Did you know that more people experience pain from dentures that don’t fit right than patients who receive root canals? Improperly fitting dentures can cause continual pain. Perhaps the worst part about denture pain is that it is completely unnecessary and entirely avoidable.

Whether you wear full or partial dentures, you can wear them comfortably by working with your dentist to make sure they fit right. You should have your dentures checked once a year, even if you don’t have any pain or discomfort while wearing them. If your dentures feel like they don’t fit right, ask your dentist to grind down some of the pressure points on the dentures to relieve your pain. If that doesn’t work, ask to have your dentures realigned. If problems still persist, ask to have the set replaced with a new set of dentures.

Dentures need regular maintenance to stay in the best shape possible. When they don’t fit or are ignored, non-fitting dentures can cause gum sores and constant pain. They can also loosen your remaining teeth, making them vulnerable to extraction. If you can afford it, you might consider dental implants, which cost more than dentures but are less likely to not fit right.

If you’re experiencing mild dental pain, treat your mouth to a smile by seeing your dentist today and having your dentures checked.

I’m a fan of Consumer Reports because I like to know as much as I can about a product or service before I purchase it. In this month’s issue of its magazine, Consumer Reports ran a nice article on dental care. The article included statistics from Consumer Reports’ subscribers, dentists and dental experts. Here are a few of the facts I found most interesting:

• Only 1/3 of survey respondents brushed and flossed as often as they should
• Only 57% of Americans have dental insurance
• 70% of respondents went to the dentist at least twice a year

The article explained that people with dental insurance are more likely to get their dental problems taken care of and to get their teeth cleaned regularly. Interestingly, cost and not fear, is the number one reason why people don’t go to the dentist.

Even if you do go to the dentist twice a year for cleanings, those visits alone aren’t enough to keep your mouth healthy. Everyone should brush their teeth twice a day and floss at least once a day. Regular, consistent brushing and flossing prevents dental problems. If you’re like one of the 70% of Consumer Reports respondents who is more committed to regular dental checkups than daily brushing and flossing consider this recent research finding:

• The bacteria that causes plaque can enter your bloodstream and arteries if left untreated. If you have diabetes or poor blood glucose control, this bacteria can worsen those health issues. In a worst-case scenario, untreated dental infections can lead to jaw and skull infections that can lead to brain injury and in rare cases, death.

Don’t wait for a really scary situation to force you into flossing. Pick up a pack of dental floss, toothbrush and some toothpaste with fluoride in it today and commit yourself to brushing your teeth every morning and evening. Floss either in the morning before you brush or at night before you go to bed, whenever is most convenient for you.

Keep seeing your dentist once or twice a year, but make sure you’re seeing yourself in your bathroom mirror with your mouth open and a toothbrush in it far more often than that.

According to popular opinion, the worst food to get stuck in between your teeth is a poppy seed. These tiny little black seeds are common on rolls, muffins, bread and even in tea. They may taste good but can create chaos for your gums and teeth. Other foods that commonly get stuck in between teeth and gums include:

• Cooked spinach
• Celery
• Apple skins
• Red meat
• Broccoli
• Salad lettuce
• Corn on the cob
• Popcorn husks

Little bits of sticky candy can also easily become lodged in the spaces between teeth. In general, getting food stuck in between your teeth is a simple problem, easily solved with dental floss and regular brushing. The problems come when people don’t have floss on them and improvise by using toothpicks, nail files, forks and other small, sharp objects to attempt to dislodge the unwelcome visitor from their mouths.

Dislodging Unwelcome Bits of Food

If you’ve used something other than floss to get a piece of spinach or a seed out of your teeth and have walked away unscathed, consider yourself fortunate. Others don’t always fare so well. At the the Emergency Dentist, we see patients who’ve damaged their gums and teeth severely by sticking dirty or sharp items in their mouths to try to clean them. Lacerations can quickly become infected, creating an even worse problem that in extreme cases leads to teeth being pulled.

The best way to remove a strand of celery or a poppy seed from your gumline or from in between your teeth is not with your fingernail. It’s with dental floss. If you aren’t at home, run into a grocery story or pharmacy and purchase a roll of dental floss. Find a mirror (preferably in a bathroom, but your rear view mirror will do as long as you’re not driving while trying to remove the foreign object). Tear off a 12-15-inch piece of floss. Wrap the ends around your middle fingers.

