Many people deal with having sensitive teeth on a daily bases.  Normally when eating or drinking something hot, cold, sweet or acidic. Sensitivity can happen when your tooth enamel start to thin or ware down.  Exposing the underlying root surface dentin.  Receding gums can also expose your tooth dentin causing tooth sensitivity.

There are many factors as to why you can ware or thin down your tooth enamel. A few would be drinking Acidic beverages like as sodas, Teeth grinding, Brushing with abrasive toothpaste or brushing incorrectly or over brushing more then recommended.  Where as gum disease can cause receding gums. Other ways to to expose your tooth dentin would be by a chipped or fractured tooth. With proper dental care you can avoid sensitive teeth.  Talk to your dentist if you currently have sensitive teeth to find out the best treatment plan option for you.

Dental injuries can happen. These dental injuries can sometimes happen when playing sports or when you are involved in an accident. Here are some helpful do and don’t when you or someone you knows knocks out a tooth.

* Don’t Touch the tooth root as it can become easily damaged.

* Don’t put the tooth in water as it can cause the root cells to burst and make it much harder for a dentist to save the tooth.

* Don’t wipe the tooth off if it is dirty, wiping the tooth may cause more damage.

* Dos: If the tooth is dirty you can wash it off with milk If possible try gently putting the tooth back into it socket. That is the best way to preserve the tooth.   If you can not put tooth back in it’s socket then put the tooth is a glass of milk.  Milk will help provide nutrients to the cells to help keep them alive. Go see a dentist right away.

Time is very important matter in trying to save a knocked out tooth. Delays will only make it hard to save the tooth in question.  Make sure you follow the dentist aftercare instructions.  As the aftercare of saving the tooth is just as important in successful healing.  Dental injuries can happen. These dental injuries can sometimes happen when playing sports or when you are involved in an accident. Here are some helpful do and don’t when you or someone you knows knocks out a tooth. Don’t Touch the tooth root as it

Maintaining good dental health does not stop at good at home dental habits.  Yes it is very important that you have good dental habits such as brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing daily.  However if you are stopping there you not doing all you can do to maintain healthy teeth and gums.

Regular dental checkups helps control dental plaque.  This is done by cleaning free floating oral bacteria before they build plaque. However your dentist does not only clean your teeth during a dental check up.  The dentist looks for signs of tooth decay, gum disease, and overall oral health care wellness.

Sports like baseball and basketball are high risk games with regards to mouth-injuries.  Some of the most common dental injuries seen with these sports are broken, displaced or knocked out teeth, and even broken jaws.   With the ever increasing participation of girls and young women in competitive sports they, just as likely to have sport injuries as their male counterparts. Everyone should know the risks of dental injuries when playing sports and use additional protective gear.  If your child has all their permanent teeth in then talk to their dentist about having a custom dental guard made.  If not then buying a over the counter store dental guard would be find for added protection.

All toothpastes will help remove surface stains. With whitening toothpaste however, they have more abrasive formulations and therefore act more quickly, so you SEE a result faster. Whitening agents in toothpaste is low and normally is not in contact with your teeth long enough to really whiten your teeth.  It is the Abrasiveness that is really helping to remove stains from your teeth. Agents such as silica, calcium carbonate or dicalcium phosphate.

The potential hazards of using tooth whitening toothpastes is that long term use of these heavily abrasive toothpastes will eventually weaken enamel to the point where plaque and bacteria begin to damage the teeth.  This said all toothpaste have some abrasiveness but before using whitening tooth pastes long term talk to your dentist to see what is best advised.

One of the best ways to maintain healthy teeth is by having healthy gums.  GumChucks offer a new fun way for your kids to floss their teeth.  Designed to resemble nun-chucks, GumChucks feature removable, disposable tips that contain a piece of dental floss.   Using the ergonomic handles, Kids can floss their teeth with ease. This high performance floss is smooth on gums and works to remove plaque! With GumChucks, kids have greater control and perform better flossing techniques. For more information about how to get GumChucks, you can visit their facebook page.

Bacteria enter through the cavities and affect the dental nerve and gum tissues. They are responsible for causing gum inflammation, swelling, bleeding, and tartar deposits.

However bacteria infections can be prevented by having good dental care habits such as brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing daily, using anti-bacterial mouthwashes and by seeing a dentist regularly.  If you do have any dental or toothaches make sure to see a dentist as soon as possible.

Studies indicate that older adults have a higher risk of periodontal disease and need to do more to maintain good oral health. Dental health care is important at any age but when you take in account that almost one out of four people over age 65 have lost most to all of their teeth and that receding gums tissue affects the majority of older people proper dental care for seniors is an important issue to address.

That said many seniors still do not get the proper dental care they need to to factors such as no means of transportation to a dental offices Cost of dental care (many seniors are on fixed incomes and can not afford the added expense) as well as a lack of dental insurance.  Many seniors feel they do not need dental care even though poor dental health care has been link to other health risk factors.

Sometimes a person can put off buying or having dental insurance until there are larger dental needs to address.  This is common but not highly advise. However say you are shopping for dental insurance due to a toothache need.

Even though you may have a toothache it is important fully understand the dental insurance plan you are going to buy and how it is going to benefit your current dental need.

