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So you might be wondering, just what are cavities? How do we get them? What do they do to our teeth? How can we prevent them? Let’s talk!

Our teeth need to be strong to bite and chew. That’s why they are protected by a coating called enamel, which is made up of very hard minerals. Enamel is the strongest part of our bodies—stronger even than our bones. But this doesn’t mean nothing can hurt it! And cavities, also called tooth decay, are one of the most common dangers facing our enamel.

So, what are cavities?

A cavity is a hole in your tooth enamel. If your tooth is not cleaned and repaired when a cavity is small, this hole can grow bigger until tooth decay reaches the inside of your tooth. Enamel doesn’t heal when it’s damaged, so you need to see a dentist to make your tooth healthy again.

How do we get cavities?

Bacteria are tiny little germs. Many kinds of bacteria live in our bodies, and some of them are quite helpful. The bacteria which cause cavities are not. These unhelpful bacteria join with our saliva and very small pieces of the food we’ve chewed to make a sticky film called plaque.

Like other living things, the bacteria in plaque need food. They get that food from the foods we eat, especially sugars and starches. As they eat, they change these sugars and starches into acids, and these acids attack the minerals which keep enamel hard and strong.

Because plaque sticks to our teeth, bacterial acids are able to make weak spots in enamel if the plaque isn’t brushed away. If you see a white spot on your tooth, that could mean that your enamel is losing minerals, and getting weaker.

What do cavities do to our teeth?

Over time, weak spots can grow bigger until there’s a hole in the enamel surface. If the cavity in your enamel is small, you might not notice it at first. But cavities can become wider and deeper, and even break through enamel to reach the inside of your tooth.

The inside of each tooth holds pulp, the part of your tooth which keeps it healthy. If tooth decay spreads to the pulp, it can cause more damage and infection, so it’s important to treat a cavity right away.

Dark spots on your enamel, a toothache, pain when you drink something hot or cold or when you bite down—these can be clues that you have a cavity, and you should visit us for an exam.

How can you prevent cavities?

Even better than treating a cavity is preventing one. Let’s make a list of some helpful do’s and don’ts for cavity prevention:

• Do: Feed yourself foods which are good for you.

Foods like milk and cheese and many dark green vegetables have lots of calcium and vitamin D to help keep your enamel strong.

• Don’t: Feed bacteria foods which are good for them.

Sugar and simple starches like potato chips are the kinds of foods bacteria like best, because they are easy to break down. This means more acids to attack your enamel.

This doesn’t mean you should never enjoy a treat! But eating lots of starchy snacks and drinking sugary sodas means more plaque, and more plaque can mean more cavities. If you’re eating something starchy or sweet, it’s a good idea to brush or rinse afterward.

• Do: Brush at least twice a day, for at least two minutes, with fluoride toothpaste.

This is the best way to get rid of plaque, which builds up every day. And fluoride toothpaste even helps make your enamel stronger.

• Don’t: Forget to floss.

Flossing takes a while to learn to do well, but it’s very important. Flossing helps prevent cavities between the teeth and near the gums.

• Do: Visit our Marrero dental office for exams and cleanings.

Not only will we look for cavities, we’ll let you know the best way to brush and floss so you can get your teeth their cleanest.

• Don’t: Feel bad if you get a cavity!

Some people are more likely to get cavities than others, even when they brush just right and eat healthy foods. If you have a cavity, we can remove decay and repair your tooth with a filling.

And one last thing to do: talk to Dr. Keith J. Fabre Jr. if you have any questions about the best ways to protect your teeth from cavities. We have lots of suggestions to help you take care of your healthy, beautiful smile!

Our grandmothers and grandfathers, our moms and dads—we’ve known them our whole lives. So, why are they so hard to shop for?

If your older family members have all the sweaters, socks, and scents they need, consider a gift that can make life a bit easier and perhaps a lot healthier—an electric toothbrush!

• Easy Efficiency

The most important reason to choose an electric toothbrush is its effectiveness. Several studies have shown that regular use of an electric toothbrush leads to a marked reduction in plaque, that bacteria-filled film which sticks to the teeth and leads to cavities and gingivitis. And it’s really no surprise that an electric brush can out-perform a manual brush.

