Do you have...Gum Disease?

February is Gum Disease Awareness Month.

How do you know if you have gum disease, also known as Periodontal Disease?

Ask yourself...

1. Do my gums bleed after brushing and/or flossing?

2. Do my gums bleed when I bite into an apple?

3. Do I see a pinkish hue in my bathroom sink?

4. Do I have bad breath that doesn't seem to ever go away?

5. Do I get a bad taste in my mouth even after brushing my teeth?

6. Do my teeth hurt when I chew?

If you answer yes to any of the above questions, you likely have some level of gum disease.

Please contact your health care provider for evaluation.

Eat Your Ice Cream!

Anita Purohit, D.D.S. Advanced Dental Technologies

Well, not exactly healthy...but a better choice for a sweet treat than many other desserts.

10 pratical hacks to keeping your teeth free of decay:

1. Take a sip of water after every meal or snack

2. Help your child brush their teeth until they are 7 or 8 years old; if they are eating to prevent decay, you only need to brush for their teeth for 20 seconds! You don't spend time removing food, just bacteria.

3. Floss teeth that touch their next door neighbors. Too many cookies? Share with your neighbors.

4. The stickier the food, the more likely it will stick to your teeth. What is sticky? Candy like taffy or butterfingers, dried fruit like raisins. What about non sugary crackers??? Also very sticky.

5. Choose fresh bread over refined bread, ex: toast over crackers. Fresh fruit over dried, ex: apple over raisins. Crackers are 9 times more sticky than a bagel w/ cream cheese or toast w/ nut butter.

6. Eating a bite of hard cheese or a few peanuts after a sugary snack helps keep your teeth strong.

7. Chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes, preferrably w/ Xylitol, after a sugary snack helps keep your teeth healthy.

8. At night, nothing but water after brushing teeth.

9. If you have a soda, have it with a meal.

10. See your dentist at least twice a year so small problems can be treated before they get to be big problems.

Blog post by Anita Purohit, DDS Advanced Dental Technologies