Category: Oral Health

When you smile, do you see more of your gums than your teeth? If so, you may have what’s often called a gummy smile. However, opinions about gummy smiles vary from person to person, and your dentist in Holland believes that if you love your smile, there’s nothing you should change about its appearance. On the other hand, if you’re someone who is bothered by a gummy smile you may be searching for solutions or perhaps wonder what caused it in the first place. You’re in luck, we’re here to help. 

3 Things That Can Cause a Gummy Smile

There are any number of things that can cause a gummy smile. Some are ingrained into our genetics, and there’s not much we can do to prevent those from affecting our smiles, but others are a result of how we care for our teeth, and there are certainly some things we can do to keep that from happening. Let’s take a look at the three most common causes of a gummy smile.  

• A Bad Bite

One of those pesky heredity things that can cause a gummy smile can be a bad bite. When your top jaw doesn’t align properly with your bottom jaw, you have what your dentist in Holland calls a bad bite. A bad bite can cause a whole host of problems from jaw pain to crooked teeth as well as a gummy smile. Most often, a bad bite that causes the upper jaw to protrude out farther than it should result in a gummy look.

• Hyperactive Upper Lip

Another cause of gummy smiles that we can thank genetics for is something called a hyperactive upper lip. A hyperactive lip occurs when the muscles in the upper lip and under the nose are, well, hyperactive. This repeated overuse of those muscles can cause the top lip to raise and expose gum tissue.  

• Too Much Gum Tissue 

Perhaps the most common cause of a gummy smile is simply having too much gum tissue. During the eruption of permanent teeth, sometimes there’s an overgrowth of gum tissue that covers too much of the teeth. This will result in a gummy appearance. However, infection of the gums can make it appear as if there is too much gum tissue when in fact the infection caused inflammation and the swelling covers too much of the teeth. This cause of a gummy smile is preventable by practicing good brushing and flossing habits and seeing your dentist in Holland twice a year for professional cleanings. 

Fixing a Gummy Smile

The best way to fix a gummy smile depends on what caused it in the first place. Treatment is highly dependent on the root cause but can include any of the following common procedures. 

• Scaling & Root Planing

When a gummy smile is caused by inflamed and infected gums, often the best way to treat it is to start with a deep professional dental cleaning called scaling and root planing. This advanced cleaning reaches deep into the gum pockets around each tooth to remove bacteria and help the infection heal. Once the infection is gone, inflammation tends to subside as does the gummy appearance. 

• Gum Lift or Crown Lengthening

If the cause of a gummy smile is simply too much gum tissue covering the teeth, a gum lift or a crown lengthening may be the best treatment option. A gum lift procedure essentially removes some of the gum tissue around the teeth and restructures the gum line to be higher, showing off more pearly whites. In cases where there’s an abundance of gum tissue your dentist may recommend crown lengthening treatment, which not only changes the structure of the gums but also involves changing the bone around the teeth as well.

• Lip Lowering

The name of this treatment is somewhat misleading… as your dentist won’t actually lower your lip. Instead, a small section of the gum tissue under the upper lip is removed and the top and bottom are stitched together, creating a shorter looking lip. This shorter lip will make it impossible for the upper lip to rise as high as it used to, thus covering the gums and reducing the appearance of a gummy smile.

• Orthodontics

Orthodontics can also be used to treat a gummy smile, especially if it’s caused by a bad bite. Braces and even clear aligners such as Invisalign or ClearCorrect can help adjust a bite into its ideal position and reduce the amount of gum tissue that shows when smiling, laughing, or talking. Also, using orthodontics to fix a bad bite can alleviate other dental problems such as jaw pain.

If you’re bothered by your gummy smile and want to start exploring ways to reduce the appearance of your gum tissue, start by calling your dentist in Holland to schedule a consultation. Together, you and your dental team will determine the best treatment option for you and your smile.

