The Tooth Fairy Then and Now

WE CAN ALL REMEMBER what it was like to put a baby tooth under the pillow and find a shiny quarter there in the morning. The Tooth Fairy is a prominent figure in the magic of childhood, and it’s fun to look at how cultures have approached lost baby teeth differently throughout history.

The Superstitions That Preceded the Tooth Fairy

Long before the Tooth Fairy was sneaking teeth out from under pillows, she was digging them out of the ground. Medieval Europeans would burn or bury baby teeth because they believed that a witch could control people if she got hold of their teeth.

In addition to protecting themselves from witches, kids would burn their baby teeth to help ensure a peaceful afterlife, because they might be doomed to an eternity of searching for their teeth as ghosts if they didn’t destroy them! That sounds pretty intense.

Unlike their neighbors to the south, the Vikings considered baby teeth to be good luck in battle — so much so that they would buy them so that they could wear necklaces made out of children’s teeth! That could either be very intimidating or very strange-looking — or maybe both.

Tooth Fairy…or Tooth Mouse?

The Tooth Fairy doesn’t look like Tinkerbell in every culture. Many Latin and European countries have a Tooth Mouse instead! She’s called Le Petit Souris in France, which translates to “the little mouse,” and like the Tooth Fairy, she swaps out teeth hidden under pillows for money or small gifts. In many Spanish-speaking countries, the Tooth Mouse is Raton Perez.

How Did We Come Up With the Tooth Fairy?

Like many of our traditions in the U.S., the Tooth Fairy has its roots in European folklore. The modern idea of the Tooth Fairy got its start in the early 1900s, and it was actually the beloved fairy characters popularized by Walt Disney that helped the idea gain enough traction to become what it is now.

Why Do We Need the Tooth Fairy?

We probably don’t “need” the Tooth Fairy, but losing a tooth can be a scary experience for many children, and having something magical like a reward from the Tooth Fairy to look forward can really help. They’ll have something to be excited about instead of focusing only on how much it might hurt to lose the tooth. But fantasy characters aren’t the only ones out there who can help with children’s tooth concerns: dentists can too!

We have the best patients!

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The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

The First Woman to Earn a Dental Degree

IT’S WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH, which makes it a great time to celebrate a pretty awesome lady: Lucy Hobbs Taylor, DDS, the first woman to earn a dental degree in North America.

Who Was Lucy Hobbs Taylor?

Born in 1833, Lucy developed a passion for medicine in her 20s while working as a teacher. She was rejected by a medical school because of her gender and advised to try dentistry instead, but she faced multiple rejections there too. 😕

Lucy’s Dental Education

Undaunted, she found a professor who would teach her privately and opened her own practice at age 28. It didn’t take long after that for her to be recognized by her male peers for her skill and gentle chair-side manner, and she was finally accepted into the Ohio College of Dental Surgery, from which she received her degree in 1866. 🙌

The Student Becomes the Teacher

The next year, Lucy married James M. Taylor, a railcar painter and Civil War veteran. She combined her previous experience as a teacher with her hard-won dental expertise by training her husband to be a dentist too! Together, the couple established a successful practice in Lawrence, Kansas. 👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️

After James died, Lucy spent less time on dentistry and became active in politics, campaigning for issues like women’s suffrage. Her example inspired many more women to pursue careers in dentistry.

We’re grateful to all of the pioneers of dentistry!

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The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Canker Sores: Triggers and Remedies

GETTING A CANKER sore can mean days of distracting discomfort. Canker sores are small, shallow sores that develop on the inside of our lips or cheeks, and they can make it difficult to eat and even talk. Where do these awful ulcers come from and what can we do about them?

5 Common Canker Sore Triggers

Most canker sores come from one of these five causes:

1. A tissue injury, such as when we bite our lip or cheek. When it swells up, it compounds the issue by making it easy to accidentally bite it again!
2. Prolonged high stress levels put a real strain on the immune system, which makes the mouth more vulnerable to developing sores.
3. Being sick also strains the immune system, which is why we can be more likely to develop a canker sore in addition to the main infection we’re already fighting.
4. When we eat foods that are highly acidic (including lemons, strawberries, tomatoes, and pineapple), they can be pretty hard on the tissues of the mouth.
5. Ill-fitting dentures or poking braces can lead to canker sores if they rub the cheeks the wrong way.

