Preventive Dental Care

Dental Health and Dry Mouth

We all need saliva to moisten and cleanse our mouths and digest food. Saliva also prevents infection by controlling bacteria and fungi in the mouth. When we don't produce enough saliva, our mouth gets dry and uncomfortable. Fortunately, there are many effective treatments for dry mouth.

What Causes Dry Mouth?

There are several causes of dry mouth, also called xerostomia. These include:

Side effect of certain medications. Dry mouth is a common side effect of many prescription and nonprescription drugs, including drugs used to treat depression, anxiety, pain, allergies, and colds (antihistamines and decongestants), obesity, acne, epilepsy, hypertension (diuretics), diarrhea, nausea, psychotic disorders, urinary incontinence, asthma (certain bronchodilators), and Parkinson's disease. Dry mouth can also be a side effect of muscle relaxants and sedatives.

Side effect of certain diseases and infections. Dry mouth can be a side effect of medical conditions, including Sjögren's syndrome, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, anemia, cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, Parkinson's disease, stroke, and mumps.

Side effect of certain medical treatments. Damage to the salivary glands, the glands that produce saliva, for example, from radiation to the head and neck and chemotherapy treatments for cancer, can reduce the amount of saliva produced.

Nerve damage . Dry mouth can be a result of nerve damage to the head and neck area from an injury or surgery.

Dehydration . Conditions that lead to dehydration, such as fever, excessive sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, blood loss, and burns can cause dry mouth.

Surgical removal of the salivary glands.

Lifestyle. Smoking or chewing tobacco can affect saliva production and aggravate dry mouth. Continuously breathing with your mouth open can also contribute to the problem.

Above article from: Webmd.com

Dentist Boca Raton FL
Dental Concepts
Bruce Braverman, DMD,
2500 North Military Trail, Suite 230
Boca Raton, FL 33431
Telephone: (561) 241-1010

Dental Crowns

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped "cap" that is placed over a tooth - covering the tooth to restore its shape and size, strength, and/or to improve its appearance.

The crowns, when cemented into place, fully encase the entire visible portion of a tooth that lies at and above the gum line.

Why Is a Dental Crown Needed?

• A dental crown may be needed in the following situations:
• To protect a weak tooth (for instance, from decay) from breaking or to hold together parts of a cracked tooth
• To restore an already broken tooth or a tooth that has been severely worn down
• To cover and support a tooth with a large filling when there isn't a lot of tooth left
• To hold a dental bridge in place
• To cover misshapened or severely discolored teeth
• To cover a dental implant

What Types of Crowns Are Available?

Permanent crowns can be made from all metal, porcelain-fused-to-metal, all resin, or all ceramic.

Metals used in crowns include gold alloy, other alloys (for example, palladium) or a base-metal alloy (for example, nickel or chromium). Compared with other crown types, less tooth structure needs to be removed with metal crowns, and tooth wear to opposing teeth is kept to a minimum. Metal crowns withstand biting and chewing forces well and probably last the longest in terms of wear down. Also, metal crowns rarely chip or break. The metallic color is the main drawback. Metal crowns are a good choice for out-of-sight molars.

Porcelain-fused-to-metal dental crowns can be color matched to your adjacent teeth (unlike the metallic crowns). However, more wearing to the opposing teeth occurs with this crown type compared with metal or resin crowns. The crown's porcelain portion can also chip or break off. Next to all-ceramic crowns, porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns look most like normal teeth. However, sometimes the metal underlying the crown's porcelain can show through as a dark line, especially at the gum line and even more so if your gums recede. These crowns can be a good choice for front or back teeth.

All-resin dental crowns are less expensive than other crown types. However, they wear down over time and are more prone to fractures than porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns.

All-ceramic or all-porcelain dental crowns provide the best natural color match than any other crown type and may be more suitable for people with metalallergies. However, they are not as strong as porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns and they wear down opposing teeth a little more than metal or resin crowns. All-ceramic crowns are a good choice for front teeth.

Temporary versus permanent. Temporary crowns can be made in your dentist's office whereas permanent crowns are made in a dental laboratory. Temporary crowns are made of acrylic or stainless steel and can be used as a temporary restoration until a permanent crown is constructed by the dental laboratory.

