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Eating, talking, smiling—consciously or unconsciously, so much of daily life is influenced by our oral health. And here’s one more thought to chew on: oral health affects digestive health as well.

After all, digestion doesn’t begin the moment food reaches the stomach—it begins before we swallow that very first bite. The digestive process gets its start in two ways:

• Mastication

“Chew your food properly.” Probably every child has heard this piece of helpful advice, because it’s hazardous to swallow large pieces of food. But there’s more to it! There’s a positive benefit for your digestive system when you keep chewing until that mouthful has been pulverized into a uniform, almost paste-like consistency.

But even though chewing food properly leads to easier digestion, dental problems can make the simple act of eating difficult and uncomfortable. Missing teeth or tooth pain can lead to swallowing food before it’s been properly broken down and softened, making it harder for your meal to make its way down the esophagus and more work to digest.

• Saliva Production

As it happens, there’s science behind the expression “mouthwatering.” When we smell something tasty, or have a bite to eat, or sometimes even think about a favorite food, our saliva glands increase production—and this increase has a digestive purpose.

Saliva contains digestive enzymes. These enzymes help break carbohydrate molecules into smaller sugar molecules, which are easier for our bodies to digest and use for energy. Saliva also contains enzymes that begin the digestion of fat and help neutralize acids as we eat, and, for those who suffer from acid reflux, helps wash acids back into the stomach.

When your oral health is compromised, the normally smooth operation of your digestive system can suffer as well.

• Replacing Missing Teeth

Losing one or more of your teeth has a real impact on your ability to bite and chew as easily as you should. Not only that, when you’ve lost a tooth, your other teeth and your jaw are affected.

When chewing forces are distributed unevenly because a tooth is missing from its specific spot, you can experience tooth pain and tooth movement. Tooth misalignment can change your bite and cause strain on the temporomandibular joint. And without the stimulation of biting and chewing, the bone underneath a missing tooth can shrink.

Whenever a tooth or teeth are lost, it’s important to see Drs. Angela Paros, Amer Atassi, Eric Young, Alexander Katsnelson right away for treatment. If a tooth needs to be extracted, it’s important to get professional care. After losing a tooth, you have several options to restore your smile, including dentures, bridges, and dental implants.

Implants are one of the most effective and long-lasting solutions for resuming your normal eating habits. They function like your natural teeth, and, like your natural teeth, stimulate the jawbone as you chew to prevent the bone from shrinking over time.

Periodontists like Drs. Angela Paros, Amer Atassi, Eric Young, Alexander Katsnelson are experts in implant procedures. Because they are specialists in treating the gum tissue and bone structure surrounding the teeth, they are ideally qualified to help you restore the function and appearance of your smile.

Whether you need a single implant or a multiple implant, talk to a member of our Romeoville, IL team to learn all about your options.

Osseous surgery, or bone surgery, is a procedure that involves reshaping the bone that holds one or more teeth in place, as well as removing or reshaping deformities and irregularities under the gum. By performing osseous surgery, Drs. Angela Paros, Amer Atassi, Eric Young, Alexander Katsnelson can look at the root of the affected tooth and clean the decayed area affected by periodontal (gum) disease.

It is common for patients suffering from periodontitis to experience defects such as holes in the bone around their teeth. Osseous surgery, also known as gingivectomy or flap surgery, removes those defects. This procedure can be recommended by Drs. Angela Paros, Amer Atassi, Eric Young, Alexander Katsnelson not because periodontal disease is present, but because most of the damage that has occurred is located in the underlying bone.

Depending on your unique situation and the extent of the defects, the bone in question is removed during the procedure, and the rest is reshaped. Once the bones are back to their original state, Drs. Angela Paros, Amer Atassi, Eric Young, Alexander Katsnelson will stitch the gums back into place. We want to assure you that osseous surgery is a routine procedure, and one with a high success rate.

