Category: Caring for your Teeth

Can Tooth Sensitivity Be Treated?

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

Can tooth sensitivity be treated?Tooth sensitivity is a common dental problem. At Eggert Family Dentistry, our patients often ask how to get rid of tooth sensitivity so they can start enjoying ice cream and coffee again. We’re happy to tell them that yes, tooth sensitivity can be treated. Often, diagnosing tooth sensitivity helps us uncover underlying oral health conditions that are also treatable.

Why your teeth become sensitive

Enamel is the hard, outer layer that protects the soft interior of your teeth. If it is worn away by decay or aggressive brushing, the soft dentin and nerves inside your teeth are exposed to heat, cold, and pressure from chewing. This is what causes the jolt of pain in your teeth when you sip a hot chocolate or chow down on chewy foods.

Teeth become sensitive to hot or cold for a variety of reasons. The most common culprits are tooth decay, cracked teeth, worn enamel and fillings, and exposed tooth roots. But these conditions are actually symptoms of other oral issues, such as infrequent brushing, overly aggressive brushing, gum recession, periodontal disease and especially clenching and grinding of your teeth.

Treatments for mild tooth sensitivity

If you experience occasional sensitivity to heat, cold, or pressure, we may recommend a desensitizing toothpaste for you to use at home. These toothpastes contain ingredients that prevent the hot or cold sensation from reaching the nerves of your teeth. We may also recommend regular fluoride treatments at our office during your recare appointments.

Treatments for severe tooth sensitivity

But sometimes, desensitizing toothpastes and fluoride treatments aren’t enough to alleviate your discomfort. In these cases, we may recommend a filling, crown, or bonding to fix the underlying decay or worn or cracked tooth. If you have advanced periodontal disease that has exposed the root of your tooth to the elements, we may recommend a periodontal therapy or a gum grafting procedure to repair and heal the exposed area.

Another way to make huge improvements in relieving tooth sensitivity is to look for and treat underlying issues with your bite. By undergoing our records process, we can help you to determine if making improvement to how your teeth come together and how they chew can stop your tooth sensitivity, often for good!

The best way to treat tooth sensitivity is to develop healthy oral hygiene habits to prevent decay and worn enamel in the first place. Regular recare visits to Eggert Family Dentistry are part of any great oral hygiene plan. To schedule your next appointment, contact Eggert Family Dentistry today.

Fluoride in Water: What You Need to Know

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

Fluoride in waterSince the 1960s, communities across Minnesota and the United States have added fluoride to their community water supplies. Fluoridating water is an easy and cost-effective way to improve residents’ oral health. Though some consumers find the practice controversial, many scientific studies back up the health benefits of fluoridated water. Here are a few of our favorite reasons to love the fluoride in your water.

  1. Fluoride prevents cavities in kids and adults.

Fluoride can reduce tooth decay by 25 percent for kids and adults alike across all education levels and socio-economic statuses. It’s no wonder the Centers for Disease Control has called fluoridation of water one of the 10 greatest public health achievements in the 20th century.

  1. Fluoride is safe for your family.

Fluoride is an element found in most natural water sources, just not necessarily in amounts that prevent tooth decay. The Environmental Protection Agency strictly regulates the amount of fluoride in community water supplies to keep it safe and healthy to drink. Compared to other sugary beverages such as soda and fruit juice, fluoridated water is a great choice for your family.

  1. Fluoride strengthens tooth enamel of permanent teeth.

Fluoride helps strengthen the enamel of permanent teeth, which protects the rest of the tooth from decay and disease. For kids under age 8, fluoride can even strengthen permanent teeth that have not erupted yet, reducing the chance kids will develop cavities or require fillings.

  1. Fluoridated water saves money.

Yes, it does cost money to fluoridate your community’s water. But your community’s investment in fluoridated water reaps a strong return as families and your city’s health care system spend less money on treating tooth decay and related oral diseases. The Centers for Disease Control estimate towns of 5,000 people or fewer save $4 per person and larger cities save $27 per person.

