oral health

Tooth Tips | Learn How Smoking Leads to Gum Disease

March 31, 2022 by Daniel Bedard

Studies have shown that smokers have twice the risk of developing gum disease compared to non-smokers. When your body’s immune system becomes compromised due to smoking, fighting off gum infection becomes much more difficult. This can lead to gum recession and even disease. Smoking also diminishes the effectiveness of gum treatments, making it less likely for damaged gums to heal properly. In more advanced stages, gum disease also weakens the structures holding your teeth in place, leading to an altered bite and even tooth loss.

In addition to throat and lung cancer, smoking also causes oral cancer, symptoms of which include mouth/lip sores that don’t heal, red/white patches, growths, constant pain, etc. Often requiring radiation therapy and surgery to remove any affected tissue, oral cancer can severely change the entire structure of your face, from the way it looks to your ability to chew, speak, etc. Your quality of life can be severely diminished.

What can you do?

We know it’s easier said than done, but quitting smoking is absolutely vital if you want to maintain your oral (and overall) health. If you can’t quite beat the habit just yet, you should make an effort to maintain an otherwise healthy lifestyle (balanced diet + regular exercise), never forget to brush/floss, and maintain your dental appointments.

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How to Get Your Kids to Brush Their Teeth

July 7, 2020 by Daniel Bedard

Cliquez ici pour la version française

Let’s face it: if adults weren’t around to make them do it, brushing and flossing wouldn’t be on most kids’ radar. Luckily, there are lots of simple ways to help make oral hygiene feel like more than just a chore.

Join In

Whenever possible, join your kids and brush alongside them! Simply being told to do something isn’t always an effective motivator for children, but actually seeing parents follow a habit is a great way to instill a sense of normalcy and create a long-lasting routine. Monkey see, monkey do.

Let Them Choose

Kids’ toothbrushes come in all sorts of fun colors and many are even branded with characters they already love, so let them pick one out themselves! When kids are involved in the process, they become much more engaged and motivated.

Have Some Fun

Brushing for two minutes can feel like an eternity for kids, so it’s important to find ways to pass the time quickly. Play their favorite song while they brush, or give them a small reward after they finish.

One of the most important things to remember is that it’s best to start early. Childhood is an invaluable time for absorbing information and forming healthy habits. Kids should be brought to the dentist around the time their first tooth appears, which is not only important for assessing their oral health, but also for parents to learn how to properly care for their children’s teeth. For more info about what you can expect when bringing your kids to the dentist for the first time, click here!

What to Do When You Can’t Make It to the Dentist

May 21, 2020 by Daniel Bedard

Since dental clinics will remain closed for the foreseeable future, lots of people are going to be missing out on their routine checkups. Regular exams and cleanings are essential in maintaining optimal oral health, but here’s what you can do to tide yourself over if your next trip to the dentist has been postponed.

Don’t forget your oral hygiene basics

As always, you should focus on maintaining good oral hygiene habits even if your typical daily structure has been upended. Brushing twice a day and flossing daily make for the most obvious and critical routine to avoid plaque buildup, but it’s also one that many people tend to either rush through or even partially ignore.

Many have a tendency to skip flossing for days or even weeks at a time, but it’s now more important than ever to make it a part of your daily life. Even those who do floss regularly don’t always follow the proper technique, tending to speed up the process a bit too much; instead of snapping or forcing the floss, be sure to slide it gently up-and-down between your teeth, curving it around the tooth’s base to reach under the gumline. This not only gives your gums a well-rounded cleaning, but also helps to reduce swelling and bleeding.

Tongue scrapers can be an added bonus

You can also consider adding a tongue scraper to your routine, as the tongue is another oft-neglected area of people’s hygiene habits. Tongue scrapers clean the tongue more effectively than a toothbrush, ably removing a great deal of dead skin cells, bacteria, and food debris, which can help fight bad breath and leave the mouth feeling cleaner. Click here to learn more about what your tongue can tell you about your oral health.

Watch what you eat

Your diet can also have a significant impact on your oral health. While in self-isolation, it’s understandably tempting to indulge in snacks and sweets as a way to deal with stress and boredom, but you definitely don’t want to overindulge to the point of damaging your teeth. Consider limiting your intake of starchy snacks like chips and bread or sugary ones like soft drinks and candy to avoid tooth-dissolving acids. When you do eat them, make sure to rinse your mouth right after your meal to protect your enamel.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, check out last year’s Easter blog detailing the effects different kinds of treats can have on your oral health. For foods that are actually beneficial for your teeth, high-fibre fruits and veggies are the way to go, as are foods that are rich in protein, calcium, vitamin D, etc.

Be sure to stay healthy and safe!

What Can Your Tongue Tell You About Your Health?

April 3, 2020 by Daniel Bedard

Version française

It goes without saying that your tongue plays a vital role in tasting and swallowing food, but it can also give your dentist clues to both your oral and overall health. Here are some examples:

Red Tongue

An overly red tongue typically indicates a vitamin deficiency (folic acid, B-12, etc). Leafy greens and citrus fruits are rich in folic acid, while B-12 can be found in meat and dairy. For those who avoid animal products and are B-12 deficient, consider taking an oral supplement. A red tongue can also be tied to strep throat or scarlet fever, in which case a visit to the doctor for an antibiotic prescription is in order!

Geographic Tongue

An inflammatory but harmless condition, this causes a map-like pattern of patches to appear on the surface of your tongue. Typically red in color and with slightly raised borders, these patches may look strange, but it’s a largely benign issue aside from causing slight discomfort or sensitivity. However, if these patches linger for more than a couple of weeks, give your dentist a call.

White Patches

Tobacco use can lead to a condition called Leukoplakia, which causes the appearance of white patches on the tongue. While not necessarily dangerous on its own, Leukoplakia can sometimes be a precursor to cancer. We know it’s easier said than done, but still: quit smoking!

White patches may also appear due to oral thrush, a yeast infection often seen in infants, the elderly (particularly those who wear dentures), and people with weakened immune systems.

Sore or Sensitive Tongue

Having an overly sensitive tongue often indicates a food allergy or the development of a canker sore. There are many other potential causes as well, including accidentally biting/burning your tongue while eating. The sides of your tongue can also become irritated and painful if you tend to grind or clench your teeth.

Hairy Tongue

Okay, this might be the weirdest one, but the appearance of a dark, furry surface on your tongue is a benign, temporary condition. It’s usually caused by a buildup of dead skin cells on papillae that grow longer than normal instead of shedding naturally. These unusually long papillae then become discolored by food, bacteria, etc. Good oral hygiene is typically enough to deal with this issue, so make sure you have a tongue scraper handy!

If you’re worried that you have a serious oral issue of any kind, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with your dentist to figure out your next steps. Some of the issues listed above are benign, but a check-up wouldn’t be a bad idea if they are unusually persistent. Better safe than sorry! Early prevention is vital in maintaining your oral health and comfort.