2-22 Dental Day

Happy February 22! Today marks the first 2-22 Dental Day. I created it to celebrate the two-two-two dental hygiene rule: Brush two times a day for two minutes and have a dental check-up two times a year. The mouth and it's health is so important and taking care of it can really pay off.

There are other dental themed days and months in the United States. November is National Dental Hygiene Month and February is National Children's Dental Health Month. On the first Friday of February, called Give Kids a Smile Day, many dentist and dental professionals donate their time and services to kids needing dental care. April marks National Facial Protection Month to promote the use of mouth guards and sports safety.

It is estimated that over 80%-90% of adults have dental issues so there is room for improvement. Each February 22^nd can be a reminder to everyone to care for their mouths and teeth. The mouth is such an important part of the body but is often neglected. 2-22 Dental Day is a day to celebrate the importance of having a healthy mouth. Brushing twice daily for two minutes and getting regular dental check-ups two times a year along with daily flossing, can prevent cavities, save time and money and contribute to overall health. It’s such a simple way to treat oneself to good health.

Please visit my 2-22 Dental Day FaceBook page, too. It contains some fun and interesting information. I hope you enjoy it.

(FYI: 2-22 Dental Day is not sponsored by or associated with any organization or agency nor does it sell or promote or endorse any product. The 2-22 Dental Day logo, media, and content were created by Yvonne M. for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be a replacement for, or diagnosis of, any dental or medical condition. Persons needing medical or dental help should consult their personal health care providers.)

Take time to smell the floss

Many people who feel they take great care of their teeth still aren’t flossing or aren’t flossing every day. Not flossing between the teeth can result in cavities between the teeth and for those who already have fillings or caps, decay that returns.

Not flossing is like taking a shower and washing your face, but not washing your hair or ears. Just like your body would not feel properly cleaned, your teeth aren’t cleaned thoroughly if they aren’t flossed.

I have recently started asking my patients to up their flossing game. The suggestion I am now making may sound like an odd one, but it comes from the dental health presentations that I have given to tens of thousands of students of all ages:

Floss your teeth, then take the string or the floss pick and smell it. It will stink. There is nothing like that smell. 

If you find that you have smelly breath or a bad taste in your mouth even though you brush faithfully, you will now understand why and this practice will encourage you to continue to floss. 

Smell the floss - ym'18

If you haven’t flossed in a while, your gums will bleed and that can be very disturbing. Keep flossing. The bleeding will subside and eventually stop. The smell of those plaque germs on the floss, however, will be there every time reminding you to get those sticky, stinky germs out of your mouth. So my advice is take time to smell the floss. Your reward is healthy teeth and a beautiful smile.

Buck the Rules - Why You Should (Still) Floss

I don't usually just dash off posts to my blog - it takes me a while to decide what I want to write about and then even longer to write it. That may not be too hard to believe considering the length of time between my posts. So, while I just posted very recently, I wanted to take a moment to address the recent news about flossing because the story has been everywhere: TV, internet, and radio.

It is true that the federal government has dropped the hygiene recommendation of flossing due to a lack of research, or rather a lack of substantial scientific study. Well, this is one of their rules - and rules are rules, right?

However, if you are one of the two or three out of ten people in the U.S. who actually floss on a daily basis, keep right on flossing. Of course, if that does describe you, I am preaching to the choir because people who floss every day are already in the habit of doing it, know its benefits, and wouldn't consider stopping.

Floss and Brush (ym)

What is problematic is that this information can potentially discourage people who don't floss or floss infrequently from developing a terrific daily habit that has incredible health benefits. This kind of information, served up by the media with the maxim "Government Says Flossing Useless" is akin to what happened to eggs several years back - they're bad - don't eat them, no wait, they're good, no wait, we mean bad, no we mean incredibly edible - eat one a day. How about butter vs. margarine? Margarine is better than butter, nope, sorry, worse - just use olive oil.

Just because the government no longer recommends flossing because the studies don't meet their criteria does not refute what dental professionals and patients who floss know to be the truth - less plaque, stronger gums, gums that don't bleeds, less cavities between the teeth, fresher breath. If there is a lack of scientific evidence to support flossing, that may be the nature of the beast. Designing a study to quantify a practice that is largely technique driven is difficult and dental disease is caused by several factors. But no excuses, we will need to do more and better research to support what we know to be true: flossing helps keep the mouth healthy.

Until that happens, and it must, keep right on flossing and if you don't floss, why not start? Even though rules are rules, rules are meant to be broken, no?

This post is not meant to treat or diagnose any condition. Please see your dental or medical provider for treatment. Stay healthy!

