Dentist Livermore - Simple Things to Prevent Gum Disease - Smiles by Design Livermore

"The simple things you can do to completely prevent gum disease"

It's easier than you think!

While the consequences of gum disease are severe: bleeding gums, extremely bad breath, lost teeth, increased risk of premature births, heart attacks, and strokes, gum disease can be easily prevented.
Flossing and brushing correctly, however, are the cornerstones of gum disease prevention. Yet, almost everyone fails miserable at these tasks, making themselves susceptible to gum disease.

Brushing Your Teeth:
This may sound easy but most people do a horrible job brushing their teeth. It takes a full 2 minutes to brush all of your tooth surfaces, however, most people spend 30 seconds or less when brushing!

As a result, they miss the same spots in their mouth day after day. Here, bacteria build-up to dangerous levels, creating a great risk for gum disease. The next time you brush, take along a timer to make sure you brush for 2 minutes. You will be surprised at how long it seems. Make a conscious effort to brush ever single tooth.

Unfortunately, manual toothbrushes cannot reach bacteria in one of their favorite hiding places - right below the gumline. Electric toothbrushes (plaque removers) like the Braun OralB 3D electric toothbrush remove bacteria below the gumline where manual toothbrushes can not reach.

As a result, they represent a great advance in gum disease protection. Although these electric toothbrushes cost more, the extra protection and peace of mind are well worth the price.

source: www.saveyoursmile.com

 

Tracy Dentist - You Can Prevent Cavities - Smiles by Design in Livermore

Cavities: Many of us remember sweating through the poking and prodding of the dentist. We prayed that he or she would not find cavities which would require the use of the dreaded dental drill. Armed with the right knowledge and proper home dental care you can now rest at ease and fear cavities no more.

What Causes Cavities ?

When it comes to cavities, bacteria are public enemy number #1. Our mouths, teeth and toothbrushes are full of bacteria which settle on our teeth in plaque, a goo of proteins, saliva, and food debris. Violight can remove the bacteria from our toothbrushes but our teeth are a problem. Here bacteria devour food particles left on our teeth. Ungrateful guests, these bacteria produce acid as a by-product of their feasting. It is this acid which eats into the tooth enamel creating cavities.

The teeth have a moderate ability to repair tooth enamel by remineralizing the affected enamel with minerals from saliva. Unfortunately, the rate of destruction by acid exceeds this rate of repair.

Normally, acids eating into tooth enamel is not painful. Left untreated, however, acid eats a hole through the enamel into the underlying dentin and pulp layers of the tooth. This does cause pain and left untreated the cavity will eventually destroy dentin, pulp and tooth nerve.

What Can You Do To Reduce Your Chances of Getting Cavities?

Good oral hygiene significantly reduce your risk of getting cavities. Brushing and the use of a water pick can help reduce your chance of cavities. The Hydrabrush helps you do both at the same time! Brushing removes bacteria as well as the food debris bacteria feed on. When brushing it is crucial to brush all tooth surfaces which takes at least 2-3 minutes. Unfortunately, most people only brush for less than 45 missing a large percentage of their tooth surfaces.

Flossing everyday is crucial to preventing cavities. Flossing reaches the nearly 35 percent of your mouth that your toothbrush can not reach. In these areas, bacteria live happily pouring out cavity causing acid. Remember brushing without flossing is like taking a shower and only washing two thirds of your body. The remaining third still remains dirty !

In addition to practicing good oral hygiene, there are other things you can do to reduce your risk of getting cavities:

To Prevent Cavities, Watch What You Eat

Bacteria are particularly fond of foods containing sugars and carbohydrates. These foods provide bacteria with energy to grow, reproduce, and create enamel eating acid. A special favorite of bacteria are foods which tend to stick to teeth like peanut butter, caramel, and honey. When stuck to teeth these foods are not cleared by chewing and swallowing. Consequently they provide bacteria with a long lasting food source from which to make acid.

When you eat meals or snacks containing large amounts sugars, carbohydrates, or "sticky" foods which tend to get stuck to teeth, make sure to follow the meal with water to help wash off food particles remaining on teeth. If possible, brush your teeth immediately after the meal.

To Prevent Cavities, Watch the Timing of Snacks

The timing of your snacks is crucial to preventing cavities. The acid produced by bacteria is neutralized by saliva and cleared from the mouth. After the acid is cleared minerals in saliva crystallize on the enamel to begin to repair areas damaged by the acid.

Larger intervals between meals provide more opportunity for acid to be neutralized and more time for the acid damage to be repaired. Frequent snacks, however, provide for a constant acid attack and provide less time for tooth repair.

