Diabetes is a disease that keeps the body from properly processing food into usable energy. If diabetes is not controlled or maintained, it can lead to overall health concerns such as heart disease, eye problems, kidney failure, and oral health complications. In fact, there is a known link between diabetes and an increased risk of gum disease and tooth loss. So during this Diabetes Awareness Month, your dentist in Canton wants to share a few oral health tips for diabetics.  

• Focus on Blood Glucose

There are an estimated 30 million Americans with diabetes. That’s 30 million people who are focused on checking and maintaining their blood glucose levels several times a day. After all, keeping blood glucose numbers within a healthy range is how diabetics stay healthy and avoid hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, or long-term problems like organ damage. But your dentist in Canton wants you to know that maintaining blood sugar can also help decrease the risk of gum disease. Gum disease is a serious infection in the gum tissues that can also lead to some whole-body concerns such as heart disease. Additionally, like any infection, gum disease can cause blood sugar spikes and make diabetes difficult to manage. 

• Choose Healthy Foods

One of the best ways to keep blood glucose levels in check is to choose healthy foods and follow a well-balanced diet. Avoiding sugary sweets and hidden sugars in high carbohydrate foods not only helps prevent blood sugar spikes, but it can also protect teeth against decay. Whenever possible, choose nutrient-rich foods like fruits, veggies, and lean meats or follow your diet plan as recommended by your doctor. 

• Brush Your Teeth

Your dentist in Canton knows just how important it is for everyone to brush their teeth every day, whether they’re diabetics or not. However, practicing good oral hygiene is even more important for those who have diabetes as it can go a long way in keeping gum disease at bay. Good oral hygiene includes brushing your teeth twice a day, every day for at least two minutes, using fluoride toothpaste, and flossing in between each and every tooth daily. It’s also important to gently brush your tongue to remove any bacteria that may have wiggled their way into the hidden peaks and valleys. 

Besides brushing your teeth regularly and flossing every day, it’s incredibly important for both diabetics and non-diabetics to see their dentist in Canton every six months for a professional cleaning and a thorough checkup so that we can catch and treat any potential problems early. 

If it’s been longer than six months since your last dental visit, call to schedule an appointment. We’ll be happy to see you.

Accepting new patients at all of our locations in Ann Arbor, Canton, Farmington Hills, and Livonia.

National Alzheimer’s Disease Month is recognized every November, and this year is no different. More than 5 million Americans are living with this form of dementia and there’s not much known about what causes it or how to prevent it. But your dentist in Ann Arbor does want to share some good news that was recently released by the National Institute on Aging that may change how we prevent and treat Alzheimer’s.  

Gum Disease & Alzheimer’s

An article published earlier this year by the National Institute on Aging shows promising research regarding a potential cause of this debilitating disease. The culprit at the center of the study? Gum disease. 

Gum disease is an infection of the gum tissues caused by a buildup of bacteria. Poor oral hygiene, tobacco use, and some medications are just a few of the things that increase someone’s risk of developing gum disease. Gum disease can lead to tooth loss, bad breath, and whole-body issues such as heart disease and now, as suggested by recent research, Alzheimer’s. 

The Research

The research from the National Institute on Aging takes a closer look at how gum disease can cause Alzheimer’s. In short, it has to do with a type of bacteria that can cause gum disease. Our mouths are home to hundreds of different types of bacteria, but the one that concerns dentists and researchers alike is one known as Porphyromonas gingivalis. In the study, this form of bacteria was the most common cause of gum disease. Additionally, one of the major staples found in Alzheimer’s patients called plaque of beta-amyloid protein may be produced as a byproduct of gum disease caused by Porphyromonas gingivalis bacteria. 

In another study from the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, brain tissue samples were taken from patients with dementia and from those without dementia. What researchers found was that the dementia patient tissue contained gum disease bacteria whereas the non-dementia tissue did not.

But how do bacteria in the gums end up in the brain? Well, infections can easily enter the bloodstream and be carried to other areas of the body, including the brain. This is also how gum disease can contribute to heart disease. 

Preventing Gum Disease

The best way to prevent gum disease, and therefore perhaps Alzheimer’s, is to have good oral hygiene habits. Make sure you brush your teeth twice a day, gently scrub your tongue, and floss in between every tooth daily to further remove dangerous bacteria. It’s also important that you see your dentist in Ann Arbor at least every six months. 

