Licorice Helps Fight Cavities

You may remember eating licorice candy as a kid. Licorice is used to flavor and sweeten candy, tobacco, and beverages. While you have probably heard that these sweet treats are bad for you, studies have found that compounds isolated from licorice root can actually be beneficial.

Protecting your mouth

Licorice candy is made from the dried root of the licorice plant. Extracts from this root have two compounds that can help inhibit the growth of Streptococcus mutans, the bacteria responsible for causing tooth decay. Chewing licorice root stimulates saliva and helps keep bacteria from sticking to your teeth.

In addition, licorice root extract can help cure canker sores. The herb’s main therapeutic compound, glycyrrhizin, has anti-inflammatory properties. Coating injured mouth tissues can help reduce pain and regenerate tissue cells to promote quicker healing.

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National Cocoa Day

After spending a day outside in the cold weather, you’re going to want to warm up your body with a cup of hot cocoa. On December 13, you should celebrate National Cocoa Day by learning about the tooth benefits and risks of your hot beverage, and visiting Dr. Stewart to make sure your teeth stay protected.

What is cocoa?

Cocoa is the dried, fermented seeds of the cacao tree. It takes about 300 to 600 cocoa beans to make just two pounds of chocolate. When you grind the seeds, it turns into a cocoa powder that can be used to make hot chocolate or baked goods.

Benefits of cocoa

Compounds in the cocoa bean husk have antibacterial agents that can help fight bacteria and plaque in your mouth. When you eat a piece of chocolate, the antibacterial agents can help protect your mouth from the sugar in the same product. Chocolate is also good for your heart, because flavonoids have antioxidants that help control your blood flow. Polyphenols in chocolate also help lower your blood pressure. Dark chocolate has a higher concentration of cocoa in it than milk chocolate, so it contains more of the beneficial antioxidants and compounds.

Also, cocoa butter is a common moisturizing treatment extracted from cocoa beans. Your lips and skin are prone to drying out in the winter time. Look for a lotion or moisturizer with cocoa butter in it to help keep your body smooth.

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National Hand Washing Awareness Week

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, “The most important thing you can do to keep from getting sick is to wash your hands.” The first full week of December (4-10) is National Hand Washing Awareness Week, a campaign focusing on hand washing at the beginning of flu season. Use this hand washing guide to keep your hands clean and prevent the spread of infection.

Why hand washing is important

  • One in three E. coli outbreaks is caused by poor hand washing by food preparers.
  • Germs are spread from unclean hands to food, and then to those who eat the food.
  • Germs can be spread from uncooked foods, like raw meat, to the hands, then from hands to other foods, like salad.
  • About 1/3 of American adults don’t wash their hands after using the restroom.
  • Less than half of Americans wash their hands after cleaning up after pets.
  • Only one in three people wash their hands after sneezing or coughing.
  • The biggest problems with hand washing are not using soap and not scrubbing long enough.
  • Hand washing can help prevent the spread of illnesses and bacteria.

The main principles of hand washing

  • Wash your hands when they are dirty.
  • Wash your hands before eating.
  • Do not cough into your hands.
  • Do not sneeze into your hands.
  • Do not put your fingers into your eyes, nose, or mouth before washing your hands.

When to wash your hands

  • Before, during, and after preparing food
  • Before eating
  • Before and after treating a wound
  • After using the toilet
  • After changing diapers
  • After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
  • After touching garbage
  • After touching an animal
  • After handling money
  • After touching many items in a public place (shopping, gym, playground, etc.)
  • After caring for someone who is sick

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Teeth Chattering in the Cold

The cold weather is upon us, and you need to keep your body warm. When you’re cold, you may notice your body shivers and your jaw shakes, causing your teeth to bump against each other. This action, called chattering, helps your body stay warm.

What is chattering?

The hypothalamus part of your brain helps keep your body temperature steady at 98.6. When your body temperature drops to make you feel cold, your brain sends a message to your body to warm up. Muscle contractions help restore your body heat and produce shivering. Your lower jaw shakes and moves up and down, and when your teeth knock against each other, it produces a noise called chattering, which is your mouth’s way of shivering.

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10 Tips to Avoid Over-Indulging This Thanksgiving

Overeating makes you feel sick, sluggish, and uncomfortable. After eating your large Thanksgiving meal, you may feel too full – and if you keep overindulging on leftovers, treats, and holiday sweets, you might pack on the holiday pounds. Here are 10 quick tips to help you avoid overindulging on Thursday and throughout the season.

  1. Watch what you eat. Many Thanksgiving foods are healthy for you, like cranberries, pumpkin, and turkey. Just be careful that you don’t cover the healthiness by adding sugar and butter. Most of your Thanksgiving selections should be whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Opt for fresh roasted veggies and fruit salads. When cooking traditional casseroles, use light versions of the ingredients and cut back on the butter and sugar. And remember, eat your turkey without the skin! 
  2. Don’t go hungry. Eat something before you head to the dinner party, so you won’t feel as hungry. Small, healthy meals throughout the day will prevent you from feeling starved and needing to overfill your stomach.
  3. Don’t snack. While eating beforehand is a good idea, don’t graze between meals or while waiting for food to cook. A healthy appetizer is fine, but calories and fat from snacking all day can add up fast. Snacking also gives the food more time to attack your teeth.
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The Legend of the Wishbone

As a kid, did you always fight over the turkey wishbone so you could pull it apart and make a wish? This common Thanksgiving tradition has a story behind it.