National Dental Hygiene Month, October 2015

Floss, Brush, Brush (photo: Y. Mikalopas)

October has many, many, specially designated days and weeks but is probably most notably known as Breast Cancer Awareness Month - if you haven't noticed all the pink ribbons and products around, open your eyes. October is also National Dental Hygiene Month and for six years, the American Dental Hygienist Association and Wrigley, the gum company, have together promoted good oral health habits during this month. While Wrigley's does have gum brands that are sugar-free they also have plenty of products that contain sugar, are very sticky, and not anything that someone should eat if they want to have healthy teeth. I kind of feel about this the way I feel about wine companies promoting breast health by putting pink ribbons onto their bottles and the way I feel about tobacco companies making donations to smoking cessation programs. Having said that, the American Dental Hygiene Association is a wonderful group of very dedicated professional hygienists who are very passionate about people taking care of their teeth to have healthy mouths and live healthy lives. I am proud to be a member. So this
month take a few minutes every day to "Do the Daily 4"- Brush, Floss, Rinse, Chew. I'll be happy if you do the "Terrific Two" - brush two times a day for two minutes and floss once daily. And remember, the more you do at home, the less your hygienist has to do when you are in the chair!

Happy National Chewing Gum Day, September 30, 2015

Have a chew! (photo: Y. Mikalopas)

Chew on this….

It took a little web surfing to verify that this is even actually a “national day” and then I figured, even if it's not, why not write about the benefits, and potential detriments, of chewing gum.

1- Hold the sugar

Benefits gained by chewing gum are with “SUGARFREE” or “SUGARLESS” gum only.  These gums contain sugar substitutes such as sorbitol or xylitol (which is becoming very popular these days and being added to lots of “diet” products.) Sugar contributes to the creation of cavities so it is NOT a good idea to chew gum that contains sugar. Ever. Sorry.

Potential detriment: Sugar substitutes can cause stomach upset, so go easy with the amount of gum you chew. If you are sensitive to these types of products, you might want to skip it.

2– Have a chew after meals

According to the American Dental Association website (ada.org), chewing gum for twenty minutes after a meal stimulates saliva.  The more saliva you have, the better for your mouth. Saliva helps to wash away the sugars that the plaque bacteria in your mouth need to live and grow and helps to return your mouth to normal pH levels. Saliva also contains potassium and calcium, which along with fluoride, helps to re-mineralize your teeth.

Caveat: If you have jaw problems or “TMJ” chewing for twenty minutes might not be for you. If you have braces, loose fillings, bridgework or dentures, also not for you. And if you have loose fillings or bridgework, please get yourself to the dentist.

3- Stop smoking and lose weight!

The Mayo Clinic (mayoclinic.org) suggests that chewing gum can assist with smoking cessation as well as forestall the urge to eat, decreasing your total intake of calories. It’s a win-win and there is research that backs up these assertions.

I don’t see any negatives here. I’d rather see people chewing gum like cows than smoking.

4 – Four-Step Program

Dental hygienists have proposed a four-step process for a healthy mouth: Floss, Brush, Rinse, and…you guessed it – Chew. (Adha.org)

Please note that chewing gum does not allow one to skip the brushing or the flossing. Ever. Sorry.

5- Smarty pants

There have been multiple studies which seem to indicate that chewing gum may increase memory and improve test performance.

Unfortunately, chewing gum in school – kind of frowned upon.  Too many wads wind up stuck under the desk, in carpet, or in hair. But if you’re studying at home, it can’t hurt.

If you’d like to see a list of sugar-free chewing gums that get the stamp of approval from the American Dental Association – yes, the “four out of five dentists” endorsement is a real thing – visit this page on their website:

http://www.ada.org/en/science-research/ada-seal-of-acceptance/ada-seal-products/product-category/?category=Sugar+Free+Chewing+Gum+for+Reducing+Cavities

Finally: Brush, floss, rinse and chew to get those teeth clean and shiny in preparation for World Smile Day, this Friday, October 2, 2015.

The Gums, Part II (If you Ignore Your Teeth, They'll Go Away)

My last post addressed gingivitis, the reversible form of gum disease.  Gingivitis is reversible because although the gums are infected with germs and are bleeding and swollen, removal of the plaque with good brushing and flossing, as well as regular dental hygiene visits, can restore the gums to health.

Periodontitis, the irreversible form of gum disease, means that the bacterial infection of the gums has now spread to the supporting structures of the tooth.  These supporting tissues are the ligaments and bone that hold the teeth in the mouth.  In its most severe form periodontitis causes the teeth to become loose and fall out.

