Carolina Complete Dental Blog

Is Fluoride Safe for Kids?

March 13, 2020

At Carolina Complete Dental, we know that parents work hard to prioritize their child’s health and happiness—you can count on us to do the same! The smiles of your children are a contagious expression of delight, and our role as their oral healthcare provider is to protect those precious pearly whites.

That’s why we fill parents in on the ways we can help prevent their child from experiencing the pain of cavities. Fluoride treatments are a quick, painless way to strengthen teeth and keep decay-causing bugs away.

Are Fluoride Treatments Safe for Children?

Yes! They are an especially important prevention method in communities that don’t have fluoridated tap water. When combined with dental sealants, fluoride treatments have a 95% success rate in cavity prevention. (more…)

Salivary Diagnostics: What Can Your Saliva Reveal?

February 27, 2020

If you’ve tuned in to any crime scene investigation shows, you’ve probably heard of salivary testing, but did you know it’s becoming increasingly common in dental offices? Salivary testing has a bright future in medicine because of how much it can tell us about your state of health—both oral and overall.

One of the reasons it’s especially important in the dental office is because we screen for oral cancer, and the number one culprit for diagnoses in recent years is human papillomavirus (HPV), which can be detected through saliva. (more…)

Six Months to a Straighter Smile

February 13, 2020

Six Month Smiles® is a short-term orthodontic treatment that adds some updated twists to traditional braces—with average treatment times of only six months! No one loves the way metal wires and brackets look, and for teens and adults who are concerned about the appearance of their smile during orthodontic treatment, the clear brackets and tooth-colored wires of Six Month Smiles are more pleasing to the eye than a mouthful of metal.

Remember how the old metal brackets and wires of traditional braces would always seem to reflect the flash in pictures, or how distracting they could be when someone wearing braces was speaking, smiling, or laughing? Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams are general dentists providing orthodontic services, including Six Month Smiles—the revolutionary short-term, cosmetic approach to teeth straightening.

Orthodontic Options

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Can Bleeding Gums Cause a Heart Attack?

January 27, 2020

What is the Oral-Systemic Link?

You’ve always heard that it’s important to take care of your teeth. Brush and floss every day, and see the dentist for good oral health. But did you know that your oral health could directly affect your overall health? And the road goes both ways—problems with your overall health show signs in your mouth, too.

Did you know that gum disease increases your risk of heart attack by 50%? Did you know that plaque buildup in your mouth can be an indicator of and contribute to plaque buildup in your arteries? These mouth-body connections are called the “oral-systemic link”. Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams explain the important ways your body systems work together for better or worse.

Gum Disease

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5 Natural Ways to Sleep Better

January 13, 2020

We think fondly of it, we all want it – why is it so hard to find? We’re talking about sleep, of course. A poll by the National Sleep Foundation found that 60% of adults report having trouble sleeping almost every night, with 63% saying their sleep needs are not being met.

Like water, a healthy diet, and breathing, sleep is essential to support every part of your health. Sleep is when our bodies rest, repair, and run a lot of self-maintenance. Studies show that not getting enough sleep can harm your memory, your heart health, your immune system, and make you gain excess weight.

Sometimes sleep loss is a real medical issue that needs to be treated by a doctor (your Goose Creek dentists can help with sleep apnea). But if you’re just dealing with the common troubles of settling down and enjoying your sleep, we’ve got sleep tips that are all easy to incorporate into your life…starting tonight!

Set the Tone

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Hate Flossing? – 5 Flossing Alternatives

December 27, 2019

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who floss, and those who don’t. Diligent flossers everywhere inspire those of us who live with them or know them. Flossing may not be a philosophical virtue but it’s certainly high on the list of qualities amongst people who “have it together.” Read more below about why flossing is so important and what alternatives you have if you don’t like traditional floss.

The Point of Flossing

After you eat, tiny pieces of food are left everywhere in your mouth. Even though your saliva does a good job of rinsing a lot of food debris away, some leftovers stay stuck on and between your teeth and gums and must be brushed and flossed to get rid of it. You do have tons of natural bacteria in your mouth that help break down food buildup, but the bacteria leave behind a sticky film on your teeth called plaque that needs to be removed.

