preventive dental care

Five Oral Health Myths That Need Busting

May 25, 2016

We see a lot of patients at our Carmel office, and with them come a lot of questions about dental health. There’s a lot of information out there about dentistry, and health in general, and sometimes it’s hard to separate fact from fiction.

Today we’re going to try doing just that. We’ve collected a list of the five oral health myths that we get asked about most often, and we’re going to set the record straight. Hopefully you’ll learn something from this bit of dental mythbusting!

#1: Whiter Teeth Are Healthier Teeth

Plenty of patients come to us thinking that whiter teeth mean that their smile is healthier, but that’s not true. While stains and a dull smile might not look the best, the color of your teeth are in no way indicative of their health.

Staining is simply an accumulation of darkly colored molecules from tea, wine, coffee, and other foods that have snuck into the small pores on your enamel. Our whitening treatments can get rid of them, but don’t worry about the health of your smile – it’s really not being affected by its shade.

#2: Fluoride Is Dangerous

We’ve all heard people talking about the dangers of fluoride, and it seems no amount of good scientific data can put this one to rest. If you were to ingest too much fluoride then yes, there would be health risks. The amounts you’re getting in the water and toothpaste you consume are nowhere near a toxic level.

To notice any harmful effects from fluoride you would need to be exposed to roughly ten to twenty times more than you likely get on a daily basis. What’s worse, the studies that show fluoride is harmful were performed in a part of the world where fluoride in groundwater exists at naturally toxic levels. Trust us: the fluoride you’re getting daily isn’t only safe, it’s essential for good oral health because it rebuilds damaged tooth enamel.

#3: Gum Disease Is Pretty Rare

Sorry, but your chances of developing some form of gum disease are around 60 percent over the course of your life. If you’ve noticed even the slightest bit of bleeding while brushing or flossing it’s probably already too late – that’s the earliest sign of a serious risk.

Oral bacteria is present in everyone’s mouths, and it doesn’t take much for it to start affecting your gums. It only needs about 24 hours of constant contact to cause irritation that develops into gum disease. If you’re not brushing twice a day and flossing every night you can take stock in the fact that you’ll end up with it – that’s practically a guarantee.

#4: Gum Disease During Pregnancy Is No Big Deal

Pregnancy is a real risk factor for developing gum disease, but that doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily get it. You need to work harder than ever on your oral health during pregnancy to prevent gum disease. If you develop it your chances of pregnancy complications skyrocket!

Women suffering from gum disease during pregnancy pass bad bacteria into their children, and they also have higher rates of premature and underweight births. Those babies that are born healthy have mouths containing the same dangerous strains of bacteria that caused your gum disease, setting them up for higher risks later in life. That’s not the kind of gift you want to give your child!

#5: The Best Time To Brush Is After A Meal

This myth is actually the exact opposite of reality – you should never brush your teeth after a meal! The acids produced by oral bacteria soften your enamel, and for about 30 minutes after you eat they’re much more susceptible to damage. Even something as soft as a toothbrush can scrape away enamel and increase your chances of developing cavities!

If you feel the need to clean your teeth after a meal we recommend rinsing your mouth with water, swishing with mouthwash, or chewing sugar-free gum. All are great ways to freshen up, and they won’t do damage to your teeth in the process.

Let’s Bust Some More Myths Together!

There are a lot of other misconceptions about dental care – we couldn’t possibly cover them all here. If you want to get the truth about some of the rumors and myths you hear most often you’ll just have to call Really Smile Dentistry!

You can reach us at 317-451-4050 or you can request an appointment online. We look forward to seeing you soon!

How To Care For Your Dental Implants

May 5, 2016

Have you recently had dental implants placed? It’s an exciting new time in your life – you’re finally able to enjoy all the foods you’ve been missing, all the smiles you’ve been afraid to show, and caring for your teeth is easier than it has been in years.

We’re thrilled to see the implant results we give the patients at our Carmel office, but placing and restoring implants isn’t the end of the process. Once implants are healed and topped with a bridge or crown there’s some special care that has to be taken to ensure that they stay healthy. While implants aren’t difficult to keep healthy there are still some specifics of caring for them that’s different than a regular tooth.