When we’re little, losing our teeth can be an exciting thing. After all, we get a visit from the tooth fairy, a few extra bucks under our pillows, and there’s really nothing cuter than a child missing their two front teeth. But as we get older, missing teeth isn’t so cute anymore, and we go from being excited about losing our teeth to doing everything we can to avoid it. And in recent years, we’ve done a pretty good job. In fact, according to the American Dental Association, more American adults are keeping their teeth longer now than ever before. In order to keep this positive trend going, your dentist in Holland wants to share with you some of the most common things that cause our teeth to fall out so you can avoid them. 

Gum Disease

Gum disease is the main cause of tooth loss among American adults as it accounts for 70% of all tooth loss. Gum disease is often caused by poor oral hygiene and when mouth bacteria aren’t removed regularly. When bacteria are left around, they multiply, flourish, and will start to affect the gums, causing an infection. This infection will deteriorate gum tissue and can even weaken the jaw bone. Gum disease can be treated but it will not resolve on its own. Your dentist in Holland will need to intervene early to successfully keep gum disease from leading to more severe oral health problems including tooth loss.  

Cavities

Even though cavities are incredibly common and they’re usually no big deal, if they’re not treated promptly they can cause a whole heap of problems. Cavities can be caused by any number of things including not brushing your teeth well enough or often enough, eating too many acidic foods or those high in sugar, and those pesky mouth bacteria again. Typically, a small cavity can be treated with a filling from your dentist in Holland. However, when a cavity becomes too large or too deep into the tooth, you may need a root canal, tooth extraction, or your tooth may fall out on its own. 

Tooth Trauma

The two causes of tooth loss we’ve already mentioned have a lot to do with poor oral hygiene. However, tooth loss can occur as a result of an accident or trauma even in those who take excellent care of their teeth. While nobody expects an accident and you can’t prevent them completely, you can at least reduce your risk of a tooth injury by wearing a mouthguard while playing sports, which is when many mouth injuries occur. 

Other Health Concerns

Sometimes tooth loss isn’t directly a result of something that happens in the mouth. In fact, there are many oral health concerns that are linked to other problems throughout the whole body. Tooth loss can be one of them. Some ailments that affect oral health can include, but are not limited to: 

• High Blood Pressure
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Poor Nutrition
• Arthritis

Make sure you share your full health history with your dentist in Holland so they can cater your treatment and care to your specific needs. 

Let’s continue to work together to help more American adults keep their natural teeth longer and perhaps even for a lifetime. Practice good oral hygiene habits at home by brushing and flossing daily, avoid smoking or using tobacco of any kind, and always keep your bi-annual dental visit so we can catch any small problem early and keep your smile full and happy.

There’s a dental treatment out there that can make even the toughest of the tough shudder in fear. We’re talking about the dreaded root canal. This dental procedure has gained such a terrible reputation over the years of being an incredibly painful, uncomfortable, and overall horrible thing. However, nothing could be farther from the truth, and your dentist in Holland is here to set the record straight on just how beneficial (and painless!) a root canal can be. 

Putting the Painful Perception to Rest

If you’ve been told that you need a root canal, you may be a little apprehensive, scared, or straight-up terrified. We understand because we know that many people have the perception that this dental treatment is painful. But quite the opposite is true. If you need a root canal, chances are you’re already in pain, and sometimes excruciating pain at that. That’s because there’s an infection so deep into your tooth that it’s reached your nerves. When this happens, your dentist in Holland will typically recommend a root canal to remove the infection, stop the pain, and save your tooth. So you see, a root canal actually stops the pain instead of causing it. 

5 Steps of a Root Canal 

Our experience shows that sometimes, knowing what your dentist in Holland is going to do will help alleviate fears. However, if you’re the opposite and you find that knowing the details of treatment just exacerbates fear, skip to the next section. 

The five steps of a root canal are: 

• Numb the area. A root canal treatment begins with a thorough numbing of the treatment area. After just a few minutes, you shouldn’t feel a thing. This helps reduce or completely remove any discomfort.

• Make a teeny hole. Once you’re nice and numb, your dentist will make an itsy bitsy hole to access the inner tooth where all of your canals, nerves, and pulp resides. 

• Clean out the canals. Your dentist will then clean out your canals and remove all the inner-workings of them including any infection, pulp, and nerves. This completely eliminates that tooth’s ability to feel anything, hence removing the pain you started with. 

