Whether from dental hygiene product commercials or at your own dentist’s office, you’ve probably heard of fluoride. The mineral is a popular cavity prevention tool that helps boost your teeth’s natural defenses against harmful oral bacteria. Every time you eat, some of these germs convert the nutrients in your food (mainly sugar) into acids that attack your teeth’s protective layer of enamel. If enamel becomes weak enough, it won’t be able to protect your teeth from bacteria and infection any longer. By incorporating fluoride into your dental hygiene, you can improve your teeth’s ability to fight off harmful bacteria and the cavities that they cause. (more…)
Embarrassed by Bad Breath?
You brush your teeth twice every day and floss at least once, always before bedtime. You don’t smoke cigarettes, and you rarely eat garlic, onion, or other strong foods, and when your breath seems to go bad, you’re ready with a stick of sugarless gum. So when your bad breath refuses to go away in spite of your best efforts, it can be especially frustrating, not to mention potentially embarrassing. For some patients, persistent bad breath (halitosis) is a symptom of an underlying dental issue, and treating it is the only way for them to eliminate their offensive exhalations. Often, however, bad breath becomes prominent because a patient’s oral hygiene isn’t as effective as they believe. (more…)
Can a Dental Cleaning Preserve Your Mental Health?
The above question may seem like a strange one. However, in light of the recent findings published in a study that draws a connection between tooth loss and the decline of cognitive abilities, it is a relevant one. The study in question administered thinking and memory tests to almost 6,000 men and women, all of whom had suffered some degree of tooth loss. The results of this study are quite compelling in that the results began to stratify according to the level of tooth loss experienced by the test taker. Thus, those who had lost the most teeth performed worst on the test, while those who had lost the fewest teeth performed best. It certainly seems, therefore, that tooth loss and mental health are directly connected, although the exact nature of that connection is still very much in question. If you were to take one thing away from this study, therefore, it might be that your oral health is very valuable and in order to preserve it you should attend a dental cleaning with your Brighton dentist, Dr. Thomas Villani, regularly. (more…)
Are Dentures Important?
People may grow frustrated with dentures when they slide in the mouth and slip at inopportune times. However, according to your Brighton dentist, Dr. Thomas Villani, living with dentures is definitely preferable to living without teeth at all. Tooth loss can have a tremendous negative impact upon several areas of people’s lives. One very important way that tooth loss affects people is by limiting their abilities to break down food. With fewer teeth, food tends not to be broken down as well when it arrives in the stomach, a situation which makes nutrient extraction more difficult for the body. Tooth loss may also lead people to alter their diets. Typically victims of tooth loss will avoid fruits, vegetables, and tough proteins in favor of softer carbohydrates that they will have an easier time chewing. Unfortunately, a diet that is so heavily skewed toward carbohydrates is not a healthy diet, and nutrient deficiencies and other health problems may develop. (more…)
Brighton Dentist Discusses Teeth Grinding and Tooth Decay
When bruxism (teeth grinding) occurs for a prolonged period of time, teeth will begin to wear down and may eventually break. As a matter of fact, multiple dental crown restorations are a likely eventuality for any teeth grinding habit that goes untreated. But what about tooth decay? Is it possible that bruxism can increase the risk of cavities? Your Brighton dentist, Dr. Thomas Villani, answers this intriguing and important question below. (more…)
Is Your Toothache Serious?
Determining the cause behind a toothache can be very important to your oral health. In some cases, toothaches are nothing more than fleeting sensitivities. In other cases, however, they can be a symptom of a serious oral health problem. How, then, can you tell the difference? Toothaches will often have slightly different characteristics depending upon what causes them. By understanding what these characteristics mean, you can often discern the cause of your toothache. However, if you are unsure whether or not your toothache is serious, it is a good idea to visit your Brighton dentist, Dr. Thomas Villani, for a professional opinion. (more…)
Brighton Dentist Shares Homecare Tips
Many oral health problems are caused by oral bacteria. These bacteria assault teeth each day, forming a clear, sticky film called plaque, which enables them to attach to teeth. It is the goal of homecare to remove plaque so that the bacteria it contains are unable to do lasting damage to teeth. Thus, because homecare is so important, your Brighton dentist, Dr. Thomas Villani, is sharing several homecare tips. (more…)
A Closer Look at a Porcelain Crown
Out of the many types of dental crowns, your Brighton dentist, Dr. Thomas Villani, prefers to place a porcelain crown whenever possible. Your Brighton dentist prefers porcelain crowns because they offer his patients the best cosmetic results of any dental crown being manufactured today. What sets porcelain crowns apart from other crowns is the level of realism that they achieve. The porcelain material reflects light in the same way that our natural teeth do, giving these crowns a tooth-like sheen. In addition, they are partially translucent just like natural teeth, meaning they and living teeth allow similar amounts of light to pass through them. Porcelain crowns are thus very precise in their appearances, placing them among the best restorations available today. (more…)
A History of Dental Implants
Did you know that the history of dental implants reaches back far before the kind of dental implant and prosthetic attachment you can receive today from your Brighton dentists even existed? Although the modern dental implant has only been around since the middle of the 20th century, there are several examples of dental implants dating back as far as 600 A.D. One of the oldest ever discovered belonged to a Mayan woman. It was a fragment of shell that was inserted into her lower jaw, and the most remarkable aspect of this fragment of shell is that the jawbone healed around it, suggesting that it functioned successfully during the woman’s life. (more…)
Brighton Dentist Helps You Tackle Bad Breath
Having bad breath can be mortifying. You may even clam up in an attempt to hide it, preventing you from enjoying yourself and interacting with others. When it comes to bad breath, certain oral bacteria are the primary cause. Therefore, in order to eliminate bad breath, you need to eliminate these bacteria. To do so, you must employ thorough homecare techniques. Brushing and flossing will remove these bacteria from your teeth, preventing them from forming tartar, a substance that cannot easily be removed with a toothbrush. Because the formation of some tartar is natural, a second step for eliminating bad breath is attending a dental cleaning with your Brighton dentist, Dr. Villani. In general, dental cleanings should occur every six months, although in some cases, Dr. Villani may recommend more frequent visits. At a cleaning, a hygienist can scrape away bacteria-ridden tartar with special instruments, thereby removing a source of bad breath. During the cleaning, Dr. Villani will also be able to examine your teeth for a variety of symptoms that could point to other oral health problems. (more…)
