Brushing your teeth twice daily may help decrease your risk of heart disease. The evidence for this just keeps piling up, which is a reason why we stress dental health and preventative dentistry at Love Your Smile in Kelowna.
Scientists, dentists, and cardiologists have known for many years of the link between gum disease and heart problems. But a recent study analyzed oral health habits and heart disease risk. Science Daily reported on the study, which was published in the British Medical Journal.
“The authors, led by Professor Richard Watt from University College London, analyzed data from over 11,000 adults who took part in a Scottish Health Survey. The research team analyzed data about lifestyle behaviors such as smoking, physical activity, and oral health routines.”
Participants in the study who brush as often had a 70 percent greater risk of heart disease than thoser who brushed twice a day.
To put in the simplest terms, you aren’t healthy unless your gums and teeth are healthy.
At Love Your Smile in Kelowna, we promote good dental health in all our patients. People from here from Mission, V1Y 8B7, and V1W 3C6 for preventative and restorative dentistry. Schedule a checkup today!
In this blog post from Love Your Smile in Kelowna we discuss tooth decay and dental health.
You may have heard that once tooth enamel is eroded, it’s gone forever. This is partially true, but in the earliest stage of enamel erosion, a cavity can be reversed.
Reverse a cavity before it needs a filling
If you can avoid cavities in youngsters, there’s a better chance that their teeth can stay healthy through adolescence and into adulthood.
This is because the rate of tooth decay declines as youngsters grow.
Let’s review the five stages of a cavity.
Stage 1: Attack of the Little White Spots
The tooth begins to show signs of harm. White spots appear. They are under the surface of the enamel, but you can see them from the outside.
Demineralization will lead to these spots. When they occur in children’s molars, it can be easy for moms and dads to miss them. That’s why daily dental hygiene and regular dental exams are vital.
It this stage, it’s possible to stop a cavity before it needs a filling. Dental hygiene can stop the erosion. Fluoride can remineralize the enamel.
Can Stage 1 be reversed? Yes!
Stage 2: Enamel Decay
Did you know that tooth decay begins under the surface of the enamel?
The visible enamel is intact for the first part of Stage 2. Then the hole busts through the surface.
Can Stage 2 be reversed? No…but the tooth can probably be saved.
Stage 3: Going Deeper Into the Dentin
The decay breaks down the enamel and hits the soft dentin layer that lies below. This is an advanced cavity.
The good news?
The decay hasn’t yet reached the pulp. It will, however, start to cause pain.
Can Stage 3 be reversed? No…but maybe the tooth won’t need a root canal.
Stage 4: Ouch! The Decay Hits the Pulp
Hopefully, your child will never experience stage 4. This is very painful. The infection has reached the pulp where the nerves are located. Unfortunately, a root canal is the only treatment option. Unless, of course, the tooth is removed.
Remember, childhood cavities are completely preventable.
Can Stage 4 be reversed? No…and it must be treated with a root canal.
Stage 5: Abscess Distress
The decay (and infection) has traveled through the pulp and out the end. In the final stage, it drills through the tip. Now the infection is in the tissue and bone surrounding the tooth root. The area swells up and it’s very painful.
It’s also dangerous for anyone’s health. This is a serious infection that can spread to other parts of the body. Abscesses originating in a tooth can be fatal.
Can Stage 5 be reversed? No…and it’s life threatening.
At Love Your Smile in Kelowna, patients come to our office from Mission, V1Y 8B7, and V1W 3C6 for preventative and restorative dentistry, and more. Call to schedule an appointment today,.
Visiting Love Your Smile in Kelowna for a dental checkup and cleaning every six months may seem inconvenient sometimes, but you may benefit in ways you’d never imagine.
A recent study showed that people who had their teeth professionally cleaned at least once every two years were 24 percent less likely to have a heart attack, compared to those who skipped appointments.
