The Vitamins and Minerals That Are The Best For Oral Health
Many types of minerals and nutrients are good for the entire body. However, there are some there are specifically good for the teeth, mouth and gums.

• Calcium. Milk does your body – and teeth — good. We’ve all heard this before. Your teeth and jaws are made mostly of calcium. Without enough calcium in your diet, you risk developing gum disease and tooth decay.
• Vitamins B12 and B2. Mouth sores are indicators of the lack of this vitamin. You can find this in red meat, chicken, liver, pork, fish, as well as dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese.
• Vitamin C. If you lack Vitamin C, you will mostly likely get bleeding gums and loose teeth. Find this vitamin in oranges, red peppers and other red or orange fruits and vegetables.
• Vitamin D. It is very important to consume enough vitamin D because it helps your body absorb calcium. Burning mouth syndrome is a clear indicator of the lack of vitamin D. Symptoms of this condition include a burning mouth sensation, a metallic or bitter taste in the mouth, and dry mouth. Milk and eggs are good sources for this.
• Iron. Without iron, your tongue can become inflamed, and sores can form inside your mouth. Iron is found in many foods, including liver and red meat. Some cereals are fortified as well.
• Vitamin B3.A lack of vitamin B3 can cause bad breath and canker sores in the mouth. Chicken and fish carry this important vitamin.

Aside from a good diet, you need to go to the dentist for regular check-ups. Visit Wayzata Dental & SmileSpa for your cleanings and also your cosmetic dental needs.

Aside from eating sweets too often causing decay, like ice cream, other pregnant women suffer from an unusual eating disorder called pica. With pica, you will have cravings for ice, freezer frost, or even soil! Pica can have adverse effects on an individual’s oral health during pregnancy and also can be hard to diagnose and treat during those nine crucial months.

Pica is a compulsive eating disorder in which sufferers have a constant appetite for non-nutritious substances. Although the conditions’ association and cause during pregnancy are not known, some believe that depression or iron and zinc deficiencies during pregnancy could be a major factor. Nevertheless, pica can destroy the mother’s teeth since it can cause serious erosion of the tooth’s enamel, as well as sensitivity, thinning, and chipping.

While women often believe they should avoid dental care during pregnancy, and some dentist will wait until after the baby is born to treat cavities, it is very important for those suffering from eating disorders, like pica, to continue with their dental visits. Surprisingly, the family dentists are often the first to witness the physical effects of an eating disorder on an individual’s oral health.

Pregnancy is a time to make sure you take care of yourself, including your oral health. Consult with your family dentist for the best way to do this safely for you and your baby.

Today, tooth decay affects children in the United States more than any other chronic infectious disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention even states that tooth decay, if left untreated, can cause pain and infections that hinder eating, speaking, playing and learning. Because of this, the controlled addition of a fluoride compound to public water supplies is considered to be the best and most cost effective way to prevent cavities and fight tooth decay. But are you getting it? If you or your family are drinking water in bottles that does not contain fluoride, then most likely not

How does fluoride work?
Fluoride makes the entire tooth structure resistant to decay and promotes remineralization, which helps in repairing early decay before damage sets in. In fact, close to 150 million United States residents in more than 10,000 communities drink fluoridated tap water. This “benefit” provides an automatic defense against the harmful matter that causes oral health problems.

No one likes to get their tooth drilled to fix cavities and simply drinking more water that is fluoridated either in the store bottle or or a reusable water bottle or glass is a great way to make sure you get this extra cavity fighting power.

But, if you can’t get the fluoride in the water, what can you do? You may want to ask your dentist about varnish. Varnish, applied quickly and easily by a dentist, is one of the most concentrated products available commercially. Varnishes that contain sodium fluoride adhere to tooth surfaces when saliva is present, providing an excellent fluoride treatment.

If you suspect that you have a cavity, don’t wait. You should visit a general dentist, such as our office — Wayzata Dental & SmileSpa. Also, tell you family dentist if you don’t know whether your water is fluoridated. It will help your dentist determine if you are not getting enough fluoride to fight cavities and treatments that may remedy this.

The most common includes tooth sensitivity, which typically doesn’t require a dentist’s attention unless it gets worse. Other problems include an easy fix such as a filling that doesn’t fit properly, exposed to another kind of filling material or produced from a material the patient is allergic to. With these problems, your family dentist can easily repair or replace the filling. But, if the tooth pain occurs because of continuing decay, then it’s more serious. The dentist might try to remove the remaining decay or perform a root canal.

The normal pain after a filling a cavity is more similar to tooth sensitivity than to severe dental pain. The tooth might become sensitive to temperatures – hot or cold. The patient might experience tenderness when speaking or biting down. Normally, this sensitivity will decrease with time but if it doesn’t decrease or even becomes more of a problem, the patient should see the dentist right away.

