Flossing Teeth for Dummies: No More Excuses!

People have all sorts of excuses for not flossing their teeth. But dentists say there are easy ways to floss that address every excuse.


Do you floss? Or, like many people, do you always seem to find a reason not to?
A 2008 survey found that only 49% of Americans floss daily, and 10% never floss. That’s most unfortunate, dentists say, because flossing is even more important than brushing when it comes to preventing periodontal (gum) disease and tooth loss.
"If you were stuck on a desert island and a boat could bring only one thing, you’d want it to bring floss,” says Samuel B. Low, DDS, professor of periodontology at the University of Florida College of Dentistry in Gainesville, and president of the American Academy of Periodontology. “But I’m convinced that the only time some of my patients floss is an hour before showing up in my office.”
Dentists say they hear all sorts of excuses for not flossing. Yet they insist that simple workarounds exist for just about all:

Excuse #1: Food doesn’t get caught between my teeth, so I don’t need to floss.
Flossing isn’t so much about removing food debris as it is about removing dental plaque, the complex bacterial ecosystem that forms on tooth surfaces between cleanings. Plaque is what causes tooth decay, inflamed gums (gingivitis), periodontal disease -- and, eventually, tooth loss. Flossing or using an interdental cleaner is the only effective way to remove plaque between teeth.
Excuse #2. I don’t know how to floss.
Flossing isn’t easy. Low calls it “the most difficult personal grooming activity there is.” But practice makes perfect.
Here’s how the American Dental Association describes the process:
Start with about 18 inches of floss. Wrap most of it around the middle finger of one hand, the rest around the other middle finger.
Grasp the floss tightly between your thumbs and forefingers, and use a gentle shoeshine motion to guide it between teeth.
When the floss reaches the gum line, form a C shape to follow the contours of the tooth.
Hold the floss firmly against the tooth, and move the floss gently up and down.
Repeat with the other tooth, and then repeat the entire process with the rest of your teeth (“unspooling” fresh sections of floss as you go along).
Don’t forget to floss the backs of your last molars. “By far, most gum disease and most decay occurs in the back teeth,” Low says.

Excuse #3. I’m not coordinated enough to floss.
Many tooth-cleaning options exist for people whose manual dexterity is compromised by poor coordination, hand pain, paralysis, and amputations -- or simply by fingers that are too big to fit inside the mouth.
One option is to use floss holders. These disposable plastic Y-shaped devices (some equipped with a spool of floss) hold a span of floss between two prongs to allow one-handed use.

Another option is to forgo floss and clean between teeth using disposable toothpick-like dental stimulators (Stim-U-Dents, Soft-Picks, and so on); narrow spiral brushes (interproximal brushes); or the conical rubber nubs (tip stimulators) found at the end of many toothbrushes or mounted on their own handles.

Excuse #4. I don’t have time to floss.
Effective flossing does take a while -- once a day for a “good three to five minutes” according to Low. But even 60 seconds of flossing is of enormous benefit. As with exercise, bathing, and other daily activities, the key is to make flossing a habit.
“If you make time for your personal hygiene, you can find time to make for flossing,” says Maria Lopez Howell, DDS, a dentist in private practice in San Antonio.

She recommends keeping floss in plain view, alongside your toothbrush and toothpaste. If you’re too tired to floss before bed, floss in the morning or afternoon. Or keep floss on hand and use it when you find the time.
Mark S. Wolff, DDS, PhD, chairman of the department of cardiology and preventive medicine at New York University School of Dentistry in New York City, keeps a stash of dental stimulators in his car. “I use them when I am stuck in traffic,” he says.

Excuse #5. It hurts when I floss.

If flossing causes gum pain or bleeding, odds are you have gingivitis or gum disease -- precisely the conditions for which flossing is beneficial.
“Flossing should not be a painful experience,” Wolff says. “But stopping flossing because of bleeding [or pain] is just the opposite of what you should be doing.” The good news? With daily brushing and flossing, gum pain and bleeding should stop within a week or two. If either persists, see a dentist.

Excuse #6. My teeth are spaced too close together to floss.
If unwaxed floss doesn’t work for your teeth, you might try waxed floss or floss made of superslippery polytetrafluoroethylene (sold under the brand name Glide).
If the spacing between your teeth varies (or if you have significant gum recession), yarn-like “superfloss” may be a good bet. It stretches thin for narrow spaces and fluffs out to clean between teeth that are more widely spaced.
If you’re having trouble finding a workable floss or interdental cleaner on your own, your dentist should be able to offer guidance -- and may even offer free samples.

