What To Do For Dry Mouth

Mar 24th, 2016
Easton Dentists Mar 1st, 2017

If you ask any dental clinic Columbus Ohio doctor about dry mouth, the answer always comes down to saliva production. Complaints of a dry mouth are not uncommon among patients that come to Easton Dentists, or any dentist for that matter. We hear this concern quite a bit and would like to address the issue so that you can get on with your life without having to worry about the effects of dry mouth.

dental clinic columbus ohioFirst of all, how do you know if you have a dry mouth? If you do have dry mouth, you probably don’t need this question answered. However, some common symptoms include a dry, sticky feeling in the mouth, frequent thirst or feeling the need to constantly wet your mouth, sores in the mouth, cracked lips and sides of the mouth, and bad breathe.

Unfortunately, dry mouth leads to more than an uncomfortable feeling or bad breathe. People who have dry mouth and do not take measures to correct the issue are more likely to experience dental problems such as gingivitis, tooth decay, and even oral infections.

Saliva plays an important role in both your oral and overall health, so not having enough of it can be problematic. A few ways that saliva keeps our bodies and teeth healthy include:

-Helping to moisten and cleanse our mouths after eating and in between meals

-Promoting digestion (there are enzymes found in saliva that break down food before it moves to the stomach)

-Preventing infection by controlling bacteria and fungi in the mouth

When patients do not have enough saliva production, there are many factors that might be causing the issue. Some factors you can control, such as the lifestyle choices listed below. Other factors such as disease and infection require you to work with your doctor to address the root cause and make adjustments where necessary.

Dental Clinic Columbus Ohio & Lifestyle Factors

-Consuming too much alcohol or caffeine

-Smoking

-Chewing tobacco

-Breathing through your mouth

Certain medications are also known to cause dry mouth. Medications used to treat depression, anxiety, allergies, and common colds are among the worst offenders. If you suspect that a medication might be contributing to your dry mouth, talk to your doctor about alternatives.

If you have a dry mouth and it is not caused by disease or medication, what can you do? We give our patients the following list of suggestions when talking about treatment for dry mouth. Try implementing some of these habits and see if your dry mouth doesn’t improve.

What You Can Do

-Use a fluoride toothpaste

-Rinse with fluoride instead of an alcohol based products

-Make a habit of breathing through your nose

-Chew on sugar-free gum or suck on sugar-free mints

-Drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially between meals

-Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco

If you implement these changes, your issues with dry mouth should resolve fairly quickly. If you continue to struggle with dry mouth and have already talked to your doctor concerning your overall health, schedule an appointment with a dental clinic Columbus Ohio provider such as Easton Dentist. Our staff will be happy to examine your mouth and provide additional advice on how you can cope with dry mouth.

Contact us todayto schedule an appointment!

Should I Get an Electronic Toothbrush or a Manual Toothbrush?

Mar 9th, 2016
Easton Dentists Mar 1st, 2017

If you walk into your Columbus dentist office, you will probably see a model electronic toothbrush display somewhere during your visit.

columbus dentistMaybe you’ve been considering using an electronic toothbrush but want to know if it’s the right choice for you. Let’s look at some of the benefits of both the electronic toothbrush, as well as the manual toothbrush and then you can decide for yourself which is better.

The Manual Toothbrush

  • The manual toothbrush model has been around for decades. There really isn’t much to it besides the obvious handle and bristles. Some of the benefits of using a manual toothbrush include:
  • More control over exerted pressure- with a manual brush, you are more easily able to monitor how much pressure you are applying when brushing your teeth. Remember that brushing your teeth should not require a lot of exertion and the pressure you apply should be fairly light.
  • Brushing too hard can lead to the breakdown of tooth enamel and lead to sensitive teeth. Convenient size- manual brushes are small and easy to store. Due to their slender handle, most brushes will fit in any toothbrush case for travel. You don’t have to worry about how to store your brush, as most holders for the bathroom easily accommodate a manual brush.
  • Inexpensive- not only are manual brushes less expensive to purchase, they are also less expensive to maintain. You do not need to worry about buying a charging station or batteries with a manual brush. In fact, most dentist offices provide you with a free brush at each six month cleaning appointment!
  • Lots of styles- manual brushes come in a wide variety of colors and styles. You can choose the type of bristle and head size you want for a more customized approach to brushing.

