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If given the choice between sitting in gridlock traffic and flossing your teeth, what would you choose? According to a

It’s no secret that flossing isn’t the most fun daily chore, but it is an absolutely critical part of your oral hygiene routine. Most notably, flossing is important for your periodontal health. Although most of us associate great oral health with a straight white smile, the teeth are just one component of your dental health.

Having healthy gums is another important factor for keeping your dental health in tip-top shape. Unfortunately, many patients don’t have a proper routine to keep healthy, disease-free gums. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 47.2% of adults in the U.S have periodontal disease. This oral health problem is even more alarming as adults get older with 70.1% of adults aged 65 and older suffering from periodontal disease.

With this month being National Gum Care Month, there is no better time to get your periodontal health back on track. Dr. Keith Cooper and his staff strongly encourage patients to educate themselves on gum health and the best practices for keeping their gums healthy and free from infections.

Gum Health Basics

The gums serve an important purpose for your oral health. Not only do the gums help to hold your teeth in their correct position, but they also act as a sealant around them, which protects the delicate inner areas of the tooth. The mouth contains different types of gingival tissue:

Attached Tissue: The attached tissue is probably what you first picture when you think of the gums. It is the pink tissue that is attached to the supportive underlying bone. This tissue hugs the teeth and is securely attached when the gums are healthy.

Marginal Gingiva: This tissue is soft and surrounds the tooth but is not directly attached to the surface. It overlaps the neck as well as the base of the crown of the tooth.

Interdental Gingiva: As the name suggests, the interdental gingiva is the tissue between the teeth. This tissue can either be pyramidal or col shaped, depending on the area of the mouth.

Developing Gum Disease

The gingival tissue serves an important purpose for our teeth and any problems with our gum health can jeopardize our overall dental health. Gum disease is a major concern that many patients face. The process of developing gum disease goes as follows:

The earliest stage of gum disease is known as gingivitis. At some point, most of us will have gingivitis, which results in red, swollen gums. This occurs because bacteria accumulates and releases a toxin that irritates the gums. Patients with gingivitis will also notice bad breath and bleeding gums. Gingivitis can typically be treated by simply paying special attention to oral hygiene and visiting the dentist for regular cleanings.

If gingivitis isn’t treated in a timely manner, patients will develop periodontitis, which is the more serious form of gum disease. Periodontitis is a serious problem because it damages the supportive tissue and underlying jawbone. Moderate periodontitis can be treated by keeping a strict oral hygiene routine and gum disease treatment.

If patients continue to leave this issue untreated, they will develop severe periodontitis. At this point, the connective tissue and bone are destroyed, which results in teeth that shift around and feel loose. With aggressive treatment, patients can save their teeth, but in some instances, patients will need to have their teeth extracted.

How Can I Keep My Gums Healthy?

With the dangers of gum disease in mind, it’s obvious why gum health is so important. Fortunately, avoiding gum disease is quite simple with preventative measures. Some of the best ways to keep your gums healthy and free from infection include:

Regular Oral Health Routine: Although this may seem like an obvious step to keeping healthy gums, many patients overlook the importance of having a consistent oral hygiene routine. An oral hygiene routine should include brushing twice a day and flossing once per day. Doing this will remove bacteria that can cause the gums to become inflamed in the first place.

Avoid Tobacco Products: Did you know that tobacco products aren’t just detrimental to your bodily health, but are also extremely harmful to your oral health? Tobacco is harmful to your oral health because it inhibits your ability to fight off infections of the gums.

Chew Sugar-Free Gum: There is truth to the benefits of chewing sugar-free gum for your oral health. Chewing gum will stimulate saliva production, which can help wash away bacteria that can cause gum disease.

Adjust Your Diet: Keeping a well-balanced diet and limiting your sugar intake will benefit your overall health as well as your oral health. Bacteria that cause gum disease feed upon sugar and can increase your risk for periodontitis. Eating a balanced diet will also benefit your immune system, which will help you fight off infections in the mouth.

Visit The Dentist: If any issues with your gum health come up, your dentist will be able to spot them right away. It’s important to go to the dentist twice a year so your dentist can perform routine cleanings and look out for any possible issues involving your periodontal health.

Contact Our Office in San Jose

Do you have gum health concerns? If so, don’t hesitate to contact our office. We offer a range of dental services to best address your specific oral health concerns. Dr. Keith Cooper and his talented staff at Contemporary Dental Arts look forward to helping you achieve a healthy, beautiful smile. Whether you need dental implant treatment or root canal therapy, we’re here to help.To find out more about the services we offer, contact our office today at 408-740-5317.

