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Posts for: December, 2015

By Central Florida Cosmetic & Family Dentistry
December 24, 2015
Category: Dental Procedures
Tags: Cavities  

Brushing your teeth and flossing help prevent cavities, but they aren't the only steps you can take to reduce tooth decay. Your Hunters Creek dentist, Dr. Adel Mansour explains some surprising truths about cavities.Decay

It's not just sugar that's the problem

Most people know that eating sugary foods, like candy, can increase your risk of cavities, but sugary foods aren't the only culprits. Eating foods that contain carbohydrates, such as bread, bagels and crackers, also increase your risk since carbohydrates break down into sugars.

Brushing is more important than you may think

When you're tired or in a hurry, you might decide it won't hurt to skip brushing your teeth, but brushing is one of the most important things you can do to avoid cavities. Plaque, a sticky, colorless, bacterial film, constantly coats your teeth. When you eat, plaque combines with the sugars in foods and beverages to produce acids that eat away at tooth enamel, causing cavities. Frequent brushing removes plaque and food particles, giving you an edge in the war against cavities.

Sealants aren't just for kids

Sealants are often recommended as a way to reduce cavities in children, but these protective coatings can prevent cavities in adults too. The surfaces of your molars contain nooks and crannies that make it hard to remove plaque completely. Sealants are thin, protective layers of plastic that coat the teeth but don't interfere with chewing. They're an excellent way to prevent cavities in your back teeth.

Acidic foods and beverages can increase your cavity risk

Sour candy, lemons and soft drinks contain acids that can attack your enamel. Decrease your cavity risk by avoiding acidic and sour foods and drinks.

Some people are more prone to developing cavities

Sometimes even the best oral hygiene routine isn't enough to prevent cavities. Some people have soft enamel, which makes them prone to tooth decay. Others suffer from dry mouth or decreased saliva flow. Saliva plays an important role in preventing tooth decay because it helps wash away food particles. If you suffer from dry mouth, make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day to compensate for your problem.

Regular dental cleanings and check ups can help you avoid cavities. Why not schedule an appointment today? Call Dr. Adel Mansour, your dentist in Hunters Creek at (407) 483-9990. Tooth decay doesn't have to ruin your smile!


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By Central Florida Cosmetic & Family Dentistry
December 23, 2015
Category: Oral Health
Tags: oral hygiene  
ImproveYourBrushingandFlossingHabitwithTheseTips

The most important thing you can do for good oral health is brush and floss your teeth daily. But we’re not born knowing how to do either — they’re skills we must learn and practice to be effective in removing disease-causing bacterial plaque.

It helps then to have a good understanding about technique, implements or problem situations you may run into. So then, here are answers to 4 typical hygiene questions that can help you improve your brushing and flossing.

How often should I brush and floss? You should brush and floss at least once a day to prevent a buildup of plaque, the cause for both tooth decay and periodontal (gum) disease; if you have some form of dental disease, we may advise a different frequency. Be sure to use a gentle technique — it doesn’t take much pressure to remove plaque and being too aggressive can harm your gums and tooth enamel.

When should I change my toothbrush? If you use it correctly (gentle vs. aggressive), your toothbrush should last several months. When you begin to notice the bristles becoming worn or splayed, it’s time to get a new, soft bristle brush.

What kind of toothpaste should I use? You may have a preference among the dozens available when it comes to flavor and texture. But from a hygiene standpoint you should choose one that contains fluoride to strengthen enamel and an anti-tartar agent to inhibit the formation of hardened plaque deposits (calculus). While we’re on the subject, don’t rinse out the toothpaste right after brushing — you may be washing away fluoride too early, which takes time to work in contact with tooth enamel. Just spit it out.

What if my teeth are sensitive when I brush? If you encounter problems when you brush, visit us to find out the cause. The most common cause for sensitivity is gum recession, usually due to gum disease, which has exposed the roots. This can cause discomfort when you encounter hot or cold foods, or pressure on the teeth when you brush. You should then receive treatment for the underlying condition; we may also recommend toothpaste that reduces tooth sensitivity. And, of course, be gentle when you brush.

If you would like more information on brushing, flossing and other aspects of oral hygiene, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Oral Hygiene Behavior.”


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By Central Florida Cosmetic & Family Dentistry
December 15, 2015
Category: Oral Health
Tags: oral health   gum disease  
CertainFactorsMayRaiseYourRiskandtheIntensityofGumDisease

Periodontal (gum) disease is mainly caused by bacterial plaque built up on tooth surfaces due to ineffective oral hygiene. For most cases, treatment that includes plaque and calculus (tartar or calcified plaque) removal and renewed daily hygiene is highly effective in stopping the disease and restoring health to affected gum tissues.

However, you might have additional health factors that may make it more difficult to bring the disease under control. If your case is extreme, even the most in-depth treatment may only buy time before some or all of your teeth are eventually lost.

Genetics. Because of your genetic makeup, you could have a low resistance to gum disease and are more susceptible to it than other people. Additionally, if you have thin gum tissues, also an inherited trait, you could be more prone to receding gums as a result of gum disease.

Certain bacteria. Our mouths are home to millions of bacteria derived from hundreds of strains, of which only a few are responsible for gum disease. It’s possible your body’s immune system may find it difficult to control a particular disease-causing strain, regardless of your diligence in oral care.

Stress. Chronic stress, brought on by difficult life situations or experiences, can have a harmful effect on your body’s immune system and cause you to be more susceptible to gum disease. Studies have shown that as stress levels increase the breakdown of gum tissues (along with their detachment from teeth) may also increase.

