Apollonia Dental Center
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Office News
Our goal is to develop a strong partnership with every patient. When you understand the importance of your dental health, we can help you maintain a healthy mouth, as well as treat the causes and symptoms of any dental condition.
We invite you to read our latest SmileLink newsletter and to check out our website often for new information, or contact our office with any questions or concerns. Working together, we can help you achieve a lifetime of healthy and attractive teeth and gums.
Featured Article |
SmileLink Articles |
Drink To Your Health
Patients often ask us if bottled water contains fluoride. The answer depends upon a variety of factors. The first factor is determining where the water was sourced. For example, a brand of bottled water that is sold in all 50 states is regulated by the FDA but a brand that’s sold only inside the state where it’s bottled, it is regulated by that state’s laws. These standards can vary greatly from state to state. Also, consider that not all bottled water is as pristine as the ads would have you to believe. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, some bottled water is plain old tap water that may contain fluoride but may also contain contaminants. There is no way to tell which bottled water is tap water and what the fluoride content may be.
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An Ounce of Prevention
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and in the case of oral health, prevention is sold by the ounce. Just as you have a beauty routine or a fitness routine, it’s important to maintain an oral health routine. Brushing is essential but it’s only one component of a complete routine. It’s also not just important that you brush but that you brush properly and at least twice a day. First up, it’s time to floss. Flossing isn’t just for removing food particles but also biofilm and bacteria. It is ideal to floss at least once every 24 hours.
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Pull Once? Think Twice
When it comes to a damaged tooth, an extraction may seem like the quickest and easiest solution. But before you pull that tooth, consider the long-term costs of losing a tooth. When you are on a tight budget, that $75 to $150 dollar (national average) extraction can seem like the best idea. For the money, it’s a one-time fix with no upkeep, right? Maybe not. When a tooth is extracted, it affects all the teeth around it. That empty space allows the neighboring teeth to shift and move without the support of a neighboring tooth. Unlike losing a primary tooth, there is no new tooth erupting to fill the gap. This can cause the teeth surrounding the extraction to drift and tip into this newly opened space resulting in jaw pain and provide opportunities to damage those newly misaligned teeth. Now, your economical extraction requires $5500 to $7500 in orthodontic work to repair. So, what is the better long-term plan for dealing with a damaged tooth?
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Brush Up on the Go
When packing for a long trip or a jaunt out into the wild, pre-plan your oral routine. Accessing your toothbrush and paste mid-flight could be messy and inconvenient . Luckily, there are waterless, pre-pasted toothbrushes that can be stashed in your carry-on that make maintaining your routine a breeze. There are a couple of different styles to choose from so you can tailor your decision to your situation. One style delivers tooth gel or liquid onto the bristles with a squeeze of the replaceable cartridge, located in the handle. Another delivers toothpaste onto the bristles when you push the handle into the brush head. Others have a dot of toothpaste in the center of the bristle head. .
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Black and Blues
Life’s bumps and bruises are commonly seen on arms and legs, but they can appear in your mouth, too. A large oral bruise is called an ecchymosis (ek-ee-‘mo-sis).
I’m sure that you’ve tasted things that seemed like an assault on your mouth but that’s not how an oral bruise is formed. An ecchymosis is a flat and dark-colored spot where blood has pooled in the top layers of skin. It can be caused by biting oneself while chewing, other trauma, genetics and medications.
Your mother was right when she told you not to put things in your mouth. It is important not to chew anything that is not meant to be chewed and to be cautious when chewing any hard or rough food that can damage blood vessels.
An ecchymosis can occur by eating a crunchy food or by chewing on non-food items such as pencils and eyeglass legs. Toddlers are especially susceptible to bruising as they tend to put everything they come across in their mouths. Decrease your toddler’s risk by keeping suitable teething rings handy for bitey babies.
The elderly have increased occurrences of ecchymosis because of a combination of thinning, more fragile blood vessels and old poorly-fitting dentures or worn, jagged restorations.
Medications for arthritis, heart disease and even aspirin that have blood-thinning elements can contribute to the formation of ecchymosis.
Luckily, an ecchymosis isn’t dangerous and resolves itself in a short per...