Lake Oconee Dentistry Blog

DID YOU KNOW THAT THE WORD “DENTIST” comes from “dent-” which is French for “tooth”? Funny thing is, we deal with a lot more than just teeth! That’s because the health of your teeth is so tightly connected to the health of your whole mouth (and even connected to the health of your whole body).

So, here are four fun facts about your mouth:

1. That Little Piece of Webbing

You know that little piece of webbing that connects the base of your mouth with the underside of your tongue? It’s called a frenulum. And, there’s another major one in your mouth. Can you think of where it is? That’s right… It connects your upper gums to your top lip.

2. The Oral Mucosa

There is a special kind of tissue that lines your entire mouth called the oral mucosa. In some places (like on the roof of your mouth) it’s mixed with keratin, which is a strong material also found in our fingernails.

3. Your Temporomandibular Joints

Your upper and lower jaw are connected by temporomandibular joints. Most of the joints in your body (for example, your elbow) only move in one direction. Your jaw, however, moves up and down, side to side, AND front to back! This helps our molars grind our food. Move your own jaw in a circle right now. Your pet cat (a carnivore) can’t do that nearly as well as a human!

4. Saliva Factories

We have three major pairs of salivary glands, and other small ones located throughout our mouths. Did you know that saliva does more than help us eat and clean our mouths? It also contains important minerals that reinforce our teeth.

Ten More Fun Facts About Teeth

Together, Let’s Keep Your Teeth AND Mouth Healthy

As your lifelong oral healthcare provider, we check more than just teeth. We’re very interested in your gum health, the alignment and balance of your jaw, and early signs of problems like oral cancer in the soft tissues of your mouth and throat.

Thank you for the trust you place in us. We deeply appreciate it.

Remember, if you ever have any questions about your teeth or mouth we’re here to help—so please ask us! We look forward to seeing you the next time you visit.

INTUITIVELY, YOU PROBABLY KNOW that better posture is good for your back, neck, etc. But what you may NOT know is that better posture is good for your oral health too! It’s true. Proper posture promotes a healthy smile and can help prevent potential problems with your jaw and teeth.

Poor Posture Can Place Harmful Pressure On Your Jaw

Simply stated, when we slouch our lower jaw is pushed farther forward and our skull sits farther back on our spinal column, which can cause our bite to be misaligned. When our teeth are improperly aligned, our jaw compensates to bring them together. Over time, this movement can stress our jaw joints and the associated muscles—and in some cases cause painful inflammation and/or damage to our teeth.

Good Posture’s Effects Are Far Reaching

Your teeth are an important part of an interconnected skeletal system. When misaligned, some studies show that the effects can even be as far reaching as the muscles in your pelvis and feet! Crazy, huh? Practicing good posture can not only help you maintain a healthy smile, but it can also help your whole body health.

Are You Practicing Good Posture?

Take a look at this short video to learn more about good posture:

Tips For Better Posture

• Lift your chest, pull your shoulder blades back and down
• Keep your stomach muscles tight
• If standing, your ears should line up with your shoulders, your hips with your knees, and your knees with your ankles
• If sitting, your hips should line up with your ears

If you have any questions about posture or its relationship to your oral health, please contact us. We’re here to help you stand up straight and smile with confidence!

Thank you for the trust you place in our practice.

BECAUSE IT USUALLY HAPPENS SPONTANEOUSLY, we don’t often think about smiling or laughing. However, they both really do make us feel better—and, studies continue to reveal more of their many benefits.

1. Smiling Evokes Trust

A recent study published in the Journal of Economic Psychology suggests that people may be as much as 10% more willing to trust someone who smiles.

2. Smiling Could Increase Your Net Worth

Some economists suggest that smiles may have real, monetary value! Another study found that smiling waitresses earn more tips (makes sense, right?).

