sore jaw or neck
• Worn-down, flattened teeth
• Do your family members grind their teeth? Bruxism may be hereditary.

If you are experiencing any one of these things, let us know! We want to help. Your oral health, and your sleep, are important to us.

How Bruxism Affects Your Oral Health

In addition to being the third most frequent sleep disorder, bruxism can also cause major damage to your teeth and dental work. It can result in fracturing, loosening, and even tooth loss. It also puts a lot of strain on your jaw and cranial muscles, which can lead to more serious problems. So, and perhaps most importantly, let’s talk about prevention.

How To Avoid Teeth Grinding

1. Cut back on caffeine, alcohol consumption, and tobacco use.
2. Don’t chew on anything that is not food (pencils and pens are for writing).
3. If you suspect that anxiety contributes to your bruxism, ask us, or your doctor, about options to help reduce stress.
4. Consider a night mouth guard (a well-fitting night guard can relieve strain, cause your jaw to relax at night, and greatly reduce grinding and clenching).

Other Tips For A Better Night’s Sleep

If you have any questions about night guards, or about the effects of bruxism, call us. We want to help you get the beauty rest and the beautiful smile you deserve. You can also comment below, or on our Facebook page. We love hearing from you!

Thank you for being our valued patients and friends.

MORE AND MORE PEOPLE are keeping their original teeth well into their old age. It’s fantastic! However, it’s really important to understand the special attention needed to maintain a healthy smile when you’re 60+ years of age. Whether you fall in that category, or you care for someone who is elderly, there are a few things below that we want to be sure our senior patients know.

Dry Mouth Can Increase Cavity And Gum Disease Risks

Dry mouth (xerostomia) affects many seniors. Lower saliva flow is often a function of aging. In addition, many medications can also cause dry mouth. Without the cleansing, pH balancing and remineralizing that saliva helps take care of, one’s oral health isn’t as protected as it could be.

Treat dry mouth by occasionally sucking on a sugarless mint or chewing sugarless gum to encourage saliva flow. Swishing water regularly can also help keep one’s mouth clean and better hydrated.

It’s True… An Ounce Of Prevention Is Worth A Pound Of Cure

Flossing Can Be More Important Than Ever

For some people over 60, their ability to fight infections like gingivitis isn’t as strong as it once was. Some studies show that unhealthy gums can leave the rest of the body vulnerable to other inflammatory diseases—including heart disease or stroke. Even Alzheimer’s and dementia have been potentially linked to this problem.

So please make sure that you’re flossing (or that the person you care for is flossing)—not just for one’s oral health, but also for one’s whole body health.

Special Tools Are Available To Help With Home Care

Many seniors find that impaired mobility makes the routine tasks of brushing and flossing really difficult. If you, or someone you love is in that position, please ask us about products like electric toothbrushes and floss piks that can make the job easier.

Keep Regular Checkup Appointments

Based on the risk factors mentioned above, it’s especially important for seniors to get regular, thorough cleanings and check-ups. When you visit, be sure to tell us about your medications, your brushing and flossing habits, and any medical conditions you’re experiencing. The more we know, the more we can help you continue to have great oral health over a lifetime.

Remember that great oral health isn’t just about teeth—it’s about whole body health!

We look forward to seeing you at your next appointment! By the way, do you already Like our Facebook page? If not, come say hello!

MARCH IS NUTRITION MONTH—an education and information campaign sponsored annually by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Of course the topic of eating enough fruits and vegetables is applicable to our overall health, but most of us don’t often think about the implications for our teeth, gums, and complete oral health.

Feed Your Teeth And Gums What They Really Want

Did you know that…

• Fibrous fruits and vegetables help clean your teeth.
• Magnesium from bananas can help restore tooth enamel.
• The Vitamin A in butternut squash can help heal sores in your mouth.
• Dark, leafy greens and broccoli have LOTS of calcium, which is great for our teeth.
• Vitamin C from citrus fruits helps keep our gums healthy.
• Replacing sugary, starchy snacks with healthy fruits and vegetables can lower your tooth decay risk.
• Yep… What’s good for your body is usually really good for your mouth too!

Are You Eating Enough Fruits And Vegetables?

Not sure how many servings of fresh fruits and vegetables you need? Click on the calculator (left) to find out, based on your age, gender, and daily activity level. The recommended number of servings may be much higher than you think. And if you’re not consuming enough servings, here are some handy tips that will help:

1. Switch up your snacks. Cookies and crackers are easy to eat because they’re so accessible. With a little effort, fruits and vegetables can be just as accessible. Slice apples, pre-cut vegetables (and if you need it, pre-make a favorite dip for them).

2. Include vegetables in your entrees. Load up sandwiches and pizzas with them. Incorporate them into burritos, pasta, scrambled eggs, etc.

3. Add fruits to desserts. Put berries in your yogurt, bananas in your cereal, and order the fruit tart instead of the chocolate cake. Even better, replace usual desserts with a fruit plate.

4. Experiment with different vegetables and vegetable cooking techniques. This will add variety! To start, try this one:

How To Roast Awesome Vegetables!

Your Teeth Love Vegetables. Your Oral Bacteria Loves Sugars.

We hope these ideas help you become the healthiest you can be. As one of your lifelong health partners, we’re concerned about both your overall and oral health. Do YOU have a few of your own ideas that will help others? Please share them below, or on our Facebook page!

NEARLY EVERYONE KNOWS SOMEONE WHO is directly or indirectly affected by diabetes. Not only can diabetes be difficult to manage, but it can also increase a person’s risk for other major health problems—including oral health problems.

It’s Everyone’s Obligation To Help Educate

With over 300 million people worldwide suffering from diabetes, we want to be sure you understand the relationship between diabetes and gum disease. Unfortunately, many, many people are unaware of the connection, so it really becomes everyone’s responsibility to help the people we know and love be more informed and aware.

Diabetes Can Make A Person Twice As Likely To Develop Gum Disease

Diabetes lowers a person’s ability to fight infection in his or her mouth and gums, which is essentially what gum disease is—infection caused by excessive bacteria hanging out at the gum line and in the mouth. And, there’s also a big catch 22. While diabetes can contribute to gum disease, the gum disease (in return) can exacerbate diabetes. Gum disease can further increase risk for problems that diabetics are prone to—things like kidney disease, heart disease and stroke. And just like other infections, it can cause blood sugar levels to rise.

Tips For Diabetic Patients:

• First, be active, eat right, and keep your diabetes under control.
• Brush at least twice a day, and floss once a day.
• Make our team aware of your diabetes! We’ll help you keep an eye on any oral health problems that may arise.
• Don’t smoke—your mouth has enough to worry about already.

Keep An Eye Out For The Symptoms

It’s much easier to reign in gum disease if you catch it early. So if you notice these early signs, talk to our practice.

• a change in your bite
• receding gums (which will make your teeth feel sensitive)
• swollen, red, or tender gums
• bleeding when you brush or floss

Would You Like To Learn More?

Click on the image below to read more about this topic from the American Diabetes Association:

Do you have questions for us about diabetes and your oral health? Please ask us! Leave a comment below, give us a call, or message us on Facebook.

Thanks for being a valued patient in our practice!