Typically used to treat advanced periodontal diseases such as periodontitis, osseous surgery is recommended for those patients whose periodontal pockets have not responded to more conservative methods of therapy such as regular cleanings and deep scaling and root planing.

After your procedure, Drs. Angela Paros, Amer Atassi, Eric Young, Alexander Katsnelson will monitor you closely, and will examine you often during the next few months. The procedure you undergo will depend entirely on your condition. Drs. Angela Paros, Amer Atassi, Eric Young, Alexander Katsnelson will be happy to meet with you and discuss whether or not you are a candidate for osseous surgery. To learn more about this procedure, or to schedule your appointment at High Point Dental Group, please give us a call today!

Even before a baby is born, those tiny baby teeth are already forming. Expectant mothers can help ensure that their children’s baby teeth will be strong and healthy by getting the recommended amounts of proteins, vitamins, and minerals in their prenatal diets.

But a mother can’t “eat for two” to make sure her child’s adult teeth are healthy—children’s permanent teeth begin real growth and development only after birth. What can we do to encourage strong permanent teeth as our children grow and develop? Here are four important building blocks parents can use to lay a healthy foundation for their children’s grown-up smiles.

Serve a Tooth-Healthy Diet

The same vitamins and minerals that help create baby teeth are essential for creating healthy adult teeth. Tooth enamel, the hardest substance in the body, is almost completely made up of calcium phosphate minerals.  A diet which provides the recommended amounts of calcium and phosphorus helps your child’s body grow strong enamel. And don’t forget vitamin D, which our bodies need to absorb calcium and phosphorus.

A tooth-healthy diet should include several servings of foods which provide calcium, such as dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese), dark leafy vegetables, and fortified juices, cereals and tofu. Phosphorus can be found in proteins like meat, fish, and poultry, as well as beans, nuts, dairy, and whole grains. Egg yolks and fatty fish are natural sources of vitamin D, and it’s easily available in fortified foods such as cow’s milk, soy milk, cereals, and orange juice.

Use the Right Amount of Fluoride

Fluoride is called “Nature’s cavity fighter” for a reason. Fluoride reduces the risk of cavities and helps strengthen tooth enamel. Drs. Angela Paros, Amer Atassi, Eric Young, Alexander Katsnelson can offer invaluable advice on when to start and how to use fluoride toothpaste to protect your child’s baby teeth and developing adult teeth.

Can there be too much of this good thing? While fluoride is a safe and effective way to protect teeth in normal, recommended amounts, too much fluoride can lead to fluorosis. This condition can cause cosmetic changes in the enamel of permanent teeth, from almost invisible lighter spots to darker spots and streaking.

How to make sure your child gets the right amount of fluoride?

For children under the age of three, use a dab of toothpaste no larger than a grain of rice. Ask Drs. Angela Paros, Amer Atassi, Eric Young, Alexander Katsnelson if fluoride toothpaste is recommended.

Young children can’t always understand the idea of spitting and rinsing after brushing, so children between the ages of three and six should use only a pea-sized dab of fluoride toothpaste, and need you there to make sure they spit and rinse afterward.

Ask us about local water fluoride levels if you have any concerns about using tap water for drinking or for mixing formula, keep fluoride toothpastes and other products out of the reach of children, monitor your children while they brush, and always check with us before giving your child a fluoride rinse or supplement.

Help Your Child Retire Harmful Thumb Sucking and Pacifier Habits

Your child might self-comfort with the help of a pacifier or thumb sucking, which can be a valuable soothing habit. But it’s important to talk to Drs. Angela Paros, Amer Atassi, Eric Young, Alexander Katsnelson to see just how long this soothing habit should last. Around the age of four, aggressive thumb or pacifier sucking can lead to problems for permanent teeth.

Vigorous sucking can cause protruding upper front teeth. Aggressive sucking can lead to changes in the shape of your child’s palate and jaw. Open bite malocclusions, where the upper and lower teeth are unable to meet, and overbites, where the upper teeth overlap the lower teeth more than they should, can also be the result of lengthy and forceful thumb sucking.

