It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Candy canes, sugar cookies, gingerbread houses… and CAVITIES!

Not to sound like a Grinch, but this is the time of the year where folks all across America are eating the most sugar— and where there’s a spike in sugar intake, putting those pearly whites in peril. All of this can be avoided by following a few simple steps though,

1- Brush and floss after every meal.

2- Try not to eat those delicious treats every time you walk past a dish.

3- Don’t eat before bed.

4- Eggnog is a season staple, but making sure you drink more water is good for your teeth and entire body.

5- Floss after eating those sticky, gummy, or chewy foods. If you don’t the space between your teeth will be their new home for far too long.

6- those plastic packages are begging to be ripped open with your teeth. Don’t listen to them! Getting that new game controller out of the package can wait, get scissors or a knife. Your teeth could crack or chip, and that would be worse than getting coal in your stocking.

7- Bring floss to the holiday parties. You can get bits of food out from in-between your chompers, and it’s a great conversation starter.

8- If you indulge in alcoholic beverages, opt for the light or clear varieties. Darker colored liquors are working hard to dim the lights on you thousand watt smile.

And then, when the presents have been unwrapped and the in-laws are gone, schedule a cleaning with us. We’ll make sure that you have the best looking grin going into the new year!

The post Christmas Time Oral Holiday Health appeared first on Choice Family Dental.

Some of the most common causes of sensitive teeth include:

• Cavities, both developed and beginning to develop
• Fractured teeth, and chipped enamel
• Worn fillings
• Exposed roots
• Gum disease

Our teeth have natural defenses from things that might cause pain or disruption. The tooth is covered with a layer of protective material called enamel, it protects the part of the tooth that is exposed above the gums, and when that is worn away or chipped off of the tooth tiny, microscopic canals along the dentin (less dense part of the tooth directly below the enamel) are exposed and hot, cold, sticky, and acidic foods can reach the nerves inside the tooth through these canals. This is where the pain and irritation come from when we have sensitive teeth. Recessed gums can also expose dentin and thus bring about sensitivity in teeth.

There are ways to combat tooth sensitivity though; you don’t have to live the rest of your life. Obviously, the timing and intensity of treatment are dictated by the cause and severity of the cause of your tooth sensitivity. Some of the treatments include:

• Going to your dentist and having treatment in-office with fluoride gel to strengthen your tooth enamel and reduce sensitivity.
• A crown, inlay, or bonding done at your dentist’s office to correct any flaws/decay in your teeth.
• A root canal can reduce or eliminate severe and persistent sensitivity; it is often the last resort in combating sensitive teeth.
• A surgical gum graft could be necessary if enough of your gum tissue has receded, this procedure will protect the root of the tooth and the overall health of your mouth.
• Using desensitizing toothpaste is a good first step in combating sensitive teeth. These kinds of toothpaste contain compounds that help block transmission of sensation from the tooth surface to the nerve, taking time to begin working.

Remember that any time you are feeling pain in your mouth, are sensitive to the temperature of your food beyond that of the average person, or feel there might be decay or degradation taking place see your dentist as soon as possible. Problems can be caught and taken care of before they become much more serious. Taking care of your teeth through hygiene and diet is your best first step in avoiding future pain and irritation.

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Everyone has pretty good oral health here, right?

Despite what we might think about the oral health of our home, the Northeast isn’t a bastion of perfect smiles, minty fresh breath, and whitening strips. New York State actually ranks 26^th out of all of the American states and territories in overall oral health. We are literally at the middle of the pack, and we could all do better in taking care of our smiles. The percentage of children, ages 2-17, that go to the dentist every year is 84%, that same statistic for adults, 18-64, is only 64%. Just by looking at these broad numbers, it’s pretty clear that as we age we push the importance of keeping up with oral care lower and lower in the hierarchy of our lives. And, while the younger among us tend to see dentists an oral surgeons more often 1 in 5 children in the US still go without any form of dental care, more than 40% of children have cavities by the time they reach kindergarten, and these children are 3 times more likely to miss school as a result of dental pain.