Using a manual brush is not just a matter of applying toothpaste and scrubbing. Proper technique means short brush strokes at a 45-degree angle for the outer and inner surfaces of the tooth, thoroughly cleaning the uneven chewing surfaces of the molars, and brushing the inside of the front teeth with gentle vertical strokes. Meticulous cleaning of all these surfaces can be difficult, especially for people with dexterity issues.

Electric toothbrushes offer several options, from oscillating/rotating brushes to oscillating/rotating/pulsating models to brushes using sonic vibration technology. What they all have in common is the ability to remove plaque far more effectively than we can on our own, because they provide the equivalent of thousands and even tens of thousands of brushstrokes per minute, as opposed to the hundreds we can achieve by hand.

• Comfortable Control

An electric toothbrush can be not only more efficient, but also more comfortable for older brushers. For those with arthritis, limited mobility, injuries, or other health conditions, the larger handles can be easier to control and much more grip-friendly. And, with the work being done by the brush head, users avoid repetitive hand and wrist motion.

Also, the pressure applied to teeth and gums with an electric brush is designed to clean thoroughly while protecting the mouth. Heavy-handed manual brushing can irritate delicate gum tissue and even damage enamel over time. With an electric brush, users only need to guide it along teeth and gums as it supplies all the power needed. There are even pressure sensors available to warn users that their brushing is too vigorous.

• Apps, Anyone?

If your grandfather likes to keep things old school, a basic model with a convenient two-minute timer and several cleaning modes will offer all the bells and whistles he needs. But if your nana has more Instagram followers than you do, consider a more tech-savvy option.

Several of today’s electric brushes come with features designed to make brushing even more effective. They can let her know if she’s brushing long enough, alert her if she’s brushing too hard, and remind her that it’s time to replace the brush head. Some models link to handy apps that will map out just where she’s brushed, in case there are a few spots that get overlooked. Or choose a model which comes with a travel case that can recharge while she’s busy seeing the world.

Okay, all that being said, we’ll admit it—a toothbrush might not be the most glamorous gift your grandparent unwraps on that special day. But helping a favorite family member brush more effectively and comfortably while improving dental health? That’s a gift that keeps on giving!

We’re not talking about caring for major appliances here—the refrigerators, dishwashers, and washing machines which make our lives easier. We’re talking about much smaller scale appliances which produce major results for our oral care—the dental appliances which give us healthier, more attractive smiles!

A dental appliance is simply any device which helps promote dental health. And while that definition is awfully broad, you still might be surprised at the many types of dental work which qualify! Today, we look at “fixed” appliances. These restorations or devices stay in the mouth, unlike removeable appliances like mouthguards and aligners. How do they work for us, and how do we provide the care they need to work effectively?

Fillings, Crowns, and Dental Implants

Dental restorations such as crowns and fillings, which protect the structure of your teeth, are considered appliances. So are dental implants. Implants use a post surgically implanted in the bone to act as the tooth’s “root.” When the post has fused with the bone, a crown is bonded to the implanted post for a tooth which functions—and looks—like your natural teeth.

• Cleaning—Clean your restorations and implants just like you would your natural teeth. This means brushing at least twice each day for two minutes and flossing once each day to protect both your dental work and your oral health.
• Diet—While restorations allow you to eat normally, it’s best to treat both your natural teeth and your restorations with care. Hard foods can crack or damage enamel, implants, and restorations. Chewy, sticky foods like caramels can dislodge restorations.

Fixed Orthodontic Appliances

If you or your child are in orthodontic treatment, you know that taking good care of orthodontic appliances will help treatment progress as quickly and comfortably as possible. Traditional braces and functional appliances like palatal expanders and the Herbst® and Forsus™ appliances are commonly used to help patients achieve their best smiles. Because these appliances stay in the mouth until treatment is complete, caring for them can present some day-to-day challenges.

• Cleaning—You might need to brush and floss after every meal and snack to prevent plaque buildup and to keep food particles from sticking to braces and/or functional appliances. Your orthodontist will provide instructions for daily cleaning routines.
• Helpful tools—Interproximal brushes, flosses designed for braces, and water flossers can make cleaning teeth and appliances easier and more effective. Talk to your dental team at Fabre Family Dental Care of Marrero to learn the best tools and techniques for your specific needs.
• Diet—Sticky, chewy, hard, and crunchy foods are not on the menu when you have a fixed appliance! Sticky and chewy foods like caramels can damage appliances and are difficult to clean from appliances and enamel. Hard foods require biting pressure which can damage appliances—and your teeth! Crunchy foods can leave hard little particles stuck in and under appliances. Your orthodontist has all the details on choosing foods which are good for your teeth and your orthodontics.
• Stick to your orthodontic routine—Keeping up with your appointments and adjustments keeps your treatment on track and allows your orthodontist to discover any problems with your appliances. If you have any concerns about an appliance, it’s always a good idea to call your orthodontist’s office immediately.

