Root canals have earned a bad reputation. This procedure has become the butt of jokes on TV shows & in games of “Would You Rather”. It has also become the subject of an unusual amount of anxiety because patients expect the procedure to be painful, despite recent advancements that ensure this isn’t the case. But from a health perspective, root canals are heroic: they are a life-saving procedure for your tooth!

Each of your teeth has a hollow space inside it, which includes a pulp chamber & root canals. These interior chambers are filled with tooth pulp, which consists of connective tissues, nerves & blood vessels that nourished your tooth from the inside during development. Your dentist will perform a root canal procedure when the pulp becomes compromised.

Situations that can lead to the need for treatment include deep decay (i.e. a really bad cavity), a cracked tooth & repeated dental procedures. It is important to note that even an injured tooth that has no outward signs of damage can still have damaged pulp. The root canal procedure consists of removing the infected pulp & then cleaning & resealing the pulp chamber.

Modern advancements in root canal procedures & anesthesia have made the root canal’s painful reputation a thing of the past. The root canal procedure is performed under a local anesthetic, meaning you won’t be able to feel it.

Left untreated, damage or infection in the root canal could mean the loss of a tooth, not to mention pain & swelling in the meantime. But an infected tooth that has been treated with a root canal procedure should last a lifetime.

If you’ve been told you need a root canal treatment, you may have also heard the term “endodontist”. An endodontist is a dentist who specializing in treating the interior structures of your teeth, & thus can be thought of as a root canal specialist. If your dentist has determined you need a root canal, he or she may refer you to an endodontist for the procedure.

No matter what you’ve heard about root canals in the past, we know you’d probably prefer getting this routine procedure than enduring a toothache & possibly having your tooth removed. There’s no reason to fear root canal treatment!

When it comes to dental insurance, or insurance in general, many of us are quickly baffled. There are so many different types of plans & unfamiliar vocabulary that it often feels like trying to learn a new language. However, there is one important concept about your dental insurance that you should absolutely know, & it can save you money!

There are actually a few sweet spots on the calendar when it comes to getting dental treatments done, & one of them is the beginning of the year. Because your dental benefits don’t roll over from year to year, every New Year you’re granted with a fresh set of benefits. That means no matter how much dental work you had done the previous year, you have new benefits you can use right away this year.

If your dental insurance plan has a deductible (i.e. a total amount you must pay out-of-pocket before the insurance company starts covering your costs), getting treatments completed at the beginning of the year could mean reaching your deductible early. Once you’ve reached your deductible, any treatments you may need later in the year might be covered entirely by your insurance, meaning there will be no out-of-pocket cost for you. By contrast, if you started treatment at the end of the year before reaching your deductible & your follow-up appointments fell in the New Year, you’d be paying some out-of-pocket cost for all of it!

If your dental insurance plan has an out-of-pocket maximum, starting a treatment at the beginning of the year can help you reach that maximum sooner. Once your out-of-pocket maximum has been reached, that may mean that any follow-up appointments you have for your treatment, plus any other treatments or appointments, could be covered 100% by your dental insurance for the rest of year. Also, most dental plans cover your regular teeth cleanings at no cost to you (or a very small co-payment), often regardless of whether you’ve reached your deductible or out-of-pocket maximum. That means no matter what time of year it is, you’re entitled to teeth cleanings for free with your insurance.

Both of these examples demonstrate why the beginning of the year is a great time to get started on dental work that you may have been putting off. Plus, it may be a great way to get started on your new year’s resolution to be healthier!

Many primary & secondary schools across the United States (& in some other countries) require students to have a dental exam from a pediatric dentist or family dentist before they finish certain grade levels.

Most schools will not prevent a child from attending class if they don’t get the required exam, or if a dentist determines their oral health makes them unfit to attend school. However, other penalties may be placed on the child or parents in these situations. For example, if proof of the required dental exam isn’t provided, schools may withhold the child’s report card, which could make it hard for the student to move on the the next grade or matriculate.

The exams required by most schools are mainly focused on finding tooth decay-related problems, or “any other condition that interferes with a student’s ability to chew, speak or focus on school activities.”[source] This type of exam is already part of your child’s regular checkup at the dentist, so if your child already visits the dentist regularly, you will probably not have to make a new appointment for the school required dental exam. School-required exams usually do not involve x-rays (radiographs).