Gently, slowly and carefully work the floss in between the teeth where the food is stuck. Work the floss up and over the object. Then, pull the object down along with the floss to remove it from your teeth. Swish some clear water around in your mouth to help dislodge pesky pieces of food. Keep working at it with floss and water. Then, brush your teeth, if necessary to work the food out completely and leave your mouth feeling fresh.

If you hurt yourself trying to get the food out some other way, call your dentist and have him or her remove the food for you.

If you’re like my husband, no one will hear you utter those words this Thanksgiving. Reach for the sweet potato casserole and pumpkin pie, if you prefer, later this week but realize that every bite advances the cause of the mutans and glutans waging war on your teeth. The battle doesn’t result in something deadly like oral cancer, which we’ve discussed before on this blog, but it can cause common tooth decay.

These dental soldiers might sound like characters out of Star Trek but they’re real life bacteria with one purpose in life — to feast on the sugar you consume. When they’re done processing the sugar from all those tasty Thanksgiving side dishes you’ll consume later this week, they’ll indiscreetly leave their waste behind on your teeth in the form of acid. This acid eats away at your teeth’s natural defense system — enamel. Once your enamel breaks down, it leaves your teeth vulnerable to plaque, cavities and dental decay.

The mutans and glutans don’t care about any of those nasty side effects of their single-minded quest to get more sugar; but you should. New research out of the University of Rochester Medical Center shows that cranberries might be your secret weapon in the fight against tooth decay this Thanksgiving. You don’t have to give up the pie, whip cream and apple cider, you just have to mix in a healthy helping of natural cranberries.

Researcher Michael Koo has found that compounds within cranberries interrupt the destructive work of glucosyltransferases, which are used by bacteria S. mutans to build glucans. If the mutans can’t build glutans, they can’t build plaque on your teeth. Regular toothbrushing is still your fiercest ally in the battle against dental decay, and trips to your dentist for teeth cleanings twice a year help immensely, but don’t count out the cranberries this Thanksgiving.

Eat, brush your teeth and be merry. Happy Thanksgiving everyone from the Emergency Dentist.

I remember it like it was yesterday. My family and I decided to try a new Chinese restaurant in town. Five minutes into my meal I heard a crunch and looked across the table at my husband who was covering his mouth with his hand. With a look of dread in his eyes he stated, “I think I just lost a filling.”

I searched his plate in the dim light while he went to the bathroom to check out his mouth in a mirror. Eventually, he was able to figure out which tooth a filling fell out of during a bite of dim sum, but we never did find the filling. We made an appointment with our dentist for my husband to have his tooth checked and a new filling put in place.

Facts About Fillings

Losing a filling is rarely an emergency. At the same time, it’s not something to ignore or it may turn into a problem involving dental decay and more expensive reconstructive surgery. Fillings are made from plastic or metals like gold or silver and are used to fill cavities in teeth.

Sometimes fillings fall out because a little decay manages to form beneath the filling. As the tooth decays beneath the filling, the filling loosens and can become dislodged from a bite on something hard or jagged. Once you loose a filling, your tooth may become painful or sensitive to heat, cold, sweet or salty foods. When a filling is gone, it leaves the tooth exposed to more decay.

Fill-Ins Until You Get to the Dentist

It’s best to make an appointment with your dentist so that you can have the tooth examined, cleaned and a new filling put in. While you’re waiting to see your dentist, you can try putting a little clove oil on the tooth as a natural pain reliever. You may also put a little denture sealant over the tooth to protect it until you can get in to see your dentist. Never use household glues on your teeth though as these are not meant for human consumption and can be dangerous.

Your dentist might want to file the tooth to reshape it after cleaning it to make sure its free of decay. He may also decide to place a crown over the top of the tooth to prevent the filling from coming loose and decay from forming on the tooth again.

As we age there are many things we need to keep tabs on, like our cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar. Taking care of your teeth might not be at the top of your list but it should be on your radar. According to AARP, having a happy mouth not only makes for a healthy smile, but practicing good oral hygiene habits may help prevent chronic diseases.

Regular dental checkups are the most important thing that seniors can do to keep their teeth looking young. Seniors should get three teeth cleanings each year. That’s one more than is prescribed for adults. Dentists use teeth cleanings not only to remove plaque and check the health of a person’s gums, but also to screen for oral cancer and make sure that minor dental problems don’t turn into major ones.

Denture Detailing

If you wear dentures, regular dental checkups give your dentist an opportunity to make sure they fit right and make adjustments as needed. Your dentist can also replace metal fillings with non-metal ones, install crowns and bridges or fit you for dental implants to reduce gaps in between your teeth.