If the problem is because the patient is allergic to the material used as the filling, the dentist will have to refill the teeth. The most common dental filling materials used are porcelain, gold, a silver mix consisting of silver, mercury, zinc, tin, and copper, and composite resin, which are tooth-colored plastic and glass materials. A family dentist that also works in cosmetic dentistry will also be able to help you create a natural smile with the correct type of fillings.

However, the most urgent causes of tooth pain after filling a cavity is leftover tooth decay or an infection. A dentist removes the decay before filling a tooth, but sometimes some decay is left behind. Also, there are times when the decay is too close to the tooth pulp. When either of these situations happens, the decay can continue to spread under the filling and cause the tooth to hurt or even cause an infection. The dentist might be able to correct the problem or he might need to perform a root canal and remove the tooth nerve.

Getting a cavity filled is normally an easy process for both the dentist and the patient but you still need to be aware of how the tooth feels in case there is an underlying problem. If you need a cavity filled or other dental treatments such as teeth whitening, crowns or veneers, contact Wayzata Dental & SmileSpa. We are a Plymouth family dentistry that offers dental treatments from restorative care to cosmetic dentistry. Check us out online!

One of the goals is to treat cavities without the use of fillings that contain mercury. Many dentists are changing their viewpoints on mercury and practice alternatives to traditional root canals. There are also cases where in natural dentistry, the dentist treats secondary concerns, such as nutrition and other physical problems, which may be linked to dental problems.

The goal of many family dentists is to help patients become and stay healthy. As for cavity fillings, most dentists would agree that the amalgam fillings, commonly used to treat cavities in standard dentistry, can pose a health risk by exposing the body to mercury. To avoid any problems with mercury, these dentists fill cavities with composites made from resin.

Also a part of this type of dentistry is making the patient feel less like he or she is in a dental office. Keeping the patient comfortable and happy, with music or even video, soothes them and prepares them before/after treatment.

If you are looking for a Minnetonka dentistry, consider coming to our office, Wayzata Dental & SmileSpa. Our office is comfortable and our staff is knowledgeable about modern dentistry. We treat patients of all ages too!

Facts On Wisdom Teeth

First, several factors need to be considered when evaluating wisdom teeth: The condition of the second molar, the presence of gum disease, the age of the patient and the risk of dental crowding are all things to consider. . .

Adults have 32 teeth in their mouth, which includes the second molars, located immediately in front of the wisdom teeth. When evaluating wisdom teeth, it is important to evaluate the health of the second molars to make sure they are not compromised by the position of the wisdom teeth.

Many people don’t realize that wisdom teeth can grow in a variety of positions: Sometimes they grow straight up like the rest of the teeth, but other times they will grow sideways or toward the second molars, causing some major space issues. All this needs to be looked at closely before the consideration of removal takes place.

Growing Older and Wisdom Teeth

More and more studies have shown that older adults have a higher risk of having a periodontal defect on the second molar when wisdom teeth are present. Also, the incidence of cavities on wisdom teeth also increases with age. As far as complications after surgery, the risks of post-op complications and recovery time both increase with age, especially in patients 25 years of age and older.

On the other hand, early removal of wisdom teeth, basically when the roots are hardly there, has been shown to result in very predictable and successful outcomes, with hardly any gum pockets, dry sockets, nerve injury or infections developing post-operations. It seems to the case that early removal of wisdom teeth is much better for the patient.

Talk with the dentist and staff at Wayzata Dental & SmileSpa if you think your wisdom teeth are erupting. We can give you an idea what to expect. Visit us online!

When people avoid going to the dentist, their oral health tends to suffer. Not surprisingly, toothaches are the biggest reason a person visits the dentist, but unfortunately they come in too late – when bigger problems already are settled in. The main theme is that avoiding the dentist for a simple teeth cleaning, which takes less than an hour without pain, resulted in something bad and painful such as a root canal.

Keeping healthy oral habits is far more than just having pretty teeth, although you can have both. Gum disease can often lead to other diseases that can infect your entire body. One thing people forget is that poor dental hygiene can cause you to lose the use of your teeth therefore leaving you unable to have the foods you love. This may be a big enough reason to take care of your teeth!

There are many reasons why you should visit the dentist from getting your teeth cleaned, having a cavity filled, getting veneers, getting teeth whitened and cosmetic dentistry. These are all great reasons to see a dentist, although in the end, the best reason to go to a dentist regularly is so that you don’t have to go because of bad oral care. Cleanings are so much easier than getting a cavity filled.

Visit a dentist that offers an environment that is warm and inviting. . . and fun! Wayzata Dental & SmileSpa is a Minnetonka family dentistry that has an office with the comforts of home – including a refreshment area and video games! Check our office out online, where you can also make a dental appointment.

