Someone recently asked me if oral cancer can really be prevented by good dental care. Well, the truth is, it can be. Let us look at the factors that cause oral cancer.

• Excessive smoking

• Consumption of tobacco in any other form
• Excessive consumption of alcohol
• Poor oral hygiene accompanied by one the above factors
• Too much exposure to the sun’s UV rays

Now, each of the above-mentioned causes can be avoided. Here’s what you got to do if you don’t want oral cancer.

• Visit your dentist if you have a dental problem and get it treated.

• Cut down on smoking and the usage of tobacco in any other form.
• Cut down on drinking alcohol.
• Visit your dentist every six months for check-ups.

What you essentially need is to pay a little attention to your oral health. There are times when people ignore the warning signs of cancer. Let’s look at the most common symptoms of the problem:

• Swelling on the inside of the cheek

• Red or white patches on the lips or inside the mouth
• Blister on the lips or inside the mouth
• Sudden voice change
• Sudden misalignment of teeth or dentures
• Bleeding in the mouth
• Unexplained pain in the throat and ears
• Numbness in some parts of the mouth
• Sore throat not borne out of common cold

What should you do if you find out that you have oral cancer? Don’t panic; timely treatment can help you. You may be required to undergo chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgery.

It is important you take adequate steps to prevent oral cancer. Take good care of your oral health.

Tags: Oral cancer

More often than not, we visit the dentist only if we have a dental problem or we need our teeth whitened. The next time you are visiting the dental clinic for a whitening procedure, go for the smile spa. Now, what exactly is a smile spa? Well, it is that place at the dental clinic that works at improving your smile while you relax. A smile spa is a place that is designed to give you a better, whiter, more sparkling, and confident smile.

Now, not every dental clinic has a spa like this. If you are Minneapolis, you can visit the Wayzata Dental Clinic for the experience. One visit to a smile spa is a must, and then you’ll find yourself recommending it to your friends.

The smile spa promises to give you a wholesome experience of relaxation and rejuvenation. Let us look at what the smile spa does for you:

• It whitens your teeth for a more radiant smile.

• It aims at giving you a painless experience with great results.
• It pampers you by making you comfortable with advantages like massages.

Now that you have realized that a dental procedure need not be about discomfort and pain, how often should you visit the smile spa? Well, I would say, go once in three months. Every dental procedure does not require you to visit the smile spa, but you can always pamper yourself once in a while.

Have your experienced this special spa yet? If not, seek an earliest appointment today.

Happy smiling!

Tags: Smile, Smile Spa, teeth whitening, wayzata dental clinic

Dental care is important if you love your teeth. And it is actually simple. Don’t believe me? Here are the simplest ever tips on dental care which will ensure that your teeth always remain healthy.

• Brush after every meal. Believe it or not, most of us choose to brush only once a day, that too in the morning when brushing is the least effective. The first brushing in the morning just freshens your breath and helps you get rid of the bad breath. It is important that you wait an hour after a meal before you pick up the toothbrush.

• Floss everyday. While brushing is equivalent to removing food off the dishes, flossing is similar to scrapping the dishes off the tiniest of food particle. Flossing ensures that the spaces between the teeth are cleaned.
• Clean your tongue. You cannot expect good oral health by leaning the teeth but ignoring the tongue. Clean your tongue once a day to ensure bacteria cannot thrive through any remainder of food particles in the mouth.
• Include a lot of fiber in your daily diet. Indulge in fruits for a snack. Eat a lot of vegetables. The fiber in fruits and vegetables keeps the tongue clean, thus preventing any bacterial growth.
• Drink water. This helps keep the bad breath at bay. Water also keeps your mouth hydrated, preventing gum diseases and other dental infections.
• Rinse your mouth after consuming anything. If you can make sure that food is washed off your mouth as soon as you are done consuming it, you are on your way to good oral health.

Simple, isn’t it? Happy smiling!

Tags: Dental Care, dental care tips

While we think that we pay attention to our dental health, there are times when we miss the obvious. How well do you understand dental care?

Do you spend sufficient time on brushing your teeth?

You have to brush your teeth for at least two-three minutes if you want clean teeth. You can play your favorite song while you brush. This way, you will not only relax while you brush but also spend enough time on brushing your teeth.

How do you brush your teeth?