Disease advancement. Gum disease can be an aggressive infection that can gain a foothold well before diagnosis. It’s possible, then, that by the time we begin intervention the disease has already caused a great deal of damage. While we may be able to repair much of it, it’s possible some teeth may not be salvageable.

While you can’t change genetic makeup or bacterial sensitivity, you can slow the disease progression and extend the life of your teeth with consistent daily hygiene, regular cleanings and checkups, and watching for bleeding, swollen gums and other signs of disease. Although these additional risk factors may make it difficult to save your teeth in the long-run, you may be able to gain enough time to prepare emotionally and financially for dental implants or a similar restoration.

If you would like more information on the treatment of gum disease, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Periodontal (Gum) Treatment & Expectations.”


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By Central Florida Cosmetic & Family Dentistry
December 07, 2015
Category: Oral Health
Tags: snoring   sleep apnea  
SleepApneaandBehavioralProblemsinChildrenHowYourDentistCanHelp

We all know how much better we feel after a good night’s sleep: refreshed, energized and ready to handle — even excel at — our day-to-day responsibilities. Yet millions of people, young and old, are robbed of a good night’s rest by sleep-related breathing disorders such as sleep apnea, in which the soft tissues in the back of the throat block the airway during sleep. This temporarily disrupts airflow, causing numerous “micro-arousals” (sleep interruptions) that we may not even be aware of. A lack of sleep can make us drowsy, irritable and unfocused. In children, these typical symptoms of sleep apnea can lead to mistaken diagnoses of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

The relationship between sleep apnea and behavioral problems has been highlighted in several recent scientific journal articles, including a major study published several years ago in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The lead author, Dr. Karen Bonuck, said at the time: “We found that children with sleep-disordered breathing were from 40 to 100 percent more likely to develop neurobehavioral problems by age 7, compared with children without breathing problems. The biggest increase was in hyperactivity, but we saw significant increases across [other] behavioral measures.” Therefore, an accurate diagnosis of a child’s behavioral problems — leading to the right treatment — is crucial. While sleep apnea must be diagnosed by a physician, treatment for the condition is often provided by a dentist.

What can be done for children suffering from sleep apnea? The most common treatment is surgical removal of the tonsils or adenoids. This treatment can sometimes be performed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, a dentist who has received several years of post-graduate surgical training. There are several other procedures oral surgeons can perform to open the airway, depending on what anatomical structures are blocking it.

Sometimes a child with sleep apnea can benefit from a procedure to expand the palate (roof of the mouth) to enlarge the airway. This is not a surgical treatment but rather an orthodontic one. An orthodontist (a dentist who specializes in moving teeth) will fit the child with a palatal expander, a butterfly-shaped device that gradually separates the two bones that form the upper jaw and roof of the mouth. This is often done to prevent crowding of teeth and other bite problems, but has been shown in some cases to improve airflow.

There is another dental approach used to treat adults and older children, whose jaw growth is complete. It’s called oral appliance therapy, and it involves wearing a custom-made device during sleep that resembles a sports mouthguard or orthodontic retainer. An oral appliance can maintain an opened, unobstructed, upper airway during sleep in various ways, including: repositioning the lower jaw, tongue, soft palate and uvula; stabilizing the lower jaw and tongue; increasing the muscle tone of the tongue.

If your child has been diagnosed with sleep apnea, we can help you find the best treatment approach. For more information, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more by reading the Dear Doctor magazine articles “Sleep Disorders & Dentistry” and “Snoring & Sleep Apnea.”


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By Central Florida Cosmetic & Family Dentistry
December 06, 2015
Category: Oral Health
Tags: oral health   saliva  
SalivaPerformsManyFunctionsforBothOralandGeneralHealth

While oral hygiene, a nutritious diet and regular dental visits are all crucial to long-term oral health, these efforts complement what your body already does to keep your mouth healthy. One of the major players in this function is saliva.

Produced by hundreds of glands located throughout the mouth, saliva does much more than help you swallow and wash away food. As you chew, an enzyme in saliva known as amylase breaks down starches in your food to make it easier to digest in the stomach. Saliva also contains antibodies, similar to what’s in tears, which can fight bacteria and other disease-causing organisms.

Perhaps its most important function, though, is its ability to protect and maintain healthy tooth enamel. The strongest substance in the body, enamel nevertheless has one primary enemy — the acid found in certain foods or as a byproduct of bacteria feeding on sugar and other carbohydrates.

When the ideally neutral pH level of the mouth becomes too acidic (nearly every time you eat), minerals in the enamel begin to soften and dissolve. The increased saliva flow when we eat floods the mouth with buffering agents that neutralize the acid and restore the mouth’s normal pH level. Not only does saliva stop demineralization, but it also restores a good bit of the enamel’s mineral content.

In recent years, a new role for saliva has begun to emerge as a means to diagnose disease. Like blood, urine and other bodily fluids, saliva contains molecules that serve as biological markers for disease. Given the right equipment, saliva has the potential to indicate early signs of cancer (including oral), diabetes and other systemic conditions. As the means to examine saliva for these markers increases it promises to be easier and less expensive to collect and sample than blood, while reducing the chances of transmitting bloodborne diseases to healthcare workers.

It’s a lot to consider with this fluid that you hardly notice, except when it isn’t there. Saliva is proof that our efforts at keeping our mouths healthy cooperate and depend on our bodies’ amazing systems.

If you would like more information on saliva and other ways your body maintains a healthy mouth, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Saliva.”


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