Myths About Caviities

Cavities are no fun at all. No joke about that! However, there are a lot of myths out there about cavities. Let's see if we can play myth busters on a few of them.

MYTH: Only Sugar Can Cause Cavities:
FALSE:  Sorry mothers, I hate to take away your reason for you kid to have that candy car. Yes, sugar does cause cavities, but that is not the only culprit. If you want your kiddo to stay cavity free the you better steer them clear of bread and pasta too. The have starch, which is another cavity culprit.

MYTH: Extra Brushing Will Heal or Slow Down The Progression Of A Cavity
FALSE: Tooth enamel does not grow back. When you have a cavity, you need to get it filled. If you don't you will eventually need a root canal and/or a crown. Brushing will not heal it or slow it down. Now, on the positive side, brushing will reduce the risk of obtaining more cavities and it will also keep the cavity clean and reduce the risk of infection.

MYTH: If I Have A Cavity, I Would Feel It
FALSE: Well, mostly false. If you feel the cavity and are experiencing pain, then you are probably dealing with a serious cavity that is much more advanced. When a cavity is starting chance are really good that you will not be able to feel it. Which is all more the reason why regular dental checkups are so important.

So here are some we have busted. I am sure there are many more. Do you have any that you would like to know about? Comment on this blog and we will try to find out if it is Myth or Fact!

Got A Cavity? Get It Fixed Sooner Rather Than Later

I was in a networking meeting a couple weeks ago and giving the presentation was a hygienist from one the local dental centers who also a provider on the plan. He showed a very through presentation on the progression of a cavity.

A small cavity, when caught and fixed is not really a big deal. A simple filling and you are good to go. Relatively in expensive and easy to do. However, if that cavity is ignored, then it gets worse and that simple filling takes more time to fill, which usually means more drilling into your tooth. If that cavity is ignored even longer, then you are at risk of cracking a breaking the tooth as soon as you eat something that is hard and need a crown.

Eventually, an ignored cavity will get big to be able to fill and get down to the root. That's when you are in a lot pain, at risk for abscess or infection and will most likely need that dreaded root canal and a crown. We ALL know how expensive that can be.

Don't freak out just because you have a cavity. It is fixable as long as you do it soon. If you procrastinate then it will no only get worse. Timing is everything! Get your cavities fixed sooner rather than later!

DYI Dental Dog Treats

Dental health is not only important for humans, its also important for our fur babies!

Are you tired of paying for those expensive dental treats from the store? Why not make your own?

Dental Treats for Dogs:

Ingredients:

• 3/12 Cups Brown Rice Flour
• 1 tbls Food grade activated charcoal
• 1/2 Cup of packed chopped parsley (or 1/4 cup dried)
• 1/2 Cup packed chopped mint leaves (or 1/4 cup dried)
• 1 Cup of chicken broth or water
• 4 tbls coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons of Liquid Chlorophyll
• 1 Egg

If you cannot find activated charcoal and liquid chlorophyll, or if you do not feel comfortable feeding these to your dog, you can omit these from the recipe without any issue.

Directions:Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl mix together brown rice flour and activated charcoal and set aside.  Using a food processor, mix together the parsley, mint leaves, chicken broth, coconut oil and liquid chlorophyll.  This does not need to be super fine, so a few spins will do the trick.

Now, add the egg to the dry mixture, and then slowly add the wet ingredients to the mixture while stirring slowly.  Mix the dough until it starts to ball up.  Your dough should be fairly dry to the touch, and not sticky when it's done.

Flour your work surface and kneed the dough a bit.  Then roll it out into 3/8 inch thickness (you can go thinner if you like).  Cut out your shapes and place them onto your cookie sheet.

Bake these treats 30 minutes, then flip them and bake for an additional 30 minutes.  After that, turn you oven off and let the treats sit inside.  This will help completely dry them out and give them that extra crunch we are looking for.  Once your oven is cooled, you can pull out the treats!

*There are many different  recipes online, I just selected one!

