 Floss You know you should do it, but do you actually floss as often as you should? Flossing daily is just as important as brushing your teeth. Truth is, 40% of plaque is removed by flossing. Practice flossing daily and make sure to floss in between each tooth with a clean section of floss.  Clean Your Toothbrush Do you recall the last time you replaced your toothbrush? If you can't, then it's probably been too long! The ideal time frame is to replace your toothbrush every 3 months. Although if you have recently been sick, it's a smart move to go straight to a new toothbrush as the bristles can hold on to germs. Also, do not share your toothbrush with friends or family. If you do, you are swapping more than just saliva. You could be sharing bacteria that may lead to tooth decay or other harmful problems.  Store Your Toothbrush Properly It is best to keep your toothbrush in a holder/cup on your counter. Do not hide it in a drawer or medicine cabinet as this can keep the toothbrush from drying properly between uses. If the toothbrush stays damp, then you are giving it an optimal space for bacteria to grow.  Make Sure To Clean Your Tongue Just like your teeth and gums, your tongue can also harbor plaque. Not to mention that your tongue is the leading cause of bad breath. Make sure to use your toothbrush or a tongue scraper to properly cleanse the tongue. Mouthwash alone may not get into all the nooks and crannies that are on your tongue. Cleaning your tongue helps reduce bad breath, buildup, bacteria, helps prevent cavities and more.  Get Regular Cleanings
Home cleaning is extremely important but it will not be enough without regular dental visits. Dental offices have the tools and expertise that home cleaning just can't keep up with. Cleanings can remove excess plaque and allow us to catch any problems before they turn into major dental issues. Not every dental visit has to be a drag. If you're in the Howard Beach area, come visit Howard Beach Dental for a full cleaning and check up. CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT or call us at 718-323-5132
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 Advanced Technology, Proven Results Philips Zoom is the go-to teeth whitening brand for patients who want quick and proven results. It's the name asked by more people than any other whitening brand available. Why? Only Philips Zoom WhiteSpeed delivers maximum results. Combining advanced LED activated technology and variable intensity settings; it's clinically proven to whiten your teeth up to eight shades in one procedure.  Variable Intensity Settings Customizable intensity settings help ensure each patient receives a comfortable, positive whitening experience catered to them. In fact, 99% of patients surveyed experienced little to no sensitivity during the Philips Zoom WhiteSpeed treatment. Customizable intensity settings ensure that each patient receives a comfortable, positive experience. After a survey, 99% of patients who have used the Philips Zoom WhiteSpeed treatment said they experience little to no sensitivity during the process.  Advanced Blue LED Technology
With clinically superior results and efficacy versus other professional whitening alternatives, WhiteSpeed is one of the quickest methods to produce brighter, healthier smiles. When combined with the pH booster in the whitening gel, WhiteSpeed's advanced blue LED light-activated technology greatly accelerates the whitening process, delivering dramatic results in just one office visit. Up to 8 shades whiter that is. Now that's something to smile about :) 85% of US adults have some form of gum disease. From the beginning stages of gingivitis to the further advanced stages of periodontitis. Gum disease is one of the most widespread diseases in our society, yet remains largely unknown. Despite varying numbers, one fact is constant – millions of Americans have gum disease. And, unfortunately, the odds are you may have it, too; you just don’t know it. Here’s what you must know about gum disease and what you can do about it. Gum disease, also known as "periodontal disease", is an infection of the tissues and bone that support your teeth. It happens when germs infect the gum tissues throughout the teeth, causing redness, swelling, and bleeding. Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth decay/loss in adults. It has also been linked to major health problems that you may never think of connecting with gum disease. These include, but are not limited to, strokes, heart disease, certain cancers and more. Gingivitis and periodontitis are two stages or gum disease. Here’s the difference between them: Gingivitis: A less severe form of gum disease, gingivitis is when your gums get inflamed due to plaque build up. Plaque is the film found on your teeth. It is a sticky mixture of germs and bacteria known as a biofilm. If not brushed away, plaque will harden into a barnacle-like material to form calculus, commonly known as tartar. The same as lime deposits on a shower drain, the hardened calculus is difficult to remove. If not taken care of, the biofilm will keep growing and lead to infecting your gums; on occasion causing redness and bleeding.  Periodontitis: If Gingivitis is left untreated, it will advance to periodontitis. With periodontitis, calculus deposits develop on the surface of your teeth, edging down below your gum line. This condition causes your gums to separate slightly from the teeth and supporting bone, forming periodontal pockets. It creates swelling, bleeding, pain while chewing, teeth misalignment and looseness. Other side effects are sores in the mouth, bad breath, and sensitive teeth. A discharge of puss from the gums, called pyorrhea, is another a symptom of periodontitis. If you do not seek treatment, the infection and the pockets may continue to deepen, eating away at the jawbone until your teeth decay, become loose and fall out.  Can I avoid getting gum disease? Prevention is always the best option. It's the least painful and least expensive path to good health. If there are no infections, then your dentist or hygienist will suggest a plan that includes regular brushing, flossing and office visits as your best bet for avoiding dental infections. SCHEDULE YOUR DENTAL EXAM BY CLICKING THE BUTTON BELOW
Certain foods and drinks - especially those high in carbohydrates and sugars - encourage the creation of specific bacteria in your mouth that attack your tooth enamel for at least twenty minutes following a meal or a snack. By brushing your teeth right after you eat, you will be discarding of the bacteria before they attack your tooth enamel.
For optimal results, you should use an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste, which contains fluoride. This helps to prevent tooth decay, triclosan and to reduce plaque and gingivitis. This double-combo acts to get rid of plaque and prevent tooth decay, ensuring that your teeth are squeaky clean after a meal. However, you should know that brushing after each meal could affect your tooth enamel. According to the Mayo Clinic, you should wait a minimum of 30min before brushing your teeth after consuming anything acidic. Foods containing citric acid (oranges, grapefruits and lemons etc.), weaken your tooth enamel. If you brush your teeth right after consuming something acidic, you could potentially damage the enamel in its weakened state. Consequently, it's a better idea to brush your teeth prior to eating anything acidic and follow that up by drinking a glass of water which help washes away the acids. There is an alternative to waiting to brush your teeth after eating something acidic. You can try eating nutrient-rich foods that are low in carbohydrates and sugar. This helps decrease the harmful effects that the acidic foods can create. Lastly, according to the American Dental Association, prolonged exposure to phosphoric acid can erode hard tissues from the tooth surface. Phosphoric acid is found in soft drinks like soda and diet soda. Acid erosion can cause permanent damage to your teeth. You should be cautious with the amount of soft drinks and sugary foods that you consume and also try to limit snacking in between meals. When do you need to remove your wisdom teeth?
