What Are Wisdom Teeth?

Third molars are commonly referred to as wisdom teeth. They are usually the last teeth to develop and are located in the back of your mouth, behind your second molars. Their development is usually completed between the middle teenage years and early twenties, a time traditionally associated with the onset of maturity and the attainment of wisdom.

What Is An Impacted Tooth?

Although most people develop and grow 32 permanent adult teeth, many times their jaws are too small to accommodate the four wisdom teeth. When inadequate space prevents the teeth from erupting they are called impacted. This indicates their inability to erupt into the proper position for chewing and cleaning.

How to Boost Oral Health

Optimal oral health comes with supporting the body and mouth from the inside and outside at the same time.

These are the main things that aid in optimal oral health:

• Change in Diet -What you eat impacts your oral health as much or more than brushing or flossing.
• Adding Supplements -To help the body re-mineralize cavities, you can increase mineral levels with supplements of Vitamin D, magnesium, Vitamin C and gelatin.
• Balancing hormones - Optimizing sleep, stress, diet and fitness can make a big difference in hormone health and oral care.
• Change in oral health products - Many conventional toothpastes contain chemicals and artificial ingredients.

Unexpected Dental Tips From Your Dentist

 

1. A healthy smile is more important than a “perfect” smile.

Who better to define what beauty means to you, than YOU? Our smiles are what make us unique. If everyone had the same uniform, cookie-cutter set of teeth, life would be boring. To us, the most important thing about your smile is that it’s healthy enough to last a lifetime, and that YOU feel great about it.

That’s why at a first visit you’ll often hear us ask: what do you love about your smile, and is there anything you’d like to change about it? Our job is not to tell you what to do, or how you should look, but to help you understand what’s going on when it comes to your oral health, and provide you with information and options so you can decide what works best for you.

2. The most important dental work you’ll ever have done is what you do at home.

We mean this in the nicest way, but truly, we’d prefer to only need to see you every 6 months for a checkup and cleaning. Of course we know that cavities and other treatment is necessary sometimes, but believe us when we tell you it feels just as nice to say “looks great, see you in 6 months,” as it is to hear it.

The best possible dental tip we can give you to keep your smile healthy and bright is to keep up a great dental hygiene routine at home that includes brushing twice a day for 2 minutes, and flossing at least once a day.

Dental decay is one of the most common and preventable diseases in the world. While there are other contributing factors that can lead to decay and cavities such as genetics, medications, and certain medical conditions, the most common risk factor for developing cavities is still a lack of proper oral care at home.

Think about your regular dental checkup visits and your daily brushing and flossing routine as daily deposits into your “smile retirement fund.” Remember to invest wisely!

3. It’s more important to have properly aligned teeth than “perfectly straight” teeth.

Yes, we just said that. The third of our unexpected dental tips is that while braces and other orthodontic treatment often result in nice, straight, evenly spaced teeth, the most important result is that your bite is properly aligned. Some signs that may indicate a need for orthodontic treatment include difficulty chewing or biting of the lips or cheek, crowding or extra spacing between teeth, clenching or grinding, headaches, or protruding teeth. Sometimes shifting teeth can also be a sign of periodontal or gum disease,

In some cultures, a gap between the front teeth (called an upper midline diastema) is considered a very attractive trait, and can be passed down through the generations. If you’ve never seen the documentary Gap Toothed Women, we recommend checking it out.

There may be a lot of jokes out there about the upper midline diastema, but you won’t hear us making any. For some folks, their gap is part of what makes them who they are. Just ask celebrities like Michael Strahan, Madonna, or Uzo Aduba – all of whom are confident with their smiles.

Some of our patients have needed braces to correct other alignment issues, but did not want to give up their signature gap. Talk about the best of both worlds:

According to one of our Board-Certified orthodontists, Dr. Tamara Oweis, as long as the upper midline diastema is not caused by gum disease or any other pathology, it is possible to correct the alignment in the rest of the mouth, and leave your signature gap.

4. We poke at your gums because we care about you. Really. Yes, your dentist or hygienist may poke around your gum line during your checkup. Yes, sometimes folks may experience tenderness or some bleeding. Yes, we may ask you about your flossing habits, or anything going on in your medical history. No, it’s not because we had a bad day – it’s because we’re trying to do right by you.
Gum disease affects nearly half of adults over the age of 30 in the United States. You can learn about some of the causes and treatments for gum disease in our recent blog article, and even follow one of our patients as she blogged about her experience with gum disease.

