Get Tips for Staying Away from Sugar From Our Family Dentist Office Halloween

As the holidays approach, we treat patients of our family dentist office and help them to stay cavity and pain-free.  While conducting teeth cleanings and dental exams, we regularly ask our patients about their diet and what foods they are eating to either strengthen or weaken their teeth.  One of the most common issues we see is that people eat way too much sugar.  Sugar is in virtually all processed foods, so it is hard to get away from.  When you combine that with sugar in your coffee or a daily candy bar, it creates a sugar overload and a risk to the health of your teeth and gums.

When sugar settles onto your teeth, it can create an acid that starts to attack the tooth.  This is why people that leave sugar on their teeth are at a greater risk of getting a cavity.  We recommend that patients brush their teeth throughout the day instead of only in the morning and at night in order to remove bacteria and sugar before it has the opportunity to create a problem.  When doing so make sure to use a soft toothbrush so that your gums won’t become irritated.

In our family dentist office we believe in the importance of preventative care which includes brushing at home, having your teeth regularly cleaned, and eating a healthy diet.  With that in mind, here are our favorite tips for staying away from sugar:

• Drink lots of water.  If you stay hydrated and drink water, you will feel fuller throughout the day.  It is hard to have room for dessert when you are full from drinking a bottle of water.  In fact, before you eat make sure to drink a cup of water and do so again when you are done.  Wait a few minutes before ordering dessert, and you will likely find that you are simply too full. 
• Carry healthy snacks.  It is easy to head to the vending machine when you are hungry.  To prevent this, carry healthy snacks with you.  This can include apples, string cheese, baby carrots, granola, and other foods that are easy to transport.  Load up your bag with snacks in the morning so that you can stay healthy throughout the day. 
• Eat a balanced diet.  It is important to eat a diet that contains complex carbs and lean protein.  This way you will have sustained energy throughout the day and avoid crashing.  When you eat a diet full of simple carbs, like cereal or white bread, you will crash quickly and it is natural to reach for something else that contains sugar in order to get your energy levels back up.  This isn’t good for you so to avoid it, eat a healthy and balanced diet that will help you to stay full and have plenty of energy.

As a family dentist, we understand that the healthier you are at home; there is less of a chance that you will develop gum disease or cavities.  Combine these healthy habits with trips to the dentist so that you can stay in good oral health. 

Tips for Treating Sensitive Teeth from Your General Dentist Office

If you have sensitive teeth, schedule an appointment with our general dentist office.  We can clean your teeth and remove any bacteria that may be irritating your gums and teeth.  Afterwards, we will examine them to determine if any cavities or infection are present.  Often, tooth sensitivity comes from having a cavity that makes it painful to bite down or eat your favorite ice cream dessert. Additionally, gum disease can create sensitive teeth because when your gums are infected they will be swollen and sensitive, overall.  If they are left untreated, the disease will cause your gums to recede, and part of your tooth and roots will be exposed.

If we identify any oral health issues during your dental exam, we will treat them right away.  Gum disease, for example, can be treated with a thorough deep cleaning and if that isn’t enough we can perform a gum graft to cover the exposed portion of the tooth and roots.  Likewise, a cavity can be treated, and if necessary we will perform a root canal to remove the infected area of the tooth and the infected root.  Afterwards, a dental crown will be used to protect the tooth.

When no infection is present, tooth sensitivity is typically caused by the loss of enamel.  This is something that can be treated in our general dentist office and at home.  When your teeth lose enamel, it can be painful because the enamel is what protects the actual tooth structure that is made of dentin.  Dentin is a porous material and the holes inside of it lead directly to the roots of your tooth.  That is why when the enamel wears away doing something as simple as drinking iced tea can lead to shooting pain.

