Flu season has officially begun and will continue through February, or maybe even later. Nobody wants to catch this ache-inducing, sneezing-causing, and overall yucky-feeling sickness. While sometimes the flu is unavoidable, there are easy things you can do to reduce your chance of falling ill. Join your dentist in Hyde Park in practicing these top tips all flu season long.

Clean & Sanitize

During flu season, it’s wise to clean and sanitize your living and workspace more often than usual. Germs can live on surfaces for quite some time, and all it takes is touching an infected surface to come down with the flu. Make sure to clean the areas you use most often or that are touched by multiple people like the kitchen, bathroom, and conference room tables at work. Don’t forget about the little items like remote controls, toilet handles, doorknobs, and keyboards.

Wash Your Hands

Your dentist in Hyde Park and all medical professionals will tell you that washing your hands often is one of the best ways to avoid the flu and the common cold. Scrubbing your mitts with warm water and antibacterial soap is an effective way to remove any germs you may have picked up throughout the day. Cover your palms, fingers, and even fingernails with soapy water after using the restroom, before eating, and after you touch anyone. If you can’t get to a sink right away, an alcohol-based sanitizer can work in a pinch.

Keep Hands Away from the Face

According to the CDC, another common way to transfer germs from person to person or from surface to person is by putting our hands on our face or near our mouths, eyes, or nose. Since these areas of the body contain mucus, anything that gets into them is easily transported into the rest of the body, including germs.

Choose Healthy Meals

While we always recommend trying to eat a well-balanced diet all year round, it can be even more important during flu season. Fueling your body with all of the good stuff it needs to function optimally puts it in good fighting shape if germs do find their way inside. Eat plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins and avoid sugar as much as you can.

Increase Your Water Intake

Besides eating well, it’s also important to drink a lot of water throughout the day. When a body is properly hydrated, it’s better prepared to fight off anything that may try to make you sick. Follow the 8×8 rule by drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day.

These tips can go a long way in keeping the flu away from you and your family this season. But if you do happen to get sick, the team at our Hyde Park dental office recommends treating your symptoms with sugar-free medication to protect your teeth. Also, don’t forget to swap out your toothbrush for a new one after any illness.

The Great American Smokeout, hosted on the third Thursday each November, strives to bring awareness to how quitting smoking can improve overall health. This is certainly something our dental office in Hyde Park can get behind since smoking directly affects oral health, too. Even though quitting smoking may be one of the hardest things for someone to do, there are tried-and-true methods that you can use to help kick the habit.

Top 5 Ways to Quit

There are many different methods that people use to quit smoking. However, no one solution is the right fit for everyone. It’s even common for some people to try a few different things to successfully become smoke-free, and that’s ok. The important thing to remember is to never quit trying to quit. Here are some popular ways former smokers have quit.

Pick a Quit Date

One of the main messages behind the Great American Smokeout is to pick a quit date and create a plan to make that date a reality. Instead of trying to quit cold turkey (which may work for some, but not all), decide on a date when you’re going to put down the cigarettes once and for all and stick to your plan.

Use a Support System

Quitting smoking can be tough and unpleasant. Your brain is going through nicotine withdrawal, which can lead to some undesirable side effects. During those tough times, it can be helpful to have a support system to help you through it. Ask family members, friends, or even coworkers if they would be willing to help you when times get tough. Make sure to communicate with them prior to your quit date so they know how you preferred to be assisted. Professional support can also help curb cravings and make quitting successful.

Know Your Triggers & Avoid Them

Some smokers have a difficult time quitting because they’re so used to lighting up in certain situations. Perhaps a smokey bar, drinking alcohol, or stressful moments trigger your need for nicotine. If you can identify what triggers you and you do your best to avoid those triggers, quitting may become a bit easier.

Keep Alternatives Around

When trying to quit, a lot of smokers struggle with the absence of holding something in their hands or the motion of moving their hands to their mouths. For these individuals, having healthy alternatives that can act as a substitute for cigarettes can ease that feeling of discomfort. Snack on baby carrots, chew sugarless gum, hold a straw or pencil between your fingers like you would hold a cigarette. Tricking your brain into performing comfortable behaviors can help you feel more comfortable.

