It’s no secret that brushing your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes is imperative to oral health, but did you know that it’s also a factor in heart health? 

Although it hasn’t been proven that poor oral health causes heart disease, or that good oral health prevents heart disease, years of research has shown a definitive connection between the two. 

 

Here’s what we do know about brushing your teeth and heart disease: 

• If you have untreated gum disease, also known as periodontitis, you’re at an increased risk of developing heart disease.

• If you don’t take care of your teeth and mouth, you’re at a higher risk for a bacterial infection, which can enter the bloodstream and subsequently damage your heart valves.

• Scientists have been able to connect tooth loss patterns to coronary artery disease.

• If you have diabetes, your oral health is even more important. Researchers say that people with diabetes can greatly benefit from having healthy teeth and gums.

 

How do bacteria in your mouth impact your heart health? 

There are numerous studies on teeth loss and cardiovascular health, but a more recent study that focused on oral bacteria and heart health had some interesting findings: 

• People in the study who had the kind of bacteria that causes gum disease also had thicker carotid arteries. Researchers believe the thicker your carotid arteries, the greater at risk you are for a heart attack or stroke.

• Of the 682 people studied, people who said they brushed their teeth less than twice a day for two minutes each time had a three-fold increase in their risk for heart disease.

• Scientists believe bacteria get into your bloodstream, then make their way through the rest of your body. This can cause inflammation, which leads to the clogging of your arteries.

• Although it’s quite possible that people who don’t take proper care of their teeth and gums also don’t take proper care of the rest of their body, the study does conclude that gum disease increases patients’ blood pressure and interferes with medications that are prescribed to treat high blood pressure. High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of strokes and heart attacks. 

Despite the limitations of the study, cardiologist Dr. Ann Bolge said the study “is a good reminder that the mouth is an important part of a person’s entire health and simple, daily behaviors that improve health are incredibly important.”

 

How to properly care for your teeth and gums

Whether you’re at a higher risk for heart disease or not, taking care of your teeth and gums is still an essential part of your overall health. Here are the simple steps you can take to have a healthy mouth: 

• Brush your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes each time you brush.

• Floss in between your teeth daily.

• Schedule twice-yearly cleanings and check-ups with your dentist. 

Click here to schedule your appointment today with Lafayette’s most trusted dentist. 

More than likely, you’ve heard something about porcelain veneers. Perhaps you’ve heard about a celebrity’s perfect smile being attributed to them or maybe a coworker or neighbor has mentioned that they have veneers. Porcelain veneers are cosmetic enhancements used to produce attractive smile makeovers.

Having a beautiful smile is an important asset. Many people associate youth, friendliness, and vigor with a vibrant, straight smile. If you’re suffering with smile imperfections, cosmetic dental treatments like placing porcelain veneers could transform your life. If you have questions, we’ve compiled a list of answers to common questions.

What are porcelain veneers?

Short answer: permanent cosmetic enhancements. They’re bonded to the outer surfaces of teeth and are used to conceal dental imperfections. A veneer is a wafer-thin piece of porcelain that’s tooth-shaped and custom made to fit over a person’s tooth.

How can veneers help me?

They conceal a host of dental imperfections including stains, cracks, and chips. They also hide teeth with jagged edges. Receiving veneers over multiple teeth produces the appearance of a healthily spaced, straight smile.

Porcelain veneers are a versatile cosmetic dental treatment that could improve practically anyone’s smile. They lend the appearance of having white, straight teeth that are proportionate to each other and the gums. Since veneers can produce a flawless smile, it is a favored treatment among famous entertainers. And these aren’t just for the wealthy or famous, though, people from all kinds of backgrounds can enjoy this cosmetic treatment.

Will they look natural?

A great deal of care is taken to ensure that veneers look and feel as natural as possible. Veneers are custom made just for the patient. Their specifications are carefully determined by a dentist so that they don’t appear too thick or too large. The shade of veneers is also important for maintaining a natural aesthetic. Our Lafayette, LA dentist will help you select a shade that is perfect for your skin tone and your treatment goals.

