Sports and Energy Drinks: A Hidden Danger to Your Teeth
While sports and energy drinks may seem like a healthy choice for a post-workout boost or late-night study session, they can have a significant negative impact on your oral health. Surprisingly, research has shown that these drinks are up to 10 times more harmful to your teeth than cola.
Why Are These Drinks So Harmful?
The primary issue lies in their high acidity levels. Manufacturers add acids to balance the sweetness of these beverages, but this acidity can erode your tooth enamel even more aggressively than soft drinks. Once the enamel is compromised, your teeth become more vulnerable to cavities and other oral health problems.
Additionally, the way people consume these drinks contributes to the damage. Sipping on them throughout the day constantly exposes teeth to acid, compounding the risk of enamel erosion and decay.
Protecting Your Teeth from Damage
Here are some tips to enjoy these drinks while minimizing their harm:
- Use a Straw: Drinking through a straw reduces the amount of contact the liquid has with your teeth, protecting them from prolonged exposure to acid.
- Chew Sugar-Free Gum: This stimulates saliva production, which naturally rinses away acids and protects your teeth.
- Brush After Drinking: Cleaning your teeth immediately after consuming sugary or acidic beverages helps remove residue and safeguard your enamel.
- Choose Water First: Water is the best choice for hydration and oral health. Reducing your intake of sodas, sports drinks, and energy beverages will benefit your teeth and overall well-being.
Take these simple precautions to preserve your smile and promote good dental health.
Family and general dentist in Sicklerville
Do you live in Sicklerville or the surrounding area? Our team is ready to help you achieve your smile goals. Schedule your appointment today.
Oral surgery to correct problems with the jaw is known as orthognathic surgery. Jaw issues can result from birth defects, growth changes, or injury or trauma to the face. While orthodontics can correct bite problems when only the teeth are involved, oral surgery may be required when repositioning of the jaw is necessary to correct the issue. If you suffer from any of the following concerns, orthognathic surgery may be a consideration:
- Difficulty chewing, biting, or swallowing
- Problems with opening and closing your mouth, or with speaking
- Persistent jaw or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain
- Clenching or grinding of teeth causing excessive wear
- Inability to make the lips meet without straining
- Un-proportional facial appearance or protruding jaw
- Malocclusion, open, or incorrect bite
- Recessive lower jaw and chin
- Habitual mouth breathing
- Sleep apnea and breathing problems
- Facial injury or trauma
Most jaw surgeries are performed entirely inside the mouth, so there are no visible facial scars. The oral surgeon makes cuts in the jawbone and repositions it to the correct position. Once aligned, screws and bone plates are used to secure the jaw. In some cases, additional bone may be taken from your hip, leg, or rib.
Orthognathic surgery is typically performed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon in a hospital setting. Recovery time for jaw surgery typically takes three to six weeks. Your general or family dentist can refer you to a skilled oral surgeon for a consultation and examination to determine a treatment plan. Jaw surgery can improve not only your facial appearance but also your chewing, speaking, and breathing functions.
Take the first step towards a confident smile. Contact our Sicklerville dental office to schedule your consultation!
Movie stars and celebrities often have dazzling smiles that instantly grab attention. In recent years, cosmetic dentistry has gained widespread popularity, and many people are eager to achieve the stunning smiles they see on famous faces. A beautiful smile can boost self-confidence and enhance self-esteem, making it a highly sought-after feature.
Your dentist in [Sicklerville] can help transform your smile, often using a combination of techniques tailored to your needs. A smile makeover may involve procedures like teeth whitening, tooth-colored fillings, and porcelain veneers. Skilled cosmetic dentists can also restore damaged teeth and rebuild your smile, allowing patients to invest as much or as little as they want in enhancing their appearance.
When considering a smile makeover, it’s important to define what you consider a perfect smile. Think about specific aspects of your teeth that you would like to change. Do you want straighter teeth, or perhaps to address spaces between your teeth? Are your teeth looking a little dull and in need of whitening?
Popular cosmetic dentistry treatments include:
- Dental Implants: To replace missing teeth
- Invisalign Clear Braces: For discreet teeth straightening
- Porcelain Crowns and Fillings: To replace old restorations
- Porcelain Veneers: To create a uniform and stunning smile
By discussing your goals with your cosmetic dentist in [Sicklerville], you can explore various treatment options. Many patients find it helpful to bring in photographs of smiles they admire, which can guide the development of your treatment plan. Keep in mind that everyone’s smile is unique, so your treatment will be customized to suit your facial features, skin tone, gender, and age.
Are dental issues holding you back? Take control of your oral health by booking an appointment with our experienced team at our Sicklerville dental office.
Gum disease, or gingivitis, can cause significant inflammation, pain, and sensitivity, making everyday activities like eating and speaking challenging. Understanding the causes and potential consequences of gum disease is essential for preventing its development or catching it early before it leads to more severe problems.
