It’s always unfortunate when a tooth has decayed so much that it needs to be restored by a dentist, but there are many options to save your tooth! Dentists are experts at fixing both mild and severe cases of tooth decay, but sometimes they need more time to examine your tooth to find out which treatment is right for you.

Sometimes a dentist is faced with an unusually complicated case of tooth decay or other dental damage. At this point in the dental treatment process, it may be unclear if the tooth can be saved with a simple procedure or if it needs a major restoration. This usually happens when tooth decay reaches or is close to reaching the nerve at the center of the tooth.

A sedative filling is a temporary kind of filling that dentists use at this critical junction. It stabilizes a tooth where decay has been removed and allows us to examine how the tooth responds to treatment. A mixture of oil of clove and zinc oxide is used in these fillings, which stop the spread of tooth decay and disinfect the cavity. These ingredients also help “calm” your tooth by relieving discomfort and sensitivity in the nerve—hence the term “sedative”!

Proper home care is extremely important with sedative fillings. Because sedative fillings are meant to be temporary, they can fall out relatively easily if you aren’t careful. Avoid chewing food on the side of your mouth with the filling and make sure to brush & floss with a slow and gentle approach so you don’t dislodge the filling. If your sedative filling does come out, please call us right away.

So just how temporary are these fillings? A tooth with a sedative filling is normally observed for several weeks before the dentist moves onto the next step of your treatment. Every patient is different, and it may take more or less time to figure out how to proceed. It may seem like a long time to wait, but please understand that we want to choose the most conservative solution in order to preserve as much of your natural tooth as possible!

You might have heard that you have your father’s eyes or your grandmother’s sense of humor. Maybe you know what diseases or medical concerns run in your family. But do you know what dental conditions are in your genes?

It’s true that genetics can affect dental health, but if you see bad teeth in your family, don’t feel doomed to a similar fate!

Family history can indicate a predisposition for good or bad dental health. Certain people may be more susceptible to getting gum disease or cavities. Others may have poorly aligned teeth that are difficult to clean enough to sufficiently prevent decay. Or maybe a lack of good hygiene habits was passed down by parents who simply did not prioritize dental health in their own lives.

The good news — yes, even if you’ve seen some red flags in your family — is that you have more control over your dental health than you might think. In addition to regular dental hygiene visits, your own at-home cleaning routine can potentially stave off even the worst of what you see in your family. Daily brushing and flossing with the right tools is the cornerstone of prevention.

Additionally, you may choose to — or your dentist may recommend that you — make some supplemental changes in your lifestyle to support your dental care.

Sugar is one of the most damaging foods for your teeth, so reducing your sugar intake or cutting it entirely can make a huge difference. Smoking also harms teeth, not to mention all the other health problems it causes, so quitting smoking is a good decision all around. And finally, making it easier to clean in between and around your teeth by straightening them can turn a potential dental fight around.

Whatever family history you come from, it’s important that you talk to your dentist about it. We can help you craft a custom dental health plan around the specifics in your history and daily life so you can have the best teeth at your future family gatherings.

Flossing is an important part of any at-home oral hygiene routine. But it’s also a source of anxiety, pain, and even shame. Instead of dreading the inevitable “floss talk” from your dentist, try these tricks to get in the habit of flossing regularly. Your smile will thank you!

Find Tools That Work for You

First, finding the right tools is essential. String floss is the oldest tool for flossing, but many find it cumbersome and simply uncomfortable. Patients who avoid string floss might complain about sticking their fingers in their mouth, not being able to reach their back teeth, or discomfort when wrapping the floss around their fingers. Such patients may find flossers to be the key to a good flossing routine.

Flossers are tools that allow you to extend your reach without wrapping floss around your fingers or sticking your fingers in your mouth. They are often one-handed tools, so if you like to multitask, you’ll be able to use your free hand for other tasks. There are a few options to consider when looking for a flosser, including the following:

• Reusable flosser with head replacements.
• Single-use flossers.
• Water flossers.

The first two still use string floss, but the tool holds it so you don’t have to. Since you use the same portion of string repeatedly, it’s important to rinse it off after every tooth gap so you don’t just transfer any removed residue to other teeth.

The single-use flossers are great to stow in the car, desk drawer, or purse for when you’re not at home. Many patients have them on hand even if they use other flossing methods at home; you never know when the urge to floss will hit!

Water flossers are becoming a popular tool for at-home flossing because of how easy to use they are and how gentle they are on teeth and gums. This type of flosser uses a stream of water to remove plaque and food particles. Because you don’t need to guide string between your teeth, water flossers make it much easier to clean around braces or permanent bridges.

Build Good Habits

Once you have your preferred flossing tool, it’s time to establish that habit that will make not flossing feel as weird as flossing feels now.

Consistency is key in creating new habits. Here are a few ideas for staying consistent:

• Make it easy. Keep your flossing tools next to your toothbrush or paste. Pairing the two activities can help you incorporate flossing in your existing oral health routine.
• Get something out of it. Keep your favorite flavor of floss on hand so you enjoy using it. Or if you go the one-handed flosser route, watch your favorite music video or play a level of your favorite mobile game while you floss. Just make sure you’re not too distracted to get a thorough floss in.
• Stay accountable. Mark the day on a calendar whenever you floss. A visual reminder of how you’ve done so far can help you push yourself to do better or keep it up!

Even with a good routine, there will be times when you just don’t feel like flossing. Just remember why you do it: clean teeth mean a cleaner smile, better breath, and fewer trips to the dentist for costly procedures.

With these tips, we’re confident you’ll build good flossing habits. Let us know if these tips work for you, or if you used any others as well!