• Seal them off. Almost done! After the canals are cleaned they will be sealed off to prevent anything from reentering. 

• Place a dental crown. The final step of a root canal often involves the creation and placement of a dental crown. This cap covers the entire tooth and farther prevents anything from getting inside. Dental crowns are custom-created to match the color and shape of the rest of your teeth, so nobody will even know it’s there. 

Signs You May Need a Root Canal

As we’ve already mentioned, tooth pain can be a sign that you need a root canal. However, it’s important to know that tooth pain does not always equate to a root canal. There are tons of things that can cause tooth pain, so check with your dentist in Holland. Other signs that you may need a root canal include: 

• Increased pain while chewing or with applied pressure
• Sensitivity to heat or cold that doesn’t go away quickly
• A small raised bump on the gums near the tooth that hurts
• Tooth discoloration 
• Gum swelling or pain  

Any of these symptoms should be a sign that you should schedule an appointment with your dentist. If you happen to need a root canal, don’t panic. Relief is coming.

We all want to have a bright, white smile. But thanks to both internal and external factors, our teeth can transform from their once brilliant appearance to a dull, discolored look. In this week’s blog, your dentist in Holland explores some of the things, both within our control and out of our control, that can cause tooth discoloration. 

A Quick Note About Tooth Discoloration
Before we dive into some of the top causes of discoloration, we want to let you know that if you’re unhappy with the color of your teeth, you’re not alone. Smile whitening is one of the most popular dental treatments in the United States, and according to one study, over 56% of people wished their teeth were whiter. That’s probably why Americans spend over a billion dollars on tooth whitening treatments every year! 

Common Causes of Tooth Discoloration

• Smoking

Perhaps the most common reason behind tooth discoloration is smoking or using smokeless tobacco. The tar, nicotine, and tobacco itself are all staining ingredients, and since using tobacco is addictive, these ingredients are being introduced into the mouth on a regular basis and often over the period of many years. The result is yellowed teeth or even brown teeth. Your dentist in Holland will usually need to use a combination of smile whitening treatments and cosmetic dentistry treatments to whiten teeth discolored by tobacco. 

• Trauma

One of the causes of tooth discoloration that’s outside of our control (mostly) is tooth trauma. Trauma can occur from an automobile accident, a fall, or even a sporting accident. These types of accidents can cause a tooth or even several teeth to appear dark and gray. This is due to damage inside of the tooth. Tooth trauma should be checked by your dentist as soon as possible and monitored over time. While we can’t avoid all accidents, we can take steps to prevent tooth trauma when playing sports by wearing a fitted mouthguard. 

• Diet

What we eat and drink plays a large role in our oral health and in the color of our teeth. For example, things like coffee, tea, wine, berries, and tomato sauce can all cause tooth discoloration. But that’s not all. A diet that’s highly acidic will attack and wear down tooth enamel, causing teeth to appear more transparent, dull, gray, or yellow. A diet high in sugar can result in tooth decay and cause teeth to have brown spots or dark splotches.  

• Oral Hygiene

Your dentist in Holland will tell you just how important it is to brush your teeth twice a day and floss once a day. After all, these oral hygiene habits help protect your teeth from cavities, gum disease, and other oral health problems. But did you know that brushing and flossing can also help keep your teeth white? It’s true. Those who don’t follow a good oral hygiene routine at home are more prone to yellowish or gray teeth and may even experience orange or green spots throughout their grins.

When it comes to keeping your teeth bright and white, make sure to brush and floss regularly, avoid using tobacco, and enjoy staining foods and drinks in moderation. Don’t forget, it’s also crucial that you see your dentist every six months for regular checkups and professional cleanings. These appointments go a long way in keeping your smile both healthy and white. 

As we enter the hot summer months, it’s more important than ever to keep our bodies properly hydrated. After all, a well-hydrated body helps organs function properly, can improve sleep, and may even protect against infections. But as your dentist in Holland knows, drinking enough water isn’t just good for the body, it’s great for oral health, too.