Not many people realize that the five-year survival rate for those with localized disease at diagnosis is around 80 percent compared with just about 30 percent for those whose cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. With oral cancer, early detection and treatment is possible.

To detect oral cancer, there are clear warning signs including:

• Lesions. There are distinct lesions in the mouth that could be precursors to cancer, and they are red and white in color. Any white or red lesion that does not resolve itself in two weeks should be evaluated by a dentist and perhaps considered for biopsy.
• Problems in the mouth. Lumps or thickening in the soft tissues, soreness or a feeling that something is caught in the throat, difficulty chewing or moving the jaw and numbness of the tongue or other areas of the mouth could all be signs. If these problems persist for more than two weeks, you should seek the advice of a family dentist who may refer you to a specialist if he or she thinks these are signs of cancer.

Here are oral cancer risk factors:

• Tobacco and excessive alcohol use increases the risk of oral cancer. If you use tobacco and alcohol, you have a higher chance of oral cancer than someone who doesn’t use the substances.
• Exposure to sunlight. You care at a higher risk for lip cancer if you are in the sun a lot.
• Age. Incidence of oral cancer rises steadily with age, reaching a peak in persons aged 65-74. This is because they have been connected to risk factors for a longer time period.

If you would like to get an oral cancer screening, visit us at Wayzata Dental & SmileSpa. We are a Plymouth family dentistry that offers restorative and preventative care plus offer oral cancer screening. You can even make an appointment online.

Many people are surprised to find out that the TMJ joint is the only joint in the body that acts as a two-sided hinge, which means that any stress or misalignment will cause problems on the other side. This dental health problem can be extremely painful.

TMJ dysfunction or TMD occur because of its association with the tri-geminal nerve. This nerve is associated with the chewing function of the upper and lower jaw, and with the eyes and ears. The pain associated with TMD is a chronic, dull, pain and pressure – both types sends pain straight to the spine.

Other painful effects of TMJ dysfunction include headaches, eye pain, sinus pressure, dental pain and even neck and shoulder pain. Many people with TMJ Dysfunction complain about facial pain too.

If you have TMJ Dysfunction you may experience some of these symptoms:

• Excessive wear on teeth caused by stress of bruxism and grinding.
• Clicking & popping of the TMJ joint caused by lack of cartilage at the rear hinge point.
• Grinding sounds caused by irregular bone surface at rear hinge point.
• Headaches and migraine headaches.
• Dizziness caused by lack of blood flow to brain when blood vessels are obstructed.
• Severe pain in the mouth, jaw, neck, ear and teeth as well as all over the head caused by pinching of nerves due to extreme misalignment of TMJ.
• Ringing in the ears caused by pressure on the ear canal.

It is possible to have TMJ dysfunction for a long period of time without actually realizing it. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, talk with a family dentist, such as Wayzata Dental & SmileSpa. As a Plymouth family dentistry that focus on preventative and restorative dentistry, we can evaluate your condition and find a solution for your right away.

Fluoride treatments are an important part of healthy teeth for everyone. Family dentists not only stress regular fluoride treatments, but many public schools offer fluoride treatments for all school-aged children.
Many adults use and encourage their children to use a fluoride rinse, but many children may not be getting all that they need from the rinses.

How do you really know if your child is getting enough fluoride?

Here is an easy checklist to determine if your child is getting enough fluoride as part of their dental hygiene.

• What is the source of your water? Not only does your child need topical fluoride, but he also needs to ingest fluoride to help in the development of strong, healthy adult teeth. Some cities treat tap water with extra fluoride, as do some bottled water companies. There are many children only drinking from bottled water that does not contain fluoride. Parents are thinking they are helping children stay away from harmful bacteria, but instead, they are creating a dental nightmare.
• When using a fluoride rinse, does your child follow the directions? You child needs to swish vigorously for the length of time suggested by the fluoride rinse manufacturer. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions carefully each time your child uses a fluoride rinse. You can use an egg timer or have them count in their head.
• Does your child know not to eat or drink after using a fluoride rinse? Remember what the hygienist tells you after the office fluoride treatments? There is to be no eating or drinking within 30-60 minutes of a fluoride application. Why? Eating or drinking can interfere with the effectiveness of the product.
• Are regular dental cleanings and exams in your child’s schedule? Your child should visit the dentist every six months for a cleaning and fluoride treatment.
• How often does your child use a fluoride treatment on a regular basis? One of the best ways to teach your kids about the importance of fluoride treatments and good dental care is to show them how adopt good hygiene by brushing, flossing, using a fluoride rinse, and visiting the dentist on a regular basis.

Fluoride treatments are an essential part of staying healthy. It is important for children to visit their family dentist every six months for a professional fluoride treatment. If they complain, remember to tell them about the yummy fluoride flavors they can pick from.

Visit us at Wayzata Dental & SmileSpa. We offer a comfortable office environment for all our young dental patients.