Is it time to see the dentist?

It's time to see the dentist if one of these 12 things is happening in your world at the moment. Thanks for our friends at MouthHealthy.org and the American Dental Association for this helpful list!

If it's time for YOU to see a dentist, please give us a call at Greenbrae Dental Care. This recent patient visit video will ease any fears you might have. Our patients have wonderful experiences here and love our whole team!

1. You Have Pain

Pain or swelling in your mouth, face or neck can mean a number of things.

2. Your Gums Are Acting Up

If your gums are puffy, they bleed when you brush or floss, or you have a family history of gum disease, it's time to make an appointment.

3. You Try to Hide Your Smile

Whether you're self-conscious about a missing tooth or hoping for a brighter smile, don't be shy about talking to your dentist.

4. You've Had Work Done

If you have fillings, crowns, dental implants or dentures, see your dentist regularly to make sure everything is in great shape.

5. You Have Ongoing Medical Issues

Make your dentist part of your team if you have a medical condition (such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, eating disorders or are HIV positive), or you are undergoing medical treatment (such as radiation, chemotherapyor hormone replacement therapy).

6. You're Pregnant

It's safe to go to the dentist while pregnant. In fact, pregnancy can make some dental problems worse, so don't miss your regular checkup.

7. You're Having Trouble Eating

Difficulty chewing or swallowing is not the norm. Try eating soft or liquified foods until you can see your dentist.

8. You Have Dry Mouth

Always feeling parched could be the sign of a medical issue or a medication side effect.

9. You Use Any Kind of Tobacco

From bad breath to oral cancer, cigarettes and chewing tobacco are harmful to your overall and dental health.

10. You're Having Jaw Pain

Make an appointment if your jaw sometimes pops or is painful when opening and closing, chewing or when you first wake up. See a dentist also if you have an uneven bite.

11. Your Mouth Has Spots and Sores

If there's something that doesn’t look or feel right in your mouth, your dentist should examine any mouth sore that lasts a week or longer. Types of mouth sores include canker sores, cold sores, leukoplakia and candidiasis. They vary in their severity and causes. Mouth sores could be the symptom of a disease or disorder; infection from bacteria, viruses or fungus or result from irritation caused by braces, dentures or the sharp edge of a broken tooth or filling.

12. It's Time For Your Checkup

Even if you don’t have any symptoms, checkups are important because they can help prevent problems from developing and treat existing symptoms before they become more advanced.

What is xylitol and why do dentists recommend it?

As a dentist, I'm often asked about xylitol; it sounds so clinical and intense, doesn't it? Well, it's really just a natural sugar alcohol that helps prevent cavities. If you must chew gum, then at least get the gum with the xylitol in it and make your dentist happy!

Following is information provided by the California Dental Association in a great fact sheet about this topic, which you can download here.

What is xylitol?
Xylitol is a natural sugar alcohol that helps prevents cavities. You may recognize other sugar alcohols used in sugarless products, such as mannitol and sorbitol. Xylitol is the sugar alcohol that shows the greatest promise for cavity prevention. It is equal in sweetness and volume to sugar and the granular form can be used in many of the ways that sugar is used, including to sweeten cereals and hot beverages and for baking (except when sugar is needed for yeast to rise).

How does xylitol prevent cavities?
Xylitol inhibits the growth of the bacteria that cause cavities. It does this because these bacteria (Streptococcus mutans) cannot utilize xylitol to grow. Over time with xylitol use, the quality of the bacteria in the mouth changes and fewer and fewer decay-causing bacteria survive on tooth surfaces. Less plaque forms and the level of acids attacking the tooth surface is lowered. Studies show that Streptococcus mutans is passed from parents to their newborn children, thus beginning the growth of these decayproducing bacteria in the child. Regular use of xylitol by mothers has been demonstrated to significantly reduce this bacterial transmission, resulting in fewer cavities for the child.

What products contain xylitol and how do I find them?
Xylitol is found most often in chewing gum and mints. You must look at the list of ingredients to know if a product contains xylitol. Generally, for the amount of xylitol to be at decay-preventing levels, it must be listed as the first ingredient. Health food stores can be a good resource for xylitol-containing products. Additionally, several companies provide xylitol products for distribution over the Internet.

How often must I use xylitol for it to be effective?
Xylitol gum or mints used 3-5 times daily, for a total intake of 5 grams, is considered optimal. Because frequency and duration of exposure is important, gum should be chewed for approximately 5 minutes and mints should be allowed to dissolve. As xylitol is digested slowly in the large intestine, it acts much like fiber and large amounts can lead to soft stools or have a laxative effect. However, the amounts suggested for cavity reduction are far lower than those typically producing unwelcome results.

Has xylitol been evaluated for safety?
Xylitol has been approved for safety by a number of agencies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the World Health Organization’s Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives and the European Union’s Scientific Committee for Food. Xylitol has been shown to have decay-preventive qualities, especially for people at moderate to high risk for decay, when used as part of an overall strategy for decay reduction that also includes a healthy diet and good home care. Consult with me, your favorite dentist, to help you determine if xylitol use would be beneficial for you.

We offer Invisalign to our patients!

Invisalign is a new system of straightening teeth without the use of conventional braces. A series of clear plastic aligners are utilized to create tooth movement.

Moving teeth with removable aligners is not new. However, the computer program, which can generate a series of aligners with small changes is the new part. Invisalign is recommended for orthodontic situations with mild to moderate spacing or crowding. They are virtually undetectable, easy to use and comfortable to wear. Call us at 415-464-9989 or email greenbraedentalcare@gmail.com to learn more!