Can You Actually "Catch" Cavities?

We've all been told how important preventative dental care is. Regular check ups, brushing and flossing are things our parents instilled in us from the time we were young.

We've also been told over and over again how to keep our teeth healthy. You've probably been told that you shouldn't eat sugary things too often because it's bad for your teeth. Maybe you've cut down on soda, hard candies, or your favorite chocolate bar to save yourself from cavities. However, did you know that you can actually "catch" cavities from someone else's mouth?

Time.com wrote an article about how contagious cavities actually are. You might be surprised to find out that the bacteria that cause cavities can transfer from mouth to mouth. This can happen via kissing, sharing food, or even feeding your little ones after you've tasted a bite to make sure it's not too hot. Not only do you have to watch your own oral hygiene, but you also have to watch the hygiene of those around you. If not, you could end up with cavities when you have worked so hard to fend them off. Preventative Dental care is not just about your own dental health.

The good news is that by practicing good preventative dental care with regular brushing, flossing, and visits to your dentist, you can keep your teeth in excellent health. Dr. Steven Poulos and Dr. Sid Stevens will work with you to make sure your smile is exactly what you want it to be. Whether that means regular dental checkups, veneers, or teeth whitening, My Scottsdale Dentist wants to help you have the best smile and the healthiest teeth.

If you are looking for a new family dentist, or for Cosmetic Dentistry in Scottsdale, AZ, please contact us to schedule an appointment. We are a full service family dental practice working with patients of all ages. We look forward to seeing you.

There is a common misconception that cosmetic dentistry in Scottsdale is only considered for aesthetic reasons, but there are a number of circumstances that make cosmetic dentistry beneficial for everyone's overall health. In fact studies have shown that straighter teeth leads to healthier teeth for many reasons. At My Scottsdale Dentist, Dr. Steven Poulos and Dr. Sid Stevens are committed to educating people on what cosmetic dentistry in Scottsdale would provide for a lifetime of healthier, whiter, and overall better teeth.  Three additional benefits to cosmetic dentistry include avoiding tooth decay, better gum health and benefits for digestion!

1.  Avoid Tooth Decay

Cavities and tooth decay are caused from bacteria in the mouth that eventually causes damage to the structure of the actual tooth. Spaces and gaps between the teeth can lead to more food trapped in the teeth, which runs the risk of unnecessary decay. With the assistance of braces or retainers, teeth can be made straighter which means they are easier to clean, and as a by-product, will be healthier.

2.  Healthier Gums

Any plaque build up can cause tooth decay and damage the gums.  This can lead to gum loss that causes a recession of tissue along the gum line. In some cases teeth bonding, veneers or gum grafts might be beneficial to conserve the health of the entire mouth by preventing further recession or damage to the gum line.

3. Improved Digestion

According to Total Health Magazine, the nutrition value in the food you eat, as well as how effective the food is chewed, has a large effect on how the body is able to digest it.  By having misaligned teeth or even a toothache, proper chewing might have an impact on how well the food can be processed.  By addressing issues that are causing the teeth discomfort, the possibility of poorly processed food can be avoided.

Therefore, to obtain a healthier (and happier) smile in the this year contact My Scottsdale Dentist based in Scottsdale, AZ.

Children's dental hygiene is a concern from the moment a child's first teeth come in, but treatment doesn't necessarily start right away. Says Cindy, dental hygienist at My Scottsdale Dentist, It's more monitoring and education than strictly treatment until they are about a year old, usually. We don't want to leave a bad impression with kids.

Some kids open right up, said Cindy of kids willingness to begin hygienic maintenance. Other kids, we don't push into it. We are more concerned with making them comfortable than getting them in the chair right away.

Early maintenance is important, however: without proper care, children's teeth can become infected or abscessed, causing intense pain. Some primary molars, located near the back of the mouth, aren't replaced until ages 10 to 14. Those teeth have to last until they are naturally replaced -- losing them early due to neglect or poor hygiene can cause problems that extend beyond a child's chompers later in life.

Steven H. Poulos, doctor at My Scottsdale Dentist in Scottsdale, AZ, is familiar with some of those problems -- and they are not always strictly physical. Lack of proper dental hygiene can lead to bad breath, which lowers a child's self-confidence during an important time in the development of their social skills, said Dr. Poulos.

