How Being Vegan Affects Your Teeth

There is no doubt that a plant-based diet is optimal for health. Omnivores and vegans alike benefit from the nutrients present in plants. 

But how does what we eat relate to our dental health? Is a vegan diet better or worse for dental health? 

Well, it depends. There are some concerns for oral health when one consumes a vegan diet. Here are the main ones: 

Vitamin B12 deficiency 

A vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to gum disease and tooth loss. Vegans should supplement with adequate B12, as plants do not provide this important nutrient. 

Lack of remineralizing foods 

Remineralization occurs when essential minerals that support hardened, healthy enamel are resup-plied to the tooth after loss caused by acid erosion. The best remineralizing foods include cheese, meat, and milk, but nuts and leafy greens can also help.  

Lack of important amino acids 

One example is the amino acid arginine, which is found in meat, poultry, fish, and dairy. Arginine helps prevent cavities and gum disease by breaking down dental plaque. While arginine is found in higher quantities in meat, vegan sources of arginine include pumpkin seeds, peanuts, soybeans, lentils, and chickpeas. 

Calcium concerns 

Your body needs enough calcium to support healthy teeth and gums. Vegans need to supplement their diet with plenty of plant sources that contain calcium (almonds, leafy greens, beans, etc.) as well as fortified vegan milks (almond, soy, rice, etc.). 

Frequent snacking 

Continual snacking provides an environment for bacteria to thrive and attack your tooth’s enamel. Vegans may be more prone to frequent snacking in an effort to meet their body’s need for energy. You may find eating meals with a higher fat content helps you stay full for longer periods of time. 

More sugars/starches in the diet 

It can be easy as a vegan to eat a diet based on sweet/starchy foods like fruits and grains (cereal, bread, pasta, crackers, rice, etc.). But the bacteria in your mouth that cause tooth decay thrive on sugar. Make sure to round out your diet with non-sugary foods, such as tofu, nuts, seeds, and plenty of vegetables. 

The good news is that a diet with a higher intake of high-fiber foods, especially fruits, may at least slow periodontal disease progression. If you’re a vegan, you already know you have to be mindful of certain key nutrients that you may need to focus on or supplement in your diet. Keep this list in mind to ensure your dental health is also in tip-top shape! 

Is it time for you to come in for a cleaning and exam? Give us a call at (919) 755-3450 or schedule online.  We are always welcoming new patients and offer same day appointments for new patients and emergency dental care

What You Need to Know About Dry Mouth

We’ve all woken up in the middle of the night and our mouth feels dry as a desert. Maybe it’s winter and the heat’s turned up, or we have a cold and are breathing through our mouth. This is normal! Just take a sip of water and go back to sleep.

However, for 1 out of 5 adults this discomfort is part of their everyday lives. Dry mouth, also known, as "xerostomia", is an abnormal dryness of the mucous membranes in the mouth due to reduced saliva flow.

It may not seem like a problem – but saliva is important to maintaining our oral and overall health in several ways:

• It acts as a buffer to neutralize acidic in our mouth, helping to prevent cavities 
• Saliva helps in our immune response by protecting the oral cavity from bacteria 
• Saliva supports proper speech and articulation 
• It delivers calcium, phosphate,fluoride and other components essential to our oral health 
• Saliva flow helps us digest our food by aiding in our chewing and swallowing 
• Saliva protects exposed root surfaces 

Causes of Dry Mouth 

There are several possible causes of dry mouth or xerostomia. It's a common side effect of many medications. It can also be a side effect of cancer treatments, or symptom of certain auto-immune diseases such as Parkinson’s Disease or Sjögren's syndrome. People who've had an injury or surgery to their head or neck area may have nerve damage that results in dry mouth. Chewing or smoking tobacco also increases the risk of dry mouth symptoms.

Medications that Can Cause Dry Mouth 

• Anti-depressant and anti-anxiety drugs 
• Medications for lowering blood pressure 
• Allergy and cold medications — antihistamines and decongestants 
• Chemotherapy drugs 
• Medications to alleviate pain 
• Drugs used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease 

Is My Mouth Just “Dry” or Do I Have “Xerostomia”

Xerostomia can range from mildly irritating to quite uncomfortable.  In addition to a lack of saliva, here are a few of the other symptoms that may alert you and to a potential problem:

• Chronically bad breath 
• Splitting or cracking of the lips 
• Taste disorders 
• Fungal infections in the mouth, such as thrush 
• Painful or inflamed tongue, or frequent tongue ulcers 
• More frequent tooth decay, gum disease and plaque 
• Problems speaking, swallowing and chewing 
• Difficulty wearing dentures e.g. problems with denture retention or denture sores 
• Infections in your salivary glands 
• Chronic sore throat or the sensation of having a burning mouth 

Treating Dry Mouth

At Jeff M. Morrison & Associates, DDS, our approach to treating dry mouth is two-fold: find ways to increase saliva production and eliminate specific things that are likely to increase dryness in the mouth.