Nicotine Replacements

Many times, smokers find quitting so difficult because of the lack of nicotine. Finding a healthy nicotine replacement option may help. There are a number of different nicotine replacement therapies for you to choose from including gum and patches. Please note that vaping is NOT a healthy nicotine replacement option and may contribute to other health issues. If you’re considering using a nicotine replacement, consider talking with your physician first to find the best option for you.

We understand that quitting smoking isn’t easy, and you may have to try to quit a few times before you find a method that works for you. But your dentist in Hyde Park wants you to know that you can do it! Pick a quit date and start quitting today.

At our dental office in Hyde Park, we’re honored to take care of your family’s smiles. From regular cleanings, fillings, and restorative dentistry, we’re here to ensure healthy grins all around. But what happens if your teeth are crooked or overlap? Is it something to worry about? The truth is, if teeth aren’t straight and lined up correctly, we may recommend orthodontics — and for good reasons.

Straight Teeth Are Healthier Teeth

Having a set of straight teeth can directly affect both dental health and mental health. Unfortunately, too many people are worried and bothered by crooked teeth- which can keep them from laughing and smiling with confidence. Getting a straighter smile can transform someone’s self-esteem and boost confidence.

Crooked teeth are also more difficult to clean properly due to the overlapping and overcrowding. When we aren’t able to properly brush and floss our teeth, our risk for decay, cavities, and even gum disease increases. If not treated quickly, these dental problems can lead to more serious concerns or need for advanced treatment, such as a root canal, fillings or a crown, and even tooth loss.

Orthodontic issues may also lead to advanced oral health problems as well as whole-body concerns. A smile with uneven teeth can make breathing difficult and could eventually lead to sleep apnea, which is a serious problem. Many sleep apnea sufferers actually stop breathing several times a night! This alone has been linked to constant sleepiness and poor concentration at school or work. Additionally, a misaligned smile may make chewing difficult, contribute to digestive problems, and even diminish bone density in the jaw.

Straight Teeth May Still Need Orthodontics

The main goal of orthodontics is usually to create a symmetrical, straight smile. However, there are times when a visibly straight grin still needs orthodontics. Why? The bite, or the way the teeth come together, may be off. This is known as malocclusion or a “bad bite.” If left untreated, a misaligned bite could result in pain and long-term complications. It’s best to get an evaluation from your dentist in Hyde Park so that any potential problems are caught and treated before they have a chance to turn into large issues including:

• Increased risk for chipped teeth
• Speech impairment in kids
• Severe headaches
• Damage to tooth enamel

What Causes Crooked Teeth in the First Place?

Even though crooked teeth are incredibly common, no one thing causes them. Some of the things that can contribute to a crooked smile include:

• Poor habits as a child such as thumb sucking
• Early tooth loss before an adult tooth is ready to erupt
• A small jaw
• Facial injury
• Genetics
• Mouth breathing
• Incorrect tongue posture

If you’re unhappy with your smile or are unsure whether you or a family member could benefit from orthodontic treatment, call your Hyde Park dentist for a checkup. Dentists are trained to identify whether a crooked grin may be troublesome and will be able to recommend the best orthodontic treatment for your individual case.

One of the most common things dental patients want is to get a whiter smile. Thanks to everyday things like our morning cup of coffee or tea, or the occasional glass of red wine, our teeth are constantly exposed to foods and drinks that can easily cause them to become dull or discolored. However, your dentist in Hyde Park also knows that there are things you can eat and drink that can actually help improve the appearance of your smile. Let’s check out a few.

Broccoli

We know that broccoli may not be the most popular choice of vegetables, but it’s first on our list of smile whitening foods for a reason. In fact, broccoli can help improve the look of our teeth in two ways. First, the texture of raw broccoli essentially acts as a gentle scrubber and can effectively rub off surface stains. Additionally, broccoli is loaded with iron which, according to research by the European Journal of Dentistry, can protect tooth enamel from acid and keep it from wearing away. This can keep enamel tough, strong, and looking as white as ever.

Apples

Switching from veggies to fruits, apples provide similar benefits to broccoli. Raw apples, in particular, also rub away stains as we chew them thanks to their crunchy texture. Apples also contain malic acid — an enzyme that has been linked to increased saliva production. Increased saliva neutralizes acid, protects enamel, and can wash away loose stains.