The Anatomy Of An Implant: How They’re Different

It’s obvious how an implant is physically different from a tooth: it’s a titanium screw that attaches to your jaw that’s capped with a crown or bridge. That said, there are a lot of other differences between implants and teeth that go beyond how they’re built.

One of the biggest differences between a dental implant and a tooth is how they both connect to the sockets they rest in. Teeth don’t make direct contact with your bone, and instead rely on a strong layer of tissue called the periodontal ligament. The ligament is made up of a bunch of thread-like fibers that bind to small pores in your teeth and bone, holding them firmly in place.

The periodontal ligament is also responsible for fighting gum disease and other infections as well. It runs all the way up your tooth to the gumline, and is the reason your gums hold so strongly to your teeth.

Now let’s consider dental implants: they don’t have a periodontal ligament at all. In fact, there’s no tissue between the implant and the bone it rests in. Implants are made of titanium because of its unique ability to fuse to bone. Once your implant is healed it will be perfectly integrated with your bone, forming a seal that’s strong enough to outlast almost anything.

Implants are strong, but the fact that there’s no periodontal ligament surrounding them poses its own problem: it’s much easier for bacteria to make its way beneath your gumline. The gums still hold onto the implant crown or bridge, but with much less strength than the ligament can provide. The result is a risk for a condition known as peri-implant disease.

Peri-Implant Disease: Death For Dental Implants

A healthy implant will easily last you for the rest of your life, but if peri-implant disease strikes that can all change. Similar to gum disease, peri-implant disease happens when oral bacteria gets under your gums, causing inflammation, bleeding, redness, sensitivity, and gum recession.

Since your gums aren’t bonded as firmly to your implant they recede faster, and without any other soft tissue to fight the infection it can quickly attack bone. The end result of peri-implant disease is infection, death of gum tissue, destruction of bone, and loss of implants.

When an implant is lost to peri-implant disease it’s not as simple as placing a new one: the bone that held it is either severely damaged or is gone completely. There are surgical options for regrowing lost bone tissue, but we never want to let things go that far, especially when you consider how easy it is to prevent that kind of damage!

Keeping Your Implants Healthy

As we mentioned above, caring for dental implants is a lot like caring for natural teeth. If your oral hygiene habits are good you probably never even need to worry about developing it!

Make sure you’re brushing twice a day with a soft bristled brush. Use a toothpaste that helps fight bacteria and be sure to get all around the gumline of your implant.
Floss every night – no exceptions. It only takes oral bacteria about 24 hours to start causing irritation to your gums, and it doesn’t take much longer for it to get below them and start spreading.
Make sure you’re seeing us at Really Smile Dentistry for regular checkups. Even if you don’t have a single natural tooth left we still need to take care of your implants!

Your Implants Are An Investment

Having dental implants placed is an investment, both financially and for your personal happiness. Don’t let something simple like a lack of proper care leave you at a loss. Take care of your implants and they’ll take care of you right back.

To get started on dental implants in Indianapolis, call our office to schedule an appointment at 317-451-4050. You can also save some time and request an appointment online. We look forward to seeing you soon!

The Keys To Avoiding Gum Disease

February 1, 2016

If you’ve ever seen commercials for toothpaste, mouthwash, or other oral health products they probably made it pretty clear that they can fight gum disease. It’s a pretty common thing to talk about when it comes to oral health – after all, it sounds pretty scary.

But what is gum disease? At Really Smile Dentistry we think it’s incredibly important that you know what it is and how to fight it. Since February is national gum disease awareness month what better time to talk about it than now?

What Is Gum Disease?

You know that sticky film that’s on your teeth at the end of the day? That’s plaque, and it’s made up of countless oral bacteria. That bacteria is responsible for tooth decay and gum disease. The longer it stays there and the more of it there is the higher your chances of developing it.

When that bacteria gets under your gumline it creates an infection that your body reacts to in the only way it knows: inflammation. The inflammation response funnels white blood cells and other antibodies to the site of the infection with the aim of fighting it off. In most cases this works, but not in your mouth.