Above article from: Webmd.com

Dentist Boca Raton FL

Dental Concepts

Bruce Braverman, DMD,

2500 North Military Trail, Suite 230

Boca Raton, FL 33431

Telephone: (561) 241-1010

The Most Confusing Aisle In The Store??

If you have been shopping for toothpaste lately, you know that it can be very confusing.

Unlike the old days when the choices were few, these days it seems that there are way too many options! Whitening toothpastes, tartar control, paste or gel, gum health, desensitizing, – which is best? This is a question we get asked all the time. Sometimes it seems like the best thing to do would be to forget the labels and buy whatever is on sale!!

The fact is – buying a particular type or brand of toothpaste is usually not as important as the way you brush and how often you do so. But in any case, here is a quick run-down.

Tartar control toothpaste:  Tartar is calcified plaque which naturally forms and can wreak havoc on your teeth and gums. While tartar control toothpaste has been shown to reduce the formation of new deposits, it can’t remove current ones and does nothing to prevent these formations where they are the most dangerous – underneath the gum line.

Paste vs. gel: No significant difference here; it’s more of a personal preference.

Desensitizing toothpaste:  These pastes have ingredients in them which block the small tube-like channels that connect to the nerve tissue inside of your teeth. If you have exposed roots due to gum recession or teeth that are generally sensitive to hot and cold, this may be a good solution for you. But please be patient – it takes 4 to 6 weeks for the magic to kick in.

Whitening pastes:  The abrasiveness of these products may reduce surface stains, but they do little to treat the actual yellowing of teeth from the inside. The good news is that most teeth can be whitened with the right treatment. Be sure to ask us what the proper whitening method is for you.

“Gum Care” toothpaste: Studies have shown these to be questionable at best, and they may not be as valuable as standard toothpastes in preventing cavities.

Expensive or bargain brand? The good news here is that price doesn’t seem to be related to effectiveness when choosing a toothpaste. As a matter of fact, recently Consumer Reports magazine rated an expensive paste near the bottom of their list with bargain basement Ultra-Brite near the top in several categories!

So which brand should I use?
Most studies are fairly inconclusive on this one. Your best bet is always a brand that contains fluoride and has the American Dental Association seal of approval. And if that brand happens to be on sale – all the better!!

In the end, the most important thing is to brush often (morning, night-time, and after every meal), use a soft brush, try to reach every surface of every tooth, and spend two minutes doing so.

The proper technique is important as well, and we will be glad to demonstrate this to you at your next visit to Dr. Braverman's office! If you have any more questions or would like to set up a visit, please give us a call at (561) 241 - 1010. We are here to help you!

Keep Your Breath Fresh Step by Step

1. We’ve all done a hand check, right? But other than a false sense of security -- or maybe a hand that smells -- what does it prove? Not much. But what we do know is you are what you eat. When you eat, food starts to be digested in your mouth. Bacteria break down food particles and releases sulfur compounds that are involved in bad breath.
2. Another cause is poor oral health. Bacteria from tooth decay or gum problems will linger in your mouth like a vacationing guest at your house, so ask yourself: Are you really brushing and flossing as you should? Are you using an antibacterial mouthwash? A more severe problem, like gingivitis or periodontal disease, will require professional intervention. So visit your dentist regularly as part of your battle against halitosis.
3. Speaking of bacteria, your tongue can be a magnet for unpleasant germs and smells, so don’t forget it when you’re brushing. If your tongue feels like it needs to be shaved with a razor, brushing may not be enough. If that’s the case, use a tongue-cleaning device to scrape it clean. You might even get one free when you see your dentist.
4. It may seem obvious, but eau du tobacco … no. If you want fresh breath, don’t smoke.
5. How wet is your whistle? Saliva is the body’s natural way of keeping your mouth cleansed, and the salivary gland doesn’t work as well if your well is dry.
6. Finally, persistent bad breath could be the sign of a major medical problem, like acid reflux, sinus infections, diabetes, or kidney problems. So make sure you get regular medical checkups and follow any special instructions your doctor may give you.

Above article from: WebMD.com


Dentist Boca Raton FL
Dental Concepts
Bruce Braverman, DMD,
2500 North Military Trail, Suite 230
Boca Raton, FL 33431
Telephone: (561) 241-1010