  1. Fluoride supports regular brushing, flossing, and recare visits at our office.

Fluoride in your tap water helps support the good oral health habits you and your family already practice. In addition, we offer in-office fluoride treatments to children and adults alike to increase cavity prevention.   The varnish is quick, painless, and will protect all the teeth in your family.

Want to learn more about fluoride or schedule your family’s summer recare visits? Contact Eggert Family Dentistry today.

Celebrate Dads, Grads, and Summer without Harming Their Teeth

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

Celebrate Dads and Grads This SummerMemorial Day weekend officially kicks off the summer cookout season in Minnesota. Many of us look forward to toasting grads, dads, and warmer weather with brats, cold pop, chips, and frozen treats to cool us off. But many of the cookout foods we look forward to in summer can wreak havoc on our teeth. Here are some tips on how to enjoy summer cookouts while maintaining a healthy smile.

  1. Make gum part of your party spread.

Chewing sugar-free gum does more than just freshen breath. Chewing for at least 20 minutes generates saliva that washes away food, sugars, and acids that bacteria thrives on. Offer your guests gum on the picnic table or in a closed container in the bathroom.

  1. Offer dental picks, not toothpicks.

Toothpicks are handy at getting stuck food out between teeth, but their sharp ends can do major damage to gums (and who wants a mouth splinter ruining a great party?). Instead, offer dental picks or plaque removers in a closed container in the bathroom so your guests can remove corn on the cob from between their teeth.

  1. Go seedless.

Help your guests avoid getting food stuck in their teeth in the first place by choosing foods without seeds. Opt for hot dog buns without sesame seeds and make your fruit salad with seedless watermelon, apples, grapes, and banana instead of strawberries and blackberries.

  1. Try infused water instead of pop.

Infused water is a great refreshment on hot, humid Minnesota days. It’s cool, low in sugar and calories, and full of fruit flavor. Serve infused water in place of pop and sports drinks. Encourage adult beverage drinkers to alternate cans of beer with glasses of infused water. Some favorite infusers include cucumber, melon, pineapple, mint, basil, orange, lemon, grapefruit, but there are so many possibilities.

  1. Crush up ice cubes.

Everyone enjoys a cold beverage on a hot summer day, but chewing ice cubes can wear away tooth enamel and even crack teeth. Take a moment to crush ice cubes before serving them to your guests. You may even find breaking up cubes with a hammer great therapy for a stressful week (or party prep!).

Dr. Jeff and Dr. Elizabeth at Eggert Family Dentistry love summer parties as much as our patients do. Enjoy your company and your party food this summer, just don’t forget to show your teeth some love, too. Contact us today to schedule your next recare visit.

Your Child’s Teeth from Age 6 to Age 12: What You Need to Know

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

Oral Health from age 6 to age 12By age two, your child should have a complete set of primary teeth that will stay put until the first tooth is lost, around age six. But well before then, around age four, your child’s jaw and facial bones start to develop to make room for the permanent teeth, which develop under the primary teeth. It’s important that your child has good oral health habits starting early in development so the primary and then permanent teeth are healthy and serve well into adulthood.

Age Six to Age Eight

The tooth fairy usually makes her first visit to most households near the age of six. That’s when children lose their first primary teeth and the first permanent teeth appear. The permanent first molars erupt behind the primary teeth and are usually the first to come in, followed by the lower front teeth and upper front teeth. It’s completely normal for your child’s teeth to be different sizes, look uneven, and even appear missing. But don’t worry: by early adolescence, your child’s smile will come into place.

As permanent teeth appear, it’s important to continue the good oral health habits you started with your child’s primary teeth. The health of your child’s permanent teeth affects the ability to chew foods, speak, and smile. Encourage your child to avoid sugar and develop healthy eating habits to support his or her oral health.

Continue to brush and floss your child’s teeth until they are at least six years old. By age eight, most kids can brush their own teeth with supervision, but you should continue to floss your child’s teeth until they turn 10 or 11. Until these ages, children really don’t have the ability to fully clean all the teeth surfaces.  Only use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. Ask us for a recommendation for child-safe options.