Excuse #7. The floss keeps shredding.
In many cases, broken or fraying floss is caused by a cavity or a problem with dental work -- often a broken or poorly fabricated filling or crown. Consult your dentist.

Excuse #8. I have dental work that makes flossing impossible.
Try floss threaders. These monofilament loops make it easy to position floss around dental work.

Baby's First Tooth

After all the crying, and teething fits, midnight trips to the crib, and endless time soothing and rubbing gums…. it’s finally here. Baby’s first tooth! It’s also time to start thinking about your child’s dental health, and baby’s first visit to the Dentist.

It is generally recommended that an infant sees a dentist by the age of 1 or within 6 months after his or her first tooth comes in.
Many dentists like to see a child by age one, not because there are a lot of problems to detect, but because it’s a good time to help parents learn more about dental health care and to establish a good relationship with the child.

The average age for continuing visits is about 2 to 2.5 years old depending on your child’s dental heredity and overall health.
Many dentists like to see children every 6 months to build up the child’s comfort and confidence level in visiting the dentist, to monitor the development of the teeth, and promptly treat any developing problems.

What Happens at the First Dental Visit?
The first dental visit is usually short and involves very little treatment. This visit gives your child an opportunity to meet the dentist in a non-threatening and friendly way. Some dentists may ask the parent to sit in the dental chair and hold their child during the examination. The parent may also be asked to wait in the reception area during part of the visit so that a relationship can be built between your child and your dentist.

During the exam, your dentist should check all of your child’s existing teeth for decay, examine your child’s bite, and look for any potential problems with the gums, jaw, and oral tissues. If indicated, the dentist or hygienist will clean any teeth and assess the need for fluoride. He or she will also educate parents about oral health basics for children and discuss dental developmental issues and answer any questions.

Topics your dentist may discuss with you might include:
1. Good oral hygiene practices for your child’s teeth and gums and cavity prevention
2. Fluoride needs
3. Oral habits such as thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, lip sucking.
4. Developmental milestones
5. Teething
6. Proper nutrition

You will be asked to complete medical and health information forms concerning the child during the first visit. Come prepared with the necessary information.

What’s the Difference Between a Pediatric Dentist and a Regular Dentist?
A pediatric dentist has at least two additional years of training beyond dental school. The additional training focuses on management and treatment of a child’s developing teeth, child behavior, physical growth and development, and the special needs of children’s dentistry. Although either type of dentist is capable of addressing your child’s oral health care needs, a pediatric dentist, his or her staff, and even the office décor are all geared to care for children and to put them at ease. If your child has special needs, care from a pediatric dentist should be considered. Ask your dentist or your child’s doctor what he or she recommends for your child.

When Should Children Get Their First Dental X-Ray?
There are no hard-and-fast rules for when to start dental X-rays. Some children who may be at higher risk for dental problems. Children prone to baby bottle tooth decay or those with cleft lip or palate should have X-rays taken earlier than others. Usually, most children will have had X-rays taken by the age of 5 or 6. As children begin to get their adult teeth around the age of 6, X-rays play an important role in helping your dentist. X-rays allow your dentist to see if all of the adult teeth are growing in the jaw, to look for bite problems and to determine if teeth are clean and healthy.

Once a child’s diet includes anything besides breast-milk or baby formula, erupted teeth are at risk for decay. The earlier the dental visit, the better the chance of preventing dental problems. Children with healthy teeth chew food easily and smile with confidence. Start your child now on a lifetime of good dental habits.

How Bad Is Your Breath? 14 Simple Tips For Reduce Mouth Odor

Bad breath, morning breath, breath odor or halitosis are all terms used to describe a noticeably unpleasant odor exhaled on the breath. Halitosis is not a problem by itself, but it can cause concerns in our interpersonal relationships.

We are all familiar with how the consumption of certain foods such as garlic and onions can affect our breath. This occurs because these foods are absorbed into our bloodstream, where they are transferred to our lungs and exhaled. Fortunately, bad breath caused by the foods we eat is only temporary.

The truth is, most breath odor comes from food particles trapped in our mouths. When food remains in the mouth, it becomes a breeding ground for the bacteria that can cause bad breath. Other causes can include poor oral health, improper cleaning of dentures, periodontal disease as well as smoking & tobacco products. Bad breath can also be sign of an underlying medical condition of the stomach, lungs and bloodstream.

