Dental Red Flags: Four Reasons to See the Dentist Right Now

By John Dougherty

If you brush twice a day and floss once a day, you’re ahead of the game. But even those who take good care of their teeth sometimes need to make an extra trip to the dentist. Bi-annual appointments provide important preventative care, but some issues can’t wait for your next cleaning date.  

Here are four red flag symptoms you should never ignore:

 1. Bleeding Gums

Bleeding gums can result from brushing too hard or from taking a long break from flossing and then starting again. However, they can also be an early sign of gum disease. If bleeding or discomfort is extreme or continues after you’ve been brushing and flossing regularly for two weeks, call the office immediately. If your leg was bleeding, you’d go see a doctor, right? If your gums are bleeding, come see us.  

 2. Sensitive Teeth and Toothaches

Tooth pain is often indicative of decay and should be treated immediately, before it gets worse. If you experience pain when drinking hot or cold beverages, you probably have sensitive teeth. This discomfort could be the result of gum disease, worn tooth enamel, tooth decay or worn fillings. Schedule an appointment so we can treat your pain and address any underlying health issues.

3. Mouth Sores

Mouth sores such as canker sores or cold sores can be treated with over the counter products, but there are other sores that need direct medical attention. If a sore lasts longer than a week, call the office to schedule an appointment.

 4. Chronic Bad Breath

Temporary bad breath often comes from tobacco-use or what you eat and drink. (Coffee, anyone?) In these cases, dental attention is not necessary. However, if you have persistent bad breath that doesn’t go away when you brush and floss, it could be an early sign of gum disease.

Does fluoride help or hurt?

By: John Dougherty

It’s alarming to learn that tooth decay is one of the most common chronic childhood diseases in the U.S. Dentists are now seeing an increasing number of children as young as four years old with moderate to severe cases of tooth decay. The good news is this is preventable; and fluoride is an important ingredient in prevention.

To keep children cavity-free for as long as possible, the American Dental Association recently changed the recommended age of fluoride use from two-years-old to the first signs of baby teeth. It was previously thought that fluoride use on babies may cause discoloration on their adult teeth, and possibly cause harm. As a result, the recent change in recommendation has stimulated some debate.   

First, we must consider the overall benefits of fluoride:

• It helps maintain saliva,  preventing plaque build up
• It prevents plaque from forming acids that cause tooth decay
• It strengthens weakened areas of the mouth

Adults that brush their teeth daily with fluoride toothpaste should be sufficiently protected. For infants, it is safe for parents to use small amounts of fluoride toothpaste with a soft brush, to help protect their teeth as they begin to form. For children, fluoride toothpaste alone is not enough.  To properly protect their teeth from decay, during the prime growing years, children need fluoride from additional sources, such as local drinking water.   

Recommended Alternative Sources

• Fluoride rinse
• Fluoride gum or drops
• Tap water

While some parents are concerned that too much fluoride can be harmful, proper amounts of toothpaste and fluoride supplements are safe. Now, if a child ingests an entire tube of toothpaste, it can be extremely harmful and in some cases even fatal. Fortunately, if they only swallow a pea-sized amount, there are no damaging effects.