Royal Oak and Birmingham, MI

It’s no secret that a healthy lifestyle helps reduce your risks of illnesses and diseases, but did you know that oral hygiene should also be part of a healthy lifestyle? Oral hygiene is an important part of your overall health and wellness. Studies link poor oral health to an increased risk of diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and dementia. But with a daily oral hygiene regimen, you could help protect your mouth and your body. Today on the blog, our family dentist in Royal Oak, Dr. Nancy Hartrick, shares four oral hygiene rituals that you can’t live without.

Brushing twice a day for two minutes each session

Brushing your teeth is the best way to remove plaque and bacteria from your teeth that could otherwise cause cavities or gum disease. But if you aren’t brushing your teeth often enough or for long enough at each session, then you leave yourself at risk of oral diseases and even tooth loss, eventually. Therefore, be sure that you brush your teeth twice a day and for at least two minutes each time. Two minutes is longer than you think. Most people probably only brush for about 30 seconds. To be sure you’re brushing long enough, set a timer to ensure you brush your teeth for a full two minutes. And always brush your teeth before bed to remove food, bacteria, and sugar so that these substances don’t linger and become destructive while you sleep.

Flossing your teeth daily

It’s true that many adults and children do not floss their teeth ever or hardly at all. Unfortunately, if you skip flossing, you could be at risk of developing oral diseases that lead to pain or tooth loss. It is recommended that you floss your teeth every day before bed. Flossing cleans between your teeth where your toothbrush simply cannot reach. Not only will you experience improved breath, but flossing also lowers your risk of gum disease, the number one cause of tooth loss among adults in the U.S.

Rinsing with alcohol-free mouthwash

Mouthwash does not take the place of regular brushing and flossing but adding it to your nightly oral hygiene routine has its benefits. It’s a common misconception that mouthwash should burn and sting. And that the worse the burn, the better the job the solution is doing at protecting your oral health. Thankfully, that is a false claim. In fact, you can opt for alcohol-free mouth rinses that produce the same results as mouthwash that contain alcohol, except without the burn. Some studies found that alcohol-based mouthwashes disturb the oral microbiome, which could increase the risk of oral diseases, and certain types of oral cancer. Therefore, opt for an alcohol-free mouthwash to be on the safe side and still reap the oral health benefits of fresher breath and healthier teeth.

See your Royal Oak dentist twice a year

Twice-yearly dental cleanings and checkups are necessary to maintain healthy teeth and gums. During your dental cleanings, the hygienist removes stuck-on tartar buildup that could lead to gum infections and cavities if ignored. These cleanings also remove stains from your teeth. The dentist conducts a thorough examination of your oral health, noting any changes that need to be addressed as soon as they appear before costly repairs are needed.

Family Dentist in Royal Oak and Birmingham, Michigan

Dr. Hartrick offers family dental care to patients of all ages. We believe that at-home oral hygiene and routine dental checkups and cleanings are the cornerstone of healthy teeth and gums. If you are ready to schedule an appointment, please contact Hartrick Dentistry by calling (248) 549-0950. But we encourage you to adopt these four oral hygiene rituals to maintain good oral health throughout your life.

Royal Oak and Birmingham, MI

Probiotics and their effect on the human microbiome have been the topic of many discussions among doctors and in medical studies. The more we understand about these microorganisms, the better we can improve our health. Similar to microbiomes inside of our bodies, like the gut, our mouths contain millions of bacteria as well. The most common oral bacteria that you hear about is the kind that causes tooth decay and gum disease. But recent studies show there are other oral microbiota that we should focus on so that we can better understand their role in the microbial community. You’ve probably heard about the benefits of taking a probiotic and its effect on gut health and the rest of the body. So, today on the blog, find out if probiotics promote better oral health.

What’s the importance of our oral microbiome?

There are trillions of non-human microorganisms that make up the human body. Our oral cavity is the second largest microbiome in the human body, and it directly affects our gut and gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, our mouths deserve a lot more attention than they get! Unfortunately, certain medications, stress, environmental factors, and what we eat directly affect our oral microbiome, which can increase your risk of cavities and gum disease, the most prevalent chronic diseases in our country. According to studies, more than 1 in 4 adults have untreated cavities, as opposed to 1 in 5 children between the ages of 5 to 11 who have at least one cavity that is untreated. And a staggering half of adults over age 30 have some form of gum disease, the leading cause of tooth loss in the U.S.

Why are oral bacteria necessary for better oral health?