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In the past, we talked about

Paleolithic Drilling

A new finding of a tooth that’s 14,000 years old might be the oldest example of dentistry. A study by the University of Bologna in Italy found a tooth with “enamel chipping” around a cavity.

Much like the modern drilling of a cavity, the molar’s enamel was chipped away.

Beyond being tooth breaking, the study is also pretty ground breaking. It shows that the people during the Paleolithic era had some working knowledge on how to treat cavities.

Like most ancient populations, the “Paleolithic period” used rocks as tools. By replicating the condition of the tooth, they experimented to find the tooth was worked on with a flat sharpened piece of flint. Nowadays, dentists use a high tech drill to excavate cavities.

During the Paleolithic period, all they had was sharp rocks. They certainly didn’t use sterile rocks or novocaine.

Avoiding the Drill

Have you had the novacaine wear off, while your dentist was drilling a cavity? If you have, then you can sort of relate to the pain of having a your cavity drilled during the Paleolithic era.
Aren’t you glad you were born in the age of modern medicine and not the Paleolithic period? While counting this blessing, you can also implement the knowledge we have on tooth decay to avoid cavities. 

For one, you can cut back on the carbohydrates. Modern society eats a lot more carbohydrates than is healthy for our bodies. When you’re in a hurry for quick energy, it’s easy to go through a drive thru for a burger and fries.

Well, hamburger buns and fries are LOADED with carbohydrates. The gooey nature of processed breads stick to the pits in your molars, forming a bed of food for bacteria to feast on.

You can also combat tooth decay by brushing and flossing regularly, emphasis on the flossing. Floss removes food that gets stuck between your teeth. While modern dentistry doesn’t cause a lot of pain, it’s better to keep your teeth in tact to avoid the drill.

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You probably don’t know many people that actually look forward to the dentist. Even though most dental procedures don’t physically hurt, the mere act of going to the dentist’s office can make you feel like a field mice in a python cage.

Why is Dental Anxiety Detrimental?

Dental phobia can lead to a variety of physical and mental health issues. Like most mental disorders, if left untreated, it can worsen over time. Patients with a fear of going to the dentist have a higher risk of gum disease and early tooth loss, mostly due to their refusal to go to the dentist. Poor oral health can lead to poor overall health, and even decrease your life expectancy.

Missing a routine dental appointment not seem like a big deal. If you’re not feeling any immediate pain, it might seem pointless to go in for a cleaning. However, this could be harming your dental health more than you imagine. When you go in for routine cleanings, we’re able to fight tartar buildup that you don’t get by flossing and brushing at home. One of the easiest ways to get gum disease is by not going to the dentist.

When you don’t fight gum disease, you’re allowing your mouth to exist in a permanent state of inflammation. Bacterial overgrowth and inflammation in the mouth is linked to larger health issues, like heart disease and even lung infections.

Not to mention, when you’re under constant anxiety about anything, it raises the cortisol levels in your body. Cortisol is what’s known as the “stress hormone,” and when it gets out of hand, it can affect your brain and your body’s ability to repair itself. Excess cortisol puts you at an even higher risk for illness and disease, because it weakens your body’s immune response.

In fact, studies show that people in lower socioeconomic classes have higher rates of disease and illness, because they’re more stressed about money, raising their cortisol levels, and making them more prone to illness and disease.

Beyond the physical damage caused by anxiety and dental phobia, it can also cause emotional turmoil. When you allow your smile to get unhealthy, discolored, and inflamed, it can take a serious toll on your self-esteem. It’s not uncommon for people with unhealthy smiles to quit smiling all together, which can cause mind boggling depression.

This is just one of the many reasons why you should treat tooth loss. If you have dental anxiety, it’s imperative that you get treatment sooner rather than later. Whether you seek help through cognitive therapy or opt for sedation dentistry, it’s important to never give up hope.

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Flossing is the most dreaded dental health ritual. There’s a bit by the comedian, Mitch Hedberg, that goes “I know how hard it is to stop smoking. It’s as hard as it is to start flossing.” It’s true, though. A lot of people are dental health maestros, until it’s time to floss.

They’ll pull out all the stops: brushing three times a day for two minutes, chewing sugar-free gum, rinsing with mouthwash, but they won’t floss.

People hate flossing. There’s no instant gratification with flossing (unless you work out a huge chunk of steak). Most of the time it just seems like a grueling task of threading a piece of string through the tightest spaces of your molars.

