enamel remineralization

Over the years, the use of fluoride in both water and toothpaste has been very controversial. Some people argue that fluoride can cause serious health issues, while experts have found that fluoride can significantly improve dental health. So what’s the truth? Today, we’re going to look at the scientific facts to determine whether fluoride is good or bad for your teeth.

What is It?

Remember that periodic table you were forced to learn about in high school? Well fluorine is on that table. The fluoride ion comes from fluorine, which is an element. Fluorine is found naturally all over the earth, in soil, food, water, and minerals. Fluoride can also be made in laboratories to be added to water and dental products, like toothpaste. Fluoride is commonly added to water to reduce tooth decay in communities.

Why is Fluoride Good for Your Teeth?

Studies have shown that adding fluoride to water has reduced dental decay by 20 to 40%, according to American Dental Association (ADA). That’s a huge positive effect! In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that adding fluoride to water is one of the ten great public health achievements of the 20th century.
So why is fluoride so good for your teeth? When you consume fluoride, it collects in areas that are high in calcium, including your teeth. This helps teeth in several ways:

• When children with developing teeth eat or drink fluoride in safe amounts, it builds up inside their teeth. This provides them with extra lasting strength and protection against acids.
• Fluoride can also strengthen enamel in adult teeth. When you eat or drink fluoride, it becomes a part of your saliva. Since your saliva constantly soaks your teeth, it provides your teeth’s surface with fluoride, strengthening enamel and preventing decay.
• Topical fluoride, like toothpaste and mouthwash, help to make the surface of your teeth more resistant to decay.
• Your saliva works to keep your enamel hard by constantly replenishing your teeth with minerals, like calcium and phosphorous. When there’s fluoride in your saliva along with these other minerals, the minerals that replenish your teeth are extra strong. This keeps your teeth as hard and protected against decay as possible.

As long as you have healthy teeth and a low risk of tooth decay, drinking water that contains a safe amount of fluoride and brushing regularly with a fluoride toothpaste should provide you with a sufficient amount of fluoride.

Can Fluoride Be Bad for Your Teeth?

If fluoride is so great for your teeth, why is it so controversial? Some people think that it can cause serious health issues, including cancer, kidney failure or bone disease. It’s true that too much fluoride may cause issues. But as long as it is consumed properly, it is safe and effective, according to the ADA. In fact, for generations, millions of people have been drinking natural water with fluoride in higher concentrations than those now recommended.
Since fluoride in toothpastes and mouthwashes isn’t ingested, the real fear people have is when it’s found in water, other drinks and food. The ADA notes that 60 years of research and practical experience has given us sufficient evidence that indicates that fluoride in community water is safe and effective. American Cancer Society (ACA) also states that the general consensus of scientific reviews is that there’s no strong evidence of a link between fluoride in water and cancer. However, more research can be done to clarify the link.
As long as you use fluoride in the correct dosage, it should provide safe and effective protection against tooth decay. You should never swallow toothpaste, mouthwash, or other dental products that warn against ingestion. If you or your child receives fluoride supplements, you or your child must take only the amount that is prescribed to avoid overdose. If you’re worried about the amount of fluoride in your local public water, the ACA recommends contacting your local community water system.

Where Can You Get It?

There are many ways you can get fluoride to support your dental health. Just make sure to follow the indicated instructions and use the correct dose. Here are some common sources of fluoride:

• Toothpaste
• Mouthwash
• Water
• Dietary fluoride supplements
• Food
• Beverages
• Professionally applied foams, gels and varnishes

It’s important that you get enough fluoride to keep your teeth healthy. If you’re worried that you’re experiencing tooth decay, come on into Water Tower Dental Care! We can help you find out if you need more fluoride and can tell you the most efficient way to get it. Feel free to contact us today!

Do you feel like your teeth are beyond repair? You’ve come to the right place. When you’ve suffered a serious trauma or have left teeth untreated for a long period of time, you might feel like giving up hope on your smile. But the reality is, getting a full-mouth reconstruction can leave your teeth looking as good as new!
Here at Water Tower Dental Care, we work hard to offer one of the best full-mouth reconstruction services in Chicago. You’ll never feel the need to hide your teeth again!