Everyone (even young kids) should brush for two minutes, twice a day, and floss once a day to remove food buildup and plaque from the places that are hard to reach with a toothbrush. If you don’t stay on top of it, food buildup and plaque can quickly turn into bigger problems that cause tooth decay, gum disease, and inflammation in your mouth.

Flossing Alternatives

The American Dental Association (ADA) says it doesn’t matter if you floss before or after brushing your teeth, or if you floss in the morning or at night. What’s most important is that you do it every day. But what if traditional flossing is difficult for you, or you’re traveling, or if you have braces? Thankfully, you have some options that the ADA approves.

Here are some of the flossing alternatives and their uses:

Interdental Brushes: Like tiny toothbrushes, specially designed to clean between your teeth, these brushes are a great alternative to flossing. Interdental brushes are usually easier to use than a thread of floss, are just as effective as floss, and are probably your best option if you have braces.
Water Flossing: Approved by the ADA as a floss alternative, water flossing is just what it sounds like. Instead of a thread, water flossing uses a steady stream of water, aimed between the teeth, to clear away plaque. Water flossing uses a small, hand-held appliance that might be more physically comfortable for you.
Dental Pick: Made of plastic or wood, these tiny sticks can help remove plaque from your teeth and gums. If you use a wooden pick, the ADA recommends getting the pick wet first to soften it. Picks aren’t quite as effective as floss, and you risk moving bacteria around in your mouth unless you use a new pick for each tooth.
Pre-Threaded Floss: For some people, the hardest part of flossing is actually reaching the floss into the mouth and effectively moving it between the teeth. Thankfully, a pre-threaded flosser is the simple answer to this problem. You can buy these in packets and use one with one hand. Use pre-threaded floss to more easily reach in your mouth and (like regular floss) throw it away after each use.
Soft-Picks by GUM®: A favorite of the dental community, Soft-Picks are sort of an interdental brush/dental pick hybrid. Soft-Picks are small, disposable plastic picks with a soft tip and rubbery bristles that fit comfortably between teeth and do minimal damage to the gum tissue.

A word about mouthwash: while it’s a great option for freshness and does help kill the bacteria that cause decay and gum disease in the rest of the mouth, mouthwash is not a good replacement for brushing or flossing. Mouthwash is best used in combination with these methods for optimum oral health.

Flossing & Your Health

Your daily brushing and flossing routine is the foundation of good oral hygiene and health. Remember also to see your dentist for a professional cleaning twice per year. Some plaque and buildup (like tartar) can only be removed by a dentist or hygienist. Plus, proactive oral care goes a long way toward your overall health and seeing the dentist is just as important as seeing your doctor!

If you’re looking for a Goose Creek dentist, Carolina Complete Dental is always welcoming new patients. We’d love to see you for any and all of your dental health needs.

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.

Carolina Complete Dental
100 Berkeley Square Ln.
Goose Creek, SC
(843) 779-9445
https://goo.gl/maps/d6XNxenrn7u

Top 5 Causes of Tooth Sensitivity

December 13, 2019

If you’re one of the 40 million Americans with sensitive teeth, you must be familiar with the painful zing that follows a hot drink, a bite of ice cream, or just a deep breath of cold air. These and other elements can cause a sudden discomfort if you have sensitive teeth, also called dentin hypersensitivity.

Each of your teeth has an important protected layer called enamel. If your enamel gets worn down, your teeth can become more sensitive over time. Your enamel is the visible, white part of the tooth and it protects the softer, inner layers of each tooth. Receding gums can also reveal sensitive parts of the tooth that aren’t protected by enamel.

If you’re living with sensitive teeth, it’s good to know what causes the pain and how to avoid it. You should also talk with your Goose Creek dentists about how to treat sensitive teeth and prevent further damage to your enamel or gums.

