Why a Fitted Mouth Guard Provides the Best Protection

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

A fitted mouth guard is the best way to protect an athlete’s teeth and mouth area when playing sports throughout the year.

Dr. Jeff and Dr. Elizabeth always recommend to parents of our sports-playing patients that a custom-fitted mouth guard is the best way to protect their kids’ teeth, jaws and general health. This is especially important in traditional high-contact sports like hockey, wrestling, and football, but it’s also true in other sports like baseball and gymnastics in which an errant move may cause a dentofacial injury that is disastrous for the teeth or jaw.

Many athletes rely on the one-size-fits-all or boil-and-bite mouth easily found at sporting goods stores and online, and they are definitely an improvement over no protection.

However, the benefits of custom mouth guards are worth the investment. Your child has just one set of adult teeth, and keeping them intact should be your priority. The longer they can go in life without requiring dental reconstruction, the better. In addition, the cost of a custom set of mouth guards is far more economical than multiple dental visits.

Better Fit

When you get a custom mouth guard, it’s molded exactly to your child’s teeth and jaw. When you choose an off-the-shelf guard, it’s generally bulky and fits far from perfectly. It’s probably uncomfortable to wear and hard to speak around. As a result, kids tend to not wear them for the entire length of the game or competition or they play with them during competition rendering them ineffective.

In contrast, a custom-fit mouth guard is much more comfortable and easy to speak with. This seriously increases the likelihood that your kid will wear it for the duration of their athletic event.

Improved Breathing

One of the most common complaints kids have about one-size-fits-all mouth guards is that they interfere with breathing, especially during intense exertion. It’s no surprise that athletes object to this problem, because it’s hard to perform at your best when your respiration is impaired. Research indicates that custom mouth guards don’t interfere with breathing. In fact, some research suggests that custom mouth guards may actually improve athletic performance. When kids complain that they can’t breathe well while wearing a store-bought mouth guard, upgrade to a custom-made one

Better Protection

The American Dental Association strongly encourages athletes of all ages to wear mouth guards and reduce the risk of orofacial injuries. Studies support this. A 2018 meta-analysis established that mouth guard users are 82-93% less likely to suffer dentofacial injuries. A study of college athletes showed that custom mouth guards provide the best protection against injury while playing contact sports.

The ADA states that the most effective mouth guards share these qualities:

  • Cover the user’s teeth on one arch
  • Are properly fitted to the user’s mouth
  • Are accurately adapted to the user’s oral structures
  • Stay in place comfortably and securely

Stock mouth guards don’t meet these criteria, but custom mouth guards do.

Help your kids graduate into adulthood with a healthy, intact set of teeth. Please talk to Dr. Elizabeth or Dr Jeff about getting a custom mouth guard to protect your athletic offspring’s dentofacial health.

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An Inside Look at the Zoom Whitening System for a Whiter Smile in 2022!

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

Tooth whitening is a wildly popular component of dental care. Lots of people pursue dental whitening and bleaching options in their quests for a bright, attractive smile.

While there are many natural and healthy shades of tooth enamel, teeth can get yellowed and stained over time, even with the most dedicated dental hygiene. Some particularly troublesome darkening culprits include coffee, tea, red wine and smoking.

If you long for brighter, whiter teeth, you might want to join the multitude of people who are choosing tooth whitening. In fact, in 2017 over 39 million Americans utilized some kind of teeth whitener.

There are options for use at home such as strips, trays and toothpaste, but these options tend to show subtle results, and many users experience tooth sensitivity or temporary gum irritation as a result.

Professionally Administered Tooth Whitening

If you’d like to make a brilliant, noticeable difference to your teeth, talk to Dr. Elizabeth or Dr. Jeff about our fast, easy and effective Zoom Whitening. In a single two-hour appointment, we can make your teeth four to ten shades lighter.