Because the inflammation can never resolve you end up with serious damage to your gums and eventual tooth loss when your mouth can’t support your teeth anymore. It’s a horrible condition that, thankfully, is easy to fight against. Making good choices and following some straightforward guidelines can do a lot to keep your mouth safe!

Practice Good Oral Hygiene

The leading cause of gum disease is poor oral hygiene. Even if you brush twice a day there is a lot to be said for brushing properly. Poor technique, short brushing times, and other bad habits can make brushing really ineffective.

To get the best results from your brushing there are a few things you need to do:

Use a soft bristled brush. Hard ones damage your teeth and gums.
Don’t brush too hard – that can hurt your teeth and gums too, as well as bending the bristles over and making them less effective.
Brush twice a day for at least two minutes.
When brushing be sure to hold the brush at a 45 degree angle to your gums. This helps push plaque away from your teeth and cover the whole surface of a tooth.
Use short, tooth-wide strokes.
Make sure to spend just as much time on the backs and tops of your teeth as you do on the front.

Don’t forget to floss either! It’s essential that you floss every day in order to remove plaque built up between your teeth. If you’ve ever missed a regular toothbrushing time you know how gross your mouth feels. If you brush but don’t floss that same gunk never gets out from between your teeth!

Kick Those Bad Habits

Sometimes our lifestyles can lead to health problems, and that includes oral health problems. There are several lifestyle choices and habits you might do that could be greatly increasing your risks of contracting gum disease.

Smoking is a common factor in patients with severe gum disease. If you’re a smoker now is the time to quit!
Excessive alcohol consumption leads to tooth erosion that can cause decay as well as damaging soft tissue. Gums that are compromised can become infected much easier!
Poor dietary choices don’t just affect your bodily health – they have a high impact on your chances of getting gum disease too! Whether it’s poor nutrition leading to imbalances in your mouth or an excess of sugar, the damage your diet can do is severe.
Some medications that you take can have an affect on the health of your teeth and gums. If you take those medications be extra cautions about your oral hygiene habits. They need to be extra thorough to offset the risks.

See Us At Really Smile Dentistry

All the good home care habits and lifestyle changes in the world may not be enough to prevent gum disease. Over two thirds of adults end up with some stage of it in their lifetimes, making it an incredibly common condition.

Regular preventive dental care checkups at our Carmel office is just as important as good brushing and flossing habits. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been away for years: we want to see you so we can keep your teeth healthy!

Make an appointment today by calling us at 317-451-4050 or request one by filling out our online form. We look forward to seeing you soon!

5 Surprising Reasons To Brush Your Teeth

January 21, 2016

Are you a regular tooth brusher? If you’re seeing us at Really Smile in Carmel IN there’s a good chance you are. But how well are you brushing? Are your habits good enough to stave off all of the possible risks that come with poor oral hygiene?

Brushing should always be done twice a day for at least two minutes, and be paired with flossing in the evening. You should be getting every surface of your teeth for best results, too. You know what’s at risk if you don’t brush well: cavities and gum disease!

Are those the only risks that come from not brushing properly? Not at all – while they are the most common and immediate problems for patients who don’t brush well they aren’t the only concern. The complications that come with bad tooth care are numerous – here’s five of them you might not know about at all!

#1: Lower Birthweight And Newborn Dental Problems

Are you expecting a bundle of joy? If so, congratulations! Now go brush your teeth.

Joking aside, women who suffer from gum disease are far more likely to have an underweight child, putting them at risk for numerous health conditions. There’s also a more long-term oral health problem for those children as well: they have much higher rates of cavities and gum disease.

The bacteria that causes problems in the mother’s mouth are easily passed to the fetus, and as they grow that bad bacteria will take up residence in their mouths as well. You don’t want to give your child the gift of bad teeth, do you?

#2: Conception Delays And Pregnancy Troubles

Women who have poor teeth might have a harder time getting pregnant too. An Australian study actually found that mothers with gum disease took on average two months longer to conceive a child. If you’re trying to start or continue a family that’s not good news!

Keeping up with your dental health is important for the start of, development, and continued health of a family. Don’t endanger a happy future by skipping on your oral hygiene!