While additional research is needed in order to further understand the potential connection between gum disease and Alzheimer’s, researchers are on the right track. Besides, brushing your teeth and seeing your dentist in Ann Arbor can only benefit you, even if it may not completely prevent Alzheimer’s. 

Welcoming new patients at all of our locations in Ann Arbor, Canton, Farmington Hills, and Livonia. 

Facemasks are now a common thing in all of our lives. We see them hanging from rearview mirrors as we drive down the road, everyone in the grocery store is masked up, and they’re even starting to become a fashion statement to some. While facemasks are encouraged in public places nowadays to help reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19, there’s a little-known side effect that involves your dentist in Ann Arbor. 

Disclaimer About Facemasks 

Before we dive into the oral health side effects of facemasks, we want to make sure that all of our readers know that this does not mean we don’t support the use of facemasks. Please don’t stop wearing your mask. The benefits far outweigh the potential downsides that we’re about to discuss. Besides, there are things you can do to completely eliminate these downsides. More on that in a bit. 

The Way We Breathe

Now, another important thing to note is that the facemask itself isn’t to blame. It’s the way our bodies react to this new change. Since most of us are not used to wearing a facemask every day, we tend to automatically adjust the way we breathe while wearing one. In fact, many people are finding themselves breathing out of their mouths instead of their noses while wearing a mask. Even people who naturally breathe out of their noses and dislike mouth breathing can adopt a new way of breathing because it can feel more comfortable. However, mouth breathing isn’t something your dentist in Ann Arbor takes lightly.  

Mouth Breathing & Oral Health

Take a few deep breaths in and out using only your mouth. Do you feel what happened? Your mouth probably feels uncomfortably dry and as if you could use a drink of water, stat. Now let’s say you did that every time you wore a mask. That’s a pretty dry mouth, isn’t it? When we breathe out of our mouths instead of our noses it dries up saliva and can prevent more from being produced. The result is the dry, dehydrated feeling. But discomfort isn’t the only thing concerning your dentist in Ann Arbor. In fact, dry mouth can also cause oral health problems. 

Cavities

A mouth needs saliva to remain healthy. After all, it’s this spit that helps wash away bacteria and neutralize acids. But without saliva, these bacteria and acids are left around, increasing the likelihood of cavities.  

Bad Breath

Additionally, mouth breathing and dry mouth can also cause bad breath for similar reasons. With no saliva to remove bacteria, these pesky problem-makers will feed on leftover food particles. Then, as with all living things, the bacteria will release unused byproducts. It just so happens that bacteria’s byproduct smells bad, hence bad breath.

Keeping Dry Mouth Away

The good news is even if you do breathe out of your mouth, either while wearing a facemask or just naturally, there are ways you can prevent dry mouth and reduce your risk of cavities and bad breath. 

• Water. Taking breaks to sip water throughout the day can help keep the mouth hydrated and ready to fend off bacteria and acids.  
• Hard Candy. You read that correctly. Your dentist in Ann Arbor is telling you to have candy, but make sure it’s sugar-free candy or gum containing Xylitol. Chewing or sucking on these can stimulate saliva production. 
• Good Oral Hygiene. Brushing and flossing your teeth every day will help remove bacteria buildup. If you can, brush after meals to further protect your teeth. 

We’re always here to help our patients and neighbors, so if you have questions about dry mouth or you’re experiencing dry mouth and are unable to find relief, give us a call to schedule an appointment. 

Accepting new patients at all of our dental offices in Ann Arbor, Canton, Farmington Hills, and Livonia. 

An article recently published by the New York Times details one dentist’s experience seeing an increase of patients with cracked teeth over the past few months. What could be causing this? Well, all of our lives have been flipped upside down and shaken up this year, and this can cause some stress — naturally. This stress may just be the cause of some dental problems, including cracked teeth. Join your dentist in Farmington Hills as we share just how stress and other factors can influence your oral health. 

Teeth Clenching & Grinding

Our bodies react to stress in interesting ways. Sometimes our gut health is affected. Other times it’s our oral health. During periods of high stress, many people may begin clenching or grinding their teeth, and oftentimes they don’t even know it or they may be doing it subconsciously while sleeping. This repeated movement of teeth against teeth can cause teeth to wear down and appear shorter. It can also cause teeth to crack, break, or chip, requiring treatment from your dentist in Farmington Hills. But even that’s not all. Clenching and grinding your teeth puts unnecessary and unnatural stress on the jaw joint and can cause severe TMJ pain or TMJ disorder. 

