Four Ways Green Tea Supports a Healthy Smile

How Did I get a Cavity! I brush daily, floss whenever and come in to the dentist whenever I’m in Pain!

Myths often start with a grain of truth, and that’s the case for the dental misconceptions most people have absorbed over the years. No matter how educated a person perceives they are concerning dental health, it’s possible a few false impressions have taken root. Such as…

• Cavities are a fact of life.
  It’s common knowledge that there are very real, clinically-evidenced explanations for dental health issues, so why is it that many times you cross your fingers and hope luck is on your side when it’s time to take the kids to the dentist? Recent advancements in research have focused a lot of attention on early intervention methods. So with proper education, fluoride, increased access to dental care, and ongoing research, children in this day and age may not need to worry about cavity development. No four-leaf clovers necessary.

• Candy is always the culprit
  Ok, ok, you’re aware that eating candy isn’t doing anything good for our teeth, but focusing too specifically on that one source of sugar just isn’t wise. Here’s why: fighting cavities is essentially about keeping the proper pH balance in your mouth. Maintaining this balance requires adequate saliva flow, a balanced, varied diet, and a daily oral hygiene regimen. Prolonged and frequent exposure to sugar can lower pH levels often enough to seriously impact your dental health, but it’s not just candy that’s to blame. Fruit and fruit juices, sodas, and cooked starches also create that acidic environment which leads to tooth decay. The longer the sweet stays in the mouth the higher chance it will cause cavities. For example, a Jolly Rancher, is much worse than say a Snickers Bar!

• A cavity starts on the inside of your tooth
  This one is several hundred years old, and probably doesn’t affect your concept of tooth decay today. But it’s interesting to think that in the 18th century people believed that “tooth worms” formed within a tooth and ate their way out to the surface. Now we know that dental decay starts from the outside and works its way in, not the other way around!

Remember  that the initial symptoms of potential tooth decay is discomfort to sweets, cold or heat. So if you are having any of these signs, give Waverley Dental Care a call. As always, proper hygiene an bi-annual cleanings and exams are STILL the best way to help prevent tooth decay and pain. Be proactive, not reactive to your dental health!

The short answer is, both. George Washington, born in 1732, suffered from dental problems nearly his whole life. While most people (except for us) don’t usually think about G.W’s dental health, his lifelong battle with abscessed teeth, inflamed gums, and ill-fitting dentures had a real impact not only on dentistry, but American History as well.

As a young adult G.W. suffered from smallpox, dengue fever, malaria, and dysentery, just to name a few. Many physical and mental maladies were treated with calomel, or “mercurous chloride”. This chemical compound may have helped ease G.W’s pain, but it also contributed to destroying his teeth. Additionally, many primitive dental care products were made with abrasive materials that destroyed the enamel of teeth. Preventive dentistry was almost unheard of in the 18th century, although G.W. brushed his teeth every day. He even owned a tongue scraper! Speculation also suggests he cracked some of his teeth on brazil nuts. Regardless of the possible ways in which his teeth were destroyed one by one, it is known that G.W. began losing teeth at age 22, and had 1 lone tooth in his head by the time he was 57. It’s a good thing he had the presidency to fall back on because he may have had a hard time getting a date on Saturday nights.

Contrary to popular belief, George Washington never owned a set of wooden false teeth. He owned many sets of dentures made from ivory, lead, or human/animal teeth; All of which were ill-fitting. G.W’s ill-fitting dentures caused him pain and discomfort, however, as evidenced by a few presidential pictures, having NO dentures changed the shape of his face, causing sunken-in lips and cheeks. As the president of the United States, this was unacceptable. Rather, most photos depict G.W. wearing his dentures, with his mouth shut and lips together. This was necessary in order to keep the dentures from falling out. It also explains why his mouth appears swollen.

Dental discomfort was actually the reason why G.W did not give his second inaugural address! His discomfort also prevented him from smiling as well. It is suggested that George Washington’s infamous “hair trigger temper” was a result of constant dental pain and irritability. It’s a good thing he had a wife at that point, because he likely would have had a hard time getting a date on Friday nights based on his misunderstood temper and inability to smile. Next time you are on the web and want to google something exciting, look up “George Washington photos”. See if you can tell in which pictures G.W. is wearing his dentures, and which ones he is not. Noticeable in some photos is a long scar on his left cheek, which was from an incision made to treat an abscessed tooth! See if you can find it. It’s a great game and likely why we have a hard time finding  dates on either Friday or Saturday nights.

