tooth decay prevention

Your Brain On Bad Oral Health: It’s Devastating!

March 17, 2016

We talk a lot about heart-healthy dentistry at Really Smile Dentistry, and with good reason: your oral and bodily health are intimately linked! Poor oral health has been shown to lead to a whole bunch of serious health conditions, and you can add one more to that list: strokes.

While we’ve known for a while that stroke victims have a higher rate of poor oral health, a recent study has shed new light on precisely why. The good thing is that it isn’t irreversible, but the bad part is that it’s serious!

The Mouth-Brain Connection

We aren’t talking about the words that come out of it – we’re talking about what can make its way from your mouth to your brain undetected: bacteria. Recent research discovered that a particular strain – Streptococcus mutans – is implicated in around a third of strokes, yet is only present in about ten percent of the population.

Our mouths play host to hundreds of strains of bacteria, so S. mutans isn’t the only dangerous one. It is, however, a serious risk factor for potential stroke patients to consider! If your family has a history of cerebral hemorrhaging and/or strokes then you need to pay close attention to your oral health!

The discovery that S. mutans is linked to strokes also comes with the discovery of how it affects your brain. It’s able to hitch a ride on blood vessels where it travels to weak points in your brain. Once there it builds up until it causes arterial ruptures, triggering hemorrhages and strokes.

How Bacteria Endangers Your Brain

S. mutans can’t exactly get to your brain without a way into your bloodstream. Fortunately for this deadly bacteria it also contributes to gum disease and tooth decay, both of which give it easy access to your bloodstream.

Gum disease occurs when bacteria (both S. mutans and other strains) get under the surface of your gums. They spread and cause inflammation once there, eventually leading to symptoms like swelling, discoloration, recession, and (here’s the big one) bleeding. Once your gums have broken you’ve given S. mutans and other bacteria an easy way into your circulatory system, where they can get to your brain, heart, and other organs.

Tooth decay can be an even bigger risk for letting bacteria into your blood. Cavities have to get pretty deep into your tooth before they hit the root, but once there they have free access to the dental pulp that contains nerves and blood vessels. Bacteria infects dental pulp fast, and once it does you’ll experience pain and the spread of bacteria.

Prevention: It Can Be Done!

While the presence of S. mutans definitely increases your chances of having a stroke it doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to fate. Like any other bacteria in your mouth that can cause health problems there’s a key to preventing those problems: keeping bacterial growth in check with good oral hygiene!

While you can do a lot to keep your teeth healthy at home there’s no way for you to do everything. Brushing and flossing are essential to promoting good oral health, but there are innumerable small spaces that can’t be kept clean with the tools you have at home.

Truly keeping oral bacteria under control requires professional cleanings and exams like the kind offered at our Carmel dentist office. Paired with good home care, a checkup every six months can be enough to almost completely eliminate your chances of developing tooth decay and gum disease that can destroy your oral health!

The care we provide will allow us to identify problems early so that you never need to get to the point of an infected root or bleeding gums. We also take the time to clear out any plaque that has accumulated in the spots you can’t reach, leaving you with a clean, healthy mouth that’s ready to resist the ravages of S. mutans and its co-conspirators.

Strokes and other health problems caused by oral bacteria need the catalyst of poor oral health to do their dirty work. If you keep your mouth healthy and clean you’ll never need to worry about your teeth being responsible for your poor health!

Take Action Now!

Keeping your smile healthy and clean at our Carmel office won’t just make you look great – it’ll protect your whole body. Do yourself a favor and schedule an appointment with us today!

You can reach Really Smile Dentistry by calling 317-451-4050 or you can request an appointment by filling out our online form. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Flossing: Do You Really Have To?

February 9, 2016

It takes a special kind of person to get excited about flossing. If you’re like most of us, flossing is something that doesn’t cross your mind very much – or even at all. In fact, studies show that over 50 percent of adults fail to floss with any regularity.

We don’t like those numbers at Really Smile Dentistry. While we understand that flossing is hardly enjoyable there are also some numbers that show why it’s so important: over 90 percent of adults get cavities and two thirds end up with gum disease – both which can be prevented through thorough flossing.

What Does Flossing Prevent?

Most every problem you can have in your mouth is due to plaque bacteria. Cavities and gum disease, which they excel at, are the most common and most serious oral health problems you can have. They lead to tons of other conditions that can absolutely ruin your teeth – it’s up to you to stop them!