What Are Some of the Risks that Come with Damaged Teeth?

Whether your teeth have been broken due to injury or decayed thanks to years of hygienic neglect, dental damage can cause a variety of issues.
First, there’s the most obvious: psychological problems. “Bad teeth” have been found to reduce self-esteem and cause depression. According to research conducted by ICM Research, 31% of people surveyed said that having bad teeth made them less confident in public. Another 15% said their bad teeth made them feel depressed and 10% reported that they don’t speak as much because of their teeth. If you can’t be yourself because of your teeth, you definitely want to seek help.
Having bad teeth doesn’t only affect your social life and psychological well-being. It can also be detrimental to your physical health. Everything in your mouth is connected one way or another. If you leave a cavity untreated, it will get bigger and bigger, causing a lot of pain and eventually leading to tooth loss. Gum disease will also result in tooth loss if it’s not treated. And it doesn’t stop there.
If you lose one tooth, it affects all of your other teeth and the bone that supports your teeth. Without the stimulation from your lost tooth, your bone will begin to decrease in width, which in turn leads to your gum tissue decreasing. These changes make it difficult to chew and speak.
[caption id="attachment_2477" align="alignleft" width="608"] Before and after getting full-mouth reconstruction at Water Tower Dental Care.[/caption]

What Does Full-Mouth Reconstruction Involve?

Hopefully you now see how important it is to get your teeth treated as soon as possible if you have severe dental damage. Dr. Aneszko and Dr. Stino take compromised mouths very seriously. Full-mouth reconstruction can restore the appearance and functionality of even the most damaged mouths.
Every full-mouth reconstruction is made up of a series of treatments. In order to find out the right full-mouth reconstruction plan for you, our dentists will discuss your concerns and goals and evaluate your needs. From there, we may suggest several general, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry treatments. Here are a few treatments we commonly use when performing full-mouth reconstruction:

• Dental implants to replace missing teeth and prevent bone loss.
• Dental crowns for rebuilding cracked, broken or misshaped teeth.
• Porcelain veneers for covering discoloration and crooked or oddly shaped teeth.
• Enamel remineralization for those who have experienced enamel erosion.
• Gum disease treatment therapy to reverse gum disease and restore your gums to good health.

If you’re ready to stop hiding your teeth and start having a smile you’re proud of, contact us about getting full-mouth reconstruction in Chicago. We’re experts at full-mouth reconstruction. Just check out before and after pictures our patients who have received the treatment here! We would be honored to give you your pearly whites back.

Teeth are called pearly whites for a reason. They should be white - not see-through. Along with affecting your appearance, translucent teeth can also signal that something more serious is going on with your teeth. Teeth typically begin to appear translucent when enamel is thinning.

Causes of Translucent Teeth

Wonder why your teeth are becoming ghost-like? It could be a result of acid erosion. If you’re not taking proper care of your teeth, acids in your food and drinks can begin to eat away at your enamel. Very acidic foods include soda, pickles, red wine, tomatoes, and citrus fruits.
Translucent teeth due to thinning enamel isn’t always your fault. Several conditions can cause this issue as well. If you have severe enamel hypoplasia, your enamel will lose minerals and your teeth will appear translucent. This condition is a side effect of both genetic and environmental factors, and occurs when your teeth are developing. Celiac disease can also lead to issues with the development of your enamel. Finally, conditions like bulimia, morning sickness and acid reflux (GERD) can cause acids to erode your tooth enamel.
As you can see, enamel erosion or thinning can be caused by a wide variety of factors. It’s best to visit your dentist to figure out exactly why you’re experiencing translucent teeth so that you can halt the thinning as soon as possible.

How to Fix Translucent Teeth

Once your enamel is gone, it can’t regrow naturally. However, there are some ways the doctor can remineralize your teeth and make them appear whiter and brighter again.

