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Sports – Kids – Sports Mouthguards

Do you have a kid who plays sports? If you answered yes then this is very important. A sports mouthguard is going to save you and your child a lot of pain and agony, not to mention the financial burden over a number of years. We often don’t think of the consequences of the injury until they are affecting us directly. And the entire goal is to minimize the damage and injury.  A bruised lip is easier to treat than a tooth broken in half or knocked out of the mouth, not to mention the emotional stress on everyone.

Sports Mouthguards – Protective Gear

Sports and Kids - Injury Prevention

Common organized youth sports where the use of protective mouthpiece is almost mandatory are football, basketball, and hockey. But some other sports where you may not think of the need for a protective mouthguard include examples like skateboarding, mountain biking, martial arts, and many more.

Accidents happen all the time. It’s best to minimize the damage caused by such accidents by taking precautionary measures. A well-fitting custom-made mouthguard means it will be used more because it’s comfortable. The over-the-counter mouth protective piece is oftentimes bulky and uncomfortable to wear. Sometimes they cause gagging or even make breathing difficult. So even though they are very affordable, they are practically useless in most cases.

Common Dental Sports Injuries

Every year the cost of dental treatment necessitated by sporting accidents is in the millions of dollars. A sports mouthguard could prevent or significantly decrease the damage and trauma to the teeth while playing sports. Here is a list of the common injuries to the face and the mouth and how a mouthguard can help minimize the damage.

Busted Lip – Broken Tooth

Broken teeth hurt animals like this elephant and humans alikeThis is a very common scenario. The kids are playing basketball on the court. One gets accidentally hit by a ball or an arm or hand to the face. If the force of impact is light, usually a bruised lip is the result. But as the force increases, so do the odds of breaking a tooth, having the tooth impale the lip, or even get knocked out of its socket.  These are all relatively painful issues to treat after the accident. A sports mouthguard protects the teeth against breakage and minimizes damage to the soft tissue.

Jaw Pain – Broken Jaw – Jaw Dislocation

Jaw pain, jaw dislocation or even breaking the jaw bone are all consequences of severe trauma to the face from sportsIf the accident causes the lower jaw to smack against the upper jaw then the damage gets worse usually. Sometimes multiple teeth are broken as a result of this trauma.  If the break is deep enough a root canal may be necessary to save the tooth. Cracked teeth are painful to bite on and will also need to be treated. A more forceful impact can even break the jaw A sports mouthguard minimizes these types of damage by cushioning the blow. It’s like having airbags for the mouth.

Custom Mouthguards

Having your child protected with their own custom-made athletic mouthguard is as easy as picking up the phone and contacting us.  We can schedule your child for a quick visit where we take an impression of the teeth. The mouthguard usually takes 1-2 weeks to fabricate. Plus they come in all sorts of cool colors and patterns.

Follow this link to learn more about sports mouthguards. 

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Diabetes and Gum Disease

Diabetes and gum disease go hand in hand
Diabetes and gum disease go hand in hand

When it comes to diabetes, controlling the blood sugar is key. People with diabetes are more susceptible to all sorts of infections and medical problems, like gum disease. People with diabetes are more likely to have gum disease compared to people without diabetes. And what’s worse is that presence of gum disease makes controlling the diabetes harder. It’s like a 2 way street. Gum disease makes diabetes harder to control and diabetes leads to gum disease. We can help stop this vicious cycle by treating the gum disease and making sure it stays away so it doesn’t make matters worse. >Learn more about gum disease.

 

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Toothpaste Types

Toothpastes vary quite a bit in ingredients, flavor and texture.With so many kinds of toothpaste to choose from, where do you start?

What’s important to remember is that the toothpaste needs to be matched to your dental needs. A smoker benefits from “Smoker’s Toothpaste” which has tartar fighting ability. A growing child who loves sweets will want to use a toothpaste containing fluoride.

There are 5 broad categories of toothpaste to choose from.

1. Smoker’s toothpaste: these have tartar fighting ingredients that help remove the stains left on the teeth after smoking.

2. Fluoride toothpaste: these have higher than normal levels of fluoride to aid in keeping teeth healthy and strong and make it less likely for teeth to decay.

