Habits That Wreck Your Teeth: Opening Stuff With Your Teeth

Opening bottle caps or plastic packaging with your teeth may be convenient, but this is one habit that makes dentists cringe. Using your teeth as tools can cause them to crack or chip. Instead, keep scissors and bottle openers handy. Bottom line, your teeth should only be used for eating.

Above article from: webmd.com/oral-health

Dentist Purcellville VA
Purcellville Dental 

Timothy A. Smith, DDS 
609-T East Main Street 
Purcellville, VA 20132

Habits that Wreck Your Teeth: Cough Drops

Just because cough drops are sold in the medicine aisle doesn't mean they’re healthy. Most are loaded with sugar. So after soothing your throat with a lozenge, be sure to brush well. Whether the sugar comes from a cough drop or a hard candy, it reacts with the sticky plaque that coats your teeth. Then bacteria in the plaque convert the sugar into an acid that eats away at tooth enamel. Hello, cavities.
 
Above article from: webmd.com/oral-health

Dentist Purcellville VA
Purcellville Dental 

Timothy A. Smith, DDS 
609-T East Main Street 
Purcellville, VA 20132

Why Toothpaste Makes Everything Else Taste Bad (and How to Fix It)

Ever brush your teeth, then take a swig of orange juice only to curse yourself for drinking such a vile combination? Magazine and weblog Mental_Floss explains why this happens, and how to avoid it. The strong minty flavor is probably part of the problem, as you’d expect, but   Mental_Floss notes that it goes deeper than that. Most toothpastes contain sodium laureth sulfate (and its counterparts, sodium lauryl ether sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate), which is responsible for making the  toothpaste foam up in your mouth. Its also responsible for everything tasting bad afterward:

While surfactants make brushing our teeth a lot easier, they do more than make foam. Both SLES and SLS mess with our taste buds in two ways. One, they suppress the receptors on our taste buds that perceive sweetness, inhibiting our ability to pick up the sweet notes of food and drink. And, as if that wasn’t enough, they break up the phospholipids on our tongue. These fatty molecules inhibit our receptors for bitterness and keep bitter tastes from overwhelming us, but when they’re broken down by the surfactants in toothpaste, bitter tastes get enhanced.

Basically, they enhance bitter tastes and inhibit sweet ones, making everything taste bad. There are lots of theories out there, but this is currently the most widely accepted one.

The solution? You could brush your teeth after breakfast, but many dental professionals say it’s better to brush beforehand. So, the better option is to search for an SLS-free toothpaste the next time you’re shopping. Speaking from experience, an SLS-free toothpaste changes everything—I used one for a little while and never had the “disgusting orange juice” debacle in the morning. Generally it doesn’t matter what kind of toothpaste you buy, but if you must brush your teeth before breakfast, buying one without SLS is a good idea. Of course, you could always brush your teeth in the shower, too.

By Whitson Gordon
Article appeared on www.Floss.com

Dentist Purcellville VA
Purcellville Dental 

Timothy A. Smith, DDS 
609-T East Main Street 
Purcellville, VA 20132

Tips For Good Dental Health

Above video created by CNN

Dentist Purcellville VA
Purcellville Dental 

Timothy A. Smith, DDS 
609-T East Main Street 
Purcellville, VA 20132

Sports Drinks - Things That Can Ruin Your Smile

In the last decade, sports beverages have become increasingly popular, but they aren't great for your teeth.

"Scientific research has found that the pH levels in many sports drinks could lead to tooth erosion due to their high concentration of acidic components, which could wear away at the tooth's enamel," says David F. Halpern, DMD, FAGD, president of the Academy of General Dentistry.

Additionally, these drinks are often high in sugars that act as "food" for acid-producing bacteria, which then sneak into the cracks and crevices in your teeth, causing cavities and tooth decay.

Above article by: Kristin Koch, Health.com

Dentist Purcellville VA
Purcellville Dental 

Timothy A. Smith, DDS 
609-T East Main Street 
Purcellville, VA 20132

Bleeding gums

Bleeding gums can be a sign that you are at risk for, or already have, gum disease. However, persistent gum bleeding may be due to serious medical conditions such as leukemia and bleeding and platelet disorders.

Considerations

It is important to follow the instructions from your dentist in order to maintain healthy gums. Improper brushing and flossing technique may actually irritate or traumatize the gum tissue.

Causes

Bleeding gums are mainly due to inadequate plaque removal from the teeth at the gum line. This will lead to a condition called gingivitis, or inflamed gums.

If plaque is not removed through regular brushing and dental appointments, it will harden into what is known as tartar. Ultimately, this will lead to increased bleeding and a more advanced form of gum and jawbone disease known as periodontitis.

Other causes of bleeding gums include:

• Any bleeding disorder
• Brushing too hard
• Hormonal changes during pregnancy
• Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura
• Ill-fitting dentures
• Improper flossing
• Infection, which can be either tooth- or gum-related
• Leukemia
• Scurvy
• Use of blood thinners
• Vitamin K deficiency

Home Care

Visit the dentist at least once every 6 months for plaque removal. Follow your dentist's home care instructions.

You should brush your teeth gently with a soft-bristle toothbrush after every meal. The dentist may recommend rinsing with salt water or hydrogen peroxide and water. Avoid using commercial, alcohol-containing mouthwashes, which aggravate the problem.

Flossing teeth twice a day can prevent plaque from building up. Avoiding snacking between meals and reducing carbohydrates can also help. Follow a balanced, healthy diet.

Other tips:

• Avoid the use of tobacco, which aggravates bleeding gums.
• Control gum bleeding by applying pressure directly on the gums with a gauze pad soaked in ice water.
• If you have been diagnosed with a vitamin deficiency, take recommended vitamin supplements.
• Avoid aspirin unless your health care provider has recommended that you take it.
• If side effects of medication are irritating, ask your doctor to recommend another medication. Never change your medication without consulting your doctor.
• Use an oral irrigation device on the low setting to massage the gums.
• See your dentist if your dentures do not fit correctly or if they are causing sore spots in your gums.

Above article from: www.nim.nih.gov

Dentist Purcellville VA
Purcellville Dental Timothy A. Smith, DDS 
609-T East Main Street 
Purcellville, VA 20132