dental cavities

The Dangers of Soft Drinks and Sport Drinks

When we think of active, healthy people, we normally envision athletes or someone with a gym membership. Most likely if you’re watching a sporting event, there is an ample supply of sport drinks available to the athletes. While these drinks are often intended to help rehydrate the athlete, they wreak havoc on our teeth.

The same goes for soda and soft drinks. Both sports and soft drinks contain sugars and acidic juices. When these combine with our saliva and are broken down for digestion, an acid byproduct is created. This acid is active on the tooth surface for about 30 minutes. Because it is in liquid form, drinks coat the tooth and reach into deep grooves and areas between teeth. When we have more frequent exposure to these beverages, our decay rate increases. Erosion of the tooth enamel also occurs during consumption of these drinks.(i)

A study done on triathletes showed that while only a small percentage of them perceived themselves at a risk for dental decay, over 80% consumed sport drinks and showed extremely high risk for decay.(ii) Surprisingly, some sports drinks are more damaging to the teeth than soft drinks.(iii) Most of the time these drinks are consumed on a frequent basis over a long period of time. This is a recipe for dental disaster!

So do we need to give up these drinks completely? Not necessarily. However, we should be drinking water more often than anything else. Water hydrates the body extremely well and helps the teeth by rinsing some of the naturally accumulating bacteria. Our body needs water and it’s one of the best things that we can drink. If you decide that you need to drink a sport drink or soda, limit the exposure to your teeth. This can be done first of all by not sipping on the drink over an extended period of time. Sipping causes the exposure to be spread out through the day, extending the time frame in which the teeth can be damaged. Drink all at once, preferably with a meal. By limiting the time that your teeth are exposed to sweet and acidic liquids, you will help decrease the tooth decay caused by those beverages.

If your teeth suddenly happen to become sensitive to the sweet taste of sodas or sport drinks, this is an early symptom of tooth decay. If you or your athlete is experiencing any of these symptoms, call McCarl Dental Group today at (410) 987-8800 or (301) 474-4144 to schedule an exam in our Millersville, MD or Greenbelt, MD location. You may also visit us online and print coupons for special offers at www.McCarlDental.com.

(i)Noble WH, Donovan TE, Geissberger M.; Sports drinks and dental erosion.; J Calif Dent Assoc. 2011 Apr;39(4):233-8.

(ii)Bryant S, McLaughlin K, Morgaine K, Drummond B.;  Elite Athletes and Oral Health.; Int J Sports Med. 2011 May 17.

(iii)Kitchens M, Owens BM.; Effect of carbonated beverages, coffee, sports and high energy drinks, and bottled water on the in vitro erosion characteristics of dental enamel;J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2007 Spring;31(3):153-9.

A filling is a dental restoration that is most commonly needed when tooth decay has caused a hole or cavity to form on a tooth surface. Fillings can also repair a chipped tooth or damage from grinding that causes the tooth surface to become worn down. Fillings repair teeth and stop tooth decay. If you do not get the tooth repaired, the cavity will get worse and lead to more severe problems, potentially including painful infection or tooth abscess and ultimately, bone loss. There is almost no risk involved in having a cavity filled. It is important to start treatment before tooth decay becomes worse. More severe decay may cause pain and tooth loss and may require a crown, root canal, or tooth removal (extraction).

In most cases, your dentist will use a drill to remove tooth decay. Once all decay is removed, your dentist will determine the type of tooth restoration that is most appropriate based on the size and location of the cavity. If the cavity is too large to restore the tooth with a filling, a crown may be necessary.

As with many dental procedures, fillings are restorative (purpose is to repair teeth) but also cosmetic. Dental fillings should blend in and look the same as your natural teeth. Old silver amalgam fillings can be distracting and make a tooth look darker than the rest of your smile.  The most attractive fillings are the ones you can’t see when you speak or smile. At McCarl Dental Group we use aesthetic composite fillings which are white fillings that match the color of your teeth. Composite resin is tooth-colored material used to fill a cavity after removing tooth decay. Fillings can last many years. It is important to replace worn or cracked fillings because tooth decay can occur beneath a filling that does not have a tight seal.

