It’s like this…drinking a lot of pop can cause cavities. The more pop you drink, and the slower you drink it, the greater your chances of getting cavities.
I’ve written about this before. A lot, actually. In fact, many of my patients get sick of me telling them about it. But hey…I’m a doctor. I’ll bet diabetics get tired of hearing their physician tell them that they need to lay off the M&M’s and donuts, too.
I recently examined a patient who admitted to being a serious on-the-job pop drinker. He told me with no prompting that he was done with pop. He didn’t like how it made his teeth look. So, of course, I took a picture.
"pop cavities" (click to enlarge)
He had a few things going on that are classic for pop drinkers:
front teeth: He had quite a few cavities, but they were limited mostly to his upper front teeth. If you think about it, that kind of makes sense. When you sip a highly acidic and sugary beverage what does it hit first? Your upper front teeth. So that’s where the acid and sugar starts to work.
“white spot” lesions: This is the chalky, white spotting that you can see on tooth enamel that has been partially dissolved by acid. The good news about white spot lesions is that with some intensive fluoride treatment they can be reversed. However, continued acid and sugar will cause a white spot lesion to turn into a…
“pop cavities:” That’s just what I call them. This is the yellowish-brownish hole you can see once the acid has really broken through the enamel of your tooth. The second layer is darker colored and much more susceptible to the acid. Once you lose your enamel, that tooth is a much greater risk to form a pop cavity.
So what can you do if you like your pop so much that you don’t want to stop? I have a couple suggestions:
So, are you a pop drinker? You ought to check out your front teeth in a mirror. Or, better yet, come in the office and let us take some photos. We can take a look at them together on the iPad and see if you’ve got any “pop cavities.”
Did you find this post refreshing? Fizzy? Annoying? I’d love to hear about it! You can share any Mead Family Dental post with a “Like” on Facebook, a “+1″ on Google+ or you can even “Tweet” it with Twitter! All you need to do is hover over the heart shaped button next to the title of the post. Or you can leave a comment by clicking on the balloon shaped icon next to the title.
If you’re looking for a dentist in Saginaw, we’re always happy to accept new patients! You can request an appointment online or call the office at (989) 799-9133. And, as always, you can email me at alan@meadfamilydental.com. I always answer my own emails!
"Jokey smurf thought nothing of the filling that fell out last week. He wasn't as Jokey when his cheek swelled up."
“It didn’t hurt, Doc. So I didn’t come in…”
I hear this from patients. A lot!
Many dental problems actually don’t hurt. A couple examples:
gum disease: Usually doesn’t hurt, even with advanced loss of bone around the tooth. Teeth can often become loose with little to no pain.
early tooth decay: Painless. Tooth decay can often advance almost all the way to the nerve of the tooth with little or no pain
broken teeth: a relatively common problem called “cracked tooth syndrome” actually hurts before the tooth breaks, but feels better once the tooth actually breaks!
“O.K. Doc. I hear you. Tooth problems don’t always hurt. So, if it doesn’t hurt, how do I know I have a problem?”
That’s a good question. When a patient isn’t having any problems we would say that don’t have any symptoms. But they may have signs of trouble that they aren’t aware of.
Symptom: ”a departure from normal function or feeling which is noticed by a patient, indicating the presence of disease or abnormality. A symptom is subjective, observed by the patient, and not measured.”
Sign: “A dental sign is an objective indication of some medical fact or characteristic that may be detected by a dentist during a dental examination…”
So, how does a patient know if there are any signs of problems? They need to go to the dentist. Regularly. Ideally they go to a dentist that they trust and that they’ve developed a relationship with over a period of time. A dentist uses symptoms (from the patient) as well as signs (collected by examination) to find problems. Ideally, problems are found when they’re very small and need minimal treatment. The best way to make sure problems are found early is by scheduling regular checkups with your dentist. Every six months is the minimum that I would recommend.
Some patients should be seen more often than every 6 months. Who are these patients?
Patients who have “unstable” periodontal disease: If there’s advanced bone loss and we’re not sure that we’ve arrested the disease process we’ll want you to come in more often. Every three months is preferred.
