It is often surprising to find out about the benefits of maintaining a good oral health and dental hygiene regimen has far reaching benefits, beyond the mouth.
Your oral health can majorly influence your overall health conditions, medical costs and bills, and your quality of life as a whole. “The significance of the mouth as part of our health is often overlooked and underappreciated,” says Dr. Caswell Evans, Associate Dean for Prevention and Public Health Sciences, UIC College of Dentistry. “Our vision of ourselves, how we are seen by others, and even our employment is influenced by our oral appearance,” says Evans, who is known to have written extensively on the adverse effects of poor oral health on public health.
Your mouth has the tendency to team up with bacteria, like many other parts of your body- mostly harmless. Your mouth also happens to be the entry point to your digestive and respiratory tracts, through which some unwanted bacteria might enter and wreak havoc inside the body.
The body’s natural defence mechanism paired up with a goof oral care regimen, like brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing it keeps the harmful and the unwanted bacteria under control. Without a proper regimen however, that becomes difficult. That bacteria can grow and reproduce leading to oral infections, tooth decay and gum disease.
Again, there are certain medicines including decongestants, antihistamines, painkillers, diuretics and antidepressants, can reduce the production of the saliva inside the mouth, which is responsible to flush out the harmful and disease-causing microbes from your mouth.
Gum diseases and severe inflammation can be directly tracked back to the oral bacteria present inside the mouth. Patients with certain diseases like diabetes and HIV/AIDS, can destroy the immunity system or the body’s resistance to infection, aggravating the effects of the oral problems.
Healthy People 2020 is the federal government’s prevention agenda for building a healthier nation. It identified that oral health ranks among the first 10 health indicators, along with the others like access to health, nutrition, cancer, HIV and, coronary or cardiac diseases. Good oral health not only helps you function as a better human being , including regular activities like speaking, smiling and eating, but plays an important role in communication, maintaining social relationships and financial prosperity. Whereas, poor oral health conditions can cost you a lot, including painful, permanent, often disabling and obviously expensive health conditions.
For people with obstacles in getting access to proper dental care, people in the rural areas and lower income households, this is specifically true. The surveys conducted by the ADA’s Health Policy institute claims that one out of all lower income adults complain about the poor conditions of their mouth and teeth, and one out of every three of them complain about their dental conditions affects their confidence and ability to interview for a job.
Certain conditions that effect your oral health, like hygiene and diet are the controllable ones with the right kind of habits. Tooth decay or the occurrence of cavities is one of the most common and chronic diseases among the children. However, it is preventable with proper and healthy choices and habits. Cavities are a result of consistent plaque build up on the surface of the teeth, so is gingivitis and other gum diseases that can not only harm our oral health conditions, but can also severely damage other systems and parts in our body.
An ever-expanding corpus of research has been able to establish a direct link between oral and chronic diseases like Alzheimer’s, diabetes and other serious health conditions concerning millions of people. A recent study is working to disclosing the mystery behind the onset of Alzheimer’s disease to construct a way for newer treatment procedures to bridge the gap between medical and dental sciences, that have been traditionally separated since time immemorial. The primary aim is to utilise these findings to mitigate the risks of diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes, specially with age.
In the recent scientific experiment that was conducted, found that the mice that were exposed to the gum disease bacteria exhibited signs of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, similar to the kind of signs that we find in human beings. The mice who belonged to the control group, on the other hand, did not show any such signs. To add to this, they discovered the presence of a periodontal product or pathogen within the neurons in the brains of the mice that were exposed to the bacteria in the first place.
The results obtained from these experiments were surprising even for the scientists. It also served as a breakthrough in our general understanding of the Alzheimer’s disease. they weren’t expecting to witness the huge amount of impact that the gum disease causing pathogens have on the brain, or that the results would be almost be similar to that of the Alzheimer’s disease found in the humans.
This research also helped establish a clear animal model relationship between periodontitis or gum disease and AD, that functioned as the groundwork for conducting other related clinical research and to meet therapeutic needs.
The use of mice also brings in additional clarity in the findings because animal models don’t have the confounding variables that can affect human studies, including factors like varying diets, obesity and exercise levels.
The impact of periodontitis can be pretty serious, and what we now about it as of now, is possibly only the tip of the iceberg. It was previously discovered that periodontitis can ever have severe impacts on brain’s metabolism, besides interfering with the smooth functioning of the liver and the heart. Many other researchers have also found periodontal pathogens in post-mortem human brains.
The condition of our oral health is intricately related with the condition of our overall health. There happens to be multiple variables that cause or increase the risk of periodontal or gum diseases. Genetics, unhealthy diet, unhealthy habits such as smoking, and poor oral hygiene all of these factors act as the catalysts in creating the conditions that may lead to periodontal disease.
Genetics and other corelated variables also play a massive role in influencing how a body reacts to particular diseases and their corresponding treatments. Research studies have found out about a direct link between periodontitis, obesity and type 2 diabetes. We are aware of how obesity heightens the risks for several chronic diseases including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidaemia and coronary heart disease.
Researchers have also proven scientifically that exposure to periodontal or gum disease causing bacteria and the development of diabetes in mice. Pre- diabetes is the formative stone of diabetes, and is an indication that you might develop type 2 diabetes. Pre-diabetes happens when the level of blood glucose or the blood sugar level gets higher than normal, but not that high to be classified as diabetic.
There are multiple potential health ramifications of a gum disease or periodontitis. Almost half of the adult population, above 30 years old, which is around 65 million people struggle with periodontitis. Gum disease being one of the most common and chronic disease, is largely preventable.
Researchers and scientists have also tested how periodontitis affects the pancreatic and the liver cells that could inevitably lead to prediabetic or diabetic conditions. The periodontal pathogen that was introduced into the mouth of the mice or a product from this pathogen influenced the pancreatic alpha and the beta cells, and also the liver’s Kupffer cells. And those two organs are very critical in the development of prediabetes/diabetes and maintaining health.
The concerned research team also talked about how the mice with prolonged exposure to periodontal bacteria developed conditions that lead them to resist insulin and become glucose intolerant- again two of the major tale-tell signs of prediabetes. Rats with mutation have also exhibited tendencies to develop obesity and eventual diabetes, and the process was accelerated with the introduction of the gum disease causing bacteria in their mouth.
An oral-systemic connection is described as the correlation between diseases and conditions of the mouth, and medical conditions of the body. A few medical situations are known to have prior oral manifestations. Visiting the dentists at regular intervals and maintain a personal oral hygiene regimen is an integral part of having a healthy oral environment and preventing the harmful from breeding and growing, which not only can cause gum diseases , but can also harm other parts of the body.
AIDS: Intra-oral hairy leukoplakia (white patches on tongue and inner check) and Kaposi Sarcoma are two of indicators for AIDS.
Pemphigus and lichen planus (auto-immune diseases) have oral manifestations.
People struggling with diabetes who also happen to struggle with periodontal disease might suffer excessive bone loss of the jaw or surrounding bone structure and have difficulties in healing.
Fanconi Anaemia is a rare genetic condition that can be characterised by short stature, myelosuppression (diminished bone marrow activity) and the development of oral cancer in young adults. This genetic disorder is also known to increase the risks of periodontal diseases and other dental anomalies.
There happen to be umpteen sets of evidences connecting oral microbes and heart diseases and stroke directly. Eleven bacteria, 5 – 6 of them being extremely pathologic, have been identified as playing a significant role in heart disease and cardiac arrest. it is with the help of DNA testing that the harmful bacteria that have been found in the walls of the mouth have also been identified inside the walls of the coronary arteries, causing lesions and inflammations.
Human papilloma: This virus has been directly associated to oropharyngeal cancer as found out in a recent study conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine.
Harvard School of Public Health researchers published the results of a study in 2007 linking periodontal disease to an increased risk for pancreatic cancer. Cancer of the pancreas is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, with a five-year survival rate of less than five percent. Additionally, the bacteria found in coronary arteries and blood clots have been linked to these tumours and Alzheimer’s patients’ brains.
These oral microbes and host responses may play a role in causing heart disease and stroke. Strokes have been linked to periodontal disease in recent studies.
People with HIV/AIDS often experience oral problems, such as painful mucosal lesions.
Osteoporosis is a bone-weakening disease linked to periodontal bone loss and tooth loss. There is a small risk of damage to the jaw bones when certain drugs are used to treat osteoporosis.
When Alzheimer’s disease progresses, oral health deteriorates.
Oral health can also be affected by eating disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, certain cancers, and an immune system disorder that causes dry mouth (Sjogren’s syndrome).
Especially if you have recently been ill or have a chronic condition, such as diabetes, let your dentist know about the medications you are taking.
Among the types of dental care necessary for people with unique considerations to avoid a negative oral-systemic effect are:
Those taking bisphosphonates (like Boniva, Fosamax) have to maintain their oral health to prevent osteonecrosis of the jaw, a serious complication. Bisphosphonates tend to cause this condition more frequently among intravenous users, with rates ranging from 5 to 10 percent, though it has also been linked to oral bisphosphonates.
Patients with cancer must have all dental procedures completed before starting radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Patients receiving more potent bisphosphonates must maintain their oral health to avoid osteonecrosis of the jaw, a serious complication.
For women who are receiving bisphosphonates for osteoporosis, it is important to maintain good oral health to prevent osteonecrosis of the jaw.
If pregnant women or women considering pregnancy have periodontal disease (gum disease), they should seek treatment. Research has found that women with periodontal disease often give birth to smaller babies or have more complications during pregnancy.