Washes Away Bacteria

Drinking water is one of the best ways to hydrate. It’s also one of the best ways to wash away harmful bacteria, especially during and immediately after eating. Choosing water as your beverage of choice helps rinse away food particles that otherwise would break down and feed mouth bacteria. As bacteria feed, they release an acidic byproduct that can easily attack and wear away tooth enamel, leaving teeth at increased risk for decay. 

Protects Against Dry Mouth

A hydrated mouth is a healthy mouth, but a dehydrated mouth is more likely to feel super dry and uncomfortable. This is appropriately known as dry mouth, and while it seems harmless, your dentist in Holland knows differently. Dry mouth can occur from not drinking enough water, some medications, and breathing through your mouth. While the last two causes are a little bit more difficult to treat, drinking enough water is always a good place to start. You see, when a mouth is dry, it provides an ideal environment for bacteria to stick around. And as we mentioned above, the longer bacteria linger, the more acid they produce, and the more likely your teeth will be attacked. When it comes to oral health, saliva is your mouth’s best friend. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day helps increase saliva production and protect your mouth around the clock. 

Strengthens Enamel

Drinking water is always recommended, but drinking fluoridated water packs a double punch. Fluoride is a mineral that’s naturally found in some foods that helps remineralize enamel, making it stronger, tougher, and harder for acids to attack. Fluoride has been added to many community water supplies, so whenever possible, it’s best to drink water from the tap as opposed to bottled water. Fluoride can also be obtained by drinking some store-bought beverages that have added fluoride such as orange juice, by brushing with fluoridated toothpaste, or by talking with your dentist about adding fluoride treatments at your bi-annual dental appointments.

There’s No Sugar — And No Calories! 

Another side benefit to water, and one of the top reasons your dentist in Holland loves it so much, is that it contains no sugars or calories. That means you can quench your thirst without the damaging side effects of sugar found in sports drinks, soda, and even fruit juice. Drinking enough water throughout the day may also help with weight loss or maintaining weight. 

This summer, and every season, keep your body and your mouth property hydrated by aiming to drink at least eight, 8-ounce glasses of water every day. To further protect your oral health, make sure to brush and floss regularly, and see your dentist every six months. 

You’ll always hear your dentist in Holland talk about how important it is for everyone to come in for preventive dental checkups every six months. But there’s a special section of our population that tends to avoid these bi-annual visits and instead prefers to wait until they have a problem. We’re talking about the men in our lives. Unfortunately, the truth is that, on average, men don’t see the dentist regularly. According to the Centers for Disease Control, barely 60% of American men between the ages of 18 and 64 went to the dentist in the past year. That’s concerning. So to help celebrate Men’s Health Month, we’re here to share the main reasons men should see the dentist regularly. 

• More Complicated, More Advanced Dental Treatment

Since men tend to skip out on visits to their dentist in Holland every six months, they’re at increased risk for needing more complicated and more advanced dental treatments. You see, when small problems aren’t caught early when treatment is typically quick and easy, they can become big problems that require more in-depth care. For example, a small area of decay can be caught at preventive dental appointments and treated easily with a filling. But if that area of decay continues to expand and affect more of the tooth’s structure it can start to cause pain. At this point, more advanced dental treatment is probably needed, such as a root canal and a dental crown. Additionally, if the decay progresses even farther, tooth extraction and replacement via a dental implant or dental bridge may be necessary. Long story short — many dental problems can be avoided by seeing the dentist regularly. 

• Increased Risk of Gum Disease 

We know that regular dental visits can help protect teeth through preventive care and quick intervention of any problems, but these appointments do more than that. Professional dental cleanings, exams, and x-rays help your dentist in Holland keep an eye on overall oral health, including the gums. One thing that’s incredibly common and can lead to both oral and overall health problems is gum disease. Gum disease is an infection of the gum tissues that affects both men and women, but men are more likely to develop the disease. According to the American Academy of Periodontology, 56% of men have gum disease as compared to only 38% of women.

Untreated gum disease can lead to tooth loss as well as contribute to a host of other problems throughout the body such as an increased risk of heart disease, certain cancers, and prostate health in men. In fact, numerous studies show a possible correlation between gum health and prostate health due to something called prostate-specific antigen (PSA). When gums are inflamed because of periodontal disease or the prostate is unhealthy, PSA levels increase. However, PSA levels are substantially higher in those with both a prostate condition as well as gum disease, suggesting a connection between the two. Gum disease can be treated successfully if diagnosed and treated early. 