Patients with a high rate of decay: If you’ve had multiple cavities in the last year I’m going to want to check you pretty often. I’m also going to want to help monitor your diet (less pop, more xylitol gum) and probably will recommend fluoride varnish treatments every three months, or even more often.
Patients on a lot of medications: multiple medications often means a dry mouth. Dry mouth is a huge risk for tooth decay.
Patients with a history of head and neck radiation: radiation treatment for cancer can cause your salivary glands to produce much less saliva. This is a huge risk factor for tooth decay and these patients should be seen every 3 months or more often for preventive care.
“Aren’t you just trying to scare us into coming in more often?”
We go to any length to get you to make an appointment at Mead Family Dental
No. But if that’s what it takes, I’ll put on my Ghostface mask.
The bottom line is this…just because it doesn’t hurt doesn’t mean that everything is fine. You should be seeing your dentist at least every 6 months. Plus, you should make an appointment immediately if you have any of the following:
a broken tooth: Whether it hurts or not, this needs to be seen and treated. A broken tooth that doesn’t hurt is a time bomb waiting to ruin your weekend, your vacation or a good night’s sleep. Broken teeth seem to know about Murphy’s Law and usually become a problem when your dentist isn’t in the office.
a food catcher: Do you have a spot between your teeth where food always gets stuck? These “food traps” can and should be treated. This is a great place for a cavity to start.
lost crown or filling: As much as you’d like to believe (and so would I) that all dental work lasts forever…it doesn’t. A crown or filling that comes out is a none-to-suble hint that there’s a problem. This needs to be seen!
trauma: Did little Billy bump his tooth on the coffee table? Did Dad take a softball to the chin? Teeth that have been bumped can sometimes act up. Even if everything feels O.K., you should have your dentist take a look.
Make sure to let your dentist know if you do have symptoms. A patient’s description of the problem is the first step in determining a diagnosis. If your dentist isn’t listening to your concerns and symptoms, speak up or find another dentist!
Did find this post helpful? Annoying? I’d love to hear about it! You can share any Mead Family Dental post with a “Like” on Facebook, a “+1″ on Google+ or you can even “Tweet” it with Twitter! All you need to do is hover over the heart shaped button next to the title of the post. Or you can leave a comment by clicking on the balloon shaped icon next to the title.
If you’re looking for a dentist in Saginaw, we’re always happy to accept new patients! You can request an appointment online or call the office at (989) 799-9133. And, as always, you can email me at alan@meadfamilydental.com. I always answer my own emails!
It’s the time of year for resolutions again. The problem with resolutions is that they’re usually too hard to keep. We usually ask too much of ourselves or they don’t really fit into our lifestyle.
So instead of resolving to eat nothing but lettuce for the entirety of 2012 or reducing your carbon footprint by 95% you might try one (or all) of these.
Check your calendar and make sure you have a dental checkup scheduled. If you need one, give us a call at (989) 799-9133 or click on the button at the upper right of this page that says “make an appointment online.!” We can get you set up right away and you can feel good knowing you’re doing the right thing for your teeth!
Floss your teeth at least once every day. I know, I know. Everyone hates flossing, but everyone needs to do it. People who floss regularly almost never have cavities in between their teeth. Remove that biofilm and your teeth will thank you!
Start small. Make the whole resolution thing nice and easy. You’ll feel better about yourself and then maybe next year you can resolve to swear off using the letter “S”. Or whatever makes you feel good.
All of us at Mead Family Dental wish you and yours a wonderful and prosperous new year. If you’re looking for a dentist in Saginaw or just have any questions for me, feel free to drop me an email at alan@meadfamilydental.com. We’re looking forward to serving you in 2012!
I really don’t know how a car works. I’m good with the fact that you need to put gas in it. I can even change a flat tire. But the part where you turn the key and it runs is just plain magic to me. I know, I should probably turn in my man card. I also know you’re supposed to change the oil every x number of miles (3000? 5000?). I spent a fair amount of time in oil change places recently. Both my car and my wife’s van were quite overdue for oil changes, so I finally got over to the oil change place to have it done.
