Good Dental Care is Your Healthiest New Year’s Resolution

There is an ancient proverb that the “eyes are the window to your soul.”   That might be true, but did you know that your mouth is probably the best window to your overall health?   By examining  your gums, teeth and tongue, a dentist obtains very important evidence about what’s going on in your entire body—which could help diagnose possible problems.    

Good dental hygiene is a lot more than sparkling teeth and kissable breath. It could save your life.

Bacteria and Inflammation

You probably know that bacteria that reside in your gastrointestinal tract, but your mouth is also packed with microbes.   In fact, there are more than 700 different bacterial strains residing in most people’s mouths!  Most of these are harmless, and some are even very beneficial.  But some are harmful and the cause of many diseases.

Normally, your body’s immune system, plus good oral care, can keep these hostile microorganisms under control. Saliva is another important player. It washes away food particles, neutralizes acids and defends against viruses and other germs.

However, poor hygiene can cause pathogenic microbes to grow, multiply and gain a stronghold. An abundance of these bad guys can lead to tooth decay, gingivitis (inflamed gums caused by a buildup of a sticky film of bacteria called plaque) and periodontitis (severe gum disease).

In fact most scientists and practitioners now believe that many diseases are the product of inflammation—and one of the main causes of inflammation is low-grade bacterial infections in the bloodstream introduced or originating in the mouth.

The Links to Disease

There is a vast (and mounting) amount of research that shows a strong connection between poor oral health and the following diseases:

• Cardiovascular disease (including heart attack and stroke);
• Alzheimer’s disease;
• Diabetes;
• Chronic kidney disease; and
• Pregnancy complications.

The data is too overwhelming to lay out here, but do a quick internet search of the connection between any of these diseases and your oral health, and you’ll find lots and lots of data.

Resolution No. 1: Take Care of Your Mouth

Your first line of defense against gingivitis, periodontitis and a host of other dental problems is to brush for two minutes twice a day and floss at least once a day. You should also get dental cleanings and exams every six months (or more often if recommended by your dentist). 

Don’t forget to clean your tongue as well. (You can use a regular old toothbrush or buy a special tongue scraper either online or at a drugstore.) Research involving children found that, compared to tooth brushing alone, tongue brushing or scraping led to “statistically significant reductions in plaque levels” after 10 and 21 days. Both methods appeared to be equally effective.

You may also want to consider taking some key nutrients that support oral health. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) benefits the heart and safeguards the gums. A study from India found that the ubiquinol form of CoQ10 not only reduced free radical damage in the mouths of patients with periodontal disease, but also suppressed inflammation associated with the condition.

A daily probiotic supplement can also promote healthy teeth and gums. The friendly strains Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria can decrease the number of cavity-causing S. mutans. Beneficial microbes also fight periodontitis, bad breath and countless gastrointestinal conditions.

Here are some final tips:

• Avoid sugary and starchy foods, which feed pathogenic bacteria and help them flourish. If you must eat something sweet or starchy, brush your teeth right away.
• Don’t use alcohol-based mouthwashes, which have been loosely linked to oral cancer. Opt for alcohol-free options.
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day to flush away food particles and unwelcome bacteria in your mouth.
• Consider chewing gum or suck a mint that contains xylitol. This natural, low-calorie sugar alternative shows promise in not only reducing cavities, but also reversing tooth decay in its earliest stages.

Clearly, taking diligent care of your mouth goes a long way in protecting your overall well being. While brushing and flossing may seem annoying and tedious at times, a few minutes a day is a small price to pay for long-term health. 

 Keep smiling,

 

Dr. Elzbieta W. Basil, DMD is a private practice dentist with offices in West Hartford Center and Downtown New Britain, Connecticut.  She is a Clinical Instructor at the UConn School of Dental Medicine, and has won several awards naming her regional “Best Dentist” and “Top Dentist.” She is an active member of the Connecticut State Dental Association and the American Dental Association. Tel: 860-561-2121

A Look Inside My Bathroom

People ask me all the time about my brushing habits.  So I took a picture of my actual bathroom brushing tools. Let's go through them, and I'll explain my routine.   Keep in mind that brushing your teeth is an important part of your dental care routine. For a healthy mouth and smile I recommend you:

• Brush your teeth twice a day with a soft-bristled brush. The size and shape of your brush should fit your mouth allowing you to reach all areas easily.
• Replace your toothbrush every three or four months, or sooner if the bristles are frayed. A worn toothbrush won’t do a good job of cleaning your teeth.
• Make sure to use an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste.

Back to the photo.  The two brushes on the left are both mine.  They are both soft-bristle brushes, which are the best because they have less erosive effect on tooth and gum structure.  Why do I have two?  I get them cheap.

The green brush is my husband's, which is a medium brush, because he likes it better, but as long as he's brushing, it's a good thing.  I tell him not to brush too hard.