That’s where flossing comes in. That oral bacteria loves to find safe places to hide, like between your teeth, where your brush can’t reach. Flossing is just as important as brushing because it gets those nooks and crannies that you can’t get otherwise.

Using Floss Properly

It sounds crazy to say flossing has a technique, but it’s absolutely true. If you don’t practice a good, regular method of flossing your results simply won’t be that great. Here’s how we recommend flossing to our patients.

Start with an 18 inch piece of floss and wrap it around your middle fingers. Leave most of the thread on one hand so that you can wind it after each tooth. By the end of your flossing the thread should mostly be on the opposite hand.
Only leave a few inches between your hands. This will minimize the amount of floss you need and will give you better control over it. It’s important to maintain a firm, taut line when flossing.
Use a back and forth motion to move the floss into the space between your teeth. Make sure to get below the gumline and up the sides of both teeth. Your goal is to remove as much plaque as you can!
Pull the floss out gently, wind it, and move to the next tooth.

Doing that every night will go a long way toward preventing gum disease and tooth decay. Believe us – we can tell who flosses and the results and oral health improvements really show!

Choosing A Flossing Product

The hatred a lot of people have for flossing stems from not using the right product. There are plenty of ways to floss that make it easier, more effective, and less gross.

Thread Floss

These come in three varieties: traditional nylon floss, monofilament, and super floss. All three are designed to work best with different kinds of mouths in mind.

Monofilament floss is designed to get between teeth that are tight, crowded, or otherwise very close together. Many monofilament users switched from nylon floss because of constant ripping and tearing.

Traditional floss is great for most people. Those who have minor problems with it can usually find relief from using a waxed variety.

Super floss is meant to be used for wider spaces like gaps, or for getting behind and between braces. It’s a thicker, yarn-like material that really works for those larger spaces.

Floss Threaders

These come in either disposable or rethreadable varieties and are great for people who don’t want to handle their floss. Simply pop the handle into your mouth, stick the thread between your teeth, and clean! Rethreadable models are great because you can wind the floss or move it after each tooth, while disposables just use one small piece. We recommend rinsing disposables during use.

Electric Flossers

These state-of-the-art luxuries are designed to shoot a pressurized water jet between your teeth. They work great and are able to completely eliminate the need for traditional flossing! They are expensive, however, so if you get one be sure you’re ready to commit to using it.

Patients who have used these tell us how great they are and how clean they make their mouths feel – give one a try and see what you think!

Don’t Forget To See Us Too!

No cavity prevention routine is complete without regular professional care at our Carmel office. If you want to have a truly clean, safe, and healthy mouth it’s essential we see you every six months – no excuses!

To make an appointment at Really Smile Dentistry call us today at 317-451-4050 or request a time by filling out our online form. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Make That New Year’s Resolution Count In 2016!

January 1, 2016

Happy 2016 from all of us at Really Smile Dentistry! We hope that your 2015 closed with holiday fun and enjoyment and that you’re ready to face the year ahead with all you’ve got. If you’re like a lot of our patients in and around Carmel you’re probably coming face to face with a new year’s resolution that’s going to be quite the challenge. And there’s a good chance that your resolution has to do with your physical fitness.

If that’s the case you’re in for a challenge, but it isn’t impossible. Through discipline, a good schedule, and the right attitude you can end up with the look you’ve always wanted. There are some other things you have to consider along with your exercise, though: diet, your daily schedule, and even your teeth need to be considered as part of your resolution. It’s true: even your smile can be affected by your workout.

Exercise And Your Teeth: There’s A Connection?

If it seems odd to you that your teeth are affected by your exercise routine we understand: they don’t really seem connected, do they? Multiple studies have proven something to the contrary, however: athletes, gym rats, and even people who are really into home fitness all have a much higher risk of developing tooth decay.

For a long time the assumption was that sugary sports drinks were to blame – your oral bacteria turns sugar into acid that eats away at teeth – but now we know that’s not the only problem. Studies performed on athletes have shown that exercise actually changes the makeup of your saliva, and not for the better!

At rest everyone’s saliva is the same: it’s your mouth’s natural defense against bacteria, food particles, and the acid they create. During a workout, however, the composition of a person’s saliva is found to be vastly different, even going so far as to inhibit its natural ability to fight decay.