Gum Disease

Prolonged periods of stress can also increase someone’s risk of developing gum disease. Gum disease is an infection deep under the gum line that requires professional dental treatment. However, if it’s not treated, gum disease can cause other problems throughout the body and put overall health at risk. Gum disease has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, respiratory disease, and even certain cancers. Besides stress, other things that increase the risk of gum disease include poor dental hygiene, smoking, and seeing your dentist in Farmington Hills every six months for deep cleanings. 

How To Decrease Stress

We understand that the current state of the world can easily cause stress levels to spike and put us at risk for both oral health problems and whole-body concerns. But one of the best things you can do during uncertain, stressful times is to learn effective ways to lower stress. Some stress-reduction techniques include: 

• Sleeping. Falling and staying asleep can be difficult when we’re stressed out and our minds won’t stop racing. But it’s crucial to your health to get enough sleep every day. Not only can sleeping enough lower stress (and probably make it easier to fall asleep), it can also give your body time to recover and keep you healthy. Try listening to calming sounds, avoiding your phone an hour before going to bed, and keeping a regular sleep schedule. 

• Meditating. Mediating has been proven to lower heart rate and help us feel relaxed, thus lowering stress. Find a free app on your phone that will guide you through meditations and teach you how to effectively lower stress by simply breathing. Meditation is like anything else, you need to practice it to get really good at it so be sure to schedule time each day to focus and meditate. 

• Exercising. Another proven way to lower stress and boost health is to exercise often. Whether you choose an online spin class, practice yoga, or run or walk, make sure you get a good sweat session daily. 

Now and always, it’s important to keep your stress levels low and immune system high to keep yourself healthy. Find a stress-reduction plan that works for you, eat a well-balanced diet, and see your dentist in Farmington Hills every six months. 

We’re always accepting new patients from Ann Arbor, Canton, Farmington Hills, and Livonia.

Our gums are an important part of our oral health. After all, they help hold our teeth in place and protect the tooth roots. But that doesn’t necessarily mean we want to see them when we smile, no matter how important they are. Nonetheless, there are some people whose gums show more prominently than others. This is known as a gummy smile. Now while there typically aren’t any problems associated with a gummy smile, they can make some feel self-conscious. When this is the case, your dentist in Canton has some options to help. 

Causes of a Gummy Smile

Before we dive into some of the cosmetic dentistry options that can fix a gummy smile, it’s important to know what can cause it in the first place. Some of the most common causes of a gummy smile include: 

• Abnormal Tooth Eruption

One of the most common causes behind a gummy smile is the way the teeth develop and erupt. When there’s too much growth in the gum tissue it can expand up and over, essentially hiding teeth. This can create the appearance of short teeth and a gummy smile. However, oftentimes the teeth are fully developed and can be uncovered. An abundance of gum tissue can be genetic or can be a result of medication of an infection in the gums. 

• A Bad Bite

At your dental appointments, your dentist in Canton will ask you to bite down and touch your top teeth to your bottom teeth in order to check your bite alignment. This can help identify several things such as a potential problem with your jaw. A bad bite may also be the reason behind a gummy smile. For example, if the upper jaw protrudes too far outward can create a gummy appearance.

• Hyperactive Upper Lip

While something called a hyperactive upper lip may seem silly, it’s a very real thing. Sometimes the muscles in the upper lip and under the nose are too active. Over time, this overuse can bring the top lip up too high, exposing the gums. This cause of a gummy smile is often hereditary. 

Your dentist in Canton will need to know the root cause of a gummy smile in order to recommend the best treatment for your specific situation.  

Gummy Smile Treatment

Treatment of a gummy smile can vary greatly depending on the case. But some of the most common solutions are: 

• Scaling & Root Planing

If the cause of a gummy smile is an infection, your dentist will probably recommend beginning with a scaling and root planing deep cleaning. This treatment can be very effective at removing infection and reducing inflammation that may make the gums appear larger than normal. If scaling and root planing treatment doesn’t give a patient the result they desire, there are additional treatments available. 

• Crown Lengthening/Gum Recontouring

Other common and often successful treatments for a gummy smile are crown lengthening or gum recontouring, which are pretty much exactly what they sound like. These procedures remove excess tissue around the teeth and restructure the gum line allowing more of the white enamel to show. 

