How to Prevent
Dental Decay
Preventing Decay
Proper Home Care
Controlling Sugar Thoughtful
Snacking
Proper Use of Fluoride
Regular Check-Ups
The Shark Story
Everything Your Mother (or Anyone Else) Never Told
You About Sugar & Decay
Why People
Get Decay (Cavities)
and What You Can Do To Prevent It
Dental
decay (cavities) happens when the germs in your
mouth eat the sugar you take in to form acids that
accumulate on your teeth. The acids literally
dissolve the teeth, making the holes we call
cavities. As the holes get bigger, they trap more
germs, so the cavities continue to grow to the point
where an abscess will form if the cavity is not
cleaned out and repaired.
To Prevent Decay, We
Stress:
1) Daily
effective oral hygiene measures at home including
brushing, flossing, oral irrigators etc., to remove
bacteria, plaque and accumulating acids.
2) Early
detection of open crevices on teeth and leaking old
fillings to eradicate decay in its earliest stages.
3) Reduction
in dietary sugar to minimize the acid making
potential of the bacteria that even the best
brushing and flossing might miss.
4)
Prescription-strength Fluoride treatment to harden
the teeth to make them more decay-resistant, for
children and adults.
5) Most
important, consistent and regular professional
dental
examinations, cleanings and x-rays when appropriate
to keep you apprised of your dental condition,
increase home care
effectiveness and clean the spots that are hard for
you to get.
Eating foods with sugar lets the germs in the mouth
eat the sugar and make acids. It is the acids that
actually cause decay, not the sugar. The top graph
shows that with just 3 sugar contacts a day there is
not too much acid to cause decay. The lower graph
shows that if you eat snacks or meals with sugar
many times a day, the bacteria keep eating the sugar
and make acids all day long causing much more decay.
In other words, a couple of little candies every
hour is much worse for decay than even three big
deserts. Of course, it is better to skip deserts
except for an occasional treat. Remember that there
is hidden sugar in many foods so please take the
time to read the labels so you can keep the number
of sugar contacts per day down.
The frequency of eating sugar is more important than
the amount eaten to cause decay.
Eating even small quantities of sugar between meals
causes acids to form all day long leading
to more decay.
Why Preventing Cavities Is So
Important
When a tooth develops a cavity, the dentist puts in
a filling. That is very important to stop severe
damage, pain and infection and even tooth loss.
Everyone knows that. But what most people do not
think about is what happens next.
Most people think that once a dentist puts in a
filling that is it… for ever. But that is not
true. After all we eat and drink hot and cold
things, we chew hard foods and many people even
grind their teeth day and night. When we get new
tires on a car, we all understand that the tires
will wear out over time and need replacement. The
heels on our shoes wear out, the house needs to be
repainted, the faucets start to leak and so do your
fillings. Every filling will eventually lose its
seal, and start to leak. And when that happens, you
start to get another cavity under the filling. So
that first cavity that needs to be filled means that
you are going to need another 3-4 fillings in that
same tooth over the years.
Another important fact is that the sooner the cavity
is discovered, the smaller it is. That means that
the filling can be smaller. Smaller fillings are
stronger and tend to last longer.
To make matters even worse, the next cavity that
develops under the first filling will be bigger than
the first cavity, so the filling will need to be
bigger than the first one and not as strong as the
smaller first one. Then it will leak and fail and
the next one will be bigger still. Eventually this
cycle of fill, leak and refill is what leads to
crowns and root canals on teeth over the years.
How do your stop or at least slow the cycle?
First stop the first cavities:
-
On the biting
surfaces of the teeth we strongly recommend
Preventive Resin Restorations that clean out and
fill grooves to help prevent decay.
-
Keep all sugar
contacts down to no more than 3 times per day.
-
Use professional
strength fluoride supplements to make teeth more
decay resistant
-
Brush and floss
daily.
Second,
catch cavities early. Keep your check ups
regular, at least 2 X a year and more often if you
have braces or a problem with plaque or have
inherited weaker than average teeth. Inspect old
fillings regularly and carefully. If you can catch
a leaking filling early, the new decay will not be
that deep and the new filling will not have to be so
big. That means that it will likely hold up for a
longer time.
All cavities are not avoidable, but we are here to
help.
The Team at Dental Care of Stamford and Dental Care
Kids
Preventing Cavities by Proper Home Care
Proper home care for kids is the same as adults.
Brush add floss. It is easier because kids have
fewer teeth. But, kids have less manual dexterity,
less focus and concentration and less motivation
than adults. The solution is for Mom
or Dad, or some other adult to take charge,
especially when the kids are small.
