Karen P. Meyers, DDS

Birmingham, MI

1875 Southfield Rd, Birmingham, MI  48009
Phone: 248-646-2450
Experience Excellence in Dental care

Marijuana and Your Mouth

smokeColorado dentists are concerned that the state’s recent legalization of recreational marijuana use may have an adverse effect on Colorado residents’ oral health. These dentists are urging more research into the correlation of cavities and pot smoking.

Already, the American Dental Association has found a link between smoking of all kinds, tobacco and marijuana, and the growth of lesions and other abnormalities in the mouth and on the palate.

But anecdotal evidence is now accumulating regarding an increase in cavities among those who light up several times a week. Dentists and hygienists say that excessive marijuana smoking may be leading to the following conditions, which in turn make the mouth “ripe” for cavity development:

·         Dry mouth. Smoking in any form dries out the saliva in the mouth. Adequate saliva ensures that the surfaces of teeth are regularly bathed with moisture, which washes away particles on the teeth and gum surface.

·         Poor eating choices following pot smoking can be detrimental to oral health. For many, marijuana is an appetite stimulant, and snacking on high sugar and high carbohydrate food items introduces elements into the mouth that can be harmful to teeth. These snacking sessions typically are not followed closely by teeth brushing, which exacerbates the problem.

The combination of the dry mouth and the poor eating choices can be a real one-two punch for mouths, resulting in higher cavity rates. Colorado dentists are urging smokers to floss and brush more often, to rein in their snacking and to utilize tools to combat dry mouth like sugar-free candies and mouth sprays. The ADA maintains that quitting smoking of all kind is the best choice for optimal oral health.

 

Dental Emergencies on Vacation

airplaneDecember and January are popular times for travel, whether it is to celebrate holidays with family and friends, ski trips to snow-covered mountains or on getaway vacations to warmer climes. All of this travel takes us away from our dentists. We know that vacations don’t always mean a vacation from tooth issues. So, here are some suggestions for how to handle those out of town dental emergencies.

  • If a permanent tooth gets knocked out, keep it moist. You may gently rinse the tooth to get debris off of it, but don’t pull at the root fibers. If you can, place the tooth back into the socket, but without touching the root. If you cannot safely do that, you may preserve the tooth in milk. Then get to a dentist immediately. Teeth reimplantation needs to take place within one hour in order to have the highest chance of success.
  • If you crack a tooth, rinse your mouth with warm water. Your face is likely to swell up. To keep the swelling down, keep cold compresses on your face. Arrange to see a dentist quickly.
  • If you get a toothache, rinse out your mouth with warm water. Try to gently floss around the affected area to get rid of any food. Make arrangements to see a dentist, as toothaches usually indicate infections or abscesses.
  • If you bite your lip or your tongue, just rinse your mouth out with water. Unless the bleeding doesn’t stop, which would indicate the need for stitches, the lip or tongue should quickly heal.
  • Utilize the hotel concierge or your travel insurance provider to help you find dental care. If you are abroad, you may also contact the American embassy or consulate for suggestions. Before you leave town, your hometown dentist may have a colleague in your travel location, to which he or she can direct you in case there is a problem. This is a good idea if you will be gone for a long time, either for business or leisure, including college students who spend a semester or year abroad.

You can’t prevent every dental emergency, but you can take some common sense action to avoid problems when out of town.

  • If you are going to participate in any sports, wear an appropriate mouth guard.
  • If you have dental implants, crowns, bridges or orthodontia, this is the time to treat them with care. Avoid sticky foods, especially candy and absolutely avoid chewing on ice or popcorn kernels.
  • If you are feeling any discomfort in your mouth, attend to it before you travel, so you don’t get yourself into an emergency situation.
  • If you know you are going to be away for a long time, consider a dental check-up and cleaning prior to your trip.
  • Be sure that you have all required immunizations and treatments if your destination requires them, particularly Hepatitis B.

What Your Mouth Tells Us…Without Saying a Word

 

say ahWhen you come in for your regular dental examination and cleaning, your dentist gets a view into not just your mouth, but your whole body. We don’t mean that the view from above you somehow allows her to see “all the way down”! Rather, the mouth is often the place where early disease processes present themselves first. So, when your dentist asks you about your other health issues, she may be asking with an idea of what she has seen during her examination.

Your dental health practitioners are a part of your overall health team. It is important to be honest about what your health challenges are when you visit your dentist, including the medication you take and the diseases for which you are receiving treatment.