Do you know that there is only one right way of brushing? Do you follow that? Also, it is important that you don’t brush too hard. Brushing hard harms both your enamel and your gums.

Do you brush at the right time?

I am not referring to the frequency of brushing but the time you pick to brush your teeth. You know you should brush after your meals, but are you brushing too soon after? Wait for about an hour after a meal before you brush. The acids in the food make the enamel soft and susceptible to damage. The enamel hardens itself after some time.

Do you visit your dentist regularly?

Ideally, you should visit your dentist every six months. However, you should not ignore any problem in your mouth at any time between the visits.

So, you understand you have to pay attention to detail if you want healthy teeth. Don’t boast about practicing good oral hygiene unless you are looking at the small things.

Happy smiling!

Tags: Dental Care

If you don’t know what gingivitis and periodontitis are, you are probably not suffering from these gum diseases. However, that does not mean you never can. Answer the following question and find out for yourself if you will.

Do you have poor oral hygiene? If you don’t take care of your teeth and gums, you are making home for bacteria. A dirty and dry mouth gives way to the two dreaded gum diseases.

Do you smoke? Smoking is a bad habit, people. You’ve gotta admit that. Apart from giving you serious problems like cancer, it ruins your smile. Smoking stains your teeth, makes them stink, and also makes you prone to gingivitis and periodontitis.

Do you have diabetes? You cannot avoid diabetes once you have got it but you can definitely control it. And you have gotta keep your blood sugar levels within limits if you want to keep the gum diseases at bay.

Do you get stressed often? You may find this unbelievable but stress makes you prone to gingivitis and periodontitis. This is because stress makes our bodies too weak to fight infections.

Are you a woman? Now, that’s not really a problem, but since women are more susceptible to gum diseases, you have to take more care of yourself. Women undergo hormonal changes several times in their lives including puberty, pregnancy, and menopause.

If your answer to one or more of the above-mentioned questions has been in the affirmative, start paying a little more attention to your oral health.

Happy smiling!

Tags: Gingivitis, gum diseases, Gums, Periodontitis

Like everything else, dentistry too hasn’t been left untouched by computers. And computers have changed the face of dentistry significantly. Today, I am going to talk about CEREC. Is that an abbreviation? Yes. It stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. Now, that doesn’t make much sense, does it? Well, it essentially means that your teeth can be restored in one sitting with the help of computers and certain software. Isn’t that something?

So, what happens in this CEREC restoration? Which dental procedures are supported by CEREC? Crowns, veneers, inlays, onlays are all supported by CEREC and the experience changes dramatically for you. CEREC differs from other procedures in the way the restorations are created. Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) along with 3-D imaging help create crowns, veneers, inlays, and onlays.

Your tooth will be coated with a powder-like substance first when you go for CEREC. Next, a 3-D image of your tooth will be taken. A software will help design the restoration you need. Later this design will be used to manufacture the perfect restoration for your tooth. And it will take no more than a few minutes.

Now, as you can see, CEREC saves time. The procedure gets over in one visit to the dentist, so you don’t have to live with the uncomfortable temporary fillings. If you have queries about the procedure, you can ask the dentist before going for it.

If you are in Minneapolis, you can visit the Wayzata Dental Clinic for the CEREC experience.

Happy smiling!

Tags: Cerec, Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics

Dental veneers work as a protective layer on the already-damaged teeth, improving the look of your smile.

What are they? Dental veneers are thin layers of a material such as porcelain used to cover damaged teeth to protect them against further damage. There are two types of veneers available: prep veneers and prepless veneers. Prep veneers require a certain amount of preparation before they can be fit onto your teeth. Porcelain veneers typically fall under this category. Prepless veneers strive to minimize the preparation required before the actual fitting. Durathin and Lumineers are popular prepless veneers.

Veneers can be used in many conditions. Whether you have chipped teeth, uneven teeth, misaligned teeth, or even stained teeth, veneers can be used to improve your smile.

In the procedure, a mould is created by using a soft clay-like material on your teeth. Next, this mould is used to make the veneer fit for your teeth. Your dentist may file the surface of your teeth to make space for the veneer, or else putting veneer will cause your teeth to appear thicker. Prepless veneers do not require any removal from the tooth surface, sparing patients the discomfort before the actual fitting is done.