Take Care of Baby Teeth

Baby teeth are important! They bite and chew food, and they work with the tongue to help your child learn to pronounce words properly. And there’s one more important reason to make sure primary teeth stay healthy: they serve as the place holders which guide permanent teeth into their proper spots.

When a baby tooth is lost too early, due to decay or injury, the teeth on either side can drift into the empty space, preventing a permanent tooth from erupting where it needs to. Any misalignment or crowding which results may require orthodontic treatment in the future.

Call our Romeoville, IL office if your child unexpectedly loses a baby tooth. There may be no cause for concern, or, if there’s a potential problem, an appliance called a “space maintainer,” which keeps the baby teeth from shifting out of place, can be fabricated especially for your child.

Your child’s adult teeth are being formed now. Work with us to make sure the building blocks of present and future dental health are in place. You’re giving your child the foundation for a lifetime of beautiful, grown-up smiles!

Whew! It’s a hot one! And whenever the temperature soars, you need to stay hydrated, especially when you’re outside or exercising. But all cold drinks aren’t equal when it comes to healthy hydration. Which beverages shouldn’t have a prime spot in your cooler when you’re wearing braces or aligners?

• Soft Drinks

You’re probably not surprised to find soft drinks at the top of the list. After all, sugar is a) a big part of what makes soda so popular, and b) not a healthy choice for your teeth.

Sugar is a favorite food source for the oral bacteria that make up plaque. These bacteria convert sugar into acids, and these acids attack the surface of your tooth enamel. Over time, the minerals which keep enamel strong begin to erode, and weakened, eroded enamel is a lot more susceptible to cavities.

So, what about sugar-free drinks? Does this make soft drinks a better choice? Unfortunately, you can take the sugar out of many sodas, but you can’t take the acids out. Most soft drinks are very acidic, even without sugar, and will cause enamel erosion just like the acids created by bacteria will.

• Fruit Drinks

Fruit juice provides us with vitamins, which is great, but it’s also full of natural sugars and acids. And blended fruit drinks and fruit punches often contain added sugars and added citric acids. Best to choose 100% fruit content and check the labels before you buy. (And you can always get refreshing fruit flavor by adding a slice of fruit to a glass of water.)

• Sports Drinks

You might be surprised to see these on the list—after all, they promise healthy hydration while you’re working out. And hydration is healthy—but sugars and acids aren’t. Even when the label tells you there’s no added sugar, that same label will often reveal high amounts of citric acid. In fact, some sports drinks are more acidic than sodas.

We’ll make an exception, though, for thirsty people who participate in sports or activities that require a lot of physical exercise and produce a lot of sweat. When we sweat, we lose electrolytes, those ionized minerals which help regulate many vital bodily functions. Talk to Drs. Angela Paros, Amer Atassi, Eric Young, Alexander Katsnelson about which sports drinks are best for you if you need to replenish your electrolytes when working out.

So, what’s your best hydration choice on a hot day? Water! It not only hydrates you, it cleans your teeth, it helps you produce saliva, and it often contains tooth-strengthening fluoride. But if you only have sports drinks in the cooler, or if you just want to enjoy a soft drink or a bottle of juice from time to time, no need to go thirsty. We have some ways to make sure your teeth are safer, even with this tricky trio:

• Rinse with water after you drink a sugary or acidic drink. And remember to brush when you get home.
• Be choosy. Check labels for added sugars and acids.
• Don’t sip your drinks all day long. Saliva actually helps neutralize acids in the mouth, but sipping acidic beverages throughout the day doesn’t give saliva a chance to work.
• Use a straw to avoid washing your enamel in sugars and acids.

You need to keep hydrated when it’s hot. When you’re packing your cooler, choose drinks that are healthy for your entire body, including your teeth and gums. Ask our Romeoville, IL team for the best choices in cold drinks to make sure you’re getting the hydration you need—without the sugar and acids you don’t!