What is life like with veneers?

Life with veneers means enjoying a beautiful, straight, and healthy-looking smile. After they are placed, most people report a surge in their self-confidence and an increased positive outlook on life. There are numerous psychological benefits to having a beautiful smile. Since these cosmetic enhancements are permanently fixed to teeth, they are low maintenance. Veneers are brushed and flossed just like a person would clean their natural teeth.

Having veneers does not lead to dietary restrictions. Since porcelain, the material used to construct veneers, is very lifelike, patients can enjoy a well-rounded diet.

Tooth transition, the phase of a child’s life where baby teeth fall out to be replaced by adult teeth, can be magical for children. Parents and caregivers can inspire wonderment and fun the Tooth Fairy’s visit with clever tips. Additionally, tooth transition and the Tooth Fairy’s visits are a great opportunity to instill oral health awareness with kids.

If you’re looking to make the Tooth Fairy’s visits more fun for the whole family, here’s a few do-it-yourself tips to try.

Make a Commemorative Tooth Fairy Photo Prop

Photos are a great way to catalog important life events, especially with children. Consider making a poster board or chalkboard that your child can hold during photos after a tooth is lost. Keeping a chalkboard is easier to update with dates and ages, however, since chalk is easily erased but a poster board works fine, too.

Use Glitter as Evidence of the Tooth Fairy’s Visit

If you want to leave behind more than money in exchange for a tooth, you can use glitter to make the Tooth Fairy’s visit even more magical.

Try spraying a dollar bill with hairspray and sprinkle glitter on it before it dries. You could also sprinkle glitter on a window sill or near where the tooth was left as “evidence” of the tooth fairy’s visit.

Get Creative with Doll Clothes as Tooth Fairy Evidence

You might be surprised what you can do with a doll’s accessories to give your kid’s a unique Tooth Fairy surprise. A small doll’s shoe could be awe-inspiring evidence that the Tooth Fairy left in a rush, too. A bedazzled and glittery bobby pin could easily serve in as the Tooth Fairy’s makeshift wand that she left behind.

Make a Tooth Pillow

If your child is a light sleeper, you might not want to exchange the tooth for money under his or her pillow. Consider using a small pillow that you can hang from a door knob or lay on top of a chest of drawers for a quieter, more fool-proof way of the Tooth Fairy’s visit without waking up your child. If you leave behind paper money, you can simply pin it to the pillow after you’ve taken the tooth.

Leave Behind a Receipt or Handwritten Notes

Leaving behind a receipt is a cute way to celebrate you child’s losing a tooth. Get creative with your notes and receipts by acknowledging that your child is doing a great job with brushing. If you leave a note, consider using decorations like stickers, glitter, and colorful ink for a unique touch. Be sure to disguise your handwriting, though. We all know how observant and clever children are.

Your notes and receipts can also include “oral hygiene tips”. For instance, if you know your child isn’t brushing long enough, find a fun way to convey the importance of proper brushing. You could write “I noticed you’re not brushing quite as long as you should. It really helps the Tooth Fairy when teeth are sparkling clean”.

No matter how well you take care of your teeth, there are certain dental problems that are caused by genetics and there’s nothing you can do to prevent them. An underbite is one of those issues.

However, just because you can’t prevent an underbite does not mean that you need to live with it for the rest of your life or let your lifestyle suffer as a result.

 

What is an underbite?

An underbite occurs when a person’s lower jaw extends farther out than the upper jaw, creating an overly pronounced and protruding lower jaw. The level of misalignment ranges from barely noticeable to severe.

Even though an underbite is usually caused by genetics, other natural causes include:

• poor eating and chewing habits
• mouth breathing as a result of constant congestion or habit
• thumb sucking
• an abnormal jaw bone

In many of the cases above, it can be the individual’s tongue resting against the lower jaw and lower front teeth that causes the jaw to move forward over time.