• Enamel Remineralization: During enamel remineralization, your doctor will open up the “pores” in your teeth and penetrate the tooth with calcium phosphate, sodium fluoride and Recaldent. This combination of ingredients will act like enamel by improving the appearance, strength and sensitivity of the tooth. Not only will your teeth be whiter, but they will also be more resistant to acid erosion and decay, will be less sensitive and have less white spots, or none at all. You can see a picture of one of our patient’s teeth before and after enamel remineralization to the right.
• Veneers: If you want to purely improve the appearance of your teeth, veneers will take the translucency out of your smile. Veneers are simply placed on top of your teeth to cover up the translucent color. You can either choose to receive either traditional porcelain veneers or time-saving minimal prep veneers, depending on your needs and budget.

Steps to Prevent this Problem

While you can’t prevent enamel hypoplasia or celiac disease, you can prevent acid erosion from foods or from conditions like bulimia, acid reflux and morning sickness. Immediately after you eat acidic foods, throw up or experience acid reflux, it’s important that you wash your mouth out with water. Do not brush your teeth right away. Since acids make your enamel more vulnerable, brushing immediately could do more harm to your enamel. Wait at least 30 minutes before you brush, and use mouthwash to ensure you wash all of the acids away.
Worried about your translucent teeth? Don’t be afraid to call Chicago’s #1 dentistry, Water Tower Dental Care. We’ll be happy to discuss what may be happening to your teeth and put together a treatment plan for you. You’ll be on the path to a healthy set of pearly whites in no time!

Many people substitute honey for sugar because of its supposed health benefits. But how does honey stack up to sugar when it comes to teeth? Surprising to many who use honey as an alternative sweetener, honey is mostly made up of sugar, which explains its sweet taste. Let’s take a look at whether the type of sugar that makes up honey is good or bad for your teeth.

What is Honey?

You probably already know that bees create honey. But what exactly is honey? Honey is actually made from the nectar of flowers. Looking deeper into what actually makes up honey, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports just over 82% of honey is sugar.
When it comes to sugar content, honey is about 30% glucose and less than 40% fructose, while regular sugar is made up of 50% glucose and 50% fructose, according to Keith Kantor, Ph.D., on Huffington Post. There are also about 20 other sugars in honey. So, as you can see, there isn’t a huge difference between sugar and honey.

Is Honey Good or Bad for Your Teeth?

Since honey is mostly made up of sugar, you shouldn’t consider it good for your teeth. Bacteria love sugar, whether it’s from honey or somewhere else, and will use the energy they get from sugar to multiply on your teeth. As they grow, they form more and more plaque. The bacteria in plaque excrete acids that eat away at your teeth, forming cavities and propelling tooth decay.

Is Honey Better for Your Teeth Than Sugar?

When it comes to your teeth, sugar is sugar. The BBC notes that your body does not differentiate where free sugar comes from, whether it’s honey or table sugar. However, since honey contains more complex sugars, it does take your body more time to break down honey. This means you have more time before the bacteria begins multiplying in your mouth than with sugar. Without proper oral hygiene, sugar from honey, fruit, table sugar, or anywhere else can be detrimental to your teeth.
When it comes to honey, there are much better sugar alternatives for your teeth out there. Polyols like xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol, and isomalt are great options. Learn more about the best sweetener alternatives for your teeth here!

How to Take Care of Your Teeth After Eating Honey

Now, just because honey isn’t great for your teeth doesn’t mean you have to stop eating it forever. As long as you consume a moderate amount of honey and practice proper oral hygiene, your teeth should be just fine. Here are a few tips to keep your pearly whites as healthy as possible after eating honey:

• Wash your mouth out with water or mouth washing right after eating. This will help wash away as much honey as possible so that it can’t sit on your teeth and attract bacteria.
• Since honey tends to stick to your teeth, it’s important to brush your teeth after consuming it. Make sure to use toothpaste and brush effectively using these techniques!
• If you have an addiction to honey, visit a dentist to see if your teeth have been negatively affected. We’ll let you know if it’s time to cut down or not, and provide you with ideas for honey alternatives. We can also fill in any cavities or damaged enamel with enamel remineralization.

Everyone hates teeth discoloration, which is why whitening strips are so popular. But what do you do when the discoloration appears in the form of white spots on your teeth? Although these spots are primarily a cosmetic concern, they can affect oral health and should be treated.

