July 2016 - Eggert Family Dentistry Blog

May the Floss Be with You!

By Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

If we could send off our patients with a dental salutation, that would be it. Flossing is an incredibly important part of your oral health routine. But while most patients know brushing is a no-brainer, we certainly have trouble getting some of them to floss regularly.

Brushing does an excellent job of scrubbing away the plaque on the visible surfaces of your teeth. But your brush can’t reach between your teeth or under your gum line. And that’s exactly where plaque can build up, harden into tartar, and cause tooth decay.

Flossing empowers you to scrub away the plaque between your teeth and under your gum line. So why don’t people floss more? Some people claim that flossing is uncomfortable. It can be, especially when you’re first building your flossing routine. But the great thing about flossing is that it gets more comfortable—and more effective—the longer you do it.

Flossing FAQs

Our patients often ask us how frequently they should floss, when the best time to floss is, and what the best tools for the job are. Here’s what we recommend:

Frequency. Floss your teeth at least once per day.
Time of Day. Pick a time that works best for your routine, whether it be first thing in the morning, after lunch, or before bed.
Before or After Brushing. We feel that flossing before you brush is best because you can often work the plaque out and then brush it away, but studies show it really doesn’t matter as long as you do it!
Kids. Your kids should start flossing once they have two teeth that touch. Young children don’t have the dexterity to floss properly, so help them out until they’re about 10 or 11. String floss is very effective, but sometimes difficult to maneuver with kids. Therefore, using floss aids (we like Wild Flossers) can be very helpful.
Technique. Become a flossing Jedi in these five easy steps from the American Dental Association.

Flossing is an essential part of good oral health. We’d love nothing better than to see that the floss is strong in you at your next dentist appointment. Contact Eggert Family Dentistry today to schedule a visit. Call (651) 482-8412.

Why Is Your Dentist Recommending a Splint or Night Guard?

By: Dr Elizabeth Eggert

Night Guard We’ve all experienced the way stress manifests itself in our bodies. Tension headaches are just one common example. But many of us hold stress in our jaws or relieve stress by grinding our teeth. We might not even know we’re doing so, leading to discomfort and pain down the road.

Habitual clenching or grinding can cause a variety of problems with your jaw and teeth. It can overwork your muscles and periodontal ligaments, cause pain, and overstress your teeth. In extreme cases, forceful and repetitive clenching and grinding may even break teeth. Clenching and grinding can also overstress and cause pain and damage to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). To avoid these painful conditions, our dentists at Eggert Family Dentistry may recommend that you be fitted for a splint or night guard.

What does a splint or night guard prevent?

Splints and night guards protect your teeth and jaw from bruxism. Bruxism is the involuntary grinding of your teeth or clenching of your jaw. Clenching and grinding can occur during the day or night. Most people are not aware they even grind or clench.

But we are able to see the evidence of bruxism during your check-ups. We see patterns in the wear of your teeth and might notice you have highly developed jaw-closing muscles. In these cases, we might recommend splint therapy.

What is splint therapy?

Splint therapy, changes the position of your jaw to a relaxed muscle position by creating stable muscles and jaw joints. We use several different tools in splint therapy, including a Lucia Jig, an anterior deprogrammer, or a TMJ splint. Splint therapy may last a number of weeks or months, during which you come in for regular therapy appointments.

In an ideal situation, the teeth can then be changed to fit together at the same position where the jaw is relaxed. There are three typical methods to help this occur: equilibration of the teeth, orthodontics, or dental restorations. Some people elect not to change their teeth and to continue with their splint only. In these cases, sometimes the muscles stay stable with only night-time use of the splint.

What about night guards?

Night guards are appliances you wear while you sleep. A guard fits over your teeth and prevents them from grinding together. Though you can buy moldable night guards at the pharmacy, investing in a custom night guard we create ensures your appliance fits comfortably and correctly for years of use. The OTC night guards tend to be too bulky and often make people clench or grind even more than before. The main difference between a simple night-guard and splint therapy is that we cannot confirm that the night guard will keep you in your most relaxed muscle position.

It’s important that you take your dentist’s recommendation for splint therapy or night guards seriously. When left untreated, clenching and grinding can cause oral health issues down the road. If you suspect you clench your jaw or grind your teeth while you sleep or anytime, contact Eggert Family Dentistry today. Call (651) 482-8412.

Chew on This: Is Chewing Gum Bad for Your Teeth?

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

Chewing gum. It’s been around since the ancient Greeks and Mayans started chomping on tree sap. Today, most of us put chewing gum in the candy category. But chewing gum does have some benefits. In fact, the American Dental Association (ADA) has even approved certain chewing gums after studies prove they actually help protect your teeth.

The benefits of chewing gum

The act of chewing is good for oral health. Chewing increases the flow of saliva, which helps to neutralize and break down the acid that wears down enamel and contributes to tooth decay. Studies have shown that chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes after eating can prevent tooth decay. That’s great news for chewing gum addicts.

However . . .

Before you stock up on Orbit and Trident, remember that chewing gum is just a single tool in your oral health arsenal. Chewing gum does not replace daily brushing and flossing. And chewing gum with sugar can counteract any benefits. Also, chewing gum can actually be harmful for patients who experience jaw pain or have TMD/TMJ and bruxism. Ask us for a recommendation on chewing gum before cleaning out the shelves at Target.

Look for the ADA Seal

When you’re shopping for your next pack of chewing gum, look for the ADA Seal. It indicates a product has undergone a review of lab and clinical studies that prove it reduces plaque acids, decreases cavities, or gingivitis, or remineralizes teeth and is safe for oral tissues. Find a list of approved products on the ADA website.

Want a recommendation on a chewing gum that will fit in your oral health routine? Contact Eggert Family Dentistry today to schedule an appointment. Call (651) 482-8412. We look forward to seeing you!

Bon Voyage and Good Luck, Candy!

Candy Sina is stepping away from her position as Eggert Family Dentistry’s financial and insurance coordinator to run for state office. Candy is running for the Minnesota State Senate in district 42.

We will miss the hard work Candy did for our clinic over the last four years. She was excellent at helping our patients get their insurance claims paid. Candy worked in dentistry for over 40 years and already retired once before joining the Eggert Family Dentistry team. We were lucky to have her as long as we did!

As we wish Candy good luck with her campaign, we are in the process of hiring her replacement. We appreciate the patience of our patients as we work to find our next financial and insurance coordinator.

We hope Candy wins her election and can help us improve the state’s dental situation for all patients and providers. Check out her website for more information and look for her campaign truck on the streets of Shoreview. Bon voyage and good luck, Candy!