What are the threats and how serious are they?

What are the biggest threats to your oral health then? What is it that is causing so much harm to our smiles? A few of the biggest culprits probably won’t shock you—tobacco, lots of sugar, skipping dental visits, and not brushing after meals. Some of these things are easier to curb than others, and if you are looking to preserve your smile, your lungs, and your skin there are options for you and places that can help you kick the habit. A diet high in sugar and acidity is bad for your teeth, but malnutrition is a factor in oral decay as well. If we don’t get the nutrients necessary to maintain and grow, our bodies aren’t getting the things they need to fight infections and protect from disease and other oral health threats. Eating a big plate of greens and getting the right amount of complex carbohydrates in your daily diet aren’t just things for bodybuilders and athletes to worry about, it’s important for electricians, first-grade teachers, parking attendants, waiters, and stay at home moms too.

Let’s be really real.

Let’s be real for a minute, we all put things aside and let problems linger in the back of our mind until they become too big to ignore. We’ve got the pile of clothes that are clean but we’ll find time to put them away later, the dish that sits a little too long in the sink waiting to be cleaned, and that molar that kind of hurts when you eat something that’s cold but it’s not a big deal so we’ll just tough it out. One of these things is a medical issue that shouldn’t be put off, the other two are things that make us bad roommates. Neglecting dental issues can lead to bigger problems downs the road; it could result in large-scale decay or even infection. We shouldn’t neglect out mouths.

Without going into a long tirade about the importance of oral health, developing good dental habits and eating well, or making it a point to see a dentist more than once a year (which we should), I’ll just leave it with one simple statement. We’re not superhuman; none of us can afford to put off healthcare issues whether it’s a broken bone, a chipped tooth, or a weird sting when we drink cold water.

See your dentist today and ensure your smile stays beautiful and healthy.

Schedule an appointment today, give us a call at 315-698-6880

The post The Power of Good Oral Health appeared first on Choice Family Dental.

How to Know What to Do

Let’s break down why you might need one first. As a tooth collects the acidic and sugar-filled remnants of food and drink the enamel around it, and after some time passes the integrity of the tooth could be in danger—that’s when the necessity of getting a crown applied to the tooth might arise. When you talk a dentist, they will run through the cause of any discomfort that you are feeling, or what might cause discomfort in the future, and they’ll present you with the best means of tackling these issues. Some of the things that might result in the need for a dental crown are:

• You have extreme discoloration in your tooth that could be a red flag of further issues or the tooth is misshapen, producing danger of breakage.
• You have a dental bridge that needs to be held in place, this can be done with a crown.
• You have a tooth that is already broken; a crown can restore the broken tooth by holding it together and in place as well as hiding unwanted aesthetics.
• If you have a tooth that is weakened from decay or grinding, or natural degradation, a crown can hold it together and preserve it for longer.

When you speak with us, or any other dental professional, it’s important to discuss your options as well as what you’re insurance will help you get. There are times when a veneer might be a good stop-gap or more affordable option, though they are less durable.

Call (315) 698-6880 and schedule a visit with us today! 

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Clean Your Teeth Naturally

Detergent foods are everyday things that we eat that are beneficial to our teeth through their crunchy or coarse texture. They have relatively low acidity and properties that help to eliminate oral sugars and bring down the overall pH level of your saliva. Examples of these foods include, but aren’t limited to:

• carrots
• apples
• popcorn
• celery
• cheese
• pears
• lettuce

These foods are crisp and scrub your teeth when you eat them. As is the case with diet health in general, it is far more beneficial to consume these foods when they are natural and unprocessed. They remove excess materials from the enamel of your teeth without adding sugars and fats in their place.

It’s important to try and brush your teeth after every meal, but it’s not always possible to do. There are times when you won’t be able to sneak away and brush your teeth, so making sure detergent foods are a part of your diet can be really beneficial for your overall oral health.