Some fun facts:
*George Washington paid $60 for his first set of dentures, by today’s inflation rate that would be approximately $1694.18.
*The University of Maryland Dental School had one of George Washington’s original dentures on display, however, loaned it to the Smithsonian in 1976 when it was stolen. Only half was returned in 1982.

If you are experiencing ill-fitting dentures, or would like a set of dentures please give Waverley Dental Care a call to set up an appointment. If you know the whereabouts of the missing half of George Washington’s dentures, call us about that as well. There might be a reward. That would be nice.

Darkness falls across the land, the midnight hour is close at hand. Creatures crawl in search of blood, to terrorize y’all’s neighborhood –Michael Jackson’s Thriller

It’s that magical time of year where for one evening we get to scour the neighborhoods in search of candy. As children ourselves once, I think we can all remember how exciting it was to pretend to be someone else, collect goodies, come home and dump our pillow case candy sacks out on the floor to count, organize, trade, and ration the hard-earned candies of our labor.

Since this is a dental blog, I suppose we should learn something about candy and how it relates to oral health. Now, we wouldn’t dream of ruining Halloween by telling everyone not to eat candy. We love candy. Just ask to see Ginna’s secret goody drawer, if you don’t believe. But remember, like all of us, cavity-creating bacteria love Halloween too. All those sugary sweets create a perfect vacation spot for bacteria to grab their friends and rent out time shares on your teeth. Since you are all going to indulge in Halloween sweets, here are some interesting thoughts about minimizing tooth decay while still enjoying the holiday:

1. Powdery treats (such as pixie sticks) can be poured directly on the tongue, minimizing contact with teeth. This treat also dissolves quickly. Warning: pixie sticks may result in hyperactivity and brightly colored tongues.
2. Chocolate, especially cold or frozen chocolate, dissolves rather quickly and doesn’t stay on the teeth too long. Additionally chocolates have a lot of beneficial calcium. Chocolates with 65% cocoa content also act as a powerful antioxidant!
3. It is better to eat 4 chocolates at once, than one every hour. This prevents a constant supply of sugar coating the teeth.
4. Worst Candy for Teeth: Hard Candies, lollipops, jelly beans, and taffy. They get stuck in the grooves of teeth as well as stay in the mouth for longer periods of time.
5. It is better to have Halloween sweets with meals, not separately as a snack.
6. Try to brush your teeth after candy consumption.

Halloween Fun Fact: The most popular type of Halloween candy given out in the US is the Tootsie Roll. The Tootsie Roll was invented in 1896 by an Austrian immigrant in New York City. What a successful business.

Looking for a good way to cut down on the amount of post Halloween candy consumption? The one thing kids like more than candy is money, so consider talking to your kids about donating their unopened, left over Halloween Candy to a Dentist Halloween Buyback program which pays children for their leftovers and sends the candy overseas to our troops! Get paid to support our troops! Visit www.halloweencandybuyback.com to find a participating dental office in your area.

If you believe you have over-indulged on Halloween candy, felt pain when eating sweets, or damaged a filling, bridge, or crown on a milk dud, please contact Waverley Dental Care for a post-Halloween dental inspection!

ENJOY YOUR SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Ideally, you’d never procrastinate in doing responsible, grown-up things.

But we’re all guilty of it.

For some, it’s finances: “I’ll do my taxes next week!”
Or housework: “Those dirty dishes can soak in the sink for a while.”
Or even shopping: “I’ll just take a package of ramen noodles to work for lunch…”

All kinds of things get pushed aside on our daily to-do lists because we’d rather not tackle them now. But when it comes to your dental healthcare, procrastinating is ill advised. Sure, your time is precious, but your health is irreplaceable. And though many people don’t realize there are benefits to their wallet associated with dental visits, there are many. Yes, dental treatment can help your family budget’s bottom line!

How is that possible, you ask? How can spending money actually save you money? Well, consider preventive maintenance on your teeth like the regular tune-ups and oil changes you get for your car. You rotate the tires so they wear evenly, and replace the air filter when it gets grungy. All so your transportation keeps transporting you where you need to go, and you don’t have to pay big bucks to replace a part that could have been protected with preventive measures.