If you think you have xerostomia, we encourage you schedule an appointment with Dr. Morrison to have your condition assessed. He will review your health history, including your medications. He will also monitor your oral health and provide suggestions on improving your saliva flow – from simple home remedies to prescription medications.

Home Remedies for Dry Mouth

Here are a few “mouth-watering” tips you can also try on your own:

• Carry water wherever you go 
• Quit smoking or chewing tobacco 
• Avoid oral rinses that contain alcohol or peroxide. 
• Chew sugarless gum or suck on sugarless hard candies that contain xylitol to activate your saliva production. 
• Limit your consumption of caffeine, carbonated beverages (including seltzer and sparkling waters), and alcoholic beverages. 
• Brush your teeth at least twice a day, and use dental floss to remove food particles that get stuck between your teeth. 
• Use oral rinses that contain xylitol. Certain gels and oral sprays are equally helpful. Biotene is one over-the-counter brand that makes products designed to treat dry mouth. 
• Use a humidifier to add moisture to a bedroom, which may help reduce dry mouth symptoms that develop during sleep. 
• Make sure you get your teeth checked and cleaned twice a year to to identify dental problems early and treat them before they turn into something more serious. 

Concerned you have chronic dry mouth? Give us a call at (919) 755-3450 or request an appointment online.  Xerostomia is more than a minor discomfort – it can have a real impact on your health. We hope this information helps!

Which Toothpaste Should I Use?

We know you've been there - staring at the aisle in the drug store at the different kinds of toothpaste, each promising to be the best at something — like "fighting cavities", "tartar control", "whitening", or "decreasing tooth sensitivity". With so many options on the shelves, you might be wondering which one is best for you? Let us help you choose. 

What is Toothpaste?

Toothpaste, officially known as dentifrice, helps to amp up your toothbrush’s cleaning abilities. The main ingredients of most toothpaste include:

• Abrasives—The most important thing toothpaste does is remove unwanted stuff off the surface of your teeth. Long ago, people used gritty materials like brick dust, charcoal, tree bark, and animal hooves to clean their teeth. Thanks to technology and modern science, we now have much gentler ingredients proven to be safe and effective.
• Detergent—An ingredient more often associated with dishes or laundry, detergent is what makes toothpaste foam. This helps move particles off your teeth that water alone cannot.
• Fluoride—This mineral strengthens tooth enamel and makes teeth more resistant to decay. Small children tend to swallow a lot of paste as they are learning to brush (and too much fluoride is not good to ingest), so there are many without fluoride to choose from. 
• Humectants—These substances keep the paste from drying out, which is very helpful since you take that cap on and off several times each day.
• Flavor—Toothpaste has flavors like peppermint, cinnamon, and bubblegum without any sugar or components that would cause tooth decay.

What to Look For In A Toothpaste

Fluoride is the most important ingredient in toothpaste and it’s a must even if your water has fluoride in it. It's a natural mineral that hardens the enamel and makes teeth more resistant to cavities. Fluoride is perfectly safe in small amounts and research has shown that it can dramatically decrease tooth decay. Any toothpaste with fluoride will do for most people as long as they’re brushing, flossing and visiting their dentist regularly, as well as eating a healthy diet.

If you don’t experience any particular type of dental issue and simply want healthier teeth overall, Raleigh dentist Dr. Jeff M. Morrison DDS suggests Crest Pro Health. “It’s the only toothpaste accepted by the American Dental Association in six categories,” he says. “It whitens, reduces sensitivity, and helps prevent cavities, gingivitis, plaque, and bad breath.” "Colgate Total is also a great all-around toothpaste for most patients. It contains both fluoride and triclosan to fight cavities and gingivitis, and also helps to fight bad breath."  

If you have a specific issue, like sensitive teeth, here are a few different types you may want to consider:

• Anti-cavity Toothpaste—Anti-cavity toothpaste usually contains fluoride at higher levels than regular toothpaste. This helps stop tooth decay and prevents it from worsening by protecting teeth from acids generated by harmful bacteria that live in your mouth. If you don’t have fluoride in your water, you may want to give an anti-cavity toothpaste a try or talk to Dr. Morrison about prescription toothpaste.
• Tartar Control Toothpaste —Tartar, sometimes called “calculus,” comes from bacterial plaque that has hardened and, if left on the teeth, can contribute to gum disease. No matter how much you brush, once the tartar has formed, only that little pick your dentist or hygienist wields can scrape it off. However, toothpastes containing tartar-fighting ingredients can prevent the plaque from hardening, making it easier to brush off. 
  