Causes of Sensitivity

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Stop Brushing After You Eat – Do This Instead

November 27, 2019

For a long time, we’ve been told to brush our teeth right after we eat, but conventional wisdom might be changing on that. Thanks to your mouth’s powerful and natural ability to clean itself, rinsing with water might actually be the best way to freshen your breath and prevent cavities after you eat.

In addition to your everyday hygiene routine, rinsing with water is a free, easy way to maintain oral health throughout the day. To understand this, read below about what happens in your mouth after you eat and why water is so great for your teeth.

Digestion Begins in Your Mouth

You might think that digestion starts in your stomach, but it actually starts in your mouth! The combination of chewing your food and the special bacteria in your mouth are essential to swallowing and digesting your food. Probiotics are specific bacteria that live in your mouth every day and begin the whole process of digestion by breaking down your food on a microscopic level.

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The Good, The Bad & The Crossbite

November 13, 2019

If your teeth or jaw don’t line up well with each other, you may have a crossbite. Goose Creek dentists Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams explain more about this condition, its effects and what you can do to treat it below.

A Good Bite

In a perfect world, your teeth would all be straight, and your upper jaw would rest nicely on top of and just a little in front of your bottom jaw. Of course, this frequently isn’t the case. Sometimes teeth are crooked or twisted and sometimes your top jaw rests awkwardly on your bottom jaw. How your teeth and jaw line up together is called your “bite.”

When we talk about this alignment, the medical term is “occlusion.” If you have a problem with your bite or alignment, it’s called “malocclusion.” Crossbite is a condition of malocclusion.

A Bad Bite

It’s estimated that one in five people have some kind of malocclusion. Under the category of malocclusion, you can have:

Underbite – when your lower jaw protrudes far out in front of your upper jaw
Overbite – when your upper jaw protrudes far out in front of your lower jaw
Crossbite – when your teeth or arches are laterally misaligned (side to side rather than forward and back)

Each of these bite problems can interfere with your oral and overall health. Malocclusion can be caused by:

A mismatch in size of jaw and teeth
Sucking a thumb or pacifier too long
Baby teeth taking too long to fall out
Early loss of adult teeth

Effects of Crossbite

When your teeth don’t rest down properly on each other, it causes a ripple of many side effects. Effects of a bad bite include:

Tooth decay
Gum disease
Grinding down tooth enamel
Jaw pain or TMJ/TMD
Asymmetrical smile and facial features
Chronic headaches and migraines

All of these side effects can get worse over time and seriously threaten your health and daily quality of life. This is why it’s important to treat malocclusion as soon as possible.

Treating a Crossbite

The best time to correct your bite is in youth before the mouth is done growing, but you can and should seek treatment for a crossbite at any age. Treating a crossbite can take a long time because your mouth is a complicated system with many parts. Depending on your specific case and the severity of the crossbite, Carolina Complete Dental may recommend:

Wearing an expander
Oral surgery
Orthodontics

Only a professional dentist can diagnose and treat your crossbite. If your bite is bothering you for any reason at all, it’s always a good idea to check with your dentist.

You don’t need to live with pain or a smile you don’t love. To learn more, make an appointment with us today!

Carolina Complete Dental
100 Berkeley Square Ln.
Goose Creek, SC
(843) 779-9445
https://goo.gl/maps/d6XNxenrn7u

Is Your Lipstick Aging You?

October 27, 2019

Carolina Complete Dental believes that natural beauty comes first. Our priority is for you to feel comfortable in your smile, and nothing should hold you back from laughing and grinning each day. Many different dental treatments can bring you this lifelong confidence.

But we also know that the right makeup can enhance your natural beauty. It’s amazing what different products and colors can do to give you a different look and style. So, what shades of lipstick do we recommend to go with your healthy, beautiful smile? Read more below from your Goose Creek dentists to learn what lipstick shades will make your teeth appear whiter, and which shades to avoid.

What Colors & Why

Fashion trends will come and go. But how do you pick a lipstick color that will improve your smile and make your teeth instantly appear whiter?

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