Simple Remedies for Canker Sores

If you’re prone to canker sores, try to identify the main trigger. Knowing the cause makes it easier to fight back. We can cut back on eating acidic foods, we can use dental wax to protect from poking wires and brackets, and we can work on reducing our stress levels to give our immune systems a break. If none of these solutions apply, or if you’ve tried them and it still isn’t helping, we recommend following these tips:

• Apply topical medication or take painkillers to reduce the discomfort.
• Rinse your mouth with warm salt water to help reduce inflammation and make the healing process go faster.
• Use a toothpaste that doesn’t contain sodium laurel sulfate (but does contain fluoride!).
• Only brush with a soft-bristled toothbrush to minimize irritation.

Canker Sore Prevention Tactics

Treating a canker sore once it develops is great, but preventing it from ever appearing is even better. Getting plenty of vitamin B12, iron, and folate is a big part of that, and we can get them by making sure to incorporate carrots, salmon, spinach, kale, parsley, and yogurt into our diets.

Maintaining good oral hygiene is important too. Just like being sick can make us more vulnerable to canker sores, having unchecked plaque in our mouths can make it hard for our bodies’ natural defenses to do their jobs in preventing them.

Bring Us Your Canker Sore Questions!

Hopefully we’ve addressed any big questions you have about canker sores here, but if not, we’re happy to answer them! We want our patients to have all the knowledge they need to keep their mouths feeling great.

Our patients are the absolute best!

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The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

The Role of Saliva

WHAT IS SPIT FOR? It’s a pretty important question in the realm of oral health. People tend to think of saliva in a negative context if they think about it at all, but without spit, we would have a hard time chewing, swallowing, or even tasting our food. We also wouldn’t be able to speak clearly, and our teeth and gums would be much more vulnerable to problems like gum disease and tooth decay.

Healthy Saliva Production

Our saliva is produced continuously by salivary glands in our cheeks and beneath our tongues, and average output ranges from two to six cups a day. About 98% of saliva is water, but the final 2% is crucial, because it’s made up of proteins, electrolytes, digestive enzymes that start breaking down food, antimicrobial factors that fight germs, and even minerals to keep our tooth enamel strong!

Saliva Works in Different Phases

Depending on how far along the digestive process is, our salivary glands produce extra saliva for different reasons. When we smell a mouthwatering dessert, that’s the cephalic phase. Next comes the buccal phase when we start eating, and this helps us swallow food. After that, the esophageal phase kicks in to move the food on down to the stomach.

There’s also a slightly less pleasant phase: the gastric phase. If we’re sick or there’s something wrong with the food we ate and we have to vomit, the salivary glands work overtime to make a protective coating of saliva, which minimizes the damage stomach acid can do to our teeth and gums on the way out. (But we should still swish with water and brush our teeth half an hour later to get rid of any remaining stomach acid.)

How Saliva Protects Our Teeth

Why does an extra coating of saliva help protect our teeth and gums against acid? It’s because one of the main jobs saliva does is keeping the pH of our mouths as close to neutral as possible, which in turn keeps our tooth enamel strong. Tooth enamel might be extremely hard, but it is very vulnerable to erosion from acids in the foods we eat and fluids we drink. That’s why saliva is so important for oral health.

Beyond neutralizing acids, saliva fights harmful bacteria that causes gum disease and bad breath. Saliva is also part of the reason that oral injuries (such as a bitten cheek or a burned tongue) heal faster than injuries elsewhere on the body. Saliva contains growth factors that promote quicker healing!

When There Isn’t Enough Spit…

Given all the important functions saliva performs, it should be no surprise that dry mouth can lead to a lot of oral health complications. Whether it’s caused by stressful situations, mouth breathing, dehydration, a smoking habit, drinking, side effects of medications, or even simple aging, dry mouth is something the dentist should know about.

The Dentist Can Help With Dry Mouth

Dry mouth can include symptoms like difficulty chewing and swallowing and a reduced sense of taste. If you’re experiencing these symptoms, let the dentist know. You deserve to have all the benefits that come with having enough saliva, and the dentist can help!

We love our patients’ smiles!

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The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Pregnancy’s Impact on Oral Health

AN EXPECTANT MOTHER goes through many changes during pregnancy beyond the baby bump and some funny cravings. Unfortunately, some of the changes to oral health are not especially pleasant.

