Neuromuscular Dentistry

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  • How to Make Your Next Dental Visit Your Best One

    Going to the dentist shouldn’t be scary. It is a necessity, but if you find yourself dreading the visit due to pain it might be time to find a new dentist. Some dentists will go to great lengths to ensure patient comfort, including warm neck wraps and eye pillows. Here are a few things to remember that will help make your next dental visit your best one.

    Checkup Time

    If your checkup is shorter than an episode of The Simpsons, chances are the dentist is not thorough enough. The dentist should be performing an exam in addition to a cleaning. Thirty minutes isn’t enough time to check your gums, your teeth and to perform a cleaning of your whole mouth. Ask your dentist specifically to perform an oral cancer screening, and make sure that you get a checkup in addition to a cleaning.

     Techniques

    We often hear the dentist tell us that we need to floss more. Frequency of flossing may not be the issue so much as technique. First of all, there is no substitute for flossing. You need to get some dental floss and use a good length to wrap around your fingers, and then go through the crevices between your teeth. No mouth wash will give you this level of deep clean, but you should still use a mouth rinse after brushing and flossing. Make sure that you’re brushing at least twice a day, preferably three times, and that you dedicate enough time to brushing so you can adequately clean your teeth.

    Foods

    Even dentists chew gum, so don’t let the propaganda fool you. Not all gum is bad for your mouth, but you do have to be careful how much you chew. Gum contains sugars. It also increases saliva, which isn’t a bad thing, but the break down of sugars can cause bacteria build up in the mouth. That leads to bad breath and gum disease. Coffee and red wine stain teeth, but they also build up acid in the mouth and tend to stay in the mouth for a long time as you drink them. Whitening toothpaste will help remove those surface stains, but you should drink fluorinated water to help renew the enamel in your teeth.

    The final tip is more of a fun fact. An apple a day doesn’t just keep the doctor away, it’s also a great natural tooth brush. If you find yourself unable to brush your teeth, try rinsing your mouth with warm water or chewing on an apple.

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    By Dr. Sid Solomon is a cosmetic dentist with over twenty years experience in full mouth reconstruction. Sid Solomon is a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentists, and the California Dental Association. You can read Dr. Sid Solomon DDS reviews online, or book your appointment now.

  • Dr. Sid Solomon DDS on The Doctors show

    Dr. Sid Solomon DDS and Mindy join The Doctors. They explain how a special orthotic device helped improve Mindy’s TMJ pain as well as the pain throughout the rest of her body.

  • How Plaque Gets on Your Teeth

    Plaque is a thin film of bacteria that can build up around your teeth if you neglect them. If you let plaque build up over time, it will eventually harden and form tartar. This substance is extremely difficult to remove without visiting a dentist, which is another reason why cleanings are so important. Here are possible causes for plaque build up.

    Not Brushing

    Dentists recommend that you brush at least twice a day for roughly 120 seconds per session. It’s suggested that patients divide their mouths into quadrants, so that they can brush each area evenly. It’s also a good idea to switch up where you start, so no one spot gets all the attention. Remember that your tooth brush may not get into those hard to reach spaces, which is where floss comes in handy.

    Not Flossing

    Use wide-ribbon floss as opposed to the thin string. Gently slide the floss in between the crevices of your teeth. This pulls out all the grime and particles that are stuck in the cavities between your teeth without harming your gums. Go too hard or too fast and you’re likely to cause infection through opening up your gums. Do this after brushing so that you get everything your tooth brush missed. Whatever flossing won’t get, rinsing will.

    Not Rinsing

    It’s recommended that you rinse with a mouth wash after you brush your teeth. Along with a tongue scraper, mouth wash is good for your breath. It also kills bacteria that you might have missed brushing or flossing. An antimicrobial mouth wash is ideal, but you can easily switch to fluoride to guard your teeth against enamel wearing agents.

    Avoiding the Dentist

    The longer you put off going to the dentist, the more likely you are to have to deal with problems like excessive plaque and tartar. Failure to adequately care for your teeth can easily lead to gum disease, which will erode your teeth over time and could potentially cause them to fall out. Neglecting the dentist is one of the top reasons why adults lose teeth. Don’t risk it! Go to the dentist and get a routine cleaning. Along with the right foods, you’ll greatly improve your oral hygiene.

    Safe Foods

    Before tooth brushes were invented, we needed to find other ways to care for our teeth. One of those methods was to eat foods that were safe for our mouths. Things like apples, carrots or celery are all likely to strip away some of the plaque in our mouths and around our teeth.

    If you notice these symptoms cropping up, it may be time for a professional cleaning.

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    Written by: Dr. Sid Solomon is a professional dental hygienist based out of Southern California. With over twenty years of passionate dedication, Sid Solomon DDS. You can read a Dr. Sid Solomon review online to see how his work has changed people’s lives.