Symptoms of pneumonia. The bacteria in your mouth can be pulled into your lungs, causing pneumonia and other respiratory diseases.
If you have an oral health problem, contact your dentist right away. You should invest in your overall health by taking care of your oral health.
Maintaining a good oral health hygiene regimen goes a long way in preserving your overall health. The ADA or the American Dental Association recommends you to brush your teeth at least twice a day, for two minutes with a soft bristles brush. That should be followed by a gentle yet thorough flossing regimen, at least once every day. You might want to ask about the importance of both, and which one is more important in your daily dental care routine. We will try to settle this debate once and for all.
Both brushing and flossing are equally important and play almost equally significant roles in preserving your oral health. But, both of these should be done together.
“Flossing and brushing isn’t really an either/or equation for optimum health,”
Ann Laurent, DDS, of Dr. Ann Laurent’s Dental Artistry in Lafayette, Louisiana.
The primary purpose of brushing and flossing your teeth is to remove the plaque build-up, which can lead to gingivitis or periodontal diseases. Plaque consists of active colonies of destructive bacteria, which basically eat and then excrete on our teeth. Brushing only removes a part of the build-up, specifically from the surfaces on the front and the back of your teeth.
Whereas, flossing, enables you to get rid of the plaque from the gaps between your teeth, where the brush possibly cannot reach most of the time, and the place underneath the gums. These distant places beyond the reach of the toothbrush, are the corners where the most destructive microbes reside and multiply themselves if not controlled. Should you fail to control these plaque-causing microbes, these microbes can cause gingivitis, gum diseases and diseases that can hamper your dental health and your overall health conditions.
To be able make use of dental flosses for your own benefit, you are required to learn how to correctly floss your teeth.
“Proper flossing involves wrapping the floss in a ‘c-shape,’ and covering as much surface area of the tooth as possible. You should cover about half the diameter of the tooth from each angle. Make sure to move the floss up and down along the outer surface and under the gum tissue,” Laurent says. “This way, the floss will clean plaque from both the outer and inner surfaces of your teeth, as well as beneath the gum tissue.”
We have been brushing and flossing our teeth since the beginning of our days. it might sound like an easy peasy lemon squeezy thing to do, but isn’t that simple. A study conducted in 2015 highlighted that most people neglect brushing the oral surfaces and use floss insufficiently.
Flossing your teeth on a regular basis works like wonders in inhibiting the development of dental cavities. According to a study conducted in 2014, proper dental flossing is greatly dependent on you and your habit to floss your teeth every day, correctly.
Some of us who brush their teeth regularly, forget to floss. Flossing isn’t only about getting the little annoying food particles, broccoli or spinach out of your teeth, when stuck. Jonathan Schwartz, DDS commented “It’s really a way to stimulate the gums, reduce plaque, and help lower inflammation in the area.” Flossing your teeth at least once a day is usually enough to get your desired benefits out of the whole process of flossing.
Flossing can also be difficult for some people, especially for young children or toddlers and older adults with arthritis, and even people with braces. Instead of giving up on the process, look out for tools that can ease it for you and help you floss your teeth better.
Ready-to-use dental flossers from the drugstore can make a difference by making it easier for you to floss your teeth if you happen to belong to the categories mentioned above.
Maintaining a proper dental hygiene and oral health regimen can not only help keep your breath fresh and keep your gums and teeth healthy, it can also help you keep serious periodontal diseases at bay. Periodontal diseases when allowed to go unchecked can, in turn, invite in more serious issues like cardiovascular or coronary diseases and diabetes. This is exactly why practicing good oral hygiene goes a long way in maintaining your overall health conditions, and not just your mouth.
So next time your reach for your tooth brush, don’t forget to reach for your floss as well. It takes nothing but a little consistency on your part to make it a habit to floss your teeth once every day. This only gives you a confident smile, but also largely benefits your oral health and dental hygiene, and your overall health in the due process.
We cannot emphasise enough on the multiple benefits of brushing your teeth twice regularly, for goof oral care and prevention. According to the American Dental Association or the ADA, both electric and manual toothbrushes are sufficiently effective at getting rid of oral plaque that leads to decay and disease.
However, both of these tools have their own set of benefits. The ADA endorses or puts a Seal of Acceptance on any toothbrush, electric or manual , that proves itself to be safe and effective. Let us elucidate this for you to help you understand better.
The bristles of an electric toothbrush vibrate and rotate, which helps you get rid of all the plaque and tartar build up from the surface of the teeth and the gums. These vibrations cause for some more micromovements with every movement of your toothbrush inside the mouth.
A few of the research work shows that electric brushes, in general does play an important role in decreasing the amount of plaque and gingivitis , comparatively more than manual toothbrushes. After an observation period of about 3 months, it was found that there was a notable decrease in the accumulation of plaque by 21% and gingivitis by 11%. Oscillating or rotating toothbrushes seem to work slightly better than the vibrating ones.
Your electric toothbrush is designed to do most of the hard work for you, that concerns your dental health. This might prove beneficial for people with limited mobility or people with certain other problems including:
An electric toothbrush is designed to have a built-in timer that will enable you to brush your teeth for the appropriate and necessary amount of time to help you get rid of all the plaque and other build-up from your teeth and gums.
What do you do with an old plastic toothbrush? you throw it away! In case of an electric toothbrush, when you seem to require a new brush, you just have to get a new toothbrush head, which leads to a comparatively lesser amount of waste generation, and is also better for the environment as a whole. A single use toothbrush, when discarded generates comparatively more waste than the ones that run on electricity.
Some of the studies have also proven that people were found to be more focused while brushing their teeth with an electric tooth brush. This is known to improve the overall experience of the people, and could potentially your regimen to get your teeth cleaned.
It was also found out that electric toothbrushes proved to be particularly helpful for people with orthodontic appliances such as braces, because it made it easier for them to brush their teeth without much hassle.
For people with appliances, who already had a good oral health condition, there was no significant or noticeable reduction in the plaque levels, with or without the electric toothbrush. But if you are struggling to clean your mouth and maintain a healthy dental hygiene regimen while being under an orthodontic therapy of any kind, you might choose electric toothbrush over the manual ones for the sake of improving your oral health conditions.
Kids can be very difficult when it comes to brushing their teeth. An electric toothbrush might be slightly more engaging for your child than a manual one, it can help accomplish a good oral hygiene regimen for your child, and save him tonnes of troubles in the future.
When used properly, electric toothbrushes are designed to protect your enamel and gums from all kinds of decay causing germs and promote a good oral health, without hurting your gums and teeth.
The price points of any electric toothbrush are slightly higher than the manual ones. Prices range anywhere from $15 to $250 per brush. New replacement brush heads usually come in packs of multiples and cost between $10 and $45. Totally disposable electric toothbrushes cost $5 to $8 plus the cost of batteries.
Finding the right replacement brush head for your electric toothbrush might give you a headache since all stores have the ones that fits your brush. Should that happen, you are going to have to look for it online, which isn’t convenient for everyone either, especially if you happen to need a new one right away. You can add to your stock as and when you find the ones that you need for about one year, but that only adds to your upfront expenses.
When tested among senior citizens, electric toothbrushes didn’t work wonders in removing the plaque, when compared to the manual ones. This doesn’t mean electric toothbrushes don’t work, but it might mean they aren’t worth the extra cost.
Plug in version of the electric toothbrush might add to the hassle if you happen to travel internationally, because you are possibly going to nee back up in cases like these. Electric toothbrushes generate lesser waste than the manual ones, but with all the consumption of electricity or batteries, they seem to be at least as harmful for the environment as the manual ones , if not more.
Lastly, not everyone like the feeling that comes with the vibrations produced by the electric toothbrushes while brushing your teeth. Also, electric toothbrushes create a bit more movement of saliva in your mouth, which might get a little messy for some people.
Manual toothbrushes have been around for a long time, for a reason. While they don’t seem as fancy with the arrival of the electric toothbrushes in the market of dental hygiene, they are still successful in removing the plaque build-up, clean your teeth , and prevent gingivitis with the maintenance of a proper dental hygiene regimen.
If you are comfortable using your good old manual tooth brush, and if it is serving your purpose, then there is absolutely no need for you to switch to the electric ones. But you have to use it least twice a day, properly to make it keep serving your purpose.
You can easily find a tooth brush literally at any grocery store, gas station, dollar store and even a pharmacy located near you. They don’t need to be recharged at regular intervals to brush your teeth, which makes it even easy and convenient for everybody to use, even when you are on the go!
Manual toothbrushes are comparatively more cost-effective. You can easily get one for a dollar or two.
It was revealed in research that people are more likely to brush their teeth too hard and tend to move the brush in harsh ways while using a manual tooth brush, which does more harm than good. Brushing too hard and in vigorous motions can have adverse effects on your gums and teeth.
Brushing your teeth with a manual toothbrush can also make it difficult for us to fathom if we are brushing our teeth long enough to get rid of all the plaque and bacteria, since there is no built-in timer like the electric ones. You can set a timer on your phone or your kitchen, if you need to track the time for your brushing sessions.
We would like to repeat, children can be difficult when it comes to brushing their teeth. So, for them, it best to use the ones that sails their boat. Use the ones they would like to use to take care of their dental health. However, dentists recommend tooth brushes with softer bristles and child sized brush heads for children. The pros and cons of each kind of toothbrush still apply.
