Saliva Shortage? Pay Extra Attention to Plaque Removal

Saliva has an important job to do in your mouth. For starters, it helps to remove food particles. But it also helps prevent tooth decay and infection by washing away plaque and keeping disease-causing bacteria from building up on your teeth and gums. But saliva can’t do all that work by itself. So it’s important to remove plaque yourself by practicing good oral hygiene, which means proper flossing each day, and twice-daily tooth brushing.

Most of us don’t think about the moisture in our mouths until our mouths become dry. A variety of conditions can cause dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, including the following:

• Cancer treatments. If you have any type of cancer of the head or neck and you receive radiation therapy, dry mouth is a common side effect because the radiation damages the salivary glands in addition to destroying the cancer. Some medications used to treat cancer in any part of the body can also cause dry mouth.
• Prescription medications. Hundreds of common medications, including many antidepressants and medications for high blood pressure, can contribute to a dry mouth. If you take medications that seem to make your mouth feel dry, be especially vigilant about tooth brushing and proper flossing.
• Nerve damage. Some types of injuries to the head or neck can damage the specific nerves that tell the salivary glands to produce saliva.
• Chronic illness. Diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and Parkinson’s disease are among the diseases that can contribute to a chronic dry mouth.
• Drug use. Methamphetamines have been associated with dry mouth.

To read the entire article please visit: OralB.com

Dentist Alexandria VA 
Bradlee Dental Care
3690 King Street, Suite KL
Alexandria, VA 22302
(703) 820-0809

Receding Gums

Learn more about what the American Dental Association has to say about receding gums.

The above video is found on the American Dental Association YouTube Channel.

Dentist Alexandria VA 
Bradlee Dental Care
3690 King Street, Suite KL
Alexandria, VA 22302
(703) 820-0809

What Are Dental Sealants?

Who Should Get Sealants?

Because of the likelihood of developing decay in the depressions and grooves of the premolars and molars, children and teenagers are candidates for sealants. However, adults without decay or fillings in their molars can also benefit from sealants.

Typically, children should get sealants on their permanent molars and premolars as soon as these teeth come in. In this way, the sealants can protect the teeth through the cavity-prone years of ages 6 to 14.

In some cases, dental sealants may also be appropriate for baby teeth, such as when a child's baby teeth have deep depressions and grooves. Because baby teeth play such an important role in holding the correct spacing for permanent teeth, it's important to keep these teeth healthy so they are not lost too early.

How Are Sealants Applied?

Applying sealant is a simple and painless process. It takes only a few minutes for your dentist or hygienist to apply the sealant to seal each tooth. The application steps are as follows:

First the teeth that are to be sealed are thoroughly cleaned.

Each tooth is then dried, and cotton or another absorbent material is put around the tooth to keep it dry.

An acid solution is put on the chewing surfaces of the teeth to roughen them up, which helps the sealant bond to the teeth.

The teeth are then rinsed and dried.

Sealant is then painted onto the tooth enamel, where it bonds directly to the tooth and hardens.

Sometimes a special curing light is used to help the sealant harden.

How Long Do Sealants Last?

Sealants can protect teeth from decay for up to 10 years, but they need to be checked for chipping or wearing at regular dental check-ups. Your dentist can replace sealants as necessary.

Does Insurance Cover the Cost of Sealants?

Many insurance companies cover the cost of sealants. Check with your dental insurance carrier to determine if sealants are covered under your plan.

Call Bradlee Dental Today for a Free Consultation! 

703-820-0809 or visit us at www. BradleeDentalCare.com and request an appointment today!

Scaling And Root Planing: Professional Plaque Removal

Perhaps you’ve been neglecting a good oral health routine. Or, you’ve done your best, but you’ve developed plaque and tartar buildup. A regular routine of twice-daily tooth brushing and daily flossing is an important part of regular plaque removal for everyone. But if you have risk factors that have caused a buildup of plaque on your teeth and gums to harden into tartar, your dentist or dental hygienist may suggest scaling or root planing your teeth to remove the buildup. If left untreated, severe tartar buildup along and under the gum line can cause the gums to pull away from the teeth, which may increase the risk of gum disease.

Scaling and root planing are common nonsurgical techniques that may prevent the need for more serious procedures, such as periodontal surgery or a root canal.

Here’s what to expect if your dentist or dental hygienist recommends these techniques:

• You won’t feel it. You’ll receive a local anesthetic to numb the area.
• Scaling: Your dentist or dental hygienist removes plaque and tartar from the areas both above and below the gum line.
• Root Planing: Your dentist or dental hygienist uses special tools to smooth rough spots on the tooth roots. This process not only removes bacteria and helps reduce plaque buildup, but it provides a smooth surface for gums to reattach to the teeth.

