Our Blog
Enjoy your treats this Halloween, but don’t let them play tricks on your teeth!
October 30th, 2012
What are you going to eat this Halloween, and for the weeks after until all that candy is gone? If you were like me growing up, it was whatever was in my pillowcase full of candy. I grew up with a lot of friends who didn’t like chocolate, so I would trade all my candy for their chocolate. I wonder how many cavities they have now? I thought I would put together a few tips for the upcoming holiday to help prevent cavities and to keep you from sitting in my dental chair unnecessarily.
1. Lean towards eating chocolate, in moderation 
Chocolate easily rinses away when you rinse your mouth, but sticky candy like taffy and hard candy like Jolly Ranchers adheres to your teeth longer, giving the bacteria in your mouth a longer time to create acid and breakdown your teeth, causing cavities.
2. Plan to eat your candy around meal time. Saliva is good for washing away food particles and neutralizing plaque acid, and it is at its highest during meal times.
3. DON’T BRUSH your teeth immediately after eating something with a lot of acid, like Sour Patch Kids and Lemon Heads. Acidic foods soften your enamel, the outer layer of your teeth, and brushing right away will scrub away the enamel when it is soft. Rinse your mouth with water after eating acidic foods and then wait 30 minutes after you eat to brush.
4. Brush and floss before bed. Your body produces significantly less saliva while you sleep. If you leave food on and in between your teeth while you sleep, you are giving the bacteria in your mouth a chance to make cavities while you sleep.
5. Visit your dentist for a check-up and cleaning at least twice a year. When a cavity is small, you generally won’t see it or feel it. Your dentist can reverse the cavity if it is small without having to use anesthetic or a drill.
Dr. Matt and his wife Jen at Halloween a couple of years ago.
Everything you need to know about taking care of your mouth while playing sports!
August 30th, 2012
Do I really need to wear a mouthguard?
It depends what sport you are playing. During my semi-professional table-tennis days, my competition hardly wore them. For most other sports where you have the ability to get hit by a person, ball, floor or ceiling, a mouthguard should be used to protect you. The American Dental Association recommends wearing custom mouthguards for the following sports: acrobats, basketball, boxing, field hockey, football, gymnastics, handball, ice hockey, lacrosse, martial arts, racquetball, roller hockey, rugby, shot putting, skateboarding, skiing, skydiving, soccer, squash, surfing, volleyball, water polo, weightlifting, wrestling.
Dr. Matt participating in an indoor golf tournament.
But why should I wear one?
Injuries happen! But the majority of dental injuries while playing sports are avoidable. An unprotected athlete that takes a blow to the jaw or mouth could get a concussion, fracture multiple teeth or lacerate their lips, requiring a lot more time and cost in the dental chair than if you were properly fitted for an athletic mouthguard.
What kind of mouthguard should I wear?
There are 4 kinds of mouthguards to choose from. I will briefly describe each one from worst to best.
- 1). Stock Mouthguard: This is a typical mouthguard you will find at your local sports store. It comes in sizes like small, medium and large. I like to describe these as your grab-n-go mouthguard. Take it out of the box and it’s ready to use. This type is not custom fit to your mouth so retention is minimal. To stay in place you need to stay biting down on it, preventing you from speaking and breathing efficiently. It also provides minimal protection. I would never advise anybody to wear this type of “mouthguard.”
- 2). Boil and Bite Mouthguard: You boil these in water and form them to your teeth by using your fingers, tongue and biting. These mouthguards stay in better but they lack a proper amount of material on the back teeth to help prevent concussions. The comfort with this type is also questionable, and athletes often alter these themselves to make them feel more comfortable.
- 3). Vacuum Custom Made Mouthguard: This is a mouthguard that any dentist can make in their office. It is custom fit to your mouth by taking an impression and forming the mouthguard around a stone model of your teeth using vacuum suction to achieve a precise fit. These mouthguards are single-layered. The dental literature is now showing that multiple-layered mouthguards are now the preferred choice for custom mouthguards.
- 4). Pressure Laminated Custom Made: Now we’re talking! This is a custom made multiple layered mouthguard. It is prescribed by your dentist and made in a dental laboratory. It can be modified for full contact sports by laminating two or three layers of material to achieve the necessary thickness. Lamination is defined as the layering of mouthguard material to achieve a defined end result and thickness under a high heat and pressure environment.
My tooth got knocked out!!! Now what?
It depends on if it’s a baby tooth or a permanent tooth. If it’s a baby tooth, DO NOT PUT IT BACK INTO THE TOOTH SOCKET! Doing so can damage the permanent tooth that’s growing in below it. If it’s a permanent tooth, replant the tooth in the socket immediately, if possible. Replant by touching the crown portion of the tooth. Do not touch the root, just rinse it. If contaminated, rinse with water before replanting. When immediate replantation is not possible, place the tooth in the best transport medium available. The best to worst transport mediums are; Hank’s Balanced Salt Solution (H.B.S.S.), milk, saline, saliva (placing it in your cheek), and water. Call your dentist immediately and ask to be seen ASAP (within the hour).
For further information, visit http://www.sportsdentistry.com
For questions or comments, feel free to e-mail me at drmsheldon@gmail.com
Dr. Matt getting ready to drive a NASCAR race car.
Welcome To Our Blog!
August 13th, 2012
Thank you for taking the time to visit our blog. Please check back often for weekly updates on fun and exciting events happening at our office, important and interesting information about dentistry and the latest news about our practice.
Feel free to leave a comment or question for our doctor and staff – we hope this will be a valuable resource for our patients, their families, and friends!
