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October’s here! A month when we celebrate the beauty of fall, the taste of pumpkin spice, the fun of Halloween in Crescent Springs, and the healthy smiles which orthodontic treatment makes possible!

Because October is Orthodontic Health Month, and it’s a great time to talk about how your orthodontist helps you create not just a more beautiful smile, but a healthier one. 

Straight, evenly spaced teeth are the visible benefit of treatment, but there are many health benefits which might not be quite as noticeable. Orthodontic treatment can:

• Help You Prevent Cavities and Gum Disease 

When teeth are crowded or crooked, it’s hard for your toothbrush and floss to reach all of the plaque which builds up on and between your teeth. The bacteria in plaque create acids which start to dissolve tooth enamel. And a very small hole in the enamel surface can grow until it becomes a cavity. 

Plaque and bacteria also irritate the gums. When you can’t remove plaque completely, your gums are at risk for gingivitis. This early stage of gum disease causes redness, tenderness, swelling, and bleeding. Left untreated, gingivitis can develop into more serious gum disease. 

And, over time, plaque hardens and becomes tartar, which needs to be removed professionally at Buttermilk Dentistry.

When your teeth are straight and evenly spaced, brushing and flossing are both easier and more effective, helping you keep your teeth and gums healthy and plaque-free.

• Create a Better Bite

For a healthy bite, your teeth and jaws need to align correctly. The top teeth should slightly overlap the lower teeth, and the ridges of your upper molars should fit smoothly with the grooves of your lower molars. 

Malocclusions, or bad bites, can come in many forms, including overbites, underbites, open bites, cross bites, and overjets. A bad bite is bad for your dental health. Malocclusions can cause tooth grinding, worn enamel, and even cracked teeth. 

And bad bites don’t just affect your teeth. When your bite doesn’t align properly, you might suffer from problems such as headaches, jaw pain, indigestion, and sleep apnea. 

Orthodontic treatment creates a healthy, symmetrical, and pain-free bite.

• Improve Your Self-Confidence

We can’t forget the invisible health benefits of orthodontic treatment! Your smile is a gift which you share with the world. But if you’re hesitating to smile because of self-consciousness about your teeth or bite, orthodontic treatment can make a world of difference.

Your orthodontist can help you achieve straighter teeth, a bite which fits together properly, and, when malocclusions affect jaw symmetry, a more balanced facial profile. If you’re concerned about the appearance of your smile, talk to Dr. Pohl about an orthodontic consultation. Today’s technology can even let you see what your future smile will look like!

Modern orthodontic treatment is more effective and takes less time to complete than ever before. And orthodontics offers patients of all ages more benefits than ever before: 

• New types of braces are less noticeable and more comfortable than older styles. Smaller brackets, brackets which blend with tooth enamel, clear aligners, and lingual braces give you a variety of options to customize your treatment.
• Early orthodontic treatment can guide jaw growth in younger children. 
• Appliances can help with jaw alignment in older children, or, for more serious malocclusions, an orthodontist can coordinate treatment with an oral surgeon.
• Treatment isn’t limited to the teen years. Adults make up a large and growing number of orthodontic patients. 

If you’ve been considering orthodontic treatment, October—or any month!—is a great time to schedule a visit with an orthodontist. An orthodontic evaluation will let you know just what your orthodontist can do to help you create a beautiful and healthy smile.

The short answer to this question? Yes. Because your child’s breath is a reflection of his or her oral health, you should talk to Dr. Pohl if you notice any unpleasant changes. While better dental hygiene is usually the answer for young children, bad breath can also be a symptom of more serious problems.

Oral Hygiene

Most often, bad breath is simply a sign that your child needs a little help developing proper brushing and flossing habits.

• Show your child how to use a soft-bristled brush that fits in the mouth comfortably, be sure to brush all the surfaces of each tooth, and don’t forget to angle toward the gum line. And brush long enough. Once all the baby teeth have arrived, two minutes of brushing is usually recommended for children.
• It’s not too early to floss! Adults need to handle the flossing duties for children until they can manage on their own, so it’s a perfect time to teach technique. And, just like toothbrushes, floss should be flexible and soft.
• Don’t forget the tongue. Our tongues harbor the bacteria that cause bad breath, so finish off your child’s routine with a gentle brush of the tongue.

Better oral habits mean not only fresh breath, but give those baby teeth the best chance of staying healthy until they are naturally replaced by adult teeth. After all, baby teeth not only help your child learn to eat and speak properly, but they act as necessary placeholders so the permanent teeth are able to erupt in exactly the right spot.