Not only that, but brushing your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes may lower your risk of heart disease. The study says that people who brushed less than twice a day, and for less than two minutes, were three times as likely to have heart issues than those who brushed at least twice, and for at least two minutes.
A cardiologist who was not associated with the study said it’s possible that those who are attentive to their dental health may simply be more health conscious overall.
Still, researchers believe it strengthens the notion that there is a clear link between your dental health and your overall health.
At Love Your Smile in Kelowna we encourage all our patients to brush their teeth for two minutes at least twice a day, and to floss, too. It’s the best way to keep cavities at bay. Our services include restorative dentistry and smile design. Schedule your next cleaning and checkup today!
Here at Love Your Smile in Kelowna, we approach all your oral health needs from two separate angles—what we can do in our office and what you can do at home.
For example, tooth whitening and correcting discoloration can be treated in our office or at home. Here in the office there are safe and effective methods for whitening yellowed or stained tooth enamel. At-home whitening techniques are also safe and effective and sometimes more affordable.
Additionally, we guide you regarding food and drink choices that can influence your whitened smile. Be aware of staining substances such as coffee, tea, tobacco and soda. We understand that eliminating these items altogether is not an easy lifestyle change. Nor do we expect it.
Awareness and precaution can make a big difference. Rinsing your mouth out with water after drinking a dark or sugary beverage can cut down on the contact your teeth have with it and help neutralize the acids. Prolonged exposure to sugar can lead to buildup of plaque and tartar and prolonged exposure to staining substances can negate the results of teeth whitening.
At Love Your Smile in Kelowna, your dental health is always our top concern. We emphasize preventative dentistry and offer smile design. Call for an appointment today!
At Love Your Smile in Kelowna, new parents are sometimes surprised by our recommendations on infant oral care. They should begin brushing their baby’s teeth as soon as the first teeth emerge. After all, brand-new teeth are just as vulnerable to decay as older teeth.
Parents should use a warm damp cloth and a smidgen of toothpaste (about the size of a grain of rice) to wipe each tooth. As more teeth come in, it becomes more critical for the teeth to be brushed after each meal, or at least twice a day.
The selection of a toothbrush is important in order to make brushing time as pleasant as possible. A soft-bristled brush is best. Infant and toddler-sized toothbrushes with a small head of bristles are useful. Also, there are circle and triangular-shaped brushes that allow your toddler to walk around with their brush with less chance of injury in case of a fall.
If your child can’t tolerate the taste of toothpaste, it’s okay to brush without it for a while. The goal is to remove food debris that will create bacteria followed by plaque and then cavities.
When two teeth touch, it’s time to floss. Flossing is vital to make sure no food is lodged between the teeth. Proper flossing requires fine motor skills which most kids don’t develop before age six or seven. Parents need to assist with flossing until they are sure their child can do it effectively.
Until the child is old enough to properly brush his or her teeth, they should receive adult supervision and guidance. Instilling the proper brushing and flossing procedures will reap lifelong benefits. While it may seem that supervising them is time-consuming, remember that it’s creating a daily habit that will guard their health. Also, dental expenses related to poor oral hygiene will be avoided.
Your child’s first dental visit should be within six months of the first tooth appearing and no later than their first birthday. At Love Your Smile in Kelowna we offer complete children’s dentistry, and advocate preventative dentistry. Call to schedule an appointment for your youngster today!
Periodontal disease, commonly called gum disease, is inflammation or infection of the gums. For the most part, periodontal disease is preventable. At Love Your Smile in Kelowna, we are longtime advocates of preventative dentistry.
Here are five critical things you should know about gum disease:
If left untreated, it can cause permanent damage such as tooth loss.
Practicing proper oral hygiene and having 6-month dental exams are the best way to prevent periodontal disease.
Periodontal disease can occur without the presence of tooth decay.
Almost half of all 30+ adults have gum disease.
In some cases, periodontal disease produces no noticeable symptoms.
