Oral Hygiene Archives - Cosmetic Dentistry of Napa

Smoking is bad for your oral health but chewing may be worse

container of chewing tobacco with the words, Smoking's bad for your oral health but chewing may be worse

“We don’t smoke, and we don’t chew,” begins a wise old ditty. Smoking and chewing tobacco are unhealthy habits, but they can be especially damaging to your oral health. And of the two, to many people’s surprise, chewing may be the more harmful choice.

Chewing tobacco, or smokeless tobacco – or sometimes called “snuff” – generally contains all the dangerous chemicals found in smoking tobacco and can cause the same problems – and worse ones. Three to four times more nicotine is absorbed from smokeless tobacco than from cigarettes and, because it’s swallowed, the nicotine remains longer in the blood stream.

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By Cecil Lamberton

Do You Have Sensitive Teeth?

Woman holding her mouth in pain with the words, Tooth Sensitivity.

Ouch! An aching tooth can be excruciating, but it may not mean you have a cavity. If hot or cold foods – iced or steaming tea, for two examples – cause sharp pain in a tooth, or if you experience pain when you floss, you may have what dentists call “sensitive teeth.”

You may think of teeth as being composed just of hard enamel. But underneath the thin enamel layer is dentin, a softer substance made up of microscopic tubules, like tiny tunnels. These tubules connect with your tooth nerves. If the dentin becomes exposed, hot, cold and acidic foods may reach a nerve and cause pain.

What causes dentin to become exposed? Tooth enamel can be worn down over time or gum disease – gingivitis or periodontitis – can cause the gums to pull away from the teeth and reveal the roots.

When you experience aching teeth, your first step is to see your dentist to determine if your pain is the result of decay. If it is, dental treatment may take care of it. If it isn’t, there are several steps you can take to reduce the pain. Many of them you can do on your own.

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By Cecil Lamberton

Do Probiotics Play a Role in Your Dental Care?

Most of us are aware of probiotics. Or at least we’ve heard this much: They’re the live bacteria in yogurt that are beneficial to our digestive systems. Now new research reports probiotics may be good for your dental health, too.

Probiotics, “good bacteria” as opposed to the “bad bacteria” that cause some nasty diseases, is a collective term for what may be hundreds of different strains of beneficial bacteria. Each one has a unique effect on the human body. Two of the most common are lactobacillus (known to help gut issues) and bifidobacteria. In the mouth, strains of Streptococcus salivarius have been shown to be beneficial for oral health.

While most probiotics are bacteria, they also can be molds or yeast. To be categorized as probiotic, the bacteria must be “live” or “active,” or dormant and ready to spring to life.

For dental health, the use of probiotics has shown promise for reducing cavities and gum disease, stimulating bone formation, combating inflammation and perhaps helping prevent oral cancer. The National Center for Biotechnology Information cautions that more research needs to be done but does conclude that “several health-promoting effects of probiotic bacteria (for dental health) are well documented” and there is no reason to restrict their use while more studies are being done.

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Smoking is bad for your oral health but chewing may be worse

Do You Have Sensitive Teeth?

Do Probiotics Play a Role in Your Dental Care?

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