After a scaling and root planing procedure, be sure to follow your dentist’s instructions and maintain an oral care routine of twice-daily tooth brushing and daily flossing. If your gums are sensitive after the procedure, try a spongy floss, such as Oral-BÆ Ultra FlossÆ, to help prevent painful flossing.

The above article is from: OralB.com

Dentist Alexandria VA 
Bradlee Dental Care
3690 King Street, Suite KL
Alexandria, VA 22302
(703) 820-0809

Dental Plaque

Learn more about what the American Dental Association has to say about dental plaque.

The above video is found on the American Dental Association YouTube Channel.

Dentist Alexandria VA 
Bradlee Dental Care
3690 King Street, Suite KL
Alexandria, VA 22302
(703) 820-0809

Parts of the Tooth

Learn more about what the American Dental Association has to say about about what makes up the tooth.

The above video is found on the American Dental Association YouTube Channel.

Dentist Alexandria VA 
Bradlee Dental Care
3690 King Street, Suite KL
Alexandria, VA 22302
(703) 820-0809

Diabetes and the importance of oral hygiene and nutrition

Poor Oral Posture Can Impact Facial Growth- Biobloc Orthotropics

Flossing - Bad Breath Killer

Flossing As Prevention For Bad Breath
Need another reason to floss your teeth at least once a day? Flossing daily helps improve bad breath by effectively removing the food particles and bacteria that contribute to it. That makes flossing one of the easiest ways to prevent and banish bad breath.

Bad breath, also known as halitosis, is more common than many people realize. You may joke about bad breath, whether it’s your own or someone else’s, but it’s an important oral health issue. Bad breath can be more than an embarrassing social problem-it can be a sign of disease or illness.

Saliva is Your Friend
Less saliva means that your mouth is more susceptible to plaque buildup, which can create an unpleasant smell on your breath. Pay extra attention to any of the following circumstances that can reduce the saliva in your mouth and promote bad breath:

• Drinking alcohol. Alcohol-containing beverages may promote a dry mouth and cause bad breath. So don’t forget to floss after an evening out on the town, no matter how much you’re tempted to hop into bed and forget about it.
• Early morning. Saliva stops flowing while you sleep, so you may be prone to bad breath in the morning. If so, mornings may be the best time for your daily dental flossing.
• Being hungry or thirsty. When you’re dehydrated, there’s not as much saliva in your mouth, so you’re prone to bad breath and increased bacterial buildup. Drink enough fluids and remember to floss. Also, remember that chewing food increases the saliva in your mouth, so if you’re skipping meals or dieting, you may develop bad breath.

If you’re dieting and eating less frequently, a mint floss can not only help bad breath by removing bacteria, it may help you with your diet by providing a fresh taste in your mouth that makes you less tempted to snack. People who are following extremely low carbohydrate diets also sometimes report bad breath, but these reports are anecdotal. If you’re on a low-carb diet, or any restrictive diet, you may be promoting bad breath. If you must restrict your food intake and eat infrequently, drink plenty of water to help maintain the level of saliva in your mouth to help prevent bad breath in addition to following a good oral care routine.

To read the entire article please visit: OralB.com

Dentist Alexandria VA 
Bradlee Dental Care
3690 King Street, Suite KL
Alexandria, VA 22302
(703) 820-0809

Cervical headgear therapy as a factor in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Scientific Article

Pediatric dentistry (Impact Factor: 0.56).

ABSTRACT Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) has been a subject of increasing interest from the orthodontic point of view, but less attention has been paid to the possible influence of orthodontic treatment on its occurrence. The aim here was to study possible associations between the use of cervical headgear and nocturnal cessations of airflow and the severity of the latter.

The subjects were 30 children (12 boys, 18 girls, mean age 8.2, sd 1.61 years), divided into three groups: a group of 10 children undergoing headgear therapy, selected for this examination because of symptoms of OSAS while using headgear, an age-matched control group of 10 healthy children and a group of 10 with OSAS. Standard cephalograms of the headgear group prior to the orthodontic therapy and the corresponding cephalograms of healthy controls were analysed. A polygraphic (PG) sleep evaluation was used to assess the tendency for OSAS. Apnea and hypopnea periods were summated as apnea index (AI) and number of desaturations as desaturation index (ODI). All the subjects spent one night sleeping under laboratory conditions, those with orthodontic treatment spending the first half of the night with the headgear and the latter half without.

The position of the mandible was found to be slightly more posterior in the headgear group than in the control group. The children in the headgear group were found to have significantly more apnea/hypopnea periods during the hours when the appliance was used, and the ODI-index showed increased values in this group.

We suggest that headgear therapy may contribute to the occurrence of sleep apnea, when a strong predisposition, such as mandibular retrognathia to the development of upper airway occlusion already exists.