Here’s how it works:

  1. We check your current shade as a baseline
  2. We prep your mouth for whitening
  3. We apply a layer of advanced whitening gel to your teeth
  4. We shine a blue LED lamp onto your teeth to accelerate the whitening
  5. We repeat this process three times in 15-minute intervals
  6. We verify with you that you’ve attained your desired shade
  7. We apply a post-treatment gel to help protect enamel and reduce sensitivity

In addition, we’ll send you home with customized whitening trays and a take-home whitening kit at no extra charge. With your kit, you can boost your brightness at home when needed to help maintain your new beautiful smile!

See a Brighter, Whiter Smile in the Mirror

Come to Eggert Family Dentistry if you want to see a lighter, brighter smile in the mirror. Choosing professional, proven whitening techniques is the best way to ensure a comfortable, successful experience with dazzling results.

We’re here to assist you with all aspects of your dental hygiene and dental aesthetics. Next time you’re in one of our chairs, ask us about whitening. We’ll be happy to describe the process in detail and offer you a professional opinion about the results you can expect. Call us today at 651.482.8412.

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Keep Your Teeth Healthy Over the Holidays

By Dr: Elizabeth Eggert

We know you want to keep your teeth healthy every day of the year. It’s never fun to seek emergency dental care and it’s even more challenging over the holidays. You don’t want to be on a soft-food diet while everyone else is enjoying the holiday feast! So spend your quality time with your family, instead of with Dr. Elizabeth or Dr. Jeff, by following these tips to keep your teeth healthy over the holidays.

Never Use Your Teeth to Open Packages or Bottles

Opening a gift is supposed to be fun, not an invitation for a root canal or crown. Always keep the right tools handy for opening bottles and packages, and take a minute to find what you need instead of improvising with your teeth. Before you start the present-opening chapter of your holiday, gather some sturdy scissors and a utility knife. If you need to open a stubborn bottle, try pliers or another gripping tool.

Don’t Chew On Ice Cubes or Hard Candy

If you indulge in hard candy, let it dissolve slowly in your mouth instead of crunching it. Or better still, skip it or eat sugar-free versions for better dental health. Don’t chew on ice because it can crack or chip your teeth. Once again, it’s not worth a fleeting moment of satisfaction for a permanent impact on your teeth.

Never Crack Nuts with Your Teeth

You know it’s a bad idea to crack nuts with your teeth, right? Please don’t tempt fate, and always use a nutcracker. Yes, even for pistachios that haven’t split open properly. Using your teeth on a nutshell is a gamble that the nut will eventually win. Cracking a tooth is NOT worth it!

Skip the Chewy Treats

Chewy treats like taffy and caramel can pull out fillings. Resist the temptation, especially if you know you have lots of fillings or some precarious dental work that could suffer. Once again, not worth it if you end up hunting down a dentist on a holiday!

Wear a Mouth Guard

If you are prone to teeth grinding, make sure you wear your mouth guard diligently during the holidays. Many people find the holidays stressful, so stress responses like daytime or nighttime teeth grinding are exacerbated.

Quit Nail Biting

Nail biting is usually a stress-triggered behavior, and it’s bad for both fingernails and teeth. It’s linked to jaw problems, teeth grinding, clenching, and sensitive teeth. Try to quit this habit – it is the best holiday gift you can give yourself.

Here at Eggert Family Dentistry, we’re always happy to see you, but we’re the happiest when it’s for routine recare, not for sudden urgent dental treatments. Please enjoy your holidays while tending lovingly to your teeth, mouth, and gums, and we’ll see you at your next cleaning. Call us 651.482.8412 to set up your first recare appointment of 2022!

Toothbrush Hygiene and Replacing Your Toothbrush after Illness

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

It’s commonly recommended that you replace your toothbrush after you’ve had a contagious illness like a cold or the flu.

The idea behind this advice is that lingering germs on the toothbrush could re-infect you, so starting with a fresh toothbrush will help you stay healthy.

What do you think? Fact or myth?