The Electronic Toothbrush

Electronic toothbrushes starting to gain popularity in the 1990’s and have become mainstream since. With electronic brushes, the bristles rotate and perform the cleaning motion for you. Some benefits of electronic brushes include:

  • Smaller head- the head size of most electronic brushes is smaller than that of a standard manual brush. The smaller head size helps you more easily reach difficult or awkward areas of the mouth.
  • Does the work for you- like we mentioned above, the electronic toothbrush performs the majority of the movement for you. The oscillating bristles allow you to move the brush from tooth to tooth without having to perform much movement on your end.
  • Work better for some people- electronic brushes are more suited for some individuals than others. In particular, children or those who have motor issues. Children tend to do better with electronic brushes because they make brushing fun. Individuals who have a difficult time moving a brush around in their mouth due to motor issues or arthritis also do better with electronic brushes.

Now that you know the benefits of each, the choice is yours! Remember however, manual brushes work just as well as electronic brushes so long as you are brushing for the recommended amount of time (2-3 minutes) and are using proper brushing technique.

If you have more questions about the difference in brushes, just ask us! Call our Columbus dentist office (614) 414-0111 or simply ask a member of the staff next time you’re in. We are always happy to answer your questions and want you to be able to make the best decision based on your needs.

What Is Tooth Enamel?

Mar 4th, 2016
Easton Dentists Mar 1st, 2017

You may have heard your dentist talk about tooth enamel but do you know what he/she was referring to? We’re going to discuss the important role that tooth enamel plays in your dental health so you can understand how to better take care of your teeth.

dental clinic columbus ohioWhat is Enamel? For starters, tooth enamel can be defined as the highly-mineralized, hard protective outer covering of the teeth. When you look at your teeth in the mirror, what you are seeing is tooth enamel.

Enamel protects the teeth from a variety of factors such as the force of mastication (chewing), and the varying temperatures of the foods and beverages we eat and drink.

Serving as an insulator to the nerves in the teeth, enamel helps us enjoy eating and drinking different foods without pain.

What happens when tooth enamel is damaged? Unfortunately, tooth enamel has no living cells which means that once it is damaged it cannot be repaired.

This is why it is so important to understand the role enamel plays in your oral health and to take steps to maintain the enamel that you do have. If you’re concerned about your dental health, contact our Ohio urgent dental care office.

Steps to Protect Your Tooth Enamel

Even though tooth enamel cannot be regrown or repaired without the use of bonding or a crown, you can take certain steps and modify your behavior in ways that will help you to keep the enamel you do have strong and functioning properly.

  • Avoid drinking high acid, sugary drinks.
  • We hate to break it to you, but we are specifically talking about soda (regular and diet) and fruit juice. Both of these beverages contain highly acidic and sugary ingredients which are the biggest culprits for eating away at healthy tooth enamel. Sports drinks and energy drinks should be avoided for the same reasons.
  • Consume citrus or other acidic foods in moderation. Although citrus foods such as oranges, lemons, and grapefruit are good for you, they still contain high levels of acid which is an enemy of enamel. If you choose to eat these foods, do so in moderation. You can also try eating these foods first and following with other less acidic foods to help cut down on the acid leftover in your mouth.
  • Chew sugarless gum after eating. Saliva helps protect your enamel by coating the teeth and moving acid and other particles of food out of the mouth and into the stomach. Chewing gum stimulates saliva production and helps this process even further.
  • Address health concerns. Remember, health problems such as acid reflux, gastrointestinal disorders, and other issues may be causing trouble for your oral health. Get these issues addressed as soon as possible to help protect your enamel from being exposed to excess acid.
  • Be careful what you chew. Once enamel is chipped or cracked, it cannot be restored. For this reason it is important that you do not chomp on hard items such as hard candy or ice.

Our dental clinic Columbus Ohio staff care of your tooth enamel care. It may not sound like a high priority but it is something that you should take seriously. It isn’t until your enamel becomes damaged that you will notice the nasty side effects, so take every precaution to protect your enamel while you can.

If you are experiencing tooth sensitivity or pain, that may be a sign that you have damaged tooth enamel that needs to be addressed by a dentist.

Contact The Dental Center at Easton Town Center today at 614-414-0111. We can set up a consultation with Dr. Gilmer to inspect your tooth enamel.