Oral Health

Mar1

Toothpaste and Abrasion

Categories: Oral Health

Toothpaste is a great product that we all use several times a day. Unfortunately, some toothpastes can be detrimental to your teeth. Many of the “whitening” toothpastes are abrasive and remove enamel as well as stains. Our recommendation from Dr. Bruce Stewart’s office is that you stay away from highly abrasive toothpastes because they can remove the polish and luster of porcelain veneers and are not good for natural teeth.

The Federal Drug Administration and the American Dental Association have come up with a system to measure the abrasive level of toothpastes, which is called the RDA value. The lower the RDA value, the gentler the toothpaste is on your teeth. If a toothpaste has an RDA rating over 100 it is considered to be abrasive. Below are the RDA values for some toothpastes. If you would like more information on this, we have a longer list at the office. We can provide more detailed scientific information about the RDA ratings to those who may be interested, just ask your hygienist about the study the next time you are in the office.

Toothpaste / RDA Value

Straight Baking Soda / 07
Arm & Hammer Tooth Powder / 08
CloSYS / 53
Colgate Regular / 68
Colgate Total / 70
Sensodyne / 79
Aim / 80
Aquafresh Sensitive / 91
Crest Regular / 95
Sensodyne Extra Whitening / 104
Crest Sensitivity / 107
Aquafresh Whitening / 113
Colgate Whitening / 124
Crest Extra Whitening / 130
Colgate Tarter Control / 165
Colgate 2-in-1 Tarter Control/White / 200

Feb2

What’s the deal with mouthwash?

Categories: Oral Health

While mouthwash is not an alternative to regular brushing and flossing, it can help keep your teeth and gums clean and healthy. There are several different types of mouthwashes available, and all of them will help do different things for your smile. The most common types of mouthwashes are:

• Fluoride – fluoride is the most used type of mouthwash available, and is used to strengthen the enamel of the teeth while preventing cavities and tooth decay.
• Antiseptic – an antiseptic mouthwash is used to kill bacteria and germs in the mouth. Most commonly used before and after a dental surgery, antiseptic mouthwashes can also help to fight gum disease, and halitosis (chronic bad breath). Antiseptic mouthwashes can affect your sense of taste and may stain the teeth, so it is recommended that you consult your dentist before using this type of mouthwash.
• Combination – a combination mouthwash is designed to help prevent tooth decay, freshen the breath, and maintain the health of your smile.
• Prescription – for patients with gum disease, or any signs of gum disease, you may need a prescription mouthwash. Prescription mouthwashes, like Peridex of PerioGard, are used to treat gingivitis, and other forms of decay.

There are also many different brands of mouthwash. Some common brands include:
• Scope
• Listerine
• Act
• Crest
• Tom’s of Maine (all-natural)
• Plax (anti-plaque rinse)
• Breath Rx
• Orajel
• Targon (special mouthwash made for smokers)
• Rembrandt (whitening mouthwash)

If you are curious about which kind of mouthwash would work best for you, be sure to ask us at your next appointment. If you have a favorite mouthwash, let us know by posting a comment for others to read!

– Dr. Bruce Stewart & team

Jan26

Ask Dr. Stewart: If I have braces, do I still need a dental checkup every 6 months?

Categories: Oral Health

Thanks for the question! Yes! In fact, it’s even more important that patients receiving orthodontic treatment visit our office regularly. When you’re wearing braces, food may be caught in places that your toothbrush normally can’t reach. This causes bacteria to build up and can lead to cavities, gingivitis and even gum disease. Believe it or not, an estimated 80 percent of American adults currently have some form of gum disease. Studies have shown a correlation between gum disease and heart disease, underscoring the importance of good oral health care. Our staff at Dr. Bruce Stewart’s office will work closely with your orthodontist to make sure that your teeth stay clean and healthy while you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment.

If it has been more than six months since your last visit to our Grand Rapids dental office, please give us a call! We look forward to your next visit!

Jan18

The trouble with bottled water

Categories: Oral Health

Our team at Dr. Bruce Stewart’s office know that as more families turn to bottled water and away from the traditional tap, they may be missing out on one important ingredient that most brands of bottled water fail to include: fluoride!

For more than 60 years, water fluoridation has proved to be a safe and cost-effective way to reduce dental caries. Today, water fluoridation is estimated to reduce tooth decay by 20- to 40 percent in children who have access to fluoridated toothpaste.

Bottled water, however, which remains one of the more popular drinks in the world, may not contain any fluoride, which is known to help prevent and even reverse the early stages of tooth decay. The majority of bottled waters on the market do not contain optimal levels (0.7-1.2 ppm) of fluoride, according to our friends at the American Dental Association, or ADA. Many dental health specialists suspect bottled water’s increased popularity as the culprit behind rising rates of cavities.

Because fluoride helps strengthen teeth, it is an important component of maintaining good oral health. So if bottled water is your water of choice, be sure to check the label to make sure that your brand contains fluoride. As of a 2006 decision, the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, allows bottled water containing .6 to 1.0 milligrams per liter (parts per million) of fluoride to carry a label stating that fluoridated water may reduce the risk of dental cavities or tooth decay. The ADA has backed this decision.

Of course, simply drinking fluoridated water is not a magic ticket to perfect teeth. To keep your pearly whites in tip-top shape, it’s important to brush and floss daily and avoid sugary sweets, in addition to maintaining your fluoride intake and visiting Dr. Stewart and our team at the office regularly.

Dec30

This Year, Make a New Year’s Resolution to Smile About!

