Millions of people throughout the U.S. and the world suffer from gum (periodontal) disease. If left untreated, periodontal disease can lead to tooth loss and deterioration of the bones that support teeth. Worse still, gum disease has been linked to other more serious health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes and even Alzheimer’s disease. Fortunately, there are several effective methods used to treat periodontal disease.

• Scaling and root planing: This is the traditional, nonsurgical method that involves removal of plaque and tartar from the surface of the teeth and just below the gum line. Patients are usually prescribed an antimicrobial medicine following this treatment and advised to follow a strict oral hygiene regimen at home on a daily basis. Most patients who have gum disease, no matter what stage it’s in when diagnosed, are also encouraged to visit their dentists more often than twice a year for oral exams and professional cleanings.
• Laser treatment: One method that is sometimes used in combination with scaling and root planing is laser treatment. Lasers have been shown to be quite effective when it comes to removal of tartar and plaque, and they have the additional benefit of being somewhat less invasive than the traditional scaling and planing technique.
• Prescription medications: Depending on how far advanced their gum disease is, some patients may be treated with systemic antibiotics, which help to stop the progression of gum disease.
• Surgery: For people with severe periodontitis, oral surgery is sometimes the only option. These surgical procedures allow the surgeon to more completely remove the calculus. Surgery can also be used to help regenerate bone tissue that might have been compromised due to the disease.

Although gum disease can be quite serious, it can be effectively treated if caught in the early stages. If you notice symptoms – such as bleeding gums, sensitive teeth, swollen gums, receding gums, tender and/or red gums, persistent bad breath, or a change in your bite (the way your teeth fit together when you close your mouth) – contact your dentist right away. In addition to treatment methods used to combat gum disease, your dentist might recommend that you alter your habits (such as quitting smoking, for example) and make more frequent trips to the dentist for professional cleanings. If you follow your dentist’s advice, and be diligent in following a daily oral hygiene routine at home, you can conquer gum disease and enjoy many years of good oral health.

Years ago, people who wanted straighter teeth had only one choice: traditional metal braces. While there’s no doubt that these dental appliances did (and still do) work, people who wore braces often found them uncomfortable and difficult to clean – not to mention embarrassing. Fortunately, dental technology has come a long way since then. Today, people who want a straighter smile have a variety of alternatives from which to choose. Here are some modern teeth-straightening methods:

• Ceramic braces – These appliances are very similar to traditional braces with one very important difference: they’re made of clear or tooth-colored ceramic material. They work in exactly the same way as metal braces and in about the same period of time, but they’re much less noticeable than the traditional alternative. Although ceramic braces are definitely less embarrassing than metal appliances, they are still difficult to clean and many people find them uncomfortable to wear.
• Lingual braces – These appliances are applied to the inside surface of the teeth, which makes them virtually invisible to other people. Lingual braces are effective, but because they are worn on the inside surface of the teeth, some patients experience irritation on their cheeks and tongues. They work in much the same way as traditional braces, and in about the same amount of time.
• Clear aligner trays – One of the most innovative teeth-straightening methods available to 21st century dental patients are clear aligner trays, the most popular of which is Invisalign®. These clear plastic trays fit directly over the top of the patient’s teeth and can be removed by the wearer to eat meals and brush and floss. Another advantage is that the clear aligner trays are virtually invisible to other people. This, in addition to the fact that the trays can be removed for easier dental hygiene tasks and more comfortable eating, make Invisalign® a common choice for many people who want a straighter smile. The trays need to be worn at least 23 hours a day for several months to work properly. While it’s true that aligner trays are very effective for some orthodontic issues, they may not be the best choice for everyone.

If you would like to enjoy a straighter, more beautiful smile, talk to your dentist or orthodontist today. Modern technology provides dental patients with so many more options than years ago. Thanks to these advancements in dental and orthodontic treatments, virtually anyone can enjoy a straighter smile without the embarrassment and discomfort of traditional metal braces.