You can start brushing kids teeth as soon as they
come in, at age 6 months or so. It is best to lie
the child down on your lap and use a very small,
soft tooth brush without toothpaste. With a little
practice, you can do this in a minute or so.
When the child gets older and the teeth begin to
touch, especially the back teeth, start flossing
your children's teeth. Do this in exactly the same
position, with their head in your lap. It is fast
and easy so you can do this every day for them. If
you start early and they get used to it, they won't
floss when its time to brush and floss.
We also recommend that you continue to brush and
floss your children's teeth until they are old
enough and responsible enough to do it themselves.
Remember, most small children will want to brush
their own teeth but won't do it very well. In fact,
they mostly eat the toothpaste.
Make this process fun and create the daily brush and
floss routine as quality time so the kids look
forward to it.
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Prevent Cavities by Controlling Sugar in Kids' Diet
The best advice
we can give you is to avoid refined sugar in foods
and beverages. Sugar, whether it is called sugar,
sucrose, corn syrup, brown sugar, cane sugar, beet
sugar etc., contains the molecule sucrose. Sucrose
is made up of 2 molecules of glucose joined
together. This is the sugar that causes dental
decay. Click here to read
"Everything Your Mother (or Anyone Else) Never Told
You About Sugar & Decay"
Thoughtful Snacking
We want to take this opportunity to make some
suggestions about thoughtful snacking for our Dental
Care Kids patients and their parents.
While we know that eating sugar is not good for our
teeth, we also know that sweets are associated with
fun and part of most people’s culture and so we
offer our Dental Care Kids patients an annual treat
for keeping their dental check ups and being good
brushers if that is OK with their parents.
Eating a sugar snack once in a while is not really
a problem. The problem is when people eat sugar
snacks at meals and then several times a day in
between meals as well. Also a sugar filled gummy
bear that sticks to the teeth eaten between meals
with absolutely no nutritional value is much worse
than an ice cream treat eaten once a month that at
least has some milk and calcium in it.
As a suggestion we recommend that sugar snacks be
considered as a special event and not as a daily
habit. The very first key to thoughtful snacking is
to limit the junk foods that you buy and bring home
from the store. Junk food people do their
advertising on TV when the kids are watching so be
aware of what your kids are seeing on children’s TV
shows. When you do your shopping, try to “drive the
shopping cart around the junk food aisles in the
market” so you won’t be overly influenced by your
kids.
The frequency you eat sugar is much more
significant in so far as cavities are concerned than
the total amount of sugar eaten. And sticky
treats are worse than ones that do not adhere to the
teeth. Pick appropriate times and occasions for
snacks and stick to it.
The team at Dental Care Kids is
committed to the well being of our children patients
and looks forward to your suggestions and feed back.
Prevent Cavities with Fluoride for Kids by Proper
Use of Fluoride
Home
Fluoride for Children Under 12
Fluoride
works by hardening the enamel to make the enamel of
the teeth harder and more resistant to decay that
forms on the sides and in-between teeth. Fluoride
for kids 12 and under works best taken internally so
the fluoride becomes a part of the teeth as they
grow. The best way to get fluoride is to drink water
that has been tested to contain 1 part per million
of fluoride. For the proper dosage, you need to
drink 2 cups of water or reconstituted fruit juice
per day.
Once a
child passes 12 years of age, internal fluoride is
of no help because the teeth are all grown. If you
are on city water, call the local Department of
Health to verify that your water is fluoridated. All
the towns in Fairfield County have fluoridated
water. If you are on a well, you must get the water
tested by the Department of Health.
Fluoride is the l3th most common element on the
earth. Oceans are naturally fluoridated. We know
some people are fearful of fluoride as
cancer-causing but there are places in the Southwest
United States that naturally have water with 5 to 10
times more fluoride than recommended. As far as we
know, the water has been that way for thousands of
years and no one has ever reported a higher rate of
any kind of disease in those areas.
If
your well does not have enough fluoride or your
family drinks primarily bottled water or whole fruit
juice etc., then your children probably need
fluoride supplements. We recommend the kind that
looks like a little candy mint which your child
dissolves it in his or her mouth so it works both on
the teeth and in the developing permanent teeth.
Rinsing programs at school are "rinse and spit" so
there is no internal benefit for growing teeth. We
recommend either drinking 2 cups of fluoridated
water daily or prescription fluoride supplements.
Available by prescription at the dentist.
