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A beautiful smile certainly speaks for you. One of the first things that people will notice about you is your smile. It’s your beauty trademark, your “happiness meter”, and your greeting card all in one.  Yet, we live in a nation where dental health is not taken seriously and not viewed as a part of our overall health and well being.  Studies now show however, that poor oral health can not only cause gum disease, cavities, bad breath, and tooth loss in both adults and children, but is also linked to other serious health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, and preterm or low birth weight babies in pregnant women. So what can your family do to keep your smiles in tip top shape for the New Year?  Simply know your numbers!

Number of Dental Visits Per Year
It’s impossible for your family to have a great smile without the help of your dental team to monitor you and help you maintain optimum oral health.  Although there are many tools available to maintain your smile in the comforts of your own home, nothing replaces visiting your dental team every 6 months for your gum evaluation, professional cleaning, and cavity check.

Adults who suffer from chronic dental diseases such as advanced gum disease, rampant cavity formation, or have compromised immune systems due to certain medical conditions, may be recommended to visit their dentist every 3-4 months.

Numbers That Determine If You Have Healthy Gums
Gum disease is one of the most unrecognized and untreated diseases of the mouth.  As a matter of fact, 75% adults that visit the dentist are diagnosed with advanced gum disease.  If you think your children are exempt, then you’re wrong! It’s important for you to know the signs and symptoms of active gum disease which is characterized by bleeding gums as well as gums that appear red in color, swollen, and tender upon touch.  The truth is, early gum disease is silent and painless. If left untreated, early gum disease can lead to the other dental disasters such bad breath, tooth loss, and other serious health problems.

Did you know that when you visit your dentist, the health of your gums can be routinely measured to determine how healthy or unhealthy your gums are?  This procedure is called “periodontal probing”.  With periodontal probing, your dentist or dental hygienist  measures the spaces between your teeth and gums (these are called “pockets”) with a mini ruler to see if the pockets are shallow, cleansable, and do not bleed upon touch (healthy) or if the pockets are deep due to bone loss, traps food/bacteria, and bleed upon touch (unhealthy). Normal probing numbers or pocket depths are 1-3 mm deep.  Borderline pockets are 4 mm deep. Advanced gum disease is classified when you have pockets that are 5mm or deeper.  The higher the number, the more severe your gum disease is and the higher the risk is for gum infections and tooth loss.  Based on the results of the examination, your dental team can make an accurate diagnosis and customize a professional gum therapy plan that individual patient.

Number of Times You Should Brush And Floss Per Day
Brushing 2-3 times a day with a soft bristled or electric toothbrush will help fight bacteria and preserve the enamel on your tooth.  Each family member should get in the habit of brushing in the morning as well as before bed.   Brushing after lunch is always a big plus.  I’m sure that you’ve heard this time and time again, but flossing is equally as important as brushing–both must be done at home daily between dental visits.  To make flossing easy on the family, pick up a bag of those pre-loaded floss sticks.  They’re a cinch for both kids and adults to use (and yes, kids should be flossing too!).

Number of Times You Should Change Your Toothbrush Per Year
Now here’s an important number that can keep your entire family healthy.   For effective, germ free brushing, both adults and children should change their toothbrush every 3 months.  Why so often you ask? Because with daily brushing, especially if you are brushing the recommended 2-3 per day, your toothbrush bristles eventually become worn out and hence are not as effective as they once were. Exceptions to this would be if you were using an electric toothbrush, and the manufacturer states otherwise.

In addition, it’s important to know that your toothbrush is a breeding ground for bacteria.  Over time, bacteria accumulate on your toothbrush head from daily brushing, especially if you suffer from advanced gum disease.  If your family’s toothbrushes are openly exposed in the bathroom, they can collect bacteria from the mists of toilets and other bacteria or fungus infested areas.  You should always rinse your toothbrush out with hot water after every use and change it after you have been sick.   If you have gum disease that has not been treated, you should change your toothbrush every 4 – 6 weeks because of the bacteria can harbor in the bristles. My new favorite find is the Philips Sonicare UV Sanitizer.  This latest addition to the Sonicare brand includes a toothbrush head sanitizer which claims to kill 99 percent of selected bacteria and viruses.