Age Eight to Age Thirteen

Between ages eight and thirteen, your child’s permanent cuspids, bicuspids, and second molars will appear. As they do, we recommend sealants to protect teeth from cavities and tooth decay. Sealants are protective substances that we apply to your child’s teeth and is as easy as a regular dental checkup. The material bonds to your child’s teeth and fills in the pits and grooves that naturally appear on a tooth’s surface. This painless process can protect your child’s teeth for years before needing to be reapplied.

During this time, your child can take responsibility for more aspects of their health, including brushing, flossing, and making healthy eating choices. As more permanent teeth come in, it may become apparent that your child will need braces or other dental appliances to fix misaligned teeth or a bad bite. We can help you identify when and if these issues arise and will recommend an orthodontist.

If your kids are active in sports, it’s important to protect the permanent teeth from injury. A mouth guard protects teeth from being broken, knocked out, or from injuring your child’s lip or tongue during contact sports. There are many over-the-counter versions, but even better is to have us make a custom-fit mouth guard for your child.

Eggert Family Dentistry can help you and your child build good oral health habits that will keep the permanent teeth healthy well into adulthood. Schedule your child’s next dental recare visit with our dental team today.

Your Child’s Teeth from Birth to Age 6: What You Need to Know

Oral health birth to age 6By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

Did you know your child’s teeth start developing 6 weeks after conception? While baby teeth may not appear until your child is 6 months old, a lot of oral development occurs well before your child reaches that milestone. Here’s what you need to know about your child’s teeth from birth to age six.

Birth to Two Years

Your child is born with a complete set of baby, or primary, teeth under the gums. Typically around 6 months of age, your child’s lower central incisors—their lower front teeth—erupt as a pair, followed approximately a month later by the upper central incisors. Lateral incisors, cuspids, and first and second molars erupt in pairs over the next 18 months until your child has a complete set of primary teeth before the age of three.

As parents know well, erupting teeth can make for cranky kids. Gums are often tender and sore, and the discomfort can cause your child to become irritable, have trouble sleeping, and can increase drooling, chewing, and sucking. You may notice your child rubbing their face or grabbing their ears, too. Gently rubbing your child’s gums with a clean, damp cloth or gauze or a chilled teething ring can be comforting.

Two Years to Six Years

Your child’s primary teeth serve several essential purposes, which is why it’s important to keep them clean and healthy. Primary teeth serve as placeholders for the permanent teeth forming below them. Keeping primary teeth healthy helps your child’s permanent teeth develop appropriately. Primary teeth also help your child chew and process healthy foods, promoting good nutrition and eating habits.

It’s important your child receive regular dental recare visits while they have their primary teeth. Schedule your child’s first appointment as soon as you see the first tooth appear and no later than their first birthday. At their first visit at Eggert Family Dentistry, we’ll give your child a complete oral exam, clean their teeth, and discuss teething, pacifier use, thumb-sucking, and tips for keeping your child’s teeth clean and healthy between visits.

Home Care for Primary Teeth

Care of your child’s primary teeth begins before they even start to erupt. After each feeding, wipe your infant’s gums with a clean, damp cloth or gauze. When teeth appear, switch to a child-sized toothbrush to clean the teeth and ask us for a recommendation for an infant-safe toothpaste, generally a fluoride-free toothpaste until your child can fully spit the excess toothpaste into the sink. Begin flossing for your child as soon as two or more teeth touch. Most children cannot floss properly by themselves until age 10 or 11.

Just like permanent teeth, primary teeth are susceptible to decay when they come into contact with sugary, sticky, or acidic substances such as juice, soda, and honey. We recommend you avoid giving your young children sugary drinks and transition your children to small, open cups after their first birthdays. Replace sweet snacks with vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.

The Eggert Family Dentistry team is passionate about developing healthy habits in young children. Our team members are trained to provide safe, fun, and educational dental appointments for children and their parents. Schedule your child’s first or next dental appointment today.

