Dental Questions
When it comes to common healthcare questions, there are more questions in the dental field than almost any place else, so it’s no big surprise that people often want to know about different things in this industry. From the really simple questions to what plaque is and why it’s so bad to the more complex questions of what is drill-less dental procedures. Below, we go over the top most common healthcare questions when it comes to dental care, and a few questions you may have never considered to even ask. Not only is this a great way to become more knowledgeable about taking care of your teeth, but if you are looking for a new dentist or you are looking for babies first dentist, these are going to be some questions you might want to consider.
What Is Plaque?
When we think about our teeth, we probably don’t realize there are so many different layers, parts or mechanics to how our teeth work and what is considered bad vs. good. We know cavities are bad, that’s obvious, but what about plaque? To put it simply, plaque is a film, usually it’s clear and sticky, and it’s a form of bacteria that forms on your teeth. Plaque can collect on your teeth for all sorts of reasons, but mostly from not brushing your teeth or from not using tooth floss in between your teeth. Plaque does and will irritate the gums, but it can also cause the underlying bone of the teeth to be destroyed. Gum disease has been linked to plaque as the #1 reason. Gum disease might not seem like a big deal, but it is. In fact, beyond just causing pain, sensitivity of the gums and bloody gums, it can cause bigger health problems such as stroke, heart disease, and even complications for pregnant women. Plaque CAN be defeated though! You need to make sure you brush your teeth two times daily and that you also floss two times daily as well. You also might consider using a plaque removing mouthwash and you should visit your dentist to help remove plaque from the teeth and gum line as well.
What is Dry Mouth?
One of the biggest issues when it comes to dry mouth, is lack of saliva or xerostomia. This is a disease that can be caused by all sorts of issues including diseases of the saliva glands, medications that decrease saliva in the mouth or cause cotton mouth, as well as a result of aging. Saliva is good to have in the mouth, so when you lack it, it’s sort of obvious that it can cause issues such as gum disease, tooth decay and other things like infections in the mouth. One of the best ways to fix an issue like this, is to use sugar free candy or gum to create saliva in the mouth. Remember not to use sugary candy, gum or soda, not only is this going to make things worse, but it will rapidly increase tooth decay. Our saliva has a natural bacteria in it, that helps keep certain diseases and bacteria away, so when you lack that saliva and then you introduce soda or candy that is not sugar free, it can’t "fight" the sugary mess and it will stick to your teeth and cause decay.
Dentures
In a perfect world, someone could get dentures and have them be perfect for the rest of their life. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world. In some cases if you have had dentures for a few years, say 3-5 years, they just might not fit the same way they used to. Dentures are not only a way of letting us chew food better, they also tend to be a cosmetic venture for most people - they don’t want to walk around with no teeth, or they were a less expensive or more viable option than something like implants. When someone has dentures, it’s great because they have teeth that look and feel normal, and they can eat food correctly, but nothing is as natural as your teeth. When you don’t have teeth, the jaw bone and bones in your mouth tend to shrink and move over time. Because of this your dentures, which are not "cemented" in like real teeth will fit less and less over time because of the movement of the bones. When this happens, you will need to get a new fit in your mouth for the dentures. By the way, if you have had them for over 5 years chances are they don’t fit because the dentist didn’t fit them right. These days, dentists have much better ways to make sure that the dentures contour to the natural shape of your mouth so that hopefully in another 5 years you won’t have to deal with this again!
What Is Plaque?
When we think about our teeth, we probably don’t realize there are so many different layers, parts or mechanics to how our teeth work and what is considered bad vs. good. We know cavities are bad, that’s obvious, but what about plaque? To put it simply, plaque is a film, usually it’s clear and sticky, and it’s a form of bacteria that forms on your teeth. Plaque can collect on your teeth for all sorts of reasons, but mostly from not brushing your teeth or from not using tooth floss in between your teeth. Plaque does and will irritate the gums, but it can also cause the underlying bone of the teeth to be destroyed. Gum disease has been linked to plaque as the #1 reason. Gum disease might not seem like a big deal, but it is. In fact, beyond just causing pain, sensitivity of the gums and bloody gums, it can cause bigger health problems such as stroke, heart disease, and even complications for pregnant women. Plaque CAN be defeated though! You need to make sure you brush your teeth two times daily and that you also floss two times daily as well. You also might consider using a plaque removing mouthwash and you should visit your dentist to help remove plaque from the teeth and gum line as well.
What is Dry Mouth?
One of the biggest issues when it comes to dry mouth, is lack of saliva or xerostomia. This is a disease that can be caused by all sorts of issues including diseases of the saliva glands, medications that decrease saliva in the mouth or cause cotton mouth, as well as a result of aging. Saliva is good to have in the mouth, so when you lack it, it’s sort of obvious that it can cause issues such as gum disease, tooth decay and other things like infections in the mouth. One of the best ways to fix an issue like this, is to use sugar free candy or gum to create saliva in the mouth. Remember not to use sugary candy, gum or soda, not only is this going to make things worse, but it will rapidly increase tooth decay. Our saliva has a natural bacteria in it, that helps keep certain diseases and bacteria away, so when you lack that saliva and then you introduce soda or candy that is not sugar free, it can’t "fight" the sugary mess and it will stick to your teeth and cause decay.
Dentures
In a perfect world, someone could get dentures and have them be perfect for the rest of their life. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world. In some cases if you have had dentures for a few years, say 3-5 years, they just might not fit the same way they used to. Dentures are not only a way of letting us chew food better, they also tend to be a cosmetic venture for most people - they don’t want to walk around with no teeth, or they were a less expensive or more viable option than something like implants. When someone has dentures, it’s great because they have teeth that look and feel normal, and they can eat food correctly, but nothing is as natural as your teeth. When you don’t have teeth, the jaw bone and bones in your mouth tend to shrink and move over time. Because of this your dentures, which are not "cemented" in like real teeth will fit less and less over time because of the movement of the bones. When this happens, you will need to get a new fit in your mouth for the dentures. By the way, if you have had them for over 5 years chances are they don’t fit because the dentist didn’t fit them right. These days, dentists have much better ways to make sure that the dentures contour to the natural shape of your mouth so that hopefully in another 5 years you won’t have to deal with this again!