Children and toddlers can safely use electric toothbrushes on their own, with or without parental supervision. Parental supervision is always recommended however, to ensure the safety of your children. It is also important that you ensure that your children are spitting it our after they are done brushing , and not swallowing the toothpaste, because children tend to do that, a lot.
It is important that you replace your toothbrushes every three to four months, as recommended by the ADA. You should also consider replacing your toothbrush if they start getting frayed or if you have used it when you were sick. Manual toothbrush needs to be changed as a whole, and not the head alone. For electric toothbrushes however, replacing only the brush head, does the job.
We are so glad you asked! The most significant thing about brushing your teeth is the technique that you follow to do it. And if you are doing it twice a day, every day. The best way to brush your teeth is to:
Pick a toothbrush that’s the right size for your mouth.
Don’t use toothbrush with bristles are that too hard, they can irritate your gums. The ADA, too recommends you to use brushes with soft bristles. You can also look for brushes with multi-level or angles bristles, because they cover more area and help you reach the unreachable corners in your mouth. These brushes also prove to be more effective and beneficial than the ones with flat or one level bristles.
People might sometimes struggle with bleeding gums when they’ve gone too long without brushing and flossing, and the plaque starts to build up. It might also occur, if you are too harsh with your tooth brush or your floss string while cleaning your mouth and injuring the gums in the due process. As long as you are gentle, brushing and flossing every day, your gums should not be bleeding and you should be good to go!
If you have inherited your mother’s eyes or your father’s bone structure, it is only fair that you will probably inherited their dental ailments too. Like certain other features in your body, your oral health condition is heavily influenced by your genes too. A case of crooked teeth might be inherited by the off springs through many generations. There are also chances that you might have picked up your parent’s poor oral health regimen, or habits that have harmful effects o your dental health and oral hygiene. However, it is also slightly unfair to blame all of it on the genes alone.
Are you worried about losing your precious pearls to tooth decay at an early age, because your mother/ father/ or grand parents lost theirs early? Is it because you are already struggling with dental cavities even though you are not that old? Your concerns about hereditary links to tooth decay may have you worried that you, too, will lose your teeth at an early age. The chances are that you might be right. Here is a closer look at what you might want to know about genetic factors and tooth decay.
there happens to be an intricate connection between your genetic makeup and your oral health. Some of the most talked about dental issues that can be tracked back with the help of genetics and DNA include crooked teeth, overcrowding , size and shape of your mouth and the risk of getting an oral cancer. Having said that, if any of your ancestor or family member has a prior experience of an oral health issue, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you might experience them too. It is widely known that diseases can be handed down to the off springs, but certain dental ailments don’t get transferred through the genes. Ailments like decay and discolouration are some of the issues that have very little chances of being one generation to another.
If your parents have any of the following dental issues, the chances are that you could develop them too:
Tooth Decay – Some variations of genes are slightly more susceptible to dental health diseases and oral health conditions than the others. People who stand the higher chances of being susceptible to dental ailments should discuss it with their dental health experts at the earliest. Your dental health expert might recommend a treatment, a fluoride based toothpaste or something else to ease their concern. If you happen to come across tooth decay or a hint of an impending gum disease in your mouth, it is always advisable to seek help from your dental health expert, and get it treated without further procrastination. This will prevent the situation from getting worse leading to tooth loss or oral cancer.
Misaligned Teeth – If you find that you need braces, genetics could be to blame. Your genes are responsible for the size and the development of the structure of your jaw. Misaligned or crooked teeth can be held responsible for a wide range related problems such as overcrowding, overbites, underbites and gaps. If the tendency of the teeth to be crocked or overcrowded gets detected at an earlier stage, the dental health experts might be able to recommend appliances or treatments. These treatments are meant to prevent the teeth from going awry , fix the structure and prevent the other problems from following a crooked dental alignment.
Discoloration – Do your teeth stain easily or have a noticeable discoloration almost immediately after sipping a cup of coffee or tea?the colour of your teeth gets influenced by a variety of factors, genes and the environment being the most important ones. Some people are born with a comparatively thinner enamel than the rest of us. This can make the teeth look more yellow owing to the presence of the layer of dentin, underneath the enamel. It is a usual process to lose enamel or experience the thinning of your enamel as you age, making your teeth appear more discoloured or stained.
it is quite unfortunate that you cannot possibly change your genetic traits. But, you can obviously maintain a proper oral health care regimen to maintain a strong set of teeth and your oral hygiene conditions. It is important that your brush your teeth with a fluoride-based toothpaste at least twice a day. Floss your teeth at least once a day, if not after every meal. The way you brush your teeth might also be responsible for your dental health conditions, it either make or mar your dental health regimen. Use a soft bristled tooth brush and take all the time you need. Brush your teeth in small circular motions on the front side of your teeth and the back. One of the most important steps in to clean your tongue, because it is also capable of harbouring infinite harmful oral bacteria if left uncleaned.
For the next step, you might want to upgrade your dental products. It’s recommended that your change your toothbrush every three to four months. This step makes sure thar the bristles remain effective and the bacteria don’t get a chance to accumulate in your mouth. We cannot emphasise enough on the multifaceted benefits of using a fluoride-based toothpaste. It is one of the first things that you should shift to, if you are suffering from tooth decay. Rinsing your mouth with an anti-bacterial mouth washing liquid in your daily oral health regimen is also known to work wonders. It is functional in reducing the amount of acid in your mouth, cleanse the hard-to-reach areas inside the mouth and remineralize your teeth.
Your diet also plays an important role in maintaining the health conditions of your teeth. Consider introducing crunchy and fresh fruits and vegetables in your daily diet, and reduce the intake of sugary and starchy food items. Crunchy food items scrape off the plaque build-up while being chewed on. Drink appropriate amount of water, it is important to keep your mouth hydrated. Try drinking a glass or at least 200ml of water after every meal. This helps to flush out residual food particles from inside your mouth. It helps in the neutralization of the acids, and reduce the negative impact of acidic and sticky foods.
Some dental health ailments can be hereditary. something like gum disease or a misaligned bite are both related to genetic factors, for instance. If your parents struggled with gums ailments, there are chances that you might have them too. Oral cancer can also be directly linked to genetics. Therefore, if any of your biological parents suffered from oral cancer, it is better to remain under regular health check ups to be able to identify it at the earliest.
Scientifically speaking, cavities and decay are not considered to be genetically related by majority of the dentists.But this is a debatable topic in the scientific community and the community of the dentists. Some studies have claimed some people have teeth which are comparatively more susceptible to cavities, but thar information is not all conclusive. If your parents suffered from tooth decay and had to get it removed at an early age, this does not necessarily mandate that you will meet the same fate. There are multiple other factors which influence and enhance the conditions for tooth decay. They have been discussed in detail in the next paragraph.
Even though we don’t have any all-conclusive proof which will directly establish a link between tooth decay and genetic ailment. Having said that, it is also true that members of the same family might struggle with similar dental health issues, like tooth decay. More often that not, this can be blamed on the facts that the children pick up the habits of their parents, even dental health habits. If the parents are not responsible enough to maintain a good and proper dental health and oral hygiene regimen themselves, it is likely that the children will not care for them either. If the children grow up seeing their family members brushing and flossing their teeth at least twice a day, chances are that the kids will follow them too.
Again, when the members of the same family have similar diets; if someone in the family is always baking cookies and serving sugary or starchy food items, just about everyone in the house will take part. Of course, your poor dietary choices can lead to dental health concerns, even the serious ones. Children even pick up habits like the consumption of alcoholic beverages and smoking, from their parents and elders. These items can also have detrimental effects on dental health.
Like we have already mentioned, only certain aspects of the dental health conditions can be directly influenced by the genetic structure, like alignment and colour. Issues like tooth decay cannot be directly linked to the genetic structure. It is mostly dependent on the habits that someone picks up as a child, and the ones that the person keeps practicing as an adult.
Dental hygienists are in high demand, claims the Bureau of Labour Statistics. With an annual average salary of around $74,820 and a projected 10 year growth rate of 20%, the job outlook is amazing- making it the best time to be a part of this field. And as the population continues to grow and age, and technology flourishes, these already critical services are likely become even more sought after.
Are you considering a career as a dental hygienist? if the answer is yes, then you might be wondering : what does he/she do on a daily basis? The question is normal and we are here to answer your question. Given below is a list of things a dental hygienist does, their responsibilities and the kinds of tasks that you might come across while working in this area. We will try to discuss it at length to give you a basic idea.
Dental hygienists are meant to play a pivotal role in patient’s health and their overall well-being. They support the dentist and perform certain important duties, like the ones we have listed below. These duties form an integral part of the dental hygiene game for most patients.
Before any dental treatment is provided by either the hygienist or the dentist, the hygienist must take a quick glance at the medical history of the patient. This review is a critical tool that hygienists can put to use for a lot of things. That includes:
Finding out about the patient’s previous dental treatments and medical conditions
Understanding any changes in the overall health condition, prescription drugs and medications, or allergies
Evaluate any oral health risks
Prevent medical unforeseen emergencies
The information collected during this assessment will be then used by the hygienist and dentist and inform the patient about their personalized and curated dental treatment plan.
Besides collecting a brief overview of the medical history of the patient, hygienists are also required to screen the patients for any previously existing conditions of dental decay and oral diseases, before the dentist has suggested any treatment or medicines.