Pineapple

Another fruit that can help with tooth stains is pineapple. This delicious fruit is loaded with bromelain. Bromelain is known to help with inflammation and is a natural cleanser. In fact, the International Journal of Dental Hygiene conducted a study that concluded that bromelain can safely and effectively remove tooth stains.

Cheese

Dairy foods and drinks, including yogurt, milk, and cheese are great for oral health as well as tooth staining. Foods in this food group contain a trifecta of good stuff like calcium, vitamin D, and lactic acid. The calcium and vitamin D help keep tooth enamel strong, which also helps keep teeth looking white. The lactic acid, on the other hand, is really great at fighting off bacteria and decay. Just like broccoli and apples, hard cheeses can also scrub away surface stains.

Water

The last thing and perhaps the most important thing that you can do to protect your oral health and keep your teeth white is to drink plenty of water, and choose water over other beverages whenever possible. Water helps to neutralize the acid that can attack enamel, and is also really effective at rinsing away food particles. If these particles aren’t removed quickly they can lead to decay and cavities, and, in turn, tooth discoloration.

If you’re one of the many people who wish that they had a whiter smile, try getting a good dose of the foods above. It’s important to note, however, that while these foods can help whiten teeth, they may only be effective on minor surface stains. Deeper tooth staining may require a visit to your dentist in Hyde Park. Some stains are tougher than others, and your dental team will be able to recommend the best smile whitening treatment for your specific case. Don’t worry, there are many options available – from professional teeth whitening to cosmetic dentistry – that can help you get the smile you’ve always wanted.

Many people repeatedly bite their lip (or cheeks or tongue) as a way to deal with nerves or stress. It’s a habit that some may find relieving, although sometimes also painful. However, to your dentist in Hyde Park, constant biting of the soft tissues in the mouth can certainly raise some concern. Let’s take a closer look at lip biting, why we do it, why it’s bad, and how we can stop.

Why is it Bad?

The truth is, biting our lips, cheeks, or tongue may cause more harm than many of us may have ever thought. When we constantly bite these delicate, soft tissues it can cause painful sores. These sores can become infected if not treated or if reopened repeatedly by even more biting. Any infection in the mouth should be considered serious as it can create additional problems. Constant biting can also lead to inflammation, swelling, redness, and of course, pain.

Why Do We Bite in The First Place?

Of course, we’ve all experienced the pain associated with the occasional accidental bite. These one-off bites are usually nothing to be concerned about and typically heal on their own in a few days. However, when biting happens often, we should look further into why. There are several reasons why someone may bite their lips, cheeks, or tongue a lot. One possible cause of lip biting is psychological — the habitual biting as a response to stress or nervousness we mentioned earlier. Another explanation can be physical in the form of a bad bite. When we don’t purposely bite our lips, cheeks, or tongue, yet find ourselves accidentally doing it a lot while chewing or even talking, our bite can be to blame. Malocclusion, or bad bite, increases the likelihood for our tongue, cheeks, or lips to get stuck in between our upper and lower teeth. The result? A painful chomp to these soft tissues.

Ways to Stop Biting

The best way to stop biting your lips, cheeks, or tongue depends on why it happens. If the cause of your biting is psychological you can try to:

• Become more aware of when you do it. Knowing your triggers can help you be more conscious of the habits and allow you to work to fix it.
• Find a support system. Talk with trusted friends, co-workers, or family members about your habit and determine a way that they can support you in stopping. It can be as simple as kindly telling you when you’re doing it so you can become more aware.
• Behavior therapy. There are various types of behavior therapy available that can help change habits.

If the cause of your biting is physical, it’s best that you schedule an appointment with your dentist in Hyde Park. Your dental team can help identify if your bite may be causing you to accidentally bite your lip, cheeks, or tongue and discuss the best dental treatment to help you. If you suffer from chronically biting your cheeks, lips, or tongue, call your Hyde Park dentist so you can start getting some relief or so you can have any existing sores examined or treated before they have a chance to cause bigger, more serious problems.

