Dental Wisdom

This is an attempt at writing one of those posts that you always see on social media. They have titles like "8 Ways Horses Make You Healthier" or "The 5 Best Tricks to Zip Your Child's Coat" or even "7 Times to Pass Gas without Your Date Knowing". The numbers seem fairly arbitrary to me. It would be nice to have a system of sorts. And sometimes the names get pretty long like "23 Ways to Avoid Watching Chick Flicks with Your Significant Other by Doing What You Would Rather Do and Still Helping Them Feel Loved". Anyway enjoy my post about teeth stuff.

4 Things I Wish I Knew about Oral Health that I Had to Learn in Dental School

Like one of my professors always says, "It's time for dental wisdom." Here are a few tidbits of wisdom that can help prevent how you much money you spend at the dentist.



Cut the Carb Snacking
Carbs and kill your teeth. Literally. If you want to know the science keep reading otherwise skip to the next paragraph. Cavities, otherwise known as caries, are formed by acid breaking down the enamel. Enamel is the hard outer layer of your teeth. The acid is created from carbohydrates being broken down by bacteria in your mouth. It is actually lactic acid from glycolysis. The longer the carbohydrates are available to the bacteria the longer the acid will have to break down your teeth. After breaking down the enamel, the bacteria and acid will start breaking down the dentin underneath. Dentin is still hard but definitely softer than enamel. If it makes it through the dentin to the pulp, then bye-bye Mr. Living Tooth. Root canal time.If too much tooth is damaged, even if you don't need a root canal, you'll need a crown so the tooth doesn't break.

Carb frequency is often worse for your teeth than quantity. Snacking on carbs every 30 minutes is bad for the dentition. If you are sipping pop all day then stop, or at least use a straw. The trick is keep your food at meals. If you need a snack, try a vegetable or cheese. If you wont do either of those then rinse your mouth out with water or brush more often. Also how well the carbs stick to your teeth can have a large impact. Pretzels or dried fruit? They will stick in your teeth. Once again, bad news for the enamel.




Use the Fluoride

Smear vs Pea

Enamel is made of minerals. After the acid has broken it down the enamel becomes demineralized on the surface. The bad news? The cells that made the enamel are no more. The good news? The enamel can be remineralized. Your body tries to help with this process through the minerals in your saliva, but saliva is a two-edged sword. It also coats your teeth and helps the bacteria attach to the teeth. That is why it is a good idea to brush even if you haven't been eating. By using fluoride in your drinking water, toothpaste, and mouthrinses you can remineralize the enamel to be even harder than before. This will help prevent further cavities. While it is possible to overdose on fluoride, it is very unlikely. You ought to be careful with your kids though. If they get too much then it can hurt their adult teeth. The right amount will strengthen their adult teeth.  Only a smear between 1-3 yrs. and a pea size from 3-6 yrs.

E'eryday I'm C-shape Flossing
I didn't realize how important flossing was before dental school. It makes a big difference in a thorough cleaning. Even after everything a dental hygienist does, (and she is a teeth cleaning professional) she still flosses your teeth.  Proper technique is important too. C-shape flossing is just describing the shape of the floss as it goes around your teeth. This ensures that you are getting every surface of each of your teeth. While I'm on a rant about being thorough, I might as well mention brushing. Use the toothbrush for a solid 2 minutes and get every surface those bristles can reach. That includes the facial side, the tongue side, the biting side, and in between as much as possible. Use a soft bristle tooth brush and don't push too hard. You don't want to brush away your gums.


Professional Cleanings Every 6 Months
With teeth, an ounce of prevention is definitely better than a pound of cure. It might be expensive or inconvenient to go get cleanings at the dentist, but do it. First, it can help you gauge how well you are doing on your hygiene. Next, the hygienist will get those hard to get spots that you aren't quite getting. And third, you will be able to catch any cavities early, before you are in danger of needing a root canal.

This is by no means a comprehensive list. But it is a start. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask me in the comments. I'm happy to study up and find the answers.