Ah, the New Year. A time for resolutions, gym memberships, and promises to ourselves that often evaporate faster than a snowball in July. But this year, let’s ditch the overwhelming changes and embrace the power of the tiny upgrade. We’re talking small tweaks that bring big smiles, like swapping that chipped coffee mug for a sleek travel thermos or replacing that scratchy old t-shirt with a buttery-soft favorite.
And trust me, when it comes to small upgrades with a major impact, there’s nothing quite like… drumroll please… ditching your manual toothbrush for an electric one. Yes, I said it. That humble tool you wield (hopefully!) twice a day holds the key to a cleaner, brighter, and dare I say, happier smile.
Think about it. We upgrade our phones, our clothes, even our furniture. But the trusty tool that massages our gums and chases away plaque? Often, it gets relegated to the bathroom cabinet, hiding somewhere under the sink, collecting dust and harboring questionable bristles.
If you are still using a trusty manual brush you’re not alone. But consider this: electric toothbrushes have been clinically proven to remove significantly more plaque than their manual counterparts. That translates to cleaner teeth, fresher breath, and a reduced risk of gum disease – all benefits that ripple outwards from your smile, boosting your confidence and overall well-being.
Here’s the beauty of this upgrade: it’s simple, doesn’t require drastic lifestyle changes, and the payoff is immediate. Imagine stepping out of the bathroom with a smile that feels polished, healthy, and ready to tackle the day. Plus, let’s not forget the joy of ditching that familiar arm-aching brushing routine!
Now, let’s talk specifics. Choosing the right electric toothbrush is about finding the perfect fit for your smile. Do you crave deep cleaning power? Opt for sonic vibrations and high-frequency oscillation. Prefer a gentle touch? Look for soft bristles and adjustable cleaning modes. And for tech enthusiasts, smart features like pressure sensors and app integration can take your oral hygiene to a whole new level.
The health benefits of pink gums and white teeth go beyond simple appearance. Plus, who doesn’t love the feeling of a freshly-brushed smile? It’s like hitting the “confidence boost” button on your face.
Ready to give your smile an upgrade? We hear you! That’s why we’ve curated a selection of electric toothbrushes at our store, each boasting stellar reviews on Amazon. From budget-friendly models to feature-packed beauties, we have something for every smile (and budget).
So, this New Year, skip the gym membership guilt and embrace the power of the tiny upgrade. Swap that old toothbrush for an electric one, and watch your smile transform. Remember, small changes can lead to big results, and a happy, healthy smile is the perfect way to kick off your best year yet.
Remember that gleaming crown, your loyal guard against the gnashing jaws of fate? Well, beneath its gleaming surface, a cunning villain may be plotting your tooth’s downfall: the insidious open margin.
Imagine this: instead of a tight partnership, your crown and tooth have a tiny gap, a secret handshake reserved for troublemakers. Bacteria, those microscopic mischief-makers, throw a perpetual picnic in this hidden nook, nibbling away at your precious tooth like miniature termites. You might not feel their tiny chompers, no immediate twinges, just the illusion of dental safety. But trust me, the party’s on, and the guest list includes cavities, infections, and even bone loss – all whispering sweet nothings of toothlessness in your ear.
So, why does this silent saboteur slip through the cracks? Several sneaky suspects come to mind:
Time’s tiny pickaxes: Years of chomping and grinding can chip away at your tooth, creating tiny crevices where the once-faithful crown no longer fits snugly.
Trauma’s unwelcome nudge: A misplaced bite, a rogue popcorn kernel, even a good-natured tumble can nudge your tooth ever so slightly, turning your crown into a loose-fitting disguise.
The disappearing glue: Sometimes, the cement anchoring your crown can weaken, allowing it to peek-a-boo with your gum line, leaving a doorway for trouble.
The unseen accomplice: And in some cases, the open margin was there from the start, a tiny misstep in the dental dance, undetected and ready to cause mischief.
But here’s the good news: this isn’t a one-way ticket to toothless oblivion. You can shut down the bacteria bash before it turns your pearly whites into a party zone! All you need is a thorough checkup with your dental detective (that’s your dentist!) and a proactive approach.
Remember, ignoring an open margin is like ignoring a leaky roof. You might not see the immediate damage, but the long-term consequences can be a flood of trouble. Replacing the crown, while it might seem like an unnecessary expense, is actually an investment in saving your tooth – and potentially saving yourself thousands down the line.