Here are tips for reducing your tooth sensitivity:

• Brush with a soft toothbrush.  Switch out your hard toothbrush for a soft one.  If you can buy an electronic toothbrush – do so.  This is the best way to get a good clean without needing to brush your teeth aggressively. 
• Use desensitizing toothpaste.  It typically takes several applications to notice a difference but this type of toothpaste will block the sensation of pain from traveling through your tooth and to your nerves.  
• Fluoride treatments.  You can get a fluoride treatment at our general dentistry office, and this will help to strengthen your teeth.  Fluoride is a mineral and by placing it directly onto your teeth they will be strengthened.  This does not directly replace your enamel but provides good protection. 
• Bonding.  If teeth are especially sensitive, having a bonding procedure completed may be a good option.  This is where a tooth colored material is applied to the surface of your teeth in order to seal and protect the dentin. 
• Crowns.  Dental crowns are a cap that surrounds the tooth so if your sensitivity is not going away, you may want to consider wearing crowns.  This way nothing directly touches your tooth.  Instead, food, water, and air will touch the crown. 

To learn more about how you can protect your teeth and reduce sensitivity, visit our general dentistry office.

How Coffee and Gum Health Work Together: Previously Unknown Tips from the General Dentist

As a local general dentist office, we focus on finding ways to keep our patients in the best possible oral health.  This involves preventative care and ongoing education.  We are constantly reminding patients to brush and floss along with providing tips for which foods are good for teeth and which ones aren’t.   We also pay attention to new scientific research that can shed light on how to keep teeth and gums in better health.

Recently, the University of Boston released a study that found coffee can actually improve your gum health.  The study itself is interesting because researchers followed a group of one thousand men for thirty years in order to get the data.  This long-term study has given us information on how coffee can impact the health of teeth and gums in the near and distant future. Researchers found that men who drank one or more cup of coffee a day had fewer teeth with bone loss than those who did not.  Bone loss is a common symptom of gum disease, the absence of which indicates that coffee is good for overall gum health.  Men with stronger and more bone dense teeth were less likely to suffer from tooth loss as well, making it possible to preserve more of their natural teeth. 

Gum disease can ravage teeth and even cause them to fall out.  This disease can be prevented by brushing and flossing throughout the day along with regular teeth cleanings at our general dentist office.  Some people are more likely to get the disease, no matter what.  For example, diabetics and pregnant women suffer from restricted blood flow which can naturally cause the gums to swell and lead to gum disease.  Additionally, those who smoke or use chewing tobacco are also at a greater risk for the disease along with other oral health issues.  

The caffeine inside of coffee is likely what creates the immediate benefit to gums and teeth.  Caffeine is an anti-inflammatory and can prevent or reduce swelling in the gums.  This is excellent news for those that like to drink coffee along with those that need a natural way to reduce swelling.  Medication can be great, but it typically comes with other side effects and is expensive. Drinking coffee every day is an affordable way to prevent swollen gums and according to the research, has no negative side effects to oral health.

As a general dentist, we recommend drinking coffee as part of an overall oral hygiene routine.  It cannot replace anything but can augment it.  Brushing and flossing throughout the day is still important, and drinking water is more important than ever.  The body needs to stay hydrated in order to function and to produce saliva, a natural defense for the mouth.  Coffee can dehydrate you so if you add it to your routine, add an additional cup of water, as well.  Finally, don’t forget to have your teeth cleaned twice a year in order to prevent and detect early signs of gum disease. 

Your Family Dentist Can Protect Your Teeth From Getting Injured While Playing Sports

As a local family dentist, we can protect your teeth from being damaged while playing sports.  It is extremely common for people to get a tooth injury while practicing or playing the game.  It doesn’t matter what sport you play or how often you play it, people are at risk of injuring their tooth and often do.  In fact, around 40 percent of adult tooth injuries are due to playing sports and the American Dental Association claims that 13 to 39 percent of tooth loss is due to sports injuries.  When you consider the fact that most adults don’t play organized sports, these numbers become even more significant.  

You can take an active role in protecting your teeth from becoming injured.  It starts with a healthy diet that will make your teeth stronger.  Eating nuts, dairy products, lean protein, and veggies will help to strengthen your teeth.  You can also brush with fluoride toothpaste so that minerals are deposited directly onto your teeth.  This is important because as people age they tend to lose the minerals that make their teeth strong.  These are ways to re-mineralize your teeth and keep them healthy. By doing so, you decrease the risk that they will become injured during the game. 

