Dry Mouth

“This burning sensation is driving me crazy….” This is what a patient told me. “It’s difficult to swallow, I bite myself constantly and I have a sore throat” she added.  These are the symptoms of Dry Mouth.  Saliva protects and lubricates the tongue and all tissues inside the mouth, helps with digestion process and prevents tooth decay. This is a common problem in older adults since salivary flow decreases with age and most of them are taking medicines.  Dry mouth is produced by antihistamines, decongestant, pain killers, high blood pressure medication, muscle relaxants, drugs for urinary incontinence, Parkinson’s disease medication, antidepressants and many others. If you take any of these medicines and have the symptoms described above, then call your dentist and schedule an appointment.  He can recommend various methods to restore moisture and talk to your physician to adjust your medications.  Sugar free candies, or gums to stimulate saliva flow and artificial saliva and oral rinses to moist the mouth. If Dry mouth is left untreated, it could damage your teeth and your mouth will be more susceptible to infections.

Soft drinks and Cavities

Americans drink more than 575 soft drinks on average every year, equaling approximately 54 gallons a year. Over the last 50 years soft drink consumption has increased by 500%.  Soft drinks have been linked to obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis in women and dental decay.  A person who consumes soft drinks 3 or more times a day has 18% higher dental cavities.  Soft drinks containing sugar can cause cavities and their acidity can weaken the enamel of the tooth. Regular soft drinks are high in sugar, for example, a 12 oz can of soft drink contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar. A sticky film of bacteria called plaque constantly forms on the teeth and gums.  Each and every time bacteria come in contact with sugar or starch in the mouth, acid is produced.  This acid will attack the tooth enamel (the protective white outer layer of the tooth) for 20 minutes or more. Frequent attacks weaken the enamel and tooth decay begins when the enamel is damaged.  Although diet soft drinks don’t contain sugar they do contain acids.  All soft drinks All soft drinks (regular and diet) contain acids, like phosphoric, citric, malic and tartaric acid; these acids will harm and cause the loss of tooth enamel. Fruit juice and sport drinks do not have as much acid as soft drinks do, but they are high in sugar which can cause decay.  So let’s drink water, and better tap water since it contains fluoride.  

If you must have a soft drink, use a straw to keep teeth away from sugar and acids, drink water afterwards to dilute the soft drink, chew sugarless gum, or even better, brush your teeth.  Never consume a soft drink before bed and do not sip the soft drink for hours, the longer you expose your teeth to sugar and acid the more chance there is to get cavities.  

Caries in children

Dental Caries (cavities) is the most common chronic childhood disease! It is 5 times more common than asthma. This is why all children should go at least twice a year to the dentist, starting when the first tooth comes in.  The dentist will establish “Dental Home”, which is the ongoing relationship between the dentist,  parents and child,  delivered in a comprehensive, coordinated, family centered way.  These regular visits will include caries risk assessments, individualized preventive strategies, and home care guidance.  As soon as the baby’s teeth come in they must be cleaned using a soft cloth or baby’s toothbrush once a day before bedtime checking for spots and stains.  Feed the baby foods without sugar, fruits and vegetables as snacks, and save cookies and treats for special occasions.  Don't put the baby to bed with a bottle containing milk, formula, juice or soda since they have sugar in them.  Give water if you put the baby to bed with a bottle.  By the 1^st birthday teach your baby to drink from an open cup.  Between feedings don’t give the baby a bottle or sippy cup with sweet drinks to carry around.  Also caregivers must go to the dentist, since bacteria that produce caries can be transmitted to baby through close contact with or without exchange of saliva. Healthy teeth start with prevention at an early age. 

Why are my teeth wearing down?

Tooth erosion is a process where enamel wears down. This comes from exposure to acids in foods and drinks over time.  When we drink or eat acidic food enamel is temporarily softened and loses mineral content.  Saliva can neutralize the acidity and re-harden the enamel but because this is a slow process, with continual acid exposure, the tooth does not have enough time to repair itself.  Over time dentin (inside of tooth) will be exposed.  Dentin is prone to decay and sensitivity.  If the dentist doesn’t treat this problem soon, enamel will be lost.  Signs of erosion are sensitivity to cold and hot drinks and foods, yellowish appearance of teeth, rounded look of the teeth surface and dents on tooth surface. To prevent this you should cut acid drinks consumption, if you cannot do this, use a straw directed to the back of your mouth and drink it quickly.  Don’t suck on sour fruits, candies or frozen fruit juice.  After you had an acid drink or food you should rinse with water or eat a piece of cheese to neutralize acids.  Sugar free gum afterwards is good also. Food and beverages that have pH level below 4 can cause tooth erosion, these are: lemon juice, wine, sports drink, cola, coffee, vinegar, iced tea, grapefruit, diet cola, apples, blueberries,  dill pickles, orange juice, honey, root beer and ketchup. Remember:  Do not miss your regular dental care exam and cleaning every 6 months so your dentist can prevent problems like this.

What is tartar and how do I prevent it?

Tartar or dental calculus is calcified dental plaque.  Dental plaque is an aggregate of microorganisms which stick to each other on the tooth surface.  Dental calculus has microorganisms that originate from saliva, fluids from gums and diet, and inorganic components such as brushite, calcium phosphate and hydroxiapatite.  There are 2 types of calculus:  Supragingival and subgingival.  Supragingival calculus starts with salivary proteins absorbed on the tooth surface to form a pellicle, then microorganisms adhere and plaque matures and calcifies.  This is more common in areas associated with salivary ducts openings, the back of lower anterior teeth and the upper back molar.  The amount of supragingival calculus varies according to the composition of saliva, local physiologic factors, oral habits and frequency of professional dental care.  The pH of saliva is also a factor. A high pH will break down proteins in saliva that will be deposit on teeth.  Swimmers suffer from heavy calculus on the front teeth because chemicals in the pool’s water have a higher pH that alters the pH of the saliva. Subgingival calculus is formed by mineral salts from gum fluids and appears under the gum in between teeth throughout the dentition and is dark brown.  We can prevent dental calculus by brushing with a tartar control toothpaste, flossing, chewing gum and visiting the dentist more often for a  professional cleaning.