Every February seems to bring out the love in people, and there are hearts everywhere we look. From heart candy and heart decorations, we’re surrounded by bright, red hearts. But we’re not here to talk about those kinds of hearts. Today, we want to focus on your heart and how your oral health can actually affect heart health.

Heart Health Month

Another holiday that happens in February besides Valentine’s Day is one that’s really important to your dentist in Hyde Park. It’s Heart Health Month, which strives to raise awareness of what increases our risk of developing heart disease and what we can do to help lower that risk. But what does this have to do with your dentist? We’re glad you asked.

The Connection Between Oral Health & Heart Health

When we talk about oral health as it relates to heart health, we want to put the focus on gum disease. Even though gum disease is an infection that originates in the mouth, it doesn’t mean that it can’t affect other areas of the body. The truth is, gum disease has been linked to a whole list of health concerns outside of the mouth including diabetic complications, lung conditions, and heart disease. In fact, according to the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), people with gum disease are at increased risk for a heart attack. But how does an infection in the mouth cause problems elsewhere in the body?

As it turns out, our gums have a direct connection to our bloodstream, and when an infection occurs in our gums, it can also easily enter the bloodstream. When this happens, your body produces too much of something called C-Reactive Protein (CRP). Higher than normal levels of CRP can cause:

• inflamed arteries
• blood clots
• heart attacks
• strokes

Elevated CRP levels can also be a warning sign before you may even know a problem is lurking in your body. The New England Journal of Medicine states that high CRP levels may be a top indicator of someone’s risk of a heart attack — more so than high cholesterol!

Know the Signs to Protect Yourself

Oftentimes symptoms of gum disease go unnoticed or people think they’re normal. However, being able to recognize when there may be a problem can mean the difference between successful treatment and bigger problems. Some common symptoms of gum disease include:

• Swollen, red, or tender gums
• Bleeding while brushing or flossing
• Consistently bad breath
• Chronic bad taste in the mouth
• Loose teeth
• Gums that appear to be pulling away from the teeth

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, schedule an appointment with your dentist in Hyde Park as soon as you can.

The best way to protect yourself against gum disease is to make sure you brush and floss your teeth every single day. Proper at-home oral hygiene will remove plaque and bacteria buildup before it has a chance to infect the gums. It’s also crucial to maintain regular checkups with your dentist in Hyde Park at least every six months. Not only do these appointments help remove buildup that regular brushing just can’t get, but they also help your dental team keep an eye on your oral health so any problems are caught and treated early before they have a chance to affect the rest of the body.

Having bad breath is not only embarrassing, but it could also be a sign of a bigger problem. While an odorous mouth is a completely normal side effect of eating something fragrant (garlic, anyone?), your dentist in Hyde Park wants you to know that chronic bad breath is something that warrants a dental visit sooner rather than later. These visits will help diagnose the underlying cause of your bad breath so that you and your dental team can find the best way to cure it. Let’s take a look at some of the most common causes of bad breath and ways you can make it go away.

Dry Mouth.

Dry mouth is an annoying problem that many patients quickly dismiss. However, your dentist in Hyde Park will be the first to tell you that a dry mouth can lead to a whole host of problems, including bad breath. In a normal, moist mouth, saliva works hard to help neutralize and rinse away acid and bacteria which helps protect your teeth against decay. But when there’s not enough saliva, the mouth can feel dry, bacteria and acid quickly build up, both of which can directly cause decay as well as give off an unpleasant odor.

What You Can Do for Dry Mouth

Dry mouth can be caused by medications, or it could also be hereditary. Treatment would vary depending on the cause of your dry mouth, but the easiest way to help is to make sure to drink plenty of water every day. Keeping your mouth hydrated is an important step in keeping it healthy. If you suspect medications are causing dry mouth and bad breath, talk with your doctor about other potential solutions.

Poor Oral Hygiene.

When we don’t practice a good oral hygiene routine of brushing and flossing every day, leftover food particles are left behind in our mouths and wedged in between teeth. These food particles fuel mouth bacteria, and the combination of foodstuffs and bacteria can release a funky stench. Proper oral hygiene is important for everyone, but those who wear dentures may be at increased risk for bad breath if dentures aren’t cleaned regularly.