Most of us know that having an attractive smile makes us feel better about sharing that smile with others instead of hiding it behind a cupped hand. But the benefits of a nice smile go far beyond simply being more willing to share it with others. In fact, many studies conducted over the past several years have shown that having a nice smile improves our quality of life in ways that we may never have imagined, including:

• Higher self-esteem – Research shows that people who have nice smiles feel better about themselves overall, and are generally more self-assured about their place in the world.
• Higher self-confidence – People with attractive smiles have demonstrated more self-confidence than people who are dentally challenged, often feeling more assertive in their dealings with other people. In particular, people who are missing teeth appear to be much less confident in their day-to-day lives, often feeling more inhibited than those with a full set of teeth.
• Less stress – Another somewhat surprising result of studies conducted over the past several years is that people who have either a full set of natural teeth, or a combination of natural teeth and dental implants, generally experience less stress in their lives than people who are missing teeth and/or wear either full or partial dentures.
• More favorably viewed by other people – Research has also shown that people with unattractive smiles – including missing teeth, crooked or damaged teeth, or severely stained teeth – are not viewed as favorably by other people as those with attractive smiles. In fact, some studies suggest that job applicants are much more likely to be hired if they have nice smiles. And people with more attractive smiles were seen by other people as more successful and wealthier than those with unattractive smiles.

If you want to improve the quality of your life, consider taking steps to improve the quality of your smile. Modern dental technology makes it possible for virtually anyone to enjoy better oral health and a more beautiful smile. No matter what procedure you may need to get it done – from teeth whitening to crowns to dental bonding or porcelain veneers – your dentist can give you the attractive smile that can make you feel better about yourself and improve how other people see you. For more information about how to improve the appearance of your smile, contact your dentist today. More self-esteem, self-confidence, and reduced stress may be just a smile away!

Autumn is a beautiful time of year. But for some people, fall means an annual battle against seasonal allergies. As those of us who suffer from allergies know all too well, springtime is not the only time of year we can be affected. Fall can be just as challenging for allergy sufferers as any other time of the year, including the spring.
Common allergy symptoms include a runny nose, scratchy eyes, a sore throat and sinus headaches. But allergies can also have a negative impact on oral health. When a person experiences all the symptoms related to fall allergies, he or she ultimately begins to breathe through the mouth throughout the day and even while they’re sleeping. This can lead to dry mouth, and that can have serious consequences for your oral health. In fact, saliva plays an extremely important role in preventing gum disease and tooth decay, so when saliva production is reduced, your teeth and gums suffer as a result.

Fortunately, there are some steps we can take to battle fall allergies and improve our oral health throughout the season. Here are a few helpful tips to deal with the most common fall allergies:

• Ragweed – If you live in a rural area, you might have an allergy to ragweed, which is one of the most common allergies that people experience in the fall. Between the time the weed blooms in early fall until the first frost, ragweed plants produce a tremendous amount of pollen, and that means misery for allergy sufferers. During the fall season, keep track of pollen counts for your local area. When numbers are high, wear a mask when you go outside to keep yourself from breathing in ragweed pollen. Better yet, stay indoors if you can when the pollen count is high, keep your windows closed, and take jackets and shoes off outside the home to avoid carrying pollen inside.
• Dust mites – Temperatures in most parts of the country are lovely in the fall, usually hovering in the 60s and 70s. Unfortunately, those cooler temperatures are perfect for dust mites, which are microscopic insects that live in our homes and usually feed on flakes of human skin that are virtually invisible. To minimize their impact, clean your air vents, washing bedding on a regular basis, and use a dehumidifier to keep the humidity in your home under 50 percent.
• Mold and mildew – These fungi are especially prevalent in the fall since they grow on compost piles and in fallen leaves that become damp in the autumn weather. Mold and mildew inside the home are common in damp areas like kitchens, bathrooms and basements. To reduce the impact of these fungi, rake the leaves in your yard, clean gutters on your home, and wear a protective mask when working outside. Compost piles should be emptied regularly and kept as far away from your home as possible. Using a dehumidifier inside your house will help as well.

