Fun Facts About Your Teeth

 

We have 32 teeth. Plaque is not our friend. On average, people spend 39 days of their life brushing their teeth. Did you know any of those facts? At South Charlotte Dentistry, we’re all about teeth! Our teeth are an essential part of our ability to function; we use them to eat, as tools, to speak and interact, and so much more. Teeth are super important and interesting, so why not know more about them?

 

Yellow teeth are usually a sign of decay, rather than staining.

If your teeth are yellow, it’s more likely from the wearing away of enamel and the naturally yellow dentine coming through. Staining typically occurs from consuming drinks like soda or tea, or the use of tobacco products. When the enamel starts to wear away, your yellow dentin begins to show more prominently.

 

On that note, teeth cannot repair themselves.

If teeth are chipped or lost, your body is unable to self-repair. Unlike other parts of your body like muscles and certain bones, your teeth are not alive. In fact, your teeth are not actually bones! They may be white and hard, but they are made up of entirely different materials than bones are. External intervention by a dentist is required to heal or fix a tooth.

 

Luckily, the enamel is the hardest part of your entire body!

Enamel is the outer layer of teeth, the hardest material in your body, and contains the highest percentage of minerals in your body, as well. But even as the hardest part of your body, it is subsequently brittle and susceptible to breaking. Because enamel can’t repair itself, dentists can treat decaying enamel with tooth decay removal, sealants, fillings, and more. Ultimately, we want to protect our enamel and reverse any tooth decay with great oral care (i.e. daily brushing, flossing, fluoride, and drinking lots of water).

 

Your teeth begin to develop at six weeks in utero.

As early as six weeks, a baby begins to develop teeth in the womb. You can actually tell a lot about the mother and the environment she was in during the pregnancy term (think: nutrition, pollution, disease) by examining a baby’s teeth. A baby’s teeth do not begin to come in until they are between six to twelve months old.

 

A toothbrush and floss aren’t the only weapons you have to protect your teeth.

Saliva is your body’s natural defendant against plaque. A toothbrush misses 35% of your tooth's surface, so while flossing is very important, your saliva can also help break down any bad bacteria and plaque. When you drink plenty of water and stay hydrated, you're ensuring that your mouth is able to produce the right amount of saliva to fight off bacteria in the mouth.

 

Your mouth is home to 300 types of bacteria.

Before you worry about the high number of bacteria, know that most of the bacteria in your mouth are naturally occurring and actually work to prevent decay. Bacteria can live on the gums, teeth, tongue, and cheek. Daily brushing and flossing keep bad, unwanted bacteria at bay.

 

Teeth can appear in places beyond your mouth.

Teratomas are tumors that contain developed tissue, including teeth, hair, and bone. Teratomas form in the fetus and are seldom cancerous, meaning they can be removed and treated with little risk. While the condition can terrifyingly occur in anyone, teratomas are very rare, and it is extremely unlikely you have teeth-growing tumors in your body.

 

Teeth are an indicator of overall health.

Oral health is an indicator of your overall health. Just as your teeth can affect other organs in your body, problems in the rest of your body can also manifest in your mouth. For example, flat teeth and headaches are an indicator of grinding teeth at night, which is caused by stress. Or, suspicious sores in the mouth that won’t go away can also be a sign of oral cancer. From the mouth, we can find indicators of serious conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. It’s definitely important that you go to the dentist not only for your routine teeth cleaning but also to get an idea of how your oral and overall health is doing.

 

Your teeth are as unique as you!

Each and every one of your 32 teeth is unique to you! No two people have the same teeth – not even identical twins. Just like our DNA inherently makes us unique, our genes can also impact our grin. If gapped teeth or missing teeth run in your family, you can also get dental abnormalities passed down from your parents. Because our teeth are unique, they can also be used as identifiers. In forensic dentistry, scientists study human’s teeth to see who they were, what they did, what the climate or environment was like, or to identify remains.

 

We only get one set of adult teeth – so give them the best care possible at South Charlotte Dentistry!

South Charlotte Dentistry is committed to staying at the forefront of the latest research and providing our patients with both state-of-the-art dentistry and comprehensive dental education. Schedule a cleaning or check-up with your team at South Charlotte Dentistry today, and experience high quality services and dental treatments – plus, walk away learning even more about your teeth!

