Tag Archives: Sandra Miller-Sheriff DMD

Scare Away Tooth Decay

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Cooper City DentistHalloween is just around the corner, and everyone, both kids and adults, are excited to indulge in sweet treats. Although Trick-or-Treating may be a fun activity, don’t forget to consider the impact it has on your oral health.

As you check the candy loot, remove some of the following tooth decaying culprits from the stash:

  1. Candy Corn: This bite size candy seems harmless. However, some of us grab it by the handful. Candy corn contains a high amount of sugar and can often lead to tooth decay.   If you’re not careful, you could end up eating an entire bag.
  1. Chewy Sweets: Gummy candies and taffy can be difficult for children and adults to resist, but they are a serious source of tooth decay. It often gets stuck in the crevices between teeth, making it difficult to remove.
  1. Sour Treats: Sour candies, such as Warheads, Sour Patch Kids and Sour Skittles, have high acid levels that can break down tooth enamel quickly. The good news is that saliva slowly helps to restore the natural balance of acid in the mouth. It is recommended to wait 30 minutes to brush your teeth after consuming sour candies. Otherwise, you will be brushing acid onto more tooth surfaces, increasing erosive action.
  1. Hard Candy: Any candy that stays in your mouth for an extended period of time is more harmful for your teeth than candy that is quickly consumed. Examples of these candies include lollipops, Gobstobbers and Jolly Ranchers. Hard candy lowers the pH in your mouth, creating a more acidic environment that is more conducive to enamel erosion and decay.
  1. Caramel Chocolate: Candies, such as Milky Ways and Twix, contain caramel, a gooey substance that sticks to your teeth and is hard to rinse out when you get a drink or from the saliva in your mouth. That means that more harmful bacteria and acids grow, which put your teeth at an increased risk of decay.

By encouraging good oral hygiene, Halloween can be a fun, cavity-free holiday! If you forgot to schedule your last six-month check-up, now’s a good time to get back on track and contact us at Stirling Dental, Inc. We also encourage you to schedule an extra post-Halloween dental cleaning to ensure healthy teeth after eating all that candy!

The Truth Behind 5 Popular Dental Misconceptions

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Dentist in Cooper CityClearing up misconceptions about oral health can help improve personal oral hygiene efforts for a beautiful and healthier smile. If you keep up with your oral hygiene regimen, dental visits are significantly easier and dental care is more manageable.

Misconception #1 – My teeth are fine if I have no pain

Tooth decay (cavities) usually doesn’t cause pain until they become very severe. Once it gets to this stage, the amount of decay could lead to more invasive and costly treatments. Some of the most dangerous oral disorders, such as oral cancer and gum disease, typically don’t cause pain at all. It is important to keep up with scheduled dental appointments. Our dentist can diagnose problems even at its earliest stages when there is no pain.

Misconception #2 – Cavities are only caused by sweets

When you eat sweets, the bacteria in your mouth start consuming it and produce acid. This acid dissolves the enamel of the tooth, which results in tooth decay or cavities. However, this process happens when you eat anything that is a starch or carbohydrate. Food and snacks, such as crackers, bread, potato chips, fruit, peanut butter and pasta, have the same effect on your teeth.

Misconception #3 – If my gums bleed, I should stop flossing

Bleeding gums are often the first sign of gum disease. This happens when bacterial infections inflame your gums due to a lack of efficient cleaning. With regular brushing and flossing, gums will be much healthier and should rarely bleed. However, gum inflammation can occur despite best oral hygiene habits. In such instances, you should see improvement if you rinse with warm salt water and continuing to brush and floss.

Misconception #4 – Whiter teeth are healthier teeth

Healthy teeth come in a wide range of natural shades. Whiter teeth cannot show if there is an infection or cavity between the teeth. Although pure white teeth do not equate to healthier teeth, they should still be naturally on the whiter side.

Misconception #5 – Children are more prone to tooth decay

Tooth decay (cavities) can develop at any age. People assume children have poor brushing habits and are more prone to tooth decay. Cavities form when bacteria cause a loss or weakening in tooth enamel and eventually decay forms a hole in the tooth. This is usually seen in people with poor brushing and flossing habits, regardless of age.

Excellent oral health promotes overall good health and is definitely not a misconception. It is important to practice good oral hygiene habits. If you have any questions regarding your dental health, please contact our Cooper City dentist.