Myth: Periodontal (Gum) Disease Affects Only the Mouth.

Periodontal disease, also called gum disease, is mainly caused by bacteria from plaque and tartar build up. Other factors that have the potential to cause gum disease may include:

• Tobacco use
• Grinding your teeth
• Certain medications
• Genetics

Ref: Askthedentist.com

Gum disease affects only the oral health is a myth. Studies suggest that it contributes to life threatening conditions such as:

• Heart disease and stroke - Gingivitis may increase the risk of heart disease and stroke because of the high levels of bacteria found in infected areas of the mouth. As the level of periodontal disease increases, the risk of cardiovascular disease may increase with it.
• Diabetes - People with diabetes often have some form of gum disease, likely caused by high blood glucose. People with diabetes need to take extra care to ensure proper brushing and flossing techniques are used to prevent the advancement of the gum disease. Regular check-ups and cleanings with your dental hygienist should be followed.
• Chronic kidney disease - People without any natural teeth, are more likely to have chronic kidney disease (CDK), than people with natural teeth. CDK affects blood pressure potentially causing heart disease, contributed to kidney failure, and affects bone health.
• Preterm birth - Women with periodontal disease are more likely to have a baby born preterm compared to women without any form of gum disease. Women are more susceptible to gingivitis when pregnant and should follow their regular brushing habits, and continue with dental cleanings and examinations.

To prevent gum disease, proper brushing and flossing and following dental hygiene tips is the easiest way, but regular cleanings with your dentist are necessary to remove calculus and treat advanced gum disease. If you are concerned that you may have gum disease, contact your dentist.

Source: www.webmd.com, www.dentistry.com

What is Dental Floss?

When it comes to your teeth nothing is more important than proper dental health and dental hygiene. Without proper oral hygiene your teeth can break down and decay causing many problems including tooth loss. Flossing is such an essential part of dental care. There are several health benefits to maintaining proper dental care and flossing. Without proper flossing, your teeth will a buildup with plaque which leads to tartar and several types of gum disease. Not flossing can also cause an increase of cavities in the areas your tooth brush cannot reach. Without flossing your teeth can start to stain which keeps your teeth from looking bright, white and clean.

Dental floss is a tool you should use daily to remove food and bacteria build-up from in-between your teeth. Floss, which is commonly made out of plastic or nylon, is a thin thread that you place between your teeth and pull in order to clean the gaps. As you pull on the thread, you should remove food and debris.

 Benefits of Flossing:

• Remove plaque
• Prevent gum disease
• Prevent cavities
• Better smelling breath
• Whiter teeth

When Should I Take My Child to the Dentist for the First Time?

It is generally recommended that a child be seen by a dentist by the age of 1 or within 6 months after his or her first tooth comes in. Taking your child to the dentist at a young age is the best way to prevent problems such as tooth decay, and can help parents learn how to clean their child's teeth and identify his or her fluoride needs. After all, decay can occur as soon as teeth appear. Bringing your child to the dentist early often leads to a lifetime of good oral care habits and acclimates your child to the dental office, thereby reducing anxiety and fear, which will make for plenty of stress-free visits in the future.

What will happen in the first visit?

Many first visits are nothing more than introductory icebreakers to acquaint your child with the dentist and the practice. Short, successive visits are meant to build the child's trust in the dentist and the dental office, and can prove invaluable if your child needs to be treated later for any dental problem.

If the child is compliant, the first session often lasts between 15 and 30 minutes and may include the following, depending on age:

• A gentle but thorough examination of the teeth, jaw, bite, gums and oral tissues to monitor growth and development and observe any problem areas
• If indicated, a gentle cleaning, which includes polishing teeth and removing any plaque, tartar buildup or stains
• X-rays
• A demonstration on proper home cleaning
• Assessment of the need for fluoride

Dental Problems You can Fix Yourself

Dentists don’t usually recommend DIY dentistry for a variety of reasons, but there are a few dental issues that you can fix yourself without a visit to the dentist!

