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Popsicles & Your Teeth

August 12, 2014 Afshin Golyad DDS.

Popsicles & Your Teeth

Now that summer has arrived, there are many picnics and barbecues that people will join their friends and family to enjoy the summer. Unfortunately, some of the summer food can be damaging to your teeth (Healthy Gums and Teeth).  Luckily, some of these have sugar free alternatives that can still be enjoyable as your favorite treat.

 

The Effects Popsicles Have on Your Teeth

popsicles & your teeth

Popsicles & Your Teeth

Popsicles- when the weather gets hot, there are not much enjoyment than having your favorite flavored Popsicle. Although this is a refreshing summer heat escape, it may not be friend to your teeth. The Popsicles are usually filled with sugar site and artificial dyes that may stain your teeth.  In general the more your teeth are exposed to sugar, the greater the chance of damage to your teeth.  When eating a Popsicle, one tends to lick it for a long time therefore exposing teeth to sugar (Understanding the Connection Between Sugar and Tooth Decay) for much longer time compare to other snack foods.  Thankfully, there are many sugar free Popsicles on the market that are as delicious and refreshing but much friendlier to your teeth.

 

Summer Time Fun That may Effect Your Teeth Other Then Popsicles

Popcorn- to escape from a summer day many people ran away to a movie theater. If you are like most others, you may include popcorn and a soft drink to your movie experience. Popcorn kernels can get stuck in the teeth or may cause teeth to chip, crack or break (Top Dental Emergency Tips).

Hard and chewy candy- people tend to eat more hard candy in the summer than you did in other months. These candies however are damaging in a number of ways. First of all, the more you suck on it, the more you expose your teeth to sugar.  Also, if you decide to bite on these candies, you run the risk of cracking or fracturing your teeth (Dental Fracture Wiki Page). There is also the chance that these candies get stocked between the teeth where it is difficult to clean them with brushing (Teeth Brushing Mastering Tips) and flossing (Floss | Flossing Benefits).


Extraction Procedures

July 10, 2014 Afshin Golyad DDS. , , , ,

Extraction Procedures 

When you were a kid, losing your tooth was something to be excited about, perhaps achieved by tooth (Baby Teeth | Oral Hygiene) jiggling, biting into a piece of bread or an apple, or tying a string around the tooth and giving it a tug. As an adult, tooth loss (Discuss Tooth Implants With Your Santa Monica Dentist) or extraction are hardly causes for celebration, however sometimes there are no choices but to pull a tooth which is also known as an Extraction Procedure.

Causes For Extraction Procedures

Although permanent teeth are meant to last for our entire life, there are times that they can’t be saved. The most common reason for loosing a tooth or an extraction procedure is having great amount of decay (Understanding the Connection Between Sugar and Tooth Decay) or as a result of accident to trauma.

There are other reasons such as:

  • Not having enough space for all teeth to fit in your jaw. Sometimes as a result of orthodontics, the extraction is necessary to remove a tooth so the others can be align (Teeth Bonding) properly. There are some of us that have smaller than average mouth and all 32 teeth can not fit in our jaws.

 

 

  • High risk of infection:  In people that the immune system is compromise perhaps as a result of chemotherapy (Chemotherapy Wiki Page) or diseases such as AIDS, or an organ transplant the infection in a tooth be a risk to general health of the patient and extraction would be a safer treatment.

 

 


Floss | Flossing Benefits

May 23, 2014 Afshin Golyad DDS. , , , , , ,

Floss | Flossing Benefits

 

A 2008 survey revealed that only 49% of Americans floss daily and 10% never floss (Master Flossing Learn More).  That is very unfortunate because flossing is even more important than brushing (Master Brushing Learn More) when it comes to preventing gum disease (Gum Disease Treatment) and tooth cavity (Cavity Treatment Learn More).

Dental floss (Dental Care 101) is a tool you should be used daily to remove food and bacteria (Fight Bad Breath Learn More) build-up from in-between your teeth where the brush can not reach.  If you don’t floss on regular basis, you’re more site likely to have plaque build-up (Oral Hygiene Learn More), which can lead to cavities, tooth decay (Tooth Decay Learn More), gingivitis and eventually gum disease.  When gum disease is left untreated, it can be a risk factor for heart disease, or diabetes. In addition, bacteria can cause bad breath. Therefore, flossing can help improve the appearance of your mouth as well as your dental hygiene and overall health.

 

What are Flosses Made From?

Zoom Whitening Teeth Info.

Zoom Whitening Teeth

Flosses are made from different materials. It is commonly made out of plastic or nylon; it is a thin thread that you put between your teeth and pull in order to clean the gaps (Dental Bridge Learn More). When you pull the tread, food and debris and bacteria should come out of the gaps between the teeth.

Some flosses are made out of dental ribbon rather than out of plastic or nylon strings.

Ribbon floss is more comfortable. It is much easier for those who have bleeding gums or are sore when flossing.