How to Practice Good Oral Hygiene

The best way to protect your breath from the dangers of bacteria is to remove it by brushing and flossing. Make sure to brush your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes and floss at least once a day to remove food particles and bacteria that have built up throughout the day. Of course, seeing your dentist in Hyde Park every six months will also help keep your teeth and breath fresh and clean.

Gum Disease.

Perhaps the most concerning cause of bad breath is gum disease. Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, causes deep gum pockets where food and bacteria can easily hide, making them very difficult to remove through regular brushing and flossing. The result is not just bad breath – untreated gum disease has also been linked to increased risk of stroke, heart disease, respiratory complications, and tooth loss.

How to Combat Gum Disease:

The best way to prevent gum disease and the bad breath that goes with it is again to follow a proper oral hygiene routine and see your dentist regularly. If gum disease is untreated it will get to a point where you will not be able to reverse it.

Nobody should have to live with the embarrassment of bad breath, and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. See your dentist as soon as possible if you notice chronic, recurring bad breath.

One of the most popular weight-loss diets today is the Keto Diet. Many people find it to be effective and watch the pounds drop off. But what does this have to do with dentistry, and why is your dentist in Hyde Park talking about a weight loss diet? The truth is, what we eat affects our oral health, and the Keto Diet is no exception. In fact, many Keto Dieters notice a change in their breath after following the program. Let’s take a deeper look at why this happens.

The Science Behind The Keto Diet

Before we can understand why some people on the Keto Diet get bad breath, we need to understand how the Keto Diet works. The Keto Diet encourages increased consumption of high-fat foods and the decrease of carbohydrates. When carbs break down during digestion they produce glucose, which is the body’s preferred energy source. However, when there are no carbs to create glucose, the body burns fat instead, hence the weight loss. But when the body burns fat, it gives off three ketones called acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate, and acetone. The acetone is what causes bad breath.

Acetone

Acetone is a byproduct that occurs when our bodies burn fat. And it smells. But since the body can’t use acetone to store energy, our bodies get rid of it through urination or the lungs. When acetone is released through the lungs, its odor comes out as bad breath, also known as halitosis. But there’s good news — the longer someone is on the Keto Diet the more likely it is that they will become “keto-adapted,” which means your body adjusts to the diet and the bad breath goes away. In the meantime, you can fight off bad breath by practicing good oral hygiene such as brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing daily, and seeing your dentist in Hyde Park every six months.

How the Keto Diet Can Help Your Teeth

Even though the Keto Diet commonly causes bad breath, there are actually some oral health benefits associated with it. Since carbs contain a lot of sugar, which everyone knows is bad for teeth, decreasing the number of carbs you eat also limits your teeth’s exposure to damaging sugars. When we eat foods with high sugar content, our mouth bacteria feed on the sugars. As a byproduct, these bacteria release acid. This acid is the main culprit to decay and cavities. In fact, some research shows that limiting the number of carbohydrates can lower the likelihood of cavities and even gum disease by more than 50%.

Talk to Your Doctor

Despite the fact that the Keto Diet can help people lose weight and may also protect teeth against cavities, the truth is, like all diets, it may not be beneficial for everyone. Before starting a diet, talk with your doctor and even consider talking with your dentist in Hyde Park. After all, what we eat not only affects our overall health, it also affects our oral health. Advice and input from both your physician and your dentist can help you find the diet that’s best for you.

As of March 18, 2020, the American Dental Association has recommended a nationwide postponement of all elective dental procedures and encouraged dentists to provide emergency services only. But how do you determine the difference between a dental emergency and a non-emergency? The ADA is helping out there, too and released important information and guidance to help both you and your dentist in Hyde Park during these unprecedented times.

What Are Dental Emergencies?

According to the ADA, dental emergencies are “potentially life-threatening and require immediate treatment to stop ongoing tissue bleeding [or to] alleviate severe pain or infection.” The guide released to dentists back in March goes into even more detail to give specific examples of potential dental emergencies. Let’s take a look.