5. Friends don’t let friends over-whiten their teeth.

White, bright teeth can be a pretty wonderful thing. In-office and at-home teeth whitening are common ways for people to transform and feel more confident about their smile. However, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. The agents used during office procedures, as well as for at-home whitening can actually do more harm than good if they are used too frequently.

Healthy Habits for Your Child's Teeth

Your child’s baby teeth are at risk for decay as soon as they first appear—which is typically around age 6 months. Tooth decay in infants and toddlers is often referred to as Baby Bottle Tooth Decay. It most often occurs in the upper front teeth, but other teeth may also be affected. In some cases, infants and toddlers experience decay so severe that their teeth cannot be saved and need to be removed.

The good news is that tooth decay is preventable! Most children have a full set of 20 baby teeth by the time they are 3-years-old. As your child grows, their jaws also grow, making room for their permanent teeth.

Cleaning Your Child’s Teeth

Begin cleaning your baby’s mouth during the first few days after birth by wiping the gums with a clean, moist gauze pad or washcloth. As soon as teeth appear, decay can occur. A baby’s front four teeth usually push through the gums at about 6 months of age, although some children don’t have their first tooth until 12 or 14 months. 
Until you’re comfortable that your child can brush on his or her own, continue to brush your child's teeth twice a day with a child-size toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. When your child has two teeth that touch, you should begin flossing their teeth daily.
For children younger than 3 years, caregivers should begin brushing children’s teeth as soon as they begin to come into the mouth by using fluoride toothpaste in an amount no more than a smear or the size of a grain of rice. Brush teeth thoroughly twice per day (morning and night) or as directed by a dentist or physician. Supervise children’s brushing to ensure that they use the appropriate amount of toothpaste.
For children 3 to 6 years of age, use a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. Brush teeth thoroughly twice per day (morning and night) or as directed by a dentist or physician. Supervise children’s brushing and remind them not to swallow the toothpaste.

Teething

Teething is one of the first rituals of life. Although newborns usually have no visible teeth, most baby teeth begin to appear generally about six months after birth. During the first few years of your child’s life, all 20 baby teeth will push through the gums and most children will have their full set of these teeth in place by age 3. A baby’s front four teeth usually erupt or push through the gums at about six months of age, although some children don’t have their first tooth until 12 or 14 months. As their teeth erupt, some babies may become fussy, sleepless and irritable, lose their appetite or drool more than usual. Diarrhea, rashes and a fever are not normal symptoms for a teething baby. If your infant has a fever or diarrhea while teething or continues to be cranky and uncomfortable, call your physician.

First Dental Visit

As soon as your child’s first tooth appears, it’s time to schedule a dental visit. The ADA recommends that the first dental visit take place within six months after the first tooth appears, but no later than a child’s first birthday. Don’t wait for them to start school or until there's an emergency. Get your child comfortable today with good mouth healthy habits.

Although the first visit is mainly for the dentist to examine your child’s mouth and to check growth and development, it’s also about your child being comfortable. To make the visit positive:

Consider making a morning appointment when children tend to be rested and cooperative.
Keep any anxiety or concerns you have to yourself. Children can pick up on your emotions, so emphasize the positive.
Never use a dental visit as a punishment or threat.
Never bribe your child.
Talk with your child about visiting the dentist.
During this visit, you can expect the dentist to:

Inspect for oral injuries, cavities or other problems.
Let you know if your child is at risk of developing tooth decay.
Clean your child’s teeth and provide tips for daily care.
Discuss teething, pacifier use, or finger/thumbsucking habits.
Discuss treatment, if needed, and schedule the next check-up.

Fluoride

Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in all water sources, including oceans, rivers and lakes. Fluoride is also added to some community tap water, toothpastes and mouth rinses. Infants and toddlers who do not receive an adequate amount of fluoride may be at an increased risk for tooth decay since fluoride helps make tooth enamel more resistant to decay. It also helps repair weakened enamel. Bottled water may not contain fluoride; therefore, children who regularly drink bottled water or unfluoridated tap water may be missing the benefits of fluoride. If you are not sure if your tap water has fluoride, contact your local or state health department or water supplier.

Discuss your child’s fluoride needs with your dentist or pediatrician. They may recommend a fluoride supplement if you live in an area where the community water is not fluoridated.