The Role Genetics Plays in Your Oral Health: Did You Get Lucky?

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

Teeth and GeneticsRegular brushing, flossing, and visits to your dentist can go a long way in keeping your teeth and gums healthy and happy. But some of our patients wonder if they just might have bad luck when it comes to their oral health, no matter how often they brush, floss, or come in to see us, they still have issues with dental disease.

According to Dr. S. Michele Robichaux of Nicholls State University in Louisiana, “almost every disease and disorder that affects . . . the mouth has a genetic component.” That’s true for the most common diseases—tooth decay and gum disease—as well as more pernicious conditions such as periodontal disease and dry mouth.

In fact, the Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh found that your genes make up nearly two-thirds of the risk you face from tooth decay. That’s why you still get cavities when you lay off the sweets and brush and floss every day while your spouse slurps soda and chomps gummy candy with no oral health consequences.

Your Genes Affect Your Oral Health in Specific Ways

Your genes may make you generally more susceptible to oral diseases because they determine specific characteristics of your teeth and saliva. Your genes are responsible for how hard or soft your tooth enamel is. If it’s too soft, you’re more likely to experience tooth decay and sensitivity.

The quality and quantity of saliva in your mouth is also determined by your genes. Saliva helps break down acids bacteria create in your mouth. It contains minerals that help repair and strengthen tooth enamel, too. If you suffer from dry mouth or if your saliva does not have an average or high concentration of minerals, you are more susceptible to tooth decay and other oral health diseases.

Genetics Also Contribute to Tastes and Your Mouth’s Microbiome

Tooth enamel and saliva are one thing, but your genes also determine secondary characteristics that contribute to your oral health. A preference for sweets means you’re more likely to expose your teeth to sugar. Your ability to taste a variety of flavors is also linked to tooth decay, though scientists are still trying to determine why. Early research shows that people who can taste a larger variety of flavors are less likely to experience tooth decay.

Your genetic makeup also contributes to the diversity of the bacteria inside your mouth. The bacteria on your teeth are different from those on your tongue or under your gums. Your mouth’s unique microbiome may make it less or more likely that you’ll get cavities or periodontal disease.

If you lucked out with good oral health genes, you still shouldn’t eat or drink sugary, acidic foods with abandon. If you overindulge without regular brushing, flossing, and dental checkups, you still increase your chances of getting a cavity. And unfortunately, body chemistry tends to change over your lifetime, so developing good habits now will definitely pay off well into the future! To keep tooth decay in check, schedule your care and check-up today.

Think Before You Gulp That Sports Drink!

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

Sports Drinks & Oral HealthThey’re sweet, full of electrolytes, and make you sweat in technicolor (if you believe the ads). If the world’s most successful athletes chug sports drinks regularly, why shouldn’t you and your student athlete? Doctors and dentists point to two big reasons: sugar and acid.

Sports drinks are a very popular beverage, especially for younger athletes. Many teenagers consume sports drinks off the field as a sweet way to quench their thirst. Though it’s true that sports drinks contain fewer calories than sodas do, they still have similar amounts of sugar and loads of acid that can wear away tooth enamel.

Sports Drinks and Your Teeth

While the high sugar content in sports drinks isn’t great for your teeth (sugar feeds the bacteria that cause tooth decay), the most worrisome ingredient in sports drinks is the citric acid. When this acid comes in contact with your teeth, it softens and wears away the hard enamel that protects your teeth. This is called tooth erosion, and when left untreated, it can expose the sensitive, softer tissue of your teeth. A study by the Academy of General Dentistry found the acid in sports drinks can start to erode teeth in as little as 5 days of consecutive use.

What We Recommend

So how do you avoid harming your teeth after gulping a sports drink? Though it may seem counterintuitive, don’t brush your teeth right after you take a sip. Because the acid in sports drinks softens your enamel, your teeth become very susceptible to abrasion from toothpaste directly after consuming a sports drink. Instead, chew sugar-free gum or rinse your mouth with water to help neutralize the acid. We also recommend drinking sports drinks through a straw to bypass your teeth and brushing with an acid-neutralizing, remineralizing toothpaste with fluoride.