Another little known situation that can contribute to halitosis is xerostomia (dry mouth). When our mouth is dry, saliva production decreases, leaving the mouth’s natural ability to clean itself impaired. Saliva is the mouth’s natural mouthwash, which contains properties that reduces bacteria in the mouth. Alcohol consumption, certain medications, breathing through the mouth instead of the nose or a salivary gland disorder can contribute to having a dry mouth.

Recommendations For Wellness: Brush your teeth and rinse your mouth thoroughly after every meal to remove food particle from the mouth.

When you are brushing your teeth, also brush your tongue. The tongue is covered with thousands of tiny hairs that can trap bacteria.
Have regular check-ups with your dentist to rule out gum disease and to correct any faulty restorations, overhanging fillings or leaking crowns, all of which can trap food in the mouth.

Chew sugarless gum or suck on sugarless lozenges to increase the flow of saliva.
If your mouth is dry, drink plenty of water. Try swooshing it around in your mouth for at least twenty seconds to loosen any food particles the bacteria can feed upon.

Avoid breath mints and mouthwashes that contain alcohol. Instead of helping, they can make things worse. They only temporarily cover the smell and tend to dry the mouth, creating a more favorable environment for bacteria.
Snacking on vegetables such as raw celery or carrots can keep plaque from forming.

If you are going to an important meeting or on a big date, avoid foods that can cause bad breath, such as onions and garlic.
Avoid alcohol and caffeine consumption, which can dry the mouth.

Quit smoking. Tar and nicotine can build up on the surface of the teeth, tongue and cheeks. It can also dry the mouth and inhibit saliva flow.

Chlorophyll is a natural breath freshener and is found in leafy green vegetables like parsley.
A few drops of peppermint or tea tree oil can be applied to the tongue or toothbrush to help freshen the breath. In addition to its refreshing nature, their antibacterial properties will kill the bacteria found in the mouth.

Baking soda has a long history of being used to maintain good oral health and for fighting bad breath.
A mixture of 50% hydrogen peroxide and 50% water can be swooshed around in the mouth and used as a mouthwash. Hydrogen peroxide can kill many of the bacteria that can cause bad breath.

Via: Modern Dental Clinic

5 Healthy Foods That Wreck Your Teeth

It's no secret that candy and soft drinks wreak havoc on your teeth. But even healthy snacks can put your oral health at risk, says Dr. Patricia Meredith, a dentist in Iowa City and a fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry. Get the dish on five good-for-you foods that actually wreck your teeth -- and learn how to enjoy them without sacrificing your smile.
Smile-saboteur: Grapefruit
This citrus fruit is high in the antioxidant vitamin C and filling fiber. But grapefruit is extremely acidic. "If you eat it very often, it can cause erosion," says Meredith. She also warns against the enamel-eroding habit of sucking on another acidic citrus fruit: lemons.

Smile-saboteur: Dried Fruits


Although raisins, prunes and dried apricots are antioxidant-rich ways to curb your sweet tooth, they're not good for your oral health. "They're sticky and extremely concentrated in sugar," says Meredith. When dried fruits get stuck in the crevices between your teeth, the sugars keep acid production going, which erodes enamel and causes decay.

Smile-saboteur: Whole-grain Bread


"Sugar is the worst offender when it comes to oral health," says Meredith. "But people forget that carbohydrates break down into sugars too." That means that even healthy whole grains feed bacteria in your mouth, which causes acid production and encourages the growth of cavity-causing plaque.

Smile-saboteur: Popcorn


Although the butter-drenched tubs you munch at the movies aren't health food, air-popped popcorn is a healthy snack. It's a whole grain that provides cholesterol-lowering fiber; plus, it's a high-density food, which means it fills you up for few calories. So what's the problem? The husks of the kernels can easily get stuck between your teeth and cause infection, and uncooked kernels can actually crack your teeth.

Smile-saboteur: Sports Drinks


You've heard that soda is harmful to your teeth, but you may be surprised to learn that sports drinks are too. In one recent study, when researchers from the University of Iowa College of Dentistry exposed healthy teeth to juice, soda and sports drinks for 25 hours, the teeth had the greatest loss of enamel after being exposed to sports drinks.
Don't worry -- you don't have to swear off these healthy snacks altogether. In addition to brushing and flossing regularly, follow these smile-saving tips:

Time It Right.


The more often you eat and the longer foods are in your mouth, the more harm they cause. So limit between-meal snacking and drinking (except water!) -- this gives saliva time to do its job of neutralizing acid, says Meredith.

