This 8-part series provides an in-depth look at seven different habits, addictions and behaviors that are deadly to your oral health.

When trying to understand the habits, addictions and behaviors that affect our oral health, who better to speak to than Bronx dental implants specialists? After all, these highly trained and qualified professionals replace teeth that have sustained irreparable damage and/or decay on a daily basis. They have seen what happens to the health of teeth and gums when patients smoke, avoid the dentist, don’t replace missing teeth or lead an unhealthy lifestyle with a poor diet.

In this 8-part series, Bronx dental implant specialists shall provide an in-depth discussion on the 7 deadly dental sins. Committing these sins immediately puts the health of your teeth and gums in danger of infection and the terrible oral diseases that ultimately lead to tooth loss. Some of the habits that will be discussed are fairly obvious in their connection with oral health: virtually everybody knows that smoking is bad for you, for example. But some habits are a little more unexpected and surprising, such as the fact that allowing a missing tooth to go without replacement can lead to further tooth loss.

Armed with this information, it is hoped that every reader will go on to take better care of their oral health; that they’ll perform the daily necessary steps to keep their teeth and gums squeaky clean while avoiding the bad habits, addictions and behaviors that can lead land you up in the NYC dental implants specialist’s office! But, before we get started on this epic journey through the 7 deadly dental sins, let’s first take a look at your mouth under the microscope.

Bacteria, Bacteria, Bacteria… Everywhere!

That’s right. Under the microscope, your mouth is teeming with bacteria. Every single surface, nook, cranny, crack, groove and cusp is practically moving with the amount of microscopic organisms writhing across it. In fact, there are more bacteria in your mouth than there are people on the planet!

Most of the kinds of bacteria in your mouth – scientists have identified 700 different species – are perfectly harmless and even necessary for good oral health. But then there are the bad guys and these bacteria are responsible for forming massive acid-excreting and disease-spreading colonies. Plaque, the white sticky substance you can scrape off your teeth with your fingernail, is bacteria – legions of microorganisms (alive and dead) along with their odorous wastes.

When left to sit on your teeth for long periods of time, plaque hardens to form tartar and this irritates the gums, causing them to become inflamed and swollen. At this stage in the game, a person will have a condition known as gingivitis: inflammation of the gums. If not removed frequently enough by thorough brushing and flossing, the bacteria continue to multiply, forming swarming metropolises that are visible as whitish-grey structures (calculus) on the teeth and bridges between the teeth.

Ew! Who on Earth would allow this to happen to themselves? According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 80% of Americans, because 80% of our population presents with some form or stage of gum disease. Shocking isn’t it? Well, now that you have a better understanding of what’s going on in your mouth beneath the microscope, let’s begin examining the 7 deadly dental sins that lead to the unmanageable proliferation of oral bacteria.

Stay Tuned for Part 2

Stay tuned for the second installment of this 8-part article series in which Bronx dental implants specialists provide an in-depth discussion on the 7 deadly dental sins that lead to tooth decay, gum disease and tooth loss. In part two, we begin our journey with the number one transgression against oral health: poor oral hygiene.

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This 8-part series provides an in-depth look at seven different habits, addictions and behaviors that are deadly to your oral health.

Welcome back to our 8-part article series on the different addictions, behaviors and habits that are deadly to the health of your teeth and gums. In our previous installment, Part 5, we discussed the dangers of a diet that is high in sugar and starch, which provides oral bacteria with the energy it needs to proliferate far faster. In this article, the sixth installment of the series, the Bronx dental implants specialist will be talking to us about deadly dental sin # 5: being rough with your teeth.

What Does it Mean to be Rough With Your Teeth?

Your teeth are made from the hardest substance in your body: dental enamel. Enamel comprises the very hard and protective outer layer of the tooth’s structure. This protection is necessary because your teeth are designed to withstand some pretty taxing wear-and-tear! They’re also meant to last you a lifetime. But, just because your pearly whites are strong enough to endure close to a lifetime’s worth of eating, doesn’t mean you can be rough with them!

Your teeth were not designed to go up against anything harder than food. The following habits are therefore exceptionally bad for them:

• Chewing ice
• Biting into hard candies
• Prying open containers
• Tearing packaging
• Opening bottles
• Playing sports without a mouth guard

The Consequences of Misuse

There’s always one of “those guys” at a party: the one who drops onto all fours and starts doing push-ups in the middle of the dance floor, or the one who tries to open a beer bottle with his teeth in an effort to show off. This behavior may cater for some deep impulsive need to demonstrate strength and manliness in front of a room full of mini-skirted damsels, but it certainly does not do your teeth any favors!

“You’d be surprised at the number of patients we see who have lost teeth due to accidental trauma sustained in this kind of environment,” says the Bridgeport dental implants specialist. “Whether it’s a bar brawl or something as trifling as a party trick gone wrong, this kind of behavior can have serious consequences. I once treated a man who had tried to pick up a table with his teeth because he had seen it on television. He cracked both of his front bottom incisors right down to the roots.”

