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School snacks for healthy teeth

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With the return to school fast approaching our office sees the improvement in your child’s oral health. No more all-day summer snacking and slurping back sugary drinks.

The snacks you send in your child’s lunch can help keep their smile healthy all year long.

School Snacks, Dentist Approved:

  • Fresh fruit and crunchy vegetables. They’re high in fiber and will help fill up hungry tummies. Bonus: chewing crisp fruits and veggies can scrub away food particles and plaque.
    • While citrus fruits, such as oranges, and grapefruit are healthy and delicious,  citrus fruits contain citric acid which can cause enamel erosion. Moderation is important!
  • Unsalted and low-salt nuts, such as almonds or walnuts.
  • A lunch meat and cheese roll up.
  • Cottage cheese or low-sugar yogurt. Both are excellent sources of calcium and vitamin D, which promote healthy bones and teeth!
  • Peanut Butter (especially natural) is packed with fiber and protein. Spread on celery stalks, apple slices, or on wraps with bananas.
  • Small cubes of cheese. Especially cheddar, Monterey Jack, Swiss, and other aged cheeses. These cheeses trigger the flow of saliva which helps to wash food particles away from teeth.
  • Choose water instead of soda or juice!

Uh-Oh! School Snacks to Avoid:

  Dried fruit, fruit leathers and fruit snacks
Not only are they loaded with sugar, but these snacks are gooey and sticky and cling to the surface of teeth and gums.

  • Energy, protein or granola bars
    These may seem like a good choice, but they are very similar to candy bars in the amount of sugar and calories. Many contain sticky dried fruit that cling to teeth  long after the snack is eaten.
  • Cracker snacks
    White flour crackers like goldfish, graham crackers, and bagel chips also stick to teeth. These types of crackers contain carbohydrates that turn into sugar when broken down. Try healthier alternatives like whole grain crackers and triscuits.
  • Sports drinks
    Sports drinks contain extra calories and high levels of sugar, almost as much as soda. They are also  acidic and can contribute to enamel erosion.

Call today for your back-to-school cleaning!

Sleep troubles? How we can help with snoring.

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Are you waking up every morning feeling more tired than the night before? Are you being kicked by your partner all night because of your snoring? Sleep doesn’t come easily to everyone.

Did you know dentists have special training to deal with OSA, Obstructive Sleep Apnea? Your dentist can recognize your risk factors for sleep apnea from the size of your jaw opening (too small) and size of your tongue (too large). Both of which can obstruct your airway. Together with your GP we can work towards your good night’s rest.

Sleep apnea doesn’t just make you feel tired, it also affects your oral health. OSA forces you to breath out of your mouth all night which can cause dry mouth which can lead to tooth decay, plaque build up, mouth sores, and periodontal disease.

How we can help you sleep:

When you come in for your next appointment with Dr. Ross, let us know about your sleeping problems. We will contact your GP and request that they send you for a sleep study. Together with your physician we will determine if oral appliance therapy is an appropriate course of action and you will be referred back to our office so we can make your appliance.

Oral appliances for Obstructive Sleep Apnea are a non-invasive way to prevent airway collapse in people with mild to moderate OSA. Many people find it more comfortable and convenient than a CPAP machine. While studies show 92% of patients wearing oral appliances found snoring to be either eliminated or significantly improved.

We want to help you feel rested and refreshed!

Call us today to book an appointment!

 

Source

Surprising Facts About Teeth!

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Let’s explore some of the most surprising things you probably didn’t know about teeth!

Your Teeth:
  1. Your teeth’s enamel is the hardest substance in your body. Just don’t test in on bottle caps because…
  2. Teeth are the only part of your body that do not naturally heal.
  3. But on average, people only spend 48 seconds each time they brush – the standard recommendation is 2 minutes!
  4. So three out of every four Americans has some form of periodontal gum disease.
Other Creatures:

5. Some snails have more than 20, 000 teeth, even though their mouth’s are no bigger than a pinhead

6. An elephant’s tusks are actually teeth!

7. Giraffes have the same number of teeth as humans – 32

8. You can tell the age of a dolphin by counting the rings on its teeth – just like a tree

 Historically:

9. Barbers used to pull teeth – talk about a one-stop-shop

10. Most Americans did not brush their teeth every day until after World War 2. In WW2, the military required soldiers to brush their teeth twice a day, and they brought that habit home after the war.