Thanksgiving Food Fight: Turkey Day and Your Oral Health

 

It can be so easy to put your oral health on the backburner during the holidays, especially the foodie ones like Thanksgiving. Out of all the big holidays, this one seems to assemble a full-on assault against your teeth and gums: mashed potatoes (with extra butter!), dressings of various tastes and textures, stuffing and turkey and gravy and bacon-wrapped dates and bacon-soaked green beans, and of course—no matter how you have tweaked your Thanksgiving meal throughout the years, you always have to have—pumpkin pie. Unfortunately, these delicacies can pack a punch on your teeth’s enamel, wear on the tops and insides of your gums, causing some real damage. 

Kind of a buzz-kill, huh? Not really, if you take the time to consciously remember and execute a few key tasks this holiday season. So before you cancel Thanksgiving in the name of oral health take a few minutes to see how you can still enjoy yourself this holiday season. Heck, you can even have that second piece of pumpkin pie—we won’t tell.

 

The Good, the Bad, and the Tasty

Let’s get right to it: which Thanksgiving foods are okay to eat, and which ones should you stay away from? Here is a shortlist of our favorite foods and their effect on your oral health:

• Turkey. Beginning with the star of the show, turkey is mostly good for your oral health. It is packed with protein and doesn’t contain those nasty elements like sugar that do damage to the enamel on your teeth. The only negative side to eating turkey is that it does tend to get stuck in your teeth. An obvious fix is to floss, which should be done directly after eating. As long as you have that floss ready, eat all the turkey you like!

• Cranberry Sauce. Though classic cranberry sauce is mighty tasty, and a wonderful complement to the other traditional Thanksgiving items, it can be rough on your oral health. Since cranberries are tart, sugar or some other sweetener is usually added, which creates a sticky, acidic substance that can stain your teeth, temporarily. But don’t worry, you can still eat it! Try mixing your cranberry sauce with other foods so the sticky substance has less of a chance to stick to your teeth and be sure to rinse with water or mouthwash immediately after eating. This will wash away most of the sugar that made it to your teeth.

• Yams. Since sweet potatoes are filled with Vitamin A and Vitamin C, they help keep your gums healthy. However, candied yams (which contain marshmallows) include a lot of sugar, which likes to stick to and rot your teeth. Our suggestion when eating yams, candied or not, is to have a fresh glass of water right along with it. Every few bites, take a gulp and swish it around a bit (you don’t have to get crazy and start gargling at the dinner table, just a light rinsing of the teeth and gums).

• Green Bean Casserole. The good news is, green beans and mushrooms and onions (the basic ingredients for this meal) are good for your oral health. The not-so-good-news is everything else mixed with these ingredients can be rough on the teeth and gums. There are many different ways to make green bean casserole, but most of them do include some kind of base that turns sticky, and small beans can get stuck between the teeth. Luckily, with a little floss and a glass of water handy, you should be alright.

• Macaroni and Cheese. Mac and cheese is a family favorite—and not just around Thanksgiving. Thankfully, cheese and milk are full of calcium that strengthens teeth. Unfortunately, that gooey goodness that tastes so good can be starchy and leave sugar behind your teeth. For this meal, try to only eat one portion and you need to actually brush your teeth afterward, paying extra attention to the backs of your teeth.

• Mashed Potatoes and Gravy. Believe it or not, mashed potatoes are high in Vitamin C, B6, and potassium, all of which contribute to strengthening your teeth. However, on the other side of that healthiness, potatoes are also incredibly starchy. Bacteria that rots your teeth love to form around the sugar that makes up starch. What’s more, soaking those mashed potatoes in gravy diminishes (by a lot) the overall health benefits of the dish. Our advice: say no to gravy (if that grayish goodness is a necessity, have a little but don’t over do it). And once you finish your mashed potatoes be sure to brush those teeth or, at the very least, swish some from water around in your mouth.

• Pumpkin Pie. What is Thanksgiving without the finale—the big show stopper—pumpkin pie? Gotta have it. And, luckily, there is a good side to eating it: pumpkins have Vitamin A, which aids in keeping your gums healthy, and it also helps build the enamel on your teeth. Bad news is, all that sugar that is added (not to mention the sugar included in that dollop of whipped topping) performs the exact opposite effect—it attaches to your teeth and breaks down the enamel, and it also deteriorates the gums. Now, we wouldn’t dare advise anyone to skip that big piece of pumpkin pie, but we do recommend you limit your intake to this day only. And, just as with those other sugary items, be sure to brush, swish water once you are finished.