Pacifiers

Infants and young children may suck on thumbs, other fingers or pacifiers. Pacifiers dipped in sugar, honey, juice or sweetened drinks, can lead to tooth decay. Tooth decay can also begin when cavity-causing bacteria pass from saliva in a mother or caregiver’s mouth to the baby. When the mother or caregiver puts the baby’s feeding spoon in her mouth, or cleans a pacifier in her mouth, the bacteria can be passed to the baby.

Just Say No to Sugary Drinks

Sweetened beverages have become a treat that many Americans have every day. The truth is that these drinks are not healthy, especially for our dental health and smiles. Everyone has harmful bacteria in their mouths that eat the sugars we consume. The bacteria get energy from the sugar, but in the process produce acid. The acid they make can damage teeth, causing cavities to form or erosion to occur.

Some of the most common beverages that Americans drink actually have loads of sugar, even drinks that are marketed as “healthy” or “all natural”. If you think you’re safe with drinks like juice, think again! A glass of apple juice can contain a similar amount of sugar to glass of soda. According to the USDA, sugar should make up no more than 10% of your daily calories. For women, that is 10-15 tsp. per day. For men, it’s 12.5-18.75 tsp. Just one glass of that apple juice would put many people at (or just under) their entire daily limit.

Eliminating sugary beverages from our diets would be best, but reducing the number of sugary beverages you consume and substituting healthier options with less sugar is already a step in the right direction. Here is a list of drinks that are full of sugar and drinks that are better choices.

Lots of Sugar
Better Choices 
Soda Water
Energy drinks
Unsweetened tea
Chocolate milk
Milk
Smoothies Plain sparkling water
Fruit punch or juice 
Diluted juice
All of the drinks in the better choice column have little or no sugar. That means they won’t give the bacteria in your mouth a chance to cause trouble and make acid that can damage your teeth. Water can also contain fluoride, which protects teeth against cavities. The calcium in milk also helps keep your teeth strong. If you or your children are allergic to cow’s milk, try unsweetened milk substitute (such as almond, soy, rice) with added calcium.

If you find you can’t resist your morning cup of sweetened coffee, tea, or juice, there still are some things you can do to help protect your teeth. Here are some suggestions to consider.

Drink, don’t sip. Sipping gives the bacteria more time to eat the sugar and to create cavities. Drink quickly to give your body time to wash away the bad stuff. Try to drink sweetened coffees, teas or sodas in one sitting instead of sipping on them over a longer amount of time. If you give your child juice, have them drink it with meals only, and put only water in a sippy cup they might carry around during the day.
Fluoride is your friend. If your community’s water is fluoridated, drink tap water to improve your dental health. Fluoride protects teeth and has re-duced the number of cavities across the nation.
Brush and clean between your teeth. Brush your teeth twice a day and clean between your teeth once a day. Ask your dentist about the best way to do this. Help all kids under the age of eight to brush and floss well, and be sure to visit to your dentist regularly.
Knowing what drinks contain sugar and that sugar-sweetened drinks can hurt your dental health is a good start. Set some goals for your family to follow these tips. Good habits begin at a young age, so help your kids make healthy decisions about what they choose to drink. Set a positive example, and you will all have healthier smiles and a healthier future.

Oral Care Guidelines for Gorgeous Teeth

Brushing

• Place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle against the gums.

• Move the brush back and forth gently in short (tooth-wide) strokes.

• Brush the outer tooth surfaces, the inner tooth surfaces, and the chewing surfaces of the teeth.

• Use the tip of the brush to clean the inside surfaces of the front teeth, using a gentle up-and-down stroke.

• Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and freshen your breath.

Flossing

• Break off about 18 inches of floss and wind it around the middle fingers of each hand. Hold the floss tightly between your thumbs and forefingers.

• Guide the floss between your teeth using a gentle rubbing motion.

• When the floss reaches the gum line, curve it into a C shape against one tooth. Gently slide it into the space between the gum and the tooth.

• Bring the floss back toward the contact point between the teeth and move the floss up or down the other side, conforming the floss to the shape of the tooth.

• Hold the floss tightly against the tooth. Gently rub the side of the tooth, moving the floss away from the gum with up-and-down motions.

• Repeat this method on the rest of your teeth.

Don't forget! Flossing is so important for your oral health!