Category: teeth

Acid Reflux and Teeth

It is one in the morning and things are simply not going right.  You are awoken unexpectantly by a sudden pain and it is choking you.  The explosion of red hot pain feels like lava in your throat and you are coughing constantly.  This is what it feels like for many who have acid reflux.  It is not only a painful and terrible experience but has many other awful side effects.  It can take a person who has had amazing dental hygiene and throw it all out the window.  It can cause havoc on your dental health and be a very expensive issue.  So this problem happens to so many people and I want to go over some things that may help those who are just finding out they have this issue.

The first thing to know is that your body and stomach produce natural acids. These are used for digesting foods and a myriad of other things that are good and healthy.  Acid reflux is when these natural acids travel up the throat and get into your mouth.  This is when those acids begin to break down the good things in our mouth. This can start to even cause erosion of your teeth. Now the big problem is when this happens more often than not.  If you have acid reflux then this is more than a common occurrence and constantly attacks your mouth.  This is a dental catastrophe and is rather unfortunate. So let’s get into the specifics of what this can do for your teeth.

The main thing that acid reflux does is to wear away the enamel of your teeth. This is something that can easily be noticed by a compliant dentist and is a big reason to go and see your dentist regularly.  But tooth erosion is permanent and is something that simply does not come back.  This is pretty easy to discover and can feel like it is actually a problem with other things as well.  But if your teeth are very sensitive then it could be a problem. One area that they could be sensitive or it could feel pain is when you are drinking hot or cold liquids.  That can really show on the pain levels when your teeth are suffering from erosion.

Another common sign of tooth erosion from acid reflux can be the yellowing of teeth.  This is another sign that acids from your stomach are wearing away the enamel and slowly causing massive dental issues. If you are noticing a significant amount of yellowing around all of your teeth it could be an acid reflux issue as well. So what are some things you can do to help prevent these issues?

First producing more saliva to help clean your teeth is a great idea.  This can be done in many ways.  Drinking more fluids and staying hydrated is a great start.  Keeping a bottle of water around is a good way to do this.  Also chewing sugar free gum is another way to keep your saliva flow working at a higher level. There are also a number of over the counter products that can help to reduce the acid issues.  This is a great way to help stop a problem before it starts. Either way, see your healthcare provider to make sure you are properly taking care of the issue to maintain the best oral care.

Reason to Go to the Scary Dentist this Fall

The Fall singles many things about what it to come for many people in the United States.  It means the colder weather is on the way, trees are starting to turn different colors and that people are going to eat more sweets.  This time of year is the beginning of the sweets and gatherings for many people in our country.  It is work and regular holiday season and many people end up eating and drinking less healthy for your teeth foods and drinks.  It is the time of year that people tend to have the worst dental hygiene and think about there teeth the least. So I want to go over a few reasons why you should not neglect going to see the dentist during the fall and scary part of the year, because there is nothing worse then seeing a dentist for an emergency visit.

The first reason to see the dentist and to make sure your teeth are ok is to know ahead of time if a problem is already there.  I like to schedule a visit before the holidays or Fall because I know that if I am having issues that all the extra food and drinks will only make them worse.  Immagine has dental erosion happening and you are on the brink of multiple cavities and you didn’t know it.  If you simply stopped your sugar and acidic drinks intake that you would be ok.  But instead, you go out and party it up like normal and end up with 3 cavities and a route canal.  This could have all been prevented by knowing that you needed to be wise with your dental health for the next few months. 

The next reason is that if I am ok I can then get a checkup after the season if I know that my teeth are looking or my mouth is feeling different.  That is a great reason to go ahead and know that you need a visit if you are feeling these things.  That is the answer to all of the problems that could be solved and that is simply knowing.   The knowing is half the battle because it could end up saving you lots of money.

Preventative dental care is really important not only because it can save your pain and improve your health but it can also improve your pocketbook.  Emergency surgeries and visits to the dentist are not cheap.  They are expensive and not only cost you money but your time and ability to make money with that time.  The cost of visiting a dentist for a checkup and getting advice for preventative issues saves you so much more money most of the time.  It can help eliminate those surgeries and emergency trips.  It can also keep you from feeling all of the pain that is involved.  This is why I like to schedule my bi-yearly checkup right before the holidays and then six months after as long as nothing is wrong. 

There are many ways to get your schedule and dental health on track and I think that frequent trips to the dentist is one of them.  I mean frequent to be only twice a year and that is not a large burden in comparison to surgeries.