As a family dentist, we understand that it doesn’t matter if you are in a soccer league or playing a pickup game of basketball.  In any sport where you can come in contact with another person or ball, your teeth are at risk.  The goal is to minimize this risk as much as possible.  In addition to keeping your teeth in good oral health at home, you should also visit our dental office for a teeth cleaning twice a year.  This way we can remove any lingering bacteria and plaque in order to keep cavities and gum disease away.  When teeth are free from infection, they can withstand the potential damage caused by accidents. 

We also recommend that you, and all the athletes in your family, wear a mouth guard.  The American Dental Association estimates that every year more than 200,000 injuries are prevented by college and high school football players wearing a mouth guard.  This is only one sport and one demographic.  It doesn’t take into account the people playing sports like hockey, rugby, basketball, soccer, and baseball.  All of these sports are high energy, and your mouth can come in contact with a flying ball or flying elbow.  Sports like basketball do not require the player to wear a mouth guard, but it is still very dangerous.  The University of California found that 11 percent of their basketball players experienced a tooth injury.  When you combine this with the knowledge that 40 percent of adult tooth injuries is due to playing sports, it makes a compelling case for wearing a mouth guard. 

If you are playing sports and your tooth does become injured, we can help. As a family dentist office, we can repair and restore your tooth to its natural state in no time. 

Seniors Trust Local Dentist to Care for Their Teeth

Dr. Krupa treats patients of all ages in his dentist office.  Seniors have come to trust that he will provide dependable advice and solutions to all of their oral health care needs.  Dentistry has improved significantly over the past several decades which have enabled more people to keep their natural teeth as they age.  Even with these advancements, around 70 percent of the U.S. adult population will experience some form of tooth loss.  This makes regular teeth cleanings and working with an expert important.

Seniors can suffer from a variety of oral health issues.  When adult teeth first come in they are strong and full of enamel and other minerals.  As people age their teeth go through the process of demineralization where teeth start to lose their strength.  Regular teeth cleanings, fluoride toothpaste, and a specific diet can help put minerals back on teeth and make them stronger again.  Still, they are typically not as strong as when a person was younger simply due to the constant stress and strain that teeth experience. This makes them more susceptible to becoming damaged, cracked, or broken.

Another condition seniors often suffer from is dry mouth. This is where the body stops producing the saliva it needs to wash away bacteria naturally.  This can lead to bad breath that smells stale and an increased risk of cavities.  Patients with this condition can benefit from drinking more water and having their teeth cleaned at our dentist office on a quarterly basis in order to keep their breath smelling fresh.

Restorative Solutions

There are many restorative dentistry solutions that are available to people today.  Dr. Krupa is an expert at providing real solutions so that patients can continue to enjoy their life and the taste of their favorite foods.  He provides a variety of services including:

• Dentures.  This can be a temporary or permanent solution that can be completed fairly quickly.  Many patients prefer dentures because they don’t want to have oral surgery but need their appearance improved ASAP.  A full or partial set can be created and patients are on the road to recovery much faster.
• Dental Bridges.  A bridge is created when a crown is placed on the two teeth surrounding the missing one.  A bridge forms in between them and holds the new tooth in place.
• Dental Implants.  In this procedure, a metal piece is inserted underneath the gums and secured to the jawbone.  The implant needs time to heal and once it does a new tooth is attached that will look and feel completely natural.

There are many ways that Dr. Krupa helps patients restore teeth that have become damaged or fallen out but it starts with preventative care. As a local dentist, Dr. Krupa recommends that seniors have their teeth cleaned at least twice a year so that oral infections and gum disease can be prevented.  By keeping the teeth and gums healthy seniors have a greater chance of being able to keep all or most of their teeth throughout their lifetime.  This should be combined with a good oral hygiene routine at home.

Sedation Dentist and Cosmetic Dentistry

If you are considering a cosmetic dentistry procedure, visit a sedation dentist.  This way you can stay comfortable during the procedure and eliminate any anxiety that you may be feeling at the thought of having dental work done.  There is no need to live with a smile you don’t like when there are options for transforming it, while remaining comfortable. 

There are several types of cosmetic dentistry solutions that can turn an ordinary smile into something beautiful.

Here are some of the commonly used procedures and how sedation can make them more comfortable. 

