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Dr. Karl Olson has created this informative blog to help educate the community.
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Latest Posts: | Smokeless Tobacco May do More Damage Than You Think |
Posted on 3/25/2020 by Karl Olson |
We all know the dangers of smoking tobacco. The smoke from tobacco has been linked to various kinds of cancers ranging from oral cancers all the way to the lung. Smoking tobacco has also been shown to cause an increased risk of developing leukoplakia, which is white patches on the oral mucosa. The newest kid on the block, however, is smokeless tobacco. Cool among the teens as well as adults alike. Smokeless tobacco can be chewed, sucked or even eaten. It promises the same feeling of euphoria with much less of the toxicities associated with the smoky type of tobacco. Additionally, smokeless tobacco has been found to worsen gum and periodontal diseases to a point of no return. The Danger of Smokeless TobaccoA recent study, however, shows that smokeless tobacco delivers double the amount of nicotine produced by smoking tobacco, with peak blood levels achieved much slower and retained for much longer. The premise of the study was to show that as an alternative to nicotine, smokeless products are just as toxic as they are smokeless. Since smokeless tobacco is delivered through the oral route, there is a higher incidence of gum disease in people who use chewing tobacco. This is because tobacco is acidic, and in order to be absorbed, it must breech the alkaline base of saliva, which is also protective in nature. When this barrier is broken, the gum and teeth become susceptible to all kinds of infection cumulating in gum disease. Another danger is the risk of oral cancer. The carcinogenic agent in smokeless tobacco is still nicotine, which is not done away with. As such, the risk of developing malignancies is not only retained, it is doubled. Finally, nicotine reduces blood supply by causing vasoconstriction of vessels. This ultimately causes the gums to become more susceptible to infections and other oral conditions, additionally, healing from simple dental procedures may take longer than expected. As has been shown above, smokeless tobacco is not as riskless as many believe it to be. The next time, you snuff the tobacco or chew it, remember that there is more to it than meets the eye. Talk to our dentists to ask for advice on these cancer-causing products....
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| How Long is the Right Amount of Time to Brush? |
Posted on 3/15/2020 by Karl Olson |
You may brush and floss your teeth every single day, but are you getting the most out of your cleaning time? Many people don't realize they should be brushing their teeth for a certain amount of time. Brushing the right amount of time ensures that your teeth get a thorough cleaning. It also means the bacteria in your mouth have less of a chance to grow. Bacterial growth inside your mouth causes all kinds of dental issues. From tooth decay to gum disease, bacteria in your mouth are too blame. Properly brushing your teeth is one step towards elimination these bacteria. However, you may be missing some of them if you don't brush long enough. To clean your teeth thoroughly, you should brush your teeth for 2 minutes. How Do I Brush My Teeth Properly?Besides brushing your teeth for 2 minutes, there are other steps you can take to ensure a healthy mouth. First, you should try to reach your back molars. Many people forget about the teeth way back in their mouth, but it's worth taking the extra effort to brush them. These teeth come in contact with the most food so brushing them well is important. Second, you should hold your brush at a 45 degree angle while brushing. This will help you hit all the spots in your mouth that have bacteria. Finally, brush your teeth the same way every day. Forming a pattern will help you make sure you get all of your teeth every time you brush. Brushing alone isn't enough to stop tooth decay and gum disease. No matter how well you brush, some bacteria will be left over. To remove this bacteria, you'll need to come see us. We'll perform a teeth cleaning to make sure your mouth is free of bacteria. Call our office today to set up an appointment....
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| Is Baking Soda a Necessary Ingredient in Toothpaste? |
Posted on 2/29/2020 by Karl Olson |
In a word, the answer to is baking soda a necessary ingredient in a toothpaste the answer is no. There is a long debate over should you or should you not use baking soda to whiten your teeth. Here is what are a few things you should keep in mind. Yes, many people think that baking soda is an all-natural and wholesome way to clean and whiten their teeth, but you should think again about that. Baking soda is an abrasive, and technically a bleach, which can and does with long term use neutralize cavity-causing acids. So, back in the day when you couldn't go to the local store to buy your favorite toothpaste, baking soda made sense because it had the ability to both polish and reduce the acidity in your teeth. However, today you have better options. In fact, exposing your teeth to baking soda over a long period of time has shown that it can and will erode the enamel of the teeth despite its ability to neutralize acids. Your enamel is like that hard surface of a floor that protects each tooth. Long term use of baking soda has also been shown to produce nerve damage as well and your gums may become more sensitive. It is generally felt that the short term whitening effect you might see by using the baking soda to remove stains on your teeth will not be worth the long term damage of the erosion of enamel because enamel doesn't grow back once it is gone. The Best Way To Whiten TeethThe ADA suggests has a complete list of approved kinds of toothpaste that do contain a very small percentage of baking soda or sodium as a cleaning and whitening agent, but the percentage is small enough as not to damage your teeth in any way and yet still have the advantage of the whitening agents. In other words, nothing abrasive. The ADA also recommends the safe and effective whitening techniques offered by our office. If you are concerned about your teeth and discoloration in any way, we encourage you to call our office. We have many teeth whitening options available and the choice will be different for each person depending on their individual care plan, call us today and we can discuss the many ways to help you get your teeth as white as you need and want them....
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