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NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

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Help for Sensitive Teeth

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08/Jun/2025
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Help for Sensitive Teeth

If taking a bite of ice cream causes discomfort in your mouth, you may be experiencing teeth sensitivity. Often, people feel unpleasant sensations when they eat anything that is hot, cold, or sweet. Teeth sensitivity can be caused by enamel wear, tooth damage, overzealous brushing, and whitening products.

To remedy your sensitivity and give your mouth relief, follow these tips:

Use a good toothpaste
Several companies make toothpaste designed to lessen your discomfort by desensitizing your teeth. Apply the paste directly to the teeth and allow it to sit for several minutes for the best results.

Watch what you eat
Acidic foods and drinks, like tomatoes, sodas, and orange juice, can erode enamel, which contributes to teeth sensitivity.

Resist the urge to over whiten
You can attain a brilliant smile, but don’t go crazy with teeth whitening. One side effect of these products is sensitive teeth; however, the issue tends to resolve itself once you finish the treatment course.

Take care when you brush
If you brush for too long, too harshly, or use hard bristles, your teeth may become sensitive.

Talk to your dentist
When sensitivity persists, mention the problem to your dentist. Sometimes, a sensitive tooth can indicate a cavity, so your dentist may want to check your mouth to rule out decay.

Avoid extreme temperature
Stay away from anything that is really hot or really cold because these temperature changes can exacerbate the situation.

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08/Jun/2025
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Finding a Good General Dentist

A good percentage of dental consumers don’t currently have a general dentist. If you are looking for a dental provider for yourself or family, the task may seem overwhelming. It’s important to select someone you feel comfortable with and who fits your personality. You can make the search process easier with these helpful hints:

Ask others
Talk with friends, family, and co-workers about which dentists they use. Referrals are a great way to get the process started. You can also use the Internet as a valuable resource in your search.

Make a consultation appointment
Establishing a good relationship from the beginning is important, so schedule a consultation to meet your top choices and get a feel for their offices. This appointment is your opportunity to ask questions and gather basic information.

Evaluate the dentist’s skills and knowledge
Find out what professional organizations the dentist belongs to and how much importance he or she places on continuing education. Dentists are required to take a certain number of hours, but good providers generally exceed those levels. Some even make the time to teach, such as Dr. Yolanda Cruz, who is a clinical instructor and the faculty of Dentistry at the University of Toronto.

Check the dentist’s work
Most providers will have testimonials from satisfied patients. They may also have Before and After photos that will give you a chance to see some of the doctor’s handiwork. For example, you can view pictures of actual patient dental work on the website of Dr. Yolanda Cruz.

Start small
After your consultation, schedule a cleaning. During this visit, observe how the dentist and staff respond to you. Are they attentive to your needs? Do they make you feel valued and welcome? Feeling at ease with the dentist will help you commit to achieving and maintaining optimal oral health.

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08/Jun/2025
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Eating Right for Healthy Teeth

Your diet impacts your overall wellness. Making good choices will keep your body healthy, including teeth and gums. We all know that you should get plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in your diet. Certain foods and beverages provide particular benefit to your mouth.

Milk and yogurt
Low-fat milk and unsweetened yogurt are low acid foods. These options reduce the acid erosion that can weaken tooth enamel. Dairy choices, including cheese, also have the calcium you need for strong teeth and bones.

Green tea
Several benefits come from green tea. The antioxidant plant compounds, called polyphenols, in the tea prevent plaque from sticking to teeth, reducing your chances of developing tooth decay and gum disease. Green tea may also help control bad breath.

Onions
Because onions contain powerful antibacterial compounds, they kill various bacteria that inhabit your mouth. Raw onions offer the most benefit.

Apples, celery, and carrots
These crunchy foods massage gums and clean between teeth, promoting a healthy mouth.

Sesame seeds
High in calcium, sesame seeds help build enamel, and they also slough off plaque, lessening the chances of cavity development.

Animal protein
Lean cuts of chicken, turkey, and beef, as well as eggs, contain phosphorous, which works with calcium to strengthen our bones.

Water
Drinking H2O keeps your mouth hydrated and helps with saliva production. Saliva acts as a natural cleanser, washing away food debris and bacteria from your mouth.

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08/Jun/2025
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Coping with Halitosis

Though bad breath, also called halitosis, isn’t a life threatening issue, it can wreak havoc on your personal and professional life. From time to time, most people experience bad breath. Usually, something you eat or nasal congestion will cause episodes of less than fresh breath. Unfortunately, some people have chronic halitosis, which can be quite frustrating. Consistent problems with bad breath usually occur because of poor oral hygiene, certain medical conditions, dry mouth, and lifestyle choices such as smoking.

