Dentistry 2000

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Ask a dental professional.

In this section, you may state a general dental question you have wanted to ask a dental professional and our team will answer the question and post it in our question and answer page if we feel it has value to the public. We will attempt to answer your question within 72 hours.

Dentistry 2000

Recent Questions and Answers

"I drink sugar-free sodas, is that better than the regular drinks or is it just as bad for my teeth?"
As it turns out, while sugar-free drinks are probably better, they still have acids in them, as well as phosphorus which can do harm to you bones. This mineral can cause leaching of calcium from bones and in particular, the area of the mouth, leading to tooth loss. We often suggest that if you must drink them, rinse with water immediately to help clear you teeth. Otherwise, try pure water or add a little flavored powder to the drink to sparkle it up. This may have less sugar in it and be better in the long run for you. In addition, you may wish to take other sources of calcium to rebalance your body.

"When is the best time to floss, if I'm only going to floss once a day?"
Although some people may argue otherwise, it seems that if a person flosses prior to going to bed at night, there will be less plaque sitting on their teeth for an extended period of time to cause damage to their teeth. Once a day is considered adequate to remove the debris trapped in between the teeth where the brush can't get to.

"How come my brother never brushes and yet I seem to be the one who gets all the cavities?"
Everyone's teeth are different, and there are several factors that combine to create an environment that can cause cavities. For example, if a person is bathing their teeth with soda pop and candy all day, and brushing quickly once or twice a day, they will probably end up with more problems than someone who rarely eats sweets and brushes thoroughly and flosses at least once a day. It requires a combination of the bacteria on your teeth and sugar, in contact with your teeth for an extended period of time to cause damage to the teeth. Therefore, if you brush often, but miss areas and eat a lot of sugar, you can end up with more cavities than your brother who may not eat much sugar, but brushes effectively. In addition, straight teeth are usually less prone to cavities than crooked teeth or crowded teeth.

"Why do teeth fall out?"
In children, the "baby teeth" fall out to make room for "adult teeth". As the jaw grows, fortunately, we get a second set of teeth to fit into our larger mouth. In a way, we are fortunate, because they are kind of like "practice" teeth. In other words, if you can make it through to age 12 without getting any cavities, you will probably have good teeth during your lifetime. If you should get a cavity on your "baby teeth", when you loose that tooth, you have a "second chance to take care of the new tooth.

"I'm 29 and my teeth have been browning near their edges away from their sharp topside. At first it was the centermost teeth on lower jaw. Now upper centermost teeth. Why? Remedy?(I do brush)"
The innermost portion of your teeth (surrounding the pulp - where the nerve and blood supply is) is called the dentin. The outer layer is the enamel. Typically, the enamel is more dense and whiter than the dentin. Because the enamel is denser, it doesn't tend to stain as quickly as the dentin. If you are grinding your teeth and wearing away the edges of your teeth, you may be wearing off the enamel, exposing the dentin, thereby allowing a portion of the tooth that is more easily stained to have access to everything we eat. Red wine, cigarettes, tea, and coffee are typically foods that we know can discolor teeth especially when used frequently over a long period of time. If you clench or grind your teeth, that will contribute to the wearing off of the enamel and the more rapid exposure of the dentin and therefore, yellowing of the teeth.

-DDS on staff