It is important for you to floss your teeth every day. You should get in the habit of either flossing in the morning when you wake up or flossing in the evening before you go to bed. Try to floss your teeth after you finish brushing. That way, any large food debris has already been removed from your teeth. When you open up that canister of floss, how can you make sure you get the most out of it? At Apple Dental, we are always available to help you, so learn more about how to floss your teeth properly.

Use a Long Enough String of Floss

One of the most common mistakes people make when flossing is not using a long enough string. If the string is too short, you will have a hard time getting in between your teeth at the back of your mouth. In general, you should use a string of loss that is approximately 18 inches long. This will give you plenty of slack to reach to the back of your mouth properly.

Get Your Fingers Wet

If you feel like the floss keeps slipping out of your fingers, make sure you get your fingers wet before you get started. When your fingers are wet, your floss will stick to your fingers, making it easier for you to control the string as you get in between your teeth. You do not need to get your fingers soaking wet, but you should splash them before you get started.

Wrap Around the Third Finger

For better control, try to wrap your dental floss around the third finger. If you wrap your dental floss around the third finger, you can use your index finger to push the floss up and down between your teeth. You have much more dexterity with your index finger than you do with your thumb or third finger, so make sure your index finger is free to maneuver the floss.

Slide Between Each Pair of Teeth Twice

Finally, make sure you slide the dental floss up and down each pair of teeth twice. The first time, you should stick close to the tooth on one side. Then, the next time you slide the dental floss down, stick close to the tooth on the other side. That way, you can make sure you do not leave anything behind. If you have questions about what this means, our team would be happy to assist you the next time you come for an appointment.

Contact Apple Dental To Make an Appointment

If you follow these tips, you should get the most out of your flossing. At Apple Dental, our top priority is to help you take care of your teeth. You should come to our office at least twice per year for regular cleanings, but we also want to give you the information you need to take care of your teeth in-between visits. Give us a call today to make an appointment. We are always available to help you.

1. More people choose blue Red is the next best seller.
2. Americans spend over $850 million a year on toothbrushes.
3. Each person’s set of teeth is unique much like their fingerprints. Even identical twins do not have exactly the same set of teeth. Did you know that your tongue print is also unique?
4. The average woman smiles about 62 times a day! A man? Only 8! Kids laugh around 400 times a day. Grown-ups just 15 🙁
5. If you’re right handed, you will chew your food on your right side. If you’re left handed, you will tend to chew your food on your left side.
6. 50% of people consider the smile the first facial feature they notice.
7. 80% are not happy with their smile.
8. 83% of people believe their teeth are more important to their appearance than hair and eyes.
9. People who drink 3 or more sugary sodas daily have 62% more dental decay.

• Get cheesy! The calcium and phosphorous found in cheese is healthy for your teeth — it reduces the pH level in plaque and re-mineralizes the enamel.
• 60% of people who don’t know that a sore jaw, when combined with chest pain, can signal a heart attack-especially in women.
• Research says that people with periodontal disease (gum disease) are at higher risk for developing heart disease, stroke, uncontrolled diabetes, pre-term births and respiratory disease.
• People with gum disease are twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease as those without disease.

Temporomandibular refers to the joint that essentially is a hinge that connects your jaw to the temporal bones of your skull in front of each ear. This joint lets you move your jaw up and down and side to side, so you can talk, chew, and yawn. We call him TMJ for short. If you have problems with your jaw and the muscles in your face that control it, then your dentist may diagnose you with temporomandibular disorders (TMD), but you may hear it wrongly called TMJ, after the joint.

So how do you know if you have TMD? Common symptoms include:

• Pain or tenderness in your face, jaw joint area, neck and shoulders, and in or around the ear when you chew, speak, or open your mouth wide
• Problems when you try to open your mouth wide
• Jaws that get “stuck” or “lock” in the open or closed mouth position
• Clicking, popping, or grating sounds in the jaw joint when you open or close your mouth or chew. This may or may not be painful.
• A tired feeling in your face
• Trouble chewing or a sudden uncomfortable bite — as if the upper and lower teeth are not fitting together properly
• Swelling on the side of your face
• You may also have toothaches, headaches, neck aches, dizziness, earaches, hearing problems, upper shoulder pain, and ringing in the ears (tinnitus).

In other words, TMD symptoms can be very vague and generic. To figure out what’s causing yours, the dentist will ask about your health history and conduct a physical exam. He’ll check your jaw joints for pain or tenderness and listen for clicks, pops, or grating sounds when you move them. He’ll also make sure your jaw works like it should and doesn’t lock when you open or close your mouth. Also, he’ll test your bite and check for problems with your facial muscles. He’ll probably take X-rays to rule out other problems and in rare cases may even order a CT or an MRI to aid is his diagnosis.

What causes TMD? Who knows? Injury to your jaw, the joint, or the muscles of your head and neck — like from a heavy blow or whiplash — can lead to TMD. Other causes include grinding or clenching your teeth, arthritis, and stress.