Children’s oral health can have a big impact on their early lives, their later health, & even on their academic success. A report on the implementation of the Illinois law that requires dental exams for schoolchildren stated:

An estimated 51 million school hours per year are lost because of dental-related illness. Poor oral health has been related to decreased school performance, poor social relationships, and less success later in life. Children experiencing pain are distracted and unable to concentrate on schoolwork. Children should enter school free from dental problems. [source]

Some states also collect data (confidentially & anonymously) from the results of these exams. Putting all this data from different schools & grades together gives them a good idea of how well the teeth of children in the community are being cared for.

The state of Illinois requires a dental exam for Kindergarten, 2nd Grade & 6th Grade students. Other states with similar requirements include New York, Kentucky, West Virginia, & Oregon. State-enforced requirements usually apply to all schools, including public, private & parochial (religious) schools. Some local governments (such as county or city) & even some school districts may require dental exams for students even if it isn’t mandated by state law.

If you don’t know whether your child’s school requires a dental health screening, the best way to find out would be to contact the school directly & ask. Children who do not yet have a regular dentist that they go to can often get recommendations from their school of a local pediatric dentist or family dentist who can help.

If your child’s school does require a dental screening, make sure you mention this at your child’s next dental exam so the dentist knows to fill out & provide you with the appropriate form certifying your child has been examined.

Why not start getting your kids’ smiles in shape this summer? Kids, & often moms & dads, have a little more free time during the summer, so it’s a great time to get a jumpstart on necessary orthodontic treatment.

Braces require visits to the office every few weeks or months for adjustments & tightening. It makes sense to start this process during the summer when school is out so kids don’t have to miss class for their orthodontic appointments. Having the first few orthodontic appointments during the summer will minimize the number of times you’ll have to try to fit visits into you & your child’s schedules during the busy school year.

Getting braces during the summer also gives kids time to get used to new dental hygiene routine while they’re not rushed to get to school or stressed by evening homework & extracurriculars. New routines might include new brushing techniques & using a water jet flosser. Kids can take the extra time to get used to these teeth cleaning methods to ensure their smiles turn out as beautiful as possible when their braces treatment is finished.

Also, if you child gets braces during the summer, his means their removal & follow up appointments will also fall during school vacation. Depending on the length of treatment, they will get their braces off during the following summer, during next year’s winter holidays, or during the summer 24 months from now.

No matter what time of year orthodontics are started, you should know that while braces treatment results in a more beautiful smile, they also have very important health implications. Braces can help prevent future oral health problems, such as tooth decay, tooth loss, gum disease, jaw problems, abnormal tooth wear. So, if your child’s dentist has recommended orthodontic treatment for your child, the sooner treatment starts, the healthier your child’s smile will be!

As dentists we know we sometimes speak a slightly different, more clinical, language than our patients. We try not to be mysterious, but sometimes what’s common knowledge to us could be confusing to our patients. One common thing that patients want to know is the meaning of the different letters you see after our names: either DDS or DMD. So what’s the difference? Is one better than the other?

The answer is actually very simple: there is no difference! DDS (which stands for Doctor of Dental Surgery) & DMD (which stands for Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry) are exactly the same degree. Whether a dentist holds a DMD or a DDS degree, they have received all of the same training. The only difference is that some universities choose to call their dental degree DDS & some choose DMD.

So, for example, if Dr. John Smith received his DMD from the University of Pennsylvania & Dr. Jane Doe earned here DDS from UCLA, both doctors received the same level of clinical training.

You will sometimes see even more letters after some dentists’ names, such as FICOI or MAGD. These don’t represent university degrees, but actually indicate a level of additional training that a dentist has received beyond dental school. If you’re curious about what these letters stand for, ask your dentist! He or she spent lots of time & energy earning the designation & will be happy to share how their extra expertise helps him or her keep your smile healthy.

Bonus info: You will sometimes see the words BDS after some overseas dentists’ names. Dentists in places like Europe or India who hold BDS degrees are fully trained & qualified dentists in their countries. However, due to differences in certification requirements, foreign dentists with BDS degrees will need to also earn their DDS or DMD degrees in order to practice dentistry in the United States or Canada.