Silly party tricks, using your teeth as tools or playing contact sports without the correct protection all constitute a misuse of your pearly whites and the consequences can be painful and expensive to repair. Chipped, cracked, fractured teeth, or even teeth that fall out all together, can be a result of the physical trauma done by being rough.

“Never use your teeth as tools, or for anything other than smiling and eating,” says the Bronx dental implants specialist. “Always wear a mouth guard if you play contact sports and don’t chew ice or any other hard, crunchy foods. Or else I’ll be seeing you in my office sooner rather than later!”

Stay Tuned for Part 7

Stay tuned for the seventh installment of this 8-part article series in which Bronx and Bridgeport dental implants specialists discuss the number six transgression against good oral health: teeth grinding and jaw clenching.

This article takes a look at some of the oral health statistics coming out of institutions such as the American Dental Association and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

If asked, most of us would probably deny having a condition as serious as gum disease. We might admit to being a little sloppy with our oral hygiene habits and few can say that they follow a pristinely healthy lifestyle. But according to Bronx dental implants specialists who deal daily with the consequences of tooth decay and gum disease, we’re definitely not as invulnerable as we would like to think. In fact, nearly 80% of all Americans present with some form of bacterial gum infection – a precursor to the terrible oral ailment that can cause all of your natural adult teeth to fall out! What else don’t we know about the health of our own teeth and gums? Quite a bit it would seem.

The Occurrence of Periodontal Disease in the United States

• According to the Center for Disease Control, periodontal disease is the main cause of tooth loss ahead of dental caries, accidental trauma and failed dental restorations. This is especially true of adults over the age of 35.

• There are currently 200 to 300 million Americans affected to some degree by gum disease, whether it be mild gingivitis or advanced periodontitis and tooth loss.

• Of women aged 30 to 54, at least 23% have full blown periodontitis, while 44% of those aged 55 to 90 (who still have their teeth) present with the symptoms.

• 33% of all American women will have lost every single one of their original adult teeth by the time they are 65 years old, making them ideal candidates for whole mouth reconstruction using All On 4 Implants.

About Periodontal Disease

• There are two kinds of periodontal disease: (1) Acute – a severe and highly dangerous infection with a sudden onset and (2) Chronic – a recurring infection that can last a long time.

• Over 38 million people in America don’t have a single original adult tooth left in their mouths and the culprit is almost always gum disease.

• Every year, one to 1.5 million people have full or partial removable dentures fitted to address problems with tooth loss. There are currently over 50 million Americans living with dentures.

• Over 400 prescription and over-the-counter medications are linked with the development of gum infections and diseases owing to their tendency to inhibit saliva production. “Saliva is the body’s natural defense against bacteria,” explain Bronx dental implant specialists. “Medications including certain diet pills, antihistamines, antidepressants and heart pills can leave patients at a greater oral health risk.”

Periodontal Disease and Whole Body Health

• “Periodontal disease shares many links with other illnesses and conditions,” say Bronx dental implants specialists. “Having gum disease can put you at a higher risk of developing or having diabetes, respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, Rheumatoid arthritis, stroke, premature labor and low birth weight babies and more.”

• Women with osteoporosis are far more vulnerable to tooth loss and a deterioration in jawbone health. They are also far more likely to end up wearing removable dentures by the time they’ve turned 60. According to some sources, it is thought that having severe osteoporosis makes you three times more likely to become edentulous (toothless).

• Research by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the American Academy of Periodontology indicate strongly that people with periodontal disease are at an increased risk of having a severe and potentially fatal heart attack.

“Periodontitis is a major health problem in the United States,” say All On 4 Implant specialists. “Make sure you look after your teeth and gums and visit your dentist and oral hygienist on a regular basis. Prevention is always better than cure.”

This article presents the statistics of tooth loss in the United States and then moves on to discuss what dental implants are and how they work as a tooth replacement technology.

Bronx dental implants offer patients who have lost one or more of their natural adult teeth a fixed, non-removable and long-lasting replacement solution. Tooth loss can occur for a great number of reasons. They can become irreparably damaged or decayed as a result of dental caries, accidental trauma received to the face, a failed root canal, tobacco use, chronic illness or periodontal (gum) disease, to name but a few of the risk factors for tooth loss.

According to the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, an astounding 69% of adults aged 35 and 44 have lost at least one of their natural teeth to any of the above-mentioned reasons. The statistics of tooth loss only get worse the older the age group considered. Nearly 30% of people over the age of 74 don’t have a single original adult tooth left in their mouths, having lost every single one of them to decay and gum disease.

Thankfully, whatever the cause of tooth loss and whether you have lost one or all of them, Bronx dental implants offers a comprehensive and sophisticated tooth replacement solution!

NYC Dental Implants: What are they?