It seems like the mechanic on duty always suggests a barrage of filter and fluid changes in addition to the oil change. The suggestions are always in flashing red letters on the computer monitor helpfully placed next to the driver’s side window. A harried mechanic always manages to bring an air filter over to the window that looks as if it was recently plucked from a sandstorm. It seems like there’s always something more that I should be doing to maintain my car and there’s no such thing as a 10 minute oil change. I go in wanting an oil change and come out with a radiator flush, new wiper blades and the guilt associated with telling the mechanic that I’m not going to have him clean my brake fluid reservoir. My quick $25 maintenance almost always turns into an hour or more costing $200!
Why do I feel taken advantage of? Why do I dread going to get my oil changed? There are a couple of reasons. First, I don’t like to feel stupid. I don’t know how cars work and the oil change places know this. I don’t really know if what they’re suggesting is necessary. Even when I do everything they ask, they always suggest more the next time. It’s a knowledge problem. They know more about the how a car works than I do so I have to trust that they’re being honest and that I really need the services that they’re suggesting. Of course, they’re both diagnosing the problems with my car and selling the “solution.”
"When was the last time you had your teeth cleaned?"
Secondly, I feel guilty when I’ve gone over my mileage. Life is hectic and sometimes I don’t get back before 3,000 miles have gone by. Of course there’s that sticker in my window that reminds me that I’m overdue every time I get in the car, too. On top of that, the oil change places say 3,000 miles, but the manufacturer says 5,000. So which is it?
All of this strikes me as a near perfect analogy to dental checkups. How are you supposed to feel when your dentist tells you that you need a filling but nothing even hurts? Why does it seem like they always want to take x-rays? And you just know that they’re going to give you a hard time about not flossing enough. It seems like every time you come in there’s something else you have to pay for and it’s awkward to constantly tell them “no!”
Dentist’s have more knowledge about teeth and dental problems than patients do. That’s why they’re dentists. So there can be a conflict. Dentists get paid to diagnose and fix problems, just like the oil change places. The difference is that dentists have a code of ethics that they are supposed to follow that means they always put the patient’s best interests first. Does that mean that dentists are always great at it? Not necessarily. But it’s something that most dentists I know aspire to.
Our office wants you to make great choices about your dental care. So we do some very specific things to make your dental office experience unlike a trip to the oil change place:
We take a lot of pictures: We’ve got all kinds of cameras (intraoral, extraoral and microscope mounted!) and we take photos for our records. A lot of times a photo can help a patient understand a diagnosis or a treatment better than just a spoken description.
We strive for informed consent: We try to explain (in words and pictures) our findings and suggest treatments to solve the problem. On top of that, we explain the consequences of not treating the finding. We’ll make sure you understand what the treatment entails and also what the treatment costs before you choose a treatment.
The patient can always say “no.”: This is a big deal. You’re in charge and you always have the final say. Sometimes we dentists get all wrapped up in all the cool stuff that we can do for a patient without making sure it’s what the patient wants to do!
We build relationships: Most of our patients have been with us for a long time and we’ve built up a level of trust. We always try to build this same kind of trust with new patients and we understand that this doesn’t happen overnight. Patients need to understand that we’ll be here when you’re ready!
So, the next time I get my oil changed and they recommend that I should have my bearings packed and antifreeze tested I’m going to follow my own advice. I’m going to ask them to explain what the bearings do. I’m going to ask them to show me my antifreeze and why they think it should be tested. And I’m going to make sure I understand (at least a little) what they’re suggesting and I’m going to ask them what the consequences are of not doing it.
If you like this post, I’d love to hear about it! You can share any Mead Family Dental post with a “Like” on Facebook, a “+1″ on Google+ or you can even “Tweet” it with Twitter! All you need to do is hover over the heart shaped button next to the title of the post. Or you can leave a comment by clicking on the balloon shaped icon next to the title.
