Don’t Neglect Your Tongue

When you brush and floss your teeth, are you giving your tongue the attention it needs? Our doctors at Chapel Street Dental encourage you to look in a mirror after reading this to see what color your tongue is. If you notice that your tongue is white, this is due to a layer a bacteria that has planted itself on the tongue and won’t go away until you clean it. A tongue scraper is a powerful tool to implement into your oral care routine, allow us to explain why.

A tongue cleaner, or a tongue scraper, is a device that is designed to clean the coating on the upper surface of the tongue. Regardless of how you clean your tongue, doing so will improve bad breath and the overall health of your mouth. Tongue scrapers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but you, if you don’t wish to invest in one, brushing the tongue, works just as well.

If you have questions or concerns regarding oral hygiene or oral care, please give us a call. To learn about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.newhavendentalcare.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Chapel Street Dental in New Haven, CT, call 203-772-1000.

Dangers of Dental Plaque

Plaque is constantly forming on our teeth, especially after the meals we eat. Plaque is a sticky, colorless film of bacteria and sugars that can cause periodontal disease and cavities if not adequately removed by brushing and flossing. If you take your finger and scrape your nail against your enamel, do you notice any plaque? If so, our doctors at Chapel Street Dental encourage you to brush it away to avoid its consequences.

When we eat, plaque uses the sugars in food to produce acids that eat away at tooth enamel. If plaque isn’t brushed away, it can harden into tartar which only our team of hygienists will be able to remove. As the plaque and tartar buildup increase, gum tissue can become red, swollen, and may bleed when you brush your teeth. To avoid the dangers of dental plaque, it’s critical to brush at least twice a day, floss at least once a day and visit us twice a year for professional cleanings.

If you have questions or concerns regarding oral hygiene or oral care, please give us a call. To learn about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.newhavendentalcare.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Chapel Street Dental in New Haven, CT, call 203-772-1000.

Seniors and Tooth Decay

Chapel Street Dental in New Haven is here to provide for the oral health needs of people of all ages, including seniors. Many people know that children are the age group that is most at-risk for tooth decay; most dental hygiene educational materials are aimed at them and discuss how sugar can cause teeth to become abscessed and develop cavities. But lots of people don’t know how common untreated dental decay is in seniors. The Center for Disease Control estimates the frequency is one in five.

There could be many reasons for this. Some seniors become forgetful or have difficulty brushing and flossing because their hands are less dexterous. Some are suffering from dry mouth as a side effect of medication and don’t produce enough saliva to wash away food debris or maintain their teeth’s protective membranes. They may have also switched to softer foods which get trapped in their teeth more easily or stopped getting cleanings as regularly if their dental coverage was reduced.

What most seniors have in common is that their oral health was not always as bad as it is now, implying they know the importance of oral hygiene but are unable to maintain it. The good news is that we can help with all of these problems. Our services start at low prices and we can direct our patients to superior home dental products that will compensate for other problems they may be experiencing.

Chapel Street Dental is located at 806 Chapel St, New Haven, Connecticut, 06510. To schedule an appointment, call 203-772-1000 or visit NewHavenDental.care and fill out a contact form.

 

Diabetes and Gum Disease

We highly value preventive care at Chapel Street Dental in New Haven. Gum disease is a common ailment, particularly among people with diabetes, which is why we want them to be aware of the importance of oral hygiene.

Infections in the gum pockets cause gum disease. There are always some bacteria between the tooth root and the gum, and there is always a thin, sticky layer, called plaque, which sugar gets trapped in. Inflammation, or gingivitis, occurs when there is a large amount of sugar and a lot of bacteria feed on it and produce acid. The acid gets trapped in the plaque, irritating the gums.

People with diabetes have a harder time fighting off infections in general, and when their blood sugar level is uncontrolled, oral bacteria will multiply more rapidly and produce more acid. If gingivitis is not treated, it could progress to periodontal disease. At that point, the patient’s gum, tooth, and jaw bone structure would all be in peril. This is why diabetes patients should take special care to maintain regular appointments for deep cleanings and scaling and be especially vigilant about brushing and flossing when their blood sugar is high.

Chapel Street Dental is located at 806 Chapel St, New Haven, Connecticut, 06510. To schedule an appointment, call 203-772-1000 or visit NewHavenDental.care and fill out a contact form.

 

Children's Biannual Check-Ups

No child should have to endure a toothache. To clean and restore children’s teeth before decay progresses, we recommend that they visit the dentist twice a year. If yours have not done so yet, now is a good time.

The most recent information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that one in five children have untreated cavities. This contributes to several problems. Young children’s speech development may be delayed by dental pain. Children of all ages may be reluctant to eat and have difficulty sleeping, making them unfocused and irritable. People who suffer from chronic stress are likelier to engage in nighttime teeth grinding, which also causes dental pain.