• Orthodontics

A gummy smile caused by a bad bite may best be treated through orthodontics, including traditional braces or clear aligners such as Invisalign or ClearCorrect. Orthodontics can also help fix a bad bite in general and may relieve jaw pain or other oral health problems related to a bad bite. 

If you notice more of your gums showing when you smile, laugh, or talk, and it bothers you, schedule a consultation with your dentist in Canton. 

Looking for a dentist? We’re always accepting new patients at all of our dental offices in Ann Arbor, Canton, Farmington Hills, and Livonia. Call to schedule an appointment today!

When we’re little, losing our teeth can be an exciting thing. After all, we get a visit from the tooth fairy, a few extra bucks under our pillows, and there’s really nothing cuter than a child missing their two front teeth. But as we get older, missing teeth isn’t so cute anymore, and we go from being excited about losing our teeth to doing everything we can to avoid it. And in recent years, we’ve done a pretty good job. In fact, according to the American Dental Association, more American adults are keeping their teeth longer now than ever before. In order to keep this positive trend going, your dentist in Livonia wants to share with you some of the most common things that cause our teeth to fall out so you can avoid them. 

Gum Disease

Gum disease is the main cause of tooth loss among American adults as it accounts for 70% of all tooth loss. Gum disease is often caused by poor oral hygiene and when mouth bacteria aren’t removed regularly. When bacteria are left around, they multiply, flourish, and will start to affect the gums, causing an infection. This infection will deteriorate gum tissue and can even weaken the jaw bone. Gum disease can be treated but it will not resolve on its own. Your dentist in Livonia will need to intervene early to successfully keep gum disease from leading to more severe oral health problems including tooth loss.  

Cavities

Even though cavities are incredibly common and they’re usually no big deal, if they’re not treated promptly they can cause a whole heap of problems. Cavities can be caused by any number of things including not brushing your teeth well enough or often enough, eating too many acidic foods or those high in sugar, and those pesky mouth bacteria again. Typically, a small cavity can be treated with a filling from your dentist in Livonia. However, when a cavity becomes too large or too deep into the tooth, you may need a root canal, tooth extraction, or your tooth may fall out on its own. 

Tooth Trauma

The two causes of tooth loss we’ve already mentioned have a lot to do with poor oral hygiene. However, tooth loss can occur as a result of an accident or trauma even in those who take excellent care of their teeth. While nobody expects an accident and you can’t prevent them completely, you can at least reduce your risk of a tooth injury by wearing a mouthguard while playing sports, which is when many mouth injuries occur. 

Other Health Concerns

Sometimes tooth loss isn’t directly a result of something that happens in the mouth. In fact, there are many oral health concerns that are linked to other problems throughout the whole body. Tooth loss can be one of them. Some ailments that affect oral health can include, but are not limited to: 

• High Blood Pressure
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Poor Nutrition
• Arthritis

Make sure you share your full health history with your dentist in Livonia so they can cater your treatment and care to your specific needs. 
Let’s continue to work together to help more American adults keep their natural teeth longer and perhaps even for a lifetime. Practice good oral hygiene habits at home by brushing and flossing daily, avoid smoking or using tobacco of any kind, and always keep your bi-annual dental visit so we can catch any small problem early and keep your smile full and happy. 

Welcoming patients at all of our locations in Canton, Farmington Hills, and Livonia. 

It probably comes as no surprise to hear your dentist in Farmington Hills talk about all of the oral health benefits associated with drinking milk. But not all milk is created equal when it comes to building strong and healthy teeth. In fact, one of the most popular alternatives to cow’s milk, soy milk, can actually be worse for your teeth. 

Soy Milk & Oral Health

Many people have turned away from drinking cow’s milk in favor of plant-based alternatives such as soy milk. While soy milk can certainly help reduce caloric intake with only 80-100 calories per cup and it packs just as much of a protein punch as cow’s milk, it may not be as beneficial to your teeth and may even harm them. But how can that be? Doesn’t soy milk have calcium and vitamin D, the two things that make cow’s milk so great for teeth? Well, even though soy milk does contain this vitamin and mineral power team, there is less of it than cow’s milk. Additionally, research suggests that after drinking soy milk, mouth bacteria produced five to six times more acid as compared to drinking cow’s milk. This is concerning for your dentist in Farmington Hills. You see, more acid typically means more damage to the protective tooth enamel, and reduced protection means more risk for tooth decay and cavities. But that’s not all, many brands of soy milk also contain added sugars, and as everyone knows, sugar is no friend of teeth. As always, we need to recognize that more research is needed to fully understand the effects of soy milk on teeth, but this is a good place to start. 

