by Roseman Dental | Jan 24, 2019
Welcome to Roseman Dental Roseman Dental is the clinical practices of Roseman University College of Dental Medicine with locations in Henderson, Nevada and South Jordan, Utah. To schedule an appointment or learn more about the services we offer, please select your...
by Roseman Dental | Oct 11, 2018
About Us Roseman Dental is part of Roseman University’s College of Dental Medicine. All of our dental residents are licensed dentists in the State of Utah and are teamed with highly qualified, board-certified, or board-eligible faculty to provide comprehensive dental...
by Roseman Dental | Jun 12, 2015 | Dental Clinic Blog
What do daily exercise, taking a multivitamin, and brushing your teeth all have in common? These are all fairly simple daily habits that could improve a man’s overall health, but ones that far too many men are ignoring. Oral health, in particular, is an area where many men could stand to “brush up” their skills a little, so to speak.
The Oral Health Battle of the Sexes
While both men and women report that a great smile is one of the first things they notice about a potential dating partner, women apparently take that more seriously than men.
A study published in the April 2011 issue of the Journal of Periodontology showed that women are more proactive about teeth and gum maintenance than their male counterparts. Women are twice as likely to have been for a recent dental checkup (in the past year), and were proactive in scheduling recommended follow-up treatments. These healthy habits resulted in far lower incidence of common periodontal disease indicators, such as plaque, calculus, and bleeding gums.
Other Benefits of Good Oral Health
Taking care of your teeth care is the best way for a man to maintain a healthy mouth and a beautiful smile, but the benefits extend beyond just aesthetics. Research published in the June 2008 issue of The Lancet Oncology found that gum disease, often the result of poor oral health habits, puts men at a higher risk of developing cancer, including kidney cancer (49% more likely), pancreatic cancer (54% more likely), and blood cancers (30% more likely).
Gum disease has also been linked to higher risk for other serious health conditions, such as heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes.
Developing Healthy Oral Habits
To maintain that bright white smile, or get it back if you’ve neglected it for a little bit too long, dentists recommend making oral health care a priority.
- Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush. Spend at least two minutes brushing, and make sure you are moving the toothbrush throughout your mouth to clean every surface.
- Floss teeth at least once a day to remove food particles and plaque that get stuck between teeth, where your toothbrush can’t reach.
- Throw out your old toothbrush every three months, after you have been sick, or when you can see obvious signs of damage, such as bent or missing bristles.
- Avoid behaviors that can damage teeth, such as smoking cigarettes, chewing tobacco, or drinking dark beverages (such as coffee or soda) that can wear down enamel.
- Visit a dentist regularly for check-ups and cleanings. While brushing teeth daily is important, it’s no substitute for the professional cleaning you get from the dentist every six months.
It’s also important to know the warning signs of periodontal disease so you can seek treatment. These signs include gums that are red or swollen or that bleed easily, areas where gums have pulled away from the teeth, persistent bad breath, tooth loss, or changes in your bite (the way your jaws fit together). If you notice any of these potential warning signs, see your dentist or consider visiting a periodontist to look into it more closely.
If you don’t have a dentist, you can contact The Dental Clinic at Roseman University at 801-878-1200 to schedule an appointment for affordable dental care in the Salt Lake valley provided by student dentists.
by Roseman Dental | Oct 16, 2014 | Dental Clinic Blog
When you’re happy, you want to smile, and studies have revealed that smiling has many benefits beyond just letting others know that you are excited. Smiling can help build trust when you meet new people, reduce stress in difficult situations, make you feel better when you are down, and even help you make more money and live longer.
But what if you’re not very confident about your smile because you’re worried about oral hygiene or crooked teeth? For many people that is enough to make them not want to smile, and it can make life a lot more difficult. A 2012 study published in the Deseret News highlighted some of the social stigma that comes with crooked or missing teeth. Studies show that bad teeth prevent people from getting jobs, promotions, and higher pay, and may impact overall health as well.
Here are five ways that you can improve your smile so you will want to show off those pearly whites whenever you feel happy.
See a Dentist Regularly
Dental care is one of the most critical components for healthy mouth and teeth. Most people should see a dentist twice a year (every six months) for a cleaning and checkup. If you have pain, swelling, infection, or other problems in your mouth, don’t go to the emergency room—go see a dentist immediately. Often they will be able to treat the problem and prevent future complications with immediate care, rather than waiting until a small problem becomes more expensive and more detrimental to your health.
Unfortunately many people in the U.S. don’t go and see a dentist regularly because they don’t have dental insurance and can’t afford the high cost to pay for it out of pocket. If you don’t have a dentist and haven’t been to a dental office because you have difficulty affording it, The Dental Clinic at Roseman University offers affordable dental care with rates significantly discounted from what you would pay at a traditional dental office so you can get high quality care at a great price.