The electric toothbrush is a Philips Sonicare they sent me to try out.  Frankly, I prefer manual toothbrushes myself, but they do a great job.  My husband likes it and that's the one he uses at night before going to bed.  He still has his wisdom teeth, and it makes it easier to clean them, especially in the very back, which is harder with a manual brush.

As to the toothpastes, we use two.  The Colgate is our morning toothpaste, as it's a good, gentle, everyday cleaning toothpaste, that I think works well.  I also brush after lunch, and I use it for that, too.  The Fluoridex is by prescription only, and it is high in fluoride, used to remineralize the teeth.  We use it at night because it gives the fluoride longer effect.  Tip:  After brushing and rinsing, I put a little more on the brush and apply it on all my tooth surfaces, then spit out any excess without rinsing to maximize the fluoride treatment.

The proper brushing technique is to:

• Place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gums. 
• Gently move the brush back and forth in short (tooth-wide) strokes. 
• Brush the outer surfaces, the inner surfaces, and the chewing surfaces of the teeth.
• To clean the inside surfaces of the front teeth, tilt the brush vertically and make several up-and-down strokes.
• Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and keep your breath fresh.

Of course, brushing your teeth is only a part of a complete dental care routine. And you see floss in the picture.  You should also make sure to:

• Clean between teeth daily with floss. Tooth decay-causing bacteria still linger between teeth where toothbrush bristles can’t reach. This helps remove plaque and food particles from between the teeth and under the gum line.
• Eat a balanced diet and limit between-meal snacks.
• Visit your dentist regularly for professional cleanings and oral exams. 

Finally, the mirror and the pick.  Don't use them.  The pick can do damage if you're not careful.  But since I know what I'm doing, I examine my mouth with them quite frequently to stay ahead of anything that could develop.

And if you want a graphic reminder of how to brush, here's one from the ADA.

Keep smiling,

 

Dr. Elzbieta W. Basil, DMD is a private practice dentist with offices in West Hartford Center and Downtown New Britain, Connecticut.  She is a Clinical Instructor at the UConn School of Dental Medicine, and has won several awards naming her regional “Best Dentist” and “Top Dentist.” She is an active member of the Connecticut State Dental Association and the American Dental Association. Tel: 860-561-2121

5 Dental Tips for Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! Bring out the stretchy pants and get ready for that delicious Thanksgiving turkey and all the wonderful sides.  Dr. Elzbieta W. Basil, a family dentist and cosmetic dentist, with offices in West Hartford Center and Downtown New Britain, CT, shares some dental tips for the Holidays:

1. Come Prepared—Discretely Carry a Toothbrush and Floss
This is common sense. You already know you should brush and floss after meals.   But the type of foods we eat between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day tend to be sweet, starchy and sticky.  They contain the perfect ingredients to make the bacteria that causes tooth decay (Streptococcus mutans) celebrate along with us!  So indulge.  You deserve it.  But, don’t skip the brushing and flossing. After you’re done eating that second piece of pumpkin or pecan pie, take two minutes and brush your pearly whites.  It’s easy to carry a toothbrush and floss.

2. Open Nuts with a Nutcracker and Don’t Open Bottles with Your Teeth
It may sound funny now but how many people have you seen doing exactly that – using their teeth to crack open a nut or open a beer bottle?    I’m totally serious…I’ve actually seen somebody using their teeth to remove a stubborn champagne cork!  Take it from me, the average dental crown costs more than the average nut cracker, or bottle opener…so use them.

3. Don’t Bite Candy Canes and Avoid Sticky Sweets
After Thanksgiving, Christmas festivities begin and sweet treats like candy canes make their annual appearance.  Be wary of hard sticky sweets like caramelized popcorn balls or candy brittle. A popcorn seed, a candied nut, or a hard piece of sticky sugar can easily break a cusp off a molar or fracture that huge metal filling you’ve had in that back tooth since you were 10.

4. Don't Argue about Politics!
I'm on social media.  I see that tensions are high.  People are concerned that they'll have an argument with family members of a different political opinion than their own.  A punch or other blunt trauma to the mouth is still really bad for your dentition. ;-)

5. If  You Sustain Tooth Damage, Make An Appointment Right Away
If you break or chip a tooth, the worst thing to do is to wait and see if it gets better on its own.  It won’t.  And while most fractures or chips are easily fixed, delaying treatment might put you in a situation where the tooth can’t be saved.  We’re highly skilled at bonding to repair a chip or crack, and veneers, if that’s a more appropriate option.  If your old filling comes out, we can replace it with a tooth-colored filling, using state-of-the-art dental materials.  But if you wait a long time, you might be looking at a root canal and/or a crown or an implant. 

So do your best to preserve those precious, beautiful smile-makers.  But if something happens, make an appointment and we’ll fix you up fast.


HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

Keep smiling,

 

Dr. Elzbieta W. Basil, DMD is a private practice dentist with offices in West Hartford Center and Downtown New Britain, Connecticut.  She is a Clinical Instructor at the UConn School of Dental Medicine, and has won several awards naming her regional “Best Dentist” and “Top Dentist.” She is an active member of the Connecticut State Dental Association and the American Dental Association. Tel: 860-561-2121

Marijuana and Your Oral Health

One of the things I noticed on this past election day is that marijuana was legalized in Massachusetts, our neighbor to the north, and is now legal for recreational use by almost one-quarter of the US population. The use of medical marijuana  is legal in 20 more states, including Connecticut.  So here’s some information about marijuana smoking and your oral health.

According to a 2014 survey from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), around 22.2 million Americans report using the drug in the past month.   The first thing we need to do is understand that there are no stereotypes. Marijuana crosses all cultures, ages, genders, and socioeconomics. It is not a poor man's drug or a rich man's drug, and to most who use it, it isn't even a drug.

Some of my patients who use marijuana need compassion. Those who use marijuana to waylay the side effects of cancer, MS, fibromyalgia, and a host of other painful diseases just need support, for which its use is legal in Connecticut (and 19 other states, in addition to the 8 where it’s outright legal). This becomes a risk-benefit scenario, where the patient wants comfort, not a list of dos and dont's from the dentist.

However, on the flipside of compassion, we need to know that marijuana harms the oral cavity.

Do your homework! One study suggests frequent use of marijuana may triple the risk of severe gum disease. Tobacco is already known to raise the risk of periodontal disease. Researchers in New Zealand wanted to know if marijuana had a similar effect. Their study included 903 people. Some had smoked marijuana an average of once a week for 15 years. They were three times as likely to have severe gum disease as nonsmokers of marijuana. Reuters Health News service reported on the study on February 5, 2008. It was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Marijuana's harmful effects on the mouth include an increased risk of mouth cancer. "Drug Abuse" reports that marijuana has been found to have a higher concentration of cancer-producing ingredients than cigarettes. Pot smokers typically hold the smoke in the lungs and mouth for longer periods of time, increasing the effects on the mucous lining in the mouth and exposure to the cancer-causing agents. The tar found in marijuana has developed tumors on the skin of animals in laboratory tests.

A report by the American Medical Student Association says that marijuana users tend to get sick more frequently than those who don't smoke it. In addition to the lowered immune system and chemical poisons produced by the THC that linger in the mouth, marijuana users undergo personality changes that lead to poor hygiene. They lack energy and lose interest in everyday activities that were once important, such as brushing, flossing, and rinsing. The smoke from marijuana causes bad breath, and the lack of mouth care eventually produces additional problems for teeth and gums.

Marijuana can lead to higher incidences of cavities (caries), and it can cause cotton-mouth (xerostomia). Because of marijuana's side effects of dry mouth and hunger, most people turn to soft drinks and carbohydrates to stave off these side effects. This leads to plaque retention and a higher incidence of caries.

I know that despite some of these increased risks, many of my patients do, and probably more will use marijuana in the future.  In truth, I can’t say it’s worse than smoking two packs of cigarettes per day, or drinking a quart of liquor per day, or smoking methamphetamine, which are all really, really bad for your mouth.

But it doesn’t have a positive effect on the oral cavity.

Keep smiling,

 

Dr. Elzbieta W. Basil, DMD is a private practice dentist with offices in West Hartford Center and Downtown New Britain, Connecticut.  She is a Clinical Instructor at the UConn School of Dental Medicine, and has won several awards naming her regional “Best Dentist” and “Top Dentist.” She is an active member of the Connecticut State Dental Association and the American Dental Association. Tel: 860-561-2121

Marijuana and Your Oral Health

One of the things I noticed on this past election day is that marijuana has been legalized in Massachusetts, our neighbor to the north, and is now legal for recreational use by almost one-quarter of the US population. The use of medical marijuana  is legal in 20 more states, including Connecticut.  So here’s some information about marijuana smoking and your oral health.

According to a 2014 survey from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), around 22.2 million Americans report using the drug in the past month.   The first thing we need to do is understand that there are no stereotypes. Marijuana crosses all cultures, ages, genders, and socioeconomics. It is not a poor man's drug or a rich man's drug, and to most who use it, it isn't even a drug.

Some of my patients who use marijuana need compassion. Those who use marijuana to waylay the side effects of cancer, MS, fibromyalgia, and a host of other painful diseases just need support, for which its use is legal in Connecticut (and 19 other states, in addition to the 8 where it’s outright legal). This becomes a risk-benefit scenario, where the patient wants comfort, not a list of dos and dont's from the dentist.