Think When You Drink.


Don't swish sports drinks around in your mouth, and use a straw so the liquid has less contact with your teeth.

Clean Teeth, Healthy Heart?

INTELIHEALTH - There may be yet another reason to brush your teeth: protecting your heart.
British researchers used information from a Scottish national survey. It involved 11,869 adults. People were asked how often they brushed their teeth. During the next 8 years, 555 of the people had a heart attack, stroke or other heart or blood vessel problem.
People who said they "never" or "rarely" brushed their teeth had a 70% higher risk of a heart problem than people who brushed more often.

The research also looked to see if brushing was linked with inflammation. A protein in the blood can be measured to see if inflammation is present. This blood protein is C-reactive protein, or CRP. High levels of CRP have been linked with an increased risk of heart attack.
In the study, people who brushed their teeth less often had higher levels of CRP.
The research does not mean that poor oral hygiene causes heart problems, however. It may be that people who neglect their teeth tend to have a higher risk of heart problems for other reasons. These could include poor diet, lack of exercise or excess weight. The study did not look at these factors.

Other studies have found links between periodontal disease and heart problems. Periodontal disease is an infection of the gums and supporting structures of the teeth. It causes inflammation. The body's response to the periodontal infection may contribute to heart disease. People with this condition have been shown to have a 19% higher overall risk of heart disease. In people under 65, the risk increase is 44%.

The study appears in the May 27 issue of the British Medical Journal.

Yogurt May Help To Prevent Kids' Cavities

INTELIHEALTH -- Yogurt may reduce the risk of cavities in young children, a Japanese study has found.

Researchers at Fukuoka University did the study. It included 2,058 children, all of them 3 years old. Their parents filled out a short questionnaire about the children's eating habits.

Children who ate yogurt at least four times a week had less tooth decay than those who ate yogurt less than once a week. Children who ate yogurt most often had 23% less tooth decay.

The researchers also looked at how much cheese, milk and bread with butter the children ate. Studies in the laboratory have shown that milk and other dairy products can help to prevent tooth decay. Dairy products have high levels of calcium and phosphorus that help to strengthen teeth. But in this study milk and cheese were not found to protect against cavities.

Before comparing children based on how much yogurt they ate, the researchers looked at several factors that can affect tooth decay. These included:

Fluoride use
How often the children's teeth were brushed
Their parents' education levels
How often the kids ate between-meal snacks
Whether they were exposed to secondhand smoke
Even if they were similar in these other ways, children who ate yogurt at least four times per week had less tooth decay.

The study appears in the July issue of the Journal of Dentistry.

How To Care For Your Child's Teeth In the First Two Years

For many parents, care of teeth during infancy is an area that lacks attention as we don’t expect any dental problems to manifest till several years of age when the teeth are clearly visible. But, adhering to good oral hygienic practices from the earliest of age have shown to prevent certain disease conditions involving the gums as well as some of the common orthodontic problems which are seen in the early childhood.

When considering how we can take care of a child’s teeth in the first two years of life, we can take two approaches in relation to the first year of life and for the next 12 months. Let us take a look at these time periods separately.
First 12 months: caring for infant teeth

During this time there may not be any teeth or will see the eruptions of teeth taking place during the latter part of the first year. But, the important thing during this time would be to look after the gums as it might give rise to certain problems later on. Thus, gently brushing the gums with water on a soft bristled baby toothbrush or using a wash cloth to wipe out the gums after a feed should be done at least in most instances.

You should schedule the child to be seen by a doctor at regular intervals and schedule a dental checkup appropriately according to the recommendation made at the clinic visits. Although the use of fluoride containing tooth paste is not recommended till the child is two years of age, your doctor would be the best person to decide on the use of such toothpaste depending on the child’s requirement as well as based on the environmental factors.
Second year of life:

During this year, the norm should be to brush the child’s teeth and gums at least twice a day and this should be timed in the morning as well as just prior to going to bed. Brushing should be done with water on a baby toothbrush with soft bristles and the use of toothpaste should be done after consulting with your doctor on its appropriateness and the necessity.

As with the first year of life, the child should be followed-up at the clinics and advice should be sorted in regard to habits such as strong thumb sucking or sucking on a pacifier which may disrupt the formation of teeth. At the same time, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children should be given only one cup of fruit juices as it might affect the health of the teeth in the long run, especially when there is added sugar in the fruit juice.