So what’s the key take away here? Once you finish that big Turkey-Day meal you need to gargle, floss, and brush. And if you find you are hungry again after that long accidental nap on the couch, make sure you repeat the cleansing process all over again.

 

Visiting Your Dentist During the Holidays 

If, by chance, you experience a dental emergency over the holidays, don’t panic. Simply call our office or visit us online to schedule an appointment, as well as, to talk with someone who can help you as much as possible at the moment. In the meantime, use these few important tips to keep your oral health in tip-top shape:

• Begin by brushing correctly. The best way to keep your gums and teeth at their healthiest is to brush in small, circular motions. This will keep the toothbrush bristles from pushing your gums away from your teeth, which causes irritations that can lead to gum disease.

• Floss every day: flossing is incredibly important for your oral health. This keeps food from resting between your teeth, which begins to rot and aid in gum disease. Floss every morning or at night right before bed—and definitely after the Thanksgiving meal. Be sure not to jam the floss down on your gums. Use soft, clean motions, going back and forth. Hit every area between the teeth and rinse with water or mouthwash after.

• Stop using tobacco: this can be a touchy subject, but using tobacco of any form greatly increases the odds of various gum diseases. Quitting smoking or chewing tobacco is much easier said than done, but if you are a user, at least try and reduce how much tobacco comes in contact with your mouth. Your gums and teeth will thank you.

• Watch your diet: sugary drinks and foods, alcoholic beverages, even fatty meats can all have negative effects on your teeth and gums. As indicated earlier, you don’t necessarily have to cut these things out of your diet completely, but if you are the type of person who enjoys these on a regular basis, rather than on big holidays, try and cut back a bit. At the very least, make sure you brush your teeth right after eating or drinking sugary or fatty substances.

Enjoy yourself this holiday season by eating the foods you love. But don’t stop there, be sure and take care of your oral health as well. There is no reason both can’t happen at the same time! Lastly, never hesitate to contact us at South Charlotte Dentistry with any questions or concerns you may have—even if it’s during the holidays.

Resolution Diets and Your Teeth: How Dieting Trends Affect Your Oral Health

Keto, intermittent fasting, juicing—the New Year is upon us and so are dieting trends. Simply because they are trends doesn’t mean they aren’t effective, but before settling on a new diet for 2020, consider one important—and often forgotten—factor: your oral health. After all, what good is a diet that gets you in shape physically but negatively affects your teeth and gums?

Committing to a New Year’s diet is a great idea. It breeds discipline and, depending on the diet, it can positively affect one’s life. But let’s not forget the basics like drinking plenty of water, getting regular exercise, etc. These are the things that keep our bodies and minds running at their best.
There are a number of preventative measures to be taken that can keep your oral health in shape. Here are a few we recommend:

• Begin by brushing correctly. Brush in small, circular motions, as this will keep the toothbrush bristles from pushing your gums away from your teeth, which causes irritations that can lead to any of the conditions previously listed.
• Floss every day: this keeps food from resting between your teeth, which begins to rot and aid in gum disease. Floss every morning or at night right before bed. Be sure not to jam the floss down on your gums. Use soft, clean motions, going back and forth. Hit every area between the teeth and rinse with water or mouthwash after.
• Watch your diet: sugary drinks and foods, alcoholic beverages, even fatty meats can all have negative effects on your teeth and gums. You don’t necessarily have to cut these things out of your diet completely, but if you are the type of person who enjoys snacking on a regular basis, try and cut back a bit. At the very least, make sure you brush your teeth right after eating or drinking sugary or fatty substances.

Now that the basics are out of the way, let’s have a close look at the relationship between a few popular dieting trends and our oral health.

Juicing
When most people juice, they use it as a meal supplement. This means you are drinking a lot at once, or little bits throughout the day. Regardless, your teeth are in contact with many fruits and vegetables, and more importantly, the acids derived from them. And these acids can wreak havoc on your teeth in two ways: staining and erosion. Thankfully, there are ways to combat these two things from happening, and at South Charlotte Dentistry, we have compiled a short list of ways to keep juicing from harming your teeth.