There is no visible payoff that you’re actually cleaning your gums or removing germs. So, unsurprisingly, a lot of people hate flossing. According to a survey by NPR, people hate flossing so much that they actually lie about their flossing habits. In fact, 27% of people lie about how often they floss their teeth.

Chores People Would Rather Do than Floss

According to a poll taken by Perio.org, some people find flossing so unpleasant that they’d rather do a laundry list of chores instead of floss, which takes less than a minute.

• In fact, 14% of people said they’d rather clean their toilets than floss. It’s hard for me to imagine wanting to scrub a porcelain throne than clean your gums – but hey, to each their own.
• About 9% of people polled said they’d rather sit in gridlock traffic for an hour. This one is somewhat understandable, because you get to, at least listen to music in traffic. But, you could kill two birds with one stone by flossing in traffic.
• 7% of those surveyed said they’d rather hear a kid cry on a plane than floss their teeth. Okay, this is seeming over the top now. Flossing can be annoying, if you don’t do it often. But not that annoying.
• 9% of folks would rather do their taxes. At least, this is more constructive. Although, I do find it surprising that people would rather pay the government than fight off gum disease. Think about all the money you could save from the long-term payoff of keeping your gums in pristine shape.
• About 14% said they’d rather stand in the queue of a checkout line. No judgement, but we could think of about 100 other things we’d rather do than stand in a checkout line, and flossing is one of them. At least, this activity has a tangible purchase.
• Approximately 7% would rather hear nails screech on a chalkboard than floss. Just the idea of hearing nails on a chalkboard makes my face squint up in pain. It’s difficult to imagine people being so disgusted by flossing.

As you can see, patients are pretty repulsed by flossing, despite all the warnings from their dental providers. We know that none of our patients would ever lie to us about flossing, though. Nonetheless, the great thing about flossing is that once you get in the habit of doing it, it gets easier.

Your gums might bleed, and it might be painful in the beginning. Don’t be alarmed, slight bleeding means that you’re cleaning out the infection. Over 500 different species of bacteria live in and around your gums. Flossing cleans the hard to find bacteria. Flossing is the best way to prevent gum disease and cavities between your teeth. Start flossing today to save yourself pain, time, and money in the future. Why treat oral diseases when you can prevent them?

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In our

What is Fluoride?

Fluoride is one of the most common elements on earth, and it’s found organically in soil, water, food, and minerals like fluorapatite and fluorite. It’s also found in both salt and fresh bodies of water. Some fresh water sources actually have such high levels of fluoride that it’s toxic. Since fluoride is a chemical element, it can also be made in labs. Synthesized fluoride is usually added to drinking water, toothpaste, mouth rinses, and other chemical products.

Fluoride In Drinking Water

Oftentimes, fluoride is added to tap water to reduce tooth decay in the community. A study done in the early 1930s, found that communities with naturally fluoridated water had two-thirds less cavities than those in the area where water wasn’t fluoridated. Since then, a large number of studies have been conducted and found that communities with fluoride in their drinking water tend to have lower levels of tooth decay.

With that being said, a lot of the countries in Europe that don’t have fluoridated water haven’t found a higher rate of cavities. In Germany and Finland, tooth decay stayed the same and even got better once they stopped adding fluoride to the drinking water. This is indicative that perhaps the diet in Europe is less conducive to cavities, and therefore they don’t need the extra protection the fluoride offers.

How Fluoride Works

On a daily basis, teeth naturally lose minerals. Acids from food in combination with plaque and bacteria eats away the minerals of your teeth. This results in a dehardening of the teeth, making them even more susceptible to be penetrated by bacteria and tooth decay. Fluoride works by replacing minerals, resulting in remineralization. Fluoride doesn’t do all the work by itself though. Calcium and phosphate are also needed to replace minerals. While fluoride is effective at preventing cavities, it’s not as effective once the cavity has already taken hold.

Over half a century of scientific research has gone into figuring out if fluoride really helps against tooth decay, and the findings have been largely varying. A recent study has figured out that fluoride works by hardening your enamel and also keeps bacteria from adhering to your teeth. The experiment was performed on artificial teeth to ensure that they could be analyzed properly. They found that fluoride worked in congruence with brushing and flossing by making it easier to wash away the decay-causing bacteria. According to the National Health Service, fluoride proves a better environment for enamel to form and makes it more resistant to acids. It also works by limiting bacteria’s ability to make acids.

Who Benefits from Fluoride?

