Tooth Decay – Also called Cavities, Dental Caries

You call it a cavity. Your dentist calls it tooth decay or dental caries. They're all names for a hole in your tooth. The cause of tooth decay is plaque, a sticky substance in your mouth made up mostly of germs. Tooth decay starts in the outer layer, called the enamel. Without a filling, the decay can get deep into the tooth and its nerves and cause a toothache or abscess.

To help prevent cavities

• Brush your teeth every day with a fluoride toothpaste
• Clean between your teeth every day with floss or another type of between-the-teeth cleaner
• Snack smart - limit sugary snacks
• See your dentist or oral health professional regularly

Above article from: www.nim.nih.gov

Jeffrey Cohen, DMD
4324 Forest Hill Boulevard
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
Tel:(561) 967-8200
Email: info@thecosmeticdentist.com
Website: www.thecosmeticdentist.com 

Cosmetic Dentistry

Who doesn't want a perfect smile? While few people have one naturally, almost anyone can get one with the help of their dentist. In addition to orthodontic treatment, which can straighten your teeth, recent advances in dental materials and techniques offer near-perfect teeth that are almost as strong as the originals.

Things your dentist can do to improve your smile include

• Bleaching to make teeth whiter
• Repairing chips or rough spots with fillings that match your teeth
• Filling cavities with tooth-colored materials
• Reshaping teeth that don't match the others
• Closing gaps between teeth
• Covering broken teeth with porcelain crowns

Above article from: www.nim.nih.gov

Jeffrey Cohen, DMD
4324 Forest Hill Boulevard
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
Tel:(561) 967-8200
Email: info@thecosmeticdentist.com
Website: www.thecosmeticdentist.com 

Diode Lasers: Many Effective Dental Uses!

A Diode Laser works wonders to help with many soft tissue procedures including contouring of the gum tissue for a more close fitting crown or filling,  incisions and excisions of tissues that are red, puffy and which bleed easily. They work around implants and metals without excessive heat or loss of bone healing. Bleeding can be controlled quickly and effectively.  This helps with patients with hemophilia or those on blood thinners.These lasers can also be used with patients who have a pacemaker without any ill effects.
They are also commonly used to help the dentist heal ulcers or canker sores on the tissues inside the mouth.
They have also been found to help heal deep "pockets" of bone loss so the patient can keep these areas clean and healthy at home between visits!

Bleeding gums

Bleeding gums can be a sign that you are at risk for, or already have, gum disease. However, persistent gum bleeding may be due to serious medical conditions such as leukemia and bleeding and platelet disorders.

Considerations

It is important to follow the instructions from your dentist in order to maintain healthy gums. Improper brushing and flossing technique may actually irritate or traumatize the gum tissue.

Causes

Bleeding gums are mainly due to inadequate plaque removal from the teeth at the gum line. This will lead to a condition called gingivitis, or inflamed gums.

If plaque is not removed through regular brushing and dental appointments, it will harden into what is known as tartar. Ultimately, this will lead to increased bleeding and a more advanced form of gum and jawbone disease known as periodontitis.

Other causes of bleeding gums include:

• Any bleeding disorder
• Brushing too hard
• Hormonal changes during pregnancy
• Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura
• Ill-fitting dentures
• Improper flossing
• Infection, which can be either tooth- or gum-related
• Leukemia
• Scurvy
• Use of blood thinners
• Vitamin K deficiency

Home Care

Visit the dentist at least once every 6 months for plaque removal. Follow your dentist's home care instructions.

You should brush your teeth gently with a soft-bristle toothbrush after every meal. The dentist may recommend rinsing with salt water or hydrogen peroxide and water. Avoid using commercial, alcohol-containing mouthwashes, which aggravate the problem.

Flossing teeth twice a day can prevent plaque from building up. Avoiding snacking between meals and reducing carbohydrates can also help. Follow a balanced, healthy diet.