This explains why snacks eaten with a meal are better for teeth than snacks eaten between meals. A candy bar eaten with a meal, for example, is less likely to contribute to cavity formation than a candy bar eaten as a snack between meals.

This also explains why fewer larger sized meals are better for teeth than more frequent smaller sized meals. Likewise, sipping on sugar containing liquids through out the day is much more detrimental than drinking sugar containing liquids with a meal.

Use Fluoride to Prevent Cavities

Fluoride is a wonder of modern dentistry. Fluoride incorporates itself into tooth enamel strengthening the enamel and making it more resistant to acid attacks. Most adults receive adequate amounts of fluoride in their toothpastes. Children often receive adequate amounts in their drinking water. If your water is not fluoridated you may want to consult your pediatrician to see about providing fluoride supplements for your child.

Visit Your Dentist On a Regular Basis

Dental problems often remain silent creating pain only after significant damage has occurred. Dentists can identify many of these potentially devastating problems before they cause major damage.

Additionally, dentists can detect places in your mouth that you miss when brushing. These areas are prime targets for cavity formation. In areas where cavities are just beginning to form, dentists can use high concentration fluoride treatments to prevent the need for the dental drills and fillings.

With proper oral hygiene and attention to what we eat and when we eat, cavities can be virtually eliminated.

source: www.saveyoursmile.com

 

Dentist Livermore - Importance of Flossing - Smiles by Design in Livermore

FLOSSING: We often get asked questions such as how often should I floss, is flossing necessary, and what teeth should I floss ? Our response is the cliche used by dentists the world over. You should only floss the teeth you want to keep! You see next to brushing, flossing is the most important thing that you can do to ensure good oral health.
The purpose of both brushing and flossing is to reduce the number of bacteria which inhabit our mouths. Normally, millions of these microscopic monsters call your mouth home, feeding on food particles left on our teeth.

Ungrateful guests, these bacteria produce acid as a result of their feasting and it is this acid which eats into tooth enamel creating cavities. If this wasn't bad enough, the bacteria also pour out volatile sulfur compounds creating embarrassing bad breath.

Normally bacteria are found within a mesh of mucus and debris known as plaque. Regular brushing removes the plaque and the bacteria plaque contains. Unfortunately, many people only brush, forgetting that flossing is a key component to any good oral hygiene program.

Flossing removes the bacteria that escape the toothbrush by hiding in the tiny spaces in between teeth. Brushing without flossing is like washing only 65% of your body. The other 35% remains dirty! The American Dental Association recommends that you floss at least once a day.

What happens if you don't floss?

If you do not floss and allow plaque to remain in between teeth it eventually hardens into a substance known as tartar. Unlike plaque which can be easily removed by brushing, tartar can only be removed by your dentist.

Over time, levels of more dangerous types of bacteria build up within tartar. Mean and vengeful, these bacteria produce toxins which irritate and inflame the gums. This condition is known as gingivitis. If gingivitis is left untreated it can progress to periodontal disease - a condition where bacteria and their toxins invade not only the gums but also the bones and the structures supporting the teeth. This can lead to bone loss, loose teeth, and teeth which fall out.

If you haven't flossed in a while, you may see a little red tinge of blood on the floss after you use it. This indicates that your gums are slightly inflamed and vastly in need of flossing to remove bacteria. With a regular regimen of flossing this red tinge should go away.

By brushing and flossing we help to eliminate the bacteria which can lead to bad breath, gingivitis, and periodontal disease thus creating smiles which last a lifetime.

source:  saveyoursmile.com

 

Dentist Livermore - False Claims on Mouthwast - Smiles by Design Livermore

The FDA has warned Walgreen Co., Johnson & Johnson, and CVS Corp. to stop making unproven claims that their mouth rinse products can reduce plaque above the gum line, promote gum health, and prevent gum disease.

The companies claim their mouthwashes are effective in preventing gum disease, but no such benefit has been demonstrated, the FDA says in a news release.

The FDA says it sent warning letters notifying the three companies of its objections to their claims and ordering them to comply with existing federal regulations.
The mouth rinse products contain the active ingredient sodium fluoride, but the agency says it has determined that the substance, while effective in preventing cavities, has not been shown to remove plaque or prevent gum disease.

Claims by Mouthwash Companies

The products contain misleading labeling statements, the FDA says. “It is important for the FDA to take appropriate enforcement action when companies make false or unproven product claims to ensure that consumers are not misinformed or misled,” Deborah Autor, director of the Office of Compliance in FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, says in a news release.
The companies, under federal law, are not allowed to say products are effective in treating a disease unless those claims have been shown to be true and recognized by the FDA as being safe and effective over-the-counter products.

