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A lot people wonder, “Why do I need to get my teeth cleaned? Is it really that important?” The short answer is YES! Getting your teeth cleaned on a regular basis is important, not only for your oral health, but your overall health as well.

So what exactly is gum disease?

It is an infection of your gums and supporting tissues that evolves over time. Gum disease includes two stages: a reversible stage and an irreversible stage.

The initial phase of gum disease is called gingivitis and is reversible. Gingivitis is identified by bleeding gums and tender, red, swollen gums. Gingivitis generally develops when plaque and tartar sit on the teeth and infect the gums. A professional cleaning and daily brushing and flossing can reverse the effects of gingivitis, leaving you with a healthy mouth. Brushing and flossing can remove soft plaque, but scaling is needed to remove hard tartar from the teeth.

The second stage of gum disease is called periodontal disease, which is irreversible. Periodontal disease is classified as Early, Moderate or Advanced. The signs of periodontal disease are bone loss, moving teeth, exposed roots, and possible tooth loss. The second stage of gum disease develops when the first stage – the reversible stage – is left untreated. The infection, that started in the gums, spreads into the supporting tissue and bone around the teeth, leading to loss of bony support. Once the process of bone loss starts, you cannot grow the bone back. Moreover, the progression of bone loss can continue if left untreated.

This is where the importance of dental cleanings comes in. With the help of frequent, regular dental hygiene visits, and excellent home care, you can stop the infection and prevent further bone loss. “But I don’t have bone loss,” you may say. “Why do I need to get another cleaning?” Regular dental hygiene care is a preventative therapy to ensure patients do not develop periodontal disease. The best and most effective treatment of gum disease is PREVENTION. If we can prevent a patient from losing bony support, we can ensure they will not develop periodontal disease. The reason why the second stage of gum disease is considered irreversible is because once you develop periodontal disease, you have it for life. The damage from the infection to your bone cannot be reversed. The only thing we can do is prevent further damage with regular hygiene visits, which includes scaling and root planing. This is why prevention is key to treating gum disease. So be sure to come in every 6-12 months and see your hygienist! I’m sure you’ll have a new appreciation for why she asks about brushing and flossing every time!

Dental Hygienist Alia

We all know how important a bright, white smile is. And while we all know that a daily routine of brushing and flossing is key to keeping those pearly whites white, there are certain foods to keep in mind that can actually stain your teeth. Actually, many of the worst “foods” are actually beverages.

Basically, anything that can stain a white tablecloth can also stain your enamel, and the more intensely coloured a food is, the more staining potential it has. The colour of these foods and beverages comes from chromogens – highly pigmented molecules that latch onto the enamel of your teeth to cause stains.

The acidic level of the food or beverage is another factor to consider. When your teeth are exposed to acid, it softens the enamel and allows the stain to penetrate more deeply into the tooth. So foods that are highly-pigmented AND acidic are likely to cause stain. Finally, if a food is high in tannins – a food compound that increases the choromogens’ adherence to tooth enamel – it boosts a food staining ability. So foods that are highly-pigmented, acidic, AND full of tannins…well, you get the idea.

Here’s a list of the worst offenders (and I do apologize about No. 1 on the list):

1. Red wine: Ding, ding, ding. This one scores high on all the categories listed above. Interestingly enough, white wine, due to its acidity, contributes to staining as well. If you were to drink white wine and follow it by eating/drinking something that’s intensely pigmented, it makes your teeth more susceptible to picking up that color. (That goes for anything that’s acidic).
2. Tea: Not only is tea highly-pigmented, it’s also rich in tannins. Note: herbal, green, and white teas are less likely to stain than black teas.
3. Coffee: Definitely a major culprit for most of us, but believe it or not, it may not be as bad as tea is for staining. Coffee is high in chromogens, but lower in tannins.
4. Cola: This is one that people may not generally think of, but it’s chromogen-rich and VERY acidic.
5. Sports drinks: Mostly due to their high-acidity, they soften the enamel and set the stage for staining.
6. Berries: If you eat a lot of intensely-coloured fruits, your teeth can take on their coloring.
7. Sweets: Candies, popsicles, gum, etc. that contain food colouring agents can easily stain your teeth. Just think, if your tongue turns green from eating a hard candy, that same colour can stain your teeth.

However, many of these foods (not including soda, sports drinks or candy) have many health benefits and are high in antioxidants, so you may not want to eliminate these foods from your diet completely. Enjoy everything in moderation. You can use straws to limit the exposure of certain drinks in your mouth. And you should avoid swishing or holding things in your mouth too long – the longer foods/drinks stay in contact with your teeth, the more chance they have to stain them. Also, try rinsing with water afterwards. In fact, it’s best to hold off brushing your teeth for 30 minutes after eating acidic foods, since brushing can be too abrasive against the softened enamel.

