toothpaste

Dental hypersensitivity, also known as sensitive teeth, happens because of receding gums and/or because the enamel protecting the teeth has somehow become thinner. Brushing too hard can push back the gums and expose the roots of teeth, while acidic food and drinks, such as wine, can weaken the structure of the enamel and cause sensitivity. You know your teeth are sensitive when it’s painful to consume hot or cold foods and beverages.

In addition to certain food, did you know that breathing in the cold air can also trigger sensitivity? If you're in Chicago, where the winter temperature can reach -20 or lower, tooth sensitivity can be worsened by chilly air. Here are some ways for you to enjoy holiday treats and breathe in the winter air without worrying about painful teeth.

Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth

There are numerous types of toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth. Some of them are also formulated to whiten teeth and prevent cavities. This kind of toothpaste works to coat your enamel and lessen the sensitivity that your nerves feel. Look for American Dental Association (ADA) approved toothpaste brands with fluoride, potassium nitrate, or strontium chloride. Your dental care provider can also use professional strength toothpaste for additional relief and protection from hypersensitivity.

Use a Fluoride Treatment

Fluoride treatments in toothpaste or mouth rinse can prevent sensitivity. Fluoride reinforces the enamel to resist food acid and it also prevents tooth decay. Fluoride intake is important for children, as their permanent teeth erupt, but adults can still use fluoride treatments for overall oral health. While there are over-the-counter fluoride treatments available, their concentrations are lower than professional treatments provided by dentists. Whichever option you choose, fluoride treatments can still benefit you even as an adult.

Treat Receding Gums

If your gums are receding from aggressive brushing or gum disease, visit your dentist to discuss treatment options. Make sure to maintain good oral hygiene. Your periodontist may recommend deep cleaning or, in worst cases, surgery (gingivoplasty) to correct your gums. Treating receded gums can protect your roots and prevent tooth loss.

Avoid Over-Brushing

The recommended number of brushing is two times—first thing in the morning and before bedtime. Brush for two minutes using a soft bristle toothbrush. Avoid brushing immediately after meals. The acids in the food and drink we consume weaken our teeth and brushing right after will only strip the teeth of more minerals, therefore resulting in more sensitivity.

After meals, rinse using water to neutralize the mouth’s pH balance and let saliva break down the acids and sugars first. If you must brush, wait at least 30 minutes after eating to do so. Learn more about how to avoid over-brushing here!

Avoid Acidic and Sugary Food and Drinks

Make conscious choices about your diet to prevent cavity formation and enamel breakdown. Avoid eating sugary food like candy and drinking carbonated drinks, such as sodas. Wine is highly acidic, but if you pair cheese with it, the cheese's enzymes help break down the acids. Choose food high in phosphorus such as fatty fish and tofu, and low-acid fruits like apples and bananas.

Get Your Teeth Checked Out

See your dentist once or twice a year for checkup and cleaning. You may need to visit more often if you are prone to getting frequent cavities or if you have a gum disease. Your dentist can provide you with a combination of solutions if you suffer from sensitive teeth. Dental appointments are crucial for your oral health. Until then, brave the Chicago winter with these tips to reduce sensitive teeth.

We hope these tips help you face Chicago’s chilly winter with a grin! If you struggle with sensitive teeth, it’s very important to see a dentist to find out what’s at the root of your sensitivity problem. Don’t hesitate to make an appointment with Chicago’s number one dentistry, Water Tower Dental Care, today!

You might consider brushing and flossing your teeth everyday a pain. But it’s definitely not as painful as it used to be. Throughout history, humans have experimented with a variety of different tools and ingredients to clean their teeth, including bones and oyster shells. The toothbrushes, toothpastes and floss we use today were created relatively recently.
Let’s take a step back a few thousand years and take a look at how our ancestors used to try to keep their teeth in decent shape.

Ancient Toothbrushes

Some of the first evidence experts have found of toothbrushes dates back to 3,500 to 3,000 BC. Before that, people tended to use cloth and water to wash their teeth. They added abrasives like chalk and salt to keep their teeth polished.
Babylonians and Egyptians are thought to be two of the first groups of people to use a toothbrush-like tool. Archeologists have found twigs split and frayed at the end to create a sort of brush in the tombs of Egyptians. We can thank the Chinese for the invention of natural bristles in the 15th century. People in China created bristles from pig necks and attached them to bones or bamboo, which they used as handles to hold.
This Chinese toothbrush design caught on in Europe, as Europeans created their own version of toothbrushes with gentler horsehair bristles. Toothbrush design continued to improve, with William Addis creating a toothbrush handle from cattle bone and a brush with swine bristles in England around 1780. Bristles made with animal parts were finally replaced with nylon bristles in 1938.

