12 Things Your Dentist Knows About You Just By Looking In Your Mouth

While cavities and plaque build-up may be what's on your mind before a teeth cleaning, your dentist is looking for a whole lot more. "The mouth is the window to the body," says David Silverstrom, DDS, of The Silverstone Group in Livingston, NJ. "Often, diseases like cancer, anemia and diabetes will first be identified by the dentist in a regular examination, and this saves lives." And it's not just diseases- dentist can discover everything from your bad habits to your favorite beverages simply by asking you to say, "Ahh!"


1. You flossed right before your appointment—and that's the only time.
Sorry, but you can't fool your dentist into thinking you floss daily by doing so the night before or morning of your visit. "The gums of people who only floss right before a visit are bleeding or look damaged," says Timothy Stirneman, DDS, of All Smiles Dental in Algonquin, IL, "whereas, healthy gums are nice and tight and pink," he says. Kenneth Wong, DDS, of Santa Monica adds, "When patients floss right before coming for a cleaning, I can see the slices where the floss cut at the gum because they were overzealous."
2. You're pregnant.
"Nearly 40% of women will develop gingivitis during their pregnancy," says Glen Stephenson, DMD, of Prevention Dental in Boise, ID. "This is caused by increased progesterone, which facilitates the growth of bacteria, causing gingivitis. Some women will develop a deep red lump on their gums called a pregnancy tumor or pyogenic granuloma." (This type of tumor is completely benign and will go away after the pregnancy is over.) Stirneman adds that most women are typically pretty far along before their gums start bleeding, so it's not as though a dentist will magically "discover" that a patient is pregnant.

3. You bite your nails.
Without looking at your hands, a dentist may be able to detect this habit. "Signs include chips and cracking of the teeth, plus wear and tear on the teeth from the constant stress on them," says Keith Arbeitman, DDS, of Arbeitman & Shein in New York City. "This can cause your teeth to become uneven and lead to jaw pain and discomfort." Kyle Stanley, DDS, of Helm, Nejad, Stanley in Beverly Hills adds, "Patients that bite their nails using their front teeth usually have leveled off, flat front teeth. The nails themselves are not what cause the damage, but rather the contact that occurs between the top and bottom teeth," he says.
4. You used to suck your thumb.
"Most children that suck their thumbs or a finger have no long-term effects from the habit," says Stephenson. "However, those who did so past the age of seven or eight may show significant changes to their bite or the position of their teeth. Much of that can be corrected through orthodontic treatment, but some telltale signs can remain." Alice Lee, DDS, of Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY, adds, "We can sometimes see protruding front teeth, and this can impact how kids' jaws are coming together and growing and can also impact their speech."
5. Your bad breath may mean something.
"General bad breath can be categorized as halitosis," says Arbeitman. But dentists are also trained to identify "fruity" smells and "fishy" smells, which can mean numerous things. " 'Fruity' breath could indicate uncontrolled diabetes or a dietary fast that has gone too far, while 'fishy' breath could be a sign of kidney or liver failure," he explains. If the smell is "very foul," says Arbeitman, it could be anything from gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) to an underlying lung abscess and bronchitis to a tonsil stone. Timothy Chase, DMD, of SmilesNY in New York City, adds, "The first thing the dentist should do is rule out the odor coming from the teeth and gums. After that, he should recommend that the patient see an ENT to rule out sinus issues, and a GI doc to rule out reflux issues."
6. You may have an eating disorder.
"Many patients are surprised that their dentist is the first one to ask about eating disorders," says Chase, "but bulimia exhibits a very distinct pattern of tooth wear that your dentist can easily identify." Stephenson notes that, "This erosion happens almost exclusively on the tongue-side of the front teeth and can contribute to increased cavities." But Silverstrom is quick to point out that acid erosion on the back of a patient's teeth does not always indicate an eating disorder. He says other possibilities include acid reflux and the use of antidepressants or mood-elevating drugs, both of which reduce the amount of saliva in the mouth, thereby upping the odds of acid damage.
7. You have a sinus infection.
"Often patients will call saying that they need a root canal," explains Ira Handschuh, DDS, of The Dental Design Center in NY, "when in fact it's actually a sinus infection and not a tooth problem at all." The reason, he explains, is because the roots of the top teeth are positioned in the same area as the floor of the sinuses. And both sinus infections and toothaches can show symptoms of pressure. "A simple home test is to have a patient bend over to touch their toes. If the pressure or pain increases just by doing this, the pain is most likely not tooth-related and he should see his ENT or primary care physician before coming to the dentist," he advises.

