Dental sealants are a dental treatment option that you may want to have put on your child’s molars and premolars to prevent him or her from getting cavities. They consist of a liquid resin that covers the grooves of such teeth and creates a hardened coating that keeps plaque, acids, and foods from getting into the premolars. The best time to have sealants put on your child’s teeth is when the child is at least six to 12 years old. It’s best to have your dentist apply them soon after the first premolars and molars come in.

How Dental Sealants Work

The entire process of having dental sealants applied on your child’s teeth will most likely take no longer than 30 minutes. It’s a several step process, and the first step is cleaning the teeth. After the dentist cleans the teeth, he or she will then put a gel-based acid on your child’s molars and premolars. The acid will sit for a few minutes. He will then rinse the teeth and paint the dental sealants onto the grooves where they will protect the teeth from the elements. The final step is drying and hardening the sealant. This part is done with a special light that causes the sealant to harden within 30 seconds. Once the sealants are dry and hard, the process is finished. The sealants will protect your child’s teeth from developing potential cavities.

How Long Do Dental Sealants Last?

Dental sealants can usually protect your child’s teeth for up to two years. In some cases, they can protect for up to four years. You can have the new dental sealant applied after that time expires, or if your dentist notices that the old sealants are deteriorating.

Does Your Child Need Dental Sealants?

The decision to get your child dental sealants is ultimately yours. It’s an excellent idea if you want to get ahead of the game in preventing cavities and tooth decay. It’s a wise decision if your dentist recommends it.

How to Get Dental Sealants

You can start the process of getting dental sealants for your child by contacting your dentist’s office. You will need to schedule an appointment so that your child’s dentists can assess your child’s teeth and then talk to you about the available options.

Roughly 36 million people in this country do not have any teeth, and about 15 percent of those people do wear dentures. Even though dentures can be an excellent way to replace your smile, they do have to be made in a precise way so they fit you well and actually work for the purpose. Check out common problems caused by ill-fitting dentures.

1. Speech Issues

When dentures shift and move in your mouth, it can interfere with your ability to speak as you normally would. You may sound like you are talking with something in your mouth, and even though technically you are when you wear dentures, it should never sound that way.

2. Inability to Chew Food

You take a few bites of your food and your dentures dislodge, shifting around in your mouth in a teeter-totter fashion. Sometimes, even with denture adhesive, this is an everyday problem for people who wear dentures. But, it shouldn’t be. Properly fitting dentures should stay firmly seated in your mouth while you chew your food.

3. Gum Sores

You get sore spots on your gums and there are spots of inflammation or even sores on your gums when you take out your dentures. This is a surefire sign that your dentures are shifting in your mouth and do not fit you correctly. These sores can get infected and make it incredibly hard to wear your dentures.

4. Lacking Self-Confidence

If there is one thing that can tell you that your dentures either do not fit well or do not look good according to your standards, it is your own self-confidence levels. If you are afraid to smile because of your dentures, it is likely because they do not fit well or you do not feel like the dentures look good on you.

Let Us Help You with Your Dentures in Beavercreek, OH

Don’t let ill-fitting dentures steal your joy and self-confidence any longer. At the office of Dr. S. Marc Dibenedetto DDS, we have the skills and experience to help you get the smile you have always wanted or help you get a pair of dentures that fit you well. Reach out to us to schedule an appointment to talk about dentures in Beavercreek, OH.

There are lots of interesting toothpaste brands on the market nowadays. These trendy brands are commonly found in health food stores and even on drug store shelves. For many people, it can get boring to use the same toothpaste brand their whole lives. Experimenting with other brands can bring a little excitement into a boring dental hygiene routine. But are these brands safe to use? How can you be sure a new brand really has in interest in your best oral health?

Some Brands More Dazzle and Less Substance

Trendy toothpaste brands often try to get you to switch by offering supposedly “innovate” ingredients, like essential oils or certain “newly discovered” herbs. They may also be flavored differently than traditional kinds of toothpaste, with flavors like lime, cucumber, and eucalyptus. Again, this makes trendy brands look more interesting on the shelves and smell and taste differently when you use them at home. Unfortunately, the focus needs to be on what the toothpaste can accomplish, not what it tastes like in your mouth.

