Smile Island offers teens a comfortable and trusting dental home
where they can be assured that the doctors and staff understand their
unique needs. The doctors are trained to look at facial growth, tooth
placement and relationships with the jaw, the need for braces,
nutritional counseling, hygiene aids, preventive procedures and behavior
modifications. We also offer entertainment options for teens that
include digital satellite television with hundreds of channels to choose
from, personal headphones in every room, WiFi for internet access and a
video game room for relaxation.
As teens enter into early adulthood they are faced with new
risk factors for development of tooth decay. The prevention of cavities
in these young adults is very important to the doctors and staff at
Smile Island. We hope to motivate teens to think more about their
overall health by teaching the importance of good dental hygiene and
better diet choices. Following are some of the many behaviors that
pose risk for adolescents today and tips on how to decrease their
chances of tooth decay.
Soda and Sports Drinks
Teens must spend more time at their desks studying and they
tend to sip on sugar laden drinks while they are concentrating. This
leads to constant bathing of the tooth structure in sugar and acids for
hours at a time. Sugars and acids can erode and permanently damage
tooth enamel. Some drinks that have healthy sounding names like
“Vitamin” still have about 10 teaspoons of sugar for every 12 ounces.
Sports minded adolescents also have an increase in tooth decay from
continual sipping of sweetened sports “nourishment” drinks during
practices and games. Water is always the best drink for your teeth and
body. Some commercial waters even have electrolytes without the sugar
for better bodily recovery after exhaustive activities.
If teens must drink soda and other sugar filled beverages they
should sip them through a straw. It can help decrease the amount of
sugary liquid that comes in contact with the tooth. After drinking
these harmful beverages, immediately rinse your mouth out with water.
Remember that the more frequent you expose your teeth to the acids and
sugars the more likely you are to damage the teeth.
Coffee Houses
More and more teens are frequenting popular coffee houses for
socialization, studying or just the caffeine itself. Caffeine is an
addictive substance and not a good idea for our children. But another
problem with these drinks and teeth is that a lot of kids get coffee or
tea with large amounts of added sugar. Try to avoid these caffeinated
sugar drinks all together for a healthier body and mind.
Diet
With more chances to make food choices without parental
supervision, a lot of teens will opt out of vegetable dishes and move
towards quick and easy to eat sweet snack foods. They might be trying
to grab a bite between activities or not want to take time to cook
something nutritious. However, this kind of behavior will promote more
tooth decay and decrease overall health. Teaching children how to take
the time to make nutritious choices will help them for a lifetime.
Choose water, fruit, raw vegetables, beef jerky, nuts, and other natural
foods as snacks instead of chips, candy and soda.
Poor Oral Hygiene
The value of good daily brushing and flossing seems difficult
for children and teens to embrace. We are now finding that poor oral
health is related to systemic problems in the body such as heart disease
and diabetes. Dentists and Hygienists know that adolescents need to be
better informed about the risks involved with poor oral health. Here
at Smile Island we are constantly trying to relay the message of good
health to all of our patients. Turn on some music while brushing your
teeth and time yourself for the length of one whole song. Make sure to
do this for a minimum of two times a day and never skip night time
brushing. Leaving food and plaque on your teeth at night is asking for a
nightmare to happen.
Hormonal Changes
During puberty hormonal changes can cause an increase in blood
flow to the gums. This will lead to redness and swelling and
eventually gum disease if not properly taken care of. There also may be
some tenderness and bleeding at the irritated areas between teeth. It
is essential for teens to keep up with daily flossing around the teeth
and use proper brushing techniques to prevent unsightly teeth, gums and
bad breath. Doctors at Smile Island can prescribe a dental regimen
that will help reduce the effects of hormonal imbalance on the teeth and
gums.
Tooth Grinding and TMJ
Jaw clenching or tooth grinding can lead to jaw joint
(temporomandibular) soreness and pain. Muscles of the joint become
fatigued from being over-worked or parts of the joint can become damaged
or degenerated over time. Symptoms include: an uneven or
uncomfortable bite, headaches, a locking joint, discomfort while
chewing, earaches, or tenderness around the jaw. X-rays, CT scan or MRI
can determine what part of the joint is damaged. Treatments may
include medications, bite guards, stress management, corrective dental
treatment, or surgery. Muscle relaxation, meditation, yoga, stretching
or massage, eating soft foods and other home remedies may help prevent
the need for medical interventions.