Toothpastes and Powders Back in the Day

Toothpastes were used to keep our ancestor’s teeth and gums clean well before toothbrushes were created. Ancient Egyptians used ox hoof powder, burnt eggshells and ashes to keep their mouths clean and breath fresh. Greeks and Romans chose clean their teeth with rougher ingredients, like oyster shells and ground bones.
The Chinese tended to use ginseng, salt and herbal mint to keep their pearly whites clean. (We’ll take ancient Chinese toothpaste over Greek toothpaste any day.) These older toothpastes were actually more like powders. The more modern paste was created in the 1850s in England. Soap, chalk, betel nut, and crushed charcoal were among many ingredients used to create teeth-cleaning paste in England.

Flossing History

If you think flossing is hard today, try doing it with a pointed stick. (Actually, don’t. You could seriously injure yourself.) A few thousand years ago, our ancestors used to try to stick pointed sticks, horsehair, and twigs between their teeth to get food particles and other gunk out.
An American dentist named Dr. Levi Spear Parmly decided to improve on these ancient techniques with the introduction of waxed silk thread as floss. He also suggested that people floss every day. Unwaxed silk floss was created in 1882 and nylon replaced silk in dental floss in the 1940s.
Next time you don’t want to clean your teeth, just think about what the Greeks and Romans had to go through! Thankfully, we’ve come a long way. Nowadays, we have documented the proper brushing technique for healthy teeth and the best tools to get the job done. If you have any questions on your teeth- and gum-cleaning techniques, don’t hesitate to contact us!

Salt, or sodium, has often said to be both good and bad for your teeth. While high sodium-intake has generally been associated with many detrimental effects, (which is why healthy eating has also been associated with staying away from food rich in sodium) many people practicing good oral hygiene will rinse their mouth with salt. Is salt actually good or bad for your teeth? Here are some of the pros and cons:

Why Salt Can Be Good for Your Teeth

The sodium chemical itself has proved itself to be good for your teeth in a few ways:

1. Short term, saltwater mouthwash rinses are great treatments for your mouth and any wounds you may have. If you’ve had oral surgery recently, infections, or gum swelling, saltwater will help to remove swelling, as it is a natural disinfectant.
2. Salt helps to increase the pH balance in your mouth, making it hard for abrasive bacteria to survive in this alkaline environment.
3. According to the American Dental Association, salt is a common ingredient in foaming detergents in toothpaste, which helps toothpaste stay in your mouth, preventing dribbling.

Why Salt Can Be Bad for Your Teeth

While salt washes have been commonly used and are considered good for your teeth, the opposite is true of sodium-rich food. Sodium may not directly cause tooth decay, but sodium-rich diets have been found to be bad for your teeth. Here are some of the reasons why:

1. Oral bacteria thrive on simple sugars, which are produced when you ingest food or beverages rich in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta, crackers, tend to be rich in sodium. These foods are broken down into simple sugars and starches. The interaction between oral bacteria and simple sugars create harsh acids that have the same effect as sugary food, eroding tooth enamel and leading to tooth decay.
2. Teeth often rely on calcium to produce structure and strength. A high-sodium diet causes your body to excrete excess calcium, leading to tooth loss and even osteoporosis!

In conclusion, while, salt has been found to have many positive effects on teeth, a sodium-rich diet can have various detrimental effects, similar to a sugary diet. To avoid cavities and tooth decay, strive to have a diet low in sodium. Tooth decay can also be prevented through brushing, flossing, and proper oral hygiene. If your teeth have been affected, let Water Tower Dental help you today!

Want to chew gum? Do it! As long as there’s xylitol in it, your dentist will approve. Xylitol is the perfect sugar alternative. Not only does it not cause tooth decay. It’s also good for your teeth. Yes, you heard that right. Something that tastes as wonderful as sugar actually benefits your teeth. Let’s take a look at why.

What is Xylitol?

Though it tastes like magic, xylitol can actually be all natural. It’s a five-carbon sugar alcohol compound. What does that mean? It’s not actually sugar or alcohol. Instead, it’s a carbohydrate that looks and tastes like sugar. But instead of damaging your teeth, xylitol actually protects it.
Xylitol is found naturally in plants, berries, and vegetables. It can also be manufactured from starches and sugar. Unfortunately, since we eat so much sugar, we can’t get enough xylitol from the foods we eat to sufficiently help our teeth. That’s why we brush, floss and take xylitol supplements.

How does it benefit your teeth?