If you’re looking for a dentist in Saginaw, we’re always happy to accept new patients! You can request an appointment online or call the office at (989) 799-9133. And, as always, you can email me at alan@meadfamilydental.com. I always answer my own emails!
We hope you have a fantastic Halloween! We have a warm place in our hearts for this scary holiday here at Mead Family Dental. Last year we featured Kathy as an undead pirate. I can hardly wait to see what she’s come up with this year!
As a dentist, Halloween makes me think of two things. Scary Halloween teeth and all that candy.
First…check out some of the very cool, very scary Halloween teeth I’ve found.
For those of you who prefer the horrifying monster look we have “minion fangs” found at www.halloween-mask.com.
“Dental Distortions” (www.dentaldistortions.com) provides several terrifying options for vampire fans.
For those who prefer their fangs on canine teeth you can choose the “nightslayer” option.
My personal preference has the fangs on the lateral incisors on the “nightbreed” model.
If you prefer a more demonic look I highly recommend the “Lucius” model.
And finally, no discerning trick or treater would want to miss a sweet halloween grill (from www.halloweencostumeworld.com).
Now, on a more serious note, let’s talk about candy. Halloween is a huge candy holiday. Americans buy 600 million pounds of candy each Halloween. That’s a lot of candy. And that’s some serious potential for tooth decay.
There are some things that parents can do to reduce the risks of decay for their trick or treaters. Here’s a few ideas:
Help your children brush their teeth. Dr. Mead’s rule…12 and under should have a parents’ help with brushing. I know you think that’s crazy, but it’s not. 18 and under should have a parent monitor how they brush and check to see how well they’re doing. Good habits developed as a kid means my drill spins less. And that’s a VERY GOOD thing.
Use the Halloween candy extravaganza as a reminder to make an appointment for a dental checkup. If you need an appointment or are looking for a new dentist, we’d be happy to help! You can call the office at (989) 799-9133 or make an appointment online!
It’s tough being a dentist on Halloween. But it’s my duty to spread the word about how we can reduce the risk of cavities for our little ghosts and goblins!
Did you like this post? Do you have any questions I could answer? Feel free to email me at alan@meadfamilydental.com or call us at the office at (989) 799-9133. This Saginaw dentist is always taking new patients and we’d love to be your Saginaw dental office!
Are you sick of getting cavities? Would you like to stop worrying about your next dental check up? Would you prefer to see your dentist in the check out line at Meijer more than looking up at them holding a drill in their hand?
Then read this list. And do them. Today.
1) Brush your teeth 3 times per day (morning, lunchtime, and right before bed) with a soft toothbrush. I’m a fan of the Oral B Cross Action Power. But really, any soft bristled brush will do. Also, only hold it with three fingers when you’re brushing. We humans have a tendency to substitute strength and speed for thoroughness. Just remember, these are teeth, not the bathroom tiles. If you’d like a toothbrush and some instructions on how to use it, come in and see us!
2) Chew sugarless gum for 5 minutes (no more) after every meal. Preferably, gum with xylitol as a sweetener.
3) Check your calendar. If you don’t have an appointment for a cleaning then make one. If you’re looking for a dentist in Saginaw, make one with us!
If you do these things, you will have less cavities. Period. If you do all of them and you’re still getting cavities, you may feel free to show up at the office and punch me in the arm as hard as you can.
Did you like this post? If you did, I would appreciate it if you’d share it with your friends! You can click on the heart shaped icon next to the title of this post and automatically share it on Facebook, Twitter or Google+! Or you can leave a comment by clicking the “balloon” shaped button next to the title. Or send me an email at alan@meadfamilydental.com. I’m happy to answer any questions and appreciate your input. If you are looking for a dentist in Saginaw, MI we would love to see you!
Just because you read all the way to the end of this post…I’m going to give you a bonus 6th thing to help you get less cavities.
Last week I saw my friend Brett Kessler give a lecture. He’s a dentist in Denver, Colorado and among other things, he’s an expert on the treatment of patients who suffer from “meth mouth” due to their use of methamphetamine.
At one point in his lecture he mentions that bringing this person back to a healthy dental condition is a shared responsibility of the dentist and patient.