But the best way to avoid tooth erosion is to not expose your teeth to acid in the first place. Only drink sports drinks if you absolutely need the electrolytes. If you’re just thirsty (on the field or off), stick with water and try a banana for electrolytes. Unless we’re performing at an elite level or exercising for more than an hour at a high intensity, water is the ideal choice for rehydrating. That goes for student athletes and weekend warriors alike.

Wondering what effect your sport drink is having on your teeth or your child’s teeth? Schedule your dental checkup with Eggert Family Dentistry today. We’ll take a look at your enamel and recommend ways you can protect it.

Comprehensive Care at the Dentist’s Office? We Think It’s Important. Here’s Why.

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

At Eggert Family Dentistry, we pride ourselves on providing comprehensive care for every dental patient. Often, we find that new patients are pleasantly surprised that we perform regular blood pressure checks and periodic radiographs (x-rays) as part of your routine dental care.

Eggert Family Dentistry is a very progressive, cosmetic and comprehensive family dental clinic. We get to know you, your family, and your concerns. By incorporating blood pressure checks and x-rays into your dental care, we’re able to give you a better picture not only of your oral health but your overall well-being, which can help us predict and prevent future oral or other systemic health issues.

Since your overall health is of utmost importance to us, we also perform head, neck, and oral cancer screenings at every appointment. In addition, if we have concerns, we are trained to discuss conditions such as diabetes, acid reflux, and sleep disordered breathing (including sleep apnea) with patients and make referrals to physicians as needed.

Blood Pressure and Your Oral Health

One in three Americans suffer from high blood pressure, also called hypertension, but not everyone who has high blood pressure knows they are hypertensive. Additionally, more people see their dentists regularly than they do their family physicians (surprising, but true, according to a study in the American Journal of Public Health). That means we have a wonderful opportunity to discover a patient has high blood pressure and recommend they schedule a doctor’s appointment.

But regular blood pressure checks also play a direct role in your oral health as well. People with hypertension are more prone to bleeding during dental procedures, including surgery and even tooth cleanings. Knowing your blood pressure helps us make your dental care safer and healthier for you.

Regular Radiographs Help Us Keep You Healthy As Well

There are many areas in between the teeth and at the root tips that can only be examined with the aid of an x-ray. Without this valuable tool, some oral conditions may go undetected.

We take x rays regularly, but on an interval customized for you, because we want to catch oral health concerns before they become major problems. Often, oral health conditions are asymptomatic—you don’t feel any pain, and there is no evidence of decay or disease inside your mouth until the tooth is nearly un-restorable (or can’t be saved). Taking periodic radiographs helps us catch these conditions and treat them before they become serious.

Dental x-rays come in many forms – cavity-detecting bite wing x-rays, full mouth series of x-rays, panoramic x-rays, and even cone-beam CT x-rays. We base the type of x-rays we recommend for you on a number of risk factors and different well-documented assessments. Of course, it is important that we minimize your exposure to radiation as much as possible, therefore, since we take your overall health so seriously, we use digital sensors in our radiography. These sensors only expose patients to an amazingly low level of radiation – much, much lower than traditional film. Even better, the resulting image we get from the digital sensors we use is fantastically clear and diagnostic! In fact, it makes it easy for patients to see why we recommend the treatment we do, since we can put the image right on the computer screen next to them.

It may seem a little odd at first, but regular blood pressure checks and periodic radiographs are vital components of comprehensive dental care. We take your overall health very seriously at Eggert Family Dentistry, and we’re proud to be part of your healthcare team. Schedule your appointment today.

When You’re Smiling, the Whole World Smiles with You: It’s True!

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

Louis Armstrong first recorded “When You’re Smiling” in 1929, nearly a century ago! Even then, he had the idea that smiling can benefit not only you, but the people around you. And now, research shows that “Satchmo” was on to something.