3. Smiling Lifts Your Spirit And Those Around You

Life is full of ups and downs. Smiling can reduce distressing emotions and be an invaluable tool in moving forward with our heads held high. And equally important, grins and chuckles can calm and comfort those around us. Here’s an example of how someone else’s smile (laugh) can lift YOUR day… We dare you to watch this video without smiling:

4. Smiling May Help You Look Younger!

That elusive fountain of youth may not be found in surgeries or potions—rather, a study suggests that the path to looking younger may be found through our smiles.

Let’s Get You Smiling And Laughing More (or again)!

As your lifelong health partner, we’re concerned about your total health. We know that some people don’t reap the benefits of smiling and laughing because they’re embarrassed or self-conscious about their teeth. Are you one of those people? We’d like to help. We love visiting with our patients about their smiles. We want you to smile confidently!

Thanks for sharing our practice (and our blog) with your friends, neighbors, and coworkers. We appreciate your kind referrals!

DID YOU KNOW THAT THE MAJORITY OF US experience SOME level of dental anxiety? As much as 80%, in fact. Despite our best efforts we know that there’s something that feels inherently vulnerable about lying back in a chair while we examine your mouth. We’ve been patients too.

Communication Can Make You More Comfortable

We want you to feel comfortable and confident during your visits with us. We believe that one key is open communication between our team and you—our valued patient! Whether you’re extremely nervous during dental appointments, or just slightly uncomfortable, communication helps. However, it’s hard to know exactly how, or what, to communicate sometimes.

If you’d really like to explore the reasons you feel nervous about dental visits, here’s a handy questionnaire developed by J.H. Clarke and S. Rustvold at the Oregon Health Sciences University School of Dentistry. If you’d like, look over the first four questions and let us know where you fall on the scale. It’s a simple way to tell us how you’re feeling.

Is Your First Appointment Coming Up?

Check out the video below outlining an routine check-up. It could help get you in the right mindset:

Simple Understanding Can Make A Huge Difference

Once we understand a little bit about your triggers and your reaction to dental-related situations, we can do a lot to make you feel comfortable. Some techniques we use include:

• Taking adequate time so you don’t feel rushed or harried.
• Carefully explaining everything before we do it.
• Establishing signals so that you can let us know if you need a break.

Would You Like More Techniques For Relieving Stress?

This video has some great pointers:

Do you know someone else who suffers from severe dental anxiety? Is it compromising their health? Have them give us a call. We can help.

Thanks for your trust in our practice!

YOU MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE CHILDREN OF YOUR OWN. Either way, we all have children we care about in our lives—nieces, nephews, grandchildren, neighbor’s and coworker’s children, etc. That’s why it’s so important for everyone to be aware of this severe health issue affecting kids.

It’s Easy To Protect Against Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

Did you know that the most common childhood disease today is tooth decay? Tooth decay results when bacteria in one’s mouth interacts with the sugar and starches in foods and beverages, creating acid which erodes tooth enamel. And although baby teeth are temporary, they’re critical to a child’s health, comfort, and long term oral health development. Without proper care those baby teeth are subject to painful, unnecessary caries.

Don’t Let Babies Fall Asleep With Their Bottles

Here’s what typically happens… The baby is put to bed with a bottle. Seems harmless enough. But if the bottle is full of milk or juice it’s also full of sugars that combine with bacteria to produce acids. Babies drift off with the bottles still in their mouths. The fluid pools around their teeth and the enamel on those new little teeth is slowly eroded away throughout the night.

The result can be painful caries, and/or the need for stainless steel crowns. In addition, since children’s teeth are still coming in they’re more susceptible to decay underneath the gum line. This decay can become so severe that delicate surgery under a general anesthetic may be required to remedy the problem.

Take A Moment To Be Informed

If you start early, you may be able to train your child to drink water in his or her bottle at nap time. Here are some other tips:

• use gauze or a wet cloth to wipe children’s gums and teeth after feedings
• work toward using “sippy” cups by his or her first birthday
• don’t nurse continuously during the night
• never dip pacifiers in honey or any sugary liquid

The video below offers other suggestions:

If You Have Questions, Please Ask

Think about the children you know and kindly help every parent understand this important topic. If you have any questions about dental health for your child, or for a child close to you, ask our team about it. You can leave a comment below, or on our Facebook page.