Daily Dental Maintenance

In addition to regular dental checkups, good oral hygiene habits can go a long way towards making an old mouth feel young. Like other age groups, seniors should:

• Brush with fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day, preferably after every meal.
• Floss once or twice each day.
• Rinse your mouth daily with mouthwash.

Plaque tends to build up faster on older teeth, which puts seniors at an increased risk for tooth decay and gum disease. Specifically, seniors are prone to developing cavities and decay on the root surfaces of their teeth.

Seniors should be on the lookout for increased sensitivity in their teeth, dry mouth, loose teeth and trouble swallowing or pain when chewing. Make an appointment to see your dentist if you notice these symptoms happening to you. Make sure you tell your dentist which medications you’re taking and consider making an appointment before and after any major surgeries you experience.

In the past, we’ve talked about pregnancy and dental care, going over what you can expect to experience with your teeth and mouth when you’re pregnant. This time, we’re going to talk about seniors and oral health, or some common ways you can expect your teeth and gums to change as you age.

What happens to our teeth as we age?

1. Exposed Roots - Like the rest of our bodies, as we enter our golden years our gums begin to show the wear and tear of life. Gums can gradually recede, exposing more of the roots of our teeth to air, food and liquid. This can create a painful, sensitive condition in the mouth where eating something sweet, salty or spicy or drinking or eating things that are hot or cold can cause a sharp, painful sensation near the exposed roots. Exposed roots cause pain because the root portion of the tooth is not covered in dense enamel like the rest of our teeth. The more porous nature of the root area allows tiny amounts of air and liquid to reach our delicate nerves, provoking them to pain. Cavities are also more likely to form on the root area, where crowns and fillings end.
   
2. Tooth Loss - Gum disease and decay cause many people to lose teeth as they age. The more teeth we lose, the more our bite changes. The way we chew as well as the symmetry of our faces changes.
3. Dark Teeth - Another common change to our teeth as we age is their likelihood of becoming a dark yellow color instead of a sparkling white. Plaque builds up faster and changes in dentin help this discoloration along.
4. Dry Mouth - As we get older, the amount of saliva our mouths produce diminishes. Less saliva means more plaque buildup and a greater sensation of dry mouth. Many medications also cause dry mouth. Over time, dry mouth can lead to cavities and tooth decay.
5. Loss of Taste - Just like hearing and eyesight, unfortunately, loss of taste also often occurs with age. Dentures can also heighten this lack of taste in older mouths.

The reality of how our mouths age doesn’t have to be depressing and it doesn’t have to describe you. Regular dental checkups and some basic do-it-yourself maintenance can help combat many of these realities and keep them at bay. Next time, we’ll talk about what seniors can do to keep their mouths, teeth and gums looking and feeling young.

Nearly 500,000 people worldwide will be diagnosed with cancer in their mouths or throats this year. More than 250,000 of those people will receive the diagnosis after the cancer has spread to other parts of their bodies. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with oral cancer, even if it has spread, there are treatment options available.

Surgery, Radiation and Chemotherapy
According to the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas, surgery is the most common treatment for oral cancer. Sometimes, just the cancerous tumor(s) is removed; other times some or all of the jaw has to be removed as well. Teeth and lymph nodes must also be removed in some cases.

Radiation is often used to treat intermediate-stage oral cancer tumors. Internal or external radiation therapy can be used to treat tumors and to kill cancer cells after tumors have been removed through surgery. Chemotherapy is sometimes used to shrink tumors before surgery or in conjunction with radiation to kill cancer cells after surgery. If a tumor is too large to be removed without harming the patient, chemotherapy may be used to shrink the tumor to a manageable size.

Keeping Your Mouth Cancer Free
So now that you know how awful oral cancer can be, you might be feeling motivated to do whatever you can to prevent it from happening to you. There are a few lifestyle choices you can make to significantly reduce your chances of developing oral cancer:

• Trash Tobacco - 90 percent of oral cancer patients use tobacco products. The longer you smoke, chew tobacco or partake of a tobacco pipe, the greater your risk of developing cancer becomes. So, if you want to keep your mouth cancer free, stop smoking, put down the pipe and cast off the chew.
• Avoid Alcohol - 80 percent of people with oral cancer are heavy alcohol drinkers. If you drink more than 21 alcoholic drinks per week, according to the MD Anderson Cancer Center, you’re six times more likely to get oral cancer than someone who doesn’t.