• Drink Through Straws Whenever Possible

When drinking your favorite blended healthy concoction, it is possible to keep most of the liquid from having too much contact with your teeth. And, this is true, especially with thicker drinks. By using a straw, you can keep even more liquid from hitting your teeth. That’s why it’s a good idea to have many different types of straws around. A wide straw for thick juices, and narrow or regular sized for normal densities, and a bendy straw just because they’re fun. Do stay away from those trendy metal straws though, as they can chip your teeth. Basically, any way of transferring your juice directly from the cup to your throat without touching anything (besides the straw), the better. Just be careful, using a straw makes drinking a lot of liquid much easier. You don’t want to overdo it on the juicing!

• Always Have a Water Chaser

The more time acidic liquids have to rest in-between and on the teeth, the better the chances of stains and erosion. And you know what that means: more trips to the dentist and quite possibly some intensive dental work to be done. So, even if you use a straw, it is a great idea to have a glass of crisp and clean water to drink from between each gulp of juice you take. This makes those acidic bits even more difficult to stick around and manages to rinse any residue left behind that would stain the teeth. And an added bonus is that water will fill you up even more, that’s if the goal is to lose weight.

• Get the Right Toothpaste

A lot of people like to rush right to the whitening toothpaste. It makes sense, who doesn’t want white teeth? But when you are juicing the acid that does come into contact with your teeth (and no matter what you do, there will be a least a tiny bit that does) makes them softer, more sensitive. And when you combine the harsh chemicals in whitening toothpaste, it can cause a lot of discomfort. It’s better to use toothpaste that is made for sensitive teeth. This will clean the teeth well without hurting them. And, honestly, brushing twice a day will do well at keeping your teeth white. If you feel you need something more there are plenty of products out there that do not hurt the teeth, even sensitive strips and mouthwashes that can advance your whitening.

• Avoid Over-Brushing

Never thought you could brush too much, did you? Well, you can. Too much brushing can actually help the acid erode the enamel off your teeth. As previously said, juicing can leave your teeth extra sensitive. To go and brush excessively after that can cause some problems. It's best to stick to the twice a day standard. And when you do brush, use a soft or medium bristle. Brush lightly, and use a mechanical toothbrush if possible. These are made to get to those hard-to-reach places and they put the perfect amount of pressure on your teeth and gums. And nowadays, you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to get one. There are plenty of reasonably priced electric toothbrushes out there. You just have to do a bit of research.

• Chew Gum

It makes sense if you think about it. Chewing gum can break free those little seeds or bits of unblended food from your teeth. Just make sure you are only chewing sugarless gum. If not, you are adding to the harmful agents in your mouth. And it’s not a good idea to always be chewing gum. A few times a day, after meals is fine. Overdoing it can cause discomfort to sensitive teeth.

• Use Mouthwash Regularly

Just like flossing and brushing, the twice a day rule is all you need with mouthwash. If you feel the need to rinse more than that use water. But once in the morning, then again at night, can do wonders to clean the mouth. Mouthwash also helps keep your teeth white and your breath fresh.

• Visit Your Dentist Twice a Year

This is one of the most important things to do. One visit to the dentist every six months is the perfect way to gauge how well your teeth are handling the juicing. A dentist can tell you if your teeth are becoming too sensitive or stained and advise you on what to do. It’s also good because you get a professional cleaning where someone is meticulously searching your mouth for cavities, bits of food, or anything else.

• Stains and Signs of Erosion

While you are juicing it is best to keep an eye out for discoloration and erosion. Nothing to panic about, but something to definitely be monitored. It’s a good idea to take photos of your teeth before you begin to juice. Then compare every so often to make sure there are no stains beginning to form. And if you notice more sensitivity, even only with certain foods or drinks, it might be from the acid. Make sure you are following all the steps listed, and if you still feel something is off, visit your dentist.

Intermittent Fasting
There may be a good case for the physical effects of fasting, but what about how it affects our oral health? Is it truly good for our teeth and gums to go long periods of time without food?
According to the famous naturopath Dr. Herbert Shelton, fasting can have dramatically beneficial effects on eradicating tooth decay and gum disease, but he also notes that a poorly planned and executed fast can cause damage to oral health.

Fasting relaxes the body by giving it a chance to rest from all the chewing and swallowing and digesting. We forget that our bones and gums are living things that need to be used, but also need breaks. The absence of food lets our teeth and gums repair, and by drinking water during a fast you are able to have a thorough rinse during the process.