8. You have a vitamin deficiency. "A deficiency of vitamins and minerals can cause many oral conditions, like burning tongue syndrome, tissue sloughing off, increased infections, delayed healing, bone infections, and easy-to-bleed gums," explains John P. Dougherty, DDS, MAGD, of Artistic Dental at the Biltmore in Phoenix, AZ. Stephenson adds, "Surprisingly, iron deficiencies show up in many ways in your mouth. It can give some patients severe sores in the corners of their mouth while others have changes in their tongues. Some may experience a painful burning sensation, or all the small papillae fall off their tongue leaving it glossy and smooth. Getting more iron will solve these problems.
9. You have diabetes. "Many times, imbalances in sugar will show a rapid change in the health of your gums, including increased swelling, bleeding, and sensitivity," says Handschuh. "In conjunction, the consistency of saliva may change, and there may be increased decay. These may all be signs of sugar levels that are out of control, so dentists can alert patients to see their doctor to check for diabetes."

10. You have a drinking problem. "Alcoholic patients are cavity-prone because alcohol tends to dry the mouth out," says David Tarica, DMD, of 34th Street Dental in New York City. "A dry mouth will lead to cavities, because saliva neutralizes the damage-causing acid in our mouths. In addition, alcoholics have 'chipmunk red cheeks,' and the smell alone is usually a giveaway."
11. You have oral cancer. "The first signs of oral cancer can be seen from the following: unexplained bleeding in the mouth, white, red, or speckled patches in the mouth, a change in the way your teeth fit together, swellings, thickenings, lumps or bumps or eroded areas on the lips, gums, or other areas inside the mouth," explains Michael Apa, DDS, of Rosenthal Apa Group in New York City. "An oral surgeon should be consulted for a biopsy of any suspicious tissue."
12. You love Gatorade. You may know why you chipped your tooth, but Hugh Flax, DDS, of Flax Dental in Atlanta says that even though the cause may be apparent, "there could be underlying factors that weakened the tooth and made it susceptible to being chipped in the first place." He explains that teeth can be softened by sodas and other sugary beverages over time, which may make a tooth more susceptible to chipping. Energy drinks, which tend to be even more acidic than soft drinks, may cause even more damage to tooth enamel, he says.


By: Elizabeth Jenkins, Prevention
http://www.prevention.com/health/what-your-dentist-knows-about-your-health

 

If you have questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact Omni Dental Group at one of our three office locations listed below:

North Austin on Hymeadow Drive: (512) 250-5012
Central Austin on Jollyville Road: (512) 346-8424
South Austin on William Cannon: (512) 445-5811

Make Eyes at Your Dentist- It's Normal!

Few people come as close to the average face as a dentist does. Ophthalmologists hide behind those steampunk-y binocular machines; makeup artists have long-handled brushes; and dermatologists get to worry about other parts of the body for hours at a time. But dentists and dental hygienists have no way around it: They spend most of their days inside the faces of people who aren’t their sexual or romantic partners. Lying helpless in a reclining chair, the best a patient can do to make the too-intimate experience less awkward is close her eyes until it’s over. Shutting your lids until the rinse-and-spit command is the normal thing to do.

Or is it? Some dentists make active small talk, and it seems rude to zone out or avoid eye contact when you’re meant to grunt in assent or smize at a joke. Dentists who install iPads or TVs overhead seem to invite an open-eyed approach to their open-mouthed examinations. Then again, unprotected eyes may get flecked with water, spit, and whatever particles the dentist’s tools dislodge. How are we supposed to know which way our eyelids should go?

