Centre for Distinctive Dentistry Blog - Dr. Ned Nippoldt
St. Paul, Woodbury, Minneapolis, Hudson, Lake Elmo, Stillwater, Minnesota
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Cavity Control For Families
Helping patients to keep their smiles is my goal, and helping them defeat tooth decay is essential to maintaining teeth for a lifetime. Recently I've seen several young children with rampant decay, as well as several older adults who have root decay. Both types of decay can cause extensive damage. Catching tooth decay when it is small is essential to helping patients maintain their teeth for life.
In very young children, rampant tooth decay is often caused by nursing bottle syndrome, which is caused by giving a baby a bottle with milk, formula or juice at bedtime. The sugars in these liquids feed the mouth bacteria. This in turn produces acids that dissolve tooth enamel in a relatively short period of time. Babies and young children should be given only water at bedtime or before a nap, as the potential for nursing bottle syndrome increases if they fall asleep with a bottle containing anything else.
But tooth decay isn't just a childhood problem. In recent years I've seen more and more adults who develop decay on the root surfaces of their teeth near the gumline. One of the biggest reasons for adults suddenly becoming susceptible to root decay is saliva loss (dry mouth).
The technical term for dry mouth is xerostomia. Xerostomia can be caused by diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, scleroderma and graft-versus-host disease; radiation treatments; or by medications. In fact there are more than 1400 commonly prescribed and over-the-counter medications that can cause saliva loss. Saliva is more than just water. It is a very complicated bodily fluid that contains 40 essential proteins, 13 electrolytes and minerals and 7 small organic molecules. Saliva helps protect your mouth from infections and tooth decay by limiting bacterial, viral and fungal growth and bathing the teeth with protective minerals that help prevent cavities. It also helps lubricate your mouth, aids in digestion, and helps keep your mouth moist.
Fortunately, we have a xerostomia program in our office that can help patients battle xerostomia. And with the aid of a small laser instrument called the DIAGNOdent I am able to locate hidden decay and stop the spread of disease before it destroys the tooth from within.
If you are concerned about controlling decay in you or your family members and live in the Woodbury, St. Paul, Minneapolis, MN, or Hudson,WI, area give us a call at 651-739-8573. We will be happy to schedule a checkup appointment for you.
In very young children, rampant tooth decay is often caused by nursing bottle syndrome, which is caused by giving a baby a bottle with milk, formula or juice at bedtime. The sugars in these liquids feed the mouth bacteria. This in turn produces acids that dissolve tooth enamel in a relatively short period of time. Babies and young children should be given only water at bedtime or before a nap, as the potential for nursing bottle syndrome increases if they fall asleep with a bottle containing anything else.
But tooth decay isn't just a childhood problem. In recent years I've seen more and more adults who develop decay on the root surfaces of their teeth near the gumline. One of the biggest reasons for adults suddenly becoming susceptible to root decay is saliva loss (dry mouth).
The technical term for dry mouth is xerostomia. Xerostomia can be caused by diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, scleroderma and graft-versus-host disease; radiation treatments; or by medications. In fact there are more than 1400 commonly prescribed and over-the-counter medications that can cause saliva loss. Saliva is more than just water. It is a very complicated bodily fluid that contains 40 essential proteins, 13 electrolytes and minerals and 7 small organic molecules. Saliva helps protect your mouth from infections and tooth decay by limiting bacterial, viral and fungal growth and bathing the teeth with protective minerals that help prevent cavities. It also helps lubricate your mouth, aids in digestion, and helps keep your mouth moist.
Fortunately, we have a xerostomia program in our office that can help patients battle xerostomia. And with the aid of a small laser instrument called the DIAGNOdent I am able to locate hidden decay and stop the spread of disease before it destroys the tooth from within.
If you are concerned about controlling decay in you or your family members and live in the Woodbury, St. Paul, Minneapolis, MN, or Hudson,WI, area give us a call at 651-739-8573. We will be happy to schedule a checkup appointment for you.
Labels: Decay, Family Dentistry, Laser-assisted dentistry
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