Risk factors for periodontal disease include tobacco use, poor oral hygiene (especially failing to floss), genetics, teeth grinding, inflammatory conditions, and poor nutrition.
At Love Your Smile in Kelowna, we believe preventative dentistry is the best medicine. If you’re having any dental issues remembe we offer second opinions. Call for an appointment with us today!
It may surprise you to know that some people have strong opinions about which type of toothbrush is the best: manual or electric. Is there one better than the other? At Love Your Smile in Kelowna, we think it really comes down to how you brush, not what type of brush you use.
Electric toothbrushes have been around since the 1960s. They first appeared in Switzerland, where they were invented. They caught on quickly, and have come a long way since then. With the modern electric toothbrush, there is a lot of choose from.
Those earliest electric toothbrushes did not have rechargeable batteries; you had to plug them in. That wasn’t really much of an issue, unless you like to walk away from the sink while you brush.
Rechargeable batteries are standard in most modern electric toothbrushes. In fact, they have features that those 1960s inventors probably never dreamed of. Some models have:
Timers, so you can make sure you brush at least two minutes
Digital alerts, to remind you it’s time for a new brush head
Pressure sensors that tell you if you’re brushing too hard
Multiple brush head capability, so different types fit
Variable brushing features like pulsing and oscillating capability
Sonic
And then there’s the sonic toothbrush. Sonic toothbrushes take electric brushes to a whole new level. Toothbrush manufacturers consider them a subset of electric brushes, but we think they are in a class by themselves.
Sonic toothbrushes can deliver up to 40,000 strokes per minute. Compare that to an ordinary electric toothbrush, which deliver between 2,500 and 7,000 strokes per minute. That’s quite a difference. For some people, that’s over the top. But people who love them say that sonic toothbrushes out-perform any other type of toothbrush you can find.
But remember this: a manual toothbrush used properly does a fine job cleaning your teeth. You can always take it to the next level, but with a manual toothbrush you’re good to go.
At Love Your Smile in Kelowna, we want each of our patients to brush and floss their teeth twice a day. It’s the best way to ensure good dental health. Our services include restorative dentistry and smile design. Schedule an appointment with us today.
There are three dental health issues that affect millions of people. At Love Your Smile in Kelowna, we want all of our patients to have healthy teeth and gums. If any of these common issues affect you, we can do something about it.
In a survey of fifteen thousand people from all walks of life, health researchers asked about problems with teeth and gums.
The top three answers were:
Tooth pain
Difficulty with chewing
Dry mouth
Tooth Pain. When a tooth hurts, it’s a clear sign that something is wrong. The most likely cause of tooth pain is a cavity, but it’s not the only one. It could also be a sign of gum disease, which is one of the leading causes of tooth loss.
Difficulty With Chewing. This too may indicate a cavity, but again, there could be other problems. There may be enamel erosion, a cracked tooth, or recessed gums. It can be serious, because eating certain foods may be difficult. If you avoid them you could be missing out on important nutrients that your body needs.
Dry Mouth. This, in fact, was the most common issue cited in the survey. It isn’t just a matter of being thirsty all the time. Chronic dry mouth can indicate poor saliva flow. This, in turn, can indicate a systemic condition, or a side effect from prescription medications. Poor saliva flow makes you more vulnerable to tooth decay and gum disease.
If you’re experiencing any of these issues, call us at Love Your Smile in Kelowna right away to schedule an appointment. We’ll see what’s going on. Our services include preventative and restorative dentistry. Schedule your next checkup today!
Love Your Smile is a full-service dental practice led by Dr. Stephen Malfair, a skilled and compassionate dentist. Anyone can visit our convenient office in beautiful Kelowna, British Columbia for top-quality dentistry services and personalized patient care.https://drmalfair.ca/
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Brushing your teeth twice daily may help decrease your risk of heart disease. The evidence for this just keeps piling up, which is a reason why we stress dental health and preventative dentistry at Love Your Smile in Kelowna.