There are proteins in your saliva that are an important part of how it fights off bacteria, and during exercise your saliva becomes more alkaline. This interferes with the protein’s ability to do its job, making you more susceptible to decay. It’s bad news!

Exercise also makes you produce less saliva. We always tell our patients how important it is to stay hydrated because that’s how your mouth produces saliva. Working out uses a lot of your body’s water reserves, so you naturally salivate a lot less. Your mouth is already in trouble because it isn’t fighting decay as well, and less saliva in general just makes the problem worse.

Lowering Your Tooth Decay Risk: It Isn’t That Difficult

So, exercise is weakening your mouth’s natural cavity defenses by messing with proteins and lessening saliva production. Add to that a steady diet of sports drinks during a workout and you’re really doing a number on your teeth!

Your workout resolution doesn’t need to be a death sentence for your smile, though. It doesn’t even need to be very difficult to keep your teeth healthy as a physically active person. You just have to make good oral hygiene a part of your new year’s resolution. If you’re already a tooth care professional this shouldn’t be very difficult at all.

brushing and flossing needs to be done every day – no exceptions. Brush in the morning and evening, and try to do it before your workout. Since your mouth is having a harder time fighting decay you may as well give it an edge!
Thirsty? Just drink water. Sports drinks are formulated to restore lost electrolytes, but in reality that only helps if you’re doing intense exercise for at least an hour. The sugar isn’t worth it, and regular intake of water during a workout will help you feel better and more energized just as well.

The Most Important Tip:

You can try every home care tactic in the world but you’re still not going to be able to clean all the plaque from the deep corners of your mouth. You also can’t identify potential problems before they become serious – that’s why professional dental checkups are so essential. Our Carmel dentist office can give you the edge to keep up every part of that new year’s resolution by ensuring your mouth stays healthy and safe for years to come!

Don’t be caught off guard by a new year’s cavity. Let us help you put your best smile forward in 2016! You can request an appointment by calling Really Smile Dentistry at 317-451-4050 or by filling out our online request form. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Decay Destroyers: These Foods Are Great!

August 5, 2015

In our previous blog post we talked about foods and drinks that we’ve identified at our Carmel dentist office as serious culprits in cavity formation. Today we want to flip the table and talk about the good things you might already be doing for your teeth.

There are a lot of foods and drinks that can benefit your teeth and their health, many of which are very common! You might be surprised at the good things you’re already doing for your oral health, so read on to find out all about the decay destroyers that are a priority to have in your oral health arsenal!

Decay Destroyer #1: Cheese

It’s almost too good to be true, isn’t it? You probably know dairy is a great way to protect your teeth, but there’s definitive evidence that one kind of dairy is better, and it’s cheese. Delicious, wonderful cheese. But not all varieties are a boost for your oral health! Processed cheeses don’t offer much benefit since they have many of the beneficial enzymes processed out.

Cheese is good for your teeth because of the amount of calcium it contains, and also because it’s sticky. That’s right – this is the one sticky food you should want hanging around! By staying in your mouth cheese also helps to boost saliva production, an important part of oral health. Lastly, cheese contains high levels of casein phosphate, a part of milk that actually acts a lot like fluoride in strengthening your teeth!

Decay Destroyer #2: Tea

Kick that coffee to the curb if you want to protect your teeth! Both green and black tea, which come from the same plant, have high levels of catechins that help stop bacteria from producing acids. Catechins also reduce inflammation, and studies have shown that drinking green tea can actually reduce symptoms of gum disease!

One important point: don’t add lemon or sugar to your tea – both can undo the health benefits tea brings! You should also avoid buying bottled tea due to high levels of sugar and additives. Just stick to brewing it at home – it’s safer, cheaper, and chances are your water contains fluoride for an even greater burst of decay prevention!

Decay Destroyer #3: High-Fiber Foods

Popeye ate his spinach, and he had a lot of good reasons! You can add oral health to that list, because all high-fiber foods are terrific at preventing tooth decay! Dark leafy greens, beans, and other high-fiber foods help you produce a lot of saliva, which is your body’s natural tooth washing mechanism! Saliva helps remove food particles from your teeth and wash away plaque, so it’s an important part of your oral health!

If you’re going for health benefits then you should definitely lean toward vegetables instead of fruit due to the lower sugar levels that veggies have. Things like broccoli, brussel sprouts, grains, and carrots are great ways to enjoy a meal and protect your teeth!