Many bad habits are also unrelated to brushing and flossing, warned Steven Poulos DDS. Digit sucking and protracted pacifier use can lead to palate complications and a malformed bite.

There are a few distinct aspects that separate kids dentistry from adults. Length of appointments, types of treatment and their frequency make every visit unique -- just like the smiles that they are meant to keep healthy.

We usually to concentrate more on education with kids than adults, though we try to educate anyone who comes in about how to brush properly, about eating good foods, et cetera, said Poulos. Kids also always get fluoride treatment, where an adult might only receive it based on their history of cavities.

Another facet of kids dental care is one that's widely feared by most: braces. Not all kids need or get them -- Dr. Poulos said that the need is evaluated on a case-by-case basis by around age six -- and their necessity can be dictated by a few factors like genetics and certain puerile habits. That digit-sucking Steven Poulos mentioned? It forces the teeth into an unnatural shape and can lead to a misshapen bite and teeth that don't come in as they should.

At that point, braces might be the best bet at wrangling in the displaced rogue teeth.

Kids have heard from their parents -- and parents, from their dentists -- that candy, sugary drinks like soda and even pacifiers can cause dental issues down the road. But there are a couple of less-obvious practices that even parents might not suspect for the degradation of their child's dental health.

Poulos's chosen culprit? Sports drinks in older kids, Doc said, âcan be as bad for the teeth as any soda. Another dentally-dangerous habit, according to Dr. Poulos, is putting kids to sleep with bottled milk as opposed to water due to the concentration of sugar in the former. Everyone notices a nice smile, just like how everyone notices a bad one. There are many principles and practices that can help ensure the health of a child's smile, but the most important tenet is education. Parents know that children can be obstinate about avoiding bad foods, limiting sugary drinks and actually brushing their teeth twice a day, but a pea-sized lesson every day can save you and your kid time, money and grief down the road.

Kids have age on their side, said Dr. Stevens. There's time for them to begin practicing healthy habits that adults don't have. That gives them all the more reason to pay attention and start developing those healthy habits early.

- See more at: https://myscottsdaledentist.com/dental-hygiene/

Ancient Romans knew how to take care of their gums.

Researchers from King's College London determined that only 5 percent of Romans suffered from gum disease while 30 percent of people today encounter that problem. Based on archaeological studies, the researchers concluded that the Roman lifestyle led to much healthier gums.

Dental issues, however, were still a problem during this time period. Abscesses and infections were quite common.

Today, smoking, type 2 diabetes and the food and drinks people consume lead to a higher risk of gum disease.

To reach the conclusion, researchers studied 300 skulls that were from 200 to 400 AD. The skulls were from people who were estimated to be 20 to 40 years old.

In the world today, one of three people will show signs of major gum disease, which is much higher than it was for the ancient Romans. The result of the study was surprising based on the abundance of dental infections and abscesses those people dealt with.

BREMEN, Germany: Smoking and excessive drinking have been associated with the development of oral cancer by numerous studies. Now, a pan-European collaborative research project has revealed that poor oral health and failure to have regular dental check-ups could increase the risk of the disease too. The researchers also found that using mouthwash more than three times a day may contribute to the development of this particular type of cancer.

In order to assess the association of oral health, dental health and mouthwash with cancer of the mouth, larynx, pharynx and oesophagus, researchers at 13 centres across nine European countries interviewed 1,963 oral cancer patients and 1,993 controls about their oral care behavior, as well as their smoking, drinking and eating habits.

Overall, oral health and dental care were identified as independent risk factors of oral cancer. The researchers found that the incidence of oral cancer was higher in participants with dentures and persistent gum bleeding and patients who hardly ever or never brushed their teeth or visited the dentist.

Although the researchers also found that frequent use of mouthwash was associated with an elevated risk of developing mouth or throat cancer, this relationship still needs to be clarified, the researchers said. They suggested that mouthwash is used excessively by smokers and heavy drinkers in particular in an attempt to mask their breath.

The study, titled Oral health, dental care and mouthwash associated with upper aerodigestive tract cancer risk in Europe: The ARCAGE study, was published online on 27 March in the Oral Oncology journal ahead of print. Under the supervision of the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer, the study was conducted at the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology in Bremen in collaboration with medical institutions in Estonia, Switzerland, Greece, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Ireland, France, the Czech Republic, the UK and the US.