1. Sensitive teeth –Some toothpastes are abrasive, especially whitening, tartar-control or baking soda toothpastes, which can make teeth sensitive. Stop using these toothpastes. Don't brush too hard, which can lead to other dental problems, such as recessed gums. If pain persists, visit your dentist for a prescription fluoride treatment to toughen up your teeth.

2. Lost tooth due to trauma – Gently rinse it off without rubbing and scrubbing and push it back in right away, then bite down gently on a soft cloth or moistened tea bag to hold it in place. Knocking out a tooth tears the periodontal ligaments, but some might still cling to the tooth. If reconnected early enough, they can reattach to the gums. See your dentsist ASAP.

3. Jaw soreness – If you have an aching pain in your jaw, it could happen due to teeth grinding, which can lead to pain in the jaw, headaches and more. Try exercising your jaw by moving it around gently. If you find yourself in a tense state with jaw locked, loosen up and take a few deep breaths to release that tension. At night, wear a mouth guard to prevent teeth grinding. If you are still having pain, talk to your dentist about other possible solutions.

4. Gum pain - You can ease the pain by swishing peppermint tea or salt water around your mouth.

If you have questions about common dental issues, contact your dentist.

How to Reduce Tooth Sensitivity?

Tooth sensitivity can affect one or more teeth. It’s most common when you eat or drink something hot, cold, sweet, or sour. The pain can be sharp and sudden and can shoot deep into the nerve endings of your teeth. You may get sensitive teeth

when your gums recede and expose the surface beneath, called the dentin. This soft layer makes up the inner part and roots, which have thousands of tiny tubes that lead to the tooth's nerve center (the pulp). These channels allow the trigger -- for example, the hot, cold, or sweet food -- to reach the nerve in your tooth, which results in the pain you feel.

Here are ways to find relief and reduce your tooth sensitivity:

• Try toothpaste made for sensitive teeth - Several brands of toothpaste on the market are designed to help people with sensitive teeth. Some pastes contain an active ingredient called potassium nitrate, which helps to block the tiny tubules in the dentin. They don’t work for everybody, but it’s usually a good place to start.
•  Change the way you brush - If you’re not using a soft toothbrush, if you’re scrubbing your teeth vigorously, or if you’re not brushing for a full two minutes, then you’re not doing any favors for your sensitive teeth. Hard brushing can actually wear away enamel, increasing the sensitivity in your teeth. Changing your brushing habits will definitely pay off.
•  Avoid acidic food and drink - Exposure to red wine, pop, fruit juices and acidic foods—such as oranges and pickles—can put your enamel under constant attack. Limit these foods and drinks, and try to brush about 20 minutes after eating them.
•  Ask your dentist about a paint job - If you’re not having much luck with desensitizing toothpaste, talk to your dentist about painted-on barriers. Desensitizing agents like fluoride varnish or even plastic resins can be applied to the sensitive areas of your teeth.
• Put a stop to tooth grinding - If you’re grinding your teeth when you’re tense, you could be wearing away enamel and giving yourself a sensitivity problem.
• Treat your receding gums - Normally the root of your tooth is covered up by your gum tissue. But if you have some gum recession, caused by gum disease or even hard brushing, then the root will be exposed and the cementum can be worn away. Your dental care provider may be able to rebuild or restore your receding gums. 

If you still have discomfort, call Expressions Dental™ There may be a procedure that can help.

Natural Remedies for Dry Mouth

Dry mouth, known medically as Xerostomia, is one of the main causes of halitosis (or bad breath). Dry mouth can be caused by a number of medical conditions. Most of these conditions are nonlife-threatening, making dry mouth more of a nuisance than anything else.