Think of it this way: a new crown costs a couple of grand. Extraction, bone grafting, and an implant? That’s easily double or triple the price. And let’s not forget the emotional toll of losing a tooth, the impact on your smile, your confidence, your daily life.
So, the next time your dentist mentions an open margin, don’t brush it off as a minor hiccup. Remember, it’s an undercover culprit, a wolf in sheep’s clothing for your dental health. Embrace the proactive approach, get that crown replaced, and send the bacteria packing. Your smile – and your wallet – will sing your praises!
Many people believe that since they aren’t experiencing dental symptoms – like tooth pain or bleeding gums – then all must be well.
Unfortunately, a sizable number of dental problems, including cavities and periodontal disease (bone loss around your teeth), just don’t produce obvious symptoms in their early stages. At least not symptoms that tend to be obvious to patients.
In fact, by the time people the average person experiences pain, his dental issue is typically pretty far along. And all too often, by then, the problem can also be quite expensive to handle.
It might amaze you to discover the types of problems your average dentist encounters every week, many of which you would expect to be painful, but they just aren’t. They can still result in tooth loss though.
Pretty much anyone who has ever worked in a dental office for any length of time will tell you this is so. And they will tell you that you can inform some people that they have a problem, but unless it is “real” to them, they just won’t do anything about it.
They may come back a few years later (or maybe sooner) – usually with an emergency – desperately wanting to save the tooth that you told them about earlier. Of course, by now, it may be too late. And very often they will have forgotten it was ever discussed at all, because it was never a realistic problem for them to begin with.
Human nature can be funny that way.
So, keeping that in mind, it’s generally a good idea to get checked out by a dentist. Regularly.
The best news you can hear is that everything looks great.
But sometimes getting a confirmation that you don’t have cavities or gum disease is not the only reason to get a dental exam. Over the years, I have detected cancer (not just oral cancer) – as well as a host of other non-dental problems – that might have been overlooked had the patient not scheduled an exam. Obviously, we refer patients to an appropriate specialist for treatment when we discover medical problems outside the scope of dental practice.
Other benefits of getting a dental exam: I can recall many patients who told me that what they thought were unrelated health problems simply resolved when their oral problems were gotten under control. These have included digestive problems, low energy problems, elevated blood cell counts, hypertension, and more.
Over the years, some people have told me they don’t want to get a dental exam because they don’t want to discover they have any problems. I guess that works.
Just maybe not too well.
Your overall health is connected to your oral health. Take a look at this infographic. Then think it over. . . .
As long as you are healthy, your teeth have stopped growing and your dentist feels you are a good candidate, you can get dental implants whether you are 16 or 85.
Dental implants make your jawbone stronger.
Losing teeth causes you to lose bone. Bridges and dentures don’t preserve it – but implants do.
Dental implants are made of the same stuff used by NASA.
Believe it or not, the titanium used in most dental implants is the same type of metal used in rockets, space shuttles and guided missiles. Stronger and lighter than steel, implants can last a lifetime.
Dental implants have the highest success rate of any tooth replacement solution.
Bridges, crowns and dentures all need to be replaced over time. Five to fifteen years isn’t unusual for crowns and bridges. Dentures may need replacement or adjustment after about seven years on average. Even if it lasts longer, it may not be successful with respect to eating, drinking or speaking. Dental implants, by contrast, have a 95% success rate – often last a lifetime – and give you all the function and appearance of your natural teeth.
You will never get a cavity on your dental implant.
It is a highly biocompatible, but synthetic, material so it can’t decay. Ever. You still have to take care of your gums and teeth around the implant though.
Here’s yet another fact you may not know about implants. We both place and restore dental implants in our office! Call us if you want to find out whether you could become a candidate.
First of all, what the heck is vitamin P? First discovered around 1936, the term is hardly used anymore – except maybe euphemistically for Prozac (fluoxetine) – which you definitely don’t need, unless you like playing Russian roulette with your health. Prozac is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous drugs on the market. More about that some other time, perhaps.
But, real Vitamin P is better known today as a plant classification called flavonoids or bioflavonoids.
[Because of my interest in natural health, I subscribe to a number of health-related newsletters. One of them (and I recommend this newsletter to anyone interested in sensible health and nutrition) recently reminded me of a subject I have already written about on a number of occasions. Namely, the importance of controlling inflammation, actions one can take to do so, and the nutrients that can assist with this problem. The newsletter I’m referencing here is called Health Alert, by Dr. Bruce West. Much of what follows in this posting comes from that source. If you are interested in subscribing, their number is 831-372-2103. I receive no financial benefit by recommending them. It’s just good information.]