We’re here to come down on the side of MYTH. While we do want you to replace your toothbrush on a regular basis, avoiding your own germs is not a good reason.

Why (Your Own) Germs on Your Toothbrush Are Not a Problem

Here’s the deal.

The very act of recovering from an illness demonstrates that you’ve got an immune system and it’s doing its job. Your immune system has produced specific antibodies to fight off whatever is causing your illness. You’ve got those antibodies within you, actively fighting this illness, so even if there are lingering cold or flu germs on your toothbrush, they won’t make you sick again. Since you are brushing at least twice a day (right?), it’s not like your body can’t keep up with the few germs or viral particles on your toothbrush.

Now, if you happened to share a toothbrush or toothbrush holder with someone while you were sick, it’s a good idea to replace all those toothbrushes. This isn’t for the sake of the recovering person, but for the sake of the other folks.

Only someone who is severely immunocompromised might have a reason to worry about reinfecting themselves with their own toothbrush, and that’s still a long shot.

This is even true for some of the more serious contagious illnesses. For example, a study demonstrated that even people with strep throat don’t leave significant germs on their toothbrushes.

Proper Toothbrush Hygiene

Here are recommended best practices for your toothbrush hygiene, according to the American Dental Association (ADA). If you have any questions, Dr. Elizabeth and Dr. Jeff are happy to answer your questions too. You can also read our article on 8 Bad Brushing Habits.

  1. To avoid cross-contamination, keep everyone’s toothbrush separate.
  2. Don’t share your toothpaste or toothbrush.
  3. Rinse your toothbrush after use to remove food particles and toothpaste.
  4. Let your brush air-dry upright in an exposed container. Moisture invites bacteria to breed, so don’t cover it.
  5. Don’t soak your toothbrush in disinfecting solutions or mouthwash. This can actually lead to the spread of germs if multiple people use the same solution.
  6. Replace your toothbrush every 3-4 months, or sooner if it starts to look worn.

Why Are Toothbrush Bristles Colored?

Have you seen the blue colored bristles on some toothbrushes? The reason for colored bristles is actually two-fold. First, the colored bristles serve as an indicator of when it’s time to replace your brush. When the blue has faded, toss your brush and get a new one. Second, the blue bristles on kids’ toothbrushes indicate where and how much toothpaste to apply. Kids can be over enthusiastic about applying toothpaste, and you don’t really need very much to get the job done.

While we want you to replace your toothbrush regularly, there’s no need to overdo it and send an extra piece of plastic to the landfill before its time. Keep on brushing, stay healthy, and we look forward to seeing you at Eggert Family Dentistry in North Oaks, Minnesota. Give us a call today at 651.482.8412 to set up your next appointment!

Four Ways Drinking Water Benefits Teeth

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

We bet you’ve heard and read about the importance of drinking water for your health. Some authorities recommend six glasses per day, some recommend eight glasses per day. Some propose that we drink at least half an ounce of water for every pound of body weight. That translates into at least 80 ounces (10 eight-ounce servings) for someone who weighs 160 pounds.

There are many ways in which drinking water and staying hydrated contribute to your health, but drinking water also offers critical benefits to your oral and dental health as well.

Dr. Elizabeth and Dr. Jeff want to encourage everyone to drink plenty of water every day, for both their overall health and their dental wellness. This advice applies to children as well as adults.

How Does Drinking Water Benefit Oral Health?

Water Washes Away Food Particles

Even when we can’t brush, we can rinse food particles away from our teeth and gums by drinking water. Getting those particles away from our teeth and gums is a victory, but if we wash them away with soda or fruit juice it kind of defeats the purpose, right? Instead, rinsing with water leaves no sugar or material behind for bacteria to eat. It also dilutes the acid in your mouth, obstructing tooth decay. Rinsing with fluoridated water has the added benefit of lightly coating your teeth with a defensive layer that helps remineralize any damage to enamel.