Here are some diseases that often have an oral health component:

  • Oral Cancer. Obviously, the dentist is often the first to notice the signs of oral cancer, particularly cancer of the tongue and salivary glands.
  • Anemia (low iron) often presents itself as slightly pale gums.
  • Dry mouth can be a symptom of diabetes, as well as a side effect of all sorts of medications, including anti-anxiety and anti-depressants. Because a dry mouth can contribute to a higher risk for cavities, it is important for your dental provider to know about these medications or conditions.
  • Diabetes is also often the culprit for abscesses and other gum issues.
  • Pregnancy occasionally has an unexpected side effect: small growths on the gums, called pregnancy tumors, which are not dangerous, but can be uncomfortable.
  • Reflux causes more acid in the digestive system and often shows up in decay on the back of the lower teeth. A more pervasive pattern of decay and yellowing is also seen in patients who suffer with bulimia.

Asthma and Your Teeth

asthma inhalerAsthma affects many American adults and children. Asthma also has an impact on your dental health.

Asthma patients tend to breathe primarily through their mouth. Whenever there is more “mouth breathing” going on, there is a tendency for dry mouth. A drier mouth has less saliva. Saliva is important, because it bathes the surfaces of the teeth and removes bacteria from them. Therefore, asthmatics are at higher risk for cavities (caries) as a result of this drier mouth. Cavities, when untreated, can turn into bigger problems, like gum disease, abscesses and infections.

Another thing to consider: many asthma medications are a form of corticosteroids. Corticosteroids are a wonderful drug, allowing the asthmatic to breathe more easily by decreasing swelling in the mouth and nasal passages and also by decreasing mucus flow. But this “drying out” quality of the medication also contributes to decreased salivary flow, which in turn results in an even drier mouth. Again, a dry mouth is a perfect platform for the development of cavities.

One more note about dry mouths: in addition to a dry mouth being more prone to cavities, a dry mouth can also develop into bad breath.

The asthma inhalers themselves can cause some minor oral health issues. The most common are little lesions on the roof of the mouth. In addition, use of steroids can contribute to thrush, which is a yeast infection that occurs in the mouth. Both of these issues are treatable. You should get in the habit of rinsing your mouth out after puffing on the inhaler, either with water or, if your dentist suggests it, a fluoride mouth rinse.

Anybody who is asthmatic should be sure that their dental team is aware of this chronic condition. The dentist should be told what medication you take for asthma, whether it is taken regularly or just in cases of attacks. In addition, asthmatic patients should bring their inhaler to their dental appointments. If you happen to also suffer from dental anxiety, is is critical that you bring your inhaler with you.

So, if you are an asthmatic, remember the following:

  • Be extra vigilant about brushing and flossing to combat your higher risk for cavities.
  • Rinse your mouth after using your inhaler.
  • Keep your mouth hydrated with water or sugar free candies.
  • Inform your dentist about your asthma and your medical regimen.
  • Bring your inhaler to any dental appointments.

Dieting and Dental Health

carrot danglingIt takes a lifetime of good eating and exercise habits to maintain a healthy body weight. It also takes good habits to take care of our teeth.

It can be very tempting to sign on to a crash diet or embark on a fad diet when those pounds don’t seem to drop quickly enough. But dentists are warning that some of these diets can be detrimental to your teeth. A few cautionary tales:

  • Juice Diets and Juice Cleanses: Nutritionists and dentists agree that juices can pack quite a bit of sugar and calories per serving. Water is a better regular drink for both your waistline and your gumline. However, there are diets where juice is used not to supplement meals but as a meal replacement. Juices unfortunately accentuate the acidic property that vegetables and fruit have. That is, when you are chewing, you are actually helping your teeth rid its surface of the sugars and the acids. When no chewing is involved, the acids and sugars are actually coating your teeth and gums. If you are juicing, try to use a straw and be sure to brush your teeth afterwards (which might mean bringing a toothbrush to your workplace).
  • Starvation diets, including fasting and 5:2: Perhaps you’ve heard of the 5:2 diet; it is quite popular in the United Kingdom. It involves eating normally on five days and eating one-fourth of a calorie count or low calorie liquids on two days of the week. These diets can contribute to bad breath and to fluctuations in insulin levels. If you perceive that your breath is turning foul, then you need to eat a bit more carbohydrates and hydrate more, as well.
  • Meal replacement bars and shakes.These are still a popular alternative for people.The shakes and bars are a controlled portion size and they can be low-calorie. Often, they are not low sugar. Again, brush your teeth after consuming them and use straws with milkshakes.
  • Low-fat foods. When processed foods promote themselves as “low fat”, they are often not particularly low calorie and they tend to have replaced the fat with sugar. Again, be prepared to brush your teeth afterwards or at least rinse with water.

