Hadar Dental Blog

What is Bruxism?

Bruxism is the result of clenching the jaw down tightly and grinding the teeth. When you clench down on your teeth pressure is put on the muscles, tissues and other structures surrounding the jaw.  People who clench their teeth mainly do it while sleeping.

Symptoms

• Sore jaw
• Headaches
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Eating disorders

Causes

Most people clench their teeth more at night than during the day because you have no control over it when sleeping. Others do it throughout the day without even realizing it. Though the cause of Bruxism is not determined completely some causes are:

• Stress
• Anxiety
• Posture
• Diet
• Sleeping habits
• Misaligned teeth

Not being in control of how tightly you bite down is the main problem. People with severe headaches may clench their teeth at night without even knowing about it.  Those bruxers who live alone are especially at risk because there is no one there to hear them grinding to inform them of the habit.

How to treat Bruxism

There is no definitive treatment for Bruxism, though there is prevention.  There is no way to completely stop clenching your teeth if you do already. It’s more about management than anything else.

Ways to manage and sooth the pain of Bruxism

• Relax your jaw throughout the day. When you realize that you are clenching your teeth while you’re awake, let loose.
• Try to tilt your head down when you are yawning as to prevent jaw injury due to hyperextention
• Getting plenty of sleep is essential to releasing pain, although most clenching/grinding is done while you sleep, more sleep releases stress and reduces jaw clenching.
• Massage the muscles in your neck, jaw and even behind your ears.
• Keep hydrated and drink plenty of water throughout the day.
• Avoid eating food that is hard to chew.
• Wearing a night guard while you sleep will help from getting the headaches and jaw pains, in addition to protecting the teeth from wear caused by grinding.

The best prevention of damage caused by grinding is a night guard. Impressions of the teeth are taken and a night guard is customized to fit the teeth perfectly. You don’t have to suffer from bruxism anymore! Please fee free to call us if you feel that you may suffer from bruxism.  We can discuss your individual case, severity & options for treatment that will work best for you.

Bringing your child to the dentist can have the potential to be a stressful situation. Many parents fear of how their child may react. Fortunately, there are many ways you can prepare your child for their first dentist trip. Here are a few tips to ensure a positive first experience:

• Make brushing at home interesting. Tell them you’re going to paint their teeth clean with a special paintbrush (meaning the toothbrush). Buy them fruity toothpaste, toothpaste that they will like. Let them pick out the toothpaste and toothbrush they’ll be using.
• Do not make any references to more complicated aspects of dentistry (like the crown you needed, or the terrible toothache you had once)
• Do not refer to a negative experience that you may have had regarding dentistry. Fear is a learned response and the way your child reacts to the dental appointment can be greatly influenced by how you prepare your child at home. Children are very intelligent and observant and can sense parental emotion in many ways.
• Refrain from offering rewards or bribes for good behavior

Our office is geared towards making your child comfortable and knowledgeable about good oral hygiene. All your child needs to know for the first visit is that they going to have their teeth counted and receive a new toothbrush and surprises. Usually, the first visit consists of parent education and the child having his/her teeth counted (examined). This insures that the child has a fun and easy experience, finishing with the receipt of a new toothbrush, stickers, and prizes. On the second visit we introduce the electric toothbrush (polisher), floss, and vitamins (topical fluoride treatment). As far as pictures (radiographs) are concerned, we generally decide together when they are required.

Like many things, preparation for something is just as important as the actual experience. We encourage parents to prepare their children for the first dental visit in a positive way!

Many people will tell you that being healthy includes exercise and eating a balanced diet. But not a lot of people realize that being healthy also includes regular dental checkups. Recently, there have been multiple studies showing that poor dental health can lead to a variety of health concerns including heart attacks, low birth weight and diabetes.

If not properly treated, bacteria in the mouth can affect the heart when it enters the blood stream and attaches fatty plaques throughout the heart’s blood vessels. This can result in the formation of clots & potential heart attacks.

Studies also show that periodontal disease can cause low birth weight in babies. Women with periodontal disease have a greater risk for giving birth to babies that are born too early and/or too small. Periodontal disease also increases the biological fluid that induces labor which causes the risk of pre-mature babies.