Pregnancy Gingivitis and Hormones

No matter how exciting and hectic pregnancy can be, never let it get in the way of daily brushing and flossing, because pregnancy is a time when the gums are especially vulnerable to gingivitis. As many as two in five pregnant women have gum disease, which leaves their gums tender and swollen. Studies have even linked pregnancy gingivitis with premature delivery and lower birth weights, so fight back with daily flossing and a soft-bristled toothbrush!

Morning Sickness and Enamel Erosion

One of the more common (and certainly more well known) pregnancy symptoms is morning sickness. It’s an unpleasant enough symptom to deal with on its own, but when we aren’t careful, it can have compounding effects on our teeth. Despite tooth enamel being the hardest substance in the human body, it is highly vulnerable to acid erosion, and frequent vomiting due to morning sickness will put the enamel in contact with a lot of strong acid.

A good way to minimize the effects of the stomach acid is to swish with baking soda and water after a bout of morning sickness. Make sure not to brush until after you’ve done this, or you risk additional erosion!

Pyogenic Granuloma During Pregnancy

This one is extremely weird: some pregnant women develop raspberry-like gum tissue growths between their teeth. They’re called pyogenic granulomas or “pregnancy tumors.” They generally appear in the second trimester and vanish on their own after delivery. Pyogenic granulomas are benign, but they can be removed if they’re causing too much discomfort.

Nutrition and Dental Health (of Mom and Baby)

Dental health professionals tend to recommend cutting back on sugary treats no matter what the circumstances are, since sugar is harmful oral bacteria’s favorite food, and pregnancy is no exception. Consuming less sugar will go a long way towards protecting your teeth and gums, and focusing on essential nutrients (particularly vitamins A, C, and D, along with lots of calcium, protein, and phosphorous) will help the development of Baby’s teeth!

The Dentist Is a Great Resource

Keeping up with daily oral hygiene habits and eating healthy are critical during pregnancy, but another factor in maintaining good oral health is the dentist! Don’t forget to include regular dental appointments in your schedule, especially if you have any concerns about your teeth or gums. If it’s been a while since your last appointment, go ahead and schedule one!

Thank you for being part of our practice family!

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The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Eating Disorders Versus Oral Health

WHEN WE THINK of the damage that eating disorders can do, we probably first think of the psychological toll and life-threatening malnutrition. However, eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia can also be very hard on the oral health of those who struggle with them. Healthy teeth and gums require a variety of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in addition to regular brushing and flossing, so not eating well or enough is a serious problem.

How Malnutrition Harms Oral Tissues

Anorexia nervosa is characterized by extremely limited food intake, which may be paired with compulsive exercising, purging, or even both. The way anorexia harms oral health is through malnutrition. The bones of the jaw can develop osteoporosis without sufficient nutrients, which increases the risk of tooth loss.

Without enough fluids, the salivary glands can’t produce enough saliva, resulting in dry mouth. Dry mouth makes both tooth decay and gum disease more likely because we need our saliva to neutralize acids and wash away food particles. Finally, without the nutrients to keep the immune system strong, the gums become more vulnerable to bleeding.

Bulimia and Acid Erosion of the Teeth

Bulimia is an eating disorder characterized by first overeating, then forcibly purging food through vomiting or laxatives. This puts strong stomach acid in frequent contact with the tooth enamel. Even though enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, it is highly vulnerable to erosion from acid. It isn’t uncommon for someone struggling with bulimia to experience tooth discoloration, decay, and even tooth loss due to their disorder.

Protecting Your Oral Health

We all need good oral hygiene routines to keep our teeth and gums healthy, our breath minty fresh, and our smiles sparkling, but it’s especially important for those battling with or recovering from an eating disorder. Anyone whose teeth are frequently exposed to stomach acid can minimize erosion by rinsing with water initially and then waiting thirty minutes before brushing. It’s important to give the saliva time to neutralize leftover acid so that brushing doesn’t cause additional erosion.

Here are a few signs to watch for if you’re worried someone you love might be developing an eating disorder:

You Aren’t Alone in This Fight

An eating disorder is a mental illness, and recovery is often a long road that requires help and support. That could come in the form of sympathetic family members or friends or licensed psychiatrists. Another great resource is the National Eating Disorders Helpline. And, of course, dental health professionals are always here to help patients keep their teeth and gums healthy through mental and physical health challenges they face.