What’s So Great About Cow’s Milk? 

Even though many people may choose to drink a milk alternative, and that’s ok, we still want to make sure that our patients and neighbors know the benefits of good old-fashioned cow’s milk. First and foremost, as we mentioned above, cow’s milk is loaded with two things our teeth love and need — calcium and vitamin D. When combined, calcium and vitamin D work to replenish lost minerals from teeth and tooth enamel. This can protect teeth from bacteria, acid, decay, and cavities and help keep teeth super strong. 

What If You Can’t Drink Cow’s Milk? 

Your dentist in Farmington Hills understands that some people may not be able to drink cow’s milk whether due to lactose intolerance, other dietary restrictions, or religious reasons. But that doesn’t mean these individuals can’t get their daily dose of vitamin D and calcium through other means. If you’re someone who can’t drink cow’s milk or has trouble digesting it, make sure to supplement your calcium and vitamin intake through other foods and drinks such as: 

• Spinach
• Kale
• Fish
• Egg yolks
• Calcium-fortified coconut or almond milk

Besides eating well and getting enough calcium and vitamin D in your diet, it’s also important to see your dentist in Farmington Hills for regular checkups and dental cleanings every six months. This combination of eating right and proper preventive dental care can go a long way in keeping your smile strong and healthy for a lifetime. 

We have dental offices in Canton, Farmington Hills, and Livonia, to better serve you.

There’s a dental treatment out there that can make even the toughest of the tough shudder in fear. We’re talking about the dreaded root canal. This dental procedure has gained such a terrible reputation over the years of being an incredibly painful, uncomfortable, and overall horrible thing. However, nothing could be farther from the truth, and your dentist in Canton is here to set the record straight on just how beneficial (and painless!) a root canal can be. 

Putting the Painful Perception to Rest

If you’ve been told that you need a root canal, you may be a little apprehensive, scared, or straight-up terrified. We understand because we know that many people have the perception that this dental treatment is painful. But quite the opposite is true. If you need a root canal, chances are you’re already in pain, and sometimes excruciating pain at that. That’s because there’s an infection so deep into your tooth that it’s reached your nerves. When this happens, your dentist in Canton will typically recommend a root canal to remove the infection, stop the pain, and save your tooth. So you see, a root canal actually stops the pain instead of causing it. 

5 Steps of a Root Canal 

Our experience shows that sometimes, knowing what your dentist in Canton is going to do will help alleviate fears. However, if you’re the opposite and you find that knowing the details of treatment just exacerbates fear, skip to the next section. 

The five steps of a root canal are: 

• Numb the area. A root canal treatment begins with a thorough numbing of the treatment area. After just a few minutes, you shouldn’t feel a thing. This helps reduce or completely remove any discomfort.

• Make a teeny hole. Once you’re nice and numb, your dentist will make an itsy bitsy hole to access the inner tooth where all of your canals, nerves, and pulp resides. 

• Clean out the canals. Your dentist will then clean out your canals and remove all the inner-workings of them including any infection, pulp, and nerves. This completely eliminates that tooth’s ability to feel anything, hence removing the pain you started with. 

• Seal them off. Almost done! After the canals are cleaned they will be sealed off to prevent anything from reentering. 

• Place a dental crown. The final step of a root canal often involves the creation and placement of a dental crown. This cap covers the entire tooth and farther prevents anything from getting inside. Dental crowns are custom-created to match the color and shape of the rest of your teeth, so nobody will even know it’s there. 

Signs You May Need a Root Canal

As we’ve already mentioned, tooth pain can be a sign that you need a root canal. However, it’s important to know that tooth pain does not always equate to a root canal. There are tons of things that can cause tooth pain, so check with your dentist in Canton. Other signs that you may need a root canal include: 

• Increased pain while chewing or with applied pressure
• Sensitivity to heat or cold that doesn’t go away quickly
• A small raised bump on the gums near the tooth that hurts
• Tooth discoloration 
• Gum swelling or pain  

Any of these symptoms should be a sign that you should schedule an appointment with your dentist. If you happen to need a root canal, don’t panic. Relief is coming.

We’re always accepting new patients at our dental offices in Canton, Farmington Hills, and Livonia.