Month: August 2015

Osteoporosis is a disease that mainly affects women over the age of 50. But it can happen to anyone no matter age or gender. Osteoporosis causes bone density to decrease, making breaks and whole-body concerns much more common. At my Holland dental office, we want to talk about how your oral health may be linked to osteoporosis.

Your Mouth & Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis affects 10 million Americans, and there are 34 million more who are at risk. As with many serious diseases, early detection is key. You may not even know there’s a problem until it’s too late. Sometimes signs aren’t obvious. So how do you get diagnosed if you’re not experiencing any symptoms? Your dentist!

In fact, your dentist may be the first member of your healthcare team to catch osteoporosis. When patients visit the dentist, the team is not just looking at their teeth, they also look at x-rays. These x-rays provide a wealth of information about what’s going on below the teeth, including bone density, and show us signs you or your medical doctor may not see or notice.

Signs & Symptoms

While we will be vigilant at your exams, here are some of the signs and symptoms we encourage our patients to watch for:

• Loose dentures
• Tooth loss
• Bone loss around the teeth or in the jaw
• Gum disease

Prevention

In addition to maintaining visits to your Holland dentist, there are other preventive actions you can take to decrease your chance of osteoporosis.

• Quit Smoking
• Consume caffeine limitedly
• Lower alcohol intake
• Get out and exercise
• Get enough vitamin D and calcium

If you’re experiencing any signs of osteoporosis, visit your doctor. Even if you’re not having difficulty currently, make sure to keep up with your regular visits to my dental office in Holland. We actively look for signs of potential osteoporosis and may be the first line of defense against the disease.

Accepting patients from Holland, Saugatuck, and Zeeland.

At my dental office in Holland, we get asked a lot of questions. And that’s ok. We know we sometimes use dentist speak, but we’re always happy to clarify and help make dentistry easier to understand. In this blog, we wanted to take some of the most frequent dental questions and answer them once and for all.

“Do I really need to see a dentist twice a year?”

The short answer is yes. Biannual visits are essential. However, we may encourage some patients to come in more often. If you’re at increased risk for gum disease or oral cancer, or if you have several treatments planned, visiting a dentist more than twice a year is normal. If your checkups are problem free, we’ll ask you to come back in about six months. Regular appointments are important for thorough cleaning and early detection. With early detection, you may avoid larger, more invasive, costly procedures in the future.

“Is flossing really necessary?”

Both brushing and flossing are crucial to a healthy mouth, yet about half of all Americans fail to floss on a regular basis. Without flossing, 35% of your tooth surfaces are not being cleaned. This allows bacteria to linger, food particles to fester, and decay to develop. Our best recommendation is to brush twice a day and floss once a day, at the minimum.

“I brush and floss, yet I still get cavities. What’s up?”

Brushing and flossing are only part of keeping decay and cavities away. If you have a diet that’s high in acidic foods or beverages, if you use tobacco, or if you are hard on your teeth, either by clenching, grinding, or crunching hard things, you’re automatically at increased risk for cavities. Acid eats away at enamel, and without enamel, teeth are left exposed to dangerous bacteria. Grinding and crunching alike may lead to tiny chips and cracks which are perfect places for bacteria to hide and create a cavity.

“What’s the purpose of dental x-rays?”

Dental x-rays allow us to see below the naturally visible surfaces of teeth. This helps identify potential problems early, before they become big problems. We can look at decay, bone infections, gum disease, and baby teeth patterns all by using x-rays.

If it’s been a while since you’ve seen a dentist, or if you ever have a question, just ask! We’ll be happy to help. Everyone at my Holland dental office isn’t only here to give you the care you need, we’re here to work with you to make sure all your questions are answered and you’re always comfortable.

Serving patients from Holland, Saugatuck, and Zeeland.