Is TMD really that big a deal? Actually, it can be. TMD can lead to other medical conditions. First, the pain itself can be crippling for some individuals and can lead to chemical dependencies. This constant pain, combined with the tendency of some people with TMD to grind their teeth in their sleep, can lead to a pattern of sleep disturbance and insomnia as well. TMD symptoms may also contribute to depression. Not treating your TMD could also lead to malnutrition or even eating disorders, as patients attempt to avoid the problem by eating only soft foods, liquids, or not eating altogether. Many TMD patients show signs of premature wear and tear from grinding or clenching their teeth, often without knowledge. This can lead to fractured teeth and worn down enamel. The tendency of sufferers is to favor one side of the jaw over the other which can create swelling on one side of the face and unsymmetrical muscle growth over time. This can give the patient a lopsided appearance. Since the joint in question is located directly underneath the ears, many TMD sufferers contend with pain in their ears. Eventually, TMD disorder may lead to tinnitus or even permanently compromised hearing. Inner ear problems can also produce difficulties with balance and recurring dizziness (Vertigo). Similarly, even vision can be compromised by untreated TMD symptoms. TMD can also lead to serious jaw problems. For instance, the jaw may become permanently “stuck” open (locked jaw) requiring a trip to the emergency room to forcibly open or close the mouth. In addition, the breakdown of the cartilage in the jaw over time not only leads to pain and unpleasant grinding sounds – it can also result in the dislocation of the jaw.

No one should have to suffer in silence, particularly since TMD can be treated permanently through safe, non-surgical means. If you think you may have TMD, don’t wait for it to escalate – contact us at Apple Dental today. We are skilled diagnosticians and very well equipped to treat your TMD at any stage.

Just a few weeks ago, a 26-year- old truck driver and father of two preschoolers left home to make a routine cross-country haul. Before he left, he was complaining about a slight toothache. By the time, he got to Oklahoma, he sought out a dentist who treated the tooth and gave him antibiotics with an assurance that this should give him some relief until he could have it taken care of at home. Instead, it continued to get worse. When he got to New York, his face had swollen and he was feeling too weak to drive the rig back home. His brother came to the rescue and they headed west, but when they got to Utah, it was clear that the young father needed some help. He checked into a Utah hospital and four days later he was dead. The Cause of death? Total organ failure due to a common abscessed tooth. Before antibiotics, “teeth” was listed as the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. Even today, around 10,000 people are treated for common tooth infections, and of that number about 10 dies. Doctors say that today that number is on the rise because of antibiotic resistant super-bugs like MRSA. But most these deaths can be prevented with just routine dental care.

How does a tooth become infected in the first place? The human body has natural defenses that protect itself from invading bacteria. Those defenses are breached when a tooth is damaged by a trauma or most often by a common cavity. The bacteria make a nice little nest at the base of the root, and it’s game on. Like any infection, pus is produced. If the pus can find a way to vent, you may never know you have an abscess unless your dentist spots it in a regular check-up. If not, the pus will collect in a pocket and the building pressure will cause intense pain.

Once a patient is diagnosed with an abscess, he is usually treated with an oral antibiotic and pain medications until the infection is gone. The tooth may then be treated with a root canal and a crown or it may be pulled. Crisis averted. Here is a list of common symptoms of a dental abscess:

• Severe, persistent, throbbing toothache
• Sensitivity to temperatures and pressure
• Fever
• A “bubble” at the base of the tooth
• Swelling in your jaw or face
• Tender swollen lymph nodes in neck or jaw
• Bad breath
• If the abscess ruptures, you may have a sudden rush of foul, salty fluid in your mouth. This will give you almost immediate relief from the pain, but it is not a cure for the infection. You still need to seek prompt treatment.

See your dentist promptly if you have any signs or symptoms of a tooth abscess. If you have a fever and swelling in your face and you can’t reach your dentist, go to an emergency room. Also, go to the emergency room if you have trouble breathing or swallowing. These symptoms may indicate that the infection has spread deeper into your jaw and surrounding tissue or even to other areas of your body.

If you don’t have a regular dentist, we at Apple Dentistry are here for you. We don’t like to see anybody in pain. We treat abscesses like emergencies and will make your condition a priority. Of all the dentists you could choose in the Monroe, West Monroe, Sterlington area, we hope that you will give us an opportunity to serve you.

Watch Out for these Culprits.

It’s the modern ideal—a smile full of perfectly spaced, straight, sparkling white teeth. Advertisements and toothpaste aisles are full of solutions to help you get back that brilliant smile. But what is staining them in the first place? Is there anything you can do to prevent it?

1. There’s nothing you can do about aging, but you can minimize it’s effects by avoiding things that will stain your teeth.
   Tobacco products. Nicotine is amber in color and it loves your teeth. That should be reason number 2154 to stop smoking, dipping, chewing, etc.
2. Dark beverages. Caramel-colored carbonated beverages, coffee, and tea are all acidic. This allows the beverage to attack the enamel letting the dark coloring do its worst. Surprisingly to most people, tea is the worst of the three for staining teeth. Tea has many health benefits, so don’t quit drinking it; just take steps to avoid staining.
3. Wine, red AND white. White?? Really? Yep. Although white wine doesn’t deposit any color, its tannins (plant compounds that allow stains to adhere to enamel) and acids make it easier for stains to set in.
4. Fruit, especially berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries…) are crawling in chromogens (harsh pigments). So are grapes and pomegranates as they also have tannins. Even tomatoes contain a large amount of chromogens.
5. If it turns your tongue blue, it’s not ignoring your teeth.
6. Brightly colored beverages including energy drinks. The dyes make them visually appealing, but they are still that…dyes.
7. Ketchup and other dark sauces. Acids, tannins, and chromogens—the staining trifecta.

Obviously, you can’t be expected to not eat anything that contains chromogens, tannins and acids. So, how do you combat their effects?

1. When you consume something that you know will stain your teeth, try to brush immediately after.
2. If brushing is too inconvenient or simply not possible, rinse with water or mouthwash.
3. Chew a piece of sugar free gum making a point to allow it to clean your front teeth.
4. Munch on an apple or pear. These are natural teeth whiteners.
5. Use a straw so that a staining liquid doesn’t come in contact with your most visible teeth.
6. Come see us at Apple Dental. Our whitening procedures are pain free and very effective. Contact us now for more information.