Follow these simple steps to help alleviate some of your fall allergy symptoms. And remember to maintain a daily oral hygiene routine and visit your dentist regularly to keep your teeth and gums healthy throughout the fall allergy season.

Most people would agree that it’s easier to start a new habit rather than break an old one. Fortunately, when it comes to maintaining good oral health, there are several daily habits that are actually good for your teeth and gums. If you don’t already practice these habits, there’s no better time to start than the present!

• Practice good oral hygiene habits every day. Brush at least twice and floss at least once – every single day. If you want to up the ante with regard to oral hygiene, use a water flosser once a day and rinse with an anti-bacterial mouthwash once or twice throughout the day. Following these healthy daily habits will greatly increase your chances of enjoying good oral health.’
• Eat a healthy diet. Eating a plant-based diet with plenty of low-fat protein choices and very little sugar is not only good for your overall health; it’s good for your oral health as well. Instead of snacking on candy, choose a crunchy fruit or vegetable, like an apple or celery. Instead of drinking soda or a sports drink, sip on water throughout the day. If that water comes from the tap in a community with fluoridated water, it’s even better!
• Chew sugar-free gum. Lots of people feel the need to chew on something while they’re working, studying, or doing some other task that they engage in throughout the day. If you feel the need to chew, sugar-free gum is a great option. Not only does it keep you away from unhealthy things to chew on – like ice or hard candy, for example – but the chewing motion actually helps to clean your teeth and stimulates the production of saliva. The saliva produced inside our mouths helps to keep our gums hydrated, wash away any leftover food particles, and maintains a healthy pH balance.
• Wear a mouth guard. If you play sports, engage in any type of active hobby, or have problems with grinding your teeth while you sleep, wearing a mouth guard can prevent your teeth from becoming broken, cracked or worn down. You can buy a generic mouth guard in any sporting goods store, but a better choice is to ask your dentist to create a custom-made version for you.
• Visit your dentist at least twice a year. Don’t postpone your scheduled visits for oral exams and professional cleanings. Most people need to see the dentist twice a year to maintain good oral health. If you are more prone to cavities or gum disease, you might need to see your dentist more often than that.

Enjoying a lifetime of good oral health isn’t as difficult as it may sound. Adopt these good habits, and you’ll be well on your way to many years of healthy teeth and gums.

Everyone has little personal habits that we engage in each and every day. Some are harmless, while others are not. In fact, your daily habits may be causing some serious damage to your overall health and your oral health. When it comes to your teeth and gums, here are some habits that you should definitely avoid:

• Drinking sports drinks, energy drinks and/or soda — If you indulge in these beverages every day – or even just a few times a week – you should stop. Sports drinks, energy drinks and sodas are loaded with sugar and acids that can cause tooth decay and gum disease. Even sugar-free sodas are bad because of the carbonation and acids contained in these drinks. For a healthier choice, just sip on water throughout the day. You’ll save calories, be more hydrated, and enjoy better oral health.
• Tobacco products – Whether you smoke it or chew it, using tobacco products spells trouble for your teeth and gums. Smoking tobacco stains teeth, and chewing tobacco has been linked to oral cancer and often causes gum disease. If you can’t quit tobacco on your own, talk to a health professional about effective methods to help you kick the habit.
• Chewing on anything hard – Chewing ice or hard candy can easily result in broken or cracked teeth. Even gnawing on the end of a pencil – a habit some people engage in without even realizing it – is not good for your teeth. If you feel the need to chew on something, try sugar-free gum instead.
• Snacking on sugary treats – Sugar increases the amount of bad bacteria inside your mouth, and that will eventually lead to tooth decay. Skip any snack with sugar in it, and replace it with more healthy options, like fruit or crunchy vegetables, for example. If produce doesn’t appeal to you, try cheese and nuts instead of candy and other sugary foods. Cheese not only contains protein and calcium – both of which are good for your teeth – it also helps to balance the pH level inside your mouth. That means snacking on cheese is actually good for your oral health!
• Using your mouth as a tool – Your teeth may seem invincible, but they’re not. If you use them as a tool, they’re likely to crack or chip. Use an actual tool instead – like scissors or a bottle opener, for example.

