Braces Do More Than Just Straighten Teeth.

Braces, no doubt, will provide you with a beautiful straight smile.  But there are many reasons besides cosmetic, that wearing braces is important to your health.

Poorly Aligned Teeth Can Cause:

·         Speech Impediment.  The placement of the tip of your tongue, on your teeth, impacts the proper sounds of “d”, “n” and “t”.  Poor alignment of your teeth will compromise those sounds, making it difficult to articulate certain words.

·         Difficulty Chewing and Tooth Wear.  When teeth do not have a chewing partner that lines up properly, chewing can be a challenge and will result in wear of the teeth.  If a tooth that is meant to rip and tear (i.e. canine or eye tooth) is chewing with a tooth meant to grind (i.e. pre-molar), both of these teeth will wear and flatten in an unnatural way.  Once teeth wear and flatten you can’t get the ‘height’ of the tooth back.  Resulting in more complicated and expensive restorative corrections.

·         Jaw and TMJ Pain.  Like stated above, if the teeth are not lined up properly, it makes it difficult to chew.  In order to chew your jaw and jaw joints (TMJ) have to contort and change to allow for chewing.  Overtime this can cause damage to the joints and result in:  TMJ pain, muscle pain in the jaw and headaches.

·         Gum Disease.  Crowded, rotated and overlapped teeth making brushing and flossing difficult.  Not only in terms of the actual act of getting floss in between tight spaces, but also bacteria is able to ‘hide out’ in more areas.  The more bacteria allowed to stay on your teeth and gums, will create: gingivitis, gum sensitivity and bleeding gum tissue. 

·         Sleep Apnea.  An overbite occurs when the lower jaw and teeth are positioned more towards the back of the mouth.  The upper jaw than appears more forward.  People with an excessive overbite are more at risk for sleep apnea because that lower jaw is pushed so far back that it can pinch the airway.  In fact a lot of many people who snore have an overbite. 

So yes, braces will straighten your teeth, but they also can improve so many other aspects of your dental and physical health.  So if you or your child is experiencing any of the above symptoms of poorly aligned teeth, it may be time to consider braces.  

Ack! My Gums Bleed When I Brush!

In a nut shell bleeding gums are caused by poor plaque removal.  Plaque has germs in it that attack healthy tissue around the teeth.  This causes the gums to become swollen and irritated and thus bleeding is seen when brushing and flossing.  This is the first stage of gum disease.  If you notice any type of bleeding - light or heavy - you have gingivitis. 

If there is a positive thing about gingivitis it is this:  it can be reversed.  Like all germs there is power in numbers.  So if plaque germs sit on your teeth, they reproduce and multiply.  Brushing and flossing disrupts plaque germs from doing just that.  If they can’t reproduce there aren’t enough of them around to break down gum tissue.  Getting rid of plaque germs will reverse bleeding and gingivitis.

Plaque germs can form quickly and they love carbohydrates.  A diet heavy in carbs, is the perfect environment for plaque germs to thrive.  So depending, plaque germs can form anywhere between 5 minutes and 4 hours after brushing.  Which is why brushing at least twice a day is necessary to keep the plaque germs at bay.

Brushing will rid plaque germs from fronts and the backs of your teeth, however brushing will do nothing to the germs between your teeth.  Since gingivitis typically starts between your teeth and spreads from there, it makes it that much more important to floss.   So get those plaque germs out of your mouth everyday!  You’ll notice healthy gums that don’t bleed, better breath and a healthier smile!

What's the Deal With Oil Pulling?

Oil pulling is considered an Ayurvedic technique originating in India.  The claim is that:  “Oil pulling works by cleaning (detoxifying) the oral cavity in a similar way that soap cleans dirty dishes. It literally sucks the dirt (toxins) out of your mouth and creates a clean, antiseptic oral environment that contributes to the proper flow of dental liquid that is needed to prevent cavities and disease.” *

This process is done by swishing with 2 tablespoons of oil (sesame or coconut) for 20 minutes two times a day (40 minutes total). Being careful not to talk or swallow during this time.
Advocates for oil pulling claim it can: reduce gum disease, reduce cavity bacteria, heals bleeding gums, reverses tooth decay, cures bad breath, whitens teeth, reduces inflammation, and eases jaw discomfort.

This would be amazing if it were true!  In fact, every dental professional would be happy to prescribe oil pulling to their patients.  We LOVE to see healthy teeth and gums.  We also love to see science based facts and oil pulling is lacking just that.  The American Dental Association states: “Based on the lack of currently available evidence, oil pulling is not recommended as a supplementary oral hygiene practice, and certainly not as a replacement for standard, time-tested oral health behaviors and modalities.”  The ADA recommends that patients follow a standard oral hygiene regimen that includes twice-daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste and cleaning between teeth once a day with floss. **

We, at Stadsklev Dental, know the importance of the ADA Seal of Approval.  It means that the products that have that seal, have been evaluated by an independent group of experts, the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs, and that the product does what it claims to do.  No such ADA Seal exists on oil pulling.  We don’t recommend oil pulling and side with ADA in recommending brushing and flossing daily.

While each of us is in charge of our own dental health, if oil pulling is part of your daily oral hygiene routine, it is important to be realistic of the expectations.  Clinically, to date, scientific studies have not provided the necessary clinical evidence to demonstrate that oil pulling reduces cavities, whitens teeth or improves oral health.

Additionally, for most time is of the essence.  Flossing takes 15 seconds a day and brushing takes 4 total minutes a day.  Finding 40 minutes a day to swish with oil may be a challenge and am certain there are more fun things to do.

*https://draxe.com/oil-pulling-coconut-oil
**http://www.ada.org/en/science-research/science-in-the-news/the-practice-of-oil-pulling