Brush and Floss Your Teeth
One of the best ways to maintain a healthy smile is by regularly brushing and flossing teeth. Brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, and floss at least once a day to keep teeth and gums healthy, remove plaque, and eliminate bad breath.
Avoid Sugary Food and Drinks
Sugar breaks down quickly and feeds the harmful bacteria in your mouth, so the more sugar you consume, the more bad bacteria grow. This leads to tooth decay, sensitivity, gum disease, and other problems in your mouth. Your teeth can also turn sugar into a glue-like substance that attracts bacteria to your teeth (in the form of plaque), making it harder to wash away naturally with your saliva. If you do eat sugar, follow up by brushing your teeth or chewing sugar-free gum, and make sure to drink plenty of water to boost saliva that will wash the sugar off your teeth.
Consider Cosmetic Procedures
If you have crooked, dirty, or decaying teeth, consider the benefits of a cosmetic procedure, such as a crown, bridge, implant, or even teeth whitening. Studies show that these small adjustments can make a big difference in the first impression you create with your smile. These procedures are also good for more than just cosmetic reasons—having healthy, strong teeth allows you to breathe, swallow, chew and speak properly, contributing to better nutrition and making you more comfortable at job interviews or in social situations.
Don’t Smoke or Chew Tobacco
Quitting smoking and chewing tobacco is good for many reasons, one of which is to improve the health of your teeth and gums. Tobacco and cigarettes cause tooth decay, receding gums, and gum disease, and are the main contributing factors to mouth and throat cancers. They can also make it difficult to heal following dental or orthodontic work, negating the money and time you spend trying to fix your smile. The best thing you can do to improve your oral health and your smile is to quit smoking or using tobacco.
The ability to smile is an important part of your life—to be happy, you need to be able to smile and laugh as much as possible. Don’t let poor oral health keep you from enjoying all the benefits that smiling can offer.
by Roseman Dental | Mar 15, 2014 | Dental Clinic Blog, Oral Health, Roseman Dental - NV, Roseman Dental - UT
Sugar, while a tasty treat, is one of the most harmful substances that most people consume on a daily basis. In addition to being harmful to your metabolism, insulin, blood-sugar and energy levels, sugar can have a negative effect on your teeth as well.
The Breakdown
All carbohydrates will break down into simple sugars at some point after you eat them. Some will not break down until they are in your stomach or lower intestinal tract, but others begin to break down right away, as soon as they come into contact with amylase in your saliva. Carbohydrates that break down into simple sugars in your mouth can then leave those simple sugars on your teeth. If you don’t brush and floss them away, they become prime food for bacteria. As the bacteria feast on this sugary meal, they produce acid, which in turn eats away at your tooth enamel, and once enamel is lost it cannot be regenerated. Therefore it’s very important to protect the enamel you still have by brushing and flossing regularly.
Diet Change
You can also protect your teeth by avoiding the foods that break into simple sugars fastest. These include any food that contains a lot of processed sugar, including candy, pastries, baked goods, and sugary sodas or juices. Avoiding these foods will not only protect your tooth enamel, but will have the added benefit of lowering your risk for heart disease, obesity and certain cancers. Other less obvious foods to avoid include anything white and refined, including white bread, crackers, rice, pasta, and so on. These foods can be nutritious if you eat the whole grain versions, but the white, highly processed versions contain few nutrients, and break down quickly into simple sugars that can damage your teeth. To check for sugar content, look for anything with the name “sugar”, or anything that ends in “-ose” such as sucrose, fructose, dextrose, etc.
Timing
Another factor in the sugar/tooth decay relationship is time. Simply put, the longer you wait to brush your teeth after you eat, the more tooth decay will occur. After you eat, and even while you are still eating, bacteria begin feasting on the sugars in your mouth and producing harmful acid. The goal for a healthy mouth is to remove that acid as soon as possible. Lucky for you, your saliva has some anti-bacterial properties. But this alone is not enough to keep your mouth clean and free of acid. Brush as soon as you can after eating. And if you can’t brush right away, pop in some gum, preferably the sugar-free kind that is sweetened with Xylitol, as this artificial sweetener has been shown to help prevent tooth decay. Also keep in mind that the more often you eat, the more opportunities sugar has to build up in your mouth, feeding hungry bacteria. If you snack often, be sure to brush often, too.
Brushing and flossing soon after eating is the best way to prevent tooth decay. Keep a travel toothbrush handy in your purse, car or desk, and brush your teeth often for optimal oral health. Then be sure to visit your dentist every six months for a professional cleaning to remove any lingering plaque.
