May 2022 - Carolina Complete Dental Blog

May 27, 2022

Goose Creek dentists, Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams at Carolina Complete Dental shares four easy ways to help prevent tooth decay in children so they can have a head start on a healthy, happy smile for life. As a parent, you only want what’s best for your little one. Whether you’re a new mom navigating the waters of caring for your firstborn, or a seasoned pro ready to start your own family softball team (sorry neighbor kids, all positions are filled), preventing tooth decay in kids is never an easy feat.

Because tiny hands and mouths don’t yet have the knowledge or the dexterity to properly care for their teeth, tooth decay is a common occurrence, and it’s largely up to you to help establish healthy habits and keep tooth decay at bay.

Read on to learn the four simplest ways to help prevent tooth decay so your kids can have a head start on a healthy, happy smile for life.

A Healthy Oral Hygiene Routine

Like, duh! (Do kids still say duh?) Anyway, obviously oral hygiene is one of the most important ways to prevent tooth decay, but implementing it is easier said than done! The easiest way to establish a routine that will stick is to lead by example and start early. These early years are formative, and their brains are like sponges, absorbing everything around them and forming habits and attitudes they will carry with them for life.

You should wash your baby’s gums after feeding with a warm washcloth, even before their teeth start to come in.
Once their first tooth emerges, you should begin brushing with a baby-sized toothbrush and water. Brush their teeth and gums gently in small circular motions, even where no teeth have emerged yet to stimulate blood blow and get them used to the feeling of brushing.
Begin flossing as soon as two or more teeth start to touch. Curve the floss gently in a c-shape around the teeth and under the gums and use a new section of floss between each tooth.
Begin using fluoridated toothpaste around age 2-3, when they are able to spit the paste out.
Brush for them until they are able to do so effectively themselves, which is typically around age 6 when they are able to tie their own shoes and head off to school. Continue supervising until you’re confident in their big-kid brushing and flossing skills.
A healthy hygiene routine includes brushing at least twice per day, before breakfast and before bed, and flossing once daily at either time.
Rinsing with water after eating, before brushing, and periodically throughout the day is a great way to reduce plaque, acidity, and enamel damage.

Limited Sugar Intake

Nowadays, sugar is in just about everything we eat and drink, so it’s more important than ever to pay attention to what you and your kids are consuming regularly. Not only do tooth-decay bugs feed on sugar, but other diseases (including cancers) thrive on it as well, so it’s best to limit sugar as much as possible if your goal is healthy smiles and healthy bodies.

Only allow water in the baby bottle. Anything else including breast milk, formula, or juice is chock-full of sugar, and if they’re sipping it from a bottle all day or night, they will almost certainly develop baby-bottle tooth decay.
Make juice a “sometimes treat” for special occasions or as a reward for good behavior. Juice, soda, sports drinks, or other sugary beverages should not be their primary form of hydration. Water should always come first and foremost.
Choose healthy, natural, unprocessed snacks like fruits, vegetables, berries, cheese, crackers, yogurt, and nuts or trail mix. Avoid sugary snacks and candy as much as possible, and save them for special occasions. The more sugar they have early-on the more they will become addicted to it and crave it on a regular basis.

Fluoride

Fluoride is one of our greatest weapons against childhood tooth decay, which is why most cities and towns in the US and Canada have fluoridated public water supplies. It’s also why most mouth rinses and toothpaste contain fluoride, and most dentists provide fluoride treatments for kids. Fluoride is highly effective for preventing tooth decay in children because when teeth are growing, it combines with tooth enamel to form stronger, decay-resistant teeth that are better at fighting off sugar, plaque, and acid.

Is Goose Creek’s water supply fluoridated? You can find out by contacting your community’s water provider.
Start using fluoridated toothpaste for your kiddo around age 3.
If they’re still getting cavities, talk to Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams. We can provide regular fluoride treatments and recommend a fluoridated mouth rinse for an added boost.
If Goose Creek’s water is not fluoridated or it’s simply not enough to keep the cavity bugs away, we can also recommend fluoride supplements.

Regular Dental Visits at Carolina Complete Dental

A healthy diet, a solid oral hygiene routine, and plenty of fluoride are all great starts, but oral health is complex and you’ll want a team of well-educated professionals in your corner. Everyone should see the dentist regularly—twice every year or once every six months—but especially kiddos! They are the most susceptible to tooth decay, so you should bring them in to see us often for regular exams and cleanings. Only we have the technology and the tools necessary to remove tartar buildup and detect disease and decay before it becomes serious.

Stay on schedule with your regular check-ups, cleanings, and exams. When the appointment is over, go ahead and schedule the next one.
Ask Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams plenty of questions. “Why are they still getting cavities?” “What’s that dark spot on the x-ray?” “What can we do better?” The more educated you are about your child’s oral health, the more equipped you will be to help keep tooth decay away.

While cavities in kids are very common and usually don’t cause too many problems if they’re filled promptly, untreated tooth decay can be a serious issue for a child’s growth and development. Not only can cavities be very painful for kiddos, but they can also lead to poor performance in school, missed school days, and even behavioral and developmental issues. Not to mention, baby teeth set the stage for adult teeth to grow in properly, so it’s important to keep baby teeth healthy and decay-free to set them up for oral health and confidence later in life.