Dental Treats for Cats:

Unfortunately I was unable to find any homemade recipes for cat dental treats but according to Veterinary Oral Health Council the best cat treats for dental are: Feline Greenies - Feline Dental Treats and Purina Pro Plan Dental Crunch Cat Snacks.

Dental Life Hacks!

• Use inexpensive foam hair rollers to help improve your grip on small objects...like your toothbrush!
• Use clothes pins to prevent your toothbrush from touching dirty counters while travelling!
• Need a toothbrush squeezer?  Use a large binder clip or a bobby pin!
• Use a utensil holder to organize toothbrushes in a drawer!
• Remove crayon from a wall using toothpaste!
• Use a new toothbrush to remove the cornsilk from a ear of corn!
• Toothpaste can be used to remove odors from hands, dishes, baby bottles and other items!
• Use dental floss to cut cakes, cheese and other soft solid foods!

Make Your Dental Health a Priority!

If keeping up with your dental needs is a priority for you, or even if it is a new personal goal, stick with it!! In case you haven't noticed, even as the economy is improving,  the price of dentistry isn't getting any cheaper. If you have dental insurance or a dental plan, keep it! If you don't, now is the time to get it. It can help keep the rising cost of dental care down. It's more important than ever to have some type of coverage. Note: Dental plans are generally less expensive than insurance and tend to discount more procedures and products than traditional insurance. Below is a link to Savon Dental Plan. Let the facts speak for themselves! It's a very informative site and it doesn't cost you anything to learn!

www.savondentalplan.com

How Can A Dentist Tell If You Have Health Problems?

Have you heard the saying the mouth is the window into ones overall health? That's right, your mouth is a tattletale ;)

When you get your dental examination the dentist isn't only looking at your teeth and gums. During dental examinations, dentists have been known to find evidence of many other problems such as heart or liver disease, diabetes, arthritis, HIV and many more.

So how can a dentist tell if you have underlying health problems?

• Inflamed Gums and Loose Teeth - This can be a sign of heart disease. If you suffer from periodontists (gum disease) the bacteria in the gums can travel to the heart and contribute to coronary artery disease.  The bacteria could also increase the formation of clots from further plaques build up in the arteries that interferes with blood flow to the heart. 
• Gum Disease, Bleeding Gums and Loose Teeth - These are all signs of diabetes. Diabetics have a slower time healing so any infection to the gums can contribute to heart disease or a stroke. 
• Bleeding Gums, Dry mouth and Tooth Erosion - Dentist can spot a eating disorder with just one look at the mouth. The stomach acid from vomiting wears away the tooth enamel making teeth super sensitive. 
• Rampant Caries, Dry Mouth and Lesions - These are signs of HIV. If not treated this can lead to infection of the soft tissue inside of the tooth (pulp) and the formation of an abscess.

Whether or not you have natural teeth or dentures, its very important to maintain good dental hygiene!

Sugar is No Worse For My Teeth Than Other Foods, Right? Wrong!!!

Here's the skinny on your teeth and the sugar you eat.  I just used the word skinny while referring to sugar, oh my....
All of our lives we've been told to cut back on sugar, watch our intake of sugary foods, brush right away and never eat sugary foods at night before bed.  Turns out there's actually something to that advice that clearly many of us ignore, myself included.
When it comes to your teeth, remember this:  Sugar is sugar. Sucrose, fructose, lactose, etc. it is all sugar.  Whether it comes in the form of a candy bar or fruit, one is just as bad as the other with respect to your teeth.  Raisins, particularly, have a high level of sugar. Soda is the worst culprit of all.  You see, sugar feeds bacteria.  Sugars hide out in small nooks and crannies in your mouth and between your teeth and reek havoc on your tooth enamel over time.  Bacteria in turn causes acid in your mouth that eats away at the enamel. Most of us don't brush right after eating something sweet.  This allows time for all that bacteria to multiply and cause damage without our knowing it, until.... the dreaded cavity, or worse....a toothache strikes.

Always brush after a sweet snack or soda.  After drinking a soda, rinse your mouth with water first to wash away as much as you can, then brush.  You'll be glad you made the effort in the long run!