No Adverse Effects Reported

So far, the FDA says it is unaware of any injuries or adverse health effects related to use of the mouth rinse products, but says the companies’ claims their products are beneficial to gum health lack proof.
It says consumers who are using the rinses may continue to do so for cavity prevention without injury risk, but should know that the FDA has no data that show the products can prevent gum disease.

 

by Bill Hendrick
WebMD Health News

 

Tracy Dentist - Coffee, Tea, & Your Teeth - Smiles by Design in Livermore

Can't give up that double decaf cap after lunch? Here are some tips for minimizing the effects on your teeth.

Coffee and tea are especially tough on teeth, because tannic acid (the stuff that makes the dark color) etches into the pits and grooves of tooth enamel and can stain teeth brown. So, short of giving up your java or cuppa, what can you do?

Rinse with a glass of water after every cup, suggests the Academy of General Dentistry. If you prefer iced coffee or tea, he suggests sipping these beverages through a straw. That way, the tannins won't even touch your front upper and lower teeth.

The really white-obsessed can wipe off their front teeth with a tissue. Or ask your dentist about bleaching.

Bleaching is successful in about 90 percent of patients, but not everyone is a good candidate. Teeth that have hints of yellow, brown, or orange respond best. Teeth that are gray from years of smoking will see results, but they won't be as dramatic.

Even if you don't drink coffee, try to swish and swallow some plain water at the end of each meal. Water neutralizes acids left in your mouth after eating and reduces cavity-causing bacteria by about 30 percent.

by BHG.com

 

Pleasanton Dentist - Sweet Tooth - Smiles by Design in Livermore

 

Researchers at West Virginia University are discovering that a person's attraction to sweets may be genetic.

A seven-year study of more than 7,000 people shows that there is a gene that predisposes people to eat more candy or sweets.

If we dentists could check for the presence of this gene through a simple saliva test, then we can help alert parents.

Those children may need to brush their teeth and visit the dentist more often,
reports the State Journal in West Virginia.

To help take care of a sweet tooth you should use daily fluoride rinses and or acid neutralizing mouthwashes. Also you shoul even think about certain rinses and pastes that contain bioavailable Calcium and Phosphate ions to replenish the ones destroyed by the microscpoic acid attack of the sweets against the human enamel of the teeth.

 

Dentist Pleasanton - Dr. Richard D. Howes, D.D.S. - Smiles by Design Livermore

Dr. Howes has dedicated his life to high quality, technologically advanced dental services and treating his patients with respect and individual care. This dedication coupled with a commitment to his hometown of Livermore, where he has been a resident since 1985, prompted him to move his practice from Fremont where he had practiced for over 20 years to establish a unique type of dental practice. This practice has allowed Dr. Howes to provide his patients with a blend of services that no other practice offers.

Dr. Howes graduated from University of the Pacific Dental School in San Francisco in 1983 and since then has completed hundreds of hours of advanced education. These include completion of a mastership in Occlusion and Neuromuscular dentistry as well as the comprehensive aesthetic reconstruction courses from the world renowned , Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies. Closer to home, he has completed courses with the Pacific Aesthetic Continuum in San Francisco, which dealt with posterior reconstruction and advanced courses in periodontal surgery completed at the University of the Pacific Dental School.

Dr. Howes has been an active member of both the Academy of Laser Dentistry and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. In addition Dr. Howes is one of only a handful of dentists certified in use of two different wavelengths of dental lasers. In 2001, he was invited by Biolase Corporation, an industry leader in dental laser technology, to travel to Melbourne, Australia,to educated dental professionals about the use of laser technology, when this technology was introduced to Australia in 2001..

Outreach and community service have been an important part of Dr. Howes life. He has been a Past President of Rotary International (Fremont Sunrise Rotary Club). He has been a member of the Livermore Chamber of Commerce and has served as a chair person for the St. Charles Catholic Church and has been involved with the Knights of Columbus. In addition Dr. Howes has supported a number of High School and community organizations as well as serving on the Anchor of Hope board of directors which provides funds and service to a number of local and international causes.

Dr. Howes and his wife Jo have three children all of whom graduated from Granada High School. The oldest son served in the United States Marine Corps and was sent on three tours of duty to Iraq. Dr. Howes is also an avid Boise State Bronco fan as he graduated from Boise State University in 1979.

“I have helped many men and women improve their dental health. The excitement and the reward is not only to create a beautiful smile and to improve someone's dental health but also to see the life changing transformation of their self-image.”

Richard Howes, D.D.S.