An unscientific anonymous poll of 114 of my friends and acquaintances suggests that nobody knows. “It literally never occurred to me to close my eyes,” one person responded. “It's weird to look into the dentist's eyes! It feels like I'm seeking intimacy, when really I just want my teeth cleaned,” wrote another. There were many strong opinions in the responses, but no clear consensus on right and wrong. When it comes to eyes at the mouth office, it’s “I feel awkward AF looking into my dentist’s face” versus “Closed feels weird, right? I feel like closed is the weird one here.”

I’d never thought to be concerned about my behavior in the dentist’s chair until my last dental cleaning. Halfway through the appointment, I realized that my eyes weren’t just closed—they were clenched shut, with quivering eyelashes and a furrowed brow to boot. I relaxed my face, not wanting my dentist to think I was in pain or stressed out about a simple cleaning. Then, a horrifying thought entered my mind: What if my eyes aren’t supposed to be closed at all? I’ve never seen anyone else get their teeth cleaned—it’s totally possible that everyone else watches the entire procedure, and my dentist thinks I either have an intense phobia of flossing assistance (I don’t) or an intense fetish for latex gloves, closing my eyes to fully savor the experience of her hands in my mouth (not true).

So it gives me great pleasure and relief to report that there seems to be no weird way to get your teeth cleaned. My poll responses show a healthy split: About 56 percent keep their eyes open, 37 percent close them, and 7 percent do a little of both.

But what do the professionals think? Eileen Danaher, a Rhode Island dentist who’s been practicing for three years, says about 60 percent of her patients keep their eyes open for cleanings, though she attributes that majority in part to her talkative chairside manner. Pennsylvania-based dentist Gulia Omene thinks most of her patients keep them open, especially during cleanings—that’s when they’re looking for “feedback on their gum tissue” and are more receptive to chatter, she says—though her assistant thinks it’s closer to 50-50. For more involved procedures, the ratio flips. Danaher estimates that 95 of her patients shut their eyes for an injection in their mouths; about 53 percent of my poll participants said they close their eyes for anything more complex than a simple cleaning.

Advertisement

Danaher believes her patients decide what to do with their eyes based on their least favorite part of the dental experience: Those most bothered by the sight of sharp instruments or the bright light overhead close their eyes, and those unnerved by the sounds of drills and whirring brushes keep them open to have some sensory distraction. Meditators and deep breathers close their eyes; people who distrust dental professionals—like my survey participant who prefers an open-eyed exam “to make sure no funny business is going down while a stranger's hands are in my mouth”—watch the whole procedure as it happens.

Dental workers have come up with all sorts of visual stimuli to make the time go by for open-eyed patients. I used to visit a dental office with comic strips taped to the ceiling; a colleague’s dentist has decorative panel that look like calm, puffy clouds on the fluorescent overhead lights. Bougier locales have mounted televisions or iPads within view of the chair, and some offer dark glasses to shield a patient’s eyes from flying debris and the exam light. Danaher’s dream is to get a giant “Where’s Waldo?” panel for her ceiling if she ever opens her own practice.

If so many dentists provide so many forms of in-chair entertainment, open eyes must be the norm—right? For some, taking the hint still feels inconsiderate. “I feel [like closing my eyes is] polite to the dentist/technician. If I were in their shoes, I'd be able to focus better if I didn't have a pair of scared eyes in my face,” wrote one poll participant. Another guessed that open eyes would seem “creepy-like” to a dentist at work. The dentists I spoke with roundly dismissed that fear. “It’s never awkward if your eyes are open,” Danaher told me. “You’d think being in that close proximity to somebody, it would be—but we’re two feet away from people all day long, so that doesn’t bother me. Now, if somebody was staring me dead in the eyes and not blinking, that might be a different story.” Danaher’s father, Gerald, a Syracuse-based dentist who’s been in the field for 30 years, says about 70 percent of his patients keep their eyes open, which helps him keep tabs on their experience. “Usually the eyes will tell me how they’re doing,” Gerald told me. “The look in their eye—if they’re darting back and forth, I’ll ask, ‘Are you feeling something?’”

