Posts for: April, 2020
You've heard it. Your parents heard it—maybe even your grandparents too. Dentists have been alerting people for more than half a century that high sugar consumption contributes to tooth decay.
That message hasn't changed because the facts behind it are the same in the 2020s as they were in the 1950s: The bacteria that cause tooth decay feast on sugar and other leftover carbohydrates in the mouth. This causes them to multiply and increase their production of acid, which softens and erodes tooth enamel.
What has changed though, especially over the last couple of decades, is a growing understanding of how sugar consumption may affect the rest of the body. Just like the evidence of sugar's relationship to tooth decay, current scientific studies are now showing there are strong links between sugar and diseases like diabetes, heart disease and liver disease.
What's startling about what researchers are finding is that cases of these diseases are growing, Especially in younger people. This is a parallel trend to our skyrocketing increases in per capita sugar consumption: the average American now eats the equivalent of 19.5 teaspoons of added sugar every day. Health experts generally agree we should consume no more than 6 teaspoons a day, and children 4.
This is vastly more than we consumed a generation ago. One reason is because processed food manufacturers have increased sugar in their products, hiding under technical, unfamiliar names in ingredient lists. But it's still sugar, and an estimated 74% of processed foods contain some form of it.
But the real surge in sugar has come from our increasing consumption of sodas, as well as energy and sports beverages. These beverages are high in sugar—you can meet your daily allowance with just one 12-oz can of soda. These beverages are now the leading source of sugar in our diets, and, according to experts, a highly dangerous way to consume it.
In effect, dentists of old were on to something: too much sugar is bad for your teeth. It now turns out that it may be bad for your overall health too. Strictly limiting it in your family's diet could help lower your risk of tooth decay and dangerous diseases like diabetes.
Dental crowns can help restore damaged teeth by making them stronger. Each crown is custom made and fits directly over its corresponding tooth, completely enclosing it inside. The crown gives the tooth a durable new exterior that is strong enough to bite and chew food. At Dr. George Salem and Associates in Braintree, MA, our skilled dentists can have custom crowns created for you.
Dental crowns are hollow caps that look like natural teeth but actually fit over your existing teeth. When placed over a damaged tooth, a crown protects the tooth against being worn down or damaged further. The crown also makes the tooth stronger by giving it a hard, new outer shell. The tooth remains protected inside the crown.
Crowns also restore normal everyday functions, such as chewing food. When a tooth is weak, worn down, or damaged, it can be too painful to use that tooth for biting and chewing. Since the crown gives the tooth a strong, new exterior, biting or chewing food can resume without pain, discomfort, or sensitivity. At our office in Braintree, a dentist can determine if your damaged tooth can be restored with a crown.
Benefits of Crowns
There are many benefits associated with crowns. Not only do they strengthen, protect, and restore damaged teeth, they can also improve the appearance of teeth with cosmetic issues. The appearance of teeth with stains, chips, cracks, discolorations, and other concerns can be dramatically improved. Since crowns are placed over teeth, they completely hide any cosmetic flaws. Some of the many exciting benefits of crowns include:
- They blend in with the surrounding teeth and look completely natural
- Teeth that are worn down, weak, or damaged teeth are made stronger
- They protect teeth from further being further worn down or damaged
- They restore the ability to bite and chew food without pain or sensitivity
- They are custom made for the best possible fit
If you have teeth that are damaged, weak, or worn down, crowns can help restore them. To learn more about crowns and how they can restore your teeth, schedule an appointment with one of the knowledgeable dentists at our office in Braintree by calling Dr. George Salem and Associates at (781) 843-0660.
Basketball isn't a contact sport—right? Maybe once upon a time that was true… but today, not so much. Just ask New York Knicks point guard Dennis Smith Jr. While scrambling for a loose ball in a recent game, Smith's mouth took a hit from an opposing player's elbow—and he came up missing a big part of his front tooth. It's a type of injury that has become common in this fast-paced game.
Research shows that when it comes to dental damage, basketball is a leader in the field. In fact, one study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) found that intercollegiate athletes who play basketball suffered a rate of dental injuries several times higher than those who played baseball, volleyball or track—even football!
Part of the problem is the nature of the game: With ten fast-moving players competing for space on a small court, collisions are bound to occur. Yet football requires even closer and more aggressive contact. Why don't football players suffer as many orofacial (mouth and face) injuries?
The answer is protective gear. While football players are generally required to wear helmets and mouth guards, hoopsters are not. And, with a few notable exceptions (like Golden State Warriors player Stephen Curry), most don't—which is an unfortunate choice.
Yes, modern dentistry offers many different options for a great-looking, long lasting tooth restoration or replacement. Based on each individual's situation, it's certainly possible to restore a damaged tooth via cosmetic bonding, veneers, bridgework, crowns, or dental implants. But depending on what's needed, these treatments may involve considerable time and expense. It's better to prevent dental injuries before they happen—and the best way to do that is with a custom-made mouthguard.
Here at the dental office we can provide a high-quality mouthguard that's fabricated from an exact model of your mouth, so it fits perfectly. Custom-made mouthguards offer effective protection against injury and are the most comfortable to wear; that's vital, because if you don't wear a mouthguard, it's not helping. Those "off-the-rack" or "boil-and-bite" mouthguards just can't offer the same level of comfort and protection as one that's designed and made just for you.
Do mouthguards really work? The same JADA study mentioned above found that when basketball players were required to wear mouthguards, the injury rate was cut by more than half! So if you (or your children) love to play basketball—or baseball—or any sport where there's a danger of orofacial injury—a custom-made mouthguard is a good investment in your smile's future.
If you would like more information about custom-made athletic mouthguards, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can learn more by reading the Dear Doctor magazine articles “Athletic Mouthguards” and “An Introduction to Sports Injuries & Dentistry.”
Office cleanings and other minor procedures are a routine part of regular dental care. For some people, though, a routine visit could put them at slight risk for a serious illness.
The reason for this concern is a condition known as bacteremia. This occurs when bacteria, in this case from the mouth and conceivably during an office cleaning or other routine dental procedure, enters the bloodstream. Although for most people this isn’t a great issue, there’s been concern that bacteremia could further compromise the health of patients with or susceptible to other conditions like endocarditis (heart inflammation), prosthetic joints or compromised immune systems.
This concern grew out of a number of studies in the early 20th Century that seemed to show a link between dental bacteremia and infective endocarditis. At about mid-century it became a common practice to administer antibiotics before dental work (usually 2 grams of amoxicillin or an equivalent about an hour before) to high risk patients as a way of protecting them against infection. The practice later expanded to other health issues, including many heart conditions.
Beginning in 2007, however, guidelines developed jointly by the American Heart Association and the American Dental Association reduced the number of conditions recommended for antibiotic therapy. Based on these guidelines, we now recommend pre-procedure antibiotics if you have a history of infective endocarditis, artificial heart valves, certain repaired congenital heart defects, or heart transplant that develops a subsequent heart valve problem. Patients with prosthetic joints or immune system problems are no longer under the guidelines, but may still undergo antibiotic therapy if believed necessary by their individual physician.
If you have a condition that could qualify for antibiotic therapy, please be sure to discuss it with both your dentist and physician. We’ll work together to ensure any dental work you undergo won’t have an adverse effect on the rest of your health.
If you would like more information on antibiotic therapy and dental care, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Antibiotics for Dental Visits.”