This process takes not more than 5 minutes to complete, but it is an important step before the patient visits the dentist. By taking a quick inventory of head, neck, and mouth, it’s possible for a hygienist to identify the dental health and oral hygiene issues before they spiral out of control leading to tooth loss of any kind.
The part of a dental hygienist’s role with which you might be most familiar is the process of dental cleaning.
Hygienists use a large spread of tools and techniques to get rid of the tartar build-up, stains, and plaque from the teeth, significantly improving the dental and oral health conditions of the patient by preventing or lowering the risks of cavities and tooth loss. Dental cleaning also helps the patients to get a radiant, confident and a beautiful smile that they desire. It goes without saying that getting your teeth cleaned at regular intervals improves your overall oral health conditions.
We cannot emphasise enough on the importance of dental x-rays in preventive dental care. Hygienists make use of these x-rays to spot impending dental problems at the very nascent stages, and take care of them before the issue blows up and gets out of their hands. Dental x-rays can also be beneficial to the dentists in identifying cavities, gum disease, oral infections, and even some types of tumours.
The frequency of the x-rays being performed on the patient, depends on the patient and their overall dental and oral conditions. It is dependent on whether or not they showcase the signs of a dental ailment, their age and their risk of being susceptible to a dental or oral disease. These tasks are some of the common ones that a dental hygienist has to perform on a daily basis.
After the hygienist is done with the dental cleaning procedure, they also have to make sure that educate the patient about preventive oral and dental care. Precautionary treatments like the application of fluoride and sealant are also some of the important tasks that the hygienists have to perform. These steps ensure the promotion of dental health of the patients in between two appointments.
Sealants , on the other hand, are specifically beneficial for children, in controlling dental decay in certain specific areas inside the mouth. A dental sealant, is an acrylic type material that plays a significant role in protecting the chewing surfaces of the back teeth.
Educating the patient about the benefits of maintaining a proper oral health regimen is an important aspect of a dental hygienist’s job description.
If you look at it, they are effectively serving as public health ambassadors, by teaching their patients and by making them aware on how to take proper care of their oral health. Dental hygienists instruct and guide patients of all ages on how to properly brush and floss their teeth, and also makes them understand about the necessity of doing so. They are also professionally trained to discuss the connection between the patient’s diet and their oral health conditions and make possible recommendations to help patients choose their toothbrushes and other oral care tools.
This is kind of similar to the previous point that we were talking about. This task too, deals with the importance of educating the patients and enabling them to promote and maintain a healthy and practical oral hygiene habits, behaviour and lifestyle choices for themselves. Their patients who are now equipped with the knowledge of proper techniques, patients are more likely to maintain good dental health.
Hygienists bridge the gap between the dentist and the patient. after finishing up with the cleaning process and the dental screening procedure, the next task of the dental hygienist is to submit their findings and reports to the dentist. The hygienist also prepares the patient for his/her visit to the dentist by letting the patient know about their findings and the possible course of treatment that the dentist might suggest. They also review the areas of concern that will be addressed in detail by the dentist during the visit.
The role played by the dental hygienist is equally important to that of the authentic dentist, because they provide the dentist with the initial findings and the data about the patient. This initial data goes on to form the foundation of the treatment procedure of the patient. They also play a pivotal role in creating and maintaining the dental records, keep a track of every thing that is discussed and performed during the patient’s visit to the dentist.
If you like what you have read so far, and this sounds like a career that you might want to go for, given below are some of the things that will possibly help you achieve your dream.
To become a dental hygienist, you are required to earn a license that has been authenticated by the state in which you aspire to find your career. Every state requires the professional to earn a license that has been duly authenticated by the state, but the requirements and the criterion varies from one state to another. The minimum educational qualification required to become a professional dental hygienist is an associate’s degree from an accredited and authentic program. However, earning a bachelor’s degree or even further academically relevant degrees and make your path easier to launch your career and earn the salary that you truly deserve.
It is wise if your professional network is made up of people who you run into the in the academic settings, your work-related connections and your personal relationships. It is likely to represent a group of people who can help , advise and guide you with career opportunities, learning experiences and relevant exposure. It is likely to sky rocket your career trajectory, which is why it is important to make constant efforts to connect with others in the relevant field. To be able to connect, the alumni association might be a good place to start. You can also consider attending work related parties, workshops, seminars and other similar social events.
Drinking alcohol occasionally and in moderate amounts can be considered a part of a healthy lifestyle. But consuming alcohol in heavy quantities can be directly linked to all kinds of short-term and long-term health hazards. Alcohol is known to have adverse effects on the health of your liver, brain, blood sugar, and like it or not, your mouth. Most people remain completely unaware of the effects of alcohol on your oral health until they run into some themselves.
In this blog, we are about to dissect the relationship between your oral health and alcohol. We are going to talk not only about how your heavy drinking habits can have significant impacts on your oral health causing tooth decay and gum diseases, but we will also discuss how even moderate amounts of alcohol can put you to risk.
The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention provides a definition for moderate alcohol consumption as one drink per day for women and no more than two drinks a day for men. This definition is meant to be limited to the amount of alcohol consumed in 24 hours and is not calculated as an average over several days. The one-drink or peg equivalent is calculated as 14 grams of pure alcohol.
Alcohol is known to cause dehydration in the body by inhibiting the production of a chemical known as ADH, which is known to regulate the amount of urine you excrete out. Consumption of alcohol primarily causes your kidneys to throw out way more water than it normally would, causing your body to dehydrate. It can cause atrophy of the salivary glands, thus significantly lowering your flow of saliva. That is one of the reasons why most people suffer certain degree of, what people popularly call dry mouth, scientifically known as xerostomia, post boozing.
Dry mouth or xerostomia serves the perfect ambience for periodontitis or gum disease. A gum disease is identified by the occurrence of bleeding gums, plaque, gum recession, infection, and the development of pockets where the gums pull away from the teeth. Gum disease has been directly linked to higher chances of cancer, diabetes, stroke or cardiac arrest, and heart disease.
A study published in the Journal of Periodontology focused on the negative effects of alcohol that can heavily and adversely affect the gum health. The study was conducted with 542 samples, which was a mixed bag comprising non-drinkers, occasional drinkers and alcoholics, with or without periodontitis. The final results showed:
Regular alcohol users without periodontitis were seen to experience more gum bleeding than non-drinkers.
Alcohol drinkers who already had periodontitis noticed a remarkable degradation in their condition with the increase in their frequency of consumption.
Alcohol consumers who did not struggle with existing gum disease had more plaque than non-drinkers.
Alcohol consumers who did not previously suffer from any gum diseases were seen to have more pockets between their teeth and gums, or larger pockets, more than the non-drinkers.
As the matter of fact, the research showed that even people who did not struggle with gum diseases were also seen to have a certain extent of negative impact on their dental and oral health.
The negative impact of alcohol is not just restricted to gum diseases and loosened gums. Alcoholics and consumers of alcohol are known to suffer from other hazard concerning their oral health. Besides suffering higher levels of plaque, regular alcohol consumers are thrice more susceptible to suffering from permanent tooth loss. Even of you are not a regular consumer of alcohol or are not dependent on it, it is important for you to understand the presence of alcohol in your mouth itself in more than enough to trigger tooth decay.
As previously discussed, alcohol caused dehydration. As a result, the flow of saliva inside your mouth dries up or decreases. Dry mouth is the ideal condition for the breeding of oral bacteria, because they are not getting automatically washed away by the saliva. This is one of the simplest explanations of why alcohol drinkers suffer from a higher amount of plaque, and higher chances of tooth decay.
If you want to relish a drink or two, we would recommend you to at least try to minimize the process of dehydration by sipping water in between at frequent intervals. The residual alcohol in the teeth, when left unwashed for a long time metabolizes into sugar, which provides the idea condition for the growth of oral bacteria. One way to prevent and counteract this process is to floss, brush, and use mouthwash every time you drink alcohol (or any sugary beverage, for that matter).
As alcohol consumers, it is important that you understand how the alcohol interacts with and reacts in your mouth, so that you can make informed decisions about your oral health and dental hygiene. April, being the Alcohol Awareness Month, we wanted to inform you about the relationship between oral health and alcohol. Not many readers are aware of the kind of detrimental effects alcohol and have your teeth. The cons of smoking are widely talked about, but the ill effects of alcohol should be discussed too. We hope to empower them to make healthier decisions in their day-to-day life.
While drinking alcohol in moderation ( maximum of one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men) likely won’t have a big negative effect on your teeth, it is important to know the risks associated with it. Individuals who suffer from alcohol abuse have higher plaque levels and an increased risk of periodontal disease, tooth decay, tooth loss, and mouth sores. Furthermore, alcohol abuse increases your chances of oral cancer. Here are the three ways that alcohol harms your teeth.
The bacteria in your mouth devours sugar to survive and grow. So if you are sipping on sugary beverages , like cola or alcohol, you are literally feeding the bacteria and helping it thrive. The bacteria creates an acid inside your mouth that corrodes your teeth, weakening the enamel and causing tooth decay. Hence, if you really want to have alcoholic beverages, try drinking alcohol with less sugar content like dry wine.
we have discussed the relationship between dry mouth with oral health at length. Alcohol causes the mouth to dry up and restrict the flow of saliva. The flow of saliva is inversely proportional to the risk of tooth decay. Saliva plays an important role in maintaining the oral hygiene by washing away the bacteria. When you have dry mouth, the bacteria remains on the enamel and makes the teeth more susceptible to decay. Dry mouth can also cause bad breath. If you are boozing, make sure to stay hydrated. Drink water at regular intervals. You can also take to chewing sugar free gums to replenish the flow of the saliva.