Usually, dental patients in pain or the throes of anxiety will close their eyes. That’s not a problem, dentists say, unless they’re tensing up the rest of their faces, too. Jack Greenspan, a Connecticut dentist (and my partner’s dad) who’s had his hands in people’s mouths for 49 years and counting, says the only strict command he ever gave as a captain and dentist in the Air Force was to a terrified lieutenant who’d scrunched up his eyes and cheeks too tight to accommodate dental instruments. “This is a direct order, lieutenant,” Greenspan said. “Relax your face now.”
But for a lucky few, closed eyes mean the ultimate form of relaxation: a nap. Yes, reader! Some people—some magical, super-Zen, rubber-jawed people—actually conk out while a stranger takes a drill to their molars. Dentists say they love it when their patients fall asleep in the chair. “People will sometimes walk in and say, ‘Oh my God, I’m so nervous,’” Danaher says. “When those people fall asleep, it’s a giant win. It’s the biggest compliment you can give your dentist.” This perception can work in a nervous patient’s favor. One of my survey respondents wrote that, at the dentist’s, “I pretend I am taking a nap since it's weird to be in a room with someone for half an hour and not speak to them.
Faking sleep is extreme; most people who close their eyes at the dentist’s are just relaxing or spiriting their minds away from the physical discomfort and forced intimacy of a dental exam. They are also not normal. Open is the favored eye position of a small majority of dental patients, and dentists seem to be molding their exam rooms, with their fancy TVs and elaborate ceiling decorations, to that norm. Keeping your eyes open will put you in the company of the majority of your peers, so dentists will be ever so slightly less likely to consider you abnormal. Whether normalcy is worth the occasional fleck of plaque to the eyeball is your call.

By: Christina Cauterucci
http://www.slate.com/blogs/normal/2016/10/05/at_the_dentist_should_eyes_be_open_or_closed.html

 

If you have questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact Omni Dental Group at one of our three office locations listed below:

North Austin on Hymeadow Drive: (512) 250-5012
Central Austin on Jollyville Road: (512) 346-8424
South Austin on William Cannon: (512) 445-5811

5 Sneaky Dental Issues That Might Mean Big Trouble

You know all about the importance of brushing your teeth, as well as your kids' teeth. But the benefits aren't limited to your pearly whites. "Many physicians and dentists consider the mouth to be a window into the general health of the patient," says Scott Froum, D.D.S., a board-certified periodontist based in New York City. Our experts Dr. Froum and Sally Cram, D.D.S., a dentist and spokesperson for the American Dental Association, broke down five tooth-, gum- and tongue-related issues that could mean you've got a much bigger problem on your hands:

1. Consistent bad breath

Aside from scaring away friends and family, your not-so-minty-fresh breath could be an early sign of gum disease, says Dr. Cram. Gum disease is particularly sneaky because it doesn't cause pain in its early stages, so most people who have it may not realize it until lots o' damage has already been done. Luckily, it doesn't involve some torturous procedure to reverse. Just put a little more time and effort into brushing and flossing daily.

2. Red, swollen or bleeding gums

If your gums continue to swell or bleed despite your best brushing and flossing efforts, our experts say there's a possibility you could be dealing with diabetes. So, if your pesky gum problems persist and you're noticing other diabetes symptoms like extreme thirst or hunger, fatigue or blurry vision, go see your doc ASAP.

3. Stubborn tongue pain

Obviously if you down hot soup too fast or bite your tongue it's going to be a little sore, but prolonged pain in the tongue or throat (more than two weeks) is one of the most common early signs of oral cancer, says Dr. Cram. Next steps: Monitor those symptoms and look out for any sores, lumps or lesions that won't disappear. Pass that two week mark and to the doctor you go.

4. Spots or sores out of the blue

If clusters of tiny white spots have started popping up around your lower molars — womp, womp — you might have a viral infection in your near future, Dr. Froum says. Called "Koplik spots," these little sores have developed a reputation as a highly predictive sign of measles. Tack on other symptoms like a fever, cough or runny nose, and you may be a few days away from that itchy measles rash. (Alas, you guessed it, a doctor's visit is required.)