Any dentist will tell you that dental care is important, but what we might not explain is exactly WHY dental care is important. Though you see a different doctor for your physical health than you do for your oral health, much of what your dentist does is connected to your overall health.

The most common reason for visiting the dentist is to get a teeth cleaning. And while professional dental cleanings are a great way to keep your smile bright, they are also vitally important to your health. Cleanings are the dentist’s opportunity to assess your dental health & detect problems that may also affect your general health.

A dentist can tell a lot about you & your health by looking at your mouth. Things like bad breath & the color of your tongue can be indications of health issues that may be affecting your entire body. The level of build up on your teeth (plaque, tartar, etc.) can be an indication of how healthy & balanced your diet is.

Here are a few more examples of how your dental health & your overall health are connected:

• Studies have shown a link between gum disease & heart disease. Seeing your dentist regularly to treat &/or prevent gum disease may help prevent cardiovascular problems in the future.
• Because of certain hormonal changes during pregnancy, a dentist or dental hygienist may know a woman is pregnant even before she tells them, just by looking at her gums. Pregnant woman are also at higher risk for periodontal disease, which has been linked to low birth weight & premature birth.
• Dentists can perform tests to detect oral cancer. Early detection of oral cancer can have a large impact on outcomes.
• Gum disease affects the ability of patients with diabetes to control blood sugar. Also, the high blood sugar associated with diabetes can put patients at higher risk for infection, including gum disease.

With all of this knowledge of how your dental health & your overall health are connected, be sure to keep your cleaning appointment with your dentist & bring up any concerns or questions you may have.

At every dental appointment, dental patients are reminded of the importance of their at-home oral hygiene practices: Brush your teeth, floss, rinse and so on. Everyone knows the basics, but have you heard of tongue scraping?

Your tongue is a big muscle covered in tons of little bumps called papillae, where your taste buds live. It helps you eat food and drink water. That means that everything that touches and gets stuck in your teeth also touches your tongue—and it doesn’t all go away when you brush, floss, or rinse.

The tongue is constantly exposed to bacteria just like teeth are, and it can hold onto them really well thanks to its bumpy texture. If you ever notice a white film on your tongue, it could be bacteria or plaque—and if you don’t clean it, the bacteria can make their way onto your teeth even if you’ve recently brushed and flossed.

That’s where tongue scraping comes in. The best way to clean the plaque and bacteria off your tongue is to scrape it. There are tools made specifically to help you scrape your teeth: They’re called (surprise, surprise!) tongue scrapers.

When using a tongue scraper, start at the back of your tongue and gently but firmly scrape toward the tip of your tongue. After each scrape, wipe off the scraper to get rid of any residue. You might only need to scrape once, but we recommend you do it each time you brush your teeth. Alternatively, you can use a spoon or simply brush your tongue with a toothbrush, but neither is as effective as using a scraper.

There are more benefits to tongue scraping than just a clean tongue. It can also reduce bad breath, improve your sense of taste (think of all the clean taste buds!) and even improve your oral appearance. Regularly scraping your tongue should keep it a nice, healthy pink color.

As with all dental care, consistency is key. Just like you should brush your teeth twice a day, you’ll only see improvements to your tongue if you clean it every day.

Bad breath can be a notoriously sneaky and therefore embarrassing issue. You might not even know you have bad breath until your loved ones are ducking away when you go in for a kiss! Here a few tips on how to prevent bad breath, so you can go out into the world with the confidence that comes from fresh breath.

Avoid Stinky Foods

It seems like the more delicious and flavorful the cuisine, the stinkier it makes your breath! Garlic and onions are some of the worst, but there are other culprits too, such as coffee. Unfortunately, brushing your teeth is often not enough to get rid of these odors. The stinky compounds in these foods are absorbed into your bloodstream, causing your to exhale odor from your lungs, not just your mouth. The only way to get rid of garlic breath is to avoid eating garlic.

Brush Your Tongue

Everyone knows you should brush your teeth. Most people know that brushing your teeth also includes brushing your gumline. Not everyone knows that you should be brushing your tongue too. The tongue’s bumpy surface is a great place for odor-causing bacteria to hide, so adding brushing your tongue (or scraping it with a tongue scraper) is a great way to improve both your breath. That same bacteria, if left on your tongue, can get back on your clean teeth and potentially cause tooth decay.