To minimize dry mouth:

•     Drink water frequently to keep your mouth moist and loosen mucus. Carry water with you to sip throughout the day and keep water by your bed at night.
•       Suck on sugar-free hard candies, ice chips, or sugar-free popsicles. Chew sugarless gum (gums containing xylitol). These sucking and chewing actions help stimulate saliva flow.
•       Moisten foods with broths, soups, sauces, gravy, creams, and butter or margarine. Eat soft, moist foods that are cool or at room temperature.
•      Avoid commercial mouth rinses or mouthwashes that contain alcohol or peroxide. These ingredients may further dry out your mouth.
•      Avoid salty foods, dry foods (for example, crackers, toast, cookies, dry breads, dry meats/poultry/fish, dried fruit, bananas) and foods and beverages with high sugar content.
•      Avoid drinks containing alcohol or caffeine. Alcohol increases water loss by triggering frequent urination. Alcohol, as well as caffeine, also dries out the mouth. Also avoid acidic beverages, such as any fruit juices.
•      To prevent or treat dry mouth, you can protect your teeth by brushing with fluoridated toothpaste and scheduling regular dental checkups. Oral cavities can lead to the growth of unhealthy bacteria, which eventually leads to dry mouth and bad breath.

Do You Have To Be Young To Have Really White Teeth?

It is true that your pearly whites lose their luster as we age. Some common foods, drinks and even mouthwashes can stain teeth. But, Do-it-yourself remedies can help whiten teeth, and avoiding substances that stain teeth can stop further discoloration.

Use these steps to whiten your teeth:

• Home teeth whitening – Talk to your dentist about home tooth whitening products like kits, strips and toothpastes may lighten stains. But, for deep stains, you may need to seek your dentist’s help.
•      Home remedies – Some people prefer the age-old home remedy of baking soda and a toothbrush to gently whiten teeth at home. Also, some foods such as celery, apples, pears, and carrots trigger lots of saliva, which helps wash away food debris on your teeth. Chewing sugar-less gum is also a tooth-cleansing action.
•      Tooth whitening and dental work – Approach tooth whitening with caution if you have lots of bonding, fillings, crowns, and bridges. Bleach will not lighten manufactured teeth, so they will stand out among newly whitened natural teeth. In order to match your whiter teeth, you may need new dental work, including veneers or bonding.
•      Preventing teeth stains – As we age, the outer layer of tooth enamel may wear away. The underlying layer, called dentin, is yellower. That’s why it is important to try to avoid staining teeth. If you take care with foods and drinks that discolor teeth, the results of whitening can last longer.
•      To keep teeth white, don’t light up – Smoking is one of the worst offenders, when it comes to staining teeth. Tobacco causes brown stains that penetrate the grooves and pits of tooth enamel. These stains are hard to remove by brushing alone.
•       Foods that cause teeth stains – Some common foods, which discolor teeth, are coffee, tea, dark sodas and fruit juices. These teeth stains develop slowly and become more noticeable as we age. Deep color fruits and veggies such as blueberries, blackberries and beets leave their color on teeth as well. Eat them for your health and prevent tooth stains by brushing teeth and rinsing mouth immediately after eating.
•      Think as you drink – A glass of red wine, cranberry juice or grape juice also stains teeth easily. Remember to rinse your mouth after you have these drinks.
•      Don’t forget daily maintenance – One simple strategy can help maintain white teeth: brush. Brush at least twice and floss at least once daily. Brushing helps prevent stains and yellow teeth, especially at the gum line.
•      Visit your dentist – See your Calgary dentist for regular checkups and professional cleaning. The abrasion and polishing methods dentists use can remove many teeth stains caused by food and tobacco.

The Benefits of Regular Visits to the Dentist

Visiting your dentist for regular checkups and cleanings can help prevent many dental problems as well as to help you maintain optimal oral health. Don't wait until you have a toothache before you call your dentist. You should have a regular dental visit at least every 6 months.

What happens during a dental visit?