We’re invested in our patients’ overall health!

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The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

How Men’s Oral Health Is Different

MEN AND WOMEN have a lot in common, but they face significantly different challenges when it comes to keeping their teeth and gums healthy. Women are more prone to certain oral health conditions than men, but men have their own disadvantages to overcome, and we’re here to offer them a few tips.

Brush and Floss Like a Manly Man

Women tend to be pretty good at daily brushing and flossing habits, whereas men struggle more with this on average: men are up to 20% less likely to brush twice a day and even less likely to replace their old toothbrushes on a regular basis. Luckily, it’s a simple problem to fix: make brushing for two full minutes a regular part of your morning and nighttime routines! And don’t forget to floss once a day as well.

What Oral Diseases Are Men More Vulnerable To?

Because men are more likely to drink, smoke, and chew tobacco than women are, they put themselves at higher risk of serious oral health problems like periodontitis (advanced gum disease), tooth loss, and oral cancer. By avoiding harmful habits, men can do a lot to protect their oral health, which is why we recommend minimal alcohol consumption and complete avoidance of tobacco products.

Dry Mouth Is Also a Problem for Men

Dry mouth is a common side effect of high blood pressure and heart disease medications, and because men are more susceptible to those conditions, they are also more likely to get dry mouth. Saliva is the mouth’s first line of defense against bacteria, acid, and leftover food particles. When it runs dry, the risk of developing cavities, gum disease, and chronic bad breath becomes much higher.

Be a Real Man and Go to the Dentist

Just as men are less likely to follow a good brushing and flossing regimen than women, they’re also less likely to keep up with their regular dental exams — and they’re more likely to try to tough it out if they’re experiencing toothaches or other symptoms! This strategy is neither safe nor effective for addressing dental health problems. It is not unmanly to go to the dentist, even if it’s just for a regular checkup and you’re confident you have no cavities!

Let’s Work Together for Those Handsome Smiles

The most important piece of advice we have for our male patients is this: don’t try to be a tough guy when it comes to your dental health. Minty fresh breath and regular dental appointments are not weak, they’re signs that your teeth and gums are important to you. Where you should be a tough guy is in the battle against oral bacteria, by keeping up with twice-daily brushing and daily flossing!

We’re here to help our patients keep their smiles healthy!

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The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Lip and Tongue Ties

DID YOU KNOW that it is possible to be tongue-tied in a medical sense? That’s right, it’s not just an expression. Lip ties and tongue ties are what we call it when the thin pieces of tissue that connect the upper lip to the gums and the tongue to the floor of the mouth are thicker and tighter than usual. These pieces of tissue are called frenula (frenum singular).

What’s Normal for a Frenum?

A normal frenum is supposed to be thin and highly elastic. This allows free mobility of the lips and tongue, which we need in order to chew, swallow, and talk normally. When the frenum under the tongue is too restrictive, it makes it harder to pronounce words correctly or chew effectively. Some people with tongue ties can’t even touch their tongues to the roofs of their mouths! They also can’t use their tongues to clean pieces of stuck food away.

A lip tie affects the frenum between the upper lip and the gums. Infants with lip ties may not be able to effectively latch when breastfeeding, and it can cause a large gap between the front teeth when they grow in as well as increasing the risk of gum recession.

Frenectomies: Untying Lips and Tongues

Fortunately lip and tongue ties are easy to correct, thanks to a simple surgery called frenectomy. A frenectomy removes or reduces the abnormal frenum. It can be done quickly and there isn’t a long recovery period afterward. The doctor simply numbs the area and makes a small incision in the frenulum to release the lip or tongue. One technique to make recovery time even shorter and further reduce the risk of complications is to use laser surgery.

This procedure is one worth learning more about if you believe you or your child might have a lip tie or a tongue tie, particularly if it’s causing pain or discomfort, in addition to the complications mentioned above. After the surgery, make sure to follow the doctor’s instructions carefully so that recovery will be as quick and smooth as possible!

Who Can Diagnose a Tongue or Lip Tie?

Most of us are fortunate enough to have thin, stretchy frenula that don’t get in the way of the movement of our lips and tongue, but if you or your child are having difficulties, a dentist is a good person to see to get a diagnosis. The dentist can then determine whether a frenectomy would be a good solution.

We love taking care of every part of our patients’ smiles!