Decay Destroyer #4: Plain Old Tap Water

No, not bottled – straight from the tap. Because tap water is so heavily filtered you are deprived of any helpful minerals, compounds, and chemicals your water may contain. In most cities the water supply has an added amount of fluoride, making it even better for your teeth and body!

Fluoride is an important part of protecting your teeth because of its ability to aid in recalcification, or regrowth of enamel. It’s also perfectly safe – fluoride is a naturally occurring compound that you consume in various sources throughout the day. By adding a small amount to your water you can take massive steps in protecting your teeth!

If some of these habits are already part of your life then congratulations – you’re taking an active role in preventing tooth decay! If you aren’t already doing some of the things here then there’s never a better time to start!

Preventive dental care is a fundamental part of protecting your smile, and these foods and drinks are an amazing way to help! If you’re concerned with the health of your teeth don’t wait to see what happens – make an appointment at Really Smile Dentistry today! You can reach us by phone at 317-451-4050 or by filling out our online appointment request form. We look forward to helping you!

How Tooth Decay Works

July 5, 2015

Do you suffer with tooth decay? You’re not alone. It’s one of the most frequent health complaints in the US, just behind the common cold (the number one complaint). Tooth decay leads to cavities, and if it isn’t addressed in time, it can lead to tooth loss, or could even be potentially deadly.

In addition to great cosmetic dentistry, we also offer general dentistry to help you keep good oral health, as well as a beautiful smile. One of the ways we do that is by providing education to our patients in Carmel, IN on exactly why common oral diseases and problems happen, so that they can take action and hopefully avoid pain and expense.

In today’s post, we’re going to talk about tooth decay: how it happens, and what you can do to stop it.

How Tooth Decay Works

Most people, if you ask them how tooth decay and cavities happen, would probably tell you what they’ve heard all their lives, that sugar causes cavities. While sugar plays a significant role (limiting your consumption of sugar is a good way to reduce your risk of decay), it is only one part of a more complex whole.

Tooth decay is actually caused by your oral bacteria. Your mouth is full of bacteria, and there’s nothing you can do about it; you were born with it, and it’s a natural part of the your body’s ecosystem. Regular brushing, flossing, and rinsing (at least twice a day) can control the amount of bacteria you have in your mouth, but you can’t ever be fully rid of it.

The bacteria eat sugar (more specifically, a kind of sugar called glucose); they access it through the tiny bits of food left in your mouth following meals, as well as from your bodily fluids, such as saliva. Unlike humans who are satisfied with “three squares a day”, bacteria don’t stop eating, and as they eat they excrete powerfully corrosive organic acids as waste. This is why most people say that tooth decay is caused by sugar; the more sugar you consume, the more food for the bacteria, and the more tooth decay you’ll experience.

How Enamel Protects Your Teeth

Enamel is a translucent hard substance that constitutes the outermost layer of your teeth. It’s the hardest substance in your body, and it protects your teeth from damage, including tooth decay.

If you were able to get close enough to look, you’d see that your enamel is made of mineral crystals (a form of calcium, for the most part). These mineral crystals are densely packed together on the surface of your teeth. Your enamel is analogous to a brick wall, and the individual crystals are the bricks. The brick wall that is your enamel is under constant attack from the acids your oral bacteria produce. Eventually, the minerals are lost as a result; this process is called demineralization. However, your body is able to “rebuild the wall” by replacing the lost mineral crystals; this is called remineralization. If the rate of demineralization is higher than the rate of remineralization, the acids will get past the enamel and begin to destroy the dentin, which is the softer, second layer of your teeth. Over time, the acids will destroy enough of the interior of your tooth that a hole, or cavity, forms.

What You Can Do

There are a number of things you can do to improve your ability to fight tooth decay. One, you should see your dentist regularly, at least twice a year for exams and cleanings. Your dentist and the Really Smile dental hygiene team will be able to remove plaque and even slow its return far more effectively than you can with even very disciplined oral hygiene at home (which of course also helps: brush, floss, and rinse with a mouthwash at least twice a day to regulate your oral bacteria). Another thing you can do is use toothpastes and mouth rinses that have a lot of fluoride.

Want to Keep Your Teeth Healthy?

At Really Smile, your oral health is our top priority. We use advanced technology in conjunction with years of experience and training to provide comprehensive dental care to our patients.

Make an appointment today! Dial 317-451-4050 or click here to reach our online appointment form!

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