The Ugly Truth About Your Toothbrush

Do you know what's lurking on your toothbrush?

Your toothbrush is loaded with germs, say researchers at England's University of Manchester. They've found that one uncovered toothbrush can harbor more than 100 million bacteria, including E. coli bacteria, which can cause diarrhea, and staphylococci ("staph") bacteria that cause skin infections.

But don't panic. Your mouth wasn't exactly sterile to begin with.

Mouthful of Bacteria

"The bottom line is, there [are] hundreds of microorganisms in our mouths every day," says Gayle McCombs, RDH, MS, associate professor and director of the Dental Hygiene Research Center at Old Dominion University.

That's no big deal. Problems only start when there is an unhealthy balance of bacteria in the mouth. McCombs says.

"It's important to remember that plaque -- the stuff you're removing from your teeth -- is bacteria," says dentist Kimberly Harms, DDS, consumer advisor for the American Dental Association. "So you're putting bacteria on your toothbrush every time you brush your teeth."

Could Your Toothbrush Be Making You Sick?

Probably not. Regardless of how many bacteria live in your mouth, or have gotten in there via your toothbrush, your body's natural defenses make it highly unlikely that you're going to catch an infection simply from brushing your teeth.

"Fortunately, the human body is usually able to defend itself from bacteria," Harms says. "So we aren't aware of any real evidence that sitting the toothbrush in your bathroom in the toothbrush holder is causing any real damage or harm. We don't know that the bacteria on there are translating into infections."

Still, you should exercise some common sense about storing your toothbrush, including how close it is to the toilet.

Don't Brush Where You Flush

Most bathrooms are small. And in many homes, the toilet is pretty close to the bathroom sink where you keep your toothbrush.

Every toilet flush sends a spray of bacteria into the air. And you don't want the toilet spray anywhere near your open toothbrush.

"You don't store your plates and glasses by the toilet, so why would you want to place your toothbrush there?" McCombs says. "It's just common sense to store your toothbrush as far away from the toilet as possible."

You also wouldn't eat after going to the bathroom without first washing your hands. The same advice applies before brushing your teeth, McCombs says. 

Toothbrush Storage Tips

Once you've moved your toothbrush away from the toilet, here are a few other storage tips to keep your brush as germ-free as possible:

·         Keep it rinsed. Wash off your toothbrush thoroughly with tap water every time you use it.
·         Keep it dry. "Bacteria love a moist environment," Harms says. Make sure your brush has a chance to dry thoroughly between brushings. Avoid using toothbrush covers, which can create a moist enclosed breeding ground for bacteria.
·         Keep it upright. Store your toothbrush upright in a holder, rather than lying it down.
·         Keep it to yourself. No matter how close you are to your sister, brother, spouse, or roommate, don't ever use their toothbrush. Don't even store your toothbrush side-by-side in the same cup with other people's brushes. Whenever toothbrushes touch, they can swap germs.
 

Use Your Dental Benefits Before the End of the Year!

Did you know that you could actually save hundreds of dollars by using your dental benefits before the end of the year? While some dental insurance plans run on a fiscal year, most run on a calendar year. If your dental insurance plan is on a calendar year, these 5 reasons will show you why you should make a dental appointment now.

1. Yearly Maximum
The yearly maximum is the most money that the dental insurance plan will pay for your dental work within one full year. This amount varies by insurance company, but the average is around $1,000 per year, per person. The yearly maximum usually renews every year (on January 1 if your plan is on a calendar year). If you have unused benefits, these will not rollover.

2. Deductible
The deductible is the amount of money that you must pay to your dentist out of pocket before your insurance company will pay for any services. This fee varies from one plan to another and could be higher if you choose an out-of-network dentist. However, the average deductible for a dental insurance plan is usually around $50 per year. Your deductible also starts again when your plan rolls over.

3. Premiums
If you are paying your dental insurance premiums every month, you should be using your benefits. Even if you don't need any dental treatment, you should always have your regular dental cleanings to help prevent and detect any early signs of cavities, gum disease, oral cancer and other dental problems.

4. Fee Increase
Another reason to use your benefits before the end of the year is possible fee increases. Some dentists raise their rates at the beginning of the year due to the increased cost of living, materials, and equipement. A fee that can also make your copay higher.