*A note of caution: stay away from sparkling water when fasting—actually, it’s a good idea to keep your sparkly drinks to a minimum, if possible. The low pH in this type of drink can increase mineral loss in the teeth, as well as, strip the enamel from the face of the tooth. If you enjoy seltzer water or other sparkling drinks, have them in moderation and swish your mouth with plain water afterward (especially if the bubbly drink has sugar in it).

So if you’ve had it with the fad diets, and you would like to give your oral health a chance to improve, look into intermittent fasting. Here are a few tips to get you going:

1. Start by fasting for twelve hours and count your sleep time towards these hours. So if you were to stop eating by 7pm, you could eat breakfast at 7am. Not too bad, right? You don’t even have to do this every day. Pick a few days a week to get you going.
2. Next, move up to sixteen hours. Typically people at this step stop eating around 8pm, skip breakfast the next morning, and eat again around noon.
3. Once you have gotten used to fasting the 16:8 method (16-hour period fasting: 8- hour period eating) for a few days a week, move on to alternating the days you fast—one off, one on.
4. From here, vary the way you fast to see which fits into your lifestyle best. You can fast every day, every other, or go weeks where you fast and then take weeks off. It’s really up to you.

Regardless of the diet you find works best, consider its effects on your oral health. You’ll be glad you did in the long run.

Mouthwash

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The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting on Your Oral Health

Whether it’s the Keto, Paleo, or low-calorie and no-sugar, there always seems to be a new dieting craze around the corner. Fasting (abstaining from food for a period of time) is the latest fad diet, but, with a possibility for physical and oral health benefits, this method may be more than just a flash in the pan.

At first thought, it makes sense why fasting would be beneficial both physically and orally. Though there are many types of fasts—dry fast, absolute fast, partial fast—physically you are, well, starving yourself. So it makes sense your body would react by burning fat for energy. Orally, by having fewer bacteria and saliva in the mouth due to constant eating, or rather not constantly eating, the teeth and gums have a chance to grow and heal and thrive.

Effects on Oral Health

There may be a good case for the physical effects of fasting, but what about how it affects our oral health? Is it truly good for our teeth and gums to go that long without food?

According to the famous naturopath Dr. Herbert Shelton, fasting can have dramatically beneficial effects on eradicating tooth decay and gum disease, but he also notes that a poorly planned and executed fast can cause damage to oral health.

Fasting relaxes the body by giving it a chance to rest from all the chewing and swallowing and digesting. We forget that our bones and gums are living things that need to be used, but also need breaks. The absence of food lets our teeth and gums repair, and by drinking water during a fast you are able to have a thorough rinse during the process.

So if you’ve had it with the fad diets, and you would like to give your oral health a chance to improve, look into intermittent fasting. Here are a few tips to get you going:

1. Start by fasting for twelve hours and count your sleep time towards these hours. So if you were to stop eating by 7 pm, you could eat breakfast at 7 am. Not too bad, right? You don’t even have to do this every day. Pick a few days a week to get you going.
2. Next, move up to sixteen hours. Typically people at this step stop eating around 8 pm, skip breakfast the next morning, and eat again around noon.
3. Once you have gotten used to fasting the 16:8 method (16-hour period fasting: 8- hour period eating) for a few days a week, move on to alternating the days you fast—one off, one on.
4. From here, vary the way you fast to see which fits into your lifestyle best. You can fast every day, every other, or go weeks where you fast and then take weeks off. It’s really up to you.

A Bit More on Intermittent Fasting

As we increasingly become aware of our physical health and the aging process, we find ourselves mining for new methods, new understandings of how we can feel and look our very best, all the time. Cynthia Thurlow, an experienced nurse practitioner and functional nutritionist, challenges our common dieting practices (i.e., three meals a day, and snacking throughout the day) in a recent Ted Talk by providing cause for what she calls “intermittent fasting.” She begins her presentation by stating that breakfast is not the most important meal of the day and that the recent encouragement to snack throughout the day is not what we should be doing. The most beneficial meal we can get might be no meal at all.

She goes on to cite numerous examples where she has seen people integrate intermittent fasting into their lives only to find themselves much healthier and happier.