The dentist is responsible to understand the patient’s dental health, to diagnose dental problems and to perform excellent dentistry. The patient is responsible to take care of their mouth, to let the dental office know if they’re having problems and to come back for recalls so the dentist and dental team can see how they’re doing.
I thought to myself, “these rules aren’t just for those with meth mouth! This goes for every healthy dentist/patient relationship.”
Brett went on to say, “I won’t take responsibility for a patient’s dental work or dental health who isn’t taking care of their mouth.”
Dr. Brett Kessler
All I can say is..he’s got a point.
Many of my patients are only in my office a couple times in a year. We’re cleaning most patients’ teeth and getting a look 2 days out of 365. If you’re having some work done, it might be a few more than that. But what about those other 360+ days out of the year?
I guess I could come to your house a few times a day to brush and floss for you, but honestly, I think you’d get sick of seeing me. Also, you really can’t afford me. So instead of having me be your personal dental preventive steward, I’d refer you to some posts that I’ve written on taking care of your mouth.
Come see us a few times per year. We’ll give you a new toothbrush and some floss. We’ll show you how use them. You can count on us to be your biggest dental cheerleaders!
But you’ve got to do your part.
Just ask Dr. Kessler!
What did you think of this post? Would you like to share it with friends? You can click on the heart shaped icon next to the title of this post and automatically share it on Facebook, Twitter or Google+! Or you can leave a comment by clicking the “ballon” shaped button next to the title. Or send me an email at alan@meadfamilydental.com. I always answer my own email and I appreciate your input! If your looking for an improvement in your smile in Saginaw, MI I’d like to help!
So there I sit, next to my patient. I’ve removed their temporary crown and am getting ready to place our beautiful new porcelain crown. It’s finely adjusted and exquisitely polished. We’re ready to rock and roll. Then…the question.
“Doc, how long is this crown going to last?”
“How long do you think it should last?” I ask.
“I don’t know. For as much as it costs, it should probably last forever!”
I’ve had some variation of this conversation many times before. I’m asking the patient to spend a bunch of time and money for the work I’m placing. Why shouldn’t it last forever? Or at least a really long time?
In a perfect world, the dentistry that I place will last forever. In this same perfect world, you wouldn’t have to change the oil in your car. Or replace your roof. Or change the filter in your furnace. Or mow your lawn.
Actually, that crown we just placed would love to switch places with your roof. The conditions that your roof has to put up with are a cake walk compared to your crown. A little snow, wind and rain and some gradual temperature changes? Pffffft. Nothing to it!
Let’s do the math.
Let’s say you chew each bite of food 10 times before you swallow it. (A very conservative estimate, but it makes the math easier) Then let’s say each meal you eat has about 20 bites.
You just used that crown 200 times while you ate lunch. Multiply that by 3 meals and you’re working on 600 times per day. If you don’t eat snacks. And don’t even get me started on chewing gum!
So yeah, you use your teeth for chewing a lot. But most restorations will handle everyday chewing pretty handily. Leaving out the unpopped popcorn and olive pits, chewing isn’t the real problem. The real problem is the environment that we’re placing this crown in.
Your new crown will have to tolerate temperatures ranging from 150-170 degrees F (hot coffee) to 20-30 degrees F (ice cream). Sometimes within seconds of each other.
Most crowns will have to tolerate acid attacks throughout the day.
Your crown will be almost constantly covered with bacterial biofilm that resists efforts at removal.
Many crowns will find that their owners grind their teeth throughout the night while they are sleeping.
Some crowns will need to resist bad habits of their owners like ice chewing and lemons sucking.
The bottom line is, the mouth is a pretty tough place for this beautiful new crown to have to survive!
What’s a realistic estimate for a crown or filling to hold up? The unsatisfying answer: it really depends. In a person who avoids sweets and sodas, who takes exquisite care of their mouth (brushing and flossing), who doesn’t take any medications that might dry their mouth, who doesn’t grind their teeth at night and sees a dentist regularly in an effort to catch problems while they’re still small…you could easily see a restoration last for 15-20 years or longer. Regular wear and tear, even in the most “low risk” patients will probably do in any dental work placed if you live long enough.