Causes

White discoloration on teeth, more common yet less discussed, are due to the demineralization and loss of enamel on the tooth. Common causes of demineralization include poor brushing habits and poor diet choices. White spots (or hypoplasia) can form in children if there is disruption in enamel formation, or if you use too much fluoride toothpaste.
When these unsightly white spots appear in adults, they are often the sign of tooth decay and plaque formation. When plaque builds up, bacteria forms that leads to demineralization, the first step in tooth decay. This can be common when braces are taken off, as plaque often builds in hard-to-reach places underneath braces (white spots are often more common in orthodontic patients).

Preventing White Discoloration

While treatments for these white spots are available (we’ll discuss these later), prevention is also possible. Here are a few easy steps you can take to prevent white spots from appearing on your teeth!

1. Brushing well! Nothing prevents demineralization and plaque buildup better than brushing thoroughly two times a day.
2. Flossing every night. Flossing can also help drastically reduce plaque buildup and therefore reduce those unappealing white spots!
3. Less soda, more water.  Soda causes acidic buildup, which demineralizes your teeth faster. Drink more water to help prevent this.
4. Eat healthy, snack less. Choosing foods that contain less sugar (and therefore less demineralizing bacteria) that break down calcium in the teeth will help prevent decalcification and the formation of white spots. Consider mineral and calcium rich foods, such as milk and cheese. Also, try to eat foods high in magnesium, as this mineral helps your body absorb and retain calcium.

Treating White Spots

Especially in orthodontic cases, white spots that form may need to be treated, despite preventive measures that were taken. Here are some of the best treatments for white spots on your teeth.

1. Bleaching your teeth. Dentists can professionally assess the damage and bleach your teeth to make these spots less visible, as well as seal enamel in order to strengthen your teeth again. At Water Tower Dental Care, we use Zoom! Teeth Whitening to bleach teeth in under an hour!
2. Composite bonding. In this procedure, resin is molded onto your teeth, helping to conceal white spots and giving you a straighter, whiter smile.
3. Air or microabrasion.  Consider techniques in which your dentist can remove spots by scuffing the area with abrasive material. These techniques should only be used for small to medium white spots, as too much abrasion can further damage your teeth.
4. Topical Remineralization Therapy. These prescription toothpaste and gel treatments help remineralize your teeth faster by treating the microscopic holes causing the white spots. The photo above and to the right shows a patient of ours before and after enamel remineralization therapy.

In all, white spots are undesirable to most. While prevention is ideal, treatment is often necessary. Luckily, Water Tower Dental Care can help with this white discoloration treatment to get your teeth sparkling white again!

When it’s mixed with something, lemon is one of the most refreshing flavors out there. There’s nothing like sipping on a cold glass of lemonade under the sun, or drinking a cup of hot lemon water on a rainy morning. Unfortunately, your enamel doesn’t think lemon is as tasty as your tastebuds do. In fact, your teeth react to it pretty sourly. Though lemon juice can taste good and has some health benefits, it’s pretty bad for your teeth if it comes into contact with them. Let’s take a look at why now.

Why Is Lemon Juice Bad for Your Teeth?

Lemon juice is one of the most erosive ingredients out there. During a study comparing fruit juices and beverages published in the Journal of Endourology, lemon juice had the highest citric acid content of all the juices studied. Acids are your enamel’s biggest enemy. When you eat a lemon or drink lemon juice, the acids from the juice stick to your teeth and wear away your enamel. The acids also help feed bacteria to form plaque and tartar, which lead to cavities.

So What’s A Lemon Good For?

Just because lemons are bad for your teeth doesn’t mean you should avoid them forever. Lemons are very nutritious. Lemon juice contains pectin fibre, calcium and potassium, and is a great source of Vitamin C.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, Vitamin C is essential for the growth and repair of tissues throughout your body. It’s also an antioxidant. Antioxidants may help to fight off physical aging and health issues including cancer, arthritis and heart disease. Lemon juice also improves digestion, according to Global Healing Center.