Her key points:

• Eating three meals a day/snacking throughout overtaxes our organs. This overworking of our body makes us age faster and lose energy quicker. 
• Intermittent Fasting, the “absence of food during a prescribed time period,” gives your body time to react and rejuvenate itself. She suggests fasting for a period of sixteen hours and then taking a period of eight hours when you can eat. Begin by fasting for ten to twelve hours then move up to sixteen. During the fasting period, you are able to drink coffee and tea and, of course, water.
• Thurlow suggests trying intermittent fasting for thirty days before deciding if it is truly beneficial or not for you.

Regardless of how used to fasting you are, if you ever find yourself getting dizzy or nauseous, it is a good idea to eat something. Good luck!

-Andrae Bergeron

*Sources:

•    https://www.healingteethnaturally.com/dr-herbert-shelton-fasting-effects-on-teeth.html

•    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6Dkt7zyImk

Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew!

It didn’t take long for us to figure out our teeth were pretty tough. Besides having loose baby teeth, we discovered that we can chew pretty rigorously and bite down into most things and our teeth have stayed intact. There’s a reason Jawbreaker candies and salt-water taffy have stuck around for so long.

Perhaps you were also told that your teeth are harder than steel, iron, and nickel, and that they can resist to 30,000 pounds of compressive force. Teeth are no joke! In fact, they are as impressive as the facts before, but are they as invincible as we think? How much can our teeth actually withstand between daily use, habits, or over a long period time?

Instead of thinking of teeth like one compact structure, they’re actually more like a weaved-basket. When and if your teeth do eventually crack, this micro-weaved structure helps prevent cracks from spreading after an impact.

Harmless habits with long-lasting effects:

Much of the rigor we put our teeth through is rather unsuspecting in nature. Do you regularly do in any of the following?

Nail Biting

Unfortunately, nail biting ruins more than your pretty manicure. This is one of the most common habits that people have, whether that’s due to stress, boredom, nervousness, or you just don't want to grab the nail clippers sometimes. Your nails are one of the hardest surfaces on your body, so it’s should come as no surprise that chomping down regularly on your finger nails can actually cause damage.

Nail biting can also result in a number of issues. It can cause cracks, chips or erosion of the front teeth, or even fracture the enamel on your front teeth from excessive chewing. Over time, it can cause your teeth enamel to wear down and increase sensitivity. In more severe cases, constant nail biting can cause TMJ. TMJ is a condition that causes pain, clicking, or popping in the jaw.

Ice Chewing

Your parents or friends might fuss at you for this one out of sheer annoyance, but casually chewing on ice happens to the best of us! Crunching on ice is satisfying, hydrating, and really bad for your teeth and gums. Ice chewing will crack and chip your teeth, damage tooth enamel, and can cause problems with existing dental work like fillings and crowns. Chewing on ice definitely is not worth damaging your teeth.

If you still want the satisfaction of a crunch, consider switching to baby carrots or apple bites. If ice chewing is a habit you can’t seem to break, then you may want to consider talking to your dentist. Ice cravings can actually be a sign of anemia, also known as an iron deficiency.

Eating sticky foods

Ever eaten caramel and tried brush your teeth afterwards? Chances are that you could still and taste the caramel stuck in your teeth. Sticky and chewy foods attach to and between your teeth for a prolonged period, resulting in bad bacteria feeding on that lingering sugar in your mouth, thus creating cavities. It’s very important not only to brush thoroughly after eating these types of foods, but also to floss and drink lots of water!

Chewing Gum

Based on popular commercials, we’ve been told that chewing gum is recommended by 4 out of 5 dentists, so it’s great for the teeth and the digestion track, right? Wrong.

To start, chewing gum is filled with artificial sweeteners when they are labeled as sugar free. The “safer” sweeteners aren’t any better for your teeth. Artificial sweeteners can do as much damage to the tooth enamel as normal sugar, and under the guise of being healthier, can influence the increased intake of artificial sugars over natural sugar.

Excessive chewing causes wear and tear on the cartilage and surrounding joints in the mouth, causing or aggravating jaw-conditions like TMJ.

Fun Fact: Chewing gum requires eight different facial muscles that put pressure on the nerves in head. This means that chewing gum can also cause intermittent headaches!

If these aren’t enough reasons to hinder you from chewing gum, then we will dispel one final myth. Chewing gum can only give you the feeling of being “minty clean,” when in reality, bad breath is due to tooth decay and sometimes digestive problems. Switching up the foods in your diet can actually improve bad breath, not popping in gum after eating a stinky meal.

