Category: Caring for your Teeth

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

The Power of a Smile

“I will never understand all the good that a simple smile can accomplish,” Mother Theresa once said. We’ve all had our day brightened by a smile. But a smile is more than just a sign of happiness. Research has shown a smile can have lasting effects on our wellbeing. A beautiful smile can also make a positive and memorable first impression.

What the Research Says
Several studies have looked into the power of a smile. Researchers at UC Berkeley measured the width of smiles in yearbook pictures. Students with the widest smiles were generally more happy, more inspiring, and enjoyed longer and more fulfilled marriages than their peers with narrower smiles. A Wayne State University study measured players’ smiles on baseball cards from 1952. They found the span of a player’s smile predicted how long he lived. You guessed it—the wider the smile, the longer the life, on average.

Scientists have found that we smile in the womb and that a smile is a universal facial expression—even people in tribes isolated from the rest of the world smile. When others smile at you, it’s tough not to return the favor. In fact, it’s physically more difficult to frown when you see smiling faces around you.

Smile to Make a Memorable Impression
Cracking a smile is also a powerful way to make a great first impression. A study by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry found nearly half of American adults consider a smile the most memorable feature of someone they’ve just met. Your smile is more memorable than what you’re wearing and even what you say.
However, those surveyed reported a smile full of crooked or stained teeth was not as attractive as one with straight, white teeth. A less-than-perfect smile also led people to believe that the smiler lacked confidence.

What can you do if your smile is less than perfect? Contact Eggert Family Dentistry today. Our focus is creating “Dentistry for a Lifetime of Smiles” and we are dedicated to providing the cosmetic dentistry you need, such as veneers, whitening, and full mouth reconstructions.

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

Many of us are no strangers to painful, bloody gums or a bout of bad breath. Though they seem minor, these symptoms are uncomfortable indicators of underlying gum disease. Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, causes a breakdown of the architecture supporting the tooth and can lead to tooth mobility or even tooth loss. Luckily, an ounce of prevention can keep these symptoms under wraps and allow you to enjoy healthy, strong teeth for years to come.

The Bad: Gingivitis

Gingivitis is a bacterial infection that affects the gums. When you don’t brush and floss regularly, bacteria surround your teeth and enter your gums, causing irritation and swelling. People with gingivitis often notice blood when rinsing after brushing and flossing.

The Ugly: Periodontal Disease

When gingivitis goes untreated, the symptoms get worse and new ones may appear. Bad breath, receding gums and abscesses, and gum sensitivity to acidic foods may all bepainful reminders of unhappy gums and indicators of periodontal disease. Severe periodontal disease may also cause tooth mobility, pain or loss.

When gingivitis evolves into periodontal disease, it’s time to take immediate action. The team at Eggert Family Dentistry will perform a series of deep cleanings, laser therapy, or even prescribe antibiotics to treat periodontal disease. In extreme cases, surgery may be another option.

The Great News: Prevention Works!

Fortunately, you can avoid surgery, antibiotics, and other interventions with simple tools like your toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss. Twice daily brushing and daily flossing sweeps away the bacteria that lead to gingivitis and periodontal disease. Regular hygiene visits to see us here at Eggert Family Dentistry will remove any persistent bacteria and arm you the tools and techniques you need to maintain good oral health.

Painful, bloody gums and bad breath shouldn’t be part of your daily dental hygiene routine. For help preventing or treating gingivitis or periodontal disease, contact us today at 651-482-8412.

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

Opting for fluoride treatments for your children is a no-brainer at the our dental office. But our need for fluoride treatments doesn’t magically disappear once we turn 18. In fact, opting for a fluoride treatment yourself will prevent cavities, strengthen enamel, and improve your overall dental health.

What is fluoride and what does it do?

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that helps your tooth enamel resist wear and decay. It is the most important factor in the remineralization of your tooth enamel. Fluoride also promotes healthy tooth development in children, which is why fluoride treatments are common for younger patients.

For more than 50 years, the American Dental Association has advocated to keep fluoride in community water supplies to prevent tooth decay. Chances are that if your home receives city water, your tap water is fluorinated. If you live in a home with well water or if you drink primarily bottled or filtered water, you may want to supplement with a fluoride toothpaste and rinse.