Categories: Oral Health

Let’s face it- when was the last time you managed to keep a New Year’s resolution? We at Dr. Bruce Stewart’s office believe the key to sticking to a goal is picking one that is both reasonable and attainable. If you haven’t yet picked a New Year’s resolution, consider setting one that will improve your oral health!

For example, resolve to brush twice and floss once a day. Good oral hygiene only takes a few minutes a day, and can make a big difference in your oral health and overall health too! For more oral health-themed resolutions for you and your family, check out this article.

We would love to see what you come up with, share with us by commenting on this post or on our Facebook page. Whatever your New Year’s Resolution, we wish you the very best for 2012!

-Happy New Year, from your friends at Dr. Stewart’s office

Dec7

Have you had a check-up with Dr. Bruce Stewart lately?

Categories: Oral Health

Even if you brush and floss daily, it is still important to see Dr. Bruce Stewart every 6 months, or as recommended. Why?

• We can detect and treat tooth and gum problems that you may have never felt or noticed.
• Even thorough daily oral care may not be enough to prevent cavities and oral decay.
• Frequent visits can allow us to treat a problem early to prevent future complications.

If you are overdue for an appointment with us, please give us a call today!

— Dr. Bruce Stewart & Team

Nov18

Chewing tobacco and its side effects

Categories: Oral Health

Everyone knows that smoking causes lung cancer, but did you also know that smokers and tobacco users are susceptible to a variety of oral health problems at a faster rate than non-smokers? Smokeless tobacco use in the United States continues to increase each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It may be smokeless, but it certainly isn’t harmless.

You’ve probably seen baseball players chewing or dipping tobacco, but it’s important to know that as soon as you use tobacco products, you risk developing serious health issues, including cancer, heart attack or stroke. You are also more likely to experience any of these oral health problems:

• Gum disease
• Tooth loss
• Loss of bone in the jaw
• Gum recession
• Delayed/impaired healing process after oral surgery or any other treatment
• Decreased success rate of dental implant (tooth replacement) procedures
• Mouth sores
• Loss of your sense of taste and smell
• Bad breath
• Tooth and tongue stains

Quitting tobacco is difficult because all forms of it—cigarettes, cigars and spit (chewing) tobacco—contain nicotine, which is the highly addictive agent in tobacco. If you are interested in protecting your oral health, we strongly recommend you quit using tobacco products! We suggest all tobacco users come in for regular dental check-ups with Dr. Bruce A. Stewart.

Nov4

5 ways you can avoid plaque

Categories: Oral Health

At Dr. Bruce Stewart’s office, we know nobody likes getting plaque on their teeth. Here are five other ways you can avoid that dreaded enemy of the teeth, courtesy of WebMD.

Let’s start with brushing regularly. Brushing your teeth twice a day with a fluoride-containing toothpaste is vital to a healthy mouth. Make sure you softly brush all the surfaces of your teeth.

Next on the list is flossing daily: a simple daily flossing between teeth clears away plaque before it can cause damage and can also clean plaque at the gum line. Plaque is known to reach the spaces between teeth.

Also, evading a trip to visit Dr. Stewart is probably not a great idea. Let’s say you brush and floss daily. You’re still at risk for plaque. With time, the plaque hardens and turns into tartar. Consider visiting Dr. Stewart’s office at least twice a year or as recommended, and you have a lower chance of getting cavities or losing your natural teeth.

You’ll also want to stop avoiding those fruits and veggies. Believe it or not, there are foods out there that play a key role in keeping plaque off our teeth. They include apples, carrots, cucumbers and other raw fruits and vegetables. You can still eat these types of fruits and veggies if you’re wearing braces, but be sure to cut them up into bite sized pieces to avoid breaking off brackets.

Finally, before you pick up that candy bar, remember to not give in to your sweet tooth. Consuming sugary drinks or eating candy or other junk food allows sugar to stick to our teeth. The bacteria, then, becomes plaque, which turns into acid and damages our teeth. Avoiding these five bad habits keeps your plaque in check and your mouth as healthy as can be. If you have any questions, give us a call or ask us on Facebook!

Oct21

Smile! October is National Dental Hygiene Month!

Categories: Oral Health

Did you know that October is National Dental Hygiene Month? For our staff at Dr. Stewart’s office, that means only one thing: Reminding you that your teeth are an important part of your body, and keeping them clean helps keep your mouth and your body healthy. By taking care of your teeth, eating a balanced diet and visiting our convenient Comstock Park, MI office on a regular basis, you can have healthy teeth and an attractive smile throughout your entire life.

We encourage you to check out the American Dental Association website as well, which provides pointers on keeping your mouth clean and healthy. Lastly, has it been six months since your last checkup? If the answer is yes, we encourage you to give us a call to set up an appointment with Dr. Stewart.

Oct5

Biofilm–What is it? Why do we need to be aware of Biofilm?

Categories: Oral Health

Biofilm is a group of micro-organisms existing together in a moist, gel-like film. It is everywhere that water contacts a non-sterile surface. It is found in the human body and in nature. Here are a few facts about biofilm:

• We all have biofilm in our mouths, cheeks, teeth, gums, tongue.
• These biofilms cause tooth decay, gingivitis and periodontitis.
• The inflammation in the mouth caused by microbes in biofilm has been implicated in general health problems, such as cardiovascular disease.
• Dental plaque, or biofilm, can contain as many as 500 different microbes.
• The longer the biofilm stays uninterrupted, the greater the potential for dental problems.
• Disrupting the biofilm growth through brushing, flossing and rinsing is key to your dental health.

If you have any questions about biofilm, feel free to ask us at Dr. Eric Hull’s office!