Follow these tips to help keep your breath fresh and clean:
•    Prioritize daily oral care. Make sure you brush after each meal and floss at least once a day to remove food debris, a major contributor to bad breath, from your mouth.

•    Don’t forget your tongue. Often the germs that produce unpleasant odors linger on your tongue. Brushing your tongue or using a tongue scraper can help.

•    Avoid temporary fixes. Mints and mouthwashes can actually dry out your mouth, which will make bad breath worse.

•    Drink lots of water. By consuming enough water, you will increase saliva production and reduce dry mouth.

•    Change your tooth brush regularly. Replace the brush every three to four months because old toothbrushes harbor bacteria.

•    Chew sugarless gum. Like water consumption, chewing sugarless gum promotes saliva levels.

•    Stop smoking. Although this is difficult, dropping your nicotine habit will give you fresher breath and improve your health.

•    Talk with your dentist. In some cases, your doctor may recommend special toothpaste and rinses that are formulated to address chronic halitosis.

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08/Jun/2025
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Vitamins That Help Your Teeth

Healthy teeth are maintained not only by proper hygiene, but also by eating a nutritious diet. Certain vitamins and minerals promote oral health. In order to keep your smile strong and attractive, try including these ingredients in your diet.

Vitamin A
Your tooth enamel contains a protein called keratin, which needs vitamin A in order to form. This means that vitamin A strengthens your enamel. It also boosts your immune system, helping to fight infections in your mouth. Some foods with vitamin A are beef, eggs, liver, salmon, fortified milk, and some cheeses.

Vitamin C
Also called ascorbic acid, vitamin C is vital in developing, maintaining, and repairing your body’s tissues, bones, and teeth. Studies show that people consuming lower amounts of vitamin C are more likely to have gum disease. Because vitamin C is water-soluble, it is washed from the body once it has all it needs, making it necessary to access this vitamin daily. Some sources of vitamin C are fruits, bell peppers, broccoli, and spinach.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D plays an important role in helping your body absorb and use calcium, which is responsible for strong, healthy bones and teeth. Vitamin D can be supplemented or received through exposure to sunlight. It is also found in some foods like fortified cereals and milk, egg yolks, and fish.

Calcium
Calcium is a crucial mineral needed to create and maintain your teeth and bones. You must supply your body calcium in your diet to ensure good health. Calcium is obtained in foods like cheese, milk, leafy green vegetables, and yogurt.

Vitamin K
This vitamin strengthens your tooth enamel by helping to bind calcium to your teeth and bones. It can also avert tooth decay by preventing acid from hanging onto your teeth. Vitamin A is found in soybeans, dairy products, and green vegetables.

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08/Jun/2025
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Medications and your Dry Mouth

It’s often bad enough that you have to take medicine in the first place, but it’s even worse when they have uncomfortable side effects. Many medications affect your oral health, with one of the most common negative side effects being a dry mouth. It’s important to be aware of what medicines might dry your mouth out, and ways to relieve that symptom if it develops.

What medicines can cause dry mouth?

There are over 400 medicines that have been known to cause dry mouth. The most common types of medicines that promote this side effect are:

• Antihistamines
• Decongestants
• High blood pressure medicines
• Antidepressants
• Sedatives
• Pain relievers
• Parkinson’s disease medicines
• Antacids

Can dry mouth hurt my teeth?

Having a consistently dry mouth can negatively affect your oral health. Saliva washes away food particles and bacteria in your mouth. If you don’t have enough saliva to help clean your mouth, you’ll be more likely to develop tooth decay and gum infections.

What can I do to relieve my symptoms?

The first thing you should do is ask your doctor if there are medication alternatives that would treat your medical problem but not promote dry mouth. It that isn’t possible, here are some ideas about how to relieve your symptoms of dry mouth:

• Sip water or another sugarless drink often during the day.
• Reduce or cut out caffeinated drinks, alcohol, and tobacco since each of these contributes to dry mouth.
• Drink water or sugar-free drink while eating to aid chewing and swallowing.
• Suck on sugarless candy or gum, which encourages saliva production.
• Avoid spicy and salty foods, because they can cause pain in a dry mouth.
• Use a humidifier while sleeping.
• Ask your doctor or dentist about artificial saliva products.