What is the wishbone?

The v-shaped bone rests over the breastbone of a bird, like the collarbone in a human. It is most commonly found in the chicken and turkey. When one person pulls on each side of the bone, it will break and one piece will usually be bigger.

Why do we break the wishbone?

The tradition follows the idea that whomever gets the bigger piece of the bone gets “the lucky break,” or a wish that will come true. The ancient belief was that chickens were fortune tellers, and wishing on their clavicle would bring good luck. (more…)

Phased Full-Mouth Dental Rehabilitation

This is a patient story that we are really excited about!  Our patient, Ron, expressed a desire to improve his smile.  A thorough exam and analysis revealed that Ron had some issues with his bite that had to be addressed for his cosmetic treatment to be stable and successful. We made impressions of his teeth and took bite measurements so that we could plan his treatment using an instrument that simulated his chewing motions.

We bonded Ron’s teeth according to the plan. This allowed him to evaluate his smile and for us to determine the stability of his new bite.  After getting Ron’s approval and noting how well his new bite was working, he said “it feels so much better than my old bite,” we started his final cosmetic work, which was to place porcelain crowns on his front teeth.

Ron’s treatment was completed over several years, making it easy on his budget and his schedule.    Next, he wants to start working on making his back teeth look better!

Proper analysis and planning are essential in achieving a result like Ron’s. His case is an example of the type of care that our office provides.

“Dr. Stewart and Staff: I’m sending this to thank you for the outstanding job that you did on my teeth. Your expertise in dentistry shows in my smile. My teeth are absolutely perfect; strangers approach me and comment on my teeth. You have already been recommended to many people. My crowns look like real teeth only better. Again, to all of you I thank you for your expert care and follow up. Sincerely, Ron”

 

Dr. Stewart Receives Fellowship in Pierre Fauchard Academy

Dr. James Stewart aims to provide the best care possible for his patients. In addition to taking continuing education courses, he stays active in the dental community and dentistry organizations. Dr. Stewart was recently awarded fellowship with the Pierre Fauchard Academy.

The Pierre Fauchard Academy is an international dental organization. The Academy was named after the “Father of Modern Dentistry,” Pierre Fauchard. The historic French dentist wrote the first complete scientific description of dentistry, which outlined basic oral anatomy, periodontal disease, restoration, orthodontics, and replacing teeth. (more…)

Test Yourself for Bad Breath

We all cringe at the thought of having bad breath. It can be embarrassing and unhealthy. You may do what you can to avoid it, but how do you know if you actually suffer from halitosis? Cupping your hands and breathing into them is an old trick, but it doesn’t really work. The bad odor of your breath hides in the back of your mouth and comes out when you speak. Try these tricks to give you a hint of how your breath smells.

  • Wipe the back of your tongue with a clean cotton swab for about 15 minutes. Wait a few seconds and sniff the cotton swab. This sample is what your breath may smell like.
  • Floss a few of your back teeth with a piece of unflavored dental floss. Wait a few seconds and smell the floss. Since the back of your mouth is the source of halitosis, this is a good preview of what your breath smells like.
  • Lick your wrist. Wait a few seconds for the saliva to dry a little, and then smell it.
  • Ask a trusted friend or family member for the truth. It can be embarrassing, but then you’ll know for sure how your breath smells when talking to other people.
  • If you notice a frequent bad taste in your mouth, you could have bad breath. In addition, if your mouth is dry, you don’t have enough saliva to help clean the bacteria from your mouth, and it could cause a bad odor. (more…)

The History of Dental Hygiene

You use dental products every day to keep your teeth and gums healthy. The dental cleaning tools and techniques we use today are much different than those our ancestors used. Let’s take a look at the history of dental hygiene.

Toothbrush

  • According to historians, the first people to use a toothbrush were the Hindus, in India, in about 4000 B.C. They chewed the frayed end of a twig to remove food particles and plaque from their teeth.
  • In 1780, William Addis created the first toothbrush while he was in jail. He tied horsehair into tufts and glued them to a small animal bone.
  • The design of the modern toothbrush was patented by H.N. Wadsworth in 1857.
  • In 1938, nylon bristles and plastic handles were invented. Nylon was less damaging to teeth and gums than was animal hair.
  • In 1939, Dr. Phillippe-Guy Woog invented the first electric toothbrush, called the Broxodent.
  • Today’s standard toothbrush has more than 25,000 bristles tied together in 40 groups of tufts.

Toothpaste

  • Dental toothpaste has been used in China and India since 500 B.C.
  • In 1824, a dentist named Dr. Peabody added soap to toothpaste for the foaming and cleansing action.
  • During the 1850s, chalk, flavoring agents, and other compounds were added to toothpaste. Fluoride was added after World War II.

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