Tooth Talk: Healthy Smiles for a Lifetime

Adults (25-55)

Easy Dental Tips for Active Adults
Making time for daily oral care today can help save our teeth for tomorrow

A toothbrush, a dab of fluoride toothpaste, some dental floss and a few spare minutes. That, along with two visits to your dentist each year, is really all that’s required to keep your smile looking its best. Yet many adults seem to struggle to set aside the time needed for a regular, daily routine.

“New careers, family needs, household demands – it’s easy for adults to become so busy they neglect their oral health,” acknowledges Dr. Christopher Appleman, of Williamsburg Dental in Broomall Pa. “But it’s a fact that regular brushing and flossing can reduce or even prevent dental disease in later years.”

Daily oral hygiene includes brushing your teeth at least twice a day an hour after eating. A soft-bristled, nylon brush with round-ended bristles is recommended. Regular flossing between the teeth will remove most of the bits your toothbrush may miss. Even mouthwash can help dislodge food particles.

“Since brushing an hour after eating may not be practical for many adults, we recommend doing it before breakfast and certainly at bedtime,” says Dr. Appleman. “Saliva flow, which helps thwart the acid that causes decay, slows down when we sleep. Since this leaves the mouth more at risk for decay it’s important you head off to bed with a clean set of teeth.”

Other additional, easy-care dental tips:

Chew sugar-free gum after a meal when you can’t brush
This action actually helps remove food debris and stimulates saliva flow
Replace processed foods with more fruits, nuts and fresh vegetables
to reduce the amount of decay-causing, refined sugar in your diet
Stop smoking – it not only causes major diseases but stains teeth, causes bad breath and can lead to gum disease and even oral cancer
Sip soda through a straw to help reduce the acid attack on your teeth
Change manual toothbrushes every 2-3 months –when those bristles appear splayed they simply don’t clean as well and can even damage your gums

A daily home routine, Dr. Appleman adds, should be complemented by two trips to the dentist every year, the minimum schedule recommended by the ADA (American Dental Association). During bi-annual visits your dentist or hygienist will clean and polish your teeth, removing stains and the decay-causing plaque that ultimately causes decay and can even lead to periodontal (gum) disease. Your dentist will also screen for oral cancer, which, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation, unfortunately strikes 100 new victims in the U.S. each day.

“It’s easy to forget we only have one set of teeth,” sums up Dr. Appleman. “We gently remind our patients of this fact every time they visit us.”

Periodontal Disease
Even Brushing Twice a Day May Not be Enough to Protect Your Gums

That unusual bit of blood you spit out after your routine morning teeth brushing session may signify something more serious, like gingivitis, the early start of periodontal disease. If left untreated, this could ultimately result in tooth loss.

“Your gums should be pink and firm,” says Dr. Brian Shepanski. “If you notice sudden bad breath, bite changes, or swollen, red or bleeding gums, it could signify gingivitis and you should seek advice from your dentist. Oftentimes a good professional cleaning and some basic improvements in home oral care will completely reverse your symptoms.”

What is Gingivitis and Periodontitis?
Gingivitis is caused when plaque forms on the teeth and hardens into a thick deposit called tartar. If the plaque and tartar are left on the teeth they can encroach below the gum line, causing gingivitis.

It’s important to note that most damage is reversible at this early stage in gum disease. Twice yearly professional dental cleaning will remove any plaque build-up that you may have missed during your home oral hygiene regime.

Left untreated, gingivitis can develop into periodontitis where the plaque has spread deeper into the gum line causing irreversible damage to the supporting bone and connective tissue. This aggressive gum disease has even been linked to heart disease.

Gum Disease Red Flags
    •   Constant bad breath, or a metallic-like taste in your mouth that doesn’t go away
    •   Purplish, puffy, swollen or tender gums, especially when brushing or flossing
    •   Receding gums from your teeth – making your teeth appear longer
    •   Bleeding gums or even pus when or after brushing or flossing
    •   Bite changes or changes in the fit of a partial bridge
    •   Loose teeth (in later stages)

“We can’t stress enough the fact that early stage gum disease is reversible if you catch it in time.” says Shepanski. Make sure to visit your dentist twice a year to keep your teeth and gums in check.

Adult Tooth Health, Cosmetic Dentistry
A Variety of Aesthetic Dental Options Offer Adults Plenty of Reasons to Smile

Today’s dentistry offers a lot more than just teeth cleaning and cavity filling. We can artistically close unsightly gaps between your front teeth, repair chipped or worn-down teeth, replace missing teeth or old filings and even shorten or lengthen teeth as needed. For adults competing in the job market, re-entering the dating scene or simply wanting to enhance their appearance, these small changes can produce a more youthful, vibrant smile that sends out a message of confidence and warmth.

Indeed, advances in today’s cosmetic dentistry means that a beautiful smile may only be a safe and easy dental procedure away. With aesthetic options like porcelain veneers, teeth whitening, dental crowns and bridges or teeth straightening (with Invisalign®), we can help create healthy, bright smiles.

Teeth Whitening is Very Popular
Our one-hour Zoom!® treatment works with a combination of whitening gel and special lighting. Patients can see their teeth whiten an average of eight or more shades after relaxing in front of a television in our office. Take-home whitening kits are another alternative. They feature custom-made “trays” that patients wear for 30 minutes a day up to 10 days or less. Results last up to five years and even then, most patients can utilize the same trays – don’t throw them away! Over-the-counter whitening products are not recommended chiefly because they’re not monitored by a professional. You can experience undesirable results like uneven whitening and gum irritation.

Straighter Teeth for Adults
We are proud to offer Invisalign®, a teeth-straightening system that provides results for adults in as little as nine months. Clear plastic aligners are virtually invisible on the teeth and can be removed during meals and for brushing and flossing. It’s an easy, pain-free straightening system, that in most cases, can produce the same results as the more cumbersome, traditional metal and wire braces.

Aesthetic Dental Procedures Can:

Shorten or lengthen uneven teeth
Replace silver or mercury fillings
Align crooked or crowded teeth without metal braces
Fix chipped or worn-down teeth
Close up gaps between front teeth
Whiten teeth several shades
Take the place of missing teeth
Erase coffee discolorations and tobacco stains
Correct uneven or receding gum lines