Talk to a member of our Crescent Springs office team at your child’s next appointment if you are concerned about oral hygiene–they have many great suggestions for making brushing and flossing more efficient, comfortable, and even fun for your child.

As the school year gets under way in Crescent Springs, you’ve got a lot going on. New classes. New teachers. New activities. New books and supplies and . . . well, it’s a lot! Luckily, you have some familiar skills you can rely on to help you enjoy all these new experiences with a healthy, confident smile.

You may not have realized it, but the skill sets you’ve developed for school are useful beyond the classroom. Let’s put those skills to use with our dental study guide:

Do Your Homework

Dental care begins at home! Brush for two minutes twice each day and floss once a day to remove cavity-causing plaque.

If you’re in orthodontic treatment, you might need to brush and floss more often, whether several times a day or after each meal or snack. Follow your orthodontist’s recommendations and use orthodontic friendly tools like interproximal brushes and floss designed for braces.

If you have trouble with getting your teeth their cleanest, electric toothbrushes and water flossers can be a game changer when it comes to removing plaque and food particles from tricky spaces. Talk to Dr. Pohl to see if these tools are right for you.

Essential Supplies

Put together a kit for your backpack or locker so you’ll always have the smile-approved supplies you need on hand. These tools will help you manage any expected—and unexpected—dental challenges while you’re away from home. Your bag might include:

• Travel toothbrush in a ventilated case (bacteria aren’t fans of fresh air!)
• Travel size toothpaste
• Small mirror to make sure your smile is food-free
• If you wear braces, add orthodontic floss and interproximal brushes, dental wax to prevent irritation from loose wires or brackets, and extra rubber bands as needed
• If you have a retainer or aligners, bring your appliance case to prevent damaging or losing them
• Your dentist’s and orthodontist’s phone numbers for emergencies

Add any other items you think will be helpful, and you’ll be prepared to handle any dental-related issues throughout the day.

Follow Directions

Your dental team at Buttermilk Dentistry has the best recommendations for a healthy smile—but these recommendations only work if you follow them!

• See Dr. Pohl for regular checkups. These appointments are the time to learn about better brushing techniques, a dental-healthy diet, and other ways to help prevent cavities. Bonus: Regular cleanings will keep your smile sparkling!
• If you’re an orthodontic patient, wear your aligners, appliances, or elastics for the recommended number of hours each day. If you don’t, your treatment could take longer.
• If you wear aligners, it’s important to change your trays on schedule. Changing to a new set of aligners too soon can cause stressful pressure on your teeth and jaws. Changing trays later than recommended can delay your progress.

Any Questions? Ask!

Asking questions is one of the best ways to learn. Your dental team at Buttermilk Dentistry has years of education and experience to help you answer some of the questions you have about navigating your school day.

How can you keep your smile clean and fresh throughout a long day of school? Which cafeteria foods are orthodontic-friendly? Why are mouthguards so important when you play sports?

Your dental team has the answers—or knows how to help you find them. Work with your team to make sure that you’re able to enjoy all the possibilities of the school year, from classroom to lunchroom to extracurriculars, with a healthy confident smile!

Molars are made up of canyons, caves, pits, and seemingly endless caverns that are a breeding ground for decay. The protective solution is a sealant. When done correctly, a sealant from Dr. Pohl of Buttermilk Dentistry can be most effective in preventing cavities.

A sealant is made up of composite (a plastic-like) material that contains bonding agents to seal to the edge of the tooth. Sealants placed on the chewing surfaces of back teeth block food from being trapped. The process in which a sealant is placed is quite precise and painless.

First the tooth is cleaned with a sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) spray. Then an acid etch is applied to “roughen up” the surface. No saliva is to touch the tooth. This will re-mineralize the area, then a repeat etching is needed. An alcohol-based liquid then dries out the area and it must remain completely dry. The sealant is placed and guided through all the caverns, pits, fissures, and grooves. It is then cured with a special light, which makes it a hard, plastic-like material.

Sealants can last for several years. It is wise to have them examined on a semi-annual basis. If there is a break in the sealant, a high risk for decay is common. If a sealant is damaged, repair is simple, painless, and quick to complete.

Who can benefit from sealants? Anyone! Children often receive sealants as routine preventive care. Adults with deep canyons with stained grooves on their teeth can also benefit from a sealant. The process is quick, painless, and does not require any anesthesia. It is an effective way to lower dental restorative costs.

An investment in dental sealants can reap great benefits as properly cared for teeth will remain cavity free. Our Crescent Springs location is available to answer your questions so give us a call today!