Cavity Quiz! True or False:

1) Children are more prone to cavities than adults.

False. Over the past 20 years, tooth decay in children has reduced by more than half, partially in thanks to fluoride added to drinking water. However, tooth decay is on the rise for senior citizens, partially because of medication causing dry mouth which speeds up the decay process.

2) Babies cannot develop cavities.

False. Just because your baby still has their baby teeth doesn’t mean they can’t develop tooth decay. Left untreated, the cavities can spread to other teeth.

3) Sugar is the only cause of cavities.

False. Any carbohydrate that you eat can kick-start the tooth decay process. Bacteria lives in plaque, attached to your teeth. Once they are exposed to a food source, in this case a carbohydrate, they begin releasing acid, which can damage the tooth.

4) Acid can lead to tooth decay.

True. Aside from the acid released by the bacteria in your mouth, consuming additional acid from sodas and fruit drinks can actually aide the bacteria in damaging your teeth. However, if you keep up your daily brushing, this damage can be reduced.

5) It is obvious when you have a cavity.

False. Most of the time, cavities are not easily detected. Usually, when they are noticeable to you and causing pain, they are already at an advanced state of decay. Regular dental checkups with your friendly Valencia dentist can treat cavities before they can cause you pain.

6) Cracked or chipped teeth lead to tooth decay.

True. Cracks and chips and nooks and crannies can harbor bacteria in your mouth and speed up tooth decay. They make cleaning with your tooth brush harder, especially to reach into the pockets of bacteria.

7) Tooth sensitivity means tooth decay.

False. Tooth decay typically doesn’t cause pain until it is at an advanced state. There are several other causes of tooth sensitivity, including bleaching your teeth. If you are experiencing tooth sensitivity, check with your dentist today – there could be many causes.

8) Once a cavity is filled, the decay will stop.

True. In order to fill a cavity, all of the decay is removed. As long as proper dental hygiene is practiced, no future decay is expected.

9) All fillings will eventually need to be replaced.

False. Most fillings will need to be replaced, but depending on the location of the filling and your oral hygiene, some fillings can last nearly forever.

10) Brushing, flossing, and rinsing will prevent cavities.

Absolutely true! It is much easier to prevent tooth decay than to treat it. Setting up regular appointments with your friendly Valencia dentist will not only fix cavities, but also prevent future cavities. Brushing, flossing, and rinsing daily is imperative for a healthy mouth.

More Links between Gums and Heart

New research helps strengthen the existing link between oral health and heart health. Researchers have found that oral treatment remedies used to reduce inflammation caused by gum disease (periodontitis) also prevents vascular inflammation. As a result, the reduced inflammation lowers the risk of heart attack.

Resolvin E1, the anti-inflammation molecule used to treat gum inflammation linked to gum disease, directly impacts the veins and arteries of the body. It helps reduce inflammation in the artery walls, leading to overall better heart health.

Researchers hope that this discovery, which proves that oral problems and, most importantly, how they are treated, have long-term and lasting effects on the rest of the body. In particular, the heart.

Heart disease accounts for one in four deaths in the United States, according the CDC, and that rate is on the rise. By raising awareness of the mouth’s health in relation to the rest of the body can help lower that rate. The public is well aware of the heart’s impact on the body, and observe heart disease risk factors such as hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and the dangers of smoking – but very few think that gum disease could be a leading indicator (and potential cause) of heart disease.

If you have any concerns about your gum’s health, be sure to schedule your appointment with your friendly Valencia dentist today. They can go over your risks and discuss long-term goals in preventing the disease.

New Way to Treat Decay

Most preventative treatments to reduce tooth decay and dental plaque have one major shortfall: saliva can wash the treatment away before it has any chance to be effective. But researchers have found a way to stop that from happening!

The struggle with getting treatments to stick stems on the fact that plaque creates a glue of sorts and firmly attaches to your teeth. Current treatments are able to treat the plaque, but quickly wash away once saliva is introduced. 

The new treatment is actually a nano

particle system – super small particles – that is positively charged: the opposite of your plaque. In addition to that, the nanoparticles are hydrophobic, which repel liquids and allows the particles to cling to the plaque, and are pH-activated, which react when exposed to acids.

The treatment is designed to activate in low pH (acidic) environments, which is perfect for plaque, as the bacteria releases acids when exposed to sugars and starches. The acid is what actually causes the tooth decay, so a treatment that activates in that situation will work to prevent future damage and treat old damage by killing the bacteria when it is active. Tests of the treatment are proving to be effective. The research team tested the nanoparticles on rats infected with the Streptococcus mutans bacteria. When administered without the nanoparticles, the rats had no change in the number of cavities, and the treatment only reduced a minimal number of cavities. When treated with the nanoparticles, the number and severity of cavities were both reduce in a significant way.

Only your friendly Valencia dentist can treat your tooth decay. If you have any questions or concerns about cavities and ways to prevent decay, be sure to schedule your appointment today.

Second-Hand Smoke Increases Risk of Periodontitis

It has been known that smoking increases the odds of developing periodontitis (gum disease), but new studies are indicating that exposure to second-hand smoke increases your risks of developing the disease by 62%.