Water Discourages Dry Mouth

mouth breathingYou may not realize that tooth decay thrives in a dry mouth. This is because saliva contains minerals such as calcium and phosphate, which help discourage tooth decay. Drinking water helps promote more saliva production in your mouth, which is more ammunition in the battle against tooth decay.

Fluoride Fights Tooth Decay

One pivotal way that water strengthens teeth is due to the added fluoride. We’re lucky to be in the United States where fluoride is added to municipal water in nearly every jurisdiction. Fluoride is a natural cavity-fighter and promotes strong teeth. In kids, it strengthens the tooth enamel in their developing teeth and helps prevent tooth decay. Fluoride in combination with saliva helps prevent plaque.

Water Discourages Bad Breath

Morning breath and general bad breath is often caused by a dry mouth. Drink water throughout the day, and you will promote saliva production, which helps discourage the unwelcome stinky bacteria working in the mouth.

How to Start a Healthy Water Habit

Make it easy for yourself and your kids to drink plenty of water. Keep a jar or bottle of water on your desk and by your bed. When it’s cold out and you need a hot “pick-me-up,” switch to unsweetened herbal tea to stay hydrated. Treat yourself and your kids to a special water glass so you can appreciate your water drinking experience all the better.

As always, your healthy water habit isn’t a “Get Out of Brushing Free” card. You still need to brush and floss to keep your mouth and teeth healthy, and come and see Dr. Elizabeth and Dr. Jeff for regular recare exams.

Give us a call today at 651.482.8412 to set up your next appointment!

Reducing Sugar for Dental Health

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

‘Tis the season for sweet treats.

The period from Halloween through New Year’s Eve is a national sugar-fest, starting with trick-or-treat candy, ramping up to a pie bonanza on Thanksgiving, and then embarking on a whole month packed with candy and baked goods at the office, at parties, and exchanged as holiday gifts.

Is Sugar the New Smoking?

While we don’t expect many people to give up sugar entirely, we do want to urge moderation. Some folks are calling sugar “the new smoking,” as it does have negative effects on our health, from dental cavities to weight gain to inflammation.

Here’s how sugar promotes cavities. It’s not actually the sugar itself that corrodes tooth enamel. Actually, the sugar feeds the harmful bacteria in the mouth that make up plaque. When these bacteria eat sugar, they generate acids that destroy tooth enamel and can then get into deeper layers of the tooth. This results in cavities and tooth decay, and can ultimately contribute to tooth loss.

Choose Recipes with Less Sugar

One way to pursue moderation in sugar is to change your cooking habits and seek out new recipes that deliver less sugar.

Experiment with your own recipes. When baking, try reducing the sugar and see how you like it. Sugar does play an important role in the texture of baked goods, but in many cases you can cut the sugar by a quarter cup or a half cup and still have an excellent result. Foods that don’t depend on sugar for structure are even better for experimenting, such as ice cream, baked custards, pumpkin pie, and similar treats.

If you don’t have time for playing “test kitchen” at home, seek out recipes that use natural alternative sweeteners. If those sweeteners are maple syrup, agave or honey, those ingredients are often sweeter than sugar, so you can reduce the amount in your recipe. Those ingredients also have the benefit of having some nutritional content, in contrast to plain white sugar.

Any reduction in your sugar consumption has a health benefit from both a dental and an overall perspective. Eating less sugar keeps your teeth healthier, stabilizes your energy levels, improves your heart health and more. You don’t need to totally eliminate sugar from your diet to benefit from reducing your consumption.

Keep Brushing and Flossing!

Of course, reducing sugar doesn’t reduce your obligation to brush and floss. Keep up your brushing and flossing routine even if you start eating the cleanest diet around, and make regular recare appointments with Dr. Elizabeth or Dr. Jeff for routine exams and professional cleanings.

Give us a call today at 651.482.8412 to set up your next appointment! We look forward to seeing you soon!