5. Hefty tooth discoloration

As tempted as you might be to blame yellow teeth on your coffee addiction, you might be looking at the wrong culprit: If your teeth have turned a shade of black or brown, it could mean you're dealing with some deep-rooted tooth decay, Dr. Froum says. The solve: You might need to get a cavity filled — or (shudder) undergo a root canal treatment.

 

By: Heather Finn, Good Housekeeping
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/wellness/a40559/common-dental-problems/

 

If you have questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact Omni Dental Group at one of our three office locations listed below:

North Austin on Hymeadow Drive: (512) 250-5012
Central Austin on Jollyville Road: (512) 346-8424
South Austin on William Cannon: (512) 445-5811

How to Overcome Your Smile Insecurities

Everyone deserves to have a smile that expresses self-confidence and inner beauty. Unfortunately, too many people are insecure about their smile when the sources of their unhappiness can easily be fixed. Turns out, with some simple, cost-effective, and painless cosmetic dentistry, you can dazzle the world with your smile.

Three of the biggest smile inhibitors are yellowing or discolored teeth, crooked teeth, and gaps. Each of these issues can be addressed by an American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) member dentist to give you the results you've dreamed of.

Teeth Whitening

There are a number of reasons why teeth become discolored over time from internal causes to external factors. So, it just makes sense that there are a variety of ways to deal with whitening, from simple do-it-yourself products to more extensive in-office treatments. While a prescription is not needed for the over-the-counter home remedies, it is a good idea to discuss them with your AACD dentist. In-office remedies are typically more effective and better for people with sensitivity issues because the rest of the mouth can be protected.

Crooked Teeth

While most people instantly picture teens in braces when they think of straightening crooked teeth, there are options for adults that are much more subtle than the full-metal braces of the past. Short-term orthodontics can include invisible braces that are placed behind the teeth and which can be a faster alternative to traditional braces; clear aligner therapy -- such as Invisalign -- a well-known "nearly invisible" treatment that uses trays to gradually create change; and more. With strict compliance, these solutions can create straighter teeth.

Gaps

Some gaps between teeth (diastema) can be fixed with the traditional metal braces or other short-term options mentioned above. But there are other methods of fixing gaps that can work almost instantly to give you a smile that you'll want to share. Bonding fills in the space by using a resin, and dental veneers use ceramic or porcelain to subtly widen the teeth to diminish the gap. If your gap is due to missing teeth or dental implants, a bridge or partial dentures can restore the healthy appearance you once had.

Talk to an AACD member dentist to find out which treatment(s) are best suited to tackling your smile-inhibitors and take your smile from blah to brilliant.  

By: NewsUSA for NewsUSA
http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/news/20160928/how-to-overcome-your-smile-insecurities


If you have questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact Omni Dental Group at one of our three office locations listed below:

North Austin on Hymeadow Drive: (512) 250-5012
Central Austin on Jollyville Road: (512) 346-8424
South Austin on William Cannon: (512) 445-5811

Will dentist help you to grow new teeth?