Nevertheless, here’s why real vitamin P is important to your health, and yes, even more specifically – to your dental health:
The cells that line your blood vessels are truly amazing in terms of all the functions they provide. Their end-result have a great deal to do with how you heal. But they can’t do their job without the adequate nutrition that they need. And the prime nutrient required by these cells is vitamin P. Originally, vitamin P was named for an extract of paprika. Today, we know it better as bioflavonoids.
But if you are deficient in vitamin P, you are likely suffering from sub-clinical scurvy.
At one time, scurvy was considered deadly. Today, it is looked upon as an old disease that has been pretty much eradicated. But the less deadly version – sub-clinical scurvy – can be found in much of the American population. It’s even possible you may have it.
And while you probably won’t die quickly from scurvy as people did centuries ago, your odds of dying from damage to your blood vessels and the resulting strokes and/or heart attacks are significantly increased. If you notice your toothbrush looks a little pink when you brush, or if you have outright bleeding gums, or possibly blood stains on your skin as a result of leaking blood (Schamberg disease), or you have been diagnosed with coronary artery disease, blood clots, plaque, stroke, heart attack, deep vein thrombosis, peripheral artery disease, and most other circulatory problems – you are suffering from sub-clinical scurvy and you need vitamin P.
Vitamin P feeds the lining cells of your blood vessels – called endothelial cells – and can restore your health after they have been suffering from a vitamin P deficiency. That makes vitamin P a natural anti-stroke, anti-clot, and anti-heart attack nutrient. It will help regenerate your endothelial cells to heal your blood vessels properly. It will even help to keep your blood flowing better (by making them less stick and sludgy) without the many side effects of poisonous blood thinners.
As a dentist, I know that vitamin P is also helpful in your fight against gum disease and tooth loss. More teeth are lost (worldwide) due to periodontal disease (bone loss around the teeth) than to any other factor. Vitamin P deficiency has a lot to do with this. But it doesn’t end there. Because of its direct effects on collagen, vitamin P can also help you with ulcerative colitis, frostbite, arthritis, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and more. It is even protective against radiation damage.
But, by far, its main benefit is to the linings of your blood vessels. And when it comes to your gums that’s crucial.
All kinds of products claim to be able to heal your blood vessels. Frankly, most of them don’t work. If you truly want to heal your blood vessels, then the most effective source of vitamin P, by far, is the juice of deep green buckwheat leaves harvested at the time of their peak nutritional content. Possibly, the most powerful bioflavonoid in buckwheat juice is called rutin. Now, most of us aren’t going to start an organic garden to grow buckwheat — that we then harvest at the optimal time — and then make juice from the leaves. And, fortunately, we don’t have to.
One company – Standard Process – does that all for us. They make the supplement Cyruta-Plus in a tablet that contains all the life force, nutrients, and bioflavonoids of the juice itself. If you have gum problems, or any of the other problems listed above, 2-4 tablets of Cyruta-Plus 3x daily, would be a good place to start. Give it one to two months to help repair the damage already caused by what has probably been a long-term deficiency.
If you are not easily convinced and need additional proof (other than observing the results for yourself), you can ask your doctor to have your CRP (C-reactive protein) level checked. Most people with blood vessel inflammation will have an elevated CRP in their blood. If this is you, this is an inflammation marker, and your chance of having a heart attack or stroke becomes significantly higher.
You might be tempted to try one of the advertised “super-potent, artery scrubbing” anti-oxidants which are advertised, like reservatrol or ascorbic acid. Go ahead and try it. Then have your doctor order a new CRP blood test. After that treatment fails, try Cyruta-Plus (9 – 12 daily for 30 days) and get one more blood test. See what happens. Chances are you will be both shocked, and happy.
Not only will you have helped your gums and teeth, but you will have lowered your risk of heart attack and stroke, you will have helped your joints by improving arthritis, your gut will enjoy better digestion, your skin will thank you, as will your legs. Plus, the potential for living longer is not a bad result either.
Dr. Richard Walicki is a dentist practicing general and cosmetic dentistry. While we hope you find the information contained herein interesting and useful, this blog is for informational purposes and is not intended to diagnose any oral disease. Dental conditions should be evaluated by your dental health professional or a qualified specialist.
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