Treat Dry Mouth

The saliva in your mouth is one of your body’s best self-cleaning mechanisms. Saliva helps wash away bacteria and debris in your mouth that could cause tooth decay if allowed to stick around. That same bacteria can also cause bad breath. By keeping your mouth moist, you can prevent decay and keep your breath fresh. The best way to do this is by staying hydrated by drinking lots of water. However, sometimes dry mouth is chronic and can be a side-effect of certain medications. If you find that you have dry mouth despite staying hydrated, you may want to talk to your doctor about your medications and see if there is a way to switch to one that doesn’t have this side effect. You can also talk to the dentist about over-the-counter and prescription solutions for dry mouth, such as special rinses.

As dental professionals, we may get a little bit more excited about dental hygiene products that our patients, but the truth is that everyone should pay close attention when choosing which dental products to buy. Which toothbrush or toothpaste is best for you depends on your unique dental condition, but did you know that the same is true of floss? There are 5 main types of floss and each have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Waxed Floss

This is probably the product that comes to mind first if you think of dental floss. Dentists and hygienists tend to like waxed floss for its durability. It consists of nylon string coated in a wax that helps prevent the strands from shredding or breaking during use. The downside of this type of floss is the coating makes it hard to fit into tight spaces between particular snug teeth.

Un-Waxed Floss

Un-waxed is made of dozens of fine strands of nylon twisted into a single string. It’s lack of a wax coating makes it a little easier to get between teeth, but it’s more prone to fraying. Both waxed and un-waxed floss are good for people with relatively healthy teeth and gums, but people with limited dexterity may find it difficult to use.

Dental Tape

Like regular floss, dental tape comes in waxed and un-waxed varieties. This floss is wider and flatter than the string kind, which many people find makes it easier to use if their teeth are not tightly spaced. The brand Glide by Oral-B is a dental tape that many patients are familiar with.

Super floss

Super floss is like regular floss on both ends but has a thicker, fluffy section in the middle. This extra thick floss is meant for those with large gaps between their teeth or dental appliances such as bridges or braces. The ends of super floss are usually stiff to help with threading it between teeth or under bridgework.

Floss Holder

Floss holders are Y-shaped or E-shaped tools that have a small segment of floss string between two prongs at one end. This type of floss is much easier to use for those with limited dexterity. However, we don’t like that the small, taut section of floss can’t wrap around a tooth while flossing. And unlike the other types of floss, you can’t use a fresh section of floss between each set of teeth, which could transfer bacteria from one part of your mouth to another where it wasn’t present before.

If this seems like an overwhelming amount of choice, always feel free to ask us about what floss we recommend for you at your next visit to our dental practice. We’re always happy to give you advice on how to best care for your teeth at home on a daily basis.

Did you know there is a super simple way to help prevent bad breath that you should actually already be doing? This should already be part of your dental hygiene routine in order to prevent tooth decay, but it’s also a great way to get rid of germs that cause bad breath. Can you guess what it is? We’ll give you a hint: you’ve probably lied to your hygienist about it.

The answer: Flossing!

If the threat of gum disease and cavities isn’t enough to get you flossing everyday, maybe the idea of embarrassing bad breath will be. The importance of flossing can be hard to perceive, because unlike the plaque on the fronts and backs of your teeth, the plaque between them is harder to see and impossible to feel. But there’s a very good chance the people around you can smell it.

When you only brush your teeth you miss out on cleaning a significant amount of the surface of your teeth. Unlike brushing, flossing allows you to go as much as 2 millimeters under your gums, allowing you to remove unseen bacteria from the surface of your teeth. If it isn’t removed, this bacteria will sit in your mouth and start expelling the stinky gasses that cause bad breath.

Remember, it is especially important to floss if you have dental implants or a dental bridge. These “replacement teeth” offer more places for food particles and the bacteria that feeds off them to hide. While crowns and implants aren’t vulnerable to cavities, they also don’t make you immune to gum disease! There are special kinds of floss that make getting in and around your dental prosthesis easier than with traditional floss. Water picks are also good alternatives to floss that can flush away stinky breath bacteria.

If you want a tutorial on the best way to floss for your particular oral health situation, please ask us at your next visit. We would be happy to give you a refresher to improve your dental hygiene routine!