Maintaining healthy teeth and gums isn’t nearly as challenging as it may seem. Just remember to brush and floss every day, visit your dentist on a regular basis, and avoid the habits that are dangerous for your oral health.

During the hot summer months, it’s extremely important to keep yourself hydrated. For some people, that means indulging in sports and energy drinks. While these beverages might be tempting, you should know that they have been directly associated with tooth decay and damaged enamel. In fact, recent studies have shown an alarming increase in dental issues linked to consumption of these beverages.

There are several reasons why sports and energy drinks are so bad for your teeth. The acid contained in these beverages erodes the enamel on your teeth, which is the outer protective layer. Once your enamel is gone, it can’t be replaced. When it begins to erode, you will notice an increased amount of sensitivity to hot and cold foods and drinks, and you will be more likely to develop cavities. Sports and energy drinks also contain high levels of sugar. Remember that sugar has many aliases, so if you see terms like “high-fructose corn syrup,” for example, that translates into sugar. When you consume too much sugar, the health of your teeth and gums will suffer.

Young adults and teenagers are the age groups most directly impacted by these tooth-damaging drinks. The labels sound appealing, promising increased levels of energy and hydration. But unfortunately, the price young people pay for indulging in these drinks is bad oral health. Soft drinks carry the same dangers to teeth and gums. This is especially true for those that contain sugar, but even sugar-free soft drinks still contain harmful acids that wreak havoc with teeth and gums.

A much better option to keep hydrated during the hot summer months is one that is readily available and absolutely free: water. Drinking more water is not only a healthy choice for your teeth and gums, but for your overall health as well. Water helps to wash away food particles left behind inside your mouth and keep your gums hydrated. Water also helps to flush out toxins from your system and keep your organs – kidneys in particular – healthy and functioning properly.

If you do indulge in an occasional sports or energy drink, you can minimize the damage caused by the sugar and acid by chewing a piece of sugar-free gum and/or rinsing your mouth out with water afterwards. Better still, the next time you reach for a refreshing summer beverage, skip the energy and sports drinks altogether and reach for water instead! Your teeth and gums – and your whole body, for that matter – will thank you!

If you suffer from allergies, you already know that they can impact you from spring right through fall. In fact, people who have allergies to dust and pet dander deal with their allergic symptoms all year long! Most of us are familiar with the signs of allergies, including sneezing, nasal congestion, sore throats, headaches, etc. But you may not know that allergies can affect your oral health – and not in a good way.

One of the most common allergy symptoms is sinus congestion, and if you can’t breathe through your nose, you breathe through your mouth. That results in dry mouth, and that can spell trouble for your oral health. People trying to alleviate sinus issues often use an over-the-counter antihistamine or decongestant. While these remedies may help to relieve congestion, they have one typical side effect: they cause dry mouth! So whether you take allergy medicine or not, dry mouth is likely to occur as a result of your allergies.

Dry mouth is more than just irritating; it can cause real damage to your teeth and gums. The saliva we produce performs several important functions. It helps to break down and digest food, it washes away leftover food inside your mouth, and it helps to neutralize acids that would otherwise cause plaque buildup and tooth decay. If you don’t produce enough saliva, not only are you more prone to develop cavities; you are also at a higher risk of forming gum disease.

Fortunately, there are several effective ways to treat chronic dry mouth. Drinking more water not only helps to alleviate dryness inside the mouth; it also helps to hydrate you during this hot time of year. You can also try chewing on sugar-free gum, which will not only help to produce more saliva but also help to actually clean the surface of your teeth while you chew. Sleeping with a humidifier can also help to alleviate the symptoms of dry mouth.

Another common symptom related to allergies is pain in the upper teeth. Because these teeth are situated very close to your sinus cavity, any type of inflammation or irritation that occurs in your sinuses can make your teeth hurt! Of course, any time you experience a toothache, you should contact your dentist to make sure that it is, in fact, related to your sinuses and not due to a dental issue.