• Whitening Toothpaste — Most whitening toothpastes contain abrasive ingredients like magnesium carbonate or dehydrated silica gels that will remove surface stains. This could be a good choice if you have mild staining. Other whiteners that may be used in toothpaste include hydrogen peroxide, which claims to bleach teeth, and polyphosphates, said to keep highly pigmented food and drink from staining enamel. "However, the whitening ingredients in toothpaste aren’t concentrated enough or in contact with tooth surfaces long enough to be effective," says Dr. Morrison "and polyphosphates may cause canker sores and other mouth lesions, or tooth sensitivity." If you want to really whiten your teeth, you should schedule a professional whitening treatment. 
• Desensitizing Toothpaste —Tooth sensitivity occurs when the tooth’s enamel is damaged, exposing dentin, the next layer of the tooth. Different compounds in toothpaste for sensitive teeth are touted for their ability to relieve sensitivity. Used regularly, desensitizers can ease sensitivity, but we recommend scheduling an office visit first. “You need to know what’s causing your sensitivity,” says Dr. Morrison. "For example, untreated gumline cavities, excessive brushing, and aggressive flossing can all lead to sensitivity." If sensitivity lingers after dental treatment, Dr. Morrison might suggest a desensitizing toothpaste, or for persistent discomfort, an in-office treatment such as concentrated fluoride.
• Children’s Toothpaste — Children under age 12 should use children’s toothpaste — it’s specifically formulated for “baby teeth” and isn’t harmful if swallowed because it contains less fluoride than adult toothpaste. This toothpaste also comes in different flavors to make brushing more appealing for kids.
• Natural Toothpaste — Natural toothpaste, formulated without artificial ingredients and foaming agents like sodium lauryl sulfate, can be an excellent option but a lot of natural brands don’t use fluoride. This can be a benefit for babies and toddlers who tend to swallow toothpaste but if you’re trying to avoid cavities and you’re old enough to know how to spit when brushing, be sure fluoride is included. 

For all toothpaste sold in stores, look for seals of approval from The US Food and Drug Administration and the American Dental Association. The FDA tests toothpaste for safety and the ADA makes sure that toothpastes actually do what they claim to. The most important thing is that you buy toothpaste that you will encourage you to brush, because the mechanical action of brushing your teeth is much more crucial than the type of toothpaste you use, as long as your paste contains fluoride.

Brushing and flossing twice a day is critical in preventing tooth decay, and so is visiting your dentist twice a year. If you’re still not sure what toothpaste is best for you, schedule an appointment with us today — we’ll be happy to help you find the right fit!

Chew Gum - Save Money?

According to a new study published in the American Journal of Dentistry, if current consumers of sugar-free chewing gum increase their consumption by just one piece per day, $4.1 billion could be saved worldwide on dental expenditures from treating tooth decay each year, according to the Institute of Empirical Health Economics (IEHE). These savings would include $2.07 billion in the United States, $1.1 billion in Europe, and $149 million in China.

Chewing Gum Increases Saliva Flow

Chewing increases salivary flow, which helps remove leftover food debris while neutralizing and washing away the acids that are produced when food is broken down by the bacteria in plaque on teeth. This acid can break down tooth enamel, creating conditions for decay. Also, the increased saliva provides more calcium and phosphate to help strengthen the enamel.

ADA Recommendations for Chewing Gum

The American Dental Association, (ADA), recommends chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes after meals, since it's been proven to reduce plaque, promote tooth enamel, reduce cavities, and reduce gingivitis. Just make sure your gum is sugarless, as sugar-containing gums can actually add to acid build-up. Look for gums with xylitol too, which can reduce decay-causing bacteria. Finally, be mindful of sorbitol, which can cause GI discomfort if ingested in extremely large doses.

“In addition to the well-established clinical benefits, for the first time, this study models the reduction in the relative risk of tooth decay and subsequent cost savings for dental care as a result of increased consumption of sugar-free gum as part of a complete oral hygiene routine,” said Michael Dodds, BDS, PhD, lead oral health scientist with Wrigley, which funded the study and produces a range of sugar-free gum brands.

While sugarless gum should not replace brushing and flossing with a fluoride toothpaste twice a day, flossing once a day, and a dental cleaning and exam every six months, the ADA reports, it can be an effective adjunct to oral care.  

Did you find this article interesting?  Please leave a comment and also let us know about any other dental topics you may be interested in. 

The study, “A Global Approach to Assess the Economic Benefits of Increased Consumption of Sugar-Free Chewing Gum,” was published by the American Journal of Dentistry.