Individuals with diabetes have a higher risk of gum disease due to a weakened immune system (about twice the risk). Diabetes and periodontal disease can also assist in increasing blood sugar levels. Oral symptoms of diabetes include but are not limited to: difference in taste, burning mouth syndrome, abnormal wound healing and fungal infections. Diabetes patients who smoke should quit to decrease these risks. Check your mouth periodically to see if you notice anything abnormal such as bleeding, white patches, bad taste, dryness, and/or soreness.

So, are you really healthy? Do you brush and floss daily? Do you have at least two professional dental cleanings a year? These types of preventive measures will result in better overall health!

Most of us were personally affected by the water contamination that happened in the surrounding counties recently. Everywhere you went cases of water, gallons of water and even water jugs were out of stock. Coffee establishments could not sell coffee, tea or specialty drinks. Restaurants were forced to shut down completely. Nothing other than bottled or packaged items could be sold or purchased safely. We were all brushing our teeth with bottled water and washing dishes with boiled water. Throughout the weekend and into the following week, many businesses had to close due to the contaminated water.

I’m very pleased to let everyone know that Hadar Dental was able to stay open during the “water crisis”. Who would think that a dental office could stay open for regular hours of operation when so many other businesses could not. Because of our state of the art office and equipment, Monday morning we opened at regular time and saw patients for their scheduled appointments. The water issues were not an inconvenience for Hadar Dental because we do not rely on town water. Instruments are sanitized & cleaned in our ultrasonic & autoclave machines using distilled water. And the water used in the treatment rooms was simply changed out with purified water, safe for drinking and the use of everyday activity. Cleaning teeth and performing dental procedures was no problem and the office was able to carry on as normal! Hadar Dental is committed to providing excellent dental care to our patients in a safe environment and I’m proud to say the recent contaminated water issue is a great example of that.

What is Oral Cancer? Oral cancer is an uncontrollable growth of cells that invade and cause damage to surrounding tissue. It can appear as the growth or sore that does not go away and can be can be in your lips, cheeks, tongue, the floor of your mouth, hard and soft palates, sinuses, and your throat. Oral cancer can be life threatening if not caught and treated in the early stages.

What are the symptoms of Oral Cancer? The most common symptom of oral cancer is white patches in the mouth. In some cases, red patches appear which means the white patches have gone unnoticed and turn into red sores. If there is a sore in your mouth that has been there for more than two weeks it can be a sign of oral cancer. Bleeding gums, loose teeth, difficulty or pain swallowing, dentures that don’t fit correctly, lumps in the neck and/or earaches are all signs of oral cancer. Very often there may be no symptoms and may only be detected by an oral cancer exam or biopsy.

How can Oral Cancer be prevented? Tobacco is the most common cause of oral cancer (cigarettes, pipes, cigars, smokeless tobacco etc.) Tobacco products are responsible for 80% of oral cancer cases. Decreasing the use of tobacco products will substantially reduce your chances of getting oral cancer. Alcohol abuse and excess stress have also been associated with oral cancer.

How do you screen for Oral Cancer? Dentists have many tools to locate oral cancer. Our office uses the Velescope system, which is the world’s number one oral cancer screening device. It is a specialized light that assists in seeing cancerous and precancerous lesions that might not be visible to the naked eye. It is also the first device to help surgeons determine the appropriate surgical margins if surgery is indicated.

How does Velescope work? Step 1: The white light exam. This uses the palpation to feel for any bumps Step 2: The Velescope exam. The hand piece emits a safe light (blue light) causing tissue to become florescent and emphasize through the basement membrane. The color green indicates healthy tissue and any other color indicates unhealthy tissue. Velscope exams generally take between 2-3 minutes. If any abnormality is found, a surgical biopsy may be recommended where the condition of the tissue can be diagnosed. The worst case scenario is oral cancer, however with the aid of a Velscope exam, most cases are caught early enough before abnormality.