Dental Care even in the Dorms

photo courtesy of mitadmissions.org

photo courtesy of mitadmissions.org

For college students, daily living skills fall squarely on their shoulders. Mom and Dad may still check in on their independent college student, but it’s not always face to face. For many of our nation’s university attendees, the campus freedom and some of the newfound stress that comes with managing essentially on their own, can wreak havoc with their mouths .

So, here are some basics for of dormitory (and apartment!) dental care:

  • Limit alcohol consumption. For the nation’s young college students, drinking is still illegal, but that doesn’t mean it is not happening. There is still a large percentage of binge drinking among college-age students. Perhaps, a little reminder from Mom and Dad (or their dentist) that alcohol is a high-sugar food choice (and a fattening one, at that) will spur them to curb their drinking and to brush their teeth even more on nights when they do imbibe. Sometimes, thinking about decreasing alcohol consumption is more effective with college students who are averse to being told what to do. For those students, consider alternating drinking water with other drinks to cut down on the amount of alcohol consumed.
  • Limit energy drinks. When papers pile up and exams loom, there may not feel like enough hours in the day. This often leads college students to grab a so-called energy drink (and they are the chief targeted marketing audience for these products). But energy drinks, in addition to delivering a high dose of caffeine, also have a huge amount of sugar, again, a no-no for healthy teeth. And, as if that wasn’t enough, most energy drinks contain citric acid, which can be quite harmful to teeth enamel.
  • Straws are your friends. If you are drinking anything with a high sugar content, like juice, alcohol, sodas with sugar or energy drinks, drink with a straw and do your level best to brush your teeth as quickly as you can after you have drunk the sugary stuff.
  • Protect your mouth. Even if you are just playing intramural sports, you still need a mouth guard. Students who played high school sports were forced to be conscientious about playing with mouth guards. When these same students go off to college and play recreational sports, they become a bit more complacent about protecting their teeth, especially at pick-up games with loose rules and no coaches. But mouth guards save a lot of future dental problems.
  • Think about your teeth. Look at them occasionally when you brush them. Are the gums a healthy pink or are they puffy and bleeding? Are you feeling any pain in your jaw or mouth? Are your wisdom teeth beginning to erupt? If you notice any changes in your mouth, take action sooner rather than later.
  • Find a dentist. If you are attending school far from home, your home dentist may be able to refer you to a colleague in your university location. In addition, many universities have very fine dental schools and their students are happy to learn on your teeth while they are getting their degree. They perform all procedures under the watchful eye of their professors.

Brushing Up on Your Toothbrush

toothbrushesYour little bathroom friend, the toothbrush, is your major ally in preserving good oral health, preventing tooth decay, gum disease and all sorts of other complications. So, it’s time for you to “brush up” on your toothbrush knowledge.

Your toothbrush has a limited life span. You may love your toothbrush, but it is not a “forever” relationship. Most dentists urge you to change toothbrushes every three months in order to avoid brushing your teeth with bacteria and germ-laden brushes. In addition, if you have come down with a cold or flu, it is a good idea to purchase a new toothbrush. If you are a frequent traveler and you keep an extra toothbrush in your cosmetics bag, be mindful of the life of that toothbrush and consider repurchasing a new travel toothbrush, too. Obviously, a toothbrush that shows its age via discolored or bent bristles needs to go!

Some toothbrushes are better than others. Know the difference between hollow-head toothbrushes and solid-head toothbrushes. Hollow-head toothbrushes allow 3,000 times more bacterial growth. In addition, soft bristles are generally better and provide a more gentle cleanse. A smaller toothbrush head allows you to reach more areas of your mouth. Any handle, by the way, that feels good in your hand and that encourages you to brush, is a good handle.

Toothbrush down time: Your toothbrush needs to be able to dry. So, please be sure that your toothbrush is stored vertically with the brush at the top. Any toothbrush that stays perpetually wet is a germ factory waiting to happen.

You need to spend some quality time with your toothbrush. Ideally, you should brush your teeth for two minutes each time. You can use your stopwatch function on your smart phone to help you learn how long two minutes is. This is enough time for you to gently brush the chewing surfaces of all of your teeth, the gumline area, the areas between teeth and even your tongue, if you work efficiently.