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08/Jun/2025
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How Your Teeth Develop

Although the exact timing differs, everyone develops teeth in a similar way. There’s usually a specific pattern to tooth eruption, and certain elements of each tooth. It’s interesting to not only know how to take care of your teeth, but also how you got them in the first place.

Here are some facts about your teeth:

• People have two sets of teeth. Primary (or baby) teeth develop first, followed by permanent (or adult) teeth later.
• Teeth usually erupt like a mirror; for example, the top molar on your right side should appear at about the same time as the left one.
• Teeth begin to form long before they can be seen or felt. Even though a baby’s first tooth appears at about six months old, it began developing during the second trimester of pregnancy.
• A tooth’s crown develops first, but its roots keep growing after the tooth comes through.
• By age 3, the 20 primary teeth have usually grown in and remain in place until about 6 years old. They then start to fall out to allow permanent teeth to erupt.
• Between 6 and 12 years of age, permanent teeth develop. Most adults have 32 permanent teeth.

There are two main parts of each tooth: the crown is the visible part, and the root is below the gums. The root holds the tooth in place. Your teeth have four kinds of tissue, each performing a unique role. These include:

• Enamel – the covering on the outside of the tooth’s crown. It is very hard, and protects the tooth from decay.
• Dentin – the layer under the enamel. Even though it looks like bone, dentin is not as hard as enamel. It is at more risk for decay if the enamel wears away.
• Cementum – the tissue covering the tooth’s root and helping to anchor it to the bone. It is soft and light yellow, but is usually covered by the gums. Taking good care of your gums is important so that the cementum is not exposed to plaque and bacteria.
• Pulp – the tissue located at the tooth’s center. The pulp contains blood vessels and nerves, which allows delivery of nutrients and signals to your teeth.

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08/Jun/2025
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Helping Your Baby with Teething

Seeing your child in pain is difficult for any parent, so we all try to protect our kids from hurting. Unfortunately, teething is a normal part of your baby’s development; however, this time can be trying for both children and parents. Understanding the process and discovering how to soothe your little one can make teething go more smoothly.

When do children start teething?
Most of the time, baby teeth come in between the ages of three and 12 months. The bottom front teeth erupt first, followed by the four upper front teeth.

How can I tell if my child is teething?
The most common signs include fussiness, drooling, slightly swollen gums, and changes in appetite. Generally, the peak of unpleasantness hits between four and six months. After this point, babies tend to become accustomed to the teething sensations.

What can I do to comfort my baby?
Hard, cold teething rings will help sore gums. Make sure the toys are put in the refrigerator not the freezer because frozen objects may cause tissue damage. Gently massaging your child’s gums may also provide some pain relief.

Should I be worried if my baby doesn’t have any teeth yet?
Typically, your child will cut his or her first teeth by 12 months. Often, the age that the first tooth breaks through is hereditary, so if you or your spouse got teeth at six months, your baby will likely follow suit. If no teeth have appeared by 14 months, schedule an appointment with a pediatric dentist to make sure there are no problems delaying the eruption of the primary teeth.

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08/Jun/2025
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Creative Uses for Toothpaste

The main purpose of toothpaste is to clean your teeth and prevent cavities. Currently, you can walk down any supermarket or drugstore aisle and find a plethora of choices. What many people may not realize is that toothpaste has other applications. You can use toothpaste to:

Erase scuff marks
To take off the scuffs from your favorite leather shoes, rub a small amount of paste on the area and then wipe it clean with a damp rag.

Remove gunk from an iron
Sometimes, your iron develops dark goop that can ruin clothes. Scrubbing with non-gel toothpaste can make the iron plate as good as new.

Polish your diamond jewelry
For extra sparkle, use an old toothbrush and paste to make your favorite jewelry shine!

Deodorize baby bottles
After a while, these bottles can start to smell like sour milk. Apply a little toothpaste to the bottle brush and clean the inside like normal.

Clean chrome fixtures
Instead of buying expensive cleaners, just smear toothpaste on your chrome and polish the surface with a soft, dry cloth to produce a gorgeous shine.

Erase crayon marks from walls
If your little Picasso has used your living room walls as a canvas, toothpaste can get rid of these drawings. Grab a damp rag and apply a little paste to the wall. The abrasive nature of the paste will take off the crayon.

Eliminate drain odors
Just as it helps remove the unpleasant smells in your mouth, toothpaste works similarly in your kitchen sink. Squirt the toothpaste into the sink, let it sit a few minutes, and then run the warm water for a clean smell.

Schedule your next dental cleaning at Comfort Dental Weymouth MA

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