Keep Your Mouth Healthy

A healthy mouth is one that has a neutral pH level, the higher the level of acidity in your mouth the more bacteria will live and breed in your saliva. Sugars that remain in your mouth feed the development of harmful bacteria and erode the enamel on your teeth. Gingivitis, cavities, and bad breath result in this disruption of your oral pH levels. Offsetting some of the effects of candies, soda, and chips with an apple, some carrots, celery, or lettuce is a tasty good idea.

Call 315-781-9040 and schedule a visit with us today! 

The post Detergent Foods Maintain a Healthy Smile appeared first on Choice Family Dental.

smile there are a few things that you may or may not be doing to make sure the bright white doesn’t fade to yellow or become pocked with cavities. There are the obvious things like brushing daily, having routine cleanings with your dentist, refraining from smoking, and limiting sugar intake—but, there are some things that people either didn’t or don’t do that could greatly increase their level of dental health

Tips for children

If you have kids, or if you are an extremely intelligent child reading this yourself, there are some things that you should keep in mind in regards to a growing body and fresh new teeth coming in. Permanent molars can come in as early as 6 years old, and something that could very well prevent future decay or tooth damage is to use sealants. Dental sealants can prevent sugars and alcohols from getting into the pits and fissures of the tooth, something that only one-third of American youth do.

Eat right to keep those teeth white

Outside of just avoidance of excessive sugar, having a healthy diet can have a big impact on your dental health. A well-balanced diet filled with grains, fruits, vegetables, and dairy will provide you with the nutrients necessary to avoid internal production of excessive acid and other digestive disorders that affect dental health. Some researchers believe the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish could also reduce the risk of gum disease.

Don’t forget your tongue

Your tongue is an important part of maintaining good dental health. As uncomfortable as it may be to some, brushing your tongue with either a toothbrush or a tongue cleaner can remove bacteria and food to reduce the risk of tooth decay and bad breath. This is something that you should be doing every day!

There are tons of things that you should be, would be, and could be doing to maintain and improve your dental health—so, schedule an appointment with your dentist to make sure everything is in tip top shape.

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What is causing dental issues?

• The acids in the coffee you drink in the morning can do damage to your enamel.
• The sugars in your donut (and coffee) will erode enamel and live in the dips and divots of your teeth.
• Keeping food and drink in your mouth longer through slowly eating throughout the day increases impact on oral health
• Tannins in coffee etch into the grooves of the tooth enamel, this causes staining

Why is coffee bad for teeth?

Coffee has tannins in it, most commonly thought of when discussing red wines, but they are also in your cup of morning joe. Tannins are a type of polyphenol that breaks down in water; it causes the color compounds in the beverage to stick to your teeth. Your teeth aren’t smooth; even if you brush there is a chance you haven’t gotten everything off them. These tannins can be found in foods and drinks derived from certain beans and berries including pies, wines, and smoothies.

Coffee, as well as other beverages that aren’t water, introduce natural bacteria to your mouth. These bacteria to live, die, and reproduce. The life cycle taking place on your teeth and tongue creates harmful alcohols that attack your teeth and eat away at the enamel coating of every tooth in your smile. The best way to minimize this problem is to refrain from sipping at your coffee over the course of many hours and to make sure you brush your teeth within a short period of time of drinking that slow roast or pour over.

The post Coffee and Donuts and Cavities—Oh My! appeared first on Choice Family Dental.

Brushing your teeth is something that you do every day. If it isn’t, it should be! It’s something that, hopefully, you don’t think twice about. But, the importance of brushing your teeth cannot be overstated—it’s one of our most important tactics in the war against cavities and tooth decay. Cavities are the enemy, they are painful, they are annoying, they cause greater problems if left unchecked, and they are something that maybe we don’t know as much about as we think we do.

What are some things to know about cavities?