Other tips:

• Avoid the use of tobacco, which aggravates bleeding gums.
• Control gum bleeding by applying pressure directly on the gums with a gauze pad soaked in ice water.
• If you have been diagnosed with a vitamin deficiency, take recommended vitamin supplements.
• Avoid aspirin unless your health care provider has recommended that you take it.
• If side effects of medication are irritating, ask your doctor to recommend another medication. Never change your medication without consulting your doctor.
• Use an oral irrigation device on the low setting to massage the gums.
• See your dentist if your dentures do not fit correctly or if they are causing sore spots in your gums.

Above article from: www.nim.nih.gov

Jeffrey Cohen, DMD
4324 Forest Hill Boulevard
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
Tel:(561) 967-8200
Email: info@thecosmeticdentist.com
Website: www.thecosmeticdentist.com 

Grills: What to Know

Grills, also called “grillz” or “fronts,” are decorative covers often made of gold, silver or jewel-encrusted precious metals that snap over one or more of their teeth. They generally are removable but some grill wearers have had their teeth altered with gold crowns to permanently resemble a grill. And some have tried to attach their grill with glue—something that is not meant for internal use and can damage the teeth and tissues! At present there are no studies that show that grills are harmful to the mouth—but there are no studies that show that their long-term wear is safe, either. Some grills are made from non-precious (base) metals that may cause irritation or metal-allergic reactions.
If you wear a grill, you should be especially careful about brushing and flossing to prevent potential problems. Food and other debris may become trapped between the teeth and the grill allowing bacteria to collect and produce acids. The acids can cause tooth decay and harm gum tissue. Bacteria may also contribute to bad breath. There also is the potential for grills to irritate surrounding oral tissues and to wear the enamel away on the opposing teeth.
To prevent problems, try and limit the amount of time spent wearing removable grills. If you already wear a grill, you should remove it before eating. It should be cleaned daily to remove bacteria and food debris. Avoid using jewelry cleaners or any products that are dangerous to ingest. If you are considering getting a dental grill, make sure you talk to your dentist first. Find out exactly what materials the grill is made of and avoid creating a breeding ground for bacteria. Grills might be trendy for the moment, but “pearly whites” will never go out of style.

This article taken from: http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/g/grills.aspx

Chewing Gum Helps With Tooth Health

What is chewing gum?

Chewing gum in various forms has been around since ancient times.  The Greeks chewed sap from the mastic tree, called mastiche.  On the other side of the world, the ancient Mayans favored the sap of the sapodilla tree (called tsiclte).  Native Americans from New England chewed spruce sap—a habit they passed on to European settlers.  Today, the base used for most gum products is a blend of synthetic materials (elastomeres, resins and waxes in various proportions).  However, chewing gum is as popular as ever. 
Consumers may be used to thinking about chewing gum as a kind of candy, but this category of the ADA Seal recognizes chewing gum that has demonstrated scientifically that it can protect the teeth.  For an informative article on the history of chewing gum, visit http://pubs.acs.org/cen/whatstuff/85/8532sci2.html (Link opens in separate window. Pop-up Blocker may need to be disabled.)

What does chewing gum do?

The physical act of chewing increases the flow of saliva in your mouth.  If you chew after eating, the increased salivary flow can help neutralize and wash away the acids that are produced when food is broken down by the bacteria in plaque on your teeth.  Over time, acid can break down tooth enamel, creating the conditions for decay.  Increased saliva flow also carries with it more calcium and phosphate to help strengthen tooth enamel. Clinical studies have shown that chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes following meals can help prevent tooth decay. 
In the future, look for chewing gum that delivers a variety of therapeutic agents that could provide additional benefits to those provided by the ability of gum to mechanically stimulate saliva flow. For instance, some gum might contain active agents that could enhance the gum’s ability to remineralize teeth and reduce decay, or enable gum to help reduce plaque and gingivitis.

Does chewing gum replace brushing and flossing?

No, chewing gum is an adjunct to brushing and flossing, but not a substitute for either. The ADA recommends brushing twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and cleaning plaque from between your teeth once a day with dental floss or other interproximal dental cleaners.

What is in chewing gum and how is it made?