What Causes Gingivitis?
The primary cause of gingivitis is plaque buildup, but several other factors can contribute to the condition:
- Illnesses: Diseases such as HIV, diabetes, and cancer can weaken the immune system, increasing the risk of gingivitis.
- Hormonal Changes: Pregnancy, menstruation, puberty, and menopause can alter hormone levels, making gums more vulnerable.
- Medications: Some medications, such as those affecting saliva production or promoting abnormal gum tissue growth, can harm oral health.
- Smoking: Tobacco use can impair gum healing and make it harder to recover from gum disease.
- Poor Dental Hygiene: Failing to brush and floss properly, or neglecting oral care, can lead to plaque buildup.
- Genetics: A family history of gum disease can increase your risk.
Symptoms of Gingivitis
Gingivitis can develop without obvious symptoms, even in its later stages. However, some warning signs may include:
- Bleeding, red, or swollen gums
- Chronic bad breath
- Receding gums
- Deep pockets between teeth and gums
- Loose or shifting teeth
- Changes in bite or how teeth fit together
Regular checkups are vital, as a dentist can detect symptoms even before you do.
Treatment for Gingivitis
The treatment approach depends on the stage of gum disease, your response to previous treatments, and your overall health. Treatments range from therapies to control bacterial growth to surgical procedures aimed at restoring gum tissue. In many cases, gingivitis can be managed with regular dental visits and good dental hygiene.
What Happens if Gingivitis Is Left Untreated?
If left untreated, gingivitis can progress to periodontitis, causing permanent damage to the gums and supporting structures. Advanced gum disease has also been linked to serious health issues like stroke, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and complications of diabetes.
Take the first step towards optimal oral hygiene. Reserve your dental appointment at our Sicklerville dental office now and experience personalized care.
The first impression you make on the world often starts with your smile. Dingy, dull, crooked or chipped teeth create the appearance of an “old” smile, making you look older than your actual years. Restoring your smile’s youthful look is an easy way to subtract years from the image you portray to the world. Thanks to advances in modern cosmetic dentistry, your smile can appear as young as you feel.
As tooth enamel thins with age, teeth lose their shine and appear darker. Thin enamel also causes teeth to weaken, making them easier to chip and causing wear and shifting. Cosmetic dentistry offers many procedures and treatments to address these problems and help return your smile to a younger, more vibrant state. Just a few options you may want to consider include:
- Professional teeth whitening to improve the color of teeth that have been darkened by stains or discolored from age.
- Porcelain veneers and bonding to correct gaps, chips, and teeth with uneven lengths. Veneers can also reshape teeth, restoring the youthful appearance created by longer teeth. Veneers can also be used to build up your back teeth to support the cheekbones, replacing the fullness lost with aging and giving your face the appearance of a “lift”.
- Orthodontia with either clear or traditional braces corrects the misalignment caused by teeth that shift as you age.
If your desire is to look as youthful as you feel, cosmetic dentistry may be a perfect solution to address the problems of an aging smile. Many procedures can be completed in as little as one office visit, with little to no recovery time. Consult with a qualified cosmetic dentist to find out how you can achieve a younger, more perfect smile.
We look forward to seeing you in our Sicklerville dental office
Porcelain dental veneers are among the most popular options for transforming your smile. These veneers can achieve dramatic and stunning results, not only enhancing the aesthetic appearance of your smile but also boosting your self-confidence. Years of self-consciousness related to smile insecurities often fade away, leaving you feeling confident to smile, talk, and eat in public.
Dental veneers are primarily used on the most visible teeth—the front ones. Only a very small amount of the natural tooth is ground away to make room for the veneers, ensuring they do not appear overly thick or unnatural. A dental lab will create custom veneers from molds, using special techniques to craft veneers that perfectly match the desired tooth shade. Once placed, the veneers are designed to mimic natural, beautiful, white teeth, resulting in a vibrant and confident smile.
Porcelain veneers are a simple and risk-free solution for correcting chipped, gapped, crooked, or stained teeth. Short teeth can be lengthened, and “gummy” smiles can be corrected. Many patients who have suffered for years with dental issues they believed would require major work are surprised to find that these problems can often be addressed quickly and easily with porcelain veneers.
If you’re considering a smile makeover, it’s important to do your research. Cosmetic dentistry is not a legally separate specialty, and many dentists claim to specialize in it without truly understanding the artistry and attention to detail required to design a beautiful smile.
Ask potential dentists for photographs of before and after patient results. Talk to friends or family for personal recommendations—you might be surprised how many people with what seem like naturally perfect smiles have actually had a smile makeover using dental veneers.
Don’t wait to experience the benefits of porcelain veneers and a smile makeover. Consult with your cosmetic dentist today to discover the options available to you in order to achieve your smile goals.
Ready to transform your smile? Schedule your appointment today at our Sicklerville dental office.