• Uncontrolled bleeding
• Cellulitis or soft tissue infection with swelling that can affect breathing
• Trauma to facial bones that may reduce someone’s ability to breathe

Urgent Dental Care

There is also a subset of the ADA’s guidelines to emergency dental needs called urgent dental care. These problems may still require dental care quickly and include:

• Severe dental pain caused by pulpal inflammation
• Third-molar pain
• Tooth fractures with pain or resulting in soft tissue trauma
• Post-op complications such as dry socket
• Abscess or localized bacterial infection with swelling
• Dental trauma that results in a lost tooth
• Lost or broken temporary restoration or if a restoration is irritating the gum tissue

This is not an all-inclusive list of all dental emergencies that may require immediate treatment. Other situations may include defective restorations that cause pain, extensive cavities or decay that cause pain, needed adjustments to dental appliances when they aren’t functioning properly, or the replacement of temporary fillings where the patient is in pain.

Non-Emergencies

At this time, dental offices are discouraged from having preventive, routine appointments or seeing patients with non-urgent needs such as:

• Initial consultation for cosmetic procedures
• Restorative dentistry such as fillings if there is no pain
• Extractions of teeth that are not causing pain
• Dental cleanings, x-rays, and routine checkups

Please note, while your dentist in Hyde Park is here to help you in any way possible, there are some limitations as to what we can and cannot do at this time. The best thing to do if you think you’re experiencing a dental emergency is to call your dentist.

*As information about COVID-19 changes regularly both at the state level and on a national scale, please check your local area for the most recent updates regarding dental care.

During these times of change and uncertainty, it’s only natural to feel stressed out. After all, we’ve all been thrust into staying at home and figuring out our new, temporary norm. Your dentist in Hyde Park understands. We’re in this together, and we’d like to help by talking about how stress can affect your oral health while also providing you a few tips on how you can lower your stress during stressful times.

How Our Bodies React to Stress

Stress affects different people in different ways, and what happens to one person may not happen to another. Knowing that, let’s take a look at some of the ways our oral health tends to respond to stress.

Teeth Clenching & Grinding – One of the most common correlations between stress and oral health is our body’s often subconscious response to clench and grind our teeth. Most of the time, we may not even know we’re doing these things until we start to experience the side effects. The pressure of repeated teeth-on-teeth clenching can be too much for our teeth and may lead to some serious concerns including chipped, cracked, broken, or worn down teeth. But that’s not all. Constant clenching or grinding can put unnatural stress on our jaw joint and jaw muscles, which can cause jaw pain and the development of TMJ disorder. TMJ disorder and jaw pain can often be treated successfully, so if you recognize any clicking or popping in the jaw joint, jaw pain, or occasional jaw locking call your dentist in Hyde Park.*

Gum Disease – Gum disease is a serious oral health problem that can contribute to other whole-body health concerns such as the increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, respiratory disease, and some cancers. Usually, gum disease is a result of inadequate oral hygiene, not seeing your dentist regularly, or tobacco use. However, recent studies have also shown a connection between increased stress and the occurrence of gum disease. Gum disease can be treated if caught early, so if you notice bleeding gums, bad breath that doesn’t go away, or swollen, painful gums, see your dentist.

De-Stress to Protect

Your dentist in Hyde Park wants to encourage you to try different things to help you de-stress, for your overall health, mental health, and yes, your oral health. Some things you can try include:

Sleeping Well. Getting enough sleep is important to help lower stress and keep your overall body functioning well. Having trouble sleeping? Avoid blue light at least an hour before bed, listen to calming music or relaxing sounds, and keep a regular sleep schedule (yes, even on weekends).

Exercising Daily. Hop on the treadmill or stationary bike, go for a walk, do some yoga, but whatever you do, do some sort of exercise daily. Regular exercise naturally lowers stress by giving your body and brain a surge of endorphins, which make you feel happy and more relaxed.

Meditating. Believe it or not, simply focusing on your breath and practicing some deep breathing techniques can lower your heart rate and blood pressure and help you feel more relaxed. Look for a free app on your phone or videos online to help guide you through breathing exercises or full meditation sessions.

It’s more important now than ever before to work on decreasing stress levels. We hope some of the tips above help. As we’ve mentioned before, stress is different for everyone, and that also includes stress management. Try to find the method that works best for you.

*At the time of publishing, the ADA recommends that all preventive dental appointments and non-emergency consultations be postponed. Please check with your local regulations.