If you suffer from allergies – whether they are seasonal plant allergies, or symptoms related to dust and pet dander – talk to your dentist. He or she can recommend effective ways to reduce the symptoms of dry mouth, and can also help to alleviate the dental pain associated with inflamed sinuses.

Grinding your teeth at night (also called “bruxism”), as well as clenching your jaw during the day, can do real damage to your teeth. It can wear down the protective enamel layer on your teeth, as well as make any existing dental issues much worse. You may be engaging in daily habits that can increase your risk of teeth grinding. Here are a few things to avoid in order to lessen your chances of developing bruxism.

• Try to stay away from certain substances that have been shown to make bruxism worse. These include alcohol, tobacco and caffeine.
• Alleviate stress as much as possible throughout the course of each day. Tension and anxiety often cause people to clench their jaws during the day and grind their teeth at night. Choose healthy stress-relievers, such as exercise, deep breathing, or yoga, for example.
• Try relaxing your jaw during the day by opening it wide and closing it. If you feel tightness in the jaw, try apply a warm, damp cloth on your cheeks to relax the jaw muscles.
• Be aware of stress-related activities you engage in during the day. Chewing on the end of a pen while you work, for example, is one of many indications that you might be feeling stressed out. Pen chewing, among other habits – many of which we may not even be aware of – can cause you to clench your jaw even tighter than you normally would.
• The position that you sleep in at night can make a difference. The best way to keep your jaw relaxed is to sleep on your back. Sleeping either on your side or on your stomach can make bruxism worse.
• Engage in relaxing rituals before going to bed. A warm bath, reading a book or meditating are all good options. Avoid using electronic devices for a few hours before bed. Developing a healthy, relaxing nighttime routine will help you sleep more soundly and will lessen the chances of teeth grinding overnight.

Bruxism causes a variety of uncomfortable symptoms, such as morning headaches and pain in and around the jaw area. But one of the most negative consequences of grinding your teeth at night is the damage it can do to your teeth. If you suffer from bruxism, and changing these daily habits doesn’t alleviate the condition, talk to your dentist. He or she can recommend any one of a variety of treatments that can help to resolve the issue and protect your teeth.

If you grind your teeth at night (also known as “bruxism”), you could be causing more damage than the early morning headaches you’re likely experiencing. In fact, you could be doing real damage to your teeth and worsening any existing dental issues you may have. That’s why it’s so important to take whatever steps are necessary to stop grinding your teeth. Here are a few effective treatments that will help you to stop this destructive habit.

Mouth Guards
One of the best ways to protect your teeth from the damage done by bruxism is a custom-made mouth guard that you can wear at night while you sleep. While the guard won’t necessarily prevent you from grinding your teeth, it will protect your teeth from the damage grinding can cause. There are several different options to choose from when it comes to mouth guards, but the best and most comfortable will be one that is custom made for you by your dentist.

Be Aware of Clenching Your Jaw during the Day
Teeth grinding at night, as well as clenching your jaw during the day, is often the result of stress and tension that you’re experiencing in your day-to-day life. Often, we don’t even realize it when we’re feeling tense, and you might be clenching your jaw throughout the day without knowing it. Stay aware of this fact, and make a conscious effort to keep your jaw relaxed. Opening your jaw wide can help to relax the muscles. And find healthy ways to alleviate the stress that may be causing you to clench you jaw and grind your teeth – activities such as yoga or meditation, for example.

Rid Yourself of Stress before Bed
Reducing your stress and anxiety before going to bed will help you to sleep better and can reduce your teeth grinding as well. A hot bath may work for you. Some people find that listening to soothing music or reading a book is helpful. And placing a warm, damp washcloth on your face before trying to go to sleep can help to relax your jaw muscles.

If you suffer from bruxism at night, it could be wearing down your teeth and making whatever existing dental issues you have much worse. Fortunately, there are several ways to alleviate the problem. We’ve touched on just a few in this article. For more information, talk to your dentist about how to effectively treat this condition.