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Prevent Cavities with Regular Check-ups
Regular dental care is a life long need. And, like
most other things that are good for us, it is a
habit that needs to be started early.
The benefits of regular check-ups for kids is that
they learn early that the dental office
can be a fun
place for kids. At Dental Care of Stamford we have
video games, cable television in every treatment
room, kids video movies along
with some fun toys in the toy box and helium
balloons.
But most important, we have a staff that enjoys
kids. Their love for
children comes through at every visit.
In addition, we'll help teach kids and their parents
the proper methods of brushing and flossing. We'll
also teach kids and parents about fluoride for kids
and tips on proper snacking to minimize decay.
Also, if we find spots that are starting to decay,
we can fix them early before big cavities develop.
Since we use laser bonded, t ooth colored and
practice minimally invasive dentistry, catching
problems while they are still small is a big plus.
And of course being part of the Dental Care family
has lots of other benefits too. You get the best
state of the art dental care and equipment, the
advantage of convenient hours all week and
Saturdays, the chance to have several family members
appointments at the same time to make dental care
faster and easier for all. |
|
Even a rainy day can't stop a fun trip to the
dentist |
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In addition, you have access to the whole team at
Dental Care for your kids, including orthodontic
braces. There is even a complementary consultation
with the
orthodontist for any patient of Dental Care of
Stamford.
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Braces
to match your clothes! Cool !
The Shark Jaw Story
Did you know that the ocean covers 71% of our
planet? There are more than 100 fish teeth in the
ocean for every single animal tooth on land!
Dolphins have 96 teeth and whales have more than
1,000. Barracudas have several rows of teeth, and so
does a shark. Sharks eat all day long, they never
brush, they never floss, and they never see the
sharky hygienist!
There has never been a single cavity found in the
ocean! In fact, on land we find only two groups of
animals that experience tooth decay: human beings
(and their domestic pets), and bears.
Have you figured out why so many people have
needless cavities that require fillings? There are
two reasons. First is our diet. Bears eat gallons of
honey at a time. In over 22 countries, humans
consume more than 120 pounds of sugar a year-per
person! This causes a lot of decay. Dogs and cats in
the wild never get a cavity, but when you feed them
human food, they can get cavities. In some
countries, like China, most people eat such small
quantities of sugar that entire cities are cavity
free. In fact, guess which country has the most
cavities per person. That's right: the United State
of America. So, if you never want another cavity,
quit consuming sugar!
The second reason that fish don't get decay is that
the ocean is one part per million fluoride solution.
Fluoride is the l3th most common element on the
planet. Fish and their teeth are constantly soaking
in a fluoride solution! This is why cities around
the world adjust the fluoride in their drinking
water to that of the ocean. Make sure that your
children's growing teeth are not deprived of
fluoride benefits. Reverse osmosis home water
filters take all the fluoride out of the water,
activated charcoal filters leave it in. (If you are
not sure about the exact fluoride level in your
water, bring a sample in to the Department of Health
and they will check it for you. The city water in
our area is fluoridated. If you are on a well,
you'll need to get the water checked. You can also
buy mineral water with fluoride in it, or obtain
fluoride supplements, from your dentist or
pediatrician.)
Once your teeth are formed, don't forget your
fluoride treatments every six months at the time of
your regular cleaning appointments, which will
reduce decay significantly or get prescription
strength at-home fluoride solution from us. If used
properly, daily for two minutes, this will help
prevent most decay-provided you also quit consuming
sugar.
Lastly, ask about preventive resin restorations,
which if applied to the chewing surface of the back
teeth prevent decay on the chewing surfaces nearly
100% of the time. In these days of modern preventive
dentistry, people who get cavities must really want
them-because they're hard to grow!
In conclusion, don't tell yourself or believe that
your family has bad teeth. Instead, know that your
family consumes so much sugar that their teeth are
rotting. Do not think that just because you have
your teeth fixed you can neglect them. Regular
ongoing professional dental cleanings and check-ups
are essential for children and adults.
The dentist can fix your tooth, but only you can
change the behavior that led to the cavity in the
first place: cut back on the sugary soft drinks,
candy and gum, and try to eat more of what all the
other animals that have perfect teeth eat.
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Everything Your Mother (or Anyone Else) Never Told
You About Sugar and Decay
Dental decay is still the most common disease in
America. Very few people manage to avoid it. Sugar
is the Number One cause. Most people do not know the
real truth about sugar and decay. We printed a dozen
of the most common myths about sugar for your
information along with the real truth. See how many
myths you actually thought were true. After you read
this and make some changes in how you eat, pass this
along to a friend, because this could benefit them,
too.