You know where this logic leads, and why it’s even more important to pay attention to your smile than your car. Your teeth need that same attention to keep doing what they do so well. Without it, the chances of developing a serious problem are much higher. Gum disease, tooth decay, and oral cancer are all conditions your family’s dentist will check for during a routine exam. If you’re not keeping appointments on a regular basis, a problem could be developing and you’d never know. At least, not until you experience a symptom that signals there’s a problem—and by then, the issue has progressed far beyond what your dentist or hygienist could catch in a simple exam.

A cavity or signs of disease are much easier and cost effective to treat in the early stages, so don’t delay your dental visit any longer. Put off shopping for a bathing suit, but don’t put off caring for your smile!

Wondering what to expect during your dental visit? Call us, and come on down for a consult.

“I’ll take the tooth, the whole tooth, and nothing but the tooth.” -Tooth Fairy

The history of the Tooth Fairy goes back centuries to nearly all regions of the planet. The legend of the tooth fairy varies from country to country, but there are some overlapping details which we will discuss.

Teeth were thought to have an element of power, used to ward off evil. Vikings used to pay their children in exchange for their lost teeth. The Vikings strung the teeth to make necklaces and other jewelry which they would wear in battle for good luck and to keep away evil and dastardly characters. Similarly, the children of Europe in later centuries would bury their lost teeth as a form of superstition. Because teeth carried such power, witches often wanted them in order to increase their own power and place curses on children. Burying the teeth kept the witches from finding them.

Additionally the tooth fairy began as a tooth mouse. This tooth mouse would scamper across the land and collect the buried teeth. As referenced in the 18th century story “La Bonne Petite Souris”, a mouse hides under the pillow of an evil King, changes into a fairy, and knocks out the evil king’s teeth. This was a pivotal moment in Tooth Fairy history, completing the transition of the mouse into the modern day Tooth Fairy.

As people began to migrate, and the world’s population grew, bare land became scarcer, and children began hiding their teeth under their pillows instead of in the ground. Continuing on with the Viking tradition, parents would remove the tooth in the middle of the night and leave a treat, or more commonly, money, in its place. Today, many parents still hold on to these baby teeth, keeping them hidden away in a box or in the back of a drawer, because, let’s face it, we’re all still a little bit afraid of witches……

Some interesting Tooth Fairy statistics:
* The national average for the Tooth Fairy’s going rate is $2.13 per tooth. Compensation is less for anterior teeth, while more is provided for molars. The rate fluctuates for teeth that fall out naturally versus teeth which are extracted in a dental office.
84% of homes in the US are visited by the Tooth Fairy
86% of parents say the state of the economy has not impacted the going rate of the Tooth Fairy

“Confucius say: He who removes teeth that will cram mouth shall be wise…..”

 Most of us do exactly as Confucius say.  85% of people will have some or all of their wisdom teeth removed in their lifetime due to impaction, pain, infection, or overcrowding and shifting of other teeth.  Right now you must be thinking “Oh great dental experts at Waverley Dental, why do I have these extra teeth?” 

 It’s hard to believe those extra teeth, also known as third molars, once served an incredibly important purpose.  The answer to this question can be found if we go back in time 10,000 years….

            Primitive man (and woman!) were primarily hunters and gatherers who, without the help of Stop & Shop, had to find their own food.  Their diets consisted of rough, coarse, and raw foods which often were accompanied by sand and dirt.  The rough diets required hefty chewing power to rip meat right off the bone, therefore, primitive man’s (and woman’s!) jawbones were much larger.  This larger jawbone was able to help accommodate 32 teeth while many of our current mouths can only fit 28.  Additionally, the rough diets whittled down teeth, making them individually smaller, also helpful in providing space for these additional teeth. 

            The dental hygiene and access to dentists 10,000 years ago was nearly non-existent, which caused our ancestors to fall prey to tooth decay and tooth loss.  Furthermore, activities such as battling buffalo created a situation where teeth could easily be knocked out.   By the time an adult reached the ripe old age of 20, evolution provided for an additional set of molars to replace the decayed/missing ones.  Wisdom teeth also served a purpose to push forward existing teeth to help fill in the gaps in other areas where teeth were lost.

            Today, we neither have space nor the need for a third set of molars due to a combination of changing bone structure, softer diets, less dangerous daily activities, and better dental hygiene and in-office restorative methods such as the ones we offer at Waverley Dental Care.  Evolution is always at work, evidenced by the fact that an increasing number of people today are developing fewer, or no, wisdom teeth.  If you would like to know if you are one of these highly evolved individuals, please call the office and we can review your recent x-rays.   Never been to our office?  Now would be a good time to switch to Waverley Dental Care!