It’s not necessary for you to get your wisdom teeth extracted if they are accurately positioned in your mouth and if they do not cause you any dental problems or pain. A dentist will recommend that you have your wisdom teeth removed if; they cause crowding in your teeth, or if they are impacted. There are two ways wisdom teeth may grow. 1. Some will grow in like normal teeth and 2. Some will become impacted. Impacted wisdom teeth mean they are blocked from growing in properly. They typically reside below the surface of your gum line and lie horizontally instead of standing upright like normal teeth. This mostly happens because there isn’t sufficient room for them to grow in. On occasion, they may sprout out sideways and towards another tooth. Keeping an impacted wisdom tooth that slightly sprouts can be difficult to keep because it can be a place for plaque and bacteria to develop. With time, this may promote the development of cavities and even worse, it can lead to much larger infections which can grow outside of just your teeth. Impacted wisdom teeth can likely collide with the roots of your molars and this can cause extreme pain for you. In addition, while your impacted wisdom tooth is trying to grow, the wisdom tooth itself can wear down the adjacent tooth and lead to multiple dental issues. If you decide to keep your wisdom teeth, be sure to floss your teeth on a consistent basis, getting all the way to the back teeth. And be sure to use fluoridated mouth wash. What if my wisdom teeth are grown in and don't cause pain? If this is the case, the decision is up to you. Wisdom teeth that cause minimal crowding and don’t cause pain are fine to keep, although a lot of dentists will recommend that they be removed. Why? They are very receptive to cavities and they are not easy to clean. If your wisdom teeth have cavities and you cannot clean them due to their location, filling the cavities is not smart because you’ll continue to develop more cavities. The simplest way to avoid this problem is to remove your wisdom teeth altogether. When should you get your wisdom teeth removed? There is no “correct age” for when to remove your wisdom teeth. Some people get their wisdom teeth at a young age, while others don't get them until they are an adult. If you need to remove wisdom teeth, the smartest option is to remove them at a younger age because the healing process would be a bit quicker. However, if you’re in your 40s with all your wisdom teeth and they cause no oral health complications, taking them out is not required. If you’re unsure, you should see a dentist to get a proper examination and treatment plan for your wisdom teeth. Is it painful to have your wisdom teeth removed? No, it shouldn’t be. With proper anesthesia, you should only feel pressure/pushing, but not pain. If you do feel any sort of “sharpness”, or pain, let your dentist know that you’re not fully numb. Some people don’t have wisdom teeth? That is correct. Don’t worry if you don’t have wisdom teeth. Some people just don’t grow them. Lucky them! What foods should I eat after having my wisdom teeth removed? Are you or a loved one about to get your wisdom teeth removed? Eating can be difficult after the extraction of your wisdom teeth, which is why we’ve assembled a list of some soft foods to eat: Pudding Gelato Smoothies Mashed potatoes Scrambled Eggs Hummus Soup Yogurt Milkshakes Applesauce Jello Sorbet Milk Meal Replacement shakes Protein shakes Over 50 years ago, studies of people entering the military revealed that Americans' teeth were in pretty poor shape. Few people took good care of their teeth. There were no guidelines for how often you should visit a dentist. Many dentists concentrated on fixing problems rather than preventing them.
Dental and health organizations concluded there was a need to establish standards for preventive dentistry. They didn't have enough evidence, so they made a "best guess" recommendation. They said people should go to their dentist twice a year for checkups and cleaning because cavities and gum disease are preventable. Some say the original use of the twice-a-year advice actually developed from Pepsodent toothpaste ads. Whatever the origins, this has demonstrated to be a useful rule of thumb for many people. But scheduling dental appointments really should be based upon each person's oral hygiene, habits and medical conditions. Even if you take exceptional care of your teeth and gums at home, you still must see a dentist regularly. Your dentist can examine for problems that you may not see or feel. Many dental problems don't become evident or cause pain until they are in a more advanced stage. Examples include cavities, gum disease and oral cancer. Regular visits enable your dentist to find early signs of disease. Problems can be treated/fixed at a manageable stage. On average, seeing a dentist twice a year works fine for many people. Some can get away with fewer visits. Others may find they need more frequent visits. People with very little risk of cavities or gum disease can do fine visiting their dentist just once per year. People with a high risk of dental disease might require them to visit every three or four months, or more. This high-risk group includes: Smokers Pregnant Women Diabetics People with current gum disease People with a weak immune response to bacterial infection People who tend to get cavities and/or build up plaque The schedule for any person can change during a lifetime. In times of stress or illness, you may need to see the dentist more frequently than usual. The dentist could help you to fight off a temporary infection or treat changes in your mouth. If you take great care of your teeth and gums at home and your dentist doesn't find any cavities or gum disease for a few years, he or she may decide to lengthen the time between visits. Ask your dentist for the optimal schedule for your routine dental visits. |
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