If you suffer from stained teeth, don’t worry. Ask your dental professional about different whitening options to get rid of the stain and restore your dazzling smile.

Dr. Jaimee Buchkowsky

Sometimes I try to relate my blogs to whatever’s happening at the moment. This week, trying to think of a topic, my train of thought went something like this: Easter Bunny…Cottontail…Cottonmouth…Ah ha, dry mouth!

Dry mouth isn’t something that just happens when your mouth’s been open too long. Dry mouth, aka xerostomia, is a condition that people suffer from due to a decrease in the amount of saliva they produce. Without proper lubrication in the mouth, these individuals are susceptible to many different problems. In milder cases, it may just be an irritating nuisance, but in severe cases, people may experience difficulty eating and swallowing, sores, inflamed gums, or an increase in cavities – all which can majorly affect their quality of life.

Unfortunately, dry mouth is a common side effect of literally hundreds of medications (which is the main cause of dry mouth in most people). And for the vast majority of people, the benefits/necessity of staying on these medications outweigh the problem of dry mouth, so eliminating the source isn’t really an option. Dry mouth can also be caused by medical conditions that decrease their saliva production, such as the autoimmune disease Sjogren’s syndrome or HIV/AIDS. People undergoing cancer therapy may also experience a change in their salivary production.

So what can people do to mitigate their symptoms? There are products that you can use, such as special moisturizers, that act as artificial saliva, which can help alleviate discomfort. There are special toothpastes and mouth rinses available as well. Because dry mouth also increases one’s susceptibility of getting cavities, it may also be recommended to use fluoride trays or rinses more regularly to help prevent further decay. It is also crucial to visit your dentist more regularly so they can keep a close eye on things, and of course, your daily oral hygiene routine needs to be top-notch.

If you’re a sufferer of dry mouth, I hope this helps. Happy Easter!

Dr. Jaimee Buchkowsky

There’s about a million and one reasons why people don’t floss.  And no matter how much we tell people they need to floss, we know that there are still a large number of people simply won’t.  Well, FINALLY I’m giving my patients an alternative.  They’re called Soft-Picks.

Soft-Picks are a product made by GUM™ – they look like teeny-tiny pine trees, and are designed to be used like a toothpick.  They’re better than toothpicks, however, because they have small bristles that work to clean off plaque, and they’re softer and more flexible.  By simply inserting it between each of your teeth and gently moving it in and out, it removes the majority of plaque between your teeth (essentially doing the same job floss does).

They’re also great for people with bridges, orthodontic braces, or other dental appliances because they can squeeze between tight spots and get to those hard-to-reach places.  They are super easy to use, and more discreet than regular dental floss, so they’re handy if you’re out in public and have something stuck in your teeth.  It’s something you can even do while you’re sitting on the couch watching TV.

Check out this link to learn more.  I think they’re great and definitely worth a try!

Dr. Jaimee Buchkowsky

I see bruxers every single day in my practice. Bruxers are people who habitually clench/grind their teeth. Quite often people are bruxers without even realizing it because most people grind their teeth in their sleep. So how do you know if you’re a bruxer?

POP QUIZ

a) Do you ever wake up with a clenched jaw?
b) Do the muscles around your jaw ever feel sore or tight?
c) Do you have a lot of worn/flat edges on your teeth?
d) Are any of your teeth chipped? Have you ever chipped or broken a tooth?
e) Do you get frequent headaches originating from the temple region?
f) Do you have sensitive teeth?
g) Has anybody every told you they could hear you grinding your teeth in the middle of the night?
h) Do you suffer from a lot of stress?

If you answered yes to more than one of these questions, there is a very good chance that you are a bruxer.

Now, you may be wondering why stress was a question. Stress is a major contributor to how much people grind their teeth. Think about when people are stressed; they carry a lot of tension in their shoulders and neck. That tension can carry all the way up into the jaw area. When patients come to our office, we will ask them these types of questions and examine the condition of their teeth, and from that we can normally determine if they do clench or grind. Bruxing can lead to all kinds of problems:

• Teeth that are chipped, broken, worn, flattened, and uneven. I have even seen teeth split in half from heavy-duty grinding. In other severe cases, people can wear off all the enamel on the edges of their teeth, exposing the dentin underneath.
• Sensitivity. Sometimes people think they have a cavity or even an abscess from the level of discomfort they‘re experiencing, but sometimes it’s simply due to the heavy load and stresses they’re placing on their teeth as they grind.
• Aesthetic issues. Teeth can become shortened over time from continual grinding, or have a chipped/jagged appearance, both of which can affect a person’s self-image and confidence about their smile.
• TMJ issues. Bruxing places a lot of pressure on your jaw joints, and over time people can develop conditions related to their TMJs, such as clicking or lockjaw.
• Muscle tension or soreness. These muscles are highly active during clenching/grinding, which can lead to soreness and fatigue.