However, on the flipside of compassion, we need to know that marijuana harms the oral cavity.

Do your homework! One study suggests frequent use of marijuana may triple the risk of severe gum disease. Tobacco is already known to raise the risk of periodontal disease. Researchers in New Zealand wanted to know if marijuana had a similar effect. Their study included 903 people. Some had smoked marijuana an average of once a week for 15 years. They were three times as likely to have severe gum disease as nonsmokers of marijuana. Reuters Health News service reported on the study on February 5, 2008. It was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Marijuana's harmful effects on the mouth include an increased risk of mouth cancer. "Drug Abuse" reports that marijuana has been found to have a higher concentration of cancer-producing ingredients than cigarettes. Pot smokers typically hold the smoke in the lungs and mouth for longer periods of time, increasing the effects on the mucous lining in the mouth and exposure to the cancer-causing agents. The tar found in marijuana has developed tumors on the skin of animals in laboratory tests.

A report by the American Medical Student Association says that marijuana users tend to get sick more frequently than those who don't smoke it. In addition to the lowered immune system and chemical poisons produced by the THC that linger in the mouth, marijuana users undergo personality changes that lead to poor hygiene. They lack energy and lose interest in everyday activities that were once important, such as brushing, flossing, and rinsing. The smoke from marijuana causes bad breath, and the lack of mouth care eventually produces additional problems for teeth and gums.

Marijuana can lead to higher incidences of cavities (caries), and it can cause cotton-mouth (xerostomia). Because of marijuana's side effects of dry mouth and hunger, most people turn to soft drinks and carbohydrates to stave off these side effects. This leads to plaque retention and a higher incidence of caries.

I know that despite some of these increased risks, many of my patients do, and probably more will use marijuana in the future.  In truth, I can’t say it’s worse than smoking two packs of cigarettes per day, or drinking a quart of liquor per day, or smoking methamphetamine, which are all really, really bad for your mouth.

But it doesn’t have a positive effect on the oral cavity.

Keep smiling,

 

Dr. Elzbieta W. Basil, DMD is a private practice dentist with offices in West Hartford Center and Downtown New Britain, Connecticut.  She is a Clinical Instructor at the UConn School of Dental Medicine, and has won several awards naming her regional “Best Dentist” and “Top Dentist.” She is an active member of the Connecticut State Dental Association and the American Dental Association. Tel: 860-561-2121

How to Survive Your Sweet Tooth.

Halloween candy.  You know it and I know it.  If you’re not sneaking it from your kids, you’re probably eating the leftovers you gave out at your door, or that somebody brought to the office coffee room. 

Thanks to years of education from parents, teachers, dental hygienists, and dentists like myself, most of you are already are aware that eating candy (and drinking sugary drinks) can contribute to tooth decay. But if your house is now full of delicious Halloween candy, and you enjoy the taste of delicious treats (mmmmmm, chocolate), by following a few common sense practices you can maintain healthy teeth.

Here are a few tips that can help prevent cavities for those of you, like myself, who have a sweet tooth:

Brush Often

While this might seem obvious, a busy schedule or forgetfulness often prevents you from brushing as often as you should. To keep your teeth clean, you should carry a portable or disposable toothbrush with you at all times. Portable toothbrushes are perfect for busy adults, such as sales representatives and insurance agents, who are on the road during the day. They allow you to quickly visit the restroom after eating a sugary dessert or snack and remove any food or sugar on the teeth.

Use a Mouthrinse

It’s not  a substitute for brushing, but use a mouthrinse to remove as much sugar and sticky residue as possible. While mouthrinses that contain fluoride are ideal, even swishing plain water around your mouth can help when no other option is available.

Chew Sugar-Free Gum After

If you chew a sugar-free gum after eating sweets it will help clean your teeth. The gum will increase the production of saliva, aiding in removing any sugar coating the teeth.

Opt for Less Sugary Alternatives

Obviously, fruits are a healthy way to satisfy a craving for sweets, but for those who don't want to substitute a banana for a donut, there are still some choices you can make to lessen the risk of cavities. For example, a piece of a chocolate bar will not coat the mouth in sticky sugar for quite as long as a candies containing caramel or gooey taffy.  And, please, don't suck for a long time on a lollipop.

The key to prevent cavities after eating sugary foods is simply to prevent the mouth from remaining coated in the acid-forming sugars and other carbohydrates found in sweets after eating—just keep the toothbrush moving.

Keep smiling,

 

Dr. Elzbieta W. Basil, DMD is a private practice dentist with offices in West Hartford Center and Downtown New Britain, Connecticut.  She is a Clinical Instructor at the UConn School of Dental Medicine, and has won several awards naming her regional “Best Dentist” and “Top Dentist.” She is an active member of the Connecticut State Dental Association and the American Dental Association. Tel: 860-561-2121