5. Dental Problems Can Worsen
By delaying dental treatment, you are risking more extensive and expensive treatment down the road. What may be a simple cavity now, could turn into a root canal later. Call Smith & Cole Dentistry to schedule an appointment to use those benefits.

Smiling is Good For You, Really!

This is a fun post about smiling. It’s fun because, let's face it, smiling and laughing are generally seen as a positive thing.  Really, who out there doesn't like to smile and laugh? Smiling is "good" right? We think it is, and we would like to discuss a few fun observations about smiling. 

Medically there is no concrete, definitive "proof" that exists in terms of smiling being good for you, or healthy, or what.  Yes, it's perceived that smiling is healthy because it seems to release serotonin and other positive, stress-reducing hormones, but it's much more anecdotal and "seems to" evidence than cold, hard science.  Let's discuss a few observations and snippets about smiling! 

• There's no doubt that smiling, in general terms, is more attractive.  Just look at photographs with smiling, and you get a good feeling from each one -- a much better feeling than if the person was frowning, for sure.

• There's an old saying that "it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile".  Test this by trying to smile, and then try to frown -- which one "feels" harder to do?  To us, it's no doubt that the frown takes far more effort. So maybe there's something to this.

• In terms of health, smiling does seem to reduce blood pressure and releases serotonin and other natural pain killers and endorphins.   Besides talking about releasing serotonin and the like, just use yourself as an example -- doesn't it simply feel good to smile? Isn't it better to talk to someone who is smiling and happy as opposed to someone tight-lipped and sour?

Basically, our entire day is made up of different emotions and feelings -- doesn't it seem beneficial to have more of what feels good than feels bad?

• One of the first "tips" that any aspiring salesperson gets is to smile more. It seems sales-oriented businesses have figured out that smiling equals more sales, and many sales training and personal development experts recommend smiling more. Even telephone salespeople are encouraged to smile as they talk. Again, no hard science here (especially because any business that tested this isn't releasing the results to competitors), but many sales managers wholeheartedly believe that smiling can be subconsciously "sensed" in a phone conversation. They always say 'follow the money," so if salespeople and sales managers (of which the most successful are masters at body language and communication) say smiling is good, we will believe them. 

 

We found a few fun and interesting statistics so here we go:

• The average woman smiles 62 times a day

• The average man? Only 8. Wow -- that surprises me. More on that afterwards

• 63 percent of people think they look best in photos when they show their teeth.

• 99.7 percent of people (that's pretty much everyone) think an attractive smile is an important personal asset.

• 74 percent of people think an unattractive smile can hurt someone's chances in terms of career.

• 23 percent of people think they look best with their mouth closed (OK, perhaps they need to schedule an appointment with Smith & Cole Dentistry!)

Again, this is for fun -- the above are not "official" in any way -- it's just what we found floating around the net' (and we wanted to point out that if you searched for such, be a bit wary as we could not find any "official" study that produced these stats ... while we do not have a hard time believing that women smile more than men, almost eight times more than men is a little hard to get behind.) 

Ok, so we've established that there are no hard stats for smiling, but it's pretty clear that smiling is positive in terms of feeling and looking good. So how can we smile more?  

Here are a few tips:

• Practice. Really, practice smiling in front of a mirror. Find the "sweet spot" in your smile that looks best to you, and practice doing it.

• Think positive thoughts. These takes practice as well, but in your “downtime,” think of positive things that make you happy, etc. Smiles will naturally follow.

• Find a favorite comedy routine, or a favorite "funny" scene from a movie, and make it your go-to thought when you are down.

• Maintain good oral hygiene.  If you feel good about how your smile looks, you'll do it more often. Brush, floss, see your dentist at least twice a year.

 

Smile! 
Smith & Cole Dentistry

Surprising Secrets to a Great Smile

At the dentist’s office, you often hear about brushing and flossing as a way to keeping your gums healthy; however, new research shows ways to help keep gums “in the pink” through eating these five foods.

Here’s “5 surprising secrets to a great smile”:

1. Salmon
This fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce inflammation all over the body, including the gums. A study found that people who ate the most omega-3 slashed their risk of gingivitis by up to 20 percent.

