Cutting out the excess sugar in your diet will definitely be in your best interest not just for your waistline but for your oral health. Typically, tooth decay occurs when harmful bacteria in your mouth feed on sugar and produce acids. These acids remove minerals in your tooth’s enamel and cause cavities over time.

Sugar substitutes, such as those found in sugar-free drinks and snacks, will typically lessen your risk of suffering from dental decay. One of the most commonly used sugar substitutes is Xylitol. It is a natural sweetener derived from plants. Xylitol is used in products like chewing gum, breath mints, toothpaste, etc. It is known to prevent bacterial growth in your mouth, thus fighting cavities. Xylitol also increases the amount of saliva in your mouth which helps to buffer these acids.

While those sugar substitutes have several benefits, there are, unfortunately, other ingredients in many of those sugar-free snacks and drinks that are not good for your teeth.

• Sugar-free or not, drinks with increased acidic properties and low pH levels can weaken your enamel and strip it away over time, which can lead to dental decay. Sugar-free drinks like diet soda can soften the enamel by up to 50 percent.
• Certain foods contain chemicals called chelators which bind other chemicals to calcium. This can cause erosive damage to your teeth.

So what can you do to protect your pearly whites? The following are some of the things you may want to try:

• Choosing drinks and snacks that have a low content of acid to avoid stripping away of your enamel and increasing your sensitivity. Drinks such as herbal teas, soy milk, and of course water tend to have the least negative effects on teeth in terms of acidity.
• Avoiding brushing your teeth for at least 30 minutes after consuming anything acidic. Acidic foods, like oranges and lemons, can soften tooth enamel. Brushing too soon after eating them can damage the enamel in its weakened state.
• Drinking through a straw will also minimize acidic contact with your teeth.
• Avoiding drinking acidic drinks like diet soda in the morning: Usually, your salivary calcium levels are low in the morning. This makes your teeth more vulnerable to those acids.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Our phone number is (310) 454-0912. Dentistry by Design is located at 881 Alma Real Drive, Suite 205A, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 Website:www.palisadesdentistry.com

Disclaimer: This article is for educational and informational purposes only. The information is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, claims, suggestions, diagnosis, counseling, or treatment of any kind under any circumstances.

Hope you are having a nice April. We have been working very hard on a new and exciting project and we are proud to announce that we are moving to a new location in July. Don’t worry, we aren’t moving very far. We will be right down the street in the Palisades Village Center, 881 Alma Real Dr. Suite #205A, in the same building as Dr. Damon Raskin and Dr. Jacobson.

As much as we love our cozy space on Monument Street, the new location will help us provide even better service and comfort to our patients. We are planning to be all moved in to our new office July 1, 2013.

We are excited to start the summer in our new location and hope you will stop by and say hello.

Maria Elena Tapia, D.D.S. & Associates

Back in 1861, Lucy Hobbs became the first female dentist, paving the way for women who want to follow a career in dentistry. In the 1800’s, women were not allowed in dental school. For some, this might have been a roadblock but not for Hobbs. She began a private program of study with a professor from the Ohio College of Dental Surgery. In 1865, she finally gained all professional recognition when she was allowed to join the Iowa State Dental Society. That November, she entered the Ohio College of Dental Surgery, where in 1866 she earned her doctorate in dentistry, becoming the first woman in the United States to do so. By 1900, almost one thousand women had followed Lucy Taylor into dentistry, an increase many attribute largely to her accomplishments. In 1983, the American Association of Women Dentists honored Taylor by establishing the Lucy Hobbs Taylor Award, which it now presents annually to AAWD members in recognition of professional excellence and achievements in advancing the role of women in dentistry.

Taken from Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Palisades Dentistry Group is excited to announce the addition of the NOMAD, one of the safest dental handheld units available in the market. The innovative handheld design improves dental radiography speed, convenience, and quality. It’s twice as fast as conventional x-ray systems and reduces the number of retakes by up to 50 percent.

Most importantly, the NOMAD is designed with safety in mind. It features external and internal radiation shielding to protect the operator from radiation exposure. Unlike conventional wall-mounted x-rays, the operator can stay with patient during the procedure. There is no need to leave the room.

In April of 2012, The American Dental Association (ADA) published the following on its website,

The American Dental Association (ADA) is aware of a recent study that associates yearly or more frequent dental X-rays to an increased risk of developing meningioma, the most commonly diagnosed brain tumor. The ADA’s long-standing position is that dentists should order dental X-rays for patients only when necessary for diagnosis and treatment. Since 1989, the ADA has published recommendations to help dentists ensure that radiation exposure is as low as reasonably achievable.

The ADA has reviewed the study and notes that the results rely on the individuals’ memories of having dental X-rays taken years earlier. Studies have shown that the ability to recall information is often imperfect. Therefore, the results of studies that use this design can be unreliable because they are affected by what scientists call “recall bias.” Also, the study acknowledges that some of the subjects received dental x-rays decades ago when radiation exposure was greater. Radiation rates were higher in the past due to the use of old x-ray technology and slower speed film. The ADA encourages further research in the interest of patient safety.

For more information about the article

If you would like more information about the NOMAD, please call (310) 454-0912. We will be happy to speak with you and answer questions or concerns you might have about your dental health.