How to treat Oral Cancer? A dentist can determine the stage of disease to plan the right treatment for you. Oral cancer is a very serious condition that often goes unnoticed until it’s too late. The best treatment, however, is early detection. Diagnosing cancer at its earliest stages significantly reduces treatment time and increases the prognosis dramatically. So, catch it before it spreads & get checked today! For more information please call our office at anytime (781) 860-7700. Or e-mail us at info@hadardental.com

Children’s hands and mouths are different than adults. They need to use toothbrushes designed for children. Both adults and children should use brushes with soft, rounded bristles for gentle cleaning. Change to a new brush about every three months.

Wipe infant’s teeth gently with a moist, soft cloth or gauze square. As babies grow, use a child’s toothbrush with a small, pea-sized dab of toothpaste. By age two or three begin to teach your child to brush. You will still need to brush where they miss. Dentists and hygienists often advise children to use a gentle, short, back and forth motion to remove plaque. When children are older, they can switch to this method.

Hold the brush at a 45 degrees angle towards teeth and gums. Move brush back and forth with short strokes, about a half tooth wide.

• Brush the inside and outside surfaces of each tooth, top and bottom.
• Hold the brush flat on top of the teeth and brush the chewing surfaces.
• Gently brush the tongue to remove debris.
• Floss between teeth daily.

When To Begin Brushing

Once your child’s teeth begin erupting, you can begin cleaning them by wiping them with a moist washcloth. As your child gets more teeth, you can begin to use a soft child’s toothbrush. You should use just a pea-sized amount of toothpaste (such as Baby OraGel) until your child is able to spit it out (too much fluoride can stain their teeth).

For most toddlers, getting them to brush their teeth can be quite a challenge. Some suggestions for making tooth brushing less of a battle can include:

• Let your child brush your teeth at the same time.
• Let your child pick out a few toothbrushes with his favorite characters and giving him a choice of which one he wants to use each time (this will give him some feeling of control over the situation).
• Let your child brush his own teeth first (you will likely have to “help out”).
• Let your child some children’s books about tooth brushing.
• Have everyone brush their teeth at the same time.

To help your child understand the importance of brushing, it can be sometimes fun and helpful to let them eat or drink something that will “stain“ their teeth temporarily and then brush them clean.

It can also be a good idea to create a “tooth brushing routine”. And stick to the same routine each day.

What Causes Tooth Decay?

Several specific types of bacteria that live on the teeth cause decay. When sugar is consumed, the bacteria use the sugar and then manufacture acids that dissolve the teeth and cause an infection in the tooth. This infection is called decay.

What Is Early Childhood Tooth Decay?

Babies who go to bed with a bottle of milk, formula, or juice are more likely to get tooth decay. Because the sugar in formula, milk, or juice stays in contact with the teeth for a long time during the night, the teeth can decay quickly.

Some Tips To Avoid Early Childhood Tooth Decay

• Put your child to bed with a bottle of plain water, not milk or juice.
• Stop nursing when your child is asleep or has stopped sucking on the bottle.
• Try not to let your child walk around using a bottle of milk or juice as a pacifier.
• Start to teach your child to drink from a cup at about six months of age. Plan to stop using a bottle by 12 to 14 months at the latest.
• Don’t dip your child’s pacifier in honey or sugar.

What Is Fluoride?

Fluoride helps make teeth strong and prevents tooth decay. If the water where you live does not have enough fluoride, your doctor may prescribe fluoride supplements (fluoride drops or pills). You would give these drops or pills every day, starting when your child is about six months old. Only give as much as the directions say to use because too much fluoride can cause spots on your child’s teeth. Also, be sure to call your local water authority and ask if your water is fluoridated. If it is, tell your dentist or pediatrician so that your child is not being over fluoridated. Children should take these drops or pills until they are 12 to 16 years old (or until you move to an area with fluoride in the water).

Highly effective in preventing decay on the biting surfaces of your chewing teeth, dental sealants are a simple procedure in which a tooth-colored acrylic “coating” is painted onto the surface of the tooth. This effectively “seals” the deep grooves, acting as a barrier and protecting enamel from plaque and acids.

Sealants protect the depressions and grooves of your teeth from food particles and plaque that brushing and flossing can’t reach.

Easy to apply, sealants take only a few minutes to seal each tooth. Sealants hold up well under the force of normal chewing and can last several years before a reapplication is needed.

Children and adults can benefit from sealants in the fight against tooth decay.