2. Strawberries
They’re bursting with vitamin C, which builds collagen, an important component of healthy gum tissue. In fact, people who consume less than 60 milligrams of C each day (the amount in six large strawberries) are 150 percent more likely to develop gingivitis. But stay away from fizzy vitamin supplement drinks; they have been shown to erode tooth enamel.

3. Whole-Grain Bread
Whole grains contain iron and B vitamins—nutrients essential to gum health. One large study found that eating three servings daily reduced the risk of gum disease by 23 percent. Barley, oatmeal, and brown rice count, too.

4. Green Tea
Hot or iced, this brew is brimming with antioxidants that kill the bacteria that lead to gingivitis. Bonus: The beverage also wipes out the germs that cause bad breath.

5. Pistachios
These nuts are rich in the antioxidant CoQ10, shown to fight gum inflammation. If you already have gingivitis, ask your dentist or doctor whether you could benefit from a CoQ10 supplement.

Surprised? Many are also surprised at the fact that 75% of Americans are affected by some form of periodontal disease (according to the American Academy of Periodontology). Diet plays an important part of overall oral health, and maintaining a healthy diet is a simple way to help keep your gums healthy.

As a precaution, check-in with your dentist regularly in order to catch warning signs for gum diseases to maintain your best smile.  Contact Smith & Cole Dentistry for your appointment today!

Don't Delay Oral Cancer Screening

According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, close to 37,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year, which is responsible for approximately 8,000 deaths annually. Common risk factors for oral cancer include use of tobacco products (smoked and smokeless), excessive alcohol consumption, and HPV infection.

Possible signs and symptoms of oral cancer include:

• A sore in the throat or mouth that bleeds easily and does not heal within two weeks;
• A lump or thickening in the cheek;
• A white or red patch on the gums, tongue, tonsil or lining of the mouth; 
• A sore throat or a feeling that something is caught in the throat;
• Difficulty chewing or swallowing;
• Difficulty moving the jaw or tongue; or
• Numbness of the tongue or other area of the mouth.

Denture patients may experience swelling of the jaw that causes dentures to fit poorly or become uncomfortable.

If you’ve noticed any of these symptoms, don’t wait — call your dentist right away and ask about an oral cancer screening. The waiting game is a dangerous one — when found early, the survival rate for oral cancers is around 80 percent. But the majority of oral cancers aren’t discovered until late-stage, which accounts for the very high death rate of about 45% at five years from diagnosis.

Steps that help you prevent bad breath

Bad breath or halitosis is a very embarrassing problem. Bacteria live in your mouth and when you eat food, the bacteria acts on this food. In this process some oral bacteria produces waster products which are sulfur compounds that cause bad breath.

This problem can be difficult and embarrassing not just for the sufferer but also for the people around them. If you happen to be in a job where you have to speak a lot, the problem of bad breath becomes highlighted. Here are some tips on how you can prevent bad breath from arising:

* Brush regularly as this will remove food particles stuck in your teeth ridges. Such particles interact with saliva and cause bad breath. Take to brushing twice a day and flossing once a day.

* Change your diet to a well balanced mix of protein, carbohydrates and fats. You need to take in more of fruits and veggies. Drinking plenty of water to keep your digestive tract lean and reduce the problem of bad breath.

* Chewing on herbs coriander, spearmint, tarragon, eucalyptus, rosemary and cardamom helps to fight off bad odor. You can also put all these herbs together into hot water, make a tea and have them this way. These herbs make good digestives.

* Regularly have yogurt that includes active cultures. Ensure that the yoghurt t you select is not overly processed or sugar-added ones.

* Take in foods that are rich in Vitamin C. Fruits such as berries, citrus fruits, melons will not allow bacteria to grow. They help to prevent gum disease and gingivitis, both of which can cause halitosis.

* Use sugarless mint and gum as this raises saliva production in the mouth which rinses of plaque and bacteria.

* Avoid alcohol as these can result in bad breath.

* Using mouthwash that has chlorine dioxide can help fight off bad breath

* Use a tongue cleaner to clean your tongue and remove mucus and proteins. Doing this will freshen your breath.

* Visit your dentist to check for problems such as gingivitis, plaque or decayed tooth as such problems are a major source of bad breath. Clean your teeth regularly with your dentist.