Myth #1 - You
have to eat some sugar for energy.
Fact - Not true. The body cannot turn table sugar
directly into energy. The body must convert table
sugar (sucrose) into glucose to burn it for energy.
This is exactly what happens to all carbohydrates
and fats we eat, like breads, pasta, and potatoes,
as well as fruit sugar (fructose) and sugar from
grains (maltose). You never need any table sugar at
all. Ever!
Myth #2 - Some
people just have soft teeth.
Fact - Just like the three little pigs' houses, some
people's teeth are definitely stronger than others.
However, even the little pig with the straw house
was doing fine until the Big Bad Wolf came along.
People with naturally harder teeth, like the pig
living in the brick house, can take more sugar
without crumbling, but people with naturally weaker
teeth won't get decay either if they limit their
sugar contacts.
Myth #3 - If you
brush right after eating, you can brush away the
sugar before it causes decay.
Fact - The germs in the plaque begin to eat the
sugar as soon as it enters your mouth. By the time
you start to brush, it's way to late.
Myth #4 - I have
nothing to worry about because I only eat natural
foods.
Fact - This is one of the biggest lies of all.
"Natural" just means grown from the soil. There are
other "natural substances like alcohol, tobacco, and
cocaine that aren't very good for you either. The
only difference between brown, or "natural" sugar
and white processed sugar is the color. Sugar is
sugar.
Myth #5 - I
brush my teeth 5 or 6 times a day, so I don't need
to floss.
Fact - Quite frequent sugar contacts cause much more
decay. The truth is that the number of times per day
that you eat sugar is more significant than the
total amount of sugar you eat.
Follow this logic. the germs in the plaque are very
small. In the first bite of a sugar food, they get
all the sugar they can eat. It takes the germs about
30 minutes to digest the sugar and turn it to acid
before they are ready to eat more sugar. After the
first bite of sugar, they are full.
If you eat a pie in one sitting, that's one sugar
contact. If you cut it up into 24 pieces and eat one
per hour, it is 24 sugar contacts. It may be no less
fattening, but it is twenty-four times as
decay-causing as eating it in one sitting.
Myth #6 - If you
avoid candy, cakes, and gooey desserts, you won't
get decay.
Fact - Most of the sugar consumed in America, about
150 pounds per person per year, is not in candy and
cakes. The problem is that manufacturers put sugar
into all sorts of things like ketchup, white bread,
spaghetti sauce, mayonnaise, and most processed
foods. That Big Mac with special sauce on a bun is
just as decay-producing as the ice cream shake.
Myth #7 - Adults
outgrow decay, so they can eat more sugar than kids.
Fact - That is like saying that you can outgrow the
damaging effects of bullets. In our office, the real
truth is that the number of cavities per adult
patient is much higher than the number of cavities
per child patient.
Myth #8 -
Fluoride is mainly for kids. It doesn't help adults.
Fact - Wrong again. Adults can get great benefit
from fluorides applied to their teeth on a daily or
weekly basis because fluoride hardens the outside of
the tooth. If the outside is harder, decay can't
start.
Myth #9 - I can
eat all the sugar I want because my teeth are all
filled already.
Fact - The filling doesn't seal against the tooth as
well as a solid tooth that has no filling. Sugar can
seep into these cracks more easily, so filled teeth
are actually more likely to decay again than
unfilled teeth.
Always ask the dentist if a cavity is a new one, and
caused by sugar or due to a broken old filling so
you can understand what your problem is.
Myth #10 - You
just can't get sugar contacts down to the three a
day range.
Fact - These days, with all the processed foods, it
isn't easy. But now that you have some more
information, you'll see how easy it really is. You
just need to pick and choose.
Some Final Advice
Since sugar does cause decay, limit the number of
times you eat it per day to the minimum. Be more
discriminating. Read labels. If you like a totally
decadent dessert, go for it. Avoid the other sugar
contacts during the day that may not be that
important to you, such as ketchup on a sandwich or
jam on your toast.
Avoid the accidental sugar contacts. Those are times
when you really don't intend to eat sugar, but it
comes included in the food you buy. Start to read
labels. You'll be amazed.
Do substitute fruit sugar or malt sugar for table
sugar because it is much less decay-producing, pound
for pound, than table sugar.
Go for dental check-ups at least twice or three
times a year and have x-rays every 6 to 9 months.
Modern x-rays are not at all dangerous, and they can
detect decay when the cavities are still small,
before major damage has occurred.
For
more information on Prevention, please visit the
Dental Questions
page.
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