Thanks for your trust in our practice. We appreciate having you as our valued patient!

FATHERS HAVE A KNACK FOR making us smile—even when we’d prefer to be grouchy! Amazingly, they can usually pressure us into smiling through a simple act or gesture—a grin, a proud look, a really dumb joke.

This week, as much of the world celebrates Father’s Day, let’s return the favor!

Help Make The Fathers In YOUR Life Smile!

Take a moment to think about the fathers (and/or “father figures”) in your life. These could include your own dad, an admired teacher, a grandfather, a neighbor or mentor…

Now, think of one thing you can do for each of them this week that would make their lives brighter, make them smile, or lighten their loads. Remember, it could be something really simple like a unexpected visit or unhurried phone conversation to just say “thanks”. Whatever you come up with, make sure he knows how grateful you are for the role he’s played in your life.

It isn’t every day that we get an opportunity to celebrate those fathers who have contributed to our success and happiness. Take advantage of the day. By helping these fathers smile, you’ll find yourself smiling as well.

Think Of The Fathers In Your Life As You Watch This

Oral-B did a great job in this video capturing the Power of Dad!

Now Share Something With Us!

Did you decide on some things you can do this week? Please share your ideas with us below!

Do you have a memorable experience where a father in your life made you smile? Perhaps a great Father’s Day tradition? Share it with us in the comments section below or on our Facebook page. We’d love to hear from you.

We appreciate having you as a valued friend! Happy Father’s Day!

AN ALLIGATOR HAS 80+ TEETH that can each be replaced up to 50 times during its life! Potentially, that’s thousands of teeth! You may be thinking, “Wow, that’s cool… But why are we talking about alligator teeth on this human dental blog?” Well, alligators may be helping scientists learn how to stimulate tooth renewal in humans.

Alligator Teeth Are Similar To Human Teeth

Like humans, alligators have well organized teeth, with different functions, fixed in bony sockets. Research shows that there are three parts (or phases) to each alligator tooth—a working tooth, a substitute tooth (ready to replace the working tooth should it be lost), and the dental lamina (a band of tissue that is the apparent hub for new teeth development).

Humans are similar, with one big difference. We have adult teeth (these are our “working teeth”) and we have dental lamina. What we don’t have are substitute teeth. While most vertebrates can replace teeth until the day they die, human teeth replace themselves only once. The million dollar question is, why do replacement teeth stop growing after our first adult set?

The Secret May Be In The Dental Lamina

Researchers believe that the dental lamina is the source of tooth regeneration. Stem cells in the lamina stimulate growth. For some reason our lamina turns off when adult teeth arrive.

Researchers are working to isolate the exact lamina growth triggers in alligators so that perhaps they can duplicate them in humans. They believe they’ve found a “promising protein compound” but still have a lot of work to do to create the proper elemental combination.

A Video Overview

For Now, It’s A Waiting Game

The idea of human tooth regeneration is exciting (that’s why we brought it up!), but it isn’t right around the corner. So, in the meantime, continue taking great care of the teeth you have!

Thank you for stopping by our blog! And thanks for being our valued patients and friends.

WHY ARE CERTAIN CANDIES so bad for our teeth? One reason is all that sugar, of course. We know that. Here’s something you may not think about as often… Many popular treats include the descriptors tart, tangy, and sour. It seems the more bitter, the better.

Trouble is, our teeth are paying the price for this sour trend and we continue to see the damage.

Acid Erodes Our Teeth

A pH scale shows where substances are on a spectrum from base to acidic. 14–12 is really base, and 2–0 is really acidic.

A nice, neutral pH level of 7 is ideal for your mouth. When you eat acidic foods the pH level lowers. This can create a hostile, enamel-eroding environment for your teeth. No sugar (or plaque) is necessarily needed for an “acid attack” to be damaging.