3. Sensitive toothpaste: these are intended for older patients. As people age, the gums recede. This exposes the roots of the teeth to the oral cavity. The roots don’t have a layer of enamel on top, so there is moderate sensitivity caused by temperatures and even touch (when brushing).

4. Whitening toothpaste: these kinds of toothpaste are used to keep the teeth white and bright. Some of the newer formulations even contain fluoride to help keep the teeth strong.

5. Natural toothpaste: these are sometimes thought of as healthy, natural alternatives to kinds of toothpaste that contain various chemicals. However, natural toothpastes have not proven to be very effective in keeping the teeth clean.

As a general rule, look for the ADA (American Dental Association) seal of approval on the toothpaste you wish to use. The ADA evaluates the efficacy of toothpaste and approves the ones that are clinically effective.

To learn more about how to take better care of your teeth, contact us for a check-up and cleaning appointment.

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Oil Pulling – Current Facts

oil pulling
Is oil pulling as good as everyone says?

Oil pulling has been touted as a cure-all for everything dental. I think I was reading about all the benefits of oil pulling and it mentioned that oil pulling will even grow money on trees (no just kidding).

Having read thru multiple articles and scouring the scientific data that is available, 2 things have become clear.

The first is that the American Dental Association (Read the ADA article here) doesn’t consider this a valid form of therapy to improve dental health. And much to their credit, I agree with the lack of scientifically proven studies and experiments documenting such benefits. And until there are multiple valid experiments and studies performed, ADA will not change its stance.

The second item noticed was the plethora of people using this technique and reporting amazing results. People swear that their teeth are whiter, gums don’t hurt as much or bleed  and they don’t have bad breath any more.

Oil pulling has been around several thousand years as a form of holistic medicine. The theory is that by swishing a teaspoon of coconut or similar oil in the mouth for 20 minutes at a time, the bad bacteria that is in our mouth get trapped in this oil, which is then spit out.

As a US trained dentist I won’t be recommending oil-pulling to my patients to improve their dental health due to lack of scientifically based evidence. But considering what the people are saying about this technique, I won’t argue with its apparent benefits. Perhaps the best is to use this technique understanding that it is not a cure-for-all diseases, but it can be helpful in the overall scheme to help keep your mouth and teeth healthy.

Platinum Dental, Inc. located in San Marcos California offers the latest technology in dentistry. Visit our website to learn more about Platinum Dental, Inc.

 

 

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Sensitive teeth to cold drinks or ice cream?

san marcos dentist performs white fillings
Cold sensitivity of the teeth can be due to small cavities by the gums.

Teeth Sensitive to Cold

Some people experience moderate even severe sensitivity from cold drinks or foods like ice cream or slushies. What causes this sensitivity and how can it be overcome? These are some of questions we’ll talk about here.

Sensitive Teeth – Common Causes

Cold sensitivity can be due to a number of reasons. If the tooth is chipped or if there is a cracked filling, the tooth can be cold sensitive. When the gums recede (or pull away), teeth oftentimes become cold sensitive.  Foods high in sugar or acidic foods deplete the teeth of their essential minerals and that can lead to cold sensitivity. These are some of the most common causes for this condition.

Your dentist through a dental exam and necessary pictures and X-rays can find the reason behind any tooth or part of your mouth that is cold sensitive.

Treatment – Cold Sensitive Teeth

Once the cause of the cold sensitivity is discovered, treatment can help relieve and reduce the sensitivity. Sometimes the result is apparent soon after treatment. For example, it a cracked filling is the culprit, once it’s repaired there should be no more sensitivity. Sometimes there maybe some time before you notice a major improvement. For example, if years of daily soda use have left the teeth sensitive to cold, daily home fluoride use can help reduce the symptoms slowly over time.

Sensitive Teeth – Our Body’s Defense

At the end of the day we need to listen to our body. When our teeth are sensitive they are telling us something is not right. Ignoring the sensitivity can lead to further more serious conditions. But if the symptoms are resolved quickly then our body’s defense mechanism worked and helped prevent further damage and disease.

If you have teeth that are temperature sensitive or sensitive for any reasons give us a call. If it has been a while since you saw a dentist, we can schedule you for a dental visit to help resolve the problem before it gets out of hand.