Periodontitis is caused by a buildup of plaque and bacteria in the space between your gums and tooth surfaces. The bacteria thrives in the plaque, and feasts on the bone, gum tissue, and connective tissue of your teeth. Left untreated, it can cause bone loss, infection, and tooth loss. It can also affect other parts of your body, including increased risk of strokes, and body-wide inflammation. Diseases such as diabetes can increase these risks as well.

But if you have a buildup of plaque, all hope is not lost. Your friendly Valencia dentist can help reverse the damage. Through scaling and debridement, they can clean up that plaque lodged below the gum line. They can also remove plaque buildup from the roots of your teeth using special tools and (mostlikely) local anesthetic. They can also repair any previous restorative work that looks like it may be trapping plaque and increasing risks of future damage.

Once the cleaning is done, your friendly Valencia dentist will reevaluate your gums, and most likely schedule you for a follow up visit within 3 months to ensure that no more bacteria is growing. If there is a recurrence, they will take care of it and teach you some proper cleaning techniques.
As always, if you have any questions about
periodontitis and second-hand smoke, feel free to ask your friendly Valencia dentist.

Go Dental - Your favorite Dentist in Valencia.

Cutting Down on Sugar Leads to a Healthier Life

The World Health Organization (WHO) released a statement that reducing the intake of “free sugars” to less than 10% of your energy income will lead to a healthier life, reducing the risks of being overweight, obesity, and most importantly, tooth decay.

In a typical 2,000 calorie diet, restricting free sugars to 10% or less would mean cutting back sugar to under 50 grams a day. Sugar occurs naturally in syrups, fruit juices, and honey, but it is added to many everyday foods, including food that isn't typically thought to be sweet. Ketchup, for example – a traditionally non-sweet food – can house up to 4g of sugar mixed inside it. Comparatively, a soda can contain up to 10 times more – 40g.

A “free sugar”, as reported by the WHO, is a sugar that is not naturally occurring in milk, fresh fruits, or fresh veggies. The WHO cannot find any adverse effects of these natural sugars being consumed – only the added “free sugars”.

Free sugar intake varies depending on region, as well. A typical resident of Hungary or Norway typically takes in 7-8% of their daily energy intake as free sugar.  In Portugal, it is almost 25%. And within those countries, rural areas take in less free sugars than populated urban areas.

Children with free sugar intake above 10% have a much higher risk of developing obesity and tooth decay. The biggest culprit of free sugars in children? Sugary drinks, including sodas and sports drinks.

If you have any further questions about sugar’s role in tooth decay, be sure to ask your friendly Valencia dentist today.

Glass Fillings Just Around the Corner

Tooth decay is the largest oral health problem in the world, and fillings are a standard option to repair damage. But fillings have had their weaknesses – up until now. Dentists are teaming up with physicists to develop a new material for fillings.

Traditionally, fillings were done with silver amalgam filling, which was strong and durable. However, it was gray in hue, stained teeth, and contained mercury. While it is still used in some parts of the world today, many dentists have moved towards composite fillings, which requires more frequent replacing than amalgam due to the way they are applied.

But scientists are working on a new filling, a glass ionomer, which will adhere to the surface of the tooth and slowly release fluoride into the mouth, preventing further tooth decay. As of now, the glass ionomer is strong, but researchers are studying the micro-structures of the material to make it even stronger.

The glass ionomer also boasts another beneficial property – it can be hand mixed, and doesn't need any special equipment to make it set on the teeth. This will help low-income areas and remote countries without electricity to provide much needed basic dental care.

Together, the dentists and physicists are perfecting the mixture. It currently contains too many liquid-filled pores when set which can compromise the structure of the filling. The researchers are experimenting with different minerals and ratios to see about reducing the pores and increasing the strength.

Glass ionomer fillings are the way of the future. If you have any questions about the benefits of each type of filling, or about the status on the glass ionomer fillings, be sure Valencia dentist today.
to ask your friendly

Water Flouridation

When fluoridation was first implemented in America in the 50s and 60s, there was a lot of controversy surrounding it. Many people cited false studies about the connection between fluoridation and AIDS, cancer, low IQ, or even arthritis. But it has all been proven false, as nearly 70% of America is drinking fluoridated water. One thing has occurred, however – a drop in tooth decay.

Initial studies of the effects of fluoridated water on teeth showed a decrease of 50% - 60% in childhood tooth decay. And the added fluorine has no impact on the water’s appearance, taste, or smell. This helps prevent future problems in teeth, especially for people living in areas where the financial aspect of dental care is a bit daunting.

The fluoride works by binding to your tooth’s enamel, and aiding in the remineralization of enamel. If the tooth’s enamel is weakened from early stages of decay, that fluoride boost will help repair and regrow the damaged minerals. And any fluoride not used by your teeth is effortlessly discarded by your body.

Fluoridated water has no known adverse effects on your body. There is a cosmetic risk of having too much fluorine called fluorosis. Dental fluorosis appears as bright white streaks on the surface of the teeth, and has no impact on the health or structure of the teeth. And while the streaks are rarely noticeable, dental procedures can reduce their appearance.

Recent studies have shown a trend of water fluoridation in high levels being linked to underactive thyroids in England. However, there are no definite conclusions that fluoride is to be blamed, and another yet unknown cause is likely the blame.

If you have any questions about the benefits of fluoride on your teeth, feel free to ask your friendly Valencia dentist. We are here to put your mind at ease.