If your dentist used local anesthetic, your lips and gums may remain numb for a few hours until the numbing medicine wears off. Be careful not to chew on your lip or cheek while that area is numb. A tooth with a new large filling may be sensitive to heat and cold for days to weeks. We always check your bite carefully after filling a tooth but minor adjustments may be necessary to ensure a perfect bite. This takes only a few minutes and there is no charge. Simply call us to schedule a convenient time for a quick adjustment – there is no additional charge. If you still have sensitivity after the adjustment of the height of the filling, try Sensodyne or other toothpastes that may help decrease temporary sensitivity.

Please visit our dental office in Millersville and Greenbelt Maryland for state of the art dental care.

The majority of dental patients who visit McCarl Dental Group live in College Park, Lanham, Seabrook, Bowie, New Carrollton, Laurel, Greenbelt, Severna Park, Annapolis, Crofton, Crownsville and Millersville Maryland.

Good oral hygiene means much more than bright white teeth. The condition of your teeth and gums is associated with a growing list of diseases that affect your overall health. Here are 9 ways to keep a healthy smile for a lifetime.

1) Quit Smoking
Everyone has heard about the cardiovascular and cancer risks associated with tobacco use and smoking. Smokers are also two to three times more likely to get periodontal disease and do not heal as well after periodontal treatment for gum infections.

2) Eat for a Healthy Body and Healthy Teeth
Eat a balanced variety of healthy foods from the five major food groups. Recent dental research indicates that a diet high in fruits and vegetables may help prevent oral cancer. A healthy diet with enough calcium and vitamin D will help you maintain strong teeth and bones. If you have osteoporosis or periodontal disease, you are at higher risk of losing teeth. If you do lose a tooth, get a dental implant to prevent resorption and shrinking of your jaw bone.

Limit sugary snacks and decrease soft drink consumption – even diet soda! Tooth decay and dental cavities are caused by bacteria that are normally present in your mouth. Every time you eat, bits of food become lodged in and around your teeth. This food provides fuel for the bacteria in plaque. Oral bacteria produce acid. Each time you consume food or beverages containing sugars your teeth are exposed to these acids for 20 minutes or more. Even diet-sodas are very acidic and increase risk of tooth decay and cavities. Brush your teeth after eating. Careful brushing and flossing help keep normal bacteria under control.

3) Brush and Floss Properly
Bleeding gums can be serious. Seventy five percent of Americans over the age of 35 have some form of gingivitis or gum disease. Gum disease and gingivitis are associated with heart disease, diabetes, stroke, arthritis, and pregnancy complications.

Brush your teeth at least twice daily and floss daily. Use a soft brush in gentle circular motions at a 45-degree angle to your gum line. You may also use an electric toothbrush to help with areas that are difficult to reach. Electric toothbrushes are automatically set for two minutes which is the recommended brushing time. Floss gently but firmly, hugging the side of each tooth and make sure to floss gently into the gum line along the tooth to remove any plaque or food that has lodged between your teeth or between a tooth and your gum.  We recommend a professional dental hygiene visit at least twice a year.

4) Use Fluoride Products
Fluoride helps prevent tooth decay and strengthen tooth enamel in children and adults. In addition to the fluoride treatment that you receive after your teeth are cleaned by a dental hygienist during a routine dental exam, toothpastes and fluoride rinses are good sources of fluoride. Your dentist may recommend a stronger concentration of fluoride in a gel, toothpaste or rinse.

5) Know the Warning Signs of Oral Cancer
Have you ever noticed a small white or red patch in your mouth or a sore that takes longer than two weeks to heal? These symptoms could potentially be a sign of oral cancer. Other potential signs of oral cancer include: a sore that doesn’t heal or bleeds easily; a lump, thickening, ulceration, or color change of the gums and tissue in the mouth; chronic sore throats and a change in tonsil size. Dental journals are filled with articles about human papillomavirus (HPV) and an associated increase in oral cancer, with reports that 30 to 50 percent of head and neck cancer diagnoses are HPV related. Other risk factors include alcohol and tobacco use, sun exposure (lip cancer), and age.

6) Keep Your Dental Work Current
Old fillings can wear out or chip around the edges creating an opportunity for bacteria to enter the tooth and cause decay. Your dentist will evaluate the seal of all dental work during routine exams. You should visit your dentist if you are experiencing tooth sensitivity or discomfort.  Also, don’t use your teeth as tools.

