What can Ice do to Your Teeth?

We know, we know: It’s really hot all around in the political air and the pain of it can strike hard.  But the pain of other things may be lurking around the corner and come at you every time you drink something really cold.  I have always been a little afraid that ice could be a big issue for me.  I have known since I was small I enjoyed chomping down on ice and I am pretty sure now that was a sign of malnurishment.  But what happens when you chomp down on ice when you are a bit older and what could that mean for your dental health?  Now, with hotter months coming, the more ice cream, ice-cold drinks, and ice in general. Despite ice is a great thing, though, there’s a tendency for some people to eat ice more than they realize. And we’re sure you’ve heard of the saying “it’s bad to chew on ice.” 

Well, that’s not just a myth. It really does have merit. Ice can be quite harmful to the general state of your dental health, so don’t ignore the warnings that it’s bad to chew on ice. It really is. One of the main issues with what I can do is the effect is has on actually wearing away enamel.

Ice isn’t a soft substance, of course, which means it’ll be able to erode your enamel over time, especially if you’re a chronic ice chewer. This is only asking for existing plaque to take hold and create cavities.

It is also possible that the issues that ice can have are really as simple as cracking a tooth.

Just like chewing on hard candy or any other hard food or item, ice can actually crack your tooth depending on where you’re chewing it in your mouth and how brittle your teeth are. The scary thing about this is you may not even know you’ve cracked a tooth since microfractures are a thing. When this happens, you probably won’t even see or hear it take place. But once microfractures have happened, it’s much easier for bacteria to get inside your tooth.

To me one of the long lasting issues is that it can be sensitizing your teeth. I personally hate using this term because to me sensitive teeth is just really pain. Pain is something that happens when my teeth feel sensitive and there is no other or nice way of saying it.

Ice directly on the enamel of your teeth won’t affect your nerves much, but when a microfracture happens because of chewing on ice, it’s much easier for unwanted bacteria to get inside your tooth and attack your nerve tissue. When this happens, your teeth become much more sensitive to heat and cold. Guess what happens then? You’ll no longer even want to eat ice because it hurts too much.

So be careful and if you notice that you are having any issues with ice go and see your dentist.  It is simply wise to make sure you are taking care of that issue ahead of time instead of dealing with the consequences.  You could end up saving a whole lot of money in the long run as well.  Getting on top of an issue can be as simple as taking more vitamins. 

Drinks to avoid for your teeth's sake

This Fall many of us like to branch out and try new drinks and treats.  It is only natural in the United States to end up drinking and eating more at social gatherings.  It is a part of the countries tradition and many things come up during this time which can be harmful.  Not all drinks are bad and many of them are just fine in moderation, but knowing what to moderate is really important.  I think knowledge is power and keeping your teeth and dental health safe is important for a nice and happy life. 

 

One of my favorite drinks to enjoy is wine.  Wine is healthy for your body in many different kinds of ways.  The one problem is that wine is not the most healthy for your teeth.  I have found that not only does it stain your teeth, but it can be highly acidic.  The real issue for me is that the white wines are more acidic but stain your teeth less.  Overall they are worse for your dental health because they end up decaying your teeth faster.  I do say though that red wine is slightly better for the tooth enamel of your teeth.  The bad side effect is that red wine stains your teeth much more.  This means that neither is really great, but now you know red may be a bit better for your health.

 

Now, most people end up drinking more beer in the colder temperatures.  The fact is that a lot of studies are not giving a lot of information on beer.  But some are showing that hops which are in beer usually have beneficial aspects on teeth.  The truth is though that if the beer is acidic then you should not be indulging too much.  There are lots of people who drink 2 or 6 plus beers a day and that can be harming your teeth.  So just be aware and be careful.

 

Water is a big part of fall and it is something that we should be drinking a whole lot more of.  The more the weather cools down the more people end up working out more.  Unfortunately, a lot so people drink lots of sugary drinks instead of water.  Water is very beneficial for your teeth.  The effects of water rise the sugar or acid off your teeth and also help you to create more saliva.  I think saliva is the body's natural tooth cleanser.  It is a fantastic way to not only rinse your teeth but replenish your body's natural mouth wash.  So try and drink as much as you can.  If you are also drinking lots of sweet drinks, make sure to follow these drinks up with some water to help clean the tooth damaging things away.

 

Now do not be fooled. Sparkling water can be very detrimental to your health.  The sparkling waters can have very acidic PH levels and can cause lots of harm.  The issue is that they are breaking down your teeth instead of cleaning them and hydrating your body.  So make sure to be very careful when you drink these sparkling deceivers.  They may end up costing you thousands in tooth damage and dental work.

 

I hope these tips on drinks for this season have helped you make some wiser choices and keep you healthier!

Symptoms To Identify The Need For A Root Canal

The dental procedure to clean out infected tissues from the tooth’s pulp and root area is known as a root canal.