The Love of Food and Fellowship Couples Well with Preventative Dental Health Care

By: Shelly Tretsven, Eggert Family Dentistry Hygienist 

I am a foodie, I confess. As a dental hygienist I have had the opportunity to talk about nutrition, recipes and good eats with patients for over 30 years. Food is truly a universal language.

The holiday season is upon us which is a great opportunity for good food and good company.

Food and Oral Health:

Food provides the nutrients for healthy bodies and healthy mouths. It’s important to eat a well balanced diet of protein, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and plenty of water. Your food choices matter in the preventative care of your oral health. For starters, digestion begins in the mouth, simple carbohydrates like sugar and starches are broken down in the mouth by the  bacteria in your plaque and their bi-product is acid. That acid is responsible for the breakdown of your tooth surfaces resulting in a cavity. It can also irritate your gum tissue, resulting in gingivitis or periodontal disease. Another thing that can happen with too much acid in the mouth is erosion. Erosion is the wearing away of tooth structure from an acid source, primarily in the form of foods and beverages. Citrus fruits, tomatoes, pickles, coffee, alcohol, soda, and even carbonated water are some of the top rated foods for causing erosion of the teeth.

Reduce or modify the consumption of acidic foods by eating them with meals and coupling them with a more neutral or neutralizing food like nuts, eggs, cheese, meats, vegetables, and whole grains when eaten between meals. A good snack choice might be fresh fruits and vegetables or a pairing of pickles and cheese, fruit with yogurt, a medley of nuts or coffee and tea with cream.

The holidays are here and it’s really difficult to manage all the above rules and information when so many delightful foods are before us. But, we can try and maybe not miss out as much as we think. Here are a few suggestions for you:

The trend toward charcuterie boards is wonderful for when guests arrive. A beautiful display of whole foods is a great option and can minimize acids if you choose right! If you keep in mind the yin yang of high and low pH foods, you can provide great healthy choices.

Another idea is to serve lean roasted meat or fish or roasted veggies, but probably skip the potatoes. To make things more interesting, don’t forget the seasoning because that counts! Also, whole grain breads and sourdough can replace white dinner rolls. Sourdough bread is low in gluten, is a prebiotic that feeds healthy bacteria in your stomach, and is more digestible.

Finally, holiday desserts can be fresh fruit pies or tarts, drizzled with heavy cream instead of sweet whipped cream.

Consider baking with ⅓ less sugar for most of your cookies this season and try butter substitutes like beans, apple sauce, avocado and more.

Or, try this recipe. Yum!

Have a happy and joyous holiday season with your loved ones!

Enjoy a Brighter Smile for the Holidays

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

The holidays are supposed to be a joyful time, full of laughter and good times. Unfortunately, some people are reluctant to smile and laugh authentically because they don’t want to show off their teeth. They are embarrassed that their teeth are dingy, discolored, or punctuated with fillings.

Well, our first advice is: Go ahead, laugh and smile and enjoy yourself. It’s unlikely anyone is as critical of your teeth as you are.

And it’s also true that you can partner with us, your dentists, to improve the cosmetic aspect of your teeth, so you can laugh and smile with confidence. Dr. Elizabeth and Dr. Jeff are here to help you take good care of your teeth so you’ll be happy to display your teeth and your joy.

Here are few ways to achieve and maintain fresh, attractive teeth for the holidays, and all year round.

Avoid Staining Foods

If your teeth are prone to discoloration, you can improve matters by avoiding acidic, sugary, and dark-colored foods. Major culprits include coffee, wine, berries, and chocolate. If you do choose to indulge, rinse your teeth as soon as possible afterwards and make sure to brush with regular intervals. Better still, consume these in moderation and load up on fresh fruits and veggies, and enjoy cheese and dairy for the beneficial calcium they offer as they are less likely to stain your teeth.