 

What happens when you have an underbite?

• Appearance: Because underbites are so much less common than overbites, people who have them tend to be noticed more and become self-conscious as a result. A protruding chin adds to this and can lead to people with underbites being ridiculed as children.
• Articulation Errors. Clear speech is a common problem. Any sound that depends on the teeth could be problematic, such as “s” and “f.”
• Tough to Smile. A bad underbite could make it impossible to smile with confidence. Lips tend to take on a droopy appearance, and a dominant upper lip hides the upper teeth when smiling. With a more severe underbite it becomes difficult to keep the lips together, causing lip incompetence, changes in your facial profile, breathing and swallowing problems.
• Chewing Problems. Due to misaligned teeth it could become very difficult to chew your food. One of our patients with a severe underbite problem reported gagging and ended up in the emergency room. Further side effect of chewing with misaligned teeth are excessive enamel wear, tooth chipping, tooth decay, infections and gum disease.
• Chronic Jaw Pain. As the upper teeth push in under the lower teeth, the pressure on the jaw joint intensifies, which could trigger a TMJ disorder. This in turn could lead to headaches, neck pain, spinal misalignment, and even limping.

 

As you can see, underbites impact everything from daily activities like chewing and smiling to longer-term physical and mental health. Luckily, there are several treatment options available to bring the upper and lower jaw into alignment.

 

How do you correct an underbite?

Upper jaw expander: A device called a Palatal Expander is placed on the roof of the mouth and widened each night as treatment progresses. Over time, this increases the size of the dental arch and brings the upper and lower jaws into alignment.

Reverse Pull Face Mask: This resembles the headgear you may have seen on people with braces. It wraps around the head and attaches to metal bands on the back of the upper teeth to pull the upper jaw forward so it’s in line with the lower jaw.

Chin Cap: This device wraps around the chin and lower jaw to prevent it from growing and expanding out even further. This is a good option for children or teens whose jaws are still being formed.

Braces and veneers: Traditional braces may be used to correct mild underbites. Veneers may also be placed on the upper teeth so that top and bottom teeth align. Again, this is only recommended for non-severe underbites.

If none of those options are feasible, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon can perform underbite correction surgery to manually bring your upper and lower jaws into alignment. Braces are typically required after surgery to keep the teeth in alignment while your mouth adjusts to its new configuration. Children are more likely candidates for non-surgical intervention because their jaws are still developing. Once the jaw becomes fully formed in adulthood, it becomes more difficult to correct bite issues.

Let Chauvin Dental Help

If you have an underbite, no matter how severe, our team at Chauvin Dental in Lafayette, Louisiana, can help develop a treatment plan that will improve your quality of life and lead to a healthier mouth in the long run.

 

Do you wake up feeling parched? Does it seem your mouth is uncomfortably dry even though you drink plenty of water? Persistent dry mouth—also known as xerostomia—can negatively affect your oral health and quality of life. There are a number of underlying causes that contribute to dry mouth, and these causes will dictate the approach to improving the symptoms and effects of xerostomia.

Symptoms of Dry Mouth

Dry mouth presents pretty self-explanatory symptoms. If you have chronic xerostomia, your mouth will feel dry throughout the day on a regular basis. You will also feel thirsty frequently. Other symptoms can include:

• Bad breath
• Irritated and inflamed soft oral tissue
• Symptoms of gum disease
• A dry tongue that appears and feels raw
• Difficulty chewing and swallowing food
• Inability to taste certain flavors
• Persistent hoarseness
• Dry nasal cavity

Causes

There are many underlying issues that can contribute to dry mouth. Some of underlying causes can be related to oral health while many are related to your overall wellbeing. When determining the cause of your xerostomia, your dentist will likely inquire about your general health history, oral health history, lifestyle habits including your diet, and the type(s) of medications and supplements you take on a frequent basis.