• Men Are More Likely to Get Oral Cancer

Oral cancer is another scary disease that tends to affect men more than women, and one that can also often be treated successfully if caught early. However, if oral cancer is caught in the later stages, it can lead to death. In fact, over 53,000 people will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year, and nearly 10,000 will die from it. Oral cancer can be found in any of the soft tissues in the mouth, including the tongue, lips, cheeks, or the far back area of the throat (oropharyngeal cancer). Oral cancer is twice as common in men than women, and oropharyngeal cancer is four times more likely to develop in men than women. 

Your dentist in Holland is here to protect your oral health and, in turn, your overall health. To do this, we recommend that every member of your family — man, woman, or child — has a preventive dental appointment at least every six months. Call to schedule an appointment today.

Your dentist in Holland knows that your oral health can say a lot about your overall health. But the connection doesn’t just involve your teeth and gums. In fact, at every one of your dental appointments, your dental team takes a good, hard look at your tongue, as well as your teeth and gums, and for a good reason. The color and even the texture of your tongue can give your dentist some helpful clues into your overall wellbeing. 

What We’re Looking For

The tongue is a marvelous part of our anatomy and is actually quite interesting and helpful. Our tongues are made up of eight strong muscles that work tirelessly day in and day out to help us break down food as we chew, help us speak, swallow, and even filter out germs. But its usefulness goes beyond that. The tongue’s color and texture can help your dentist in Holland identify and catch potential problems before they have a chance to become serious. 

Let’s Take a Look

When was the last time you took a good, hard look at your tongue in the mirror? While this sounds odd, it’s beneficial to keep a close eye on the health of your tongue. In fact, we recommend that you examine your tongue often in between your bi-annual dental appointments. But what exactly should you be looking for? Well, we’re mostly concerned with changes in color or texture, but not every change is cause for concern. Your dentist in Holland can help you differentiate between what’s worrisome and what’s no big deal.  

• White Patches – Small white spots all over the tongue or even a white film are usually no cause for concern, but you should still seek treatment. Typically, white spots on the tongue is a sign of too much candida yeast, known as oral thrush. However, white patches may also be a sign of leukoplakia, but this is most common in tobacco users or those who drink alcohol excessively. Sometimes, leukoplakia can develop into oral cancer, so it’s important to keep an eye on it.
• Black, Hairy Appearance – We know this sounds really gross and scary, but the truth is, a black, hairy tongue isn’t normally a sign of any illness or disease and typically goes away on its own. A black, hairy tongue is usually a result of tobacco use, excessive alcohol use, diabetes, a yeast infection, poor oral hygiene, or cancer therapies. Also, the hairy appearance isn’t actual hair (thank goodness!) but rather a buildup of dead cells that essentially flatten out the tiny bumps (papillae) that cover our tongue (not that this sounds any better than actual hair!).
• Redness – All tongues are naturally some shade of red, but it’s usually a light red or pinkish color. When a tongue appears bright red, it can be called strawberry tongue thanks to the bold, bright color. Strawberry tongue may be caused by strep throat or deficiencies in B-12, folic acid, or iron. A red tongue may also indicate erythroplakia which can increase the likelihood of developing oral cancer. Because of this, it’s important to let your dentist in Holland know if your tongue starts to appear bright red and doesn’t go away. 
• Lumps & Bumps – Every tongue is naturally bumpy thanks to the tiny papillae that cover the surface. However, if a new bump or lump appears and doesn’t go away within two weeks or is painful, you should contact your dentist. New, long-lasting bumps can be an early sign of oral cancer. While oral cancer can be treated successfully, success is achieved more often when the disease is found early. If you notice a bump that doesn’t go away, see your dentist as soon as you can. 

If you don’t already spend some time looking at your tongue in the mirror, we encourage you to do so. Being aware of the changes happening in your mouth can go a long way in getting early treatment if necessary and avoiding bigger problems from occurring.