Mouth Breathing
Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases of
childhood. Kids with asthma and allergies tend to breathe out of their
mouth and decrease the saliva content. Saliva protects the tooth enamel
by washing away the sugars, acids and other food particles. Kids who
play lot of sports also mouth breath and tend to get swollen and
irritated gums. Sleeping with your mouth open is also a time when there
is decreased saliva flow and more risk for decay. Always rinse your
mouth out with water after heavy mouth breathing to help reduce the
effects of a dry mouth.
Braces
Many teens have braces or a retainer on their teeth. These
appliances make tooth brushing and flossing more of a chore than
normal. Adolescents with orthodontic appliances tend to get more
cavities because they do not follow through with proper oral health
maintenance. Even without braces teens tend to place oral care low on
their list of daily priorities. Everyone at Smile Island knows the
importance of giving extensive and motivational oral hygiene instruction
to kids with braces at each appointment.
Wisdom Teeth
Wisdom teeth usually start coming in during the ages of
16-21. We will take a panoramic x-ray about this age to see if the
wisdom teeth are growing straight or impacted (growing sideways.)
Considering the removal of these teeth; our dentists will check to see
if there is enough room in the jaw, look for a cyst formation around the
tooth, and determine if there could be damage to the adjacent tooth or
jaw bone. Most of the time wisdom teeth are removed by the oral surgeon
while you are asleep.
Tooth Whitening
Bleaching of the teeth has become a favorite cosmetically
enhancing activity of teens. We do NOT recommend tooth whitening until
all permanent teeth are in and straightened by orthodontic appliances.
Starting too early can lead to permanent teeth with uneven coloration
depending on the timing of application and how much product was used.
Please consult with a dentist before buying over the counter whitening
products. Whitening is not for everyone and could produce unwanted
results. Also be cautious of making your teeth “too” white, they will
end up with an undesirable chalky appearance.
Cosmetic Dentistry
With all of the social pressures on this age group there is
wonder and talk about cosmetic procedures that make your teeth look
“perfect.” There are ways to fill in large gaps between teeth or
increase the size of a misshapen tooth along with many other
possibilities in the hands of your dentist. But these procedures can be
costly and need to be well thought out and planned in advance.
Consultation with our doctors is the best way to start finding out your
options.
Mouth Guards
Contact sports can be dangerous for the mouth and could lead
to fractured or displacement of the teeth. Wearing a custom fit mouth
guard can help prevent tooth damage and future related expenses. We are
able to make custom mouth guards at Smile Island and would be happy to
show you the materials and colors available. Always clean your mouth
guard after wearing it and store it in a ventilated container.
Sealants
Placement of a thin coating of white filling material in the
grooves of the back teeth can help prevent sticky substances from
adhering to the tooth. This will help teens to decrease their chances
of decay. Sealant is easily “painted” on the chewing surfaces and
leaves a smoother area where food cannot stick. It does not flow
between the teeth or on the inside or outside surfaces so brushing and
flossing are still essential. Our dentists may suggest sealants for
teens but a thorough examination with x-rays is needed.
Sugarless Gum and Xylitol
Studies have shown that chewing sugar free gum after or
between meals can help reduce the incidence of tooth decay. There are
now gums that contain the natural sweetener called xylitol. It is a low
calorie sugar substitute that can prevent cavity causing germs from
destroying the tooth. It can be found in over-the-counter gum and
toothpaste. It is also available in granular form and mints. Smile
Island can order products made with xylitol that specifically benefit
teen patients.
Eating Disorders
Bulimia and Anorexia can be very serious health problems.
They can also cause erosion of the teeth and an increase in tooth
decay. Anyone with an eating disorder should see a doctor immediately
and consult with their dentist on how to prevent further damage to the
teeth and gums.
Smoking
Smoking has been found to be the major factor contributing to
the most common forms of oral disease. The toxins from cigarette smoke
go everywhere that blood flows, including your gums. There is evidence
that shows cigarette smoking causes periodontal (gum) disease. We also
know that smoking causes cancer of the mouth and throat. Please talk to
children and teens about not even starting this habit; it is too
addictive and damaging to our bodies to take that risk.
Mouth Jewelry
We do not recommend oral piercings or other mouth jewelry. It
can be very dangerous. The side effects include infection, swollen
tongue that can close off your airway, nerve damage, pain, uncontrolled
bleeding, fractured teeth, injury to gum tissue and choking on a loose
stud or barbell. We have personally seen cracked teeth that have needed
crowns and root canals, permanent nerve damage to the tongue and severe
loss of gum tissue around a tooth that eventually became so sensitive
it needed a root canal.
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