If you don’t like going to the dentist, you’re not alone. Most people have some anxiety about visiting the dentist, with one study in the Netherlands indicating that 24% of adults feared the dentist. Moreover, significant amounts of people who fear the dentist avoid visiting until they really need to. That could help explain why 92% of American adults have tooth decay in their permanent teeth.
But there is good news on the horizon as well—recent research also suggests that we might soon be able to refill the holes in our teeth with healthy, living tissue, giving our permanent teeth a second chance.
Compared to other species, you may think we humans are extraordinarily unlucky to have to depend on the same set of adult teeth for the majority of our life. Shark enthusiasts are familiar with the fact that sharks have unlimited sets of teeth during their lifetimes. Galeophobes in particular might be terrified to learn that sharks have rows of baby teeth underneath the skin waiting to replace the functional ones, and shed and replace teeth as often as every three weeks, causing experts to believe that the sea floor is littered with the teeth of sharks.
So if sharks, and most reptiles and amphibians can replace their teeth over a lifetime, why do humans and most mammals only get two sets of teeth?
Abigail Tucker, a professor of development and evolution at King’s College London says that there is a trade-off between the complexity of the teeth and the amount of sets the species gets. Since mammals have the ability to chew, meaning they can grind their teeth sideways (think of the movement a cow or horse makes) we have developed complex sets of teeth with multiple cusps, the bumps and mounds that define the shape of our teeth. While our pointy canine teeth (cuspids) each have only one cusp, our premolars (bicuspids) each have two cusps and our molars each have four or five cusps.
“The complexity is linked to diet, with bamboo eaters having the most complex teeth,” she says. “Something like a giant panda or a bamboo eating lemur have complex back teeth with lots of cusps so they can really chew and grind the hard tissue. So their teeth look similar even though they’re completely unrelated to [other] mammals.”
There are other fascinating examples of animals with unique dental abilities. Piranhas have teeth that are fused together to make large teeth that resemble a type of sharp knife. When they shed teeth, they lose an entire quadrant all at once, and rely on the other three quadrants to survive while the new teeth come in.
While mammals are typically restricted to two sets of teeth – a set of deciduous teeth and a set of permanent teeth – some mammals have retained the ability to create more teeth or have evolved to have the ability again. Manatees for example keep forming new teeth in the back their mouths over the course of their entire lives.
Other animals only get one set of teeth, but they continuously grow, including the aye aye lemur and rodents like rats and mice. “Rodents and rabbits typically have a stem cell population at the base of the tooth that keeps growing dentin and enamel. It’s an adaptation to the hard foods that they’re eating,” says Tucker.
Other approaches use the cells that are in our teeth to heal cavities that have already penetrated  the enamel, by stimulating the creation of dentin, the calcified tissue that makes up the inner portion of our teeth. Recent research published in the journal Science Translational Medicine for example, found that treating exposed tooth pulp in rats with low-power laser light before filling the cavity could induce stem cells to create dentin in the tooth.
In another approach, researchers from the University of Nottingham and Harvard University are developing a therapeutic biomaterial that can work to heal a cavity, and intervene before a root canal is necessary. The material can stimulate a particular type of stem cells in the pulp tissue to interact with other material that forms a new kind of dentin-producing cell.
“This material can be injected in contact with pulp tissue and hardened with UV light to form a plastic,” says Adam Celiz, a postdoctoral fellow that is working on its development. “The native cells interact with the plastic and differentiate into a different kind of cell that produces dentin. So we’re hoping to restore that dentin layer to return vitality to the tooth, which means the pulp tissue wouldn’t have to be removed by a root canal.”
Prevention is key
Of course, dentists will tell you that preventing cavities from forming in the first place is the key to your dental longevity, starting with good oral hygiene—brushing twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste, flossing once a day and making regular trips to the dentist – and eating the right kind of foods.
“The most important food and thing for us to keep in mind in terms of prevention is water – especially fluoridated water,” says Sahota. “Not only does the fluoride help mineralise and regenerate tooth structures that may have become infected by a cavity, the physical motion of drinking water helps to flush away food, bacteria and any debris that may be stuck in your teeth as well.” She adds that dairy is also great because it’s high in calcium and that lean protein helps strengthen and rebuild enamel.
Even if we can rebuild this material in our mouths, we still have to fend off a modern menace in our industrialised diets – refined sugar.  That’s because bacteria secrete acid when it breaks sugar down, and that acid can cause decay in our teeth.
So what type of candy is best avoided? Sahota says hard candies like lollipops are especially bad since they give you a constant exposure to sugar, while sticky candies get stuck in your teeth for long periods of time.
At least she has good news for the chocoholics among us. “Chocolate after lunch or dinner is a better choice than a lot of other candy because it can get flushed out more easily. So go ahead and enjoy a bite after your meal."


By: Tifannie Wen
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160922-will-dentists-help-you-to-grow-new-teeth

If you have questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact Omni Dental Group at one of our three office locations listed below:

North Austin on Hymeadow Drive: (512) 250-5012
Central Austin on Jollyville Road: (512) 346-8424
South Austin on William Cannon: (512) 445-5811

How often should you brush your teeth? Oral hygiene 'dos and don'ts' explained by expert

Are we brushing our teeth frequently and for long enough? The British Dental Association has outlined the routine we should all get in to.