7) Reduce Stress
Grinding or clenching your teeth can cause excessive wear on the chewing surfaces of teeth and can even lead to cracked and chipped teeth. Our teeth normally wear down with age – clenching and grinding accelerates the process. Dental mouth guards, NTI appliances and stress-management techniques can also help reduce clenching.

Pregnant? See your OB … AND DDS
Pregnancy hormones can increase propensity toward swollen and bleeding gums that are more vulnerable to bacterial infection.  Inflammation of the gums during pregnancy is called “pregnancy gingivitis.” Flossing is especially important because it reduces the risk of gingivitis and periodontitis, a serious gum infection that can travel from your mouth to your body. Periodontal disease has been associated with preterm and low-birth-weight babies.

You may have heard the old wives’ tale about pregnancy,” Gain a child, lose a tooth.” The origin of this phrase is that pregnancy interferes with calcium absorption and increases hormones that affect oral health. Studies have indeed found a link between pregnancy and dental problems. It is important to have excellent oral hygiene during pregnancy and continue with routine dental exams and hygiene visits for teeth cleaning.

9) Prevention is the best strategy for keeping our teeth and bodies healthy!

It is not uncommon to see a dramatic increase in dental cavities during college years. A diet high in sugar coupled with changes in personal hygiene are often to blame for the increase in tooth decay.

Tooth decay and dental cavities are caused by bacteria that are normally present in and around the teeth. These bacteria feed off the food you put in your mouth and love sugar. Today’s fast-paced college lifestyle is filled with fast food, sugar-packed coffees and sugary soft drinks. Even diet-sodas are very acidic and increase the predisposition toward cavities because bacteria thrive in an acidic environment. Byproducts of the bacteria in your mouth cause a breakdown of the adjacent enamel, starting a “cavity.”  Another risk factor for cavities are the changes in personal hygiene that often occur during college years.

Symptoms of cavities and tooth decay vary depending on the location and depth of the cavity. When a cavity is in its early stages, there may not be any symptoms. As tooth decay increases, it may cause tooth sensitivity or a toothache, varying degrees of pain when you bite down or when eating or drinking something sweet, hot or cold, visible holes or pits in your teeth, or generalized discomfort or pain in the mouth or jaw. A dental cavity will not get better on its own. If you’re experiencing one or more cavity symptoms, it’s time to see a dentist. At McCarl Dental Group we offer our new dental patients a discount of more than two hundred dollars for their initial dental cleaning , dental exam and necessary x-rays.

“Pit and fissure” cavities are the most common type of cavities. Back teeth or molars have natural grooves, fissures and “pits” on their chewing surface. Pronounced pits, grooves, or fissures retain plaque. Toothbrush bristles cannot reach inside to clean these deep pits and fissures further allowing plaque and tartar to accumulate. During college years, in young adults who do not floss their teeth regularly, we see an increase in interproximal tooth decay causing cavities in-between the teeth. Because of their location, most of the time interproximal cavities can only be seen with an x-ray.
Once a dental cavity is detected, the dentist removes bacteria and decay and fills the cavity to restore strength to the tooth.  In deep cavities, the nerve of the tooth may be affected by the bacteria, requiring additional cleaning of the infected nerve called a “root canal”.  Luckily, this occurs only in the deepest of cavities. Usually there are warning signs, such as a sensitivity to extreme temperatures or to sweet foods.

Preventing Dental Cavities
The first step in preventing cavities is to maintain good oral hygiene to minimize bacterial colonization. It is important to brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and floss daily. The use of a fluoride rinse also helps by strengthening tooth enamel. You can also help prevent cavities by eating well-balanced, nutritious meals and limiting snacking. Maintaining your regularly scheduled dental visits for teeth cleaning and fluoride treatment by a dental hygienist not only helps prevent tooth decay, but the dental exam improves the likelihood of early detection of cavities and treatment with a small rather than large filling.

At McCarl Dental Group we recommend college students have dental exams with teeth cleaning by a professional hygienist every six months. We also recommend that young adults use a prescription strength flouride toothpaste. McCarl dentists recommend Colgate PreviDent 5000 Plus prescription-strength fluoride toothpaste.