Other things you can do to give yourself a good chance for a cancer-free mouth are to eat a diet rich in vegetables and fruits, avoid exposure to radiation and stay away from chewing quids of betel. Other than that, brush, floss and see your dentist regularly. As we’ve mentioned in earlier posts, dentists perform quick and painless oral cancer screenings at teeth cleaning checkups. A semi-annual checkup will help your mouth in more ways that you could have imagined.

About 34,000 people are diagnosed with oral cancer every year in the United States. The worst thing about oral cancer is that more than half of the Americans diagnosed with it don’t know they have it until it has already spread to other parts of their bodies. Find out how you can make sure you’re not one of them.

Oral cancers include cancers of the mouth and oropharynx - the area just behind your mouth. Mouth cancers include tongue, gums, teeth, salivary glands, lips, cheeks and the roof of your mouth. They can also include cancer in your throat, tonsils and uvula - (that little punching-bag-type dangly do-dad hanging down from the back of your throat).

How is oral cancer diagnosed?

We reviewed the symptoms of oral cancer in our last post. Because all of these symptoms can also be harmless conditions, the best way to find out if you have oral cancer is to have your dentist screen you for it at your regular teeth cleaning checkups. Your dentist will examine your tongue, the roof of your mouth, back of your throat, inside of your cheeks and lips and the bottom of your mouth underneath your tongue.

If your dentist sees anything abnormal, he or she will take a small tissue sample of the odd-looking area and have a pathologist examine the tissue under a microscope for cancer cells. A biopsy is the only sure way to know if a concerning area of tissue is healthy or cancerous. If the biopsy reveals cancer, the stage will be diagnosed. Stages of cancer range from 0 to 4C. The higher the numbered stage, the worse the cancer is:

• Stage 0 - Abnormal cells only that have not become cancer yet.
• Stage 1 - Cancerous tumor is 2 cm or smaller and has not spread to lymph nodes.
• Stage 2 - Cancerous tumor is 2 - 4 cm and has not spread to lymph nodes.
• Stage 3 - Cancerous tumor is larger than 4 cm or has spread to one lymph node.
• Stage 4A - Cancer has spread to other parts of the mouth and a lymph node and is more than 6 cm.
• Stage 4B - Cancer has spread to muscles, bone, the base of the skull and to more than one lymph node.
• Stage 4C - Cancer has spread beyond the mouth and throat to other parts of the body including the lymph nodes.

The higher the stage, the more that’s involved in treating the cancer. Treatment involves a coordinated team of doctors and healthcare professionals and the best chance for a full recovery comes when oral cancer is diagnosed early on. Next time, we’ll cover how oral cancer is treated and what you can do to prevent it.

The other day as I stood in line at the grocery store, I shared a sentimental moment with my daughter over a bag of Big League Chew. She wanted it and I said no because I don’t like the idea of what a huge pack of sugary gum like that could do to my daughter’s teeth.

If my daughter were older she might have asked what Big League Chew meant. Then I could have told her that it’s a moniker for smokeless tobacco, which baseball players are often seen chewing. About 1/3 of Major League Baseball players use chewing tobacco and many of them pick up the habit in high school. That’s not surprising when you learn that high school boys make up 36 percent of chewing tobacco users.

Aside from the unsightly spitting, smokeless tobacco may lead to oral cancer, as Hall of Fame right fielder Tony Gywnn can tell you; he developed salivary gland cancer and attributes it to his years of chewing tobacco use. Whether or not chewing tobacco is to blame, about 34,000 people are diagnosed with cancers of the mouth and oropharynx in America every year. According to the University of Texas Cancer Center, mouth cancer most often shows up in the tongue, beneath the tongue and in the lips. More than half of patients with oral cancer are diagnosed after the cancer has already spread to other parts of their bodies.

As with many other cancers, the best chance for a full recovery occurs when oral cancer is found early. Symptoms of oral cancer are often caused by non-cancerous, non-dangerous conditions. But still, they include:

• Mouth sores that don’t heal
• Loose teeth
• Lump in the neck, jaw, tongue, cheek or gums
• Earache that won’t go away
• Dentures that don’t fit
• Persistent bad breath
• Unexplained weight loss
• Change in voice

If you have one of these symptoms, don’t diagnose yourself with oral cancer. You may just have a loose tooth, a bad pair of dentures or eat onions too often. Go see your dentist and get your teeth cleaned. Mention your concerns to your dentist and ask for an oral cancer screening.

Next time, we’ll cover how oral cancer is diagnosed and what treatment follows.