• Clinical dental examination - Your dental professional will check for cavities and to see if there is plaque or tartar on your teeth. Plaque is a clear, sticky layer of bacteria. If it is not removed, it can harden and become tartar. You cannot remove tartar with brushing and flossing. If plaque and tartar build up on your teeth, they can cause oral diseases.

Next, your gums will be checked. This will be done with a special tool to measure the spaces between your teeth and gums. With healthy gums, the spaces are shallow. When people have gum disease, the spaces may become deeper.
The check-up should also include your tongue, throat, face, head, and neck. This is to look for any signs of trouble, swelling, or cancer.

• Dental cleaning – During the dental visit, your dental professional cleans your mouth by removing any plaque and tartar, polishing your teeth and flossing.

Once your examination and cleaning have been performed, they’ll tell you about the health of your teeth and gums and then make any additional recommendations. It’s important that you see your dentist every six months for a routine examination and cleaning. By seeing your dentist on a regular basis and following daily good oral hygiene practices at home, you are more likely to keep your teeth and gums healthy.

Make Your Child Love the Dentist

Going to the dentist starts long before your child’s first appointment. If you have hesitation about going to the dentist, he/she will sense this and be apprehensive as well. Believe it or not, some children actually look forward to going to the dentist, but this takes preparation and teamwork to make this happen.

You can prepare your kids by reading books about visiting the dentist. Books explain why we need to visit the dentist and what happens at the dental clinic, from arrival to the waiting room to the equipment used and what the dentist will do. One of the main reasons children might fear the dentist is the unknown – if they have an idea of what to expect it makes it easier for them. Secondly, be a positive role model. Visit the dentist regularly yourself and brush your teeth with them.

Children may have any number of dental health problems over the years. For instance, they may require braces to help with straightening their teeth. They could need to have fillings put in to prevent worsening of cavities and further damage to their teeth. Very young children will need to be taught good oral hygiene practices, and the dentist’s office is the perfect place to reinforce what they are learning at home. 

How common is Gum Disease?

Gum disease is a very common condition where the gums become swollen, sore or infected and most people experience it at least once. It is much less common in children. As per Canadian Dental Association (CDA), 7 out of 10 Canadians develop gum disease at some time in their lives. The incidence of gum disease is very high. It is seen in all types of people, all races and cultures, regardless of where they live or their level of education.

People who do not go to a family dentist are frequently unaware they have a problem -- an estimated 20 per cent of Canadians have active periodontal disease and do not know it.

Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, is a chronic infection that can result in a number of health problems, from mild inflammation to severe gum damage to tooth loss, if left untreated. In addition, gum disease can affect your overall health, and has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

It is an infection of the tissues that surround and support your teeth and, is caused by plaque, the sticky film of bacteria that is constantly forming on our teeth. Plaque that is not removed with thorough daily brushing and cleaning between teeth can eventually harden into calculus or tartar.

If you have gum disease, your gums may bleed when you brush your teeth and you may have bad breath. This stage of gum disease is known as gingivitis. If gingivitis is not treated, a condition called periodontists can develop. This affects the tissues that support teeth and hold them in place.

Signs of Gum Disease:
Your oral health is critical to your overall health. If you notice any of the following symptoms, seek care from a dentist who is knowledgeable about treating gum disease:

• A sour taste in your mouth or persistently bad breath
• A change in how your partial dentures fit
• A change in how your teeth fit together when you bite down
• Bleeding gums
• Gum tissue that pulls away from your teeth
• Loose teeth or increasing spaces between your teeth
• Pain when chewing
• Unusually sensitive teeth
• Swollen and tender gums

Gum Disease Treatment Options:

• Regular professional deep cleanings
• Medications that are either taken orally or are inserted directly into infected tissue pockets
• Surgery, in more severe cases of gum disease.
• Good oral hygiene home practices i.e. brushing + flossing.

Despite following good oral hygiene practices, people may be genetically susceptible to gum disease. If anyone in your family has gum disease, it may mean that you are at greater risk, as well. If you are more susceptible to gum disease, your dentist or periodontist may recommend more frequent dental check-ups, cleanings, and treatments to better manage the condition.