How can you make your dental work last as long as possible?
Brush 2-3x a day with a soft bristled brush and floss once a day.
Chew sugarless gum or suck on sugarless mints after meals to stimulate saliva flow. Preferably flavored with xylitol.
Drink lots of water.
Avoid sugary foods and reduce between meal snacking.
Keep up with regular dental appointments. At least twice a year and more if you have risk factors like taking medications or having conditions that create a dry mouth.
If you have problems, get to the dentist for treatment right away!
So, back to my conversation with my patient.
“Doc, how long is this crown going to last?”
“How long do you think it should last?” I ask.
“I don’t know. For as much as it costs, it should probably last forever!”
“The only way I know how to make this crown last for that long is to store it in box. In a really safe place.”
“Um. O.K. Let’s just put it on the tooth and I’ll try to take care of it.”
“Alrighty then!”
Did you like this post? Would you like to share it with friends? You can click on the heart shaped icon next to the title of this post and automatically share it on Facebook, Twitter or Google+! Or you can leave a comment by clicking the “ballon” shaped button next to the title. Or send me an email at alan@meadfamilydental.com. I’m happy to answer any questions and appreciate your input! If your looking for a dentist in Saginaw, MI I’d like to help out!
*please note…I have no experience with this product. It appears to be floss and would probably do what floss is supposed to do, but I have mixed feelings about bacon flavored hygiene products. Just sayin'.
“How can this be?” you ask. You just finished telling me that most people don’t floss. Now you’re saying it’s easy?
Yeah. Kind of. Flossing is definitely tougher and more time consuming than brushing. Or at least the way most of us brush. The old “20-seconds-scrubbing-like-you’re-cleaning-tile-grout” routine is a cake walk. You should actually spend more time and be more gentle, but that’s a post for another day.
This video describes the “how to” as well as any video I’ve seen.
One thing that this video does not suggest strongly enough is how gentle you need to be when sliding floss between the teeth. Many people have tight contacts between their teeth. To avoid a painful and sometimes bloody experience you need to use a gentle “sawing” motion when sliding the floss into a tight contact. If you let it snap, it’s going to hurt, it might bleed and you’ll decide you don’t like to floss. Go very slowly at first. Excruciatingly slow. Until you get the hang of it and know where your tight contacts are, take your time.
We’ve described how to floss correctly, but we haven’t made it easy for you to floss yet. It needs to be as normal and regular as jumping in the shower, right? So what is Mead’s magic solution to make it this easy?
Keep your floss in the shower.
Most people have a showering ritual that they go through every day. If you can add flossing to this ritual, you’ve got it made! So leave a spool of floss on the same shelf you keep your soap and shampoo. It will be just one more thing you do before your done showering.
I suggest flossing first. “Why?” you ask. Well, we’ve already discussed that flossing is pretty gross. You need to rinse your mouth and wash your hands afterward because your goal is to remove the remnants of bacteria slime from in between your teeth. So if you floss first, you’ll get the nastiness out of the way. You can rinse your mouth and wash your hands and get on with the rest of your routine.
If you’ll do this I promise you that it will become a habit. If you can make it a habit, you will have healthier teeth and gums and all of your interaction with the dentist will be happy and cordial with a lot less needles and drills.
So there you have it. You can make flossing a habit using this little trick. It’s how I did it and I’ve had patients tell me that it’s worked for them.
Did you make this work? Do you have another way to help make flossing a habit? I’d love to hear how! Comment on this post or email me at alan@meadfamilydental.com and I’ll be sure to get back to you! Would you like to become one of my patients? Email me or call the office at (989) 799-9133. I promise we’ll take good care of you and treat you really well. That’s what this Saginaw dentist does!
So there I sit, next to my patient. I’ve removed their temporary crown and am getting ready to place our beautiful new porcelain crown. It’s finely adjusted and exquisitely polished. We’re ready to rock and roll. Then…the question.