You will want to make sure the dental insurance plan you are buying does not have any waiting periods. In cases like this, you may want to review dental HMO insurance plans. Most dental HMO plans do not have waiting periods. Therefore you are able to receive benefits for all covered dental services. Where as most PPO insurance plans do have waiting periods therefore they may not be the best dental insurance option when you have a dental toothache issue.

Did you know that improperly maintained pools can cause severe and rapid erosion of dental enamel. Maintenance by a professional pool service can be costly that is why many pool owners will do the work themselves however If the chemical levels are not properly maintained, pool water contact with teeth can cause serious enamel erosion damaging your teeth permanently

Adults should have their teeth cleaned at least once every six months.  The odds are good that if you are pregnant you will have at least one dental appointment that will come up during your pregnancy.    If so do not reschedule your dental appointment.  Also if you have not had a dental cleaning in the last six months make an appointment to have one. Dental appointments are not only safe to have during pregnancy but they are a good idea according to the American Pregnancy Association.

Although many school are changing what foods are in their vending machines many more vending machines still provide sugar-filled sodas, sweetened fruit drinks, and non-nutritious snacks that can affect children teeth.  In the younger grades school are either removing vending machines altogether or putting in healthier snacks options.

Though in the high schools and collages junk food in vending machines are still wildly offer.  Many dentist are concerned that their patients are still consuming too much of the sugar-filled sodas, sweetened fruit drinks, and non-nutritious snacks that are found in many vending machines.

These types of snacks normally have very little if any nutritional value and over time they can take a toll on ones teeth. Food choices among children and teens are important factors that affect how quickly they may develop tooth decay.

We talked in prior posts about the importance of having good at home dental habits (brushing and flossing your teeth regularly) in order to maintain healthy teeth and gums. Yet one step that is often forgotten is being aware of changes within your mouth.

While you are brushing and flossing your teeth make sure to look inside your mouth each time for any noticeable changes.  Are your gums nice and pink, or  red or swollen? Do your gums bleed while brushing or flossing your teeth?  If you know what the inside of your mouth normally looks like, you will be able to quickly spot discoloration or sores. If you do see changes in your mouth that is outside the norm,  speak to your dentist and have it check out.   Add this important step in your daily dental care routine in order to maintain healthy teeth, gums and overall wellness.

You may know that some of the risk factors to having your tongue, lips and cheeks pierced  which includes dangers like chipped and fractured teeth damage to your gums, periodontal disease and problems with speech, as well as swallowing and chewing, the studs themselves which could be harboring bacteria increasing risks for infection.

Studies found that studs made of steel seemed to promote development of a biofilm a thin layer of microorganisms that adhere to the surface of a structure. Types of bacteria associated with staph infections were found on the steel and titanium studs, leading researchers to conclude that metal studs increase risks for complications if a piercing channel becomes infected.

According to studies: Maintain your regular dental care while you are pregnant may help lower your risk for premature labor.  According to the studies done there is a link between inflammation and early uterine contractions, and the inflammation in your body caused by gum disease may be enough to trigger premature birth.

Many times buying a dental insurance plan can often get put off until there are larger dental issues that need to be address.  Yet when that happens, you may feel rushed into buying a dental insurance plan without fully understanding the plan you bought,  it’s limitations, and whether or not the plans provides benefits for the dental services needed.

It is not a good idea to put off buying a dental insurance plan until you have a dental emergency.  However if you find yourself in that position,  try and see a dentist for a consult and treatment plan before buying dental insurance.   By doing this you are then able to shop for a dental insurance plan that will best fit your current dental care needs.    Always take the time to read each dental insurance plan terms and conditions carefully and make sure to ask questions if you do not understand something about the plan you are reviewing.

Because canker sores are not caused by bacteria or viral agents, they are not contagious and can not be spread locally or to anyone else. Treatment is directed toward relieving discomfort and guarding against infection. A topical corticosteroid preparation such as triamcinolone dental paste  is helpful.

You may want to consider consulting a physician if a mouth sore has not healed within two weeks. Mouth sores offer an easy way for germs and viruses to get into the body, so it is easy for infections to develop.  People who consume alcohol, smokers, smokeless tobacco users, chemotherapy or radiation patients, bone marrow or stem cell recipients, or patients with weak immune systems should also consider having regular oral screenings by a physician. The first sign of oral cancer is a mouth sore that does not heal

Eighty percent of the U.S. population between the ages of 10 to 20, most often women, get canker sores. The best available evidence suggests that canker sores result from an altered local immune response associated with stress, trauma, or irritation. Acidic foods (e.g., tomatoes, citrus fruits, and some nuts) are known to cause irritation in some patients.

Trying to maintain regularly dental checkups at an affordable cost? If so, think about buying dental insurance.  The fact is most dental insurance plans provide preventive dental services at no cost to you.

Dental insurance companies know one way to avoid having to pay out larger dental claims, is by providing preventive dental care at either a very low cost or at no charge to their insureds.

The hope is, that people who have dental insurance are seeing their dentist regularly for their preventive dental care needs, thus reducing the risk of having to have larger dental needs in the future.  However, if larger dental services are needed, the dental insurance plan will still help to make larger dental care needs more affordable.

Benjamin Franklin once said “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This saying holds true with preventive dental care.  Seeing your dentist for your regular dental checkups is much better then having to go to the dentist for a root canal.