It's a habit which has been drummed into us from an early age, but the recent news flossing your teeth could be a waste of time has put the spotlight on oral hygiene.
When it comes to looking after our teeth, there are certain pieces of wisdom which we've incorporated into our routines.
But in the wake of the news about flossing, when it comes to oral hygiene, how much does your average person know about what we should be doing - and which habits do we need to ditch?
For example, how many of us know how long we SHOULD brush or teeth for and how often? And what are we doing wrong?
MirrorOnline spoke to the British Dental Association’s scientific adviser, Professor Damien Walmsley, who kindly put together this definitive list of "dos and don'ts."

How often?

"The best way to prevent tooth decay is to brush teeth twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste to remove plaque, limit the frequency, and amount of sugary food and drinks consumed in your diet, and see the dentist regularly.

 

Don'ts'

• Brush for long enough – research indicates that people only brush for 45 seconds
• Rinse the mouth after brushing – fluoride helps to prevent, control and even stop tooth decay – but rinsing the mouth out dilutes the concentration of fluoride, so SPIT, don’t rinse.
• Brush too soon after eating – as enamel on teeth is softened after eating especially with sugary foods – it’s best to wait an hour before brushing which allows the tooth to harden up more.
• Use a hard bristle toothbrush as this can damage the soft tissues in the gums.
• Don't brush too hard – the bristles should lightly sweep the tooth.

 

'Dos'

• Brush for at least two minutes, twice daily, with a fluoridated toothpaste
• Brush last thing at night and at least on one other occasion
• Use a small headed toothbrush with medium bristles.
• Put a pea-sized blob of fluoride toothpaste on your toothbrush.
• Brush along the gum line as well as the teeth themselves
• Brush all surfaces of the teeth, including the outer, inner and chewing surfaces as well as the hard-to-reach back teeth and areas around fillings, crowns or other restorations.

If you have spaces between teeth, it is best to clean these with an interdental or single-tufted brush. Where the spaces between teeth are too tight to fit such a brush, use dental floss or tape
If you are unsure about the effectiveness of brushing, use disclosing tablets after brushing to highlight any areas you may have missed.
There is good evidence that a small-headed counter oscillating electric toothbrush helps in removing dental plaque but they must be used correctly and your dentist or hygienist will advise.

Plaque

Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that covers your teeth and gums. It develops constantly and you clean it off every day when you brush your teeth. Certain harmful oral bacteria feed on the sugars you eat to create acids that destroy the tooth enamel.
Cavities are a bacterial infection created by acids, that cause your teeth to experience a hole in them.
The more sugar you eat, the more acid you will create in your mouth, and the more acidic attacks your teeth are exposed to, the higher the risk of developing tooth decay.

By: Zahra Mulroy, Mirror
http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/how-often-should-you-brush-8637066

If you have questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact Omni Dental Group at one of our three office locations listed below:

North Austin on Hymeadow Drive: (512) 250-5012
Central Austin on Jollyville Road: (512) 346-8424
South Austin on William Cannon: (512) 445-5811

Doctors, Dentists Seek New Ways to Reach Millennial Patients

Kate Morgan, 25, hasn't seen a doctor for a checkup since before she went to college, when she saw her pediatrician at age 18.

"Nothing's bothering me, I don't have any symptoms, why go see a doctor?" reasoned Morgan, who recently moved from Voorhees, N.J. to Hummelstown, Pa. When she has needed medical care, she either went to the emergency department or visited an urgent care clinic.
For now she has insurance under her dad's policy, but that's ending with her 26th birthday next week. She works multiple part-time jobs, so she can't get employer-based insurance.

"I have no idea how the health insurance marketplace works or if I can afford it," she said. "I haven't looked into it because it's kind of daunting."
Morgan is not alone. According to the 2015 Investing in the Health and Well-Being of Young Adults report, only 55 percent of Americans ages 18 to 25 visited a doctor's office in 2009 and only 34 percent visited a dentist.
There are lots of reasons: feeling invincible, difficulty navigating the health care system, concerns about costs and co-pays, and the inconvenience of making an appointment and seeing a doctor or dentist. Under the Affordable Care America Act (also known as Obamacare), everyone who can afford it is legally obligated to get health insurance or pay a penalty. One of the main reasons some major insurers have cited for leaving the exchanges is the lack of young, healthy people signing up, leaving the exchanges full of older and less healthy people who cost more to cover.

