Dental Care - Diet and Dental Health

Limit Carbs to Mealtimes

Even not-so-sweet treats—like a handful of potato chips or a whole wheat roll—can be as damaging to your teeth and gums as a double-fudge brownie, if you're not careful.

That's because all carbohydrates break down into simple sugars, which are ultimately converted by bacteria in the mouth into plaque, a sticky residue that is the primary trigger of gum disease and cavities. Carb-based foods such as breads and crackers tend to have a chewy, adhesive texture, making it easier for them to get caught between teeth or under the gum line, where bacteria can then accumulate, says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

Smile Rx: Have carbs at mealtimes rather than as a snack: When you eat a larger amount of food, you produce more saliva, which helps wash food particles away. 

Above article from: www.prevention.com

 

Dentists in La Canada Flintridge
Flintridge Dental Studio
Tel:818-495-4969
4542 Rinetti Lane
La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011
USA

Dental Health Care - Heart Disease and Gum Disease

Is There a Link Between Gum Disease and Heart Disease?
Overall the data indicates that chronic gum disease may contribute to the development of heart disease, the nation's leading cause of death in both men and women.

How does this happen? Gum disease is a bacterial infection that can affect conditions outside your mouth. In heart disease, one theory is that gum disease can cause bacteria to enter the bloodstream where they attach to the fatty deposits in the heart blood vessels. This condition can cause blood clots and may lead to heart attacks.

If I Have Heart Disease, Are There Special Requirements to Maintain Proper Oral Health?
To maintain the best oral health, you should:

• Establish and maintain a healthy mouth. This means brushing and flossing daily and visiting your dentist regularly.
• Make sure your dentist knows you have a heart problem.
• Carefully follow your physician's and dentist's instructions, and use prescription medications, such as antibiotics, as directed.

Am I at Risk if Dental Procedures are Performed?
If you have certain preexisting heart conditions, you may be at risk for developing bacterial endocarditis — an infection of the heart's inner lining or the valves. Anytime there is bleeding in the mouth, certain oral bacteria can enter the blood stream and may settle on abnormal heart valves or tissue weakened by an existing heart problem or heart condition. In these cases, the infection can damage or even destroy heart valves or tissue.

There are precautions you need to take if you have any of the following conditions:

• Artificial (prosthetic) heart valves
• A history of endocarditis
• Congenital heart or heart valve defects
• Heart valves damaged (scarred) by conditions such as rheumatic fever
• Mitral valve prolapse with a murmur
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Be sure to tell your dentist if you have a heart condition, and what, if any, medications you are taking for it. Your dentist will record important health information in your record and coordinate treatment with your physician.

Above article from: www.colgate.ca

 

Dental Care
Flintridge Dental Studio
Tel:818-495-4969
4542 Rinetti Lane
La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011
USA

Dental Care La Canada Flintridge CA

What is Tooth Erosion?
Tooth erosion is the wearing away of tooth enamel by acid. The enamel is the hard calcified tissue that covers and protects the outside of the tooth. It is the hardest substance in our bodies.

The saliva in our mouth contains calcium which helps to strengthen and remineralize the teeth, however, remineralization can not occur when a great deal of acid is present.

The high amount of acids in the food and drink that you consume can cause tooth erosion. Soft drinks and pure fruit juices contain a high amount of acid.

Tooth erosion can also be caused by medical factors such as a decrease in saliva, acid reflux disease, certain gastrointestinal conditions and the eating disorder bulimia.

Above article from: Dentistry.About.com

Learn more about our Dental Care Services in La Canada Flintridge CA by visiting our main website at flintridgedentalstudio.com

Flintridge Dental Studio
Tel:818-495-4969
4542 Rinetti Lane
La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011
USA

Dental Care La Canada Flintridge CA

Dental cavities
Cavities are holes, or structural damage, in the teeth.

Tooth decay is one of the most common of all disorders, second only to the common cold. It usually occurs in children and young adults but can affect any person. It is a common cause of tooth loss in younger people.

Bacteria are normally present in the mouth. The bacteria convert all foods -- especially sugar and starch -- into acids. Bacteria, acid, food debris, and saliva combine in the mouth to form a sticky substance called plaque that adheres to the teeth. It is most prominent on the back molars, just above the gum line on all teeth, and at the edges of fillings. Plaque that is not removed from the teeth mineralizes into tartar. Plaque and tartar irritate the gums, resulting in gingivitis and ultimately periodontitis.

Plaque begins to build up on teeth within 20 minutes after eating (the time when most bacterial activity occurs). If this plaque is not removed thoroughly and routinely, tooth decay will not only begin, but flourish.

The acids in plaque dissolve the enamel surface of the tooth and create holes in the tooth (cavities). Cavities are usually painless until they grow very large and affect nerves or cause a tooth fracture. If left untreated, a tooth abscess can develop. Untreated tooth decay also destroys the internal structures of the tooth (pulp) and ultimately causes the loss of the tooth.

