Oral Health and Wellness, at ERDentistry.com

Oral Health and Wellness

Today's Food Guide Pyramid

We all learned about the food guide pyramid growing up and have probably seen several evolutions of it through time. The changing appearances have come from scientific dietary assessments as well as efforts to stay current in its depiction. The newest incarnation of the pyramid is shown on the right. The caricature has been added to represent the need for exercise to maintain health.

Also, the categories have been organized vertically so as to not show preference to any one category, because a well balanced diet includes all of the food groups.

For more information on the new food guide pyramid we recommend you visit mypyramid.gov. Included in this website there is an option for a dietary analysis. By setting up a username you can keep track of what you eat and your exercise. With the information you provide it will analyze not only your diet but the overall health of your lifestyle. To do this we encourage you to visit mypyramidtracker.gov.

Your Health, Your Oral Health and Smoking

We are all becoming well aware of the risk factors involved with smoking and we encourage you to read this section if you or someone you love is a smoker. Within the United States, 1 out of 6 deaths is directly tied to smoking, and it's the number one cause of death in the world. Of those who smoke, 1 in 4 will die prematurely and unfortunately will loose an average of 20 years. All forms of tobacco contain carcinogens including smokeless

tobacco and cigars. One large cigar can have effects that are equivalent to smoking one to two packs of cigarettes.

It is well known that smoking causes lung cancer but it is important to realize that it accounts for 75% of all oral cancers. In addition consuming alcohol and smoking concomitantly increases the absorption of carcinogens into the soft tissue of the mouth.

Smoking increases a persons risk for periodontal disease by as much as 6 times. Periodontal disease leads to inflammation of the gums and ultimately bone loss. In the later stages of periodontal disease patients will experience tooth loss. A common replacement therapy for missing teeth is now dental implants but the inflammatory response caused by this habit makes a smoker a less ideal candidate.

Other effects of smoking include: Decreased salivation, increased risk for dental decay, decreased immunity, reduced blood flow in the peripheral extremities, and increased inflammatory response.

If you would like to know more about smoking cessation please ask us so that we may help you in your process. Quitting is a hard process and we urge you to use the resources available to you so that it does not become more difficult than need be.

For more information please visit these online resources:

The National Cancer Institute
The Oral Cancer Consortium
The Oral Cancer Foundation
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
The American Dental Association

The information in this section has been provided with permission from:
Dr.Paul V. Vankevich, Tufts University.

The Etiology of Dental Decay

Tooth decay, also known as dental carries, is caused by a small group of bacteria which live in the normal flora of a person's mouth. The bacterium that is most responsible for causing decay is Streptococcus mutans. These bacteria adhere to your teeth by forming a biofilm, something most would refer to as plaque.

Now it is well known that if you eat sugar you are more likely to get decay. This is because the strep mutans use sugars (mostly sucrose and lactose if need be) as their energy source. Through their metabolic process, they produce and excrete acid. It is in fact the acid that causes the cavities. As it is excreted it causes dissolution of the crystalline structure of a tooth's enamel and dentin.

It is important to realize how this process works but there is more information that you should know so that you can better take care of your mouth. Studies have shown that there is a much stronger relationship to the frequency at which one consumes sugars than the actual quantity. You see, teeth have the ability to slowly remineralize once they have undergone minor acid erosion. In your mouth your teeth are constantly being either eroded or remineralized. Each time that you consume sugar, the production of acid by bacteria causes the pH in your mouth to drop to levels where demineralization of your teeth occurs. Generally your mouth will remain below this critical pH for about 20 minutes, and stickier, more retentive sugars, will tend to lengthen this duration period. Therefore, it would be fair to say that the person who drinks a 32oz. soda with their meal is likely to experience less decay than the person who drinks only 12ozs a day but takes a sip every 20 minutes. Now as far as systemic health goes in this example… that's a different story.

To prevent the formation of dental decay we recommend that you brush and floss at least twice a day. This process disrupts the biofilm formation on teeth thus decreasing the quantity of strep mutans in your mouth. Also, we recommend that adults use a fluoride toothpaste or rinse. Fluoride helps teeth to remineralize and its incorporation into the crystalline structure of the enamel and dentin makes it stronger and less susceptible to future acid attack.

Dental Sealants

Dental Sealants are a powerful tool in preventing cavity formation. Teeth inherently have groves and fissures within their anatomy. This creates places that are difficult to clean and therefore tend to harbor the bacteria that cause tooth decay. Sealing these areas with composite material prevents bacteria from colonizing there. It is recommended that sealants be places immediately following full eruption of a tooth, baby or adult. Studies have shown that the use of sealants can be as helpful in preventing pit and fissure decay as tooth brushing alone. Of course this is not to say that this process takes the place of good oral hygiene.

Tooth Brushing Technique

There have been several different methods used over time to effectively remove plaque. The method that has shown to be the most effective today is referred to as the Modified Bass Technique. In this process a person should hold their toothbrush at a 45 degree angle to their gum line and move the brush in an oval pattern over the teeth, concentrating on only a few teeth at a time. By doing this you will more effectively remove bacteria from the gum line, an area where oral bacteria tend to harbor. Once those teeth are sufficiently clean you should then move the brush to different teeth that have not been brushed yet.

We recommend that you spend at least 2 minutes brushing your teeth each time and that you do it in a systematic way so that you don't skip any areas. For instance start on the top by concentration on the outer surfaces of the teeth, then the biting surface, followed by the inner aspect of your teeth. Once completed then move to the bottom teeth.

Fluoride

Coming Soon

Electric Toothbrushes

Coming soon