Myths vs. Facts: Are Cavities Contagious?

An article earlier this year in The New York Times, “The Claim: Dental Cavities Can Be Contagious”, found that like the flu, you can “catch a cavity.” Research studies show that caregivers may pass cavity-causing bacteria to children and oral bacteria can be passed between couples. 

In one instance, a patient in her 40s who had never had a cavity suddenly developed two cavities and was starting to get some gum disease.  The woman had started dating a man who hadn’t been to a dentist in 18 years and had gum disease.”

Needless to say, we thought it would be a good idea to clear up a couple of the common myths surrounding dental hygiene and cavities. Here’s a review of dental tips:

1. I won’t get cavities if I brush and floss my teeth twice every day.
Myth, but…
There are no guarantees in life but brushing and flossing twice a day will certainly go a long way, especially if you do so at night. That’s because during sleep, the mouth produces less saliva, which allows bacteria to proliferate on teeth and gums.
2. Chewing gum is always bad.
Myth.
Actually, chewing certain sugarless gums can prevent cavities by increasing the flow of saliva in the mouth. In 2007, the American Dental Association awarded its Seal of Acceptance to Wrigley’s Orbit, Eclipse and Extra chewing gums for helping to prevent cavities.
3. I’ve gotten cavities in the past, but probably because I have a sweet tooth and love sugary foods.
Myth.
Sugary foods are usually blamed for cavities but the real reason is bacteria. That’s because they live on food particles left in your mouth. The acid they produce eats away teeth. To prevent cavities from starting, avoid eating sticky candies and foods and drinking acidic beverages like soda and juice. Instead, drink water throughout the day to flush away plaque and bacteria – and make sure to floss.
4. I need to replace my fillings regularly.
Fact. Fillings can degrade over time and become leaky.
Your dentist will monitor your fillings and will let you know if they need to be replaced.
5. Once I go to the dentist and get treatment for a cavity, the decaying stops.
Myth.
You still need to practice great oral hygiene at home and watch what you eat.
6. Lots of acidic food can lead to cavities.
Fact.
Proper nutrition plays an important role in good dental health. Eating nutritional snacks and limiting the amount of sugary drinks will help to prevent plaque from forming on teeth. This includes sugary food, such as cookies, cakes, soft drinks and candy, but also includes pretzels, crackers, bananas, potato chips and breakfast cereals. Bacteria in your mouth turn the sugars in these foods into acids. The more frequently you eat each day, the more frequently your teeth are exposed to acids.
7. A sensitive tooth means I probably have a cavity.
Sometimes.
Hygienists and dentists often hear complaints about sensitive teeth. That’s why so it’s important to visit a dentist. Many cavities can only be detected by a dentist or a dental x-ray. Visiting a dentist for regular check-ups and cleanings is a key factor in preventing cavities and your dental team may be able to offer specialized rinses, pastes, and toothbrushes to combat tooth sensitivity.
8. Kids are more likely to get cavities than adults.
Myth.
Many people think cavities only affect children, but changes that occur with aging make cavities an adult problem, too. Many older adults may have missed out on the benefits of fluoride and modern preventive dental care when they were growing up and often have a number of dental fillings. Over time, these fillings may weaken and can fracture, allowing bacteria to accumulate in the tiny crevices, causing tooth decay. Many adults also take multiple medications that cause a decrease in the flow of saliva. This dry mouth means “less rinsing action” and increased likelihood of cavities.
9.  How can I best prevent cavities?
A regular routine of oral care at home, every day, will go a long way to prevent cavities. That means brushing with fluoridated toothpaste and flossing at least twice a day, especially before you go to bed.
10.  So, can I get cavities by kissing someone?
Rather than answer that directly, I’ll leave you with a quote from Fares Elias, DDS, and president of the Academy of General Dentistry. (Yahoo! Health – June 7, 2011)

Saliva and the mouth are full of viruses and bacteria, including some that cause cavities. Kissing a partner who is actively infected with cavity-causing bacteria can cause a person who previously had a low concentration of these bacteria to ‘catch’ a cavity, due to the extra dose of bacteria from kissing—particularly if that person has poor oral habits that set the stage for tooth decay
For more, check out the cavity prevention tips from the American Dental Association.