Alcoholic beverages with deep hues like sangria, red wine or port wine can turn your teeth red and cause irreversible or long-lasting discoloration. These alcoholic beverages when poured on light coloured clothes, leave behind a permanent stain. So, you can easily imagine the kind of effect it is going to have on your pearly whites You can try to mitigate the effects of these dark coloured alcoholic beverages by munching on food while you booze and chewing sugar-free gum after drinking alcohol to bring your saliva levels back to normal.
Only by properly brushing and flossing your teeth regularly and if possible twice a day, as well as getting professional dental cleanings and check-ups every 6 months, can help bring down the risk of dental problems that comes along with the consumption of alcohol.
Consumption of heavy amounts of alcohol multiplies the chances of an accidental dental trauma or facial injury, a fall or traffic accident, for instance.
A joyous smile is what everyone wants. A whitened and a picture perfect smile comes by maintaining a salubrious oral health. In order to maintain a beautiful you need to maintain your oral health as well as you need to go for regular dental checkups too.
If you do not maintain a good oral health then there are numerous oral diseases which takes away the radiance of your smile. You end up developing some severe gum diseases such as periodontitis in that case you would require tooth scaling and root planing. Tooth scaling and root planing is done for the removal of tartar and for treating inflamed gums.
This procedure is used in order to scrape off the hardened tartar on the surface of the teeth and roots. These treatments helps in protecting your smile and also does the prevention of tooth loss, gums and bones. Let us know more about tooth scaling and root planing.
Both tooth scaling and root planing are known as deep cleaning in the field of dentistry. This procedure is performed in order to get rid of the hardened up tartar on the top of teeth and roots. You might require these treatments if you are suffering from periodontitis which is also known as an advanced gum disease.
Whereas tooth scaling helps in the removal of tartar from the surface of your teeth. Root planing removes tartar from the roots of your teeth which is located below your gum line.
Dentists and periodontists who are also known as gum disease specialists are the ones who offers the treatments of gum disease. The procedure is usually done by a dental hygienist. Both the procedures of tooth scaling and root planing takes place during the same dental visit. In that case you would usually need more than one appointment in order to do the treatment of your teeth.
If you are the one who is already prone to periodontal disease then in that case you are at the higher risk of developing periodontitis disease when you get older. And according to the survey nearly 3 in 4 adults over the age of 65 have the problems of periodontal disease and in that case you require tooth scaling and root planing.
In order to save yourself from gum and tooth diseases kids and adults should have their teeth cleaned via scaling for at least twice each year. Periodontal problems can cause tooth decay and gum infections too.
Some of the risk factors of periodontitis includes:
#1. Diabetes.
#2. Family history of gum disease.
#3. Several health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis.
#4. Hormonal changes which are related to oral health, such as pregnancy gingivitis or those brought on by certain types of birth control.
#5. Improperly fitted dental bridges or defective dental fillings.
#6. Overbite or crooked teeth (malocclusion).
#7. Poor oral hygiene.
#8. Smoking.
#9. Stress.
Your dentist would recommend for teeth scaling and root planing if your mouth is suffering from the signs of chronic periodontal disease. These procedures helps to stop the harmful effects of the condition and also keeps your mouth healthy.
Chronic periodontal disease occurs when the bacteria in plaque cause your gums to pull away from your teeth. This in turn causes large pockets to grow between your teeth and gums, and within these pockets more bacteria can grow in such places where you cannot clean only through brushing.
Hence it is an essential thing to floss after brushing your teeth as because there are several places in the area of your mouth were the bacteria thrives but the toothbrush cannot clean it alone. That’s why it’s key to floss regularly to reach spots that toothbrushes can’t.
If the chronical periodontal disease is left untreated then it can lead to
#1. Bone and tissue loss
#2. Tooth loss
#3. Loose teeth
#4. Moving teeth
Some of the reasons why chronic periodontal disease occurs is because of
#1. Poor dental hygiene
#2. Smoking
#3. Aging
#4. Changes in hormones
#5. Poor nutrition
#6. Family history
#7. Other medical conditions
You may experience deep pockets in between your gums and teeth due to chronic periodontal disease, but there are several other symptoms of the condition, which includes:
#1. Bleeding gums
#2. Inflamed, red, or tender gums
#3. Bad breath
#4. Shifting permanent teeth
#5. A change in your bite
There is no particular rule which you need to follow or prepare before scaling or root planing. Though some dentists might recommend you to rinse your mouth with a very strong antiseptic mouthwash. Some dentists recommend this because there would be a lot of bacteria transferred to your blood during the process of root planing.
Apart from rinsing the mouth with a mouthwash, you can also follow several other oral health habits like oil pulling, oral probiotics, and eating a low-carbohydrate and low-sugar diet to drive down inflammation.
Doing this will not only help in preparing your immune system for brief exposure to more bacteria, but it will also help you make the first steps for halting gum diseases. If you’re concerned about sensitivity or pain, you can also use an over-the-counter pain reliever before the procedure.
Periodontal diseases are something which usually don’t end up causing pain. Your dentist might diagnose you with periodontitis during the process of dental check-up. Dentist might also get the dental X-rays done in order to look into problems like cavities, an abscessed tooth, tooth infection or bone loss. If you are having periodontitis, then in that case your provider would discuss the treatment options with you. Tooth scaling and root planing will take place during a future appointment.
The deep dental cleaning is done below the gum line in order to remove tartar from each teeth, and including the roots too. In order to minimize any kind of discomfort or pain your dentist would numb your mouth’s area with the help of a local anesthetic. Then you’re awake for the procedures.
Your dentist uses a vibrating tool which is known as an ultrasonic scaler in order to perform the scaling process. These steps may take place during tooth scaling:
A vibrating metal tip on the scaler helps in scraping the tartar off of your teeth and above your gum line. A water spray on the scaler washes away the tartar and flushes plaque from the gum pockets.
The dentist uses a manual dental scaler and a scraping device which is known as curette in order to remove small remaining pieces of tartar.
Root planing is just like tooth scaling the only difference is it takes place on the roots of your teeth which sits below your gum line.
During the process of root planing, your dentist would use a tool in order to gently push aside your gum tissue and doing this exposes the surface of the roots.
Then your dentist uses the same tooth scaling tools for chipping tartar from the roots, and this maks the tooth smooth. At times, they may also inject an antibiotic medication directly into any gum pockets.
By now you have known what is root planing and scaling and how both the procedure is performed. But what is the difference in between these procedures? Keep o reading and you get to know the key differences in between the two procedures.
Root planning is the procedure in which any area of the tooth root that is infected by bacteria gets cleaned. This treatment involves the removal of plaque and tartar and also smooths the roots of the tooth where it sits beneath the gum line.
Whereas scaling is done in order to clear away the tartar and plaque which gets accumulated on surface of the teeth that is located above the gum line. Both of these procedures are a vital thing in order to maintain a good oral and dental health.
Now that you have got a clear idea on the differences of root planing and tooth scaling. Now a question might arise in your mind that what happens after tooth scaling and root planing? After the process of tooth scaling and root planing is performed bacteria and plaque are less likely to stick to the smooth surfaces of your treated teeth’s enamel.
Not just that after the procedure is done there are less chances of inflammation as your gums begin to heal. Your healthy gums can get reattached more firmly to the smoothed tooth roots.
After the entire process is done and with the follow-up appointments, your provider is going to measure the pockets which surrounds your gum tissue and gum lines. If the pockets haven’t decreased, then in that case you might require a periodontal surgery. Surgical treatments for periodontitis includes:
Bone grafting for replacing lost bone with bone from a donor or lab-made material.
Flap surgery in order to make a gum pocket smaller by lowering your gum line.
Soft tissue grafting for replacing lost gum tissue with tissue from the roof of your mouth.
The total number of dental appointments that you require for scaling and planing depends entirely on how severe your conditions are based on your dentist’s preferences. There are some dentists who only treat one side of your mouth this includes both upper and lower teeth just in one visit. After that are required to visit for the second time for treating the other side of your mouth.
Some dentist treat each mouth quadrant separately instead. For instance, they scale and plane only the lower right side of your mouth. While during your next appointment, they might treat the upper right side of your mouth. If the treatment occurs like this then you are going to have four appointments all total.
So what are benefits of these procedures? There are several studies which have shown that tooth scaling and root planing both are an effective treatments for periodontitis. These treatments are performed so that you can save yourself from losing gum tissues, teeth and bones.
By now you have already gone to the advantages of root planing but do you know that there are several disadvantages too which are related to tooth scaling and root planing. Tooth scaling and root planing can cause temporary discomfort during the time of healing. But the overall risks after the treatment are minimal ones.
People with certain heart conditions, like endocarditis, or who have synthetic heart valves may need to take antibiotics before they are getting any dental procedures done. Antibiotics helps in lowering your risk of a bacterial infection. You needed to ask your dentist and your cardiologist if you need to take this preventive step for yourself in order to stay on the safe side.
After to process of teeth scaling and root planing is done then your gums might be temporarily swollen and they are also tender after the procedure is complete. Apart from the tenderness of the gums your teeth might also feel sensitive. In this case you need to follow your dentist’s instructions for a speedy recovery.
Other than that you need to follow several other things mentioned below for a speedy recovery.
#1. Avoid foods and drinks that are too hot or cold.