#3: Impotency

Watch out, fellas: bad oral care habits don’t just affect the ladies. Men as young as 30 years of age have been shown to have impotence problems due to poor oral hygiene. One study found that 53 percent of men suffering from “those kinds” of issues had serious gum disease. Only 23 percent had completely healthy mouths – that’s a pretty big difference!

With all these family problems due to gum disease it pays to have a healthy smile – not just for your bodily health, but maybe to make your partner happier as well!

#4: Dementia Risks Skyrocket

There is a 30 to 40 percent increased risk of patients suffering from dementia if they also have poor oral health. Bacteria that causes gum disease and other oral health problems has an easy time getting into your bloodstream, and once there it can easily find its way to your brain.

The increased rates of gum disease and tooth decay in dementia patients points to the negative effects of that bacteria on psychological health, so do your best to keep it out of your bloodstream by brushing and flossing it away daily!

#5: Save Tons Of Money!

Bad oral health isn’t just a drain on your social life, family planning, mental health, and happiness: it’s also a drain on your bank account as well. Regular preventive dental care saves you the cost of expensive restorations and other treatments later on, and it takes far less time as well!

Good oral health isn’t challenging: it just takes good home care habits and regular visits to our Carmel office for cleanings and exams. Twice a year is all you need to ensure a healthy, happy smile for years to come!

Don’t Play Games With Your Smile

You can keep yourself healthy, save money, and eliminate all the uncertainty that comes with bad oral health by starting with a simple phone call to Really Smile Dentistry. Schedule an appointment by calling us today at 317-451-4050, or request the ideal time by filling out our online form. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Holiday Oral Health: Tips For Success

December 9, 2015

The holidays are finally upon us and with them come a lot of exciting happenings. There’s shopping to do, people to visit, food to prepare, and festivities to plan. It’s a great time of the year to have some fun and relax with family and friends!

But that doesn’t mean the holidays always go problem free. There are a lot of things to be careful for over the next few weeks, and we want to share some important oral health tips with you. From our dental care family at Really Smile Dental to your family this holiday season, be safe, enjoy, and keep that smile healthy!

Watch The Sugar Intake

Cookies. Cookies everywhere. And let’s not forget about eggnog, candy canes, and hot cocoa. The holidays are a sweet tooth’s dream, but unfortunately harmful oral bacteria is just as excited as you are to get your hands on some sweet treats.

The bacteria in your mouth that causes gum disease and cavities feeds on sugar. When you eat a treat so does your plaque, and it produces acid afterward. That acid eats away at the enamel on your teeth, causing the beginnings of cavities. The more sweets you eat the more acid is created: bacteria just won’t stop feeding!

Make sure you maintain good oral care habits over the holidays. Be responsible in your sugar intake, brush twice a day, and always floss in the evenings. It’s also important to drink a lot of water, especially if you’re eating a lot of sugar.

Don’t Get Too Stressed

For every one of us that gets super excited about the holidays there’s that friend or family member who just can’t stop stressing out. There’s all that cleaning to do, all that food to prepare, decorations to put up … it’s a good old fashioned holiday freakout in progress!

One of the most common stress symptoms we witness at our Indianapolis dentist office is grinding and clenching teeth. This bad habit is incredibly common in stressful situations and can have some seriously harmful effects on your oral health if it goes on too long!

If you’ve ever had sore facial muscles, a headache when you wake up, sore teeth, or trouble opening your jaw without pain you might be suffering from temporomandibular joint disorder, a common condition in chronic teeth grinders. Holiday stress can very well be a cause or a contributor so be careful not to over do things!

We can treat your jaw pain and headaches but we recommend simply taking it easy during the holidays. Designate someone close to you to be your holiday stress thermometer and when they say “stop” just stop! Drink some coffee, have a walk, and take in the holidays with an eye to relax and enjoy your time with loved ones. It could save your brain and your teeth!

Teeth Aren’t Tools

The easy route during holiday festivities is to just tear open those plastic packages, cut those ribbons and tape, and crack nuts and hard snacks with your teeth. Don’t do it: it’s seriously risky! Your teeth aren’t meant to be used as tools no matter how easy it is to do so.