Oral probiotics could help reduce your risk of cavities and gum disease if brushing and flossing don’t seem to be enough for you. Some studies prove that specific strains of bacteria help restore the oral microbiome. These strains include Streptococcus salivarius M18, Lactobacillus reuteri, and Lactobacillus paracasei. If taken regularly, healthy bacteria colonize, limiting the growth of toxic bacteria in the mouth. The Lactobacillus bacteria is also found in the intestinal tract, which can help reduce harmful bacteria, even in saliva. Not only do probiotics help improve gut function, which impacts the immune system, but also promote better oral health.

What kind of probiotics do I need for my oral health?

Most probiotics that you’ve probably seen on the market are ones that you swallow, which means that those won’t affect your oral health but target your gut instead. However, for probiotics to target your oral health, you’d need to take one that dissolves slowly in the mouth or that can be applied directly to your teeth and gums. There are many of these probiotics available on the market, but if you’d like some advice on which one is right for you, please speak with Dr. Hartrick or one of our knowledgeable dental hygienists at your next cleaning appointment.

Family Dentist in Royal Oak and Birmingham, Michigan

Dr. Hartrick offers dental services to patients of all ages. Part of our services includes educating our patients on products and steps that can help improve their oral health and reduce their risk of oral diseases. Probiotics may make a difference for you. If you’d like to learn more or schedule a consultation, please call Hartrick Dentistry at (248) 549-0950.

Royal Oak and Birmingham, MI

Most people can expect to have dental issues at some point in their lives. For some, that dental trouble is obvious: for example, a blow to the mouth that produces bleeding and broken or missing teeth are clear signs that the mouth is in distress.

For other, less sudden kinds of dental trouble, the teeth and gums may not provide signals that are so easy to read. In fact, in some cases there may by no signs at all, and the patient is only informed of a problem at a dental checkup. However, in many cases the mouth is, in fact, providing clues that something may be amiss.

What are the most common kinds of dental problems? And what are some signs of these?

Decay and gum disease

Two of the biggest threats to the mouth are tooth decay and periodontal disease. Both are related in cause, and the appearance of one often means the other is present, too.

Tooth decay can be defined as the weakening of teeth caused by disintegration of their enamel and the interior tissue. This tends to occur because of an abundance of lactic acid in the mouth. Lactic acid is produced by the bacteria Streptococcus mutans, which naturally occurs in the mouth and is nourished by compounds identified by chemists as “sugars.” These “sugars” are found in a wide variety of food and beverages and include sucrose (found in table sugar and things made with it), glucose (found in bread and most starches), lactose (found in milk and dairy products), and fructose (found in fruits, and often used as a sweetener for mass-produced pre-packaged foods). Many foods contain more than one kind of sugar.

The lactic acid produced by s. mutans causes a process called demineralization in the enamel (the hard white outer coating of the teeth), and although ions in saliva causes remineralization, if too many bacteria and acid is present, the wearing can outpace the restoring. This can cause the smooth surface of dental enamel to become roughened, encouraging bacteria to settle on the teeth, forming a film called plaque. Plaque can then emit acid directly onto the teeth, which can lead to pits, and then holes, in the enamel known as cavities. This exposes the interior tissue of the tooth called dentin to the acid, which can then wear away and expose the nerve. The acid can also cause all the enamel to become thinner.

The acid also irritates and inflames the gums and can eventually cause them to become infected. This will lead to them reducing in size (receding gums), which can expose more and more of the tooth to the acid. The plaque may, in fact, extend below the gumline, attacking the roots of the tooth and even the jawbone. This is what is known as periodontal disease, or gum disease.

Early signs of dental trouble

Often, the early stages of tooth decay and periodontal disease exhibit warning signs:

Visible evidence

Sometimes, a cavity that is forming is visible. For example, if a tooth begins to have a spot – most often black or brown – that does not go away after brushing or flossing, that is almost always a cavity.

Likewise, the thinning of enamel may cause teeth to appear yellow. This is because the whiteness of teeth comes from the enamel; the dentin below is actually yellow in color, and as the enamel – which is already translucent – gets thinner, the teeth can appear yellow.

Gums that appear discolored (usually a dark red or purple, as opposed to their normal healthy shade of pink), swollen, or shrinking may indicate the early stages of periodontal disease.

Sensitivity, pain, and loose teeth

Cavities cause holes in the enamel, the outer protective layer of the tooth whose function includes shielding the dental nerve. Holes in enamel or thinned enamel provides the nerve with less protection from things like temperature variations from hot and cold food and beverages. Even breathing in very cold air can cause discomfort and pain. Likewise, the gums also protect the roots of teeth. If they recede, they offer less protection. This, too, can cause sensitivity to hot and cold and pain from certain foods.