What can you do about it? We often prescribe night guards (aka splints) for patients to wear at nighttime. This prevents further wear and tear to the teeth and can also help relieve stress on the muscles and TMJ. Some people are day-bruxers, and for those people I mostly just tell them they have to make a conscious effort to avoid doing it. Massage, chiropractic, and physiotherapy are all useful modalities to help relieve stress in the muscles as well. Bottom line, if you think you might be a bruxer, talk to your dentist to do something about it.

Dr. Jaimee Buchkowsky

Has everyone heard of this? Oil pulling is an Indian therapy that is used by its practitioners to improve oral and systemic health. While it may be new to most of us, it’s actually ancient, dating back to over 3000 years ago. Basically, you use an oil, such as sesame, coconut, or sunflower, and swish it around in your mouth for 15 – 20 minutes and then spit it out, like a mouthwash. By moving the oil between your teeth, it’s supposed to “pull” the bacteria into the oil, reducing the harmful bacteria in your mouth that lead to cavities, plaque, gingivitis, and bad breath. There are also many other claims that have been made as to how oil pulling can benefit your health, including helping with problems such as migraines, asthma, and even diabetes. While those claims might seem far-fetched, there are proven relationships that link oral health and systemic diseases, so if oil pulling improves oral health, who knows… it might help those conditions as well. The fact is, we don’t know. Like most pseudo-scientific home remedies, there is little research to back any of these claims. However, some recent pilot studies have shown that oil pulling can reduce the amount of harmful bacteria in the mouth responsible for tooth decay, gingivitis, and bad breath, which is a start. Some patients have asked me if they should do it, and I have no problem with it. So far in my research, I haven’t found any indication that oil pulling could negatively impact your health. It is not a substitute, however, for brushing and flossing. Sorry ☺ But, if you use it as an adjunct to your normal daily hygiene routine, it sounds like it does make a difference. As more and more people look for natural ways to treat different health problems, oil pulling seems like the new trend in dental care. To be honest, I LOVE a good natural home remedy (I might even give this one a try). Dr. Jaimee Buchkowsky

You know how when you’re watching a video on YouTube, there’s usually an advertisement that pops up before your video plays? And then you’re forced to watch 5 seconds of it until the “SKIP AD” button appears (and like most people, my finger hovers over that button so that in the instant it appears I’m on it). However, the other day, a product ad came across the screen that actually surprised and intrigued me. Whether it was the bright colours that caught my attention or the fact that it looked like something Apple could have designed, my curiosity was peaked. It was called the ISSA^TM.

The what? The ISSA^TM  is “a revolutionary new toothbrush”. Why is this exciting news (other than the fact that I’m a dentist, and I’m a geek about this stuff)? Well, there hasn’t been a real breakthrough concept for toothbrushes in decades. The Chinese are believed to have invented natural bristled toothbrushes way back in the 15th century. Nylon bristled toothbrushes were developed in 1938. The big advancement after that was soft nylon bristled toothbrushes in the 1950s. And then, the first electric toothbrushes came along in the 1960s. So yeah, it’s kind of a big deal.

Check out the ISSA^TM by Foreo so can see for yourself what this product is and how it claims to be different: To be 100% honest, I don’t know much about it other than what you can read up on the Internet. It claims to be gentle on teeth and gums (good), made out of a super hygienic silicone (good), provide excellent cleaning and polishing capabilities (good), plus some other really cool features – really everything a good toothbrush should be. But does it deliver on all these claims? Again, I don’t know, but I’m very curious.

My biggest concerns would be these:

• Is it gentle enough? Gum recession and tooth abrasion can happen quite easily if the toothbrush you’re using isn’t soft enough. Although, I will say that you can still do damage with a soft nylon bristled toothbrush if you are using it improperly (i.e. brushing too hard).
• Does it clean well? Even with the electric pulsations, those bristles still need to make physical contact with the areas that you want to clean. Remember, plaque is sticky and adheres to the surface of teeth. I haven’t felt or tried the ISSATM, but I see the size of those bristles. I wonder if they can fit into all the nooks and crannies in order to provide a really thorough cleaning.

Is it reinventing the wheel, or does it actually bring something new and better to the table other than just fancy shapes and colours? TBD. I’d love to try it out myself, and if I do, I promise I’ll let you know in a future blog post how it worked for me. If you’re thinking about getting one, I would recommend having a conversation with your dental professional before you do.

Dr. Jaimee Buchkowsky