Stay Away From All Types of Tobacco

Tobacco stains teeth, including vaping and chewing tobacco. If taking care of your physical health doesn’t motivate you enough to quit, maybe vanity can! Tobacco is a prime cause of yellow, dingy teeth, so please quit. There are many effective cessation programs if you need help.

Preventative Care at Home

We will never stop singing this same old tune: Brush and floss, brush and floss. Your preventative care is the best way to keep your teeth healthy, and healthy teeth are attractive teeth. Brush and floss twice daily to combat gum disease, tooth decay, and plaque buildup. And please, do both! It’s impossible to brush the tight interproximal areas in between your teeth, so floss every time you brush. For anyone wondering whether your dentist can tell if you floss and brush routinely, the answer is YES. We can.

Get Regular Cleanings by a Professional

No matter how well you brush, you will get some tarter buildup, a by-product of plaque. When plaque builds up on teeth, it hardens and turns into tartar or calculus. It requires professional cleanings to scrape it off your enamel. Please get twice annual dental cleanings, and remember that plaque buildup doesn’t reflect on any brushing deficit – it happens to everyone.

Get Your Teeth Whitened

Consider professional teeth whitening to improve the shade of your teeth. We hear from our patients that store-bought whitening products don’t always live up to their promises, so schedule an appointment with Dr. Jeff or Dr. Elizabeth for professional teeth whitening.

Cosmetic Dental Treatments

For a stain-resistant and beautiful smile, consider cosmetic dental treatments such as veneers. We can apply porcelain veneers that mimic the look of natural dental enamel but are a uniform shade of your choice. They look natural, but they resist stain.

Your smile is your most precious commodity, so take good care of it! Please reach out to us at Eggert Family Dentistry for professional dental care to enhance the beauty and the health of your pearly whites–call 651.482.8412 to set up your next appointment!

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A Full Mouth Reconstruction – Mike’s Story

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

How Did this Start?

Mike had been a long-term patient of Dr. Furey when Dr. Elizabeth took over his care in 2016. Up to that point, Mike had talked with Dr. Furey about the need to restore his mouth due to the severe erosion that was occurring throughout. Starting in 2016, his canines were starting to decay in addition to the erosion weakening the tooth structure. Mike was also starting to have pain on a lower left tooth due to an infection in his tooth. Mike’s case had a lot involved because we were not only dealing with erosion, but his bite and jaw anatomy have likely been contributing to the erosion on his teeth. This meant that the most predictable way to restore him back to health would involve jaw surgery and restoring all his teeth.

Mike had long been functioning with a deep bite meaning that his tongue and airway were working with space restrictions. It is thought that oftentimes deep bites will increase acid production in the mouth and be a source for erosion. Mike had previously been diagnosed with sleep apnea and had been using a CPAP machine for many years. Sleep apnea is often caused, at least in part, by a restricted airway.

What Did Mike Want?

Mike stated his goals for his teeth were “that they work and I don’t lose them.” He was noticing jagged edges and that his upper canines were especially worn. He thought the wear was due to the fact that he caught himself grinding his teeth during the day and night. He didn’t realize that the erosion may be part of a larger whole health issue. Mike had many options to consider and while he understood that jaw surgery may be the best way to improve his overall airway, in the end he decided against surgery. This meant that Mike needed to open up his deep bite and complete restorations on all of his teeth.

What Was Involved?

In order to open up Mike’s bite, a laboratory wax-up was completed. This helped create a “blueprint” of how the teeth would look with the new restorations. After Mike approved the wax-up, he started by getting his infected tooth extracted. This allowed some time for healing before an implant was placed in that same area. Mike’s progress was slowed up somewhat due to complications he had with his heart and having to undergo surgery, as well as the COVID shut-down, however, after 4 years, Mike was finally on his way to protecting his teeth with new restorations.

All of his teeth were worked on and prepared for crowns or veneers. Mike underwent preparations of the upper teeth one day and of the lower teeth another day. He spent time in temporary crowns and had to start getting used to his new bite. At first, he said “it feels kind of like a mouth full of marbles.” But, then as his muscle adjusted, he thought his bite felt good.