#2. Consume soft and mushy foods like eggs after the surgery.
#3. Take pain relievers and antibiotics.
#4. Use an antimicrobial mouth rinse.
After the procedure of deep cleaning is done, you might feel pain for a day or two and there might be teeth sensitivity for up to a week. Apart from the teeth, your gums may be also swollen, and during this time you would feel tender and bleed. And in order to prevent infection, and control your pain your dentist may prescribe a pill or mouth rinse for the process of healing. Your dentist may also insert medication of subantimicrobial-dose doxycycline directly into the pocket that was cleaned. Other than that your dentist will also schedule another visit to see how your gums have healed and measure the depth of your pockets. If they notice that the depth of your pockets have gotten deeper, then in that case more treatment may be needed in order to heal.
Good dental care at home is essential to help keep gum disease from becoming more serious or recurring. Such as brushing your teeth for twice a day with the help of a soft brush, and also cleaning your teeth, eat a balanced diet, avoid using tobacco and see your dentist regularly.
Now that you have known everything related to teeth scaling and root planing, there are a few questions which you need to know about scaling and root plaining.
After the procedure of root scaling is done you don’t have to wait for hours for eating after your dental cleaning. In fact, you don’t have to wait at all. Yes you have read that right you can eat right after a dental cleaning.
Does scaling and polishing whitens the teeth? Yes. Scaling and polishing is not primarily designed for whitening the teeth, as that is what teeth whitening treatments are meant for. With that said however, a scale and polish will in fact l eave the teeth looking smooth, shiny, and whiter after the treatment.
Though bleeding from gums after deep scaling is normal in most of the cases and subsides after 2-3 hours without any conscious efforts, there are some patients whose gums tends to bleed more and often persists for longer than 72 hours depending upon severity of inflammation.
About three or four days after the procedure, you should be able to brush normally again. In addition, your dentist will likely recommend that you rinse your mouth using either an antimicrobial rinse or a warm salt water rinse.
When do you need teeth scaling? Your dentist will recommend teeth scaling and root planing if your mouth has signs of chronic periodontal disease. These procedures can help stop the harmful effects of this condition and keep your mouth healthy.
Dental scaling and polishing done to remove tartar and any surface stain a few days before whitening procedure is an important first step. We do not want bleeding gum after heavy scaling to disturb the bleaching procedure. After waiting a few days, teeth are generally clean and gum is healthy for this procedure.
Although hand scalers are quite an effective thing, but these things must be used carefully for avoiding damage to gum tissues or, during deeper cleaning known as root planing, the tooth roots. A different method for plaque removal known as ultrasonic scaling has grown in popularity as an alternative to manual scaling.
You can clean the teeth using baking soda. You can make a mixture of baking soda and salt as it is an effective home remedy for dental calculus removal. Other than that brushing your teeth with baking soda and salt softens the calculus, helps in making it easy to remove. The mixture should smoothly be scrubbed on the teeth by using a toothbrush in order to remove the tartar.
Dentists typically use the procedure of periodontal scaling and root planing as the first steps for the treatment of gum diseases. Periodontal scaling and root planing are nonsurgical ones. They are more of a deep cleaning that is done with handheld instruments or ultrasonic devices.
What is recovery like after scaling and root planing? After your procedure, you might experience gum and tooth sensitivity for a few days. You may also experience redness, swelling, and bleeding of your gums. However, with a good oral hygiene routine, this should go away within days after your procedure.
We know that smile is that pretty curve which heals you from within and everyone around you. There might be situations that ends up vanquishing the glamour of your smile. In such cases you need to go through several dental treatments in order to restore the radiance and beauty of your smile.
Do you know that dental crowns are used in order to restore the damaged teeth and place the teeth in a proper order? Today in this article we would be going through everything related to dental crowns. Before that you need to get a very basic thing clear in your mind what are dental crowns.
As mentioned earlier before knowing anything about dental crowns you need to know what is a dental crown. Dental crowns are the caps that are placed on the top of a damaged tooth. These crowns are used in order to protect, give coverage and also helps in restoring the shape of your teeth. The dental crowns are used when fillings do not end up solving the problems.
With the passage of time your teeth might get damaged due to numerous reasons, your teeth might get damaged due to tooth decaying, or due to any kind of injuries or it might just get damaged due to over time. Dental crowns are used when your teeth ends up losing the shapes and sizes.
Dental crowns are tooth shaped caps that are placed over your teeth, these dental crowns are made out of metals, porcelain, resin and ceramics. The dental tooth looks like a snug hat which you have gifted to your teeth.
The dental crowns are made up of metals, porcelain, resin and ceramics. They typically don’t require special care over time other than regular good oral hygiene. Dental crowns are used in restoring the shape of the teeth, size, strength and appearance. The dental crowns are cemented into place on your tooth and it covers the visible portion of the tooth.
Now that you have known what these dental crowns are, you should also know the requirement and need for these dental crowns.
The requirement and need for dental crown is due to several reasons including:
#1. Dental crowns are used in order to protect a weakened tooth a tooth. A tooth might go through the process of decaying due to various reasons. Hence in order to restore the weakened teeth dental implant is used to work on the parts of the broken teeth or cracked teeth.
#2. Dental crowns are also used for restoring a broken tooth or for those teeth that are severely worn down.
#3. Covering and supporting a tooth with a large filling and not much tooth remaining.
#4. For holding a dental bridge in place.
#5. Covering the misshapen or those teeth that are severely discolored.
#6. Covering a dental implant.
#7. Dental crowns are also used for covering a tooth that’s been treated with a root canal.
You have got to know why there is a need for dental crown you should also know who requires these dental crown.
Those who are suffering from large cavities then in that situation dental filling won’t work. In such cases dental crown is required to fix the problem. Other than that your teeth also requires crowing if they are severely worn down, cracked or weakened.
Other than that dental crowing’s are also recommended after the process of root canal is done, as because during this situation the tooth is more fragile and it also needs an extra care and protection too.
If you are having a missing tooth during such a situation your dentist would recommend for a dental crown. In such a situation your dentist would recommend you for dental bridge or for a tooth implant.
The ranges of the dental crowns is from $800 to $1,500. This could be even more. The cost of the dental crown depends on the type of material which is used in making of the crown and other than it the price of the dental crown also depends on the size of the tooth.
Usually all-metal crowns, are made out of a metal alloy, are sometimes cheaper than gold or porcelain crowns.
Costs of the dental crown may also rise if the dentist has to perform more extensive preparation work before they put the crown. At times patient needs might need a root canal or a dental implant and both of this procedure needs to be performed at the same time, and both of which can drive the price up. Before choosing for the crown you need to have a talk with your dentist about the different types of crowns that are available and which one is the appropriate one for your dental requirement.
There are several different types of crowns which are used for your teeth. Onlays and 3/4 crowns are two types of dental crowns that do not cover as much of your underlying tooth as compared to traditional dental crowns. Whereas on the other hand a traditional crown is the one which will cover your entire tooth.
Onlays and 3/4 crowns might be the appropriate one to choose for when you still have a solid tooth structure. It’s considered a more conservative approach compared to full coverage of your crown. In this procedure, your dentist removes the affected area and performs a reshaping of the tooth to receive the crown.
Now that you have known what are the types of crowns you also know what are these dental crowns made up of.
The permanent dental crowns are made out of several different types of materials. Some of the materials with which the dental crowns are made of is mentioned below.
#1. Metal:
Permanent dental crowns are made out of several different types of metals. These metals could include gold, palladium, nickel and chromium. Metal crowns are the ones who are rarely chip or break, these types of dental crowns also last the longest in terms of wear down and only require a small amount of your tooth to be removed. The metal crowns can also withstand biting and chewing forces too. The metallic color is the main drawback of this type of crown. Metal crowns are a good choice for out-of-sight molars.
#2. Porcelain-fused-to-metal:
This type of dental crown is matched with the color of the teeth which is next to the crown. These type dental crown are more natural than the tooth color. However, sometimes the metal under the crown’s porcelain cap shows through as a dark line. Other cons include the chance of the crown’s porcelain portion chipping or breaking off and the crown wearing down the teeth opposite it within the mouth.
This wear on the other teeth specifically affects the teeth that come into contact with the crown on the top and bottom of your mouth when it’s closed. Porcelain-fused-to-metal dental crowns can be a good choice for front or back teeth.
#3. All-resin:
The dental crowns which are made out of resin are generally less expensive in comparison to other crowns. Though these types of crowns are the less expensive ones but they wear down over time and they are more likely to break than compared to porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns.
#4. All-ceramic or all-porcelain:
If you are the one who is allergic to any kind of metal then in that case these types of dental crowns would work. These types of dental crowns provide the best natural color match compared to any other crown type.
However, these dental crowns are not as strong as porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns. They can also wear down the teeth which is opposite them in the mouth a little more than metal or resin crowns. But All-ceramic crowns are a good choice for your front teeth.
#5. Pressed ceramic:
These type of dental crowns have a harder inner core. Pressed ceramic dental crowns replace the metal liner which is used in the all-ceramic crown-making process. Pressed ceramic crowns are capped with porcelain, which provides the best natural color match. They’re also more long-lasting than compared to an all-porcelain crown.
So these were the different types of the dental crowns one could opt for, now you should also know that how your tooth is prepared before the dental crown.
Before the procedure of dental crown starts you typically have two visits to the dentist in order to prepare for a dental crowning. While in some cases, you may have a dental crown made in your dentist’s office.