A tooth consists of three layers: enamel, dentin, and tooth pulp. Tooth pulp contains nerves and vessels that keep the tooth alive.

A decay reaching the tooth pulp can result in its inflammation. In that case, your dentist may recommend removing the inflamed pulp through the root canal procedure.

You may wonder if you can know when you need a root canal. Are there any symptoms to check? In this article, we will discuss those symptoms that can help you determine whether or not you need a root canal.

Root canal procedure

The procedure of root canal mainly aims at cleaning out decay to preserve an infected tooth. The root canal procedure involves the following steps.

• Extraction of decay and bacteria from the tooth pulp and root
• Use of antibiotics to disinfect the area
• Filling the area that once contained pulp
• Seal the tooth to prevent decay in the future

A general dentist may carry out the root canal procedure, but you may need to consult an endodontist if your problem is too advanced.

Symptoms that you need a Root Canal

Your dentist is the right person to tell you if you need a root canal, but you, too, can check for some symptoms to know if you need to pay a visit to your dentist for the procedure.

Here are those symptoms.

1. Persistent pain

You may need a root canal if you have persistent pain in your tooth. This pain might remain there the entire time, or it might go away for some time only to come back. You might feel this pain deep inside the jawbone or in your face or other teeth.

There can be plenty of other reasons for tooth pain, but it is crucial to visit your dentist no matter the reason is for this discomfort.

2. Tooth hypersensitivity

Tooth sensitivity refers to the tooth pain that occurs when you eat or drink something hot or cold. This pain can range from a dull ache to sharp pain. If the pain lingers for an extended duration after you are finished eating or drinking, you may need a root canal.

Toothache occurring as a result of the intake of hot or cold foods may be a sign that the nerves and blood vessels in your tooth are infected.

3. Tooth discoloration

Sometimes, an infection in the tooth pulp can lead to tooth discoloration. Damage to the internal tissue can result in the tooth developing a grayish-black shade. This discoloration is easily visible when it appears on the front teeth.

Sometimes, the tooth pulp becomes dead due to the lack of blood supply. It necessitates a root canal procedure for the patient.

There can be several reasons for tooth discoloration, so it is a good idea to visit your dentist for a quick analysis.

4. Swollen gums

A tooth that requires a root canal may cause swelling in the gums around it. The swelling may or may not cause pain. It may be persistent or intermittent.

Swelling occurs as a result of the dead pulp releasing waste products through the tip of the root. These waste materials cause damage to the gum tissues, resulting in the swelling.

You may want to discuss with your dentist to know if you need a root canal to treat this problem.

 

Brushing on Vacation

One of the best times of year is when my family finally takes a break from the normalities of life.  This can be a very complicated thing to do in 2020.  Vacation destinations are hard to come by this year due to travel restrictions and many other issues, but I still think getting away is important for our health.  Now not only our mental health may be at stake by not going on vacation, but when you go you should not neglect other aspects of health that are also important.  I think that brushing your teeth and keeping up on a great dental routine is very important.  Now, this can be a very complicated thing to do and I want to go over just a few things to help maintain that routine while you are out having a great time.

 

The first thing in my mind to due is to build hype.  That is what vacation is all about, making a great time out of anything.  Sometimes the drive can be the best part of a vacation because of all the bonding that goes on.  Now let's get passed all the bathroom trips, screaming fits, and accidents in the car, but sometimes those moments are great because we made them that way.  So for my family, we try to keep our health concerns happy and fun before the trip even starts. This means a trip to our local grocery store to get the best and most fun dental equipment for the trip.

 

Indeed, we go shopping to keep our teeth care hyped and fun.  Now we also put a budget of about 10 dollars on this as well so as to not get too pricy for just dental health.  But I want all of our kids and my wife and me to stay healthy and to make sure we are taking the time to do it.  So the first thing we do is go to the travel aisle.  This is usually filled with hygiene products and travel toothbrushes are the main goal here.  There are always really fun toothbrushes that are smaller in size and most are actually made for children.  This is ok, to use on the short term trip, even for my wife and I.  The toothbrushes are usually themed and really fun.  There can be Star Wars toothbrushes or Avenger toothbrushes.  The options are limitless and yet limited by the store, but find a fun set for the family and make everyone chose their own cool brush.

 

When picking out the brushes, I always look for one major distinction to help for health and ease of use.  I look for a suction cup on the bottom of the brush.  That is important to me because it means we can literally stick them to the sink when we get into the hotel or place we are staying.  I always fear putting my toothbrush down on the counter because it could be nasty and filled with germs and bacteria.  I love being able to simply stick my brush with the cup on the sink and not worry about it falling over and landing on germs.  This also makes them readily available for the family when we get back after a long fun day.

 

I hope these tips help your family out.  This is a great way to hype a healthy dental vacation.