 

How often

How often a person should get a physical exam depends on whom you ask, said Janice Hillman, an adolescent-medicine physician at Penn Medicine.
"A medical provider will say once a year for an annual physical," she said. "But if you ask insurance, they'll say 18-34 year olds are your ideal patient population because they're never sick, so well-checks should be every two years and three years with some insurance plans."
But it's about more than an insurance quagmire. The millennials (19-35 year-olds) are a lost generation for health care, Hillman said. They hate to, as they see it, waste time and money; they don't place as much store as their elders on having a personal relationships with a provider; and they go to the internet for answers. When they do get sick, they choose retail clinics and emergency rooms for the convenience.
"Most millennials cannot believe that our outdated, inefficient system says, 'You're sick today, come in two weeks when I have an appointment for you,'" Hillman said. "So they go where they can be seen at the time and place of their choosing."
The health care system is taking notice. Online apps such as DocASAP and Zocdoc; telemedicine, where doctors work with patients via phone and web; and an increase in physician assistants who can examine, diagnose and treat patients, are gaining popularity. ERs are developing parallel tracks so they can accommodate true emergencies as well as patients who use the ER as a primary care office. Many doctors and hospital systems are communicating with patients through text messages, the favorite tool of the tech-savvy generation.

"The millennials want efficiency, value, to be treated with respect, and customer service, and we have to listen," said Hillman.

 

Pediatrician

For some young adults, that means sticking with their pediatrician. The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey analysis estimates that there were 700,000 visits to pediatricians by 19-28 year olds in 2002, 1.4 million in 2007 and 2.4 million in 2012.
The fact that they are seeing any doctor is good news, said Patience White, director at the Center for Health Care Transition Improvement, a group that studies the transition from pediatric to adult health care.
Karly O'Toole, 24, doesn't feel regular checkups are worth the trouble. "The doctor that I had is in West Chester and it's not easy to get there," said the Center City resident. An account executive still on her parents' insurance, she doesn't want to take time off from work or lay out the co-pay.
"It's more of a chore to me than it is a benefit. If I'm feeling okay, I don't feel the need to get a checkup."
O'Toole does see a specialist for a recurring heart issue and sees the gynecologist for birth control. But for anything else she'll consult her mom or the pharmacist, and if necessary, go to an urgent care facility. She eschews dentists.
Dental care recommendations include a cleaning every six months, four basic x-rays once a year and a full set of x-rays every four to five years, said dentist Jeff Cabot, owner of Queen Village Family Dentistry. But there's an obvious gap in the millennial age group, he said.
"Dentistry is best done on a routine basis," he said, noting that by the time there's pain, what could have been a simple filling might turn into a root canal or crown - or even systemic health problems.
"Gum disease increases your risk for heart disease, diabetes, low-birth-weight babies of pregnant mothers, and there's a connection with Alzheimer's disease because it's literally an infection that can travel through your entire body," he said.
Cabot chalks up the reluctance to young people feeling invincible, and also fear of the cost of dentistry.

"A lot of people think it's expensive but if you do it properly it can actually reduce your overall costs," he said.
That's what happened to Morgan. Though she was cavity-prone as a kid, until last year, she hadn't seen a dentist in seven years. When she finally did go, she needed extensive work. "Now I go regularly and am very much committed to dental care," she said.
"But I've yet to do the same with regular health care."

By: Terri Akman
http://www.philly.com/philly/health/20160918_Doctors__dentists_seek_new_ways_to_reach_millennial_patients.html

If you have questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact Omni Dental Group at one of our three office locations listed below:

North Austin on Hymeadow Drive: (512) 250-5012
Central Austin on Jollyville Road: (512) 346-8424
South Austin on William Cannon: (512) 445-5811