Tartar Control and Cavity Prevention Need to Be the Focus

When choosing a toothpaste, you need to focus on preventing cavities and preventing tartar and plaque. Try not to be distracted by the pretty packaging and “revolutionary” ingredients. Your dentist should be the ultimate source for whether or not you use a new toothpaste. If you’re unsure about a particular brand, just call your dentist’s office.

Only One Sure Way to Know

The American Dental Association only gives its seal of approval to a toothpaste that meets their high standards. Once the toothpaste has undergone rigorous testing for quality and ingredients, the packaging can bear the American Dental Association’s seal of approval. This seal appears as a small box with the initials, ADA and the words, “American Dental Association.” When you see that on a box of toothpaste, you can be assured that it’s safe to use and will meet your dental hygiene needs. If that seal of approval is missing, then it’s really not a brand that you should probably be using.

Remember, your toothpaste can be a strong preventative tool to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Why take chances with something, just because it’s new and different?

It’s probably been a very long time since anyone talked to you about the correct way to brush your teeth. If you’re like a lot of people, you’ve likely developed some bad habits over the years that have resulted in less than ideal brushing techniques. A refresher course in tooth brushing certainly won’t hurt. Following is the right way to brush teeth to maximize dental hygiene.

Start With a Sterile Brush

How many times have you used your toothbrush and then just laid it back on the bathroom sink or stuck it in a cup? Dozens of times? Many more times than that? The quality—and cleanliness—of your toothbrush is integral to your dental health. If you keep using the same brush again and again without sterilizing it, you’re just reintroducing bacteria into your mouth each time you brush. Consider replacing your brush at least once every two weeks. In between, you should be sterilizing your brush each night. Talk to your dentist about effective toothbrush sterilization methods.

Use Plenty of Toothpaste

Some people brush their teeth with just a tiny dot of toothpaste, while others try to emulate the amount demonstrated on television commercials. Somewhere in the middle is the correct amount. You want enough toothpaste to apply to each tooth, but not so much that it’s overwhelming. Finally, make sure you use fluoride toothpaste, as fluoride has been proven to help prevent cavities.

Brush Vertically, Not Horizontally

When you brush horizontally, you could simply be grinding food debris deeper into your gums. That’s not the direction you want to go. Instead, brush vertically, starting from the gum line and working your way upward. Focus on brushing each individual tooth in this fashion, angling the brush about 45 degrees so the bristles capture food debris and bring it up and away from the gums.

Don’t Forget the Insides

Although you get the most visible satisfaction from your pearly whites on the outside surface, you need to pay attention to the insides. Swing the handle of the toothbrush upward and brush each tooth, starting from the gum line and moving upward.

Finally, rinse thoroughly. This will help to ensure that all dislodged food debris is swept out of your mouth. For a practical lesson in person on teeth brushing techniques, talk to your dentist.

According to the American College of Prosthodontics, there are more than 36 million Americans who don’t have any teeth. Obtaining dentures gives you your smile back, but initially, wearing dentures can feel a little awkward. With a little diligence and some good tips, your dentures will feel more like a part of your mouth and less like a foreign object. Here are a few tips to help you get adjusted to your dentures as quickly as possible.

1. Exercise your buccinator muscles.

In general terms, the buccinator muscles are your cheeks, and these muscles have a lot to do with how you speak and chew your food. If your buccinator muscles are strong, it will not take as much effort to chew with your dentures. It is a good idea to do what you can to strengthen these muscles before you ever get your dentures, but you should definitely continue these exercises even after you get your new teeth.

2. Keep your dentures in your mouth as much as you can.

You will be tempted to pull your dentures out every time you get the chance, but this is not the best thing to do. The more you keep the prosthetic teeth in your mouth, the faster they will feel like they are naturally supposed to be there. It is OK to take out the denture arches to give your gums a rest, but try to keep your teeth in while you talk, eat, and even while you sleep.

3. Practice eating with your dentures in your mouth.

Eating can be a challenge at first because chewing with dentures is not the same as chewing with regular teeth. Start with small bites and easy-to-chew foods, such as small bite-sized veggies like cooked peas or beans. Chew slowly and take your time until you get accustomed to how the dentures work with your mouth and chewing movements. As you get used to eating small bits of food, you can graduate to larger foods that are a little harder to chew.

Having dentures can change your life, so take your time to get used to them so you will have the best experience. To find out more about dentures, reach out to us at the office of S. Marc Dibenedetto DDS for more information.