According to peer-reviewed research publications and numerous clinical trials, NYC dental implants have a success rate of 98%. The surgery required to place them is very straight-forward and, with the aid of sophisticated computer imaging treatment planning software, is as predictable as it is safe. A dental implant itself is an artificial tooth that is designed to replace the natural tooth that has gone missing or has had to be extracted due to the damage or decay it has sustained. This hardware consists of three connecting components:

• Medical Grade Titanium Implant Screw: The base of Bronx dental implants is a screw constructed from medical grade titanium metal. This material is exceptionally strong, lightweight and non-corrosive. It also has the very rare ability to form biological bonds with bone tissue, so, over time and with healing, the dental implant will actually integrate with the jaw bone. The titanium implant screw is inserted into the prepared site of the former natural tooth.

• Abutment: The abutment is attached to the implant screw and is used to hold the actual tooth replacement firmly in place. In the case of single missing teeth, it’s a ceramic crown and for multiple missing teeth, a prosthetic dental bridge.

• Single Tooth Replacement ~ Ceramic Crown: The artificial tooth crown – a replacement tooth crafted from durable ceramic material – is the only part of the dental implant that is visible above the gum line. The result is a replacement tooth that is virtually indistinguishable – in shape and color – from the neighboring healthy teeth.

• Multiple Teeth Replacement ~ Prosthetic Bridge: In cases where an entire upper and/or lower arch of missing and damaged teeth requires replacement, a prosthetic dental bridge will be custom fabricated for the patient (see image below).

Together, all of these components work to offer patients a completely free-standing, comfortable, functional and aesthetic replacement tooth or teeth. Furthermore, because Bronx dental implants rely directly on the underlying jaw bone for support – and not the gums, as is the case with dentures – they do not typically damage the neighboring teeth or surrounding gums. In fact, dental implants promote excellent jaw bone health and they can last several decades without the need for restoration or replacement.

This four-part article series explains 10 very important tips for keeping your teeth and gums in excellent life-long condition.

Welcome back to our four-part article series on the advice Bronx dental implants specialists have for maintaining excellent oral health. Before we provide the final two top tips, let’s take a brief recap of all the points we have covered thus far in Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3…

Top Tip # 1: Start Caring for Teeth Early

Top Tip # 2: Prevent Potential Problems With a Seal

Top Tip # 3: Get Enough Fluoride, But Not Too Much

Top Tip # 4: Brush and Floss Daily, Thoroughly

Top Tip # 5: Chew Gum or Rinse Your Mouth out After Eating

Top Tip # 6: Protect Your Teeth from Trauma!

Top Tip # 7: Quit Smoking and/or Chewing Tobacco

Top Tip # 8: Eat Right

In this, the final installment of the series, we shall take a look at two final tidbits of advice dental implant specialists in NJ have for us.

Top Tip # 9: As Far As Possible, Avoid Sugar

Sugar is easily broken down by bacteria and so, it provides them with a potent fuel to multiply and proliferate in your mouth. Bacteria produce wastes that are very acidic, which serves to soften your dental enamel and make it more vulnerable to erosion, cavities and decay. “We always encourage patients to avoid sugar as far as possible and one of the best ways to cut down drastically is to avoid soft drinks and fruit juice,” says a Bronx dental implants specialist. “Also, if you take sugar in your tea and coffee, try reducing the number of teaspoons you have.”

Reducing the amount of processed sugar you have in your diet offers immense health benefits, not to mention substantially reducing your risk of tooth decay. Sugary foods and beverages should be regarded as a treat to be indulged in very lightly… not as day-to-day sustenance. Hard, sticky candies are also to be avoided because they tend to cling to the biting surfaces of the teeth, offering bacteria more fuel for longer.

Top Tip # 10: See Your Dentist

If you are, according to your dentist, in excellent oral health, then you should come for regularly scheduled appointments once every year. If you have been diagnosed or are being treated with gum disease – or any other oral ailment – you should see the dentist every six months or as instructed.

“The importance of regular professional dental care goes without question,” say dental implant specialists in NJ. Although you might not be aware of a problem, your dentist will recognize the warning signs early and will provide you with the appropriate restorative or preventative treatment to ensure that a problem is never allowed to progress to the point of tooth loss. Furthermore, frequent professional cleanings will remove hardened deposits of plaque, tartar, that regular tooth brushing cannot. This goes a long way in preventing gum disease and tooth decay.”

Other important services your dentist will provide you with include:

• Early oral cancer detection: Many cases can be completely treated if diagnosed in their early stages. Therefore it’s prudent to have your dentist check any sores or lesions that may develop, and see the dentist regularly for screening.

• Evidence of tooth grinding: Since most people grind their teeth at night while they’re asleep, this bad habit can go unrealized without professional attention. Bruxism, as the condition is referred to, wrecks your teeth and can lead to tooth decay and eventually loss.

• Possible side-effects caused by certain medications: Your dentist will be able to recognize whether any medications you’re on are having a negative effect upon your oral health,” explain Bronx dental implants specialists. “One example of such a side-effect would be xerostomia or dry mouth. An impeded flow of saliva in the mouth leads to an increased risk of tooth decay and gum disease, since your saliva is your body’s natural defense against bacteria.”