To understand how Xylitol helps protect your teeth, you have to first understand how you get cavities. According to Registered Dental Hygienist, the average American consumes about 31 teaspoons of sugar every single day. Our teeth aren’t made to eat that much sugar. Inevitably, all of this sugar leads to tooth decay, usually in the form of cavities. The sugar in food causes bacteria in your mouth to grow. These bacteria create hungry acids that eat away at your teeth, causing tooth decay.
Bad bacteria can’t digest xylitol to grow like it digests sugar. In fact, xylitol works to keep the pH level neutral in your mouth. The less acidic your pH levels are, the fewer bacteria will grow and the better off your teeth will be.
Xylitol also stops bacteria from sticking to your teeth. So even if there are bacteria in your mouth after taking xylitol, it’s much less likely that the bacteria will damage your teeth because it can’t stick on to them.
Thanks to increased pH levels, xylitol also promotes enamel repair. As pH levels get higher than 7, calcium and phosphate salts in your saliva help to rebuild weak enamel.

Where can you get Xylitol?

Now that you know great xylitol is for your mouth, you’re probably wondering where you can get some. Since you usually eat sugar during the day, you should try taking xylitol throughout the day as well. You should always look for xylitol in toothpaste and mouthwash. Most of the big names in toothpaste and mouthwash include xylitol because of its benefits.
Since it can be inconvenient to carry your toothbrush and mouthwash around all day, it’s beneficial to have another source of xylitol on hand. Gum, candy and mints frequently have xylitol in them. These products can help you battle bacteria throughout the day. A 1998 article from The British Dental Journal writes that chewing gum containing xylitol prevents cavities and promotes enamel remineralization.  You can also find the sweetener in corncobs and stalks.
Consuming xylitol is one of the tastiest ways to keep your teeth healthy! Find out more about the benefits of xylitol and the best places to get it from by contacting the number one Chicago dental practice, Water Tower Dental Care. We would be happy to put you on the right track to a healthy and happy smile.

There are a few factors to consider when it comes to finding toothpaste that works for you. Mainly, does it have the effective ingredients to help fight plaque build-up and tooth decay? Once you have determined that, you will want to choose from a variety of toothpastes that can help in specific ways depending on what kind of cleaning you’re looking for.

Most toothpaste has a basic set of components that makes them what they are. First, abrasive agents that help remove food and bacteria from your teeth. These are typically ingredients such as calcium carbonate. Thickeners are added to tooth pastes to add a thicker volume to the paste, which helps maintain a consumer-expected texture. For moisture retention, humectants are added, which keep the toothpaste from drying out. Detergents help make your toothpaste foam when brushing by using ingredients like sodium laurel sulfate. And, of course, flavoring is added to toothpastes with artificial sweeteners to make brushing your teeth a more enjoyable experience.
You will most likely find some kind of variation of these basic ingredients in most toothpaste. They are the essential makeup that makes toothpaste what it is.
The most essential toothpaste ingredient, however, is fluoride. For the past 50 years, fluoride has helped to significantly lower tooth decay and cavities. A naturally occurring mineral, fluoride helps protect your teeth by making your tooth enamel stronger and helping reverse the damage that occurs from bacteria acids breaking down teeth. It is essential to use toothpaste with fluoride, as it’s the number one ingredient to help protect your teeth.
Most toothpaste in the dental aisle of your local pharmacy or grocery store will contain these ingredients. But you’ve probably noticed dozens of different toothpastes in your pharmacy. That’s because many toothpastes offer additional help specific to a certain problem.
There is toothpaste that is specific to tartar control. This toothpaste helps remove the buildup of plaque and tartar on your teeth. When plaque isn’t removed properly, it hardens and turns into tartar. These toothpastes use ingredients such as pyrophosphates and zinc citrate to break down plaque and tartar before it becomes a bigger issue.
There are also toothpastes for Sensitive Teeth. Many people have trouble with consuming hot or cold liquids and chewing hard foods. This is because they have nerve endings that are more sensitive than other mouths. With the help of potassium nitrate or strontium chloride, these toothpastes help by blocking pathways to the nerves that are attached to the teeth.
Whitening toothpastes are also available. These toothpastes offer additional abrasives that can help scrub away stains and bring your teeth back to their original whiteness.
When choosing toothpaste, you should always look for the ADA approval. The American Dental Association has been working hard for years to ensure that the toothpastes they approve are safe and contain ingredients that will protect your teeth.
If you have more questions about which toothpastes are best for your teeth, contact Water Tower Dental. With a simple checkup we can determine the key weakness to your oral hygiene and recommend several options to help bring your smile to its brightest potential.