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Happy Self-Care Awareness Month! It’s no secret that self-care has a huge impact on longevity and quality of life as we get older. Taking care of yourself includes more than just eating right and exercise; you simply can’t neglect your smile! Oral hygiene is directly linked to overall systemic health, and getting into a routine can help speed things up. Let’s ensure you are on the right path for excellent oral hygiene!

For your day to day, brushing morning and night are necessary. We recommend electric toothbrushes because they have been shown to remove more plaque.  They also help prevent over-brushing. Some of our favorite toothpaste brands we recommend for our patients are Dental Herb Company Tooth & Gum Essentials, Sensodyne, Crest ProHealth.

For flossing, we recommend once a day.  Some of our favorite flossers to use are Coco Floss, a Waterpik, or a Waterpik Sonic Fusion. We are huge fans of Coco Floss! We also recommend mouth rinses for supplemental fluoride, dry mouth, or to freshen breath. Good oral hygiene should also be approached as a team that includes the patient, hygienist, and doctor.  An honest evaluation of hygiene with open dialogue is best for building great oral hygiene.  If you actively keep up your oral health routine that means less time off work to visit the dentist!

A healthy diet is also an essential part of having good oral hygiene.  Limited carbohydrates, sugars, and processed foods will decrease the possibility of cavities.  Foods that are healthy for the rest of your body are also great for gums and teeth.

Keeping your smile healthy doesn’t have to be burdensome--it only takes a few simple steps in your day to day routine. We hope you feel encouraged to keep up your oral health and we can’t wait to see you at your next appointment!

A lot of changes occur in a woman's body during pregnancy. Hormone fluctuations are responsible for many of those changes, including the need for additional attention to the teeth and gums. Women who are expecting are at an increased risk for oral health complications, including gingivitis and tooth decay, which can lead to irreversible damage. Fortunately, there are steps pregnant women can take to keep their teeth and gums in optimal health from the first trimester to delivery day. Today, Drs. Sheena Allen, Murat Ayik, Mark Margolin, and Schaefer and our team at Dallas Dental Arts thought we would share them.

At-home dental care

At-home dental care should not vary much from what you did prior to pregnancy. The American Dental Association recommends brushing at a minimum of twice per day using fluoridated toothpaste. Follow up with floss to keep bacteria from accumulating in hard-to-reach spaces.

Dental checkups

It is safe and recommended to continue visiting Drs. Sheena Allen, Murat Ayik, Mark Margolin, and Schaefer for routine dental checkups and cleanings during pregnancy. However, it is very important to inform Drs. Sheena Allen, Murat Ayik, Mark Margolin, and Schaefer about an existing pregnancy. Special steps must be taken to protect pregnant women from certain medications or X-ray radiation that could be harmful to a growing baby. On the other hand, avoiding teeth cleanings during pregnancy can lead to serious consequences, including advanced tooth decay and infection.

Food and cravings

It is no secret that pregnancy can cause a woman to crave specific foods. Sugary treats like candy, cookies, or sodas may satisfy a sweet tooth, but they can also cause serious dental problems when consumed frequently or without brushing afterward. Trade out these treats for naturally sweet fruits when possible, and never forget to brush and floss thoroughly after eating sugar-filled foods.

Signs of complications

It is important to know and recognize the signs of oral health problems during pregnancy; an early diagnosis usually translates to an easier, less-invasive treatment. Symptoms of potential problems include gums that easily bleed or are swollen, reddened, or painful. These are symptoms of gingivitis, which can lead to a receding gum line and tooth loss if left untreated.

Call our Dallas,TX office if you experience any of these symptoms or pain in a tooth, loss of a tooth, a broken tooth, or bad breath that does not go away with brushing.

What do we know about osteoporosis? We may know that this disease makes the bones more brittle and vulnerable. We may know that osteoporosis is the cause of many a broken hip or curved spine as we age. We may even know that, for a number of reasons, women are far more likely to develop this disease. What we may not be aware of is the impact osteoporosis can have on our dental health.

“Osteoporosis” means “porous bones.” It is a disease that makes the bones more likely to fracture or break, as the body’s careful balance of absorbing old bone tissue and replacing it with new healthy bone tissue is disrupted. We lose bone tissue faster than we can create new, dense bone tissue. Why is this important for our dental health? Because the fitness of our teeth depends on the fitness of the bones surrounding and securing them in our jaws.

How does osteoporosis affect dental health?

• Osteoporosis reduces density in the bones and bone tissue that hold our teeth in place. Studies have shown that women with osteoporosis have significantly more tooth loss than women without the disease.
• Periodontitis, or gum disease, can also cause deterioration in the bone surrounding the teeth. This is a time to be proactive with gum health to avoid infections and further bone loss.
• Denture wearers may find that their dentures no longer fit properly due to changes in bone structure. Bone loss needs to be addressed promptly to avoid having to replace dentures.
• Rarely, bone-strengthening medications for osteoporosis can lead to serious jaw problems after dental procedures that involve the jawbone (such as extractions). Always tell us any medications you are taking before we schedule any dental treatment.

Unfortunately, osteoporosis often has no symptoms at all—until the first bone fracture. Checking our bone density is important as we age, and one way of discovering changes in bone density is through your regular dental checkups at our Dallas,TX office. We can pinpoint changes in your X-rays through the years and will recommend that you see your physician if there is any indication of bone loss. If you have already been diagnosed with the disease, we have ideas to help maintain the health of your teeth and bones.

Many factors can increase your chance of developing osteoporosis. Age, illness, personal habits, medications, diet, genetics—any number of conditions can affect our bone health. Talk to us about osteoporosis. Drs. Sheena Allen, Murat Ayik, Mark Margolin, and Schaefer would like to work with you to provide prevention and treatment to keep your teeth and bones strong and healthy for a lifetime of beautiful smiles. And that’s certainly good to know!

Many varieties of fillings are available at our Dallas,TX office. Most people are familiar with traditional amalgam fillings: those big silver spots on top of teeth.

Made from a mixture of silver, tin, zinc, copper, and mercury, amalgam fillings have been used to fill cavities for more than 100 years. They offer several advantages, including:

• High durability for large cavities or cavities on molars
• Quick hardening time for areas that are difficult to keep dry during placement
• Reduced placement time for children and special-needs patients who may have a difficult time keeping still during treatment

Although dental amalgam is a safe and commonly used dental material, you might wonder about its mercury content. You should know that when it’s combined with the other metals, mercury forms a safe, stable material.

The American Dental Association, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, and World Health Organization all agree that based on extensive scientific evidence, dental amalgam is a safe and effective cavity-filling material.

White Fillings

Newer, mercury-free, resin-based composite fillings (white fillings) are also available at our Dallas,TX office. Composite resin fillings are made from plastic mixed with powdered glass to make them stronger.

Resin-based fillings offer several benefits for patients, including:

• They match the color of teeth
• Less tooth structure needs to be removed than with amalgam fillings
• BPA-free materials can be used

Resin-based composite fillings also have some disadvantages, including:

• Higher cost than amalgam fillings
• Inlays may take more than one visit
• Requires more time to place than amalgam fillings

There’s a lot to think about when you have to get a cavity filled. We recommend you do your homework and speak with Drs. Sheena Allen, Murat Ayik, Mark Margolin, and Schaefer before deciding what’s best for you or your family.