There are several things that contribute to periodontitis.  A person may have a family history of the disease, have other health issues such as diabetes, or take medications that affect the mouth.  Smoking is a also a huge factor in periodontitis and tooth loss.  (A special note for smokers: the gums of smokers may not bleed.  Blood and oxygen are being sent by the body elsewhere, like the lungs, brain and heart, to compensate for the damage being caused by smoking and nicotine also constricts the blood vessels.  Smoking is very devastating to the teeth and smokers have higher and more severe incidence of periodontal disease and more tooth loss than nonsmokers.)

Periodontitis occurs because plaque germs have been able to get below the gum line and harden.  The gums pull away from the teeth, forming a pocket.  This makes it even more difficult to keep the teeth clean.  The deeper the pocket, the harder it is for a toothbrush or floss to reach the bacteria hiding in the pocket.  When the pocket is deep enough, and this is just millimeters in measurement, it become impossible to remove the bacteria with ordinary brushing or flossing.  In this pocket the bacteria explode in number and type.  The plaque hardens, forming in layers on the teeth.  The body, in its effort to fight the bacteria off, begins an assault that will eventually destroy the connective tissues - ligaments and bone.  If this process continues unchecked eventually the gums recede, the teeth loosen and then they fall out.  The insidious part of all this is that, often, periodontitis is completely painless, but there are signs to look for:

- Lack of personal daily oral hygiene (brushing and flossing are not happening)
- Bleeding gums
- Swollen, "puffy" looking gums
- Bright red or purple colored gums
- Persistent bad breath
- Receded gums
- Sensitive teeth
- Teeth seem to have "shifted"
- Loose teeth
- Gums may be sensitive or hurt when touched but are otherwise painless
- Pockets around the teeth greater than 3 millimeters (as measured by a hygienist or dentist)
- Tooth abscess, pus

Once the ligaments and bone are destroyed, they are gone.  However, with proper treatment the condition of the gums and teeth can be maintained and further tooth loss prevented.  This may involve scaling and root planing ("deep cleaning") to remove deposit below the gum line, medications applied topically or given orally, and even surgery.

If you have any of the signs of gum disease get to a dental professional right away and find out what you can do to restore or maintain the health of your mouth.  If you haven't been brushing and flossing start today, now.  Your teeth will thank you by sticking around.

Photo courtesy of Photobucket.com

Please see your dental or medical professional for treatment.  This blog is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or condition.

The Gums, Part I

Dental hygienists are all about the teeth.  We stress the importance of a beautiful smile and keeping the teeth healthy and clean.  But the gums are equally important.  Gums help keep the teeth in the mouth, attaching them by ligaments to the upper and lower jaw.  In order for the mouth to be truly healthy both the teeth and the gums need to be healthy.  Bleeding gums indicate a diseased state.  In this post I'll address gingivitis, the reversible form of gum disease. 

Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums and means that there is bacteria (in the form of plaque or hardened plaque - also called tartar or calculus) that is not being removed properly.  The gums will bleed and appear soft, spongy and red. 

It is important to remember that bleeding gums are not normal yet there are many people who just accept it.  There isn't any other part of the body, that if it bled, would not cause alarm.  Just imagine: You are in the shower, you start to wash your arm and as you touch it with your washcloth, it begins to bleed.  You wouldn't think 'maybe I'm washing my arm too hard' or 'oh, that again?' - you'd get yourself to the doctor and say 'Hey! My arm is bleeding here - HELLOOOO."  Bleeding gums are a sign of disease and infection.  Puffy, bleeding gums mean that there is plaque bacteria present and your body is trying to fight it off. 

Flossing everyday is a great way to reduce that bacteria and keep your gums in tip top shape.  It cleans in between the teeth where a toothbrush can't reach and helps to strengthen the gums.  Only brushing and not flossing is like washing your face and hair but never washing your ears - you're not getting the whole job done.  If your gums are bleeding when you floss, don't let it discourage you.  Many people stop flossing because their gums bleed but this is the exact opposite of what they should do.  Continue to floss daily, using proper technique, and the bleeding will eventually stop.  

Brushing also keeps the gums healthy.  Brushing the teeth at the gumline and sweeping away the plaque also keeps bacteria in check.  (Please see my post on proper brushing technique.)  Rinses, like Listerine, can also help reduce plaque levels but still are no substitute for flossing.  If you floss regularly and properly you will greatly improve the health of your gums and your teeth.  For a great video on flossing, please view the following from the Colgate website  http://www.colgate.com/app/CP/US/EN/OC/Information/Video-Library/How-to-Floss.cvsp

Taking care of your gums will help you keep your teeth and mouth healthy throughout your life.

(Next post: The Gums, Part II - Periodontitis)

This blog is not intended to replace dental or medical care nor treat or diagnose any condition.