When children do have tooth decay, it is best for them to be treated as early as possible so that the decay does not get bad enough to require a root canal or replacement crown. Children who do not have tooth decay should also be brought in for regular check-ups so we can provide sealants, which will make them less likely to get cavities in the future, and so we can determine whether their permanent teeth are coming in correctly.

Chapel Street Dental is located at 806 Chapel St, New Haven, Connecticut, 06510. To schedule an appointment, call 203-772-1000 or visit NewHavenDental.care and fill out a contact form.

 

Types of Teeth

Our teeth come in different shapes and do different things. To help our patients better understand our treatments, we want them to know the basic aspects of these important, highly specialized bones.

People typically grow thirty-two adult teeth, with sixteen in each jaw. They are grouped by function. The front two pairs of teeth are called incisors. They are the most important teeth for speaking with, are used to tear food, and are the main focus of a lot of cosmetic care. On each side of the incisors is a canine tooth, which is also known as a cuspid or an eyetooth. These pointy teeth are used for piercing. Their place in the jaw makes them important for stabilizing the arch of each set of teeth, but the top ones often have difficulty erupting and need orthodontic correction.

On the sides of the mouth are two pairs of premolars and three pairs of molars. Premolars have one root each, molars in the lower jaw have two, and molars in the upper jaw have three. These teeth are used for chewing. Because the grooves in their grinding surfaces make them especially vulnerable to decay, they are often treated with sealants. The backmost molars are called wisdom teeth and are usually the last to erupt.

Chapel Street Dental is located at 806 Chapel St, New Haven, Connecticut, 06510. To schedule an appointment, call 203-772-1000 or visit NewHavenDental.care and fill out a contact form.

Dental Sealants

Almost half of all children and adolescents in the United States have had cavities in their permanent teeth.  At Chapel Street Dental, our doctors apply sealants to young patients in order to preserve the tooth enamel and prevent tooth decay. Adults also benefit from sealants, and they will last for years.  Consult with us if you think a sealant could be the solution for you.

Most tooth decay in children and teenagers occurs on the chewing surfaces of molars, where the pits and grooves trap food and bacteria Molars first come in at around 5-7 years of age, with a second set coming in between the ages of 11-14.  The best time to have a sealant placed is when the molars first come in to ensure they are protected early.  Sealants are a plastic resin that is applied to surfaces of these molars like paint. When applied, it fills any pits and grooves on the surface and then hardens. Now the surface is protected from bits of food being stuck, so bacteria cannot multiply and cause decay, and tooth enamel is protected from plaque and acids.  Sealants can effectively prevent cavities for up to ten years and can be reapplied.

To learn more about sealants and all the services we provide at our practice, visit Newhavendental.care for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Chapel Street Dental in New Haven, CT, call 203-772-1000.

The Proper Flossing Technique

Flossing not only removes food particles from your teeth, it prevents against periodontal disease that can lead to tooth decay and eventual tooth loss. It also helps keep your breath fresh! Our doctors at Chapel Street Dental hope that each of our patients uses the floss given to them inside a dental goody bag after a cleaning. Next time you floss, give this technique a try!

• Break off about 18 inches of floss and wind most of it around one of your middle fingers. Wind the remaining floss around the same finger of the opposite hand. This finger will take up the floss as it becomes dirty.


• Hold the floss tightly between your thumbs and forefingers.


• Guide the floss between your teeth using a gentle rubbing motion. Never snap the floss into the gums.


• When the floss reaches the gum line, curve it into a “C” shape against one tooth. Gently slide it into the space between the gum and the tooth.


• Hold the floss tightly against the tooth. Gently rub the side of the tooth, moving the floss away from the gum with up-and-down motions. Repeat this method for the rest of your teeth and don’t forget the molars!

If you have questions or concerns regarding preventive oral hygiene, please give us a call. To learn about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.newhavendentalcare.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Chapel Street Dental in New Haven, CT, call 203-772-1000.

Brushing Your Teeth

The ultimate gift you can give your smile is a thorough brushing, to prevent tooth decay, bad breath, and other dental problems. Our doctors at Chapel Street Dental are sure you’ve been brushing your teeth for many years, (at least we hope so) but the real question is, are you brushing correctly? Brushing your teeth the wrong way can wreak havoc on your teeth and gums, as you run the risk of damaging these sensitive areas. Next time you stand in front of the mirror to brush your teeth, utilize this method.

• Place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gums


• Gently brush in a back-and-forth motion


• Brush the outer surfaces, the inner surfaces, and all chewing surfaces of the teeth

Be sure to brush at least twice a day and use American Dental Association (ADA) approved toothpaste. As always, don’t forget to floss!

If you have questions or concerns regarding preventive oral hygiene, please give us a call. To learn about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.newhavendentalcare.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Chapel Street Dental in New Haven, CT, call 203-772-1000.