 

Flossing Benefits When You Have Braces:

If you or a member of your family currently wears braces (Wiki Page Dental Braces), flossing is even more important. Food debris and bacteria can easily lodge around braces and cause permanent damage to your teeth such as cavity, decalcification or gum disease. However, you have to be careful when flossing so the braces are not damaged. Always use waxed floss if you have braces. Un-waxed floss has less of a slippery surface and are therefore more likely to get caught in your braces. If enough floss gets tangled, it can pull a brace out of alignment or sometimes break it.

 

 


Baby Teeth | Oral Hygiene

May 16, 2014 Afshin Golyad DDS. , , , ,

 

Brushing Baby Teeth

Even before baby teeth start to show; it’s a good idea to get into the habit of wiping their gums (Healthy Gums and Teeth Page) with gauze or a soft wet washcloth during bath time or before bed time. At this point, the tooth paste is still not necessary. Simply place the gauze around the finger and gently rub that on the gum.

Bacteria (Bad Breath Fight | Following Tips To Reduce The Bad Breath Page) in the mouth usually can not cause cavity (Cavity Treatment and Prevention Page) or gum disease (Gum Disease | Gum Disease Treatment Page) before the baby teeth are erupted, but it can be hard to tell when the baby teeth are starting to come out, so you’ll want to start early. Getting a baby to get used to getting his/her teeth clean helps in the long term so they can learn to have it done themselves.

 

Maintaining Healthy Baby Teeth

Baby Teeth Oral Hygiene Info.

Baby Teeth Oral Hygiene

As your child’s baby teeth start to erupt beginning around 6 months old, look for a baby toothbrush with a small head.  Use a tiny amount of fluoride (Children Oral Health | When and How to Teach Them? Page) toothpaste. A dot the size of a grain of rice is usually adequate. Twice a day brush inside and outside of each tooth as well as chewing surfaces. Because you are using such a small amount of tooth paste for the baby teeth you do not need to have your child rinse out unless he/she likes to do that. As soon as you see the bristles of the tooth brush being worn out, change the brush to a new brush (Teeth Brushing Mastering Tips Page).  Since most baby teeth have enough gap between them to be able to clean, you do not have to worry about flossing, but it is recommended to practice that so your child gets used to the idea of flossing (Dental Flossing Mastering Instructions Page) at the time of brushing.

 

Baby Teeth | Fluoride

Baby teeth can also benefit from a little fluoride. The fluoride prevents development of cavity, strengthening teeth, and making them more resistance to acids and harmful bacteria. Please be aware that a little of fluoride is very helpful in development of healthy teeth (Healthy Gums | Healthy Teeth | A Lifetime Commitment Page), too much of it can cause a condition called fluorosis (Dental Fluorosis Wiki Page). It causes white spots to show up on the permanent teeth as they erupt.

Most municipal water supplies are fortified with adequate fluoride so it is a good idea to call the department of water in your area and ask how much fluoride they mix in the water. If the amount of fluoride content of less than 0.3 parts per million, ask your child’s doctor or dentist whether you should give your child a fluoride supplement.

For more questions about baby teeth | Oral Hygiene, or if you want to schedule your teeth whitening appointment please contact our office.

  • 12340 Santa Monica Blvd. Suite 241 West Los Angeles, CA 90025
  • (310)820-7010

contact@westladentalcare.com


Teeth Whitening | Lifelong Teeth Whitening Tricks

March 21, 2014 Afshin Golyad DDS.

Teeth Whitening | Lifelong Teeth Whitening Tricks

 

Mom always used to say to eat your vegetable because they are good for you. Did you know broccoli, kale, spinach and other dark green vegetables can keep your teeth white? They all have a mineral which produces a film over teeth that does not allow stains to penetrate.

teeth-whitening-slider5Some Teeth Whitening Tricks:

 

1. Fruits and vegetables such as raw celery, carrots, apples, and other crunchy fruits and veggies will polish your teeth and remove stains as you chew on them.

2. If you drink coffee or tea, you don’t have to have stains your teeth. Just add a little bit of cream or milk to them. This would change the chemistry of the drinks so it won’t stains teeth as much.

3. Kaolin Clay is an abrasive material. Dab your toothbrush into the clay and brush your teeth with it. It would make your teeth whiter, just be careful not to over due it, just like any abrasive material, it could damage the enamel of your teeth.

4. Sip a tablespoon of organic oil and swirl around for about 20 seconds. Drink a couple of glasses of water after.

5. Brush with hydrogen peroxide. Not only it has a bleaching agent that gets your teeth whiter, it also can kill bacteria on your teeth and gums.

6. Pound Dry orange peel into powder. Rub it on your teeth. It would get your teeth whiter.

7. If you like the taste of turmeric, chewing on the root will get your teeth whiter.

8. Chewing on raisins would increase the saliva in your mouth which results in getting rid of stains and plaque.

9. Eat cheese, yogurt and drink milk. They all have protein name casein that strengthens your enamel. Health enamel means healthy and bright teeth.

10. Drinking water after eating and swishing it around can rinse away the stains before they get set on the teeth.

11. Brush your teeth with past of baking soda and lemon juice. Just be careful not to do it too many times. Lemon juice can eat away the enamel on your teeth causing severe sensitivity.

12. Last but most importantly brush and floss everyday that is important for teeth whitening.


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