Older Mouths: Optimum Oral Health in the Golden Years

older lady pretty teethSeptember begins “National Healthy Aging Month”. This is the time  of year where we  focus on the specific oral health concerns of some of our older patients. Just like the rest of our bodies, our mouths go through changes that can sometimes be challenging, but that can be overcome with renewed attention to dental hygiene and collaboration with our dental practitioners.

One of the biggest changes in older mouths is dryness of the mouth, also known as xerostomia. A dry mouth can be the result of a medical condition, most notably diabetes. Typically, dry mouth is an unintended consequence of taking medications for a variety of conditions: heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, certain allergies, and even Parkinson’s Disease.

Whatever the cause, a dry mouth invites disaster into our mouths. We may not think much about saliva, but a sufficient amount of saliva is needed for a healthy mouth. Dry mouth is a symptom of insufficient saliva.

Why is saliva so critical? Saliva coats the teeth and mouth. When it is not there in abundance, the teeth are not bathed and rinsed regularly, and bacteria and food particles “hang out” for too long in the mouth. This brings on a whole host of complications: halitosis (bad breath), cavities and even worse, issues with our gums and more serious infections.

Signs of dry mouth are pretty easy to spot: they can include bad breath (especially when others tell us that our breath smells or offer us breath mints), increased thirst, and dry or cracked lips.

How can dry mouth be treated?

Obviously, you can’t quit taking medications that contribute to dry mouth. But you can do the following to combat dry mouth:

  • Be sure you are getting regular dental care, scheduling cleanings for every six months at a minimum. If your plaque buildup is significant between cleanings, this interval may need to be decreased.
  • Talk to your physicians and your dentist about the combinations of medications you are taking and the side effects that are occurring. It is possible to tweak your drugs so that the xerostomia is lessened.
  • Increase the amount of water you drink, so that you actually feel a moist mouth.
  • Add a third teeth brushing mid-day, so that you are getting rid of bacteria and food particles and not allowing them to settle on your teeth and gums.
  • Consider using an oral rinse, but only if it does not contain alcohol, which can dehydrate a mouth.
  • If it helps you, you can suck on sugarless candies or chew sugarless gum.

Tigers, Tobacco and Teeth:

baseball in gloveIt’s a great time to go to a baseball game. But as your oral health care practitioners, there is one element of baseball that makes us crazy. No, it’s not losing the game, it’s not rain delays, it’s not even Cracker Jack (although, please, can you go easy on it?).

No, it’s the sight of those fabulous baseball players spitting. When they do, we can see the clear (or brown) evidence of their usage of smokeless chewing tobacco.

The number of Americans who smoke has been decreasing every year, because of tremendous public relations on the part of not only the Surgeon General, but caring adults, the public, and health care providers who routinely remind their patients not to smoke. That is working.

But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tell a different story about chewing tobacco. Chewing tobacco use has not decreased. The CDC further reports that in 2013 a whopping 14.7% of teenage boys reported using smokeless products. It is possible that these boys see their baseball heroes openly using chewing tobacco. It is also probable that the boys enjoy the significant “high” of snuff. It is a more concentrated delivery system of nicotine than cigarettes and the nicotine of smokeless tobacco stays in your bloodstream longer than the nicotine inhaled from smoking.

This is no kids’ stuff. Smokeless tobacco is far from harmless. It contains carcinogens (cancer-causing elements) and contributes to gum diseases, complications following tooth extraction, and significantly, tongue, mouth and throat cancer. Oral cancer has a survival rate of 50%. And smokeless tobacco usage has also been shown to increase the risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke.

Former San Diego Padre and Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn suffered from multiple surgeries to deal with cancer of the salivary gland, a likely result of his constant use of smokeless tobacco. He lost his battle to cancer and died too young at the age of 54.

Both the American Medical Association and the American Dental Association have called on baseball commissioner Bud Selig to eradicate the use of chewing tobacco and to decrease its visibility on television as a starting measure.

We love baseball and we love the Tigers, but we think it’s time to call three strikes on chewing tobacco.

Hours

Monday:9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday:9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday:Closed
Thursday:8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Friday:By appointment only
Saturday:By appointment only
Sunday:Closed

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Karen P Meyers, DDS 
1875 Southfield Road, Birmingham, MI  48009

Phone: 248-646-2450

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