How To Stop Your Teeth From Going Sour Because of Lemon Juice

Because we love your teeth so much, we recommend switching to regular water instead of a beverage with lemon juice for your everyday drink of choice. Lemon juice really can do severe damage to your teeth over time, and you can get the nutrients from someplace else!

If you continue to drink lemon juice regularly, you can easily limit the damage it does to your teeth. Here are just a few ideas!

• Use a straw while drinking beverages with lemon juice. Try to make sure the liquid goes directly into your throat rather than sitting in your mouth. The goal is to keep it from coming into contact with your teeth.

• If you do drink a beverage with lemon juice without using a straw, drink water too. The water should wash away some of the acids that are trying to stick onto your teeth.

• Don’t brush your teeth right after you’re done drinking lemon juice. Since your enamel is weakened by the lemon’s acids, brushing can easily damage your teeth. Instead, wait about 30 minutes to an hour before brushing.

• Immediately rinse out your mouth with water or mouthwash. Since you shouldn’t brush your teeth after consuming lemon juice, washing out your mouth is the next best thing. Swishing with water or mouthwash after you’re done will help to wash away the acids.

• Visit a dentist to see if your lemon juice habits are affecting your teeth. This way, you’ll know whether you should stop. If lemon juice has already significantly damaged your teeth, we can help with Enamel Remineralization Treatment!

Got any more questions about lemon juice and your teeth? Contact Chicago’s number one general and cosmetic dentistry! We’d love to help you keep your teeth as healthy and strong as possible.

We love to see our patients taking care of their teeth with proper brushing habits. While most people brush twice a day, we do get some asking if they can brush their teeth too much and damage their teeth that way. Many people are surprised to hear our answer: yes, you can actually brush too much. But before you start cutting down your time with your toothbrush, keep reading to find out exactly what brushing too much means.

Over-Brushing: What Happens If You Brush Your Teeth Too Much?

While brushing regularly is extremely important, you can brush so much that you harm yourself. According to the Wall Street Journal, between 10% and 12% of the population have damaged their teeth or gums due to over brushing. This damage results in sensitive teeth, receding gums and wear around your tooth’s root.
If you brush your teeth excessively more than the suggested two times a day for three minutes each time, your teeth may become sensitive. This sensitivity could be a result of worn down enamel caused by over-brushing. You could also have pushed back your gums and exposed the root area of your teeth, which is sensitive.
The best way to stop this type of damage from getting worse is to cut back on brushing, apply less pressure and use a brush with a softer bristle. Enamel remineralization treatment can also help to make your teeth less sensitive. In the worst case scenario, gum grafts can help fix receding gums by covering up the sensitive teeth roots with soft tissue from the roof of your mouth.

How Much is Too Much?

The best way to avoid all of the problems that come with brushing your teeth too much is to avoid over-brushing. Though we usually recommend brushing your teeth twice a day, it can be beneficial to lightly brush after lunch or sugary snacks, waiting a minimum of 30 minutes. Still, try to avoid brushing more than three times a day for three minutes each time on a regular basis. When you do brush, don’t use hard bristles that can easily damage your teeth and gums, and don’t apply too much pressure. A gentle, circular brushing motion on each of your teeth two times a day should keep your smile clean and glistening.

Why Is Brushing Your Teeth So Important?

Brushing your teeth with toothpaste is essential to your oral health. Every morning and night, you should spend at least two to three minutes brushing your teeth with a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. We recommend using an electronic toothbrush because they tend to be more effective at breaking up plaque than traditional brushes. For proper brushing technique, take a look at our article here.
By brushing correctly, you’re breaking down the plaque that eats away at your teeth and causes cavities. But it’s not only your teeth that benefit from brushing. Your gums do too. Plaque also causes a gum disease called gingivitis, which makes your gums sore and swollen and can lead to more serious complications in the future. So if you have a good brushing technique, keep it up!
If you have any more questions about how much you should brush your teeth, what toothbrush you should buy, or brushing technique, don’t be afraid to contact us! Everyone’s smile is different, so we may have some tips that are unique to you and aren’t covered in this article. After all, it’s our job to keep your individual smile healthy and bright!