Carbohydrates (sugars and starches) increase the risk of tooth decay. Sticky foods are more harmful than nonsticky foods because they remain on the surface of the teeth. Frequent snacking increases the time that acids are in contact with the surface of the tooth.

Above article from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov

Flintridge Dental Studio
Tel:818-495-4969
4542 Rinetti Lane
La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011
USA

What is Scaling?

Scaling is the act of removing calculus, plaque and stain from the teeth. You may recognize this procedure from your last routine maintenance appointment with your Dentist or Dental Hygienist. Calculus must be removed to promote the healing of the tissues, and reattachment of any damaged tissues. After a thorough scaling you can expect some regeneration of the gingival tissues. It is very important to remove any new plaque daily. Please note, damage from Periodontal Disease cannot be reversed, it can be slowed or arrested (stopped).
Above tip from: dentalhygienecare.ca

Dentistry
Flintridge Dental Studio
Tel:818-495-4969
4542 Rinetti Lane
La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011 USA

Dental Care Services in: La Canada Flintridge, Altadena
Pasadena, Glendale and Burbank areas of California

Missing Teeth - Dental Treatment Tips

What’s so bad about losing a tooth?
Teeth can be lost due to an accident or other trauma, but the most common reason people lose a tooth is because of gum disease and/or decay. So, is it a big deal to lose a tooth? I mean you can’t die from it, right? No, you can’t, but losing even a single tooth can cause the other teeth to shift and move around – not good. This can affect chewing and your ability to absorb nutrients from your food. Other bad things can happen; your face will change shape, often looking “sunken.” This can make you look much older than you really are. Your speech can be affected. Because it’s harder to chew with missing teeth, you may find yourself favoring softer foods and more carbohydrates, which can cause you to gain weight. The best way to treat a missing tooth (or missing teeth) is with dental implants. An implant can replace one tooth or many. They can be made to look so natural that even a dentist has to look hard to tell the difference.










Flintridge Dental Studio
Dentist Harmik Derhartounian, DDS
818-495-4969
4542 Rinetti Lane
La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011

Dental Care Services in: La Canada Flintridge, Altadena
Pasadena, Glendale and Burbank areas of California


Harmik Derhartounian, D.D.S. provides dental care services in La Canada Flintridge area in California. Dr. Derhartounian provides quality general, family, cosmetic, implant, childrens, preventive, restorative and sedation dentistry services. Flintridge Dental Studio provides dental treatment services in the following areas of California: La Canada Flintridge, Glendale, Burbank and Altadena CA. Our dental treatment services include: restorations, white fillings, invisalign, invisible dental braces, dental implants, clear dental braces, Cerec dental crowns, crowns, bridges, Six Month Smiles adult dental braces, Galileo Implants, Waterlase Treatment, dental lumineers, oral cancer screening, NTI Migraine treatment, laser scanner cavity detection, dental root canals, natural-looking dentures, bonding, veneers, tooth colored fillings, dental hygiene care and dental smile makeovers.

Chewing Ice - Dental Tip for Parents

My 12-year-old son likes to chew ice. Is this harmful?
Tooth enamel is very hard, but that doesn’t mean you can’t break it. Try to avoid eating “hard foods” such as popcorn. Don’t crack nut shells with your teeth or chew on ice. Opening packages with your teeth can also damage the enamel.

Flintridge Dental Studio in Flintridge La Canada CA provides a full range of dental care services! Visit our web site to learn more about our dental treatment services

Dental Care La Canada Flintridge CA

Dental Checkups Can Help Reveal Other Health Problems

The issues of dental care and personal hygiene are among the most topical social concerns of modern health care enthusiasts. According to the statistics, due to high prices for dental services and the requirements of our business life, very often we neglect visiting a dental specialist every 6 months for a regular checkup. This tendency is increasing, making public dental health get worse and worse.

In particular, specialists found out that lots of American people have such serious dental problem as gum disease, but they are not aware of the fact as they do not visit their dentists regularly. The same can be said about other dental diseases, which are closely linked to many serious health conditions and ailments, including heart disease, arthritis, hypertension, diabetes and many more. If we do not do regular dental checkups, we have no opportunity to get important information and prevent the development of other diseases which are very serious and sometimes even lethal.

This issue became a subject of interest of a group of dental specialists at one of the scientific centers in Virginia. As a result, one of the leaders of the research, Charles Martin, wrote a book which tells the wide audience how much oral hygiene is important for our overall health and what role it plays for maintaining excellent health or for effective weight management.

Martin underlines that in case if anything is not right in the body, there are always signs in our oral area. Therefore, dental checkup is one of the most effective ways to reveal other health problems, starting from common sore throat and ending up with increased risks for heart disease. He says that if the situation with children is more or less acceptable as children have regular checkups in their schools, adults must pay serious attention on the problem. That is why the dental specialist encourages citizens to buy affordable discounted dental plans and never miss regular checkups at their dentists.

Article from: http://tips4dentalcare.com