Yes, Your Smile Is Contagious

Smiling is so important to our social interactions that when someone smiles at us, we are physiologically wired to smile back. Returning a smile is something we do unconsciously—it actually takes conscious effort to not smile back at someone.

What’s the effect of all this contagious smiling? Aside from lifting each other’s moods, it helps us look more attractive, makes us generally happier, and even increases our chances of living longer.

When people see you smile, they treat you differently. They perceive you as more sincere, relaxed, and reliable. Flashing someone a smile helps put them—and you—at ease. Smiling helps build social bonds and can even cause smilers’ breathing and heart rates to sync up.

Smiling and Holiday Stress

In the heart of the holiday season, smiling can help us manage stress and feel more connected to our loved ones. Smiling relaxes the muscles in your face and can even calm down your nervous system. So when you’re feeling stressed about the holidays, take a moment to breathe and smile. It will help you feel better, even if you have to “fake it ‘til you make it.”

Smiling is contagious and can help you and the people you’re smiling at feel better. But many of us are reluctant to flash our pearly whites because of pain, misalignment, or the perception that our smiles are ugly. Eggert Family Dentistry is here to keep you smiling and healthy this holiday season. Schedule your appointment today.

Root Canal Basics: What Is a Root Canal & Why Might I Need One?

Nothing seems to create anxiety in the dentist’s chair like the prospect of a root canal. This routine dental procedure has gotten a bad reputation over the years. But today’s technological innovations and improvements to anesthesia make this dreaded procedure comfortable for most patients. Here are the answers to some of Eggert Family Dentistry’s most-asked root canal questions.

What is a root canal dental procedure?

A root canal dental procedure treats inflammation and infection occurring in the pulp of your tooth. The pulp is the soft interior of your tooth, full of blood vessels and nerves. When the pulp becomes infected, you’ll likely experience pain and tenderness around the affected tooth.

A “root canal” is actually part of your tooth’s anatomy. It contains the pulp that extends down the roots of the tooth. A root canal procedure cleans out the infected tissue and reshapes the interior of the root canal so it can be filled and sealed to prevent further infection. In a later appointment, we’ll place a crown or other restoration over your tooth to better protect it long-term.

Why would I need a root canal procedure?

Root canal procedures treat infection and severe tooth decay. Though some patients do not experience pain when the pulp of a tooth is infected, most of us know when it’s time to call the dentist. Infected teeth are often painful, sensitive to heat and cold, and tender when we chew our food. The surrounding gum area can also be swollen or discolored.

Infections to your tooth’s pulp can be caused by advanced tooth decay, trauma to the tooth, or even a small chip or crack in the tooth’s hard exterior. A root canal will treat the infection, leaving the tooth functional.

What can I expect from my root canal procedure visit?

Before your procedure, we will take x-rays of the affected area to understand the severity of the infection. The day of your procedure, we’ll review the x-rays with you and apply a local anesthetic. Most patients find this anesthetic makes the procedure surprisingly comfortable. Then, we’ll isolate the infected tooth with a protective sheet so saliva does not enter the affected area.

Using tiny instruments, we’ll make an opening through the biting surface of your tooth so we can access the infected pulp. We then clean out the infected tissue and reshape the interior of the tooth. Once the interior is clean and shaped, we fill the root canal with a rubber-like material and apply cement to seal the tooth.

You may experience tenderness in the tooth in the days following the procedure, but over-the-counter or prescription painkillers often alleviate the pain. A subsequent visit will allow us to fit a permanent crown or other restoration. This helps keep the tooth sealed and protects the tooth from splitting.  In the meantime, you can brush and floss as usual, just avoid using the treated tooth to chew until we place the crown.

Still have questions about root canal procedures? The American Association of Endodontists has a great video overview for you to check out.

Need to schedule a root canal procedure? You’re in safe, experienced hands with Dr. Elizabeth and Dr. Jeff. Schedule your root canal procedure appointment with Eggert Family Dentists today.