• Tooth decay comes in as the second most common of all diseases in the United States, behind only the common cold in its commonality.
• If left unchecked, though rare, tooth decay and cavities can cause severe harm to the general health of the sufferer—in extreme cases, even death.
• One of the biggest factors in the formation of tooth decay is bacteria. Acid-producing bacteria eat away at the enamel of your teeth in unison with a diet rich in sugars and carbohydrates and a genetic susceptibility to decay leads to exasperated tooth decay spreading through your teeth.
• Greater than one-fourth of American children and over 90 percent of adults are affected by tooth decay.
• Once a cavity has done damage to your teeth, the only way to fix the tooth is through dental work—your enamel, unfortunately, does not grow back.

Do these things to make sure you do to avoid tooth decay.

• Brush your teeth after every meal, including healthy meals! If you absolutely can’t brush, rinsing your mouth out with purified water is a good half-measure.
• Have regular dental check-ups and cleanings.
• If there is discoloration or pain in a tooth, see a dentist as soon as possible. You will want to make sure it stays constrained to the single tooth.
• Flossing. Do it! Flossing is an incredibly important aspect of maintaining your oral health, yet it’s something that many people skip.
• Try to limit sugar intake to less than 50 grams per day, that’s about ten teaspoons or around one and a half cans of soda.

Come to Choice Family Dental to improve and preserve a healthy smile!

The importance of seeing a dentist regularly cannot be overstated. If it’s been a while since you last sat down in a dental chair, it’s about time you made the call at (315) 698-6880 to schedule a visit!

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Cancer is something that we all are aware of in some capacity. We know the dangers that it poses, at least to some degree. We’ve seen ribbons and wristbands raising awareness of its many forms, but many of us haven’t given a thought to the real possibility of cancer having an impact on our life if it hasn’t already. Oral cancer is something that many of us don’t pay much attention to, thinking it’s something that only happens to those of us who have been chain smoking for decades. However, that is not always the case. There are more than 200,000 reported cases of oral cancer every year in the United State, most common in individuals ages 40 to 60, always extremely serious.

What Contributes to Oral Cancer?

• Smoking
• Heavy alcohol consumption
• Very poor oral hygiene
• HPV16
• Exposure to ultraviolet radiation
• Exposure to certain viruses and fungi

How Can You Detect Oral Cancer?

• It can be painless, with no physical signifiers for an extended period of time.
• Dentists and physicians can detect small precursor tissue changes.
• Red or white patches of tissues in the mouth may emerge.
• Small, indurated ulcers, which look like common canker sores, may form.
• A lump may be felt inside the mouth or neck, causing pain or difficulty swallowing, speaking, or chewing.
• If a sore or discolored area of your mouth does not heal within 14 days, see a dentist or physician as soon as possible.

Treatment

• Chemotherapy
• Concurrent radiation with chemotherapy treatment
• Possible surgery to remove infected tissue
• Use of monoclonal antibody therapy

Proper oral care and avoiding tobacco (smoking, smokeless, and everything in between) and excessive alcohol consumption are very important for all of us to stay healthy. In most cases, taking these few precautions can keep our mouths free of cancer and help everyone sleep easy.

If you or someone you know shows any signs of oral cancer see a dentist and/or physician as soon as possible.

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What are some of the causes of this sensitivity?

• Tooth erosion due to gastric reflux disease or bulimia.
• Gum erosion due to inadequate oral care or tobacco use.
• Worn tooth enamel from using too hard of a toothbrush and brushing too aggressively.
• Grinding your teeth.
• Enamel erosion due to diet of highly acidic foods and beverages.

What can you do about sensitive gums?

Firstly, whenever you are having oral pain or discomfort, you should see a dentist. The fine people at Choice Family Dental will let you know the issue and work with you to develop a solution. When you get to the dentist, there are a few things that they may find and do. If there is tooth decay present, exasperating the issue, the tooth may need a filling or even a root canal. If there is gum recession, you may need as much as a gum graft. The scale of how serious the issue may be if you have hypersensitive teeth is pretty broad, and it’s always important to seek a professional opinion.

It’s important to make sure you brush after meals, see your friendly neighborhood dentist regularly, and refrain from tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption. If you already have a slight sensitivity to warm or cold foods, there is desensitizing toothpaste etc. that you can use—just ask one of our dentists when you come in for a visit!

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