White Fillings

When a patient gets a cavity, Dr. Krupa can treat it and use a white or natural colored filling instead of a metal one.  This solves the health issue while using a material that looks natural and won’t standout. Many people feel nervous when thinking about having a cavity treated, and a sedation dentist can provide something to ease the anxiety along with local anesthesia that numbs that specific area. 

Dental Veneers

Veneers can be used to solve multiple problems with teeth. They can restore a tooth that has become chipped or gotten a small hole in it.  Cosmetic issues can also be addressed like covering a dark stain, making teeth even in lengths, and closing gaps in between teeth.  The veneer itself is a thin shell that is made of ceramic and looks completely natural.  In order to prepare the tooth for the veneer, a dentist must prepare it by removing a portion of the enamel.  This part of the procedure can be uncomfortable traditionally, but a sedation dentist can make it pain-free.  By eliminating any anxiety or pain, the procedure is more enjoyable, and once the veneer is placed on top of the tooth, it will help to create a gorgeous smile. 

Dental Crowns

A crown is used when a tooth needs to be restored and strengthened.  It is a cap that surrounds the tooth completely so that when a tooth becomes severely cracked, or a large portion of it is removed due to a root canal or other procedure; a crown can hold it together, make it strong, and look natural.  In order to prepare a tooth for a crown, enamel has to be removed from all sides. This way the crown will fit over the tooth without pushing the surrounding teeth out of the way.  A sedation dentist can make sure that the procedure is completed without pain, both during the preparation time and when the final crown is placed. 

Dental Implants

This procedure has a surgical component and should not be completed without pain relief.  In order for an implant to work, a metal post has to be implanted under the surface of the gums.  This post is then secured to the jawbone.  Without pain relief, this would be very uncomfortable but a sedation dentist has a variety of options that can prevent a patient from feeling any pain.  In fact, some patients even go to sleep during the procedure. 

With an expert like Dr. Krupa, patients can have the cosmetic dental work done that they want without fear, anxiety, or pain. 

Gary Krupa, a Sacramento Dentist, Treats Gum Disease

Did you know that your dentist can improve the health of your heart?  Scientists have found a direct link between gum disease and heart disease.  In fact, 91 percent of people with a heart condition also have unhealthy gums.  Since heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women, it is important to reduce risks wherever possible.  Having your teeth cleaned twice a year can help prevent gum disease and keep you in better health overall.

Gum disease is typically created when people have poor oral hygiene and lack of dental care.  This can include forgetting to brush and floss or skipping regular teeth cleanings.  Some people are naturally at an increased risk of getting gum disease, including diabetics, smokers, and people that use smokeless tobacco products.  Eliminating these habits and keeping blood sugar under control can help reduce the risk.

Dr. Krupa will look for signs of gum disease during regular dental exams.  Early detection is important because it allows him to treat the disease before it becomes painful and leads to other health issues. The first stage of gum disease is called gingivitis and the symptoms include swollen and red gums that may be sensitive or occasionally bleed.  They can be treated with a thorough cleaning at our dentist office.  In this procedure the bacteria are removed from on and under the gums.  Once the bacteria have been removed the gums can typically heal themselves and the symptoms will go away.  This is the best stage to treat the disease because the procedure can be done fairly quickly with minimal recovery time.

The advanced stages of gum disease create additional issues.  Gums typically start to recede and expose more of the tooth and even the roots which will make teeth appear longer or larger.  If the gums keep receding a pocket may form in the gum tissue. Bacteria can gather here and attack the tooth and roots to create an infection and potentially a dental abscess.  This can be painful and some people even lose their teeth at this stage.  In order to treat the condition the bacteria must be removed, the pockets closed, and the gums secured around the tooth.  This may be done with a gum graft or other procedure.  While more intensive, it may be necessary for protecting the teeth and roots.

Leaving gum disease untreated is not an option for people wanting to stay in good health.  As it continues to grow the health of your entire mouth is in jeopardy and as science has shown, so is your heart.  Additionally, pregnant women are at risk of going into pre-term labor when they have gum disease.  Even those who make it to full term may have a low birth weight baby.  Good oral health is important for both mother and baby during pregnancy and we help all of our patients stay in the best health possible.  Schedule a teeth cleaning and dental exam with dentist,  Dr. Krupa, so that he can prevent and treat gum disease before it creates major health problems.