The veneer is not made in a day; it takes a couple of weeks to make the right veneer for you. So, typically, on your second visit to the dentist, you will have the veneer put on your teeth.

If you have got experts to fix veneers on your teeth, you can enjoy the benefits of veneers for several years. However, it is important to follow a proper dental care routine and avoid bad dental habits.

Happy smiling!

Tags: dental veneers, restorative treatment, Veneers

Now don’t tell me that you don’t have a dental kit. You do carry your toothbrush when you travel, don’t you? OK, you may not have a separate dental kit but you have that travel kit that contains all the necessary things. So, what do you put in there for dental care? Toothbrush and toothpaste, of course. But what else? Here are a few more things that should make way into your travel kit.

• Mouthwash: The mouthwash will not only cleanse your mouth but also refresh your breath. Always keep a small bottle of your favorite mouthwash in your kit.

• Floss: Flossing is extremely important if you want clean, healthy teeth. Always carry floss with you. Choose the kind you are most comfortable with.
• Tongue Cleaner: You cannot skip this one. Tongue cleaning is an important part of your daily dental care. Choose a tongue cleaner that’s not too hard on your tongue.
• A vial of baking soda and salt: Now, this one is unusual. Mix a little baking soda and salt in a small vial and carry it along with you. This mixture works as an instant whitener. It is important, however, that you don’t use this frequently.
• A small box of green cardamoms: Green cardamoms freshen your breath, helping you get rid of bad breath. Keep a few with you all the time. Chew on a cardamom when you are unsure of your breath’s smell.

Ask your dentist if you should carry something else along with the things mentioned above.

Tags: dental kit, travel kit

In order to prevent tooth loss, you have to understand the importance of dental care and take care of your oral health. Let’s look at what you need to do to avoid getting dentures.

Brush after your meals. Make sure that you spend at least two-three minutes brushing your teeth. It is important to leave a gap of an hour between a meal and brushing as your teeth are extremely vulnerable after a meal. If you brush too soon, you may end up eroding the enamel.

Choose your toothbrush with care. Use a small-headed one so that it reaches the far corners in your mouth. And yes, don’t forget to change your toothbrush every three months. In fact, if the bristles look tattered any time earlier, change the toothbrush immediately.

Eat a lot of fiber. Make roughage a part of every meal of yours. This helps clean your mouth and takes care of your overall health. Also, include milk and other dairy products in your daily diet. This will give you the much-needed calcium. Try to have balanced meals. And avoid drinking fruit juices. Go for whole fruits instead.

Drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep your mouth salivated. This prevents the formation of bacteria. Also, develop the habit of rinsing your mouth after you have consumed something.

Refrain from using your teeth as tools to open bottles. Don’t bite your nails. Avoid habits like grinding or clenching your teeth.

Even if you consider you teeth healthy, don’t avoid visiting the dentist. Visit him/her every six months or whenever you notice a cause for concern.

Happy smiling!

Tags: Dental Care, tooth loss

Bad breath is embarrassing, that is, when you find out you have bad breath. There may be a number of instances where your bad breath has annoyed people and you haven’t been even aware! Wondering how to find out if you have bad breath? Here’s a simple tip:

Lick the back of your hand. Keep it in air for five seconds. And then, smell it. If it smells foul, you have a bad breath.

The first step towards avoiding bad breath is taking proper care of your teeth and mouth. Brush thoroughly after your meals and before you go to bed. Floss once a day, immediately after you have brushed your teeth. Clean your tongue, once a day, after you have cleaned your teeth thoroughly.

Make a habit of rinsing your mouth after consuming anything. This will help keep your mouth clean and hydrated. Also, drink 8-10 glasses of water everyday. Your mouth should be hydrated at all times. Saliva helps keep bad breath at bay.

Food that contains onions and garlic give you bad breath instantly. Seafood and some types of meat also cause your mouth to stink. Clean your mouth thoroughly after you have had these food items.

It is also important that you cut down on smoking and drinking. Tobacco and alcohol are the biggest culprits behind oral problems.

The medicines you take may also be a reason behind bad breath. Not because they give your mouth a smell but because they give you dry mouth as a side effect. And dry mouth causes bad breath. If your dentist suggests that the medicines are causing the problems, ask your doctor to prescribe substitutes.

Take care. Happy smiling!

Tags: Bad breath, halitosis