11. Neolithic humans filled cavities in their teeth with beeswax

12. The cotton candy machine was co-created by a dentist who called it “Fairy Floss”. Now that’s surprising!

Your Dentist:

13. DDS vs. DMD – DDS means Doctor of Dental Surgery, DMD means Doctor of Dental Medicine. The degrees are the same as they have the same education but each practitioner can decide what their degree is called.

14. You can’t lie to your dentist – General dentists can tell a great deal about your habits, diet, and oral hygiene routine just by looking at your teeth. They can tell if you floss everyday or just for the days leading up to your appointment. They can also tell what types of foods you eat and whether you grind or clench your teeth.

15. Your dentist is an artist – Dentistry is an artistic as well as scientific profession. Dentists must have an artist’s aesthetic sense, an eye for detail and the manual dexterity to perform precise procedures in a small area.

Call today for your appointment https://austindentalgroups.com/contact/

Pulling Baby Teeth – When and How?

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Should you be pulling out baby teeth? How and when is the best time?

Youtube can show you countless creative ways to pull out baby teeth; from the “slamming door” method to newer techniques like the nerf gun. For some kids this is harmless fun, but for others it can be painful and scary.

It’s important to remember that teeth should only be pulled when they are loose enough to come out with very little pulling by the parent or child. Having a loose tooth can become uncomfortable as it can shift around and poke the gums affecting chewing. Remember that you want to make sure the tooth is not pulled out prematurely. Let your child be in control of the situation; this will ease anxiety and fear surrounding losing a tooth.

Your child will likely play with the tooth with their tongue throughout the day, gradually loosening it. If they are becoming anxious to lose the tooth offer crunchy snacks like apples to speed up the process.

When the tooth is truly ready to fall out organically there should be little or no blood, but have gauze ready to clean the area and rinse the mouth out to keep the site clean.

If your child has a loose tooth that is causing pain or keeping them up at night, call our office to make an appointment and we can assess if the tooth will need to be extracted in office.

(604) 936-1263 or email https://austindentalgroups.com/contact/

Don’t forget to read last week’s blog about the tooth fairy for more information!

 

 

Happy Holidays from Dr.Ross and Staff

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Wishing you a sparkling holiday season 

May your smiles be Merry and White!

   

 

Things you should consider before Invisalign:

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The first consideration is that you should be really  disciplined  in wearing your invisible aligners to get the best results

Invisalign must be worn almost 22 hours a day.  You usually need to remove them only when you eat and drink.

2- Your teeth may feel more sensitive

There may be a constant force while working around teeth movement, thus, making your teeth feel more sensitive.

3- Aligners can make the pain

As your teeth move to their proper positions, nerve ending in your gums are stretched as well. This may sometimes cause a stinging sensation in your gums.

4- You Shouldn`t smoke while wearing your Invisalign

Smoking with your aligners on can cause permanent discoloration.  If you wish to smoke, be sure to remove your aligners.

 5- Invisalign may affect your speech

Similar to metal braces, patients may feel that they have a lisp at the beginning of the treatment.

6- You need to remove your aligners whenever you eat

You have to make sure that food stuck in between your teeth and along your gum lines are removed.

So, this is important to brush your teeth and floss before putting your invisible aligners back in your mouth. 

7- Avoid sugary, colored, and acidic drinks

Coffee or breakfast tea can leave a stain on your aligners or may cause discoloration. If you want to drink while wearing Invisalign, enjoy drinking a glass of water instead.

8- You need to skip your lipstick for a while

Since Invisalign are clear plastic aligners, wearing lipstick can stain your aligners.  Try a colorless lip balm or other alternatives.

9- Be patient with the results

Remember that the duration of the treatment depends on the complexity of the misalignment of your teeth!

10- Invisalign should be cleaned regularly

Wearing Invisalign for about 22 hours a day and leaving them uncleaned can cause them to be discolored and smelly.

It would be great to wash them properly, soak them in a cleaning solution, and rinse them before using them again.

11- For Some Patients, Invisalign treatment may come with attachments

Attachments are tooth-colored buttons placed on certain teeth to allow the proper grip of the aligners 

12- The cost of Invisalign varies

The cost of Invisalign varies per patient. And some have insurances that may cover a portion of the cost.