If you follow our advice, you’ll be on the right path to preventing tooth decay and promoting oral health for your child. If you have any further questions or would like to schedule an appointment with your Goose Creek dentists, Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams at Carolina Complete Dental, contact us today!

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

May 13, 2022

Goose Creek dentists, Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams at Carolina Complete Dental discuss the topic of oral piercings, and whether they can be harmful to your teeth. Remember that guy with the lip ring you had a crush on in high school? I wonder how his teeth are doing now. Don’t get us wrong—at Carolina Complete Dental, we’re all about the freedom of self-expression, and if body modifications like tattoos and piercings are your thing, we support you. However, as your dental health professionals, we strongly advise against oral piercings specifically because they can be really harmful to your teeth—and we want you to keep your teeth healthy, so you can continue to express yourself with your beautiful smile.

Oral piercings refer to any piercing in or around the mouth. In the old days, the only options were the more traditional tongue or lip piercings, but today there are more options than you can shake a stick at. If it’s in your mouth, you better believe someone has pierced it. From the tongue web piercing to the vampire or upper frenulum piercing, to the gum piercing, venom bites, snake eyes, smiley piercing, frown piercing, and even the uvula piercing—yes, apparently you can pierce your uvula. There’s even a “dental piercing” which is not necessarily a drilled hole, but jewelry that is embedded onto the tooth surface. But of course, we don’t recommend any of these, so don’t get any ideas!

Carolina Complete Dental is here to share some reasons oral piercings are not cool for teeth.

Infection

If you’ve ever had your ears or anything else pierced, you understand the risk of infection and the importance of keeping your new piercing clean. However, oral piercings have a much higher rate of infection because of their location in or around the mouth. The mouth is home to millions of bacteria (some are good, others are extremely dangerous) that have the potential to enter the piercing site and cause infection.

According to the American Dental Association, secondary infections can result in serious illness including blood-borne hepatitis, angina, and herpes. With oral piercings, there is always a risk of infection, but particularly in the few weeks following the initial piercing. Signs of infection include swelling, pain, fever, chills, shaking, or a red-streaked appearance around the piercing. Contact us right away if you notice signs of infection.

Tooth & Gum Damage

One of the most common dental problems associated with oral piercings is tooth and gum damage. It’s easy enough to damage your teeth and gums already, whether from chewing ice or brushing your teeth too hard. Add a piece of metal jewelry into the equation and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. Oral piercings can irritate the gum tissue, and cause enamel damage in the form of cracks, chips, scratches, and tooth sensitivity.

If you’ve had any dental work done—including fillings or crowns—oral piercings can damage these as well, so if you don’t want to spend more money and time in the dental chair having your dental work repaired, we recommend choosing a non-oral piercing—if you’ve really got the urge to pierce something.

Nerve Damage

Following a tongue piercing, it’s not uncommon to experience numbness due to nerve damage; this is usually temporary, but can sometimes be permanent. Nerve damage can affect your sense of taste, as well as the movement and function of your mouth. Tongue piercings have also been known to damage the tongue’s blood vessels, which can cause serious blood loss.

Other Hazards

Allergic reactions are always possible with piercings. Some folks are allergic to certain types of metals, and some are just hypersensitive to certain metals. Tongue piercings can create increased saliva production, which can cause excessive drooling and can also affect your speech patterns causing a lisp. Not as appealing as you thought it was going to be, eh? Finally, oral piercings can be a problem when it comes to dental care because they interfere with x-rays and prevent us from seeing the full picture of your mouth.

Our Advice

If you already have an oral piercing, we do recommend removing it, but we understand if it’s become a staple of your signature look. If you’re keeping or still considering getting an oral piercing after reading this article, at least read our advice on how to care for it and avoid or minimize dental problems.

Choose a jewelry style that works well with the location in your mouth.
Gauge your jewelry accordingly. Longer or bigger jewelry may be necessary at first due to swelling, but once the swelling goes down the jewelry should be swapped or adjusted to fit.
If you choose metal jewelry, make sure you’re aware of any sensitivities you may have and make sure the jewelry conforms to surgical implant grade standards.
Use polymer balls to reduce the risk of damage, and select a smaller ball for the underside of the tongue to reduce contact with this soft tissue area.
Keep the piercing clean and free of debris by brushing and flossing diligently and rinsing with mouthwash after every meal—contrary to what you might believe, alcohol-free is a better option because alcohol is drying, and a dry mouth is more susceptible to infection.
Avoid playing with your jewelry or moving it around in your mouth, including chewing on it or clicking it around against your teeth. Be gentle and aware of how the jewelry moves when you speak and eat.
Check the tightness of your jewelry (with clean hands) regularly to ensure it’s secure so you don’t swallow or choke on it.
If you participate in sports, you may want to remove your jewelry while playing, and you should always wear a mouthguard.
Maintain your diligent oral hygiene routine and see us at Carolina Complete Dental regularly so we can catch any small problems before they progress.

We hope this article has made you think twice about oral piercings. There are plenty of other places to pierce, after all, and plenty of other ways to express yourself that don’t involve permanently damaging your mouth. If you already have an oral piercing or are considering getting one, we hope you’ll follow our advice on how to best minimize the damage.

If you have any more questions about oral piercings or anything else related to oral health, we would love to speak with you. Contact your Goose Creek dentists, Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams at Carolina Complete Dental today!