News with tag floss

Did you know that most types of tooth loss can be avoided? Of course, there will always be exceptions here and there, but when it comes to the most common situations we see in our Carnegie dentist office, there are steps you can take to prevent tooth loss from happening before it’s too late.
Here are a few tips:

Wear a Protective Mouthguard During Athletic Activities

Dental injuries occur every day, especially to athletes (no matter their age.) Wearing a custom fitted mouthguard offers the best protection against knocked out teeth and concussions.

Floss Every Day

The leading cause of tooth loss in adults is gum disease. Even if your brushing is great, it won’t clean between the teeth and under the gumlines where periodontitis starts. Clean these areas daily. If you hate flossing that much, consider investing in a water flosser.

Drink a Lot of Water

Staying hydrated rinses your mouth to neutralize bacteria levels, acids, and prevent xerostomia (a risk factor of tooth decay.) Tap water also contains fluoride, to make your teeth stronger.

Don’t Ignore that “Twinge” Feeling

Do one of your teeth feel “off” from the rest? Your body could be trying to tell you something. If a small cavity is starting to develop, it’s best to treat it while it’s still small. Large decay can spread quickly, to the point that the only option left to treat it is to remove the tooth.

Schedule Routine Dental Checkups

At North Road Dental Clinic, our Carnegie dentists recommend seeing patients for a checkup at least every six months. These frequent intervals help us to screen for problems earlier on (when treatment is easier) and work with patients to form good habits to intercept issues as they arise.

Call our Carnegie dentist today to schedule.

Did you know that if you’re not brushing and flossing thoroughly, you could be impacting your overall level of health? Although there are dozens of known medical conditions now linked with gum disease, here are some of the few that most commonly impact our Carnegie patients: Diabetes A diabetic is extremely susceptible to uncontrolled glucose levels if they are also suffering from gum disease. The severity of one often goes hand-in-hand with the other. Unfortunately, it’s extremely challenging (if not impossible) to regulate blood sugar if there’s an active oral infection co-existing. The easiest way to get both under control is to treat the periodontal infection and practice good oral hygiene, to see a reduced strain to the body overall. Preterm Labour Plaque biofilm can spread from the mother, through the placenta, to the baby. When a pregnant woman has active gum disease, she’s significantly more likely to experience:

• Premature labour
• Preeclampsia
• A baby with a low birth weight

Like smoking, periodontitis is a significant risk factor for pregnant women and their babies. Treating gum disease before or during pregnancy can reduce the risks to your child. Cardiovascular Disease Inflammation of the gums in gingivitis and periodontal disease causes an increase in the total inflammatory burden in your body. This has been linked to atherosclerosis, or thickening of the blood vessels which is directly responsible for an increased risk for heart attacks and strokes. Removing plaque and calculus will reduce the amount of inflammation, and hence the risk of heart attack and stroke. Gum Disease Therapy in Carnegie North Road Dental Clinic offers non-surgical and therapeutic periodontal care to help you eliminate active gum infections and boost your immune system’s response to other health problems. If you’re experiencing symptoms such as swollen or bleeding gums, or notice gum recession and tooth mobility, it’s time to give our Carnegie dentist a call.

Whether you’re 14 or 40, getting braces always takes some getting used to. At North Road Dental Clinic we especially want to emphasize how important it is to carefully clean around your fixed orthodontic appliances each day. Here are a few basics you should be aware of: Brush Between Your Bracket and Next to the Gums Plaque tends to accumulate the most around fixed brackets, because of the extra time they take to clean and the added number of surfaces to attach to. The most important areas to pay attention to are between each bracket (under the wire) and between the bracket and the gumlines. You may find that it’s best to aim your brush one direction, clean across your mouth, then aim it another way and come back over it again. Special tufted brushes and electric toothbrushes can make these areas easier to clean more efficiently. Floss Daily (Water Flossers Work Too!) Brushing only does so much. You’ll also need to clean between your teeth where they touch side by side. A floss threader or water flosser is ideal. With a threader, simply manoeuvre the floss under the wire and then wrap it around the side of your tooth in a “C” shape before gently rubbing up and down along the side and just below the gumlines. Supplement with Fluoride A fluoride rinse or gel can help keep tooth enamel strong, especially in areas that may tend to demineralize when plaque sets around your braces for very long. Ask our Carnegie dentists about the type of fluoride that will work best for your situation. By the time you make your new oral hygiene habits a part of your daily schedule, it will nearly be time to get your brackets and wires removed. Talk to our Carnegie dentists if you have any other questions on how to take care of your braces.

You’ve finally replaced that missing tooth! Your new dental bridge looks and feels great, and you want it to stay that way. But just like the rest of your smile, our Carnegie dentists want you to take great care of your bridge so that it can last for several years. Here’s what you need to know when it comes to bridge care and maintenance: Clean Underneath Your Bridge Daily — Use a floss aid such as a threader, tufted proxa-brush, or a water flosser to clean underneath your bridge. Take care to focus on the sides of your supporting teeth, as these areas are especially prone to collecting plaque build-up. Brush Along the Margin Where Your Bridge Touches the Gums — There’s a small amount of tooth enamel exposed, where your bridge tapers off and just above your gumlines. If not cleaned properly, it can start to decay (allowing cavities to seep under the bridge, making it come loose.) Brush gently along the gumlines daily, but don’t scrub too hard as it could cause your tissues to pull back. Let Us Know if Something Feels Odd — You know your mouth better than anyone. If you’re biting down or chewing and something doesn’t feel quite right, you need to let our Carnegie dentists know. Your mouth can pick up on the tiniest of changes, even if it’s just fractions of a millimetre. Like in any area of your mouth, this is a warning sign that you should always be on the lookout for. Schedule an Exam, Scale and Polish Every Six Months — During your visit, we’ll make sure everything looks as it ought to. This includes taking periodic X-rays to inspect areas that are deeper under the bridge, so that any recurrent tooth decay can be intercepted as early as possible. Call North Road Dental Clinic today to schedule!