During the time of first visit, the tooth that is going to receive the crown gets examined and is prepared. X-rays are taken of the tooth and the bone surrounding the tooth. Your dentist might have to do a root canal treatment before your dental crown procedure if there’s any:
Injury to the tooth’s pulp. Pulp is the soft tissue inside your teeth that contains blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue.
The tooth which is receiving the crown will be filed down across the top and sides. Doing this will make space for the crown itself. The amount of tooth that gets filed away depends on the type of crown that is going to get fitted. All-metal dental crowns are thinner and don’t need as much of the tooth removed as all-porcelain or porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns. If too much of your tooth is missing this could be due to damage or decay then during this case a filling material can be used in order to “build up” enough tooth structure for the crown to cover.
After reshaping the tooth is done, a paste or putty is used to make a copy of the tooth that is going to receive the crown. Impressions of the teeth above and below the tooth that’s getting the dental crown will also be made. This is done in order to make sure that the crown will not affect your bite.
The impressions are then sent to a dental laboratory. The laboratory which makes the crowns and usually returns them to the dentist’s office in two to three weeks. During the time of first office visit, your dentist will make a temporary crown in order to cover and protect the prepared tooth while you are waiting on the permanent crown.
While the time of second visit, the permanent crown gets placed on your tooth. First, the temporary crown is removed and the fittings and color of the permanent crown is checked. If everything is okay, a local anesthetic is sometimes used in order to numb the tooth and the new crown gets permanently cemented in the place.
There are several issues that you might experience over time with your crown, some of the discomforts are discussed below:
#1. Discomfort or sensitivity:
A newly crowned tooth might be sensitive immediately after the procedure is completed as because the anesthesia begins to wear off. If the crowned tooth still has got a nerve in it, you may experience some heat and cold sensitivity during that time.
During this situation your dentist might recommend that you brush your teeth with toothpaste which is designed for sensitive teeth. Pain or sensitivity that happens when you bite down usually means that the crown is too high on the tooth and due to this reason it gives an uncomfortable feeling. If this is the case, call your dentist to fix the problem.
#2. Chipped crown:
Crowns made of all porcelain can sometimes chip. Small chips can be repaired and the crown can still remain into your mouth. The dental crown may need to be replaced if the chip is large or it can also be replaced when there are many chips.
#3. Loose crown:
Sometimes, the cement that holds the crown on can wash out from under the crown. Not only does this allow the crown to become loose, it allows leads the bacteria to leak in and cause decaying to the tooth that remains. If your crown feels loose then in that case you need to contact with your dentist in order to get the problem fixed.
#4. Crown falls off:
A dental crown can actually fall off. Whenever any such situation like this happens, it occurs usually due to an improper fit or a lack of cement. If any such situation happens to you like this, then you should immediately reach out to your dentist’s office.
#5. Allergic reaction:
The metals used for make dental crowns are often a mixture of several metals. You can have an allergic reaction to the metal or porcelain that is used for maling the dental crown. However, this occurs very rarely.
#6. Dark line on crowned tooth next to the gum line:
You might see a dark line which is next to the gum line of your crowned tooth. This is normal particularly if you have a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown. This dark line is simply the metal of the crown showing through.
#7. Gum disease:
If you notice that your gums around your crown are getting sore or irritated, or if this area starts to bleed, then you might be developing gingivitis, or any kind of gum disease.
On average, dental crowns last between five and 15 years. The life span of a crown can depend on the amount of “wear and tear” the crown is exposed to. The life space of the dental crown also depends on how well you are following oral hygiene practices and personal mouth-related habits. These mouth-related habits can include things like:
#a. grinding or clenching your teeth.
#b. chewing ice.
#c. biting your fingernails.
#d. using your teeth to open packaging.
Well, a crowned tooth does not requires any special care. However, the underlying tooth still needs to be protected and requires case as they can face tooth decaying or gum diseases. Because of this, you should continue to follow good oral hygiene practices. The good oral practices includes brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing once a day especially around the crown area where the gum meets your tooth. Other than that you should also, avoid biting on hard surfaces with porcelain crowns in order to prevent cracking the porcelain.
There are several alternatives to dental crowns. If you want to improve discoloration, then veneers are the best option. Veneers are thin layers which are fixed onto the front surface of a tooth. If your tooth is chipped, then in that case your dentist may also try to rebuild your tooth structure using filling material.
By now you have known almost everything related to the dental crown, below discussed are the few questions related to dental crowning.
#1. How long do dental crowns last?
Around 5 to 15 years is the average lifespan of a dental crown. Dental crowns should last around 15 years if there is a proper maintenance. If patients take good care of the crown, they can last up to 30 years.
#2. Is it painful to get a crown?
Getting a crown should not hurt cause you may not fill any more pain or discomfort than a typical filling. Your dentist will make sure that they put a local numbing jelly on your teeth, gums and surrounding tissues, but there is usually an anesthetic injected as well, and during that time you might feel a small pinch.
#3. Can I eat after having a crown?
After the dental crowning procedure is done you only have to wait for 30 to 45 minutes before you eat anything. Though you might eat but you need to remember not to chew where your crown is even in the days following the procedure. It is better to eat soft foods during this time.
#4. Can you do a crown without a root canal?
Technically, you don’t always need a root canal treatment before you are getting a dental crown. Sometimes a dental crown improves the appearance of a stained or discolored tooth. While the dentist may stain the tooth’s enamel, the inside of the tooth isn’t compromised, and therefore a root canal isn’t necessary.
#5. What to avoid after getting a crown?
Avoid chewy or sticky foods, such as caramel, taffy, and gum. As these foods can grab and pull out the crown. Avoid chewing hard foods, such as granola, hard candy, and ice can lead to problems.
#6. What is the most natural crown?
Full porcelain dental crowns are still often the best option. Many people feel full porcelain offers the most lifelike appearance.
#7. What is cheaper than a crown?
Tooth extraction is generally the cheapest alternative to a dental crown although certainly the least desirable. The important thing is to choose what is right for you, and what falls under your budget.
#8. Can I get a filling instead of a crown?
Depending on the extent of tooth decay, your dentist might recommend either a cavity filling or dental crown. Dental crowns are typically used in order to treat severely damaged teeth, while filings generally treat minor tooth decay and damages.
#9. Is a permanent filling better than crown?
One of the most significant differences between crowns and fillings is that one protects the teeth significantly more than the other. Crowns can help in strengthening the teeth because they reinforce them. This is because they encase the tooth entirely. It can withstand force without the risk of being damaged.
#10. How do you clean under a crown?
Patients who have a dental crown as part of an implant should use a soft-bristled toothbrush for not less than twice a day. As for the type of toothpaste, it is important to select a non-abrasive formula. The individual needs to brush around and under the dental crown as much as possible.
It is surprising to know that almost 44% of people worldwide don’t get their tooth decay treated. There’s more to this story though. Almost 30% of senior citizens don’t have any natural teeth, and about 90% of school-goers suffer from tooth decay. Also, at least 91% of Americans at least have one tooth cavity by their 21st birthday. Now that we know these statistics, it is safe to assume that the dental health and oral hygiene routine requires an update. Thus, here is a list of dental hygiene hacks that can help you start and end your day!
#1. ALWAYS BRUSH YOUR TEETH BEFORE BED
The American Dental Association expresses that oral bacteria can start spreading as quickly as minutes after finishing your meal. They can even start causing decay in about 20 minutes time. This calculation makes it pretty easier for us to understand the amount of damage these bacteria can cause during the 8 hours of bedtime. This can be avoided or at least controlled if you make sure to brush and floss your teeth and clean your tongue every night before retiring to your bed. This removes the leftover food that was stuck in between your teeth and stops the germs from spreading and causing tooth decay.
#2. DON’T NEGLECT YOUR TONGUE
People often tend to pay more heed to their teeth and gums, but their tongue doesn’t get the required amount of attention. We cannot emphasize the importance of cleaning your tongue along with taking care of your teeth. Considering, the tongue takes up most of the space inside the mouth, it certainly makes more sense to clean it every time while cleaning your mouth. Otherwise, the tongue is prone to accumulating the breeding germs and becoming their breeding ground, resulting in tooth decay and bad breath. It is important to gently scrape and clean both sides of your tongue, twice a day.
#3. USE MOUTHWASH REGULARLY
Less than 50% of Americans use mouthwash as a part of their oral health routine. This was claimed by the US National Library of Medicine. A good mouth-washing liquid is as important as a toothbrush, floss, and tongue cleaner. It plays a significant role in promoting good oral health and lessens the chances of having bad breath. Mouth washing liquids can reach the nook, crannies, and crevices inside the mouth that is impossible for toothbrushes to reach. It has been decades since it has been proven that mouth washing liquids can obliterate up to 99.9% of the bacteria inside the mouth and save the teeth from plaque, tartar, bad breath, and gingivitis.
#4. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER
Drinking enough water during the day not only benefits your oral health but also brings your overall health back to track. In a recent study, it has been found that American adults are drinking enough water. Having said that, only 30% of that is coming from plain water. The rest of it comes from sodas, food, juices and other kinds of consumable liquids. While it is important to stay hydrated, it is also important that a decent percentage of that hydration comes from water for your oral health to be beneficial. Not just that, it can also protect your teeth against the sugar that comes from sodas and juices, and can cause damage. Water, as already harped upon, also takes away the stubborn food particles along with it.