What Does Mike Think?

Before he started his treatment Mike stated he was “apprehensive about it.” The work in general made him apprehensive. It was a big decision, but he understood that his teeth were at severe risk if nothing was done. He did not want to “lose all those teeth.” Mike reports now he is “very happy with the results and I like them a lot!” He likes having the smooth surfaces of his new crowns rather than the rough, sharp edges from the erosive wear pattern on his natural teeth. He admits that he wishes he would have done the work sooner and that it hadn’t taken him so long to make a decision. If talking to someone considering getting this type of treatment done, he would tell them to “do it sooner than later. Be patient and follow the recommendations given by Dr. Elizabeth.”

Mike’s final results are an improvement in that he doesn’t have such a deep and restricted bite and the enamel that was eroded away has been replaced by strong porcelain. Unfortunately, without undergoing jaw surgery, Mike’s teeth will still be at risk due to jaw movements Mike makes to keep his airway more patent. Mike will still have to maintain his treatments for sleep apnea and he will likely still have dental work to do in the future should his teeth break down the road. Mike’s case is a good example of why we like to take time with kids and teenagers, making sure they are developing adequate room in the mouth for a good airway and skeletal structures, trying to prevent compromise before it occurs!

How Much Do You Know About Plaque, Your Teeth’s Biggest Enemy?

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

I hear the word “plaque” frequently but what exactly is it?

Plaque is a biofilm in your mouth—a sticky, invisible colony of both good and bad bacteria. Because these bacteria multiply rapidly, they’re always in your mouth, even after you brush your teeth. The problem arises, however, when you consume sugars or carbohydrates. The bacteria feed off of the sugars and produce acid in the process.

What are signs of plaque that I should watch out for?

The acid produced by the plaque begins to eat away at your tooth enamel. Over time, this can lead to tooth sensitivity and eventually tooth decay. When plaque is left untreated, it can build up on your teeth and turn into tartar (also known as calculus)—a hard yellow calcified deposit. Other signs of plaque include chronic bad breath and tender, swollen gums, gingivitis and periodontitis. In even more serious cases, plaque can lead to tooth infections or abscesses and eventual tooth loss.

How can I prevent plaque from building up in my mouth?

There are a few primary ways you can keep plaque from getting the best of you (and your mouth)!

Limit sugar and carbs. Sugar is plaque’s best friend and your mouth’s worst enemy. It’s the catalyst for plaque’s production of enamel-eating acids. Because carbs break down as sugar, they are just as much to blame. When you choose to limit the intake of these foods, you don’t give plaque as much opportunity to create this acid in the first place, promoting a better bacteria balance and oral microbiome.

Brush and floss frequently. If you eat sugars and carbs, which most people do, preventative care is important. Make sure to brush your teeth and floss between them twice a day and after consuming these foods. This helps remove food particles from your mouth and discourages the destructive chain reaction of acid production, enamel erosion and tooth decay.

Swish with mouthwash. It’s easy to brush and floss but not take the process any further. When you swish with fluoridated mouthwash afterward, you dislodge any residual food particles. Plus, the fluoride repairs and strengthens your enamel which may already be eroding due to past exposure to sugar-producing acid.

If I notice plaque or tartar, what do I do?

Reducing sugars in your diet in addition to stepping up your oral hygiene game can combat plaque buildup before it becomes a bigger problem. A thorough polishing by one of our hygienists during your recare visit will also help reduce plaque on and in between your teeth.

If you notice tartar forming from plaque that has built up over time, you will not be able to remove it on your own. Again, a recare visit and routine cleaning at Eggert Family Dentistry will help! Using our special plaque and tartar removing tools, we can give your mouth a fresh start…before your teeth are compromised and your gums become infected!

Give us a call today at 651.482.8412 to set up your next appointment!