I see many mouths everyday and fortunately most mouths I see are healthy.
However,here is a list of general health-related conditions that show warning signs in your mouth. Sure you want to keep your dental health strong and many people know that gum disease is connected with heart disease. I encourage you to have more awareness of your dental health and that includes these warning signs.
Flat, worn teeth and headaches are signs of TMJ. People often grind. This stress level, left unchecked, can lead to other physical and emotional issues. It can also lead to TMJ… you’ve seen plenty about TMJ treatment on my blog. If you have worn teeth and bruxism (grinding), please see me for a TMJ evaluation
Cracking teeth is a warning sign for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). You may also have something we call erosion. This is when the stomach acid erodes the tongue side of the teeth. Of course not brushing away sugars will cause your tooth enamel to erode, too. But if you take good care of your mouth with brushing and flossing and you still have tooth erosion, you may want to look for treatment for GERD.
A mouth sore that don’t heal is a sign of oral cancer. An oral cancer screening is part of your regular checkup and it is a good reason to keep your appointments for cleanings and check ups.
Gums that grow over teeth are a sign of issues with prescription medication. Your medication for seizures, heart disease or autoimmune diseases could be causing this reaction if the medication is not adjusted properly.
And, a dry mouth is a sign of diabetes. There are many early warning signs of diabetes and one small tip that you might need to see a doctor for a diabetes screening is a persistent lack of saliva. We have also seen with some of the newer medications being prescribed that they are causing dry mouth. This is leading to a high degree of decay in some of our patients.
Watch for these warning signs as you manage the home care of your dental health. Please see me regularly for check ups this year as well, so we can make sure your dental health is at its peak.
Thanks,
James Merrett DDS
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Are Whitening Toothpastes working for you???
Many people buy so-called “Teeth Whitening” toothpaste hoping to get whiter teeth. Hoping that a $5-$10 tube of toothopaste will be the miracle to get their teeth white. For most people, these toothpastes do not provide the result they are looking for. Is this a form of false advertising? Actually, it’s not. The confusion lies in the definition of teeth whitening. Teeth whitening in its strictest sense means to whiten the teeth to their natural shade. Teeth bleaching, on the other hand means to whiten your teeth beyond their natural shade.
The reason there is so much confusion is because the phrase teeth bleaching isn’t very attractive. So, companies that offer teeth bleaching, have started to refer to it as teeth whitening to make it more attractive to the average consumer. People do not want to bleach anything but thier clothes.
In order for a toothpaste, mouthwash, or gum to be certified by the ADA as tooth whitening, it simply has to be able to remove surface stains off of your teeth.
How Teeth Get Stained
When our adult teeth come in, they are a shiny white color. However, as we grow mature (and eat lots of teeth-staining foods), our teeth get more and more yellowish-brown. Teeth whitening toothpaste can remove tobacco stains, coffee stains, and other stains that we get as we go through our everyday lives.
Unfortunately, tooth whitening toothpastes can only return our teeth back to their original color. The toothpaste contains very gentle abrasives that rub against the stain and gradually remove it. However, they do not get inside the teeth where the stain resides.
If you don’t drink coffee much, drink sodas, teas, or chew tobacco, there’s a good chance that your teeth aren’t stained at all. In this case, if you use tooth whitening toothpaste, you probably won’t notice a difference in how white your teeth are.
Also, in the last ten years, it seems that all toothpastes are “teeth whitening”. Chances are, you’ve already been brushing with “tooth whitening” toothpaste. Continuing to brush with a “tooth whitening” toothpaste isn’t going to make your teeth any whiter since you’ve already removed the stains with previous tubes of “teeth whitening” toothpaste.
How to Whiten Your Teeth
If you truly want whiter teeth, you will probably want to use a form of teeth bleaching. Teeth bleaching is designed to whiten your teeth beyond their natural shade.
If you are interested about teeth whitening options such as in-office gels, Zoom teeth whitening, and take-home teeth whitening gels. Call us or ask us about our new year specials. Call us 873-0707.
The reason there is so much confusion is because the phrase teeth bleaching isn’t very attractive. So, companies that offer teeth bleaching, have started to refer to it as teeth whitening to make it more attractive to the average consumer. People do not want to bleach anything but thier clothes.
In order for a toothpaste, mouthwash, or gum to be certified by the ADA as tooth whitening, it simply has to be able to remove surface stains off of your teeth.
How Teeth Get Stained
When our adult teeth come in, they are a shiny white color. However, as we grow mature (and eat lots of teeth-staining foods), our teeth get more and more yellowish-brown. Teeth whitening toothpaste can remove tobacco stains, coffee stains, and other stains that we get as we go through our everyday lives.
Unfortunately, tooth whitening toothpastes can only return our teeth back to their original color. The toothpaste contains very gentle abrasives that rub against the stain and gradually remove it. However, they do not get inside the teeth where the stain resides.
If you don’t drink coffee much, drink sodas, teas, or chew tobacco, there’s a good chance that your teeth aren’t stained at all. In this case, if you use tooth whitening toothpaste, you probably won’t notice a difference in how white your teeth are.
Also, in the last ten years, it seems that all toothpastes are “teeth whitening”. Chances are, you’ve already been brushing with “tooth whitening” toothpaste. Continuing to brush with a “tooth whitening” toothpaste isn’t going to make your teeth any whiter since you’ve already removed the stains with previous tubes of “teeth whitening” toothpaste.
How to Whiten Your Teeth
If you truly want whiter teeth, you will probably want to use a form of teeth bleaching. Teeth bleaching is designed to whiten your teeth beyond their natural shade.
If you are interested about teeth whitening options such as in-office gels, Zoom teeth whitening, and take-home teeth whitening gels. Call us or ask us about our new year specials. Call us 873-0707.
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