Following are some common causes behind dry mouth and its symptoms.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a condition that’s difficult to diagnose because its symptoms manifest when we are asleep. This condition is a common contributor to dry mouth, though.  Categorized by periods of breathing cessation followed by slight wakefulness, obstructive sleep apnea also causes severe sleep deprivation if it’s not addressed with professional treatment. A person with obstructive sleep apnea will literally stop breathing during rest. Caused by airway obstructions, sleep apnea can dry oral tissues because patients tend to breathe through their mouths instead of their noses. Erratic and labored breathing with this condition also dries out the mouth.

Treating sleep apnea can mitigate symptoms of dry mouth. It will also help patients achieve the proper rest they deserve.

Side Effects of Medications & Chronic Health Conditions

Your overall health is connected to your oral health. Common health conditions can affect the health of your teeth and gums. Conversely, oral health conditions affect your general wellbeing. A myriad of general health concerns contributes to dry mouth. Diabetes is a common cause of dry mouth as this condition literally diminishes saliva production. Medications like antihistamines and antidepressants are also common culprits behind xerostomia. This is because these medications have an effect on saliva production.

Other conditions that contribute to dry mouth:

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Stroke
• Cystic Fibrosis
• Arthritis
• HIV/AIDS
• Hypertension
• Anemia

Medications that might cause dry mouth include:

• Psychiatric medications
• Diuretics
• Chemotherapy
• Acne medications
• Inhalers for asthma
• Cold medications including decongestants
• Pain medicines

 

Dehydration & Excessive Sodium Intake

Dehydration and consuming too much sodium causes dry mouth. This cause, however, is easy to rule out by monitoring your water and sodium intake. Increasing your water consumption and reducing the levels of salt in your food can reduce symptoms of dry mouth substantially.

Look for lesser-known sources of sodium like those found in prepared/packaged foods, sports drinks, and sauces. Check nutrition labels on everything you eat and try to avoid fast food. Lastly, be sure you’re drinking at least 64-ounces of water every day.

Risks of Untreated Xerostomia

Dry mouth isn’t just uncomfortable, it puts your oral health at risk. The soft oral tissues in your mouth should be moist. When it’s dry, your risks for irritation, inflammation, and infection are increased. Saliva production is actually nature’s way of protecting your teeth and gums from irritation and bacteria. For example, saliva helps dilute acids so that you can maintain a healthy oral pH. It also helps rinse away leftover debris from food. These reasons are why it’s important to address dry mouth with alterations to your lifestyle and professional treatment, if necessary.

Treating Dry Mouth

The first step in treating persistent dry mouth is to schedule an appointment with your primary care provider and your dentist. These appointments will give your doctor and your dentist a chance to rule out underlying causes of xerostomia. Since dry mouth can be a symptom of many health conditions, bringing this to the attention of your doctor could improve your health and quality of life.

If you suffer with dry mouth, your regular dental checkups and cleanings are even more important. Since dry mouth increases the risks of developing tooth decay, fungal infections, and periodontal disease, routine care can help detect problems before they progress to their advanced stages. Sometimes, specialized prophylaxis for treating periodontal disease and restorations to strengthen teeth might be necessary to counteract damage already caused by chronic dry mouth.

Those with dry mouth should take a proactive approach to oral hygiene at home, too. You should brush twice a day for at least two minutes each time. Carefully and thoroughly brush all sides of your teeth, your tongue, and your gums so that you can remove as much surface debris as possible. Flossing is essential to safeguarding your health against periodontal disease and tooth decay.

If dry mouth persists, your dentist might prescribe specialty mouth rinses that help keep the oral cavity moist. Some patients benefit from medications that stimulate saliva production, too. Additionally, sipping water throughout the day and chewing sugar-free gum can help keep soft oral tissue hydrated.

Working with your dentist and doctor will help you isolate the causes of your symptoms and protect your health against their affects.

If it’s time for a dental checkup or cleaning, contact our practice to schedule an appointment with our gentle Lafayette, LA dentist.