#5. IMPLEMENT A VITAMIN-RICH DIET
Maintaining a solid oral hygiene regimen is the best thing that you can do for your mouth. It cannot be completely achieved if you don’t add vitamin rich food into your diet. Vitamin-rich food helps your body get the necessary nutrients, giving you a healthier life style.
#6. VISIT YOUR DENTIST TWICE A YEAR FOR CHECKUPS
Visiting your dentist at least twice a year, is as important all other steps. Besides getting your teeth cleaned by professionals, your dental experts can also help you detect early signs of dental and other serious diseases that might need immediate attention. Multiple diseases can be detected by the condition of your gums and teeth, by your dentist.
If you haven’t visited your dentist’s office in sometime, it’s about time that you visit their office and repeat the process every six months for the sake of your oral health.
#7. SEE A DENTIST REGULARLY
A dentist can diagnose and treat oral health issues before the ship’s sailed. It is seen that people who visit their dentist every 6 months for dental examinations, have a better dental hygiene condition. Besides, they also get to know about any impending ailment that might need attention. During the routine check-up, the expert will also clean out the plaque and hardened tartar if any.
The dentist will also check for symptoms that will lead to cavity, gum disease, mouth cancer and other health issues. They even get X-rays to find out about the condition of the teeth in detail.
In a recent study, it was confirmed that children, pre-teens and teenagers should visit their dentists every 6 months to save their mouth from cavities. Adults who have a good dental healthcare regime are likely less susceptible to the oral health problems and can do with lesser visits to their dentists.
However, the ideal number of dental check-ups, for both kids and adults, is yet to reach its conclusive state. The researchers are still at it.
Until then, please speak to your dentist about the frequency of your visits to your dentist’s office. This largely depends on the medical history, age, and overall dental health. However, if you find minor changes in your dental or oral conditions, it’s recommended that you visit your dentist with further procrastination.
#8. Do not smoke
It is no news that smoking is injurious to health. It harms the immune system of the body, which makes it difficult for the body tissues to heal and recover, including those in the mouth. While the CDC list smoking as one of the risk factors for gum disease. ADA, on the other hand warns people that they might experience slow healing after a dental procedure if they are smoking.
Smoking also affects the appearance of the mouth. The layer of nicotine that gets accumulated above over the layer of enamel, makes your teeth look yellowish and dirty. It also causes your tongue to appear yellowish and can give you bad breath.
Tips for kids
Teaching your kids the benefits of maintaining a good oral care regimen, to take care of their teeth and gums is one of the most important steps.
A child’s primary teeth is as important as their permanent teeth. The baby’s teeth enables the child to chew and speak. They are almost like the placeholders for future permanent teeth.
If a child loses a baby tooth to decay, this can interrupt with the space distribution for the teeth in the mouth, making it difficult for the adult tooth to develop correctly and in its usual place.
With this in mind, it is advisable to introduce good dental care for children from their very infancy. The practices given below will help keep a child’s teeth and gums safe and healthy:
Wipe a baby’s gums with a warm, wet washcloth or any clean cloth every day, even before they have developed any teeth. Doing this removes residual sugars or starch from the gums. This can help a baby become familiar with the idea and feeling of cleaning their teeth.
Prevent the babies and toddlers from going to bed with bottles or sippy mugs. Milk and juice contain sugars, which can cause tooth decay if they remain on the teeth during their bedtime.
As a baby approaches 1 year of age, start getting them habituated to a sippy cup. Aim to absolutely stop using bottles by their first birthday.
Allow babies to sip water from sippy mugs between their meals, but restrict juice or milk for meal times only.
Once a baby has developed teeth, brush them twice a day with a soft baby toothbrush. Use a tiny amount of fluoride toothpaste, no bigger than a grain of rice. Children who are 3 to 6 years of age may use slightly more, almost a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.
Parents or caregivers should brush the child’s teeth for them until they can clean all of their teeth properly without assistance. Make sure that they spit out the toothpaste.
Keep the toothpaste out of children’s reach when it is not in use, for their own safety.
The ADA had advised that children should see a dentist within 6 months of their first tooth appearing or at 1 year of age, whichever happens earlier.
Parents or caregivers should not share eating utensils with a child or clean pacifiers by putting them in their own mouth. It’s a breach of their hygiene because, both of these actions can pass on the adult’s cavity-causing bacteria to the child.
You are what you eat- that’s particularly true for your teeth and gums. We are not the only ones who love starchy and sugary food. As it turns out, the bacteria in our mouths like them as well. These bacteria are the ones responsible for gum disease and tooth decay.
Including a variety of nutrient-rich food from all kinds of food groups benefits and promotes healthy gum and teeth. This means you are going to have to maintain a healthy and balanced diet comprising, fruits, vegetables, calcium and protein rich foods.
So, which foods are best for teeth and gum health?
Some of the best foods for strong teeth are fresh fruits and vegetables owing to their high nutritional value and added teeth cleaning benefits.
Then, there’s calcium-rich foods, such as low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt and cheese, fortified soy milk drinks, tofu, canned salmon, almonds and green leafy vegetables that promote the development of stronger and healthy teeth and bones. Chewing on crunchy foods gets enables the saliva flow, which along with water, helps to rinse away plaque causing bacteria and left over food particles.
Cheese, Milk, and Yogurt
Cheese is one of the best food items for the promotion of healthy teeth for a large number of reasons. Firstly, it is low in sugar content and high in calcium. It contains casein, which is a protein that plays a significant role in fortifying and strengthening the tooth enamel. Cheese is also calcium- rich, which is crucial for the maintenance of a healthy bone density. Cheese is also very high in phosphate content, which balances pH levels in the mouth, which helps in the preservation of the tooth enamel. Another great reason cheese is a friend to our teeth, as mentioned earlier, is that chewing it increases saliva secretion that helps to rinse away bacteria in the mouth.
Besides, good and old fashioned fluoridated water, milk is the best drink when it concerns your teeth. It’s calcium-rich. Milk, like cheese, also lowers and balances the acid levels in the mouth, which enables fighting tooth decay and cavities.
Yogurt is filled with calcium- content and most importantly probiotics that defend you and your teeth against cavities, bad breath and gum disease.
Celery, Carrots, and Other Crunchy Veggies
Vegetables are good for teeth because they require a lot of chewing to. Crunchy foods items that contain lots of water are also known as natural teeth cleaners because they promote the secretion of saliva, which helps to scrape away left-over food particles and bacteria. These fresh and crunchy vegetables are usually also rich in some of the most crucial vitamins and minerals for your oral health.
Celery can also be called nature’s dental floss. The fibrous and crunchy texture makes for a very effective natural teeth cleanser.
In addition to being a storehouse of a lot of nutrients, carrots are also known to fight cavities. Carrots are rich in vitamin C, calcium and keratins, and these also offer dental benefits. Consuming fresh carrots also helps you cleanse your teeth, almost like a natural toothbrush. When combined with your saliva, carrots also help to clean stain-causing bacteria and food particles.
Leafy Greens (Spinach, Lettuce, Kale)
Supremely healthy, leafy greens are packed with calcium, folic acid and umpteen other important vitamins and minerals that your teeth and gums could benefit from. Crunchy and fresh greens in salads and sandwiches also help in cleaning your teeth, gut and overall health.
Apples and Pears
Can an apple a day also keep the dentist away? Probably not, but it can certainly help. Including apples or other hard fibrous fruits in your diet can help clean your teeth and increases the secretion of saliva, which can neutralize corrosive acids like citric and malic acids that are left-over in your mouth. While apple juice with sugar and preservatives might add to the process of tooth decay, fresh apples are less likely to cause trouble inside your mouth. Chewing the fibrous texture of apples, specifically the skin, stimulates your gums, further taking down the number of cavity-causing bacteria and increasing the secretion of saliva.
Unlike many acidic fruits, raw pears are known to neutralize acids in your mouth that promote tooth decay.
Nuts
Nuts can benefit your teeth like none other. They are packed with tons of important nutrients like phosphorus and calcium. Nuts like almonds, Brazil nuts and cashews, which help to defend your mouth against bacteria that cause tooth decay. For instance, peanuts are one of the best source of calcium and vitamin D. Almonds contain good amounts of calcium, which promotes teeth and gum health. Cashews are also known to stimulate saliva and walnuts contain everything from fiber, folic acid, iron, thiamine, magnesium, iron, niacin, vitamin E, vitamin B6, potassium and zinc.
Meats and Fatty Fish
Meats are known to offer some of the most significant nutrients mentioned above, and chewing of meat produces saliva. More saliva is definitely good, because it decreases acidity in your mouth and cleans particles of food that promote tooth decay. Red meat and organic meats are especially helpful. Fatty fish (like salmon), and tofu are rich in minerals like phosphorus, an important for protecting the tooth enamel against erosion and decay
Tea and Coffee
Polyphenols are a category of naturally appearing chemicals that are found in many of the foods and drinks that we consume, including teas, coffee and other associated beverages. They are known to have several health benefits, including their function as antioxidants, which can combat cell damage. They are also effective in subsiding inflammation and helping to fight cancer. Green and black teas are rich in polyphenols and have umpteen number of other health benefits.
Cranberries and Raisins (Fresh or Sugar Free)
Cranberries contain a large amount polyphenols (just like tea) and are known to provide antioxidant benefits. Fresh cranberries are especially effective at disrupting the process of plaque formation. Having said that, you must also know that some packaged and dried or dehydrated cranberries contain a lot of added sugar that isn’t so good for teeth or overall health