It’s recommended that everybody, adult and children alike, consume some level of fluoride. It’s recommended that children to receive the maximum amount of fluoride to protect their tiny permanent teeth, as they’re growing in. However, adults can also benefit from fluoride to keep tooth decay at bay.

People who are at higher risk for tooth decay should add fluoride to their daily dental routine. For instance, if you fit into any of the following categories:

• Poor Snacking Habits. If you snack on carbohydrates throughout the day, fluoride can help ward off the acids created by the excess snacking.

• Previously bad dental hygiene. If you’re rehabilitating your mouth from bad dental hygiene practices, fluoride can help remineralize your damaged teeth.

• Diets high in sugars/carbohydrates. If you drink a lot of sugary soft drinks or have a diet that’s particularly high in carbs, you could benefit from fluoride. Just like patients who snack often, people with sugary diets are more susceptible to tooth decay.  

• Bridges, crowns, braces, and other restoration. Bridges, crowns, and braces make it easier for bacteria to lurk in nooks and crannies of your mouth. A fluoride rinse will strengthen your teeth and make it harder for bacteria to stick to you dental work.

• A History of Cavities. If you have a history of cavities or tooth decay, you’re probably already suffering from softened enamel. You can re-harden your enamel by adding fluoride into your routine.

• Sensitive teeth. Sensitive teeth are indicative of softened enamel and tooth decay. Try using fluoride to strengthen damaged areas of your mouth and make your teeth less sensitive.

• Bottled Water Drinkers. If you only drink bottled water, you’re not getting any fluoride from the tap. This means you could be lacking the essential amount of fluoride that you need to maintain proper oral health. Supplement your fluoride loss by using a fluoride rinse or paste. 

How Much is Too Much?

A lot of opponents of fluoride claim that even trace amounts are toxic. However, there’s no substantial evidence backing this claim. Given the substantial evidence that fluoride is good for your dental health, a lot of companies add fluoride to everyday products like toothpaste, mouthwash, and even juices and sodas.

With all of the fluoride supplements available, it can be possible to consume too much fluoride. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, you should only have between .7- 1.2 milligrams per liter of fluoride. With that being said, the CDC recommends only using fluoride-containing water for healthy adults and limit the use of fluoride products for healthy children under 8.

Don’t Know If You Need Extra Fluoride?

If you’re unsure of whether you need fluoride or not, you should visit your dentist. Your dentist will tell you if you’re suffering from tooth decay, and if supplemental fluoride will benefit you. Fluoride in your dental routine might be the solution to your tooth decay dilemmas.

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Last time, we discussed a specific topic geared towards those musicians out there who are thinking about getting cosmetic dentistry. This week, Dr. Cooper of Contemporary Dental Arts is blogging from his San Jose, CA office to discuss something that everybody has felt at some point in their life, sensitive teeth.

Here are 9 factors that could be causing your teeth to feel sore when you eat cold, hot, or sweet foods:

• Excessive Mouthwash. If you’re one of those people who reaches for the Listerine every two minutes, then you might also have sensitive teeth. Some antibacterial mouthwashes actually have acids in them that will make your fragile teeth cry for help every time you eat something cold.

• Excessive Acidic Food. Are you a fan of tomato sandwiches, orange juice, grapefruits, or anything that has a vinegary sour tinge to it? (Coffee even fits into this category. I know, it’s sad because coffee is a delicious nectar.) These are your teeth’s biggest opponents. When you consume too much acidic food and beverages, the acid eats away the outer layer of your teeth and reveals the sensitive layer of your teeth. If you don’t have the will power to cut back on your acidic savory food, then try to raise the pH in your mouth with a basic food like milk or a piece of cheese.

• Harsh Toothpastes and Whiteners. Everybody wants their teeth to be pearly white. When you go to extremes to bleach your teeth or use whitening peroxide-based toothpastes, you’re more likely to have sensitive teeth. Most of the time your teeth will strengthen after you stop using the product. It’s best to ask your dentist to find out what your best teeth whitening options.

• Receding Gums. When you suffer from gum disease, your gums will retreat, exposing the roots of your teeth. The roots of your teeth are incredibly tender. After all, they are responsible for carrying sensations of hot and cold to the pulp of your teeth. So, if you’re suffering from receding gums, then you should contact your dentist right away. Chances are that you’re teeth need immediate attention.