Inflamed gums can hurt even in the absence of hot and cold; sometimes the pain happens during chewing or when the gums are touched. And sometimes the gums can just hurt for no apparent reason. Finally, gums securely hold the teeth in place. When they recede, teeth can start to become loose.

Sensitivity, mouth pain, and loose-feeling teeth are all signs of dental trouble.

Blood and trouble flossing

Many people will experience bleeding gums on occasion, such as during over-enthusiastic flossing. But blood that occurs with every brushing or flossing, or for no apparent reason, is a sign of periodontal disease.

Furthermore, most people have also gotten food stuck in their teeth from time to time or have seen floss (especially of the woven veriety) start to fragment or tear. But if food continually gets stuck in one particular place, or if floss regularly tears in a specific spot, it might be a sign of enamel roughened by a cavity.

Bad breath and bad taste in the mouth

An unpleasant but inevitable occurrence is that eventually everybody will have bad breath, especially upon waking or eating something strong-smelling. This will usually go away after brushing. On the other hand, persistent bad breath that remains even after brushing might be a sign of gum disease. A stubborn bad taste in the mouth may be another sign.

What to do next

None of these symptoms necessarily guarantee dental trouble, but for anyone observing one or more of these signs, an excellent next step would be to consult a dentist for an examination. A dentist can determine whether decay or periodontal disease is present and will recommend the best way to move forward.

Hartrick Dentistry provides dental treatments for patients of all ages in the Royal Oak area. Dr. Nancy Hartrick has nearly 30 years of dental experience. Schedule an appointment online or by calling 248-712-1149.

Royal Oak and Birmingham, MI

Especially when the cost of seemingly everything is skyrocketing around us, who doesn’t want to find ways to save money? Preventative dental care may seem expensive, but it’s nothing compared to the costs you may incur if you ignore your oral health over time. So our family dentist in the Royal Oak area is focusing today on oral hacks that can help you keep money in your pocket while maintaining your bright smile. 

Snack smart

So hear us out: we’re not suggesting you skip your morning or nightly toothbrushing sessions here, but through the day, certain foods are known to help clean and clear debris from teeth. Pop a piece of sugar-free gum in your mouth after lunch to help clear food debris from your teeth and stimulate saliva, which helps clean tooth surfaces. Other foods known for helping keep teeth clean between brushing sessions? Raw apples, celery and carrots.

Brush with baking soda

Baking soda is known for being an ingredient that’s included in effective, chemical-free household cleaners. But did you know you could brush your teeth with it, too? Have you noticed that many toothpaste companies are incorporating baking soda into their toothpaste ingredients? That’s because baking soda is known to remove stains and brighten teeth. It’s much cheaper than toothpaste; a box of baking soda costs around $1 and will last for a very long time. It can be a bit messy and certainly doesn’t have a minty taste straight out of the box — it also doesn’t contain necessary fluoride — but it’s effective and can even be incorporated a few times a week into your usual oral hygiene routine. If you switch to brushing frequently with baking soda, be sure you’re receiving fluoride from a source other than toothpaste.

Rinse with water

No toothbrush at work after your lunch break? No problem! A simple — and cost-free — swish of water immediately after eating removes food particles from the mouth and between the teeth. It also washes away bacteria and acids that beverages can leave on teeth. Repeat the rinse several times for maximum effectiveness.

Gargle with hydrogen peroxide

Okay, don’t go getting ahead of yourself; read this entire section before you go throwing back a swig of that brown-bottle liquid shoved in the back of your bathroom cabinet. But seriously: because of its antibacterial properties, hydrogen peroxide may offer several possible oral-health benefits, including reducing gum inflammation, when swished and gargled regularly. However, our Birmingham family dentists say this hack comes with a strong warning: never swallow. Using hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash, while arguably a more effective disinfectant than commercial mouthwashes, can also, if done incorrectly, cause side effects and be associated with certain risks.

Here’s how to use it properly with minimal, if any, risk:

1. Start with a typical 3% concentration of hydrogen peroxide — the same kind you find in the brown bottle at any drug store. Combine one part hydrogen peroxide with two parts water so that the solution you’re gargling is 1% hydrogen peroxide.
2. Gargle and swish a small mouthful of the mixture for 60 seconds (and never longer than 90 seconds).
3. Spit the solution out.

Oral health hacks in Royal Oak and Birmingham, Michigan

Hacks for oral health — even if they save you money — are not intended to replace daily brushing and flossing and routine professional cleanings by our Royal Oak family dentists at Hartrick Dentistry. To schedule your cleaning today, call our office at (248) 712-1149 or contact us online.