Chewing gum typically consists of:

• Gum base
• Artificial sweeteners (such as aspartame, sorbitol or mannitol)
• Softeners (glycerin or other vegetable oil products)
• Flavorings and colorings

The process for making chewing gum has six basic steps:

1. Gum base ingredients are melted together
2. Other ingredients are added until the warm mix thickens like dough
3. Machines called extruders are used to blend, smooth and form the gum
4. The gum is shaped (flattened or molded into tablet shapes and coated)
5. The gum is cooled for up to 48 hours in a temperature controlled room
6. The gum is packaged.

Source: National Association of Chewing Gum Manufacturers.

How does chewing gum get the Seal?

A company earns the ADA Seal for its product by showing with scientific evidence that the chewing gum is effective for one or more specific indications, such as reducing plaque acids, promoting remineralization of tooth enamel, reducing cavities and/or reducing gingivitis.  Studies must also show that the gum is safe to oral tissues.  The manufacturer must provide the results of both laboratory studies and clinical studies in humans.

Does the ADA award its Seal to sugar-containing gum?

To date, the only gum with the ADA Seal are sugarless.  They are sweetened by non-cavity causing sweeteners such as aspartame, sorbitol or mannitol.  Chewing sugarless gum has been shown to increase the flow of saliva, thereby reducing plaque acid, strengthening the teeth and reducing tooth decay.  Of course, chewing sugar-containing gum also increases saliva flow, but it also contains sugar which is used by plaque bacteria to produce decay-causing acids. Further research needs to be done to determine the effects of chewing sugar-containing gum on tooth decay.

Why look for chewing gum that displays the ADA Seal?

The Seal is your assurance that the Sugar-free Chewing Gum has met the ADA criteria for safety and effectiveness. You can trust that claims made on packaging and labeling for ADA-Accepted products are true, because companies must verify all of the information to the ADA. Look for the ADA Seal because products with the ADA Seal say what they do and do what they say.

What products have earned the ADA Seal of Acceptance?

• Get a Complete List of ADA Accepted Chewing Gum

Article taken from: http://www.ada.org/5097.aspx?currentTab=2

Nisin: Helps to Kill "Bad Cells"

Nisin, a common food preservative, may slow or stop squamous cell head and neck cancers, a University of Michigan study found.

What makes this particularly good news is that the Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization approved nisin as safe for human consumption decades ago, says Yvonne Kapila, the study's principal investigator and professor at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.

This means that obtaining FDA approval to test nisin's suggested cancer-fighting properties on patients in a clinical setting won't take as long as a new therapy that hasn't been tried yet on people, she says.

Antibacterial agents like nisin alter cell properties in bacteria to render it harmless. However, it's only recently that scientists began looking to antibacterial agents like nisin to see if they altered properties in other types of cells, such as cancer cells or cells in tumors.

Oral cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, and oral squamous cell carcinoma accounts for more than 90 percent of oral cancers. However, survival rates for oral cancer haven't improved in decades, according to the study.

"The poor five-year survival rates for oral cancer underscore the need to find new therapies for oral cancer," Kapila said. "The use of small antibacterial agents, like nisin, to treat cancer is a new approach that holds great promise. Nisin is a perfect example of this potential because it has been used safely in humans for many years, and now the laboratory studies support its anti-tumor potential."

The U-M study, which looked at the use of antimicrobials to fight cancerous tumors, suggests nisin, in part, slows cell proliferation or causes cell death through the activation of a protein called CHAC1 in cancer cells, a protein known to influence cell death.

The study is the first to show CHAC1's new role in promoting cancer cell death under nisin treatment. The findings also suggest that nisin may work by creating pores in the cancer cell membranes that allow an influx of calcium. It's unclear what role calcium plays in nisin-triggered cell death, but it's well known that calcium is a key regulator in cell death and survival.

Additionally, the findings suggest that nisin slows or stops tumor growth by interrupting the cell cycle in "bad" cells but not the good cells; thus nisin stops cancer cell proliferation but doesn't hurt good cells.
Article taken from:  http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/252251.php