13- You might need to use retainers after your Invisalign treatment

After your Invisalign treatment completed, your dentist might recommend that wear retainers when you sleep.

This is to ensure that you keep your teeth in place.

 

If you have any other concerns about your Invisalign treatment, Please contact Dr.Shahriary`s office to book a free consultation appointment.

Snoring and dental problems

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If you don`t have good oral health, it can be the reason for your Sleep Apnea.

You can sometimes find early signs of a sleep disorder by visiting your Dentist.

The first sign of having sleep apnea is tooth grinding  (bruxism). Grinding can cause tooth wear and breakage as well as inflamed and receding gums.

A spike in cavities can also be a sign of grinding.

Sometimes mouth`s anatomy and sinuses and Sometimes the eruption of the wisdom teeth can be the reason for snoring.

When the tooth has partially erupted, this causes a flap of tissue to become infected and swollen.

Because of this condition, patients may sleep with their mouth open, leading to snoring.

Snoring also can be caused by a number of factors like allergies, a cold, overweight, or alcohol consumption.

Other risk factors that contribute to what causes snoring include the following:

Being male, Being 40 years of age or older, Pregnancy and family history of snoring.

 

There are approved oral appliances available to help with snoring.

Your dentist can make you a custom snoring device, but only after you have been officially diagnosed with an oral problem. This oral appliance is a device that fits like a retainer and looks like a mouth guard. It supports your jaw and tongue to maintain an open upper airway.

 

There are several benefits to using a custom-made snoring device over store-bought ones, including:

– The device is much more effective than any prefabricated one because

it’s specially designed for your mouth.

– A custom snore guard will last definitely longer than that one you can get over the counter.

– They are portable, so you can take them with you while traveling.

–  Oral appliances are far more comfortable than wearing a mask!

 

Why water is the right choice for your oral health?

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– Drinking water helps prevent cavities and staining

For drinking sugary drinks you need to know that the sugars combine with the bacteria in your mouth and form acids that make cavities in your teeth. Having the occasional soda or sports drink is OK, Just when you make sure that drinking water is a regular part of your day!

Also, when you are outside until you can get home to brush and floss, drinking a glass of water and swishing it around a little in your mouth after having food, definitely helps a lot.

– Drinking water fights bad breath

Do you know why so many of us get “morning breath”? it`s because of the Bactria which grows in Dry mouth. You can stop morning breath by keeping hydrated with water. This also helps to produce saliva to wash away any lingering food particles that could contribute to bad breath or tooth decay.

– Fluoridated water helps fight tooth decay and cavities, especially with children!

Fluoride strengthens the tooth structure, making the entire tooth more resistant to decay. It also can repair the early stages of tooth decay.

Don’t forget to visit your dentist every six months for a dental exam and cleaning to make sure your smile stays healthy and strong.

How Smoking affects your dental health?

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Smoking is already proven to be really bad for your oral health. It appears that smoking interferes with the normal function of gum tissue cells. This interference makes smokers more susceptible to infections. It causes severe periodontal (gum) disease, and once you have gum damage, smoking also makes it harder for your gums to heal. In general, smoking gives you bad breath, tooth discoloration and Increasing risk of bone and tooth loss.Further more, it has serious effects on developing oral cancers . Smoking can also lower success rate of dental implant procedures. Please If your have any signs and symptoms of gum disease like red,puffy,tender gum or bleeding while you are brushing do not hesitate to call us. We can book you a quick check up appointment with Dr.Shahriary.

Some tips for Thanksgiving

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Next weekend, as your family celebrates Thanksgiving Day, it’s important to keep your oral health in mind. When preparing your holiday meal, include foods that are nutritious and beneficial for your teeth and gums. Turkey, Cheese, Greens and vegetables are packed with protein and phosphorous, Calcium, vitamins and minerals which are all good for  health and strength of your teeth and gum.

Cranberry sauce which is a tasty Thanksgiving tradition, pumpkin pie and desserts are the sweetest  part of our celebration. But you should consider that starchy foods are full of sugary carbohydrates, which build up bacteria in the mouth and can lead to cavities. Just make sure to have a few drinks of water afterward to wash away food debris from your mouth.

If you do notice tooth stains after Thanksgiving, contact us and also ask about our teeth whitening services. There’s no need to completely deprive you this Thanksgiving. But do keep in mind these suggestions  for your dental health.

Happy Thanksgiving in advance!