The force required to open a package, crack a nut shell, or even cut a thin ribbon is too much for your teeth to bear. While you might not realize you’re doing damage small microfractures can result that are seriously damaging despite their invisible size. You could also cause chips, cracks, and serious breaks that could ruin your holiday completely. Don’t take the chance: just keep your scissors handy!

Oral Care Goes On Year Round

These tips are important for the holidays but they don’t stop there. Make sure that you’re maintaining good oral health throughout the year by brushing, flossing, limiting sugar, and most importantly by seeing us at Really Smile Dentistry for regular cleanings and exams.

By working together to prevent, diagnose, and treat oral health problems before they become serious we can ensure that your teeth stay healthy and bright all year round! To schedule an appointment at our Indianapolis dentist office call us today at 317-451-4050! You can also request an appointment by filling out our online form. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Could Preventive Dental Care Save Your Heart?

December 5, 2015

Dentistry and medicine are often placed in different categories: dentists operate in different facilities, dental insurance is separate from health insurance, and we even have a sort of psychological disconnect between the two.

At Really Smile Dentistry we want to break that wall down so that our patients understand the connection between bodily and oral health. Your mouth is no less a part of your body than your fingers, ears, eyes, and skin! In fact, studies show that oral health is closely linked to a variety of health conditions, including cardiovascular conditions!

You Mouth And Your Heart: The Connection

You’ve probably heard of gingivitis and gum disease: after all, those words are on almost every dental product you can buy in today’s world. Gingivitis is the early stage of gum disease and both are serious conditions with potentially devastating effects on oral health.

You’re probably wondering what the connection between gum disease and cardiovascular health is, and it’s actually pretty simple. Gum disease, at its core, is a disease of inflammation. When bacteria gets underneath your gums and spreads out of control your body reacts like it does when fighting any other kind of infection: inflammation.

Unfortunately for your gums inflammation isn’t enough to fight off oral bacteria and your gums become more inflamed and unhealthy as time goes on. Here’s where the link between your gums and heart is: inflammation.

Just like gum disease involves inflammation of the gums, cardiovascular conditions are overwhelmingly caused by inflammation of the heart, veins, and arteries. Multiple studies have found that patients who suffer from gum disease are much more likely to end up with heart conditions as well.

Fighting The Good Fight: Protecting Your Mouth And Heart

While it’s still debated how closely the two are connected, our Indianapolis dental team has a pretty universal opinion on the topic: why wait and see what goes wrong when you can potentially prevent harm with preventive dental care?

Preventing gum disease is often as easy as understanding what causes it. While there are certain things that can predispose you to developing gum disease, like genetics, medications, and illnesses you may have, there’s no reason you have to develop gum disease. It’s almost completely preventable!

There is bacteria in everyone’s mouths: it’s just a fact of life. Some of that bacteria is harmful and some of it is just there. The harmful stuff is what causes cavities and gum disease, which is why it’s so important to have a clean mouth.

Oral bacteria exists as plaque: that sticky white stuff that forms on your teeth. Left alone it can build and build, greatly increasing your chances of oral health complications. The best thing you can do at home is brush your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes and floss in the evening. Make sure to floss between all of your teeth: that’s one of the prime hiding places for oral bacteria!

Another crucial part of avoiding gum disease is regular checkups at our Indianapolis dentist office. By seeing us twice a year for cleanings and exams you can ensure your teeth stay healthy and we catch any problems before they become serious. You don’t want to come in after a long absence to find out you’re going to need a lot of expensive care!

At the early stages of gingivitis we can usually reverse damage and eliminate the infection with a deep cleaning that goes between your gums and teeth. This procedure is routine and generally performed in a single visit. Before you know it you’ll be in great health again!

More severe cases of gum disease can require serious treatments, including gum reconstruction and even tooth replacement. Advanced gum disease generally comes with tooth loss. Don’t let that happen to you when it’s so easily prevented!

Save Your Smile And Your Heart: See Us!

You can prevent gum disease with good home care habits and regular appointments at Really Smile Dentistry. We would love to see you at our Indianapolis office as soon as possible so that we can identify, treat, and prevent the spread of gum disease and the health complications that come with it.

Don’t wait to see what happens to your smile: call us today at 317-451-4050 or request an appointment by filling out our online form. We look forward to seeing you soon!

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