Broken or Cracked Tooth

Any trauma to the mouth that causes bleeding and lacerations to the gums, tooth fracture and/or dislodging of teeth, may require immediate attention. If you take longer to see your dentist, it will reduce the chance of revival of the tooth.

Causes

Whether the result of an accident or biting on a piece of food that’s too hard, mouth injuries can cause teeth to become cracked, broken, or knocked out/dislodged. It is important to see a dentist because if left untreated, a dental emergency can lead to serious complications.

If the tooth is just chipped, you should make a non-emergency dental appointment to have it smoothed down and filled. If the tooth has been knocked out or is badly broken, see a dentist immediately. Find your nearest dentist who offers emergency dental appointments.

While you wait to see a dentist, you can follow these dental tips:

• If you still have a knocked out tooth, handle by the tip of it (crown) and avoid touching the root. Do not scrape or brush the tooth. If that tooth is dirty, rinse with milk or salt water. The sooner a knocked-out tooth is re-implanted, the more likely it is to embed itself back into the gum. If you don't want to be left with a gap, make an emergency appointment to see your dentist. Usually, your dentist will want to re-implant your tooth as soon as possible, ideally within an hour of it being knocked out. If you have already attempted this yourself, they will check that the tooth is in place correctly.

• In case of lost tooth, most people will choose to have it replaced. Different dental treatments are adopted for tooth replacement. Your dentist can replace the tooth with a denture, a bridge or an implant.

• If you have broken your tooth, do not try to re-implant the fragment back into your gum – store it in a clean container and cover the fragment with milk or saliva until you can see a dentist. It may be possible to reattach the broken fragment to the tooth. If you have broken a tooth halfway down and damaged the network of blood vessels and nerves in its center (the pulp), root canal treatment will be needed to remove the damaged pulp from your tooth, as this can become infected. The space will then be filled and the tooth sealed with a filling or a dental crown.

Unlike broken bones, the crack in a tooth will never heal completely. It is still important that you get treatment. Our dental team at Expressions Dental™ will be able to tell you more about this problem and recommend treatment for a broken or cracked tooth.

Abscessed Tooth Treatment

What is Abscessed Tooth?

An abscessed tooth is a severe infection that usually shows up on the root of the tooth or between the gum and the tooth. It could become a dental emergency, as an abscessed tooth not only causes a great amount of pain, but if left untreated it can also cause serious health problems. An abscess can cause damage to the surrounding tissues, damage to the jaw bone and in some cases even affect the immune system resulting in death of the afflicted person. A number of things can cause tooth to abscess such as:

• Severe tooth decay
• Bad trauma to the tooth 
• Broken or chipped teeth 
• In some cases a tooth can be susceptible to infection after a crown or a filling has been put in: 
• Gingivitis
• Gum disease

Symptoms of a dental abscess typically include pain, swelling and redness of mouth and face. Other signs of abscess might include cavities, gum inflammation, oral swelling, pus drainage, and difficulty in fully opening your mouth or swallowing.

Tests for dental abscess
A dentist often can determine by a clinical exams + radio graphs if you have an abscess.

Treatment for a dental abscess
You should see a dentist for dental abscess treatment. Root canal therapy may need to commence to drain the infected tooth. The doctor may decide to cut open the abscess and allow the pus to drain. Unless the abscess ruptures on its own, this is usually the only way that the infection can be cured. People with dental abscesses may be prescribed pain relievers and, at the discretion of the doctor, antibiotics to fight the infection. An abscess that has extended to the floor of the mouth or to the neck requires immediate attention.

With a dental abscess, as with each and every illness, comply with your doctor's instructions for follow-up care. Proper treatment often means reassessment, multiple visits, or referral to a specialist. Cooperate with your doctors by following instructions carefully to ensure the best possible oral health for you and your family.