Top image used under CC0 Public Domain license. Image cropped and modified from original.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

The Link Between Sleep Apnea and Dentistry

SLEEP APNEA AFFECTS over 18 million adults in the United States alone, as well as one of every five children who habitually snore. Dental professionals are often the first ones to notice the signs of this disorder, because it can be very harmful to oral health.

How Does Sleep Apnea Work?

Sleep apnea can work in different ways, depending on the cause. Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain fails to signal the respiratory muscles to keep breathing during sleep. Much more common is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is caused by the airway becoming physically blocked. Typically, the tongue collapses against the soft palate, which in turn collapses against the throat, sealing off the airway. Complex sleep apnea combines OSA and central sleep apnea.

Whatever the cause of the interrupted breathing, the outcome is the same. Not breathing sets off all the brain’s alarm bells, waking the person up to take a breath. It happens so quickly that most people with sleep apnea never remember waking up, even if they’re waking up hundreds of times in a single night. They still feel the effects of not getting a full night’s sleep, however, through symptoms like exhaustion, morning headaches, and difficulty concentrating.

What Does Sleep Apnea Have to Do with Teeth?

In addition to the short-term and long-term effects of sleep deprivation, people with OSA tend to be more vulnerable to developing moderate to severe periodontitis, and they’re also more likely to have trouble with their jaw joints.

Studies have shown that the jaw tends to reflexively clench during a sleep apnea episode to try to keep the airway open. All that strain can result in temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD), which have symptoms like pain when chewing, chronic headaches, damage to the teeth, and neck and shoulder pain.

Dental Professionals Can Help

The reason dentists are often the first health providers to recognize the signs of sleep apnea and diagnose it is that dental health effects are a common complication. (Just one of many reasons why regular dental appointments are so important, not just for oral health but overall health.) Treatment for sleep apnea typically involves continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines or nighttime dental devices that push the lower jaw or the tongue forward.

Healthier Sleep Leads to Healthier Smiles!

Getting a full and restful night’s sleep is critical if we want to feel great and have the energy we need to go about our days. If you suspect you or someone you love might be missing out on good sleep due to sleep apnea (snoring is a major sign), your next appointment with us could be life-changing.

We wish all our patients a good night’s sleep every night!

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The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Tooth Sensitivity: Causes and Treatments

NOTHING RUINS A COZY mug of hot cocoa faster than the jolt of pain from sensitive teeth. As many as one in eight people in the U.S. deal with tooth sensitivity, including kids! What causes it and what can we do to protect our teeth?

Understanding Dental Anatomy

In a healthy tooth, there is the protective outer layer of enamel, then the porous, bony middle layer of dentin, and finally the pulp chamber at the center, which contains nerves and blood vessels. The way the nerves in the pulp chamber get sensory input (for things like pressure and temperature) is through the thousands of microscopic tubules that run through the dentin.

Too Much Sensory Input

When the protective enamel layer wears away, the tubules in the dentin become exposed, and the nerves suddenly get much more stimulation than they like. This is what makes enamel erosion one of the main causes of tooth sensitivity. Without enamel, the nerves get a nasty shock whenever anything too hot or cold, or even too sweet or sour, touches the outside of the tooth.

What Else Causes Sensitivity?

Root exposure from gum recession also leads to sensitivity. The enamel only covers the crown of the tooth, not the roots, which are protected by the gums. If the gums recede due to teeth grinding, overbrushing, or gum disease, it leaves the roots exposed. Cavities and tooth injuries can cause sensitivity as well.

Are You Protecting Your Teeth?

Fortunately for all of us, there are ways to fight back, even if our teeth are already sensitive. Using a soft-bristled brush will help prevent further enamel erosion or gum recession. We don’t actually need stiff bristles to clean our teeth effectively. There is also special toothpaste formulated for sensitive teeth. Avoiding sugary and acidic foods and drinks (particularly soda) is also a good idea.

The Dentist Can Help!

Don’t suffer tooth sensitivity in silence; let the dentist know! In addition to being able to determine the cause of the problem, the dentist can do things to help protect your teeth, such as applying a fluoride varnish to make your enamel stronger, prescribe a desensitizing toothpaste, or in a severe case, perform a dental restoration or recommend a gum graft to cover exposed roots.

Our top priority is keeping your smile healthy and strong!

Top image used under CC0 Public Domain license. Image cropped and modified from original.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.