Issue 49.15
Here are a few common sense tips or responses to frequently asked questions on common dental problems that I use on the radio on my tip of the week series. Hope you find them useful:
- White teeth are “in” and there are lots of whitening toothpastes from which to choose. Frequently, however, people’s teeth become sensitive while using these toothpastes. So if your teeth are already sensitive, stay away from whitening toothpastes.
- Dental insurance policies provide benefits only usable in the current calendar year. Dental benefits don’t roll over to the next year. If you don’t use them, you lose them! So schedule now to get your dental work done before the end of the year while appointments are still available.
- A fluoridated toothpaste helps your tooth enamel to be more resistant to the acids made by dental plaque and the acidic foods you eat, including soda pop. Sugar in any form plus dental plaque equals acid that dissolves your enamel. So make sure your toothpaste has fluoride in it.
- Why do you have receding gums? It may be because you use a stiff bristle toothbrush with big bath and forth strokes. Use shorter strokes with varied motions and a soft bristle toothbrush. Your gum tissue will be less likely to recede and your teeth will be clean and less sensitive.
- So you like the 44 oz soda drinks? Did you know that for approximately 1/2 hour after drinking something containing sugar, dental plaque continues to ferment the sugars and produce acid. So if you sip on a big drink for hours, you are really asking for a lot of dental decay. Your dental enamel will be dissolved away and so will the money in your wallet!
- It’s the weekend or it’s after 5 at night and all of a sudden you have a toothache and no dental office is open? Use a crushed cooking clove or the oil of clove from a pharmacy. Dip it in a little cotton ball and place it into the cavity or missing filling in your tooth. Within minutes you will feel better and survive the night just fine.
Phillip Hall is a practicing general dentist in St. George. He is also head of the St. George Craniofacial Treatment Center, and operates St. George Dental Careers, a successful dental assisting school . Appointments for general dentistry or dentures call 656-1111. For sleep apnea appliances or TMJ problems call 435-634-8338.