Diet and Dental Erosion at Ardas Family Dental

Whether you’re suffering from a dental infection or mechanical damage to your teeth, we’re happy to help you at Ardas Family Dental in Parker, Colorado. Our team of experienced dental professionals will provide you with comfortable fillings and fluoride treatments to protect your teeth from further damage. But once you’re home, you’ll need to know how to protect your own teeth, so we thought it would be a good idea to examine some of the ways our diets contribute to dental erosion and decay.

 

Tooth decay is the result of an infection in the tooth’s outer layer, the enamel. Certain species of oral bacteria produce acid as a by-product of their cellular respiration, and the acid gets trapped in a sticky matrix of bacteria and the teeth’s biological film. The bacteria is able to quickly break down simple sugars, and they can also digest starch if it is left on the teeth for long enough.

 

But teeth can also suffer from direct exposure to acid. Citric juice and soft drinks have a large amount of acid as well as simple sugar, and citric juice is often used as a flavoring in sour candy and energy gel. Citric acid can also trigger acid reflux from the stomach, as can alcohol, onions, garlic, and red meat. Besides reducing our intake of these foods, we can also combat acidic erosion by making sure we are properly hydrated. Water not only washes away acid and sugar, but also helps us to produce more saliva, somewhat balancing acid’s chemical effect. We can also produce more saliva by chewing sugarfree gum, which will remove food debris. And as always, brushing and flossing will remove bacteria, the food debris they consume, and the acid they produce.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Preventing Bad Breath

We want all our patients at Ardas Family Dental in Parker to feel confident in their mouth’s beauty. There are lots of cosmetic options available for straighter, whiter teeth, but halitosis can mar a lovely-looking smile. Worse, it could be a sign of a disease, which is why we want our patients to understand why they should take it seriously.

Pathogenic oral bacteria emit a foul odor. This is obvious when they eat food debris lodged in between teeth and build up as tartar, but it is also true when they are hiding in the crevices of the tongue. Bacteria can consume things like nasal drip that you wouldn’t think of as food, which is why brushing and scraping the tongue is so important. Dry mouth will enable bacteria to grow more rapidly and consume debris that isn’t being washed away by saliva, so you may need to ask your doctor about switching away from medications that cause dry mouth as a side effect.

Some conditions make dry mouth or tooth decay likelier. Diabetes impedes the immune system’s function and raises saliva’s sugar content. Acid reflux can cause stomach acid to enter the oral cavity. Foods that commonly trigger acid reflux, such as onions and garlic, also contain the chemicals that enter the lungs through the bloodstream and cause bad breath from there, although that is not a serious health concern. The best way to prevent halitosis is by drinking lots of water and by using a humidifier to keep the mouth moisturized while asleep.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

National Children's Dental Health Month

At Ardas Family Dental, we stress the importance of taking care of your children’s teeth from an early age. As soon as their baby teeth come in, we advise you to bring your children in for a dental cleaning. The earlier you begin to take care of your children’s teeth and gums, the greater their chance for healthy teeth when they’re older.

Every February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, which raises awareness about the importance of oral health. Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease in children, although it is preventable when they practice good oral hygiene. We advise our patients to brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and floss to prevent cavities.

We encourage our patients to eat a healthy diet with a lot of fruits and vegetables. Consuming foods and drinks that contain too much sugar and acids put kids at a greater risk of tooth decay and cavities.

Don’t forget to begin brushing your children’s teeth as soon as their baby teeth come in. Although they will fall out, pain from tooth decay can delay a child's development. Good oral hygiene at a young age will set them up for a lifetime of good oral health.

To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Roopi Kattaura of Ardas Family Dental, visit www.ardasfamilydental.com for more information or call 720-459-8420. 

Holiday Teeth Safety Tips from Ardas Family Dental

With so much sugar available during the holiday season, you may be wondering how you can protect your and your children’s teeth. At Ardas Family Dental in Parker, we want our patients to be able to enjoy socializing with treats and not have to worry about getting a toothache, so we put together some smart tips.

When food remains on the teeth for a long time, bacteria have longer to metabolize it and secrete acid. Bacteria can eat simple sugar more quickly, so the most dangerous foods are those which keep sugar in direct contact with teeth for a long time. Candy canes and other hard candies are chief among those, but another risk comes from sugary drinks such as eggnog, hot chocolate, caffeinated beverages with cream, and alcoholic beverages. Things that are full of simple sugars also tend to dry out the mouth, leaving it without saliva to rinse sugary residue or remove food debris.

You produce more saliva when you’re eating large meals, so it’s best to limit snacks to then, if possible. If social obligations demand that you snack over a long period, you can try chewing sugar-free gum to remove some sticky or starchy food from between your teeth. Alternating between sugary beverages and water will also help keep the mouth clean, so bring some bottles of fluoridated water with you if you’re traveling to somewhere that uses well water.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

Combating Acid Reflux at Ardas Family Dental

If you suffer from acid reflux, your teeth may be in danger. We pride ourselves on patient education at Ardas Family Dental in Parker, which is why we want to inform the public of this often-overlooked cause of tooth sensitivity.

Acid removes minerals from enamel, the hard outer surface of teeth. Without enamel, the sensitive inner layers of the teeth are more exposed to heat and coldness. In people with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), the sphincter separating the stomach from the esophagus opens when a person swallows, allowing stomach acid to escape. Stomach acid is highly corrosive—the sensation of it burning the esophagus is misleadingly called “heartburn”—and it damages teeth it comes into contact with. Because of their position, the upper back teeth are the most vulnerable.

Dentists can recognize acid reflux by its distinctive pattern of erosion. It causes the teeth to appear glazed and white before becoming pitted. Dental sealants can help protect enamel, but once enamel mass has been lost, it can only be restored with prosthetics such as partial crowns. To reduce their chance of developing GERD, patients should avoid smoking and consuming large amounts of foods such as red meat, onions and garlic, and citric acid before lying down.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

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