Dental Floss

How to properly floss your teeth

Masticar Chicle (Goma de Mascar)

Alguna vez has escuchado que masticar chicle sin azúcar puede ayudarte a prevenir uno de los mayores problemas dentales que son las caries?

Pues debes saber que la mayoría de los expertos coinciden en que esto es verdad. La ADA cita que gracias a diferentes estudios clínicos se ha demostrado que masticar chicle sin azúcar por 20 minutos después de comer puede contribuir a la prevención de la caries dental.


                                        

Cuando masticas chicle, se estimula la producción de saliva. Esta ayuda a prevenir las caries al enjuagar los residuos de comida y bebidas fuera de tus dientes y encías.

Siempre es necesario recordar que las gomas deben ser sin azúcar y es recomendable elegir una con el sello de aprobación de la ADA. Y por supuesto, masticar chicle no reemplaza el cepillado, el cual debe hacerse al menos dos veces al día, cada día.

Chewing Gum

Ever heard that chewing sugarless gum can prevent one of the biggest dental problems, cavities?

Well, most dental experts agree that it does. The American Dental Association cites clinical studies that say chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes after you eat can contribute to the prevention of tooth decay.

When you chew gum, it actually stimulates the production of saliva. Saliva is an important means of preventing cavities because it rinses away food and beverage debris on your teeth and gums. Cavities are created when the bacteria in your mouth feast on food and beverage debris, producing acid that eats away at tooth enamel. Saliva also works to prevent tooth decay by neutralizing the acidity of this bacterial byproduct.

To get the most effective chewing gum possible, choose a gum with the ADA seal of approval. These chewing gums are sugarless, which is essential if you want your gum to prevent cavities. ADA-approved gums are sweetened with ingredients such as xylitol, aspartame or sorbitol. Bacteria causes tooth decay when the sugar in sugared gum is on your teeth and gums, so sugared gum is not generally a good option. And of course, chewing gum is not a replacement for brushing, which you should do twice a day, every day.

Composite Fillings or Amalgam Fillings?

The recommendation most doctors will make is for the placement of a composite filling.

Composite fillings have a 40 year history and are comprised of a plastic resin that is initially soft but cures to full strength after a a short exposure to the blue range of the light spectrum. The pros to using composite fillings are that they can be very small in size and adapt to any shape of cavity, come in a wide variety of colors to match your smile and have no chance of darkening a tooth ove time.

                                                  Amalgam                      Composite

Amalgam alloy fillings are comprised of a mixture of copper, silver, tin and elemental mercury. They have a 100 year history of use. Amalgam fillings are held in place by the shape of the cavity.

One major drawback of an amalgam fillings is that if the cavity is too small, the filling still has to be of sufficient size for proper hold and overall strength. Besides only coming in one color, the silver in amalgam fillings has the tendency to tarnish and percolate into the tooth over long periods of time, resulting in a gradual darkening of the tooth.