What are Sealants?

When your child visits the dentist for their regular check-up you may hear the word sealants. Don’t panic, this is a dental procedure that the dentist is recommending for their own health. Sealants can help to keep your child’s smile as healthy as possible.  They keep bacteria away from deep ridges in the teeth that hold onto the food they are consuming.  Dr. Anna Lee and her team suggest that children get sealants in order to decrease their chances of decay.

Sealants are a clear or tinted plastic protective coating applied on the chewing surfaces of molars and premolars to prevent cavities.  Molars and premolars have grooves and crevices and food can get stuck on or in these surfaces.  Sealants are applied to ‘seal’ the grooves and crevices so that food cannot get into them to cause cavities.

The longer that food is able to stay on the surface of the teeth the more likely it is to negatively impact the surface of the teeth and create a cavity. Once a cavity is forming the only way to take care of the problem is to remove the cavity. Depending on the size of the cavity will depend on the pain and the cost of the procedure. That’s why sealants are so beneficial and recommended, especially for children who sometimes have more difficulty brushing well.

For more information on sealants contact Dr. Anna Lee & her team today.

Foods That Whiten The Teeth:

While certain foods you consume can do damage to the teeth by staining, or by causing decay here are a list of foods you can enjoy. Dr. Anna Lee recommends consuming these foods instead of high sugar, high carb foods.  Foods that are rich in color and water content are better for your smile.

           

·      Different types of peppers

·      Strawberries - remove tooth stains/discoloration

·      Seeds & nuts - they rub plaque and stains off the surface of teeth

·      Yogurt - helps to remove food from the teeth, keeps your smile white, and helps to keep your tooth enamel decay-free

While you can choose other products to whiten your smile, consuming some of these foods every day can help naturally whiten your smile. This reduces your chances of sensitivity due to a whitening product.

For more information contact Dr. Anna Lee & her team today!

Don’t Reach For A Bad Snack

While you are sitting around the house looking for food to consume, think and apply these few simple rules in order to help protect your teeth from decay. Dr. Anna Lee recommends limiting the number of snacks you are consuming throughout your day.

Bad Snacks with high sugar content that cause tooth decay:

·      Cakes, sweet biscuits

·      Chewy & hard candies

·      Soda, sports drinks

·      Fruit juices

·      Peanut butter

·      Potato chips

·      Crackers

·      Popcorn

·      Fruit snack bars, muesli bars

·      Some breakfast cereal

·      Dried fruit

For more information Contact Dr. Lee & her team today.

Eating Patterns

Adults and children want to enjoy healthy living and healthy teeth and gums.  Eating patterns and when you eat can affect the oral health. Dr. Anna Lee states, “Foods that are eaten as part of a meal cause less harm to teeth than eating lots of snacks throughout the day.”

 

More saliva is produced during a meal. Saliva washes foods from the mouth and lessens the effects of acids attacking the teeth that cause tooth decay. The recommendations are to limit between-meal snacks and limit the number of snacks eaten throughout the day.

Foods that are high in carbohydrates decrease the amount of saliva production. This decrease not only impacts problems in the mouth overall, “but it creates a breeding ground for more bacteria to impact the teeth and gums,” says Dr. Lee.

For more information on how to prevent problems and keep your smile healthy, contact Dr. Lee & her team today.

What Causes Sensitive Teeth

Some of the causes of sensitive teeth are:

- Gum Recession-gum tissue that surrounds the tooth wears away or pulls back and exposes the root of the tooth. Tooth sensitivity is usually the first sign of gum recession. You may also notice a tooth with a receding gum line looks longer than normal.

- Gum disease-bacterial inflammation of the gingival tissues the gum line may cause gum recession. The exposed root surface of the tooth is susceptible to tooth sensitivity triggered by hot or cold food and drinks. 

-Tooth Decay-deep cavity of the tooth exposes the nerves in the center of the tooth (dental pulp) and can contribute to sensitivity. 

- Cracked/Chipped Teeth- Dentinal tubles (dentin) can become exposed due to tooth damage from a chip or a crack of the tooth.

-Brushing too hard- this is common cause of sensitive teeth. Brushing too hard may cause enamel loss and exposes the dentinal tubles (dentin) to outside stimuli and triggers sensitivity.

-Teeth grinding or teeth clenching-enamel loss or worn down enamel is commonly caused by teeth grinding or clenching. The loss of enamel exposes the dentinal tubles to outside stimuli and triggers teeth sensitivity. 

-Acidic Food-regular consumption of foods with a high acidic content such as citrus fruits, tomatoes, coffee, tea, and sports & energy drinks can cause enamel loss and trigger teeth sensitivity.

-Teeth whitening products-A small percentage of people who use the whitening products for teeth bleaching experience temporary teeth sensitivity due to irritation from the chemical in the whitening products.

-Recent dental procedures-teeth sensitivity can occur following teeth cleaning, tooth restorations (fillings), crown preparation and cementation. The sensitivity is temporary and should subside in a few days or weeks.