Healthy Tips

Dental Healthy Tips for Pregnancy
How Sweet It Is ... and isn't
The Dental Savings "Work-Out"
A Happy, Healthy Vacation for You & Your Smile
Is Teeth Whitening a Bright Idea?

1. Dental Healthy Tips for PREGNANCY

Tell your dentist you are pregnant as it may affect the type of care necessary for you.
Sometimes, hormonal changes can contribute to inflammation of the gums if your oral hygiene is not good. If your gums are swollen or bleed when you clean your teeth, it is necessary to see your dentist.
Familiarize yourself with the dental care for you and your new baby asking the dentist for advice.
Keep up regular tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste and use dental floss daily.
Watch your diet and avoid sweet between - meal snacks as they lead to acid attack which causes tooth decay.

2. How Sweet It Is ... and isn't

Most of today’s popular snack foods contain sugar and lots of it.

It’s no secret: a healthy, well balanced diet is the basis for good health. But if you’re like most people, when you think ‘diet’, you probably look at your waistline and not at your smile. Like the rest of your body, teeth and gums need nutrients and minerals to help them stay in shape and ward off disease. A common enemy, snacking, can undermine both.

Even though you can’t eliminate sugar from your diet, and snacking may just be too tempting to pass up, there are some simple things you can do to reduce your sugar intake and protect your teeth:

Choose healthy snack foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts and milk.
Cut down on the sugar you add to coffee or tea.
Instead of choosing a soft drink, try quenching your thirst with a good old-fashioned glass of water.
Watch out for hidden or refined sugars and read the list of ingredients on food labels.

Remember honey, molasses, glucose and fructose are all forms of sugar, too.
When you do eat candies and sweets, avoid gooey ones that stick to your teeth. Try to eat them with a meal. Why? Because a meal gives your mouth time to produce saliva, and saliva will dilute the sugar and help wash it off your teeth.

Of course, you should always brush after eating sweets. If you can’t, rinse your mouth with water or follow the candy with something fibrous, such as an apple or raw vegetables. This will help to dilute or remove some of the sugar from your teeth.

If you have any questions about tooth-friendly snacking, give our office a call. We’ll be glad to show you other ways to keep your “sweet tooth” from tarnishing your smile.

The average person consumes a staggering 88 lbs. of sugar each year!
That’s almost half a cup a day!

3. The Dental Savings "Workout"

Quite often, the expense of dental treatments keeps patients away until they experience pain and suffering.

We would like to work with you at keeping your dental bills as low as possible, and have come up with the following suggestions:

Book an appointment
Teeth and gums do not get better on their own. If you may think you have a problem, then you probably do. Delaying your visit will only allow the situation to get worse, increasing the expense of repair and recovery.
Practice at home
Taking proper care of your daily brushing and flossing habits has a great impact on the amount of dental work you may need. Being mindful of these, as well as your diet and nutrition, will help limit your trips to the dentist.
An ounce of prevention
We work with you to ensure your recall periods allow you to wait the maximum amount of time before a cleaning and a check-up are necessary. Unfortunately, waiting until ”next time” to take x-rays can be more detrimental and costly in the long run. We understand your concerns about x-rays, and try to keep them to a minimum; but as a tool, they help in guarding you against decay, periodontal problems and other abnormalities.
Referrals
We work for you in trying to keep our fees to a minimal, and new patients help in reducing the need for increases. To those who continue to send friends, family and neighbours, we extend a warm thank you.
Benefit yourself
By taking advantage of your allocated cleaning per year, you will maximize your insurance benefits, and provide yourself with an extra ounce of prevention. Remember, what you fail to use during your benefit period is lost, the amount will not be carried forward into the next benefit year.

4. A Happy, Healthy Vacation for You & Your Smile

You know the old adage about getting ready for a trip: first, you pack everything you want to take, then you pack only the things you need to take, and finally you pack only what will fit in the suitcase...

...but if have a dental condition or are in middle of a course of treatment, there is more to it than that.

So here’s some advice to help you enjoy a happy, healthy vacation:

Schedule dental appointments and treatments (such as adjustments to braces) a week or two in advance of leaving. That way, if complications arise and follow-up treatment is needed, it won’t mar your vacation.

If you are undergoing root canal treatment, complete it before you leave. This is particularly important if you plan to fly, since changes in cabin pressure can cause severe pain in a vulnerable tooth.

If you require prescription medication for gum problems or other dental conditions make sure you have sufficient medication to last for the duration of your vacation, plus another week to 10 days (in case your return is delayed).

5. Is Teeth Whitening a Bright Idea?

We are very happy to announce Dr. Caminschi's article published in
The Mississauga Life magazine. Here's a sneak peek!

How to be smart about a dental craze.

Are you considering bleaching or whitening your teeth? You’re not alone. According to a survey by the American Association of Cosmetic Dentistry, Americans spent $1.4 billion on whitening products in 2006. It’s not difficult to understand why: we’re inundated on a daily basis by images of attractive celebs with smiles Photoshopped brighter than an arc welder.
So, let’s take it for granted that we’re obsessed: how can we be smart about it? We did a little research and talked to a dental professional, Dr. Genoveva Caminschi, to get some illuminating tips about teeth whitening.

Understand your expectations. Be realistic about what you want and what you’re willing to spend. Over-the-counter (OTC) whitening products (gels, toothpastes and strips) are not imbued with the Ark of the Covenant’s holy power; if they were, we’d all have perfectly white teeth. In-office solutions like energy-activated peroxide bleaching are great, but a single session can run you up to $150.

Consult with your dental professional. This seems like a no-brainer: find a trustworthy dentist and ask them what the best solution is for you. Then, make sure that none of your current dental issues make you unsuitable for whitening, because...

You absolutely must be cavity-free. Whether you’re getting a dentist-administered bleach or just using whitening strips, whitening products can cause tooth sensitivity and even exacerbate decay.
According to Dr. Caminschi, a bleach at the wrong time can turn a cavity molehill (filling) into a mountain (root canal).

Other than that, bleaching is safe. Mostly. Once you’ve reached adolescence and all of your adult teeth have come in, bleaching—even in-office bleaching—is a safe and reasonable option.
However, Dr. Caminschi warns against rushing into new argon laseractivated treatments. It’s an emerging science, and the side effects aren’t fully understood yet.

Follow the instructions carefully. According to Caminschi, any OTC product will work to some degree so long as it’s used punctually and as part of an overall regimen of oral care.

Be aware of what’s causing your tooth discolouration.
Again, consult a professional. While whitening treatments can be very effective against discolouration caused by aging or food, they may not be enough to combat the results of medications or conditions like fluorosis. Depending on the severity of the problem, whitening may need to be combined with veneers or other cosmetic dentistry.

Finally, beware the medication issue. Acne medications like tetracycline and minocycline can lead to tooth discolouration.
Many professionals recommend they be taken in tandem with vitamin C and/or whitening solutions; again, consult both your doctor and your dentist.

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