Parents should pay special attention to their young children’s toothbrushes because some children tend to bite or even chew on the toothbrush bristles or the bristles sometimes wear a bit quicker because children often brush with uneven or hard strokes.  Also, adults and children who wear traditional metal braces should change their toothbrushes more frequently because the brackets tend to break down and fray the bristles and the toothbrushes lose their effectiveness.

Numbers On Your Nutritional Food Labels
Do you take to time to think about what you are feeding your teeth to keep them in optimum health? If not, consider this.  In many ways your teeth (which are a gateway to the rest of the body) require a well-balanced diet.  Be sure that your diet is rich in fresh fruits, freshly squeezed juices, milk and other calcium rich foods, water, and fresh vegetables.  Those hard, fibrous, raw vegetables—such as celery or carrots—are particularly good to stimulate the gums.

A nutritious diet provides the essential minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients for healthy teeth and gums and can help protect teeth from decay so when you are shopping for weekly groceries, READ THOSE LABELS!  Beware of foods that may seem healthy but have a high percentage of sugar such as concentrated orange juice and other concentrated fruit juices, dried fruit, and smoothies.  Also beware of canned and frozen foods which although convenient, can be packed with hidden sugars that can ruin your family’s smile.

It doesn’t take a million bucks to keep your family smiling. Ignoring your smile today will only lead to costly dental disasters tomorrow. So take charge of your dental health and make it a priority. If you’ve been guilty of putting off the next dental exam and professional cleaning, consider making a dental appointment ASAP. For more smile tips and your VIP pass to dental resources, pick up or click to order my book “5 Steps to the Hollywood A-List Smile: How the stars get that perfect smile and how you can too!” today.

This guest blog post was written by Dr. Catrise Austin.  Dr. Austin owes her A-List career to a love of belly laughs. As a new dentist, Dr. Austin enjoyed many nights at the comedy clubs of New York City where she met up and coming comedians such as Chris Rock, Tracey Morgan, Mike Epps, and Dave Chappelle. Before you could say, “Brush after every meal” Dr. Austin was known as the “Dentist to the Stars”. Dr. Austin is the owner of VIP Smiles, a New York City Dental Practice.

Bruxism, also known as teeth grinding, is the grinding, gnashing or clenching of teeth. Most people think of bruxism as something people do when they’re mad, nervous or stressed. However, bruxism can occur unconsciously during the day or during sleep.

What causes bruxism?
There are many causes of bruxism. Some emotional causes of bruxism are stress, anger, or a competitive or hyperactive personality. Bruxism can also be caused by an irregular alignment of upper or lower teeth or changes that occur during sleep cycles.

What are the effects of bruxism?
In some cases bruxism can be a minor problem and not even require treatment, but in other cases it can be very serious. Bruxism wears down the teeth and can cause jaw pain, headaches, neck pain, chronic face pain, loose teeth and cracked teeth.

What are some signs of bruxism?
Other than experiencing some of the aforementioned symptoms, people with bruxism may also experience heightened tooth sensitivity, enlarged jaw muscles, earaches, and even indentations on their tongue. If you are experiencing these symptoms you should contact a cosmetic dentist before the situation worsens.

How is bruxism treated?
Bruxism can be treated in a variety of ways:

Change of lifestyle. One cause of bruxism is stress. Learning to manage stress can be a large step in preventing or stopping bruxism. Seeking professional counseling or practicing stress management therapies can help tackle stress. Some stress management therapies can be as simple as exercise or meditation.

Cosmetic dentistry techniques. There are some cosmetic dental techniques that can help prevent bruxism. A cosmetic dentist may suggest a mouth guard or a splint to prevent harming teeth. In extreme cases a cosmetic dentist might have to implement overlays or crowns to reshape the teeth.

Medications. Medications aren’t typically prescribed for bruxism and haven’t been found to be particularly effective. However, occasionally cosmetic dentists will prescribe muscle relaxants to be taken before bedtime.

How can the effects of bruxism be prevented?
One way damage from bruxism can be prevented is by seeing a cosmetic dentist regularly. A cosmetic dentist can discover bruxism or signs or bruxism early on. The earlier bruxism is caught, the easier it will be to prevent future damage to your teeth.

This is a guest blog post by Dr. Neil Riley
Dr. Riley is a cosmetic dentist in Columbia, MO. Dr. Riley is also a teacher of cosmetic dentistry across the country in various schools and programs. Dr. Riley is continuously updated on the latest cosmetic dentistry techniques, equipment and materials.