Wishing You a Very Happy Easter!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From Your Cadbury Mini Egg-Loving Friends at Ramsey Dental Group 🙂

Can you stop a cavity from getting worse?

If you’ve sat in one of the patient chairs at Ramsey Dental Group, you’ve likely heard us call out a few random numbers, “two – distal watch, three – occlusal watch, six – facial watch.” Sound familiar?

Trust us, we’re not talking complete nonsense! Instead, we are identifying areas on your teeth that we need to be aware of. One such reason for this practice is to identify potential demineralization, a key cause of cavities and tooth decay.

Tooth demineralization occurs when acids and sugars consumed via your diet attack the enamel of your teeth. Early stages of demineralization can appear as white or chalky spots. As demineralization continues, potentially irreversible damage can be done to your teeth. As such, it’s important that we identify areas of demineralization, and their levels of severity, quickly to prevent additional damage and to initiate the re-mineralization process.

What You Can Do

Tooth demineralization sounds scary, and we know you want to do what’s best for your teeth. Fortunately, there are plenty of steps you can take to protect your enamel, including:

• Drink plenty of water each day
• Avoid brushing your teeth immediately after eating or drinking as the teeth are weak and time should be given for re-mineralization.
• Avoid eating between meals, your teeth need time to recover from the demineralization during a meal.
• Avoid drinking anything besides water between meals, most drinks are either acidic or have sugar in them. Having a sip of a lightly sweetened drink is like taking a little bite of candy – the bacteria on our teeth don’t know the difference.
• Chew sugar-free gum to stimulate salivary flow, which can rinse away and neutralize acid.
• Use a straw when drinking acidic drinks to avoid contact with the teeth.
• Use a fluoride toothpaste to strengthen the teeth and stimulate re-mineralization, and don’t rinse afterwards. Fluoride is water soluble, so it’ll just wash away with water if you rinse afterwards.

These steps may take some getting used to, but as these behaviors becomes habits, you can make great strides to protect your teeth for years to come.

Lending a Helping Hand

As dental health professionals, we are responsible for addressing acute oral health problems, such as cavities, but more importantly, we provide vital preventive dental care. To this end, we will do whatever we can to help keep our patients healthy.

If you have questions about your diet or nutrition and its potential impact on your dental health, just ask. We will be more than happy to provide insight and help alleviate your concerns. Working alongside our patients and their families is one of the most rewarding parts of our jobs!

Can I have X-rays if I’m pregnant?

The Ramsey Dental family is always growing, and we’ve recently welcomed several new members to the world. All the celebrations and obsession over baby pictures got us thinking – what should expectant moms know about their dental care?

From the moment a mother-to-be learns she is pregnant, each decision must be made with the baby in mind: When it comes to dental care, are X-rays safe? What if a filling is needed while pregnant?

I know you’ve got questions, and I’ve got some answers!

The Power of Prevention. First and foremost, preventive care is an essential element of overall dental health and even more so during pregnancy. Hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy can contribute to a host of dental issues, including gum inflammation and bleeding. Regular brushing with fluoride toothpaste, flossing, and routine cleanings are essential to avoid these concerns. Furthermore, mothers with tooth decay have high amounts of the bacteria that cause cavities. These bacteria can be passed on to the baby and should be addressed before birth. In fact, having uncontrolled decay in your mouth at the time of birth puts your baby’s future teeth at risk of decay, a process called vertical transmission.

Understanding X-rays. I know what you’re thinking – if X-rays are indicated with routine dental exams, can’t the radiation affect my baby’s development? Rest assured, the radiation produced from digital dental X-rays is minimal and any adverse effects can be prevented with safety precautions our practice takes prior to each imaging procedure we perform. Indeed, one actually receives more radiation during a 2-hour plane ride than taking a dental x-ray without these safety precautions (i.e. lead apron).

Dental Treatment During Pregnancy. The ADA has stated that all dental treatment is safe during pregnancy. The anesthetic we use during dental work is safe to use and the adverse effects from infection (from either gum disease or tooth decay) is more of a risk for your developing baby.

Communication is Key. If you are pregnant, be sure to tell Dr. Ramsey, Dr. Gilmore, or Dr. DuVall. And if you have questions – ask us! We are always happy to listen to your concerns and discuss care options to put you at ease!