Bridges

Bridges complete smiles when a tooth or teeth are missing, enabling normal speaking, biting, and chewing. Bridges also help prevent the remaining teeth from shifting out of place.

To create a custom bridge, a prosthetic tooth or row of teeth are attached to crowns placed on adjacent natural teeth, or attached with wings bonded to adjacent natural teeth, or secured to carefully placed implant posts. The type of bridge your dentist recommends will depend on your preferences, the health of your surrounding teeth, and the number and location of the missing teeth.

• Cleaning— Because the artificial teeth in the bridge are often connected to each other and/or to surrounding teeth, typical flossing between teeth isn’t always possible. Special flosses, interproximal brushes or water picks can make sure the areas under the bridge and adjacent to your natural teeth are free of plaque and food particles. Dr. Keith J. Fabre Jr. can recommend the best tools and techniques.
• Diet—A bridge-friendly diet is a lot like a healthy orthodontic diet. Avoid hard and chewy foods like nuts and caramels which can damage or loosen your bridge. Foods like corn on the cob, tough meats, hard breads, and apples require more biting force, which can loosen a bridge over time. Cutting foods into smaller pieces and choosing softer food options will help extend the life of your bridge. Your dental team in Marrero is a great source of information on the healthiest diet for you and your dental work.

Implant-Supported Dentures

Permanent, fixed dentures remain in the mouth, anchored by implant posts strategically placed in the jaw. Like individual implant posts, these are placed surgically and require time to heal. When the posts have fused with the bone, an individually crafted denture is secured to them.

• Cleaning—Once the dentures are secured to the posts, brush and floss as you would with your natural teeth. A water flosser is helpful for cleaning under and around the denture.
• For best maintenance, Dr. Keith J. Fabre Jr. can remove your denture for professional cleaning as needed.
• Once you have become used to your dentures, you can eat normally (although it’s best to avoid small, crunchy particles which can get trapped under the denture).

So many appliances, helping us protect our dental health and comfort in so many ways! And there are a few additional steps we can take to make sure these appliances perform at their best:

• Watch out for destructive dental habits. Nail biting, chewing on pencils or other objects, using teeth as tools to open bags or bottle caps, crunching on ice—any behaviors which can damage teeth can also damage appliances.
• Keep up with regular dental exams. Dr. Keith J. Fabre Jr. can assess the health of your teeth and gums as well as the condition of your appliances.
• Don’t ignore problems! Call your dental team at once if you notice any damage to your teeth or appliances.

Fixed appliances make our lives better. They improve oral health, allow us to eat and speak without difficulty, and create confident smiles. With conscientious care, your appliances will continue to work both comfortably and effectively.

A study conducted in Washington State in 2004 and another conducted in Madrid, Spain in 2012 both reported findings that support a direct relationship between parents’ dental fear and their child’s fear of the dentist.

The Washington study examined dental fear among 421 children ages 0.8 to 12.8 years old. They were patients at 21 different private pediatric dental practices in western Washington state. The Spanish study observed 183 children between the ages of seven and 12 as well as their parents.

The Washington study used responses from both parents and the Dental Sub-scale of the Child Fear Survey Schedule. The survey consisted of 15 questions, which invited answers based on the child’s level of fear. The scale was one to five: one meant the child wasn’t afraid at all, and five indicated he or she was terrified. The maximum possible points (based on the greatest fear) was 75.

Spanish researchers found a direct connection between parental dental fear levels and those among their kids. The most important new discovery from the Madrid study was that the greater the fear a father had of going to the dentist, the higher the level of fear among the other family members.

Parents, but especially fathers, who feared dental procedures appeared to pass those fears along to every member of the family. Parents can still have some control over fear levels in their children. It is best not to express your own concerns in front of kids; instead, explain why going to the dentist is important.

Dr. Keith J. Fabre Jr. and our team work hard to make your child’s visit at our Marrero office as comfortable as possible. We understand some patients may be more fearful than others, and will do our best to help ease your child’s anxiety.