• Brushing Too Hard: I know, this sounds like an oxymoron – that you can actually brush too hard. However, the truth is that sometimes brushing too hard can wear away your enamel and expose the inner-layer of your tooth, dentin. Dentin is incredibly sensitive to hot and cold. Sometimes brushing too hard can also cause your gums to pull away from your tooth root, and make you more susceptible to tooth loss.

• Intense Dental Cleanings. This might sound counter-intuitive, but fresh dental work might be causing your short-term tooth sensitivity. Going to the dentists for cleanings requires the dentist to scrape away plaque and clean around your gums, which might lead to short-term sensitivity. This is a small price to pay for clean, plaque-less teeth. If you’re anxious about your dental cleanings, make sure that you communicate your worries to your dentist.

• Fractured tooth. Sometimes chewing on ice, biting too hard into candy, or having a large filling can lead to a chipped tooth. When a tooth is cracked, it can cause the pulp to become irritated from chewing. Not to mention, the chip can fill with nasty bacteria and cause inflammation and pain.

• Teeth Grinding – Bruxism. Tooth enamel is literally the strongest material in your body. However, your jaw muscle is strong, too. When you grind your teeth, you can wear away the enamel, exposing the sensitive nerves of your teeth. Try a mouth guard, tweak your diet, and try to relax.

• Tooth Decay. This is a no-brainer. Extensive tooth decay, or cavities, will expose your root to all sorts of aggravations, like cold, hot, sugar, and even air. Make sure that you’re going to your dentist regularly, so he can diagnose and treat your cavities and tooth decay.

Contact Us

Don’t ignore your sensitive teeth. You might be tempted to just accept your sensitive teeth as normal, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Talk to us about your teeth sensitivities, and we’ll be able to offer suggestions on what’s causing it and how to treat it. For one, you can try using a softer toothbrush or try using a fluoride mouth rinse. Start eating your occasional ice cream cones in peace again. Contact us for a checkup at 408-740-5317.

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Ten Fun Facts About Teeth

• Humans will produce enough saliva in their lifetime to fill two swimming pools. The 25,000 quarts produced is an important aspect of oral health too! Saliva is filled with proteins and minerals that protect against tooth decay and enamel erosion.
• The dental plaque that can build up on teeth is comprised of more than 300 types of bacteria.
• Americans will spend nearly 39 days brushing their teeth over their lifetime.
• Enamel, the outer protective layer of teeth, is the most mineralized part of the body. It is also the hardest part of the human body.
• A tooth will begin to die within 15 minutes of being knocked out. You can immerse the tooth in milk to allow it to survive longer.
• There are four different types of teeth including incisors, canine, premolars and molars.
• Americans buy approximately 14 million gallons of toothpaste every year.
• Compared to other animals, humans are limited on the sets of teeth they have during their lifetime. Humans will only have two sets of teeth including their baby teeth and then their permanent teeth.
• Dental cavities were believed to be caused by tiny tooth worms in the medieval times. People even believed that toothaches were caused by the tooth worms wiggling inside the tooth.
• Americans will spend much more money of products for their hair rather than their oral health. $100 billion is spent on hair care products every year while only $2 billion is spent on dental care products.

Contact our Office in San Jose, CA

We hope that these facts have brought a new level of appreciation for your smile! If your smile is a source of frustration and embarrassment due to tooth loss, contact our office. We provide dental implants that will give you the confident, healthy smile you want. Start your dental implant process by scheduling your free, no-obligation consultation.

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The Root Cause of Dental Fear

Fear of the dentist can be caused by a number of things, but we’ve noticed many older patients develop a fear of the dentist because of poor past experiences. Those who are older had experiences at the dentist’s office when dental technology was not as advanced. Other causes of dental fear include:

• Fear of pain
• Embarrassment
• Loss of control
• Fear of needles or other dental tools

Dealing with Dental Anxiety

If you are dealing with dental fear, there are several ways to alleviate the anxiety and fear you feel. The most important thing to remember is your oral problems will only progress if you don’t see a dentist, causing your treatment to become more extensive. Here are a few tips to reduce your fear and anxiety.

• Bring a friend or family member for support
• Talk to your dentist beforehand
• Distract yourself with something else
• Practice breathing techniques
• Take breaks between treatment
• Consider anesthesia or other medication
• Avoid caffeine or anything that might make you jittery
• Talk to a professional

Contact our Office

Don’t let your dental fear stop you from getting treatment of restoring your smile if you’re dealing with tooth loss. Here at Contemporary Dental Arts, we strive to make patients feel comfortable and relaxed no matter what treatment you require. If you have any questions or concerns regarding dental implants, contact our office to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.

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