Let’s Break It Down

Our tooth enamel can start to erode at a pH level of 4. Spree, a relatively mild sour candy, has a pH level of 3, Sour Skittles 2.2, and WarHeads Spray 1.6. That’s pretty shocking when you consider battery acid has a pH level of 1.0.

The Sad Signs Of Erosion

The acid in sour candy can really take a toll on our teeth and may even cause:

• Sensitivity
• Translucence at the biting edge of your teeth
• Increased cavities due to weakened enamel

Find Out How Acidic Your Food Is Using A Cabbage Test!

Be Smart

Chewing sugarless gum stimulates saliva flow for cleansing. Swishing water around in your mouth can also help. Still, the smartest thing you can do is to stop eating tart candies, or eat them very sparingly. They’re treats, not snacks.

If you’re experiencing signs of acid erosion, ask us about it. We can help.

Thanks for being our valued patient! We hope you and your smile are doing well!

WE ALL KNOW THAT EXERCISE IS GOOD FOR US. It promotes wellness, prevents sickness, and is said to benefit body, mind, and soul. But did you know that regular exercise is also good for your oral health? Read on…

Exercise Can Reduce Gum Disease Risk

Gum disease is an inflammation of the gums caused by harmful bacteria in our mouths. Regular exercise can reduce inflammation in your body and mouth—which in turn can lower your risk of gum disease. In a Journal of Periodontology study researchers found that individuals who work out regularly and maintain a healthy weight are 40% less likely to develop gum disease.

Because some studies have linked gum disease to cardiovascular disease and diabetes, eating healthy and staying active can also help protect you from more serious conditions.

Exercise Can Strengthen And Protect Your Smile

Working out helps improve digestion and can help your body more effectively use vitamins and minerals that are essential to dental health. If you exercise and eat healthy, your body is better able to use the nutrients in food to strengthen and protect your smile.

Physical fitness can greatly contribute to dental health. It can also improve your mood, help you manage stress and increase brainpower. If you’re not already, we encourage you to make exercising a habit.

Eating Tips For Before And After Exercise

3 Tips On How To Make Exercise A Habit

• Do activities you enjoy. You’ll stick with it if it’s something you want to do.
• Commit to another person. Work out with someone else. If that’s not possible, report your own efforts to someone who cares about you.
• Reward yourself. Changing behavior is hard. Give yourself a (healthy) incentive.

Have any exercising tips to add? We’d love to see them. Share them with us on Facebook or in the comments below.

Thank you for letting us be a part of your healthy goals!

IF YOU’RE PRONE TO SINUS INFECTIONS you may not think to visit with us. Well, perhaps you should! Tooth infections, also known as abscesses, can cause sinus infections. And, conversely, a sinus infection can make you feel like you have a toothache!

What Are Sinuses And How Can They Become Infected?

Your sinuses are a connected system of hollow chambers in your skull. Air passes through them to get warm and moist before moving to your lungs. Usually your body is able to keep your sinuses clean but sometimes bacteria can grow out of control and cause an infection.

Only The Maxillary Sinuses Can Be Infected By A Tooth

While you have several sinuses, only one set is affected by tooth-related issues. The maxillary sinuses are on either side of your nose and come in close contact with the roots of your upper teeth. Because the two are so close, abscesses from the upper back teeth can make their way into your maxillary sinus and cause an infection.

Contact Us At The First Sign Of Pain

Generally, tooth abscesses are painful. However, once in a while there’s no discomfort at all—it depends on the location of the infection. If you’re experiencing pain let us know, even if the pain goes away. We can help catch problems—and infections—before they spread.

Amazing Integration

If you’re at all worried that your sinus infections are causing toothaches, or a tooth-related problem is causing sinus infections, don’t hesitate to call. We’d be happy to visit with you.

Stay Connected To Our Blog And Stay Healthier!

The connection between your overall health and oral health is amazing. Continue reading our blog posts to stay informed about the best ways to maintain your health!

We appreciate the trust you place in our practice!