Biting

Seeing your infant or toddler bite can be a cause of concern for parents; are they trying to relieve the pain from teething? Do they just want to experience the sensation of biting? Or is it rooted in frustration, anger, confusion, or hunger, using biting as a method to communicate difficult feelings? Children can bite for a number of reasons, and while it can be upsetting and potentially harmful behavior, it is usually a phase outgrown and a behavior redirected.

Should parents be concerned about the effects of biting on their children’s teeth? Well, sure! It’s always important to pay close attention to the state and progression of your child’s teeth. Depending on what the child is biting, it may be detrimental for their teeth and jaw (i.e. if they’re biting extremely hard objects). Talking to your dentist is the best way to determine what biting behavior and habits are too excessive.

Although babies lose their first set of teeth, baby teeth are important for eating talking, and smiling, as well as keeping spaces for the adult teeth to come in. Ensure that your children brush and floss at an appropriate age, and take them in for regular dentist visits to adjust them to oral health upkeep.

Fun fact: did you know that bite-marks aren’t scientifically backed in forensic evidence anymore? There is no reliable methodology to support that human bite marks are unique. We’re don’t recommend using teeth as a murder-weapon or biting other humans in general, but if your toddler is ever erroneously convicted of murder on bite marks, remember this article. On the bright side, your dental records and teeth themselves can still identify you!

Biting into hard foods or objects

Cracking into nuts, chewing un-popped kernels, opening beer bottles with your teeth, and gnawing on pen caps; these are all destructive, stress-inducing habits for your teeth.

Just as carrots and apples can be great alternatives to bad hard foods, it’s worth adding that hard, raw foods are actually great for your teeth and gums. Think of it like a dog chewing on a bone to clean their teeth and gums; chewing raw foods does the same for us, removing plaque while also stimulating the jaw and teeth nerves. If we avoided all hard foods, it really wouldn’t be good for our teeth!

Over time, what’s going to happen to my teeth from aggravated chewing and biting?

Depending on what stage you’re in during your life or how your dental care has been, your teeth may have different needs. People with braces know not to bite into apples and to avoid tough meats and hard breads, and people with veneers know to avoid crunching into raw vegetables.  Those with dentures have their own set of rules to abide by, just as those with crowns and fillings do too. The best way to know what can happen is to talk to your dentist!

If you’re suffering from a chipped tooth, or know that you’re a chronic chewer or biter, South Charlotte Family &Cosmetic Dentistry is here to help! Make an appointment today to learn more about getting a filling, crown, implant, or to talk about managing habits putting your teeth at risk.

Let’s Talk Toothbrushes!

Here at South Charlotte Dentistry, we get a lot of question about toothbrushes. We know our patients are aware of the importance of brushing their teeth, but how significant is the toothbrush that you use? Over the years, dental technology continues to change and advance but one tool has remained a staple in the dental world: the toothbrush. While toothbrushes have come a long way from frayed twigs to fancy electric toothbrushes, the concept of the technology remains the same. 

Picking The Perfect Toothbrush! 

·         Size - The size of your toothbrush is important. Kids will need small toothbrushes that have a small handle, making it easy to grip onto, and a small brush to glide across the teeth comfortably. A small brush can create a more effective cleaning regimen, as it will have more contact in smaller areas of the mouth. Adults, on the other hand, will want a handle that is normal in length and a brush that is sized to fit their mouth accordingly. 

·         Texture - Texture is important! Kids will need softer brushes as their teeth come in, grow, and are lost. A soft brush is good for sensitive teeth and gums, and firm brushes are used for adults with healthy gums. When using a firm brush it is important to brush light, as too much force can damage the gums. 

·         Electric or Manual - While people certainly have strong opinions on their choice of toothbrushes, electric or manual brushes are both fine! This decision mainly comes down to personal preference and budget. An electric toothbrush tends to clean more efficiently and get in between teeth better, and is a great choice for people with sensitive gums or people that might brush too rough.

Related: Toothpaste Phobia, It’s a Real Thing!

 

Whether you are using a fancy electronic toothbrush or a regular toothbrush, what matters most is that you are brushing at least twice a day. Make sure to brush all sides of your teeth, and even your tongue, for approximately two minutes. It is also recommended that you replace your toothbrush every three months.

Schedule you routine cleaning today with South Charlotte Dentistry. We will help answer any questions you may have about your oral health, even if you want to ask us about what toothbrush you should be using! Call to make your appointment at 704-759-0908.