Why would I need a fluoride treatment?

As we age, the foods we eat wear away our tooth enamel. Fluoride makes the enamel stronger and more resistant to decay. Adding a fluoride treatment at one of your hygiene visits each year can help protect your enamel, especially if you have a history of dental decay or poor dental hygiene.

Those over 65 can especially benefit from fluoride treatments. Those of us in our senior years tend to eat lighter, more frequent meals throughout the day, which means our teeth are exposed to more bacteria. Fluoride can help prevent this bacteria from eroding your teeth.

Eggert Family Dentistry is happy to provide a fluoride treatment at your next hygiene visit. The cost of this treatment is well worth the investment. To schedule your next hygiene appointment, contact us at 651-482-8412.

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

Maintaining good oral hygiene at home is one of the most important things you can do for your teeth and gums. Healthy teeth not only enable you to look and feel good, they make it possible to eat and speak properly. Good oral health is important to your overall well-being.

Daily preventive care, including proper brushing and flossing, will help stop harmful bacteria from attaching themselves to the teeth and the tissues. If given the opportunity, these bacteria will cause decay, gingivitis, and periodontal (gum) disease.

What is the best way to brush?

Brush your teeth at least twice a day, for at least two minutes. Use a soft or extra soft-bristled brush. Or, use a sonic or electric toothbrush. Make sure your brush’s head is not too large; the head should fit easily into the mouth and allow you to reach all areas without hurting your cheek or tongue. Use toothpaste that contains fluoride. The fluoride can help keep the teeth strong and can reverse cavities in their early stages. If you have sensitive teeth, ask us about using desensitizing toothpaste with fluoride. These toothpastes can work in certain situations.

When brushing, place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle with the bristles into the gum tissues. Move the brush in an elliptical or circular motion. Brush the outer tooth surfaces, the inner tooth surfaces, and the chewing surfaces. Hold the brush vertically and use the “toe” of the brush to clean the inside surfaces of the front teeth, moving in an up-and-down manner. Finally, brush your tongue to remove bacteria and freshen your breath.

What is the best way to floss?

Cleaning between the teeth once a day with floss is essential in preventing decay and gum disease. There are many areas in the mouth where the toothbrush just can’t reach. Usually, these areas are better cleaned with floss.

When flossing, break off about 18 inches of floss and wind most of it around one of your middle fingers. Wind the remaining floss around the same finger of the opposite hand. This opposite finger will take up the floss as it gathers the bacteria from your mouth. Hold the floss tightly between your thumbs and forefingers. Guide the floss between your teeth using a gentle rubbing motion. Try to avoid snapping the floss into the gums, as that can injure the gum tissue.

When the floss reaches the gum line, curve it into a C-shape against one tooth. Gently slide it into the space between the gum and the tooth. Hold the floss tightly against the tooth. Gently rub the side of the tooth, moving the floss away from the gum with up and down motions. Repeat this method for the rest of your teeth. Finally, don’t forget the back side of your last tooth.

Is there anything else I can use to clean my mouth?

Depending on your situation, you may benefit from a mouth rinse, used daily. Antimicrobial mouth rinses, like Listerine, reduce bacteria and plaque activity, helping to prevent gingivitis and gum disease. Fluoride mouth rinses, like ACT, help reduce and prevent tooth decay.

For patients with signs and symptoms of gum disease, we will often recommend a rubber tip or proxy brush to clean more effectively in the gum tissue. Typically, the best use of these tools is to hold the tip vertically with the long axis of the tooth and remove the plaque along the gum line and in between the teeth. For more specific instructions related to your particular situation, be sure to ask us.

For patients with bridges or fixed retainers, it is important to use a floss-threader to get the floss under these fixtures and help clean in between the teeth.

For patients missing teeth or for those who have a removable partial denture, it can help to use gauze to remove plaque on a tooth where there is no adjacent tooth. We suggest using a 2×2 size piece of gauze, opened up and folded the long way. Use the gauze along the side of the tooth like you would a beach towel when drying off your body.

And of course, be sure to visit us for your recommended maintenance appointments. By maintaining professional cleanings at your recommended interval, we can monitor your home progress and help you achieve optimum oral health.