water

With water making up close to 60% of the average human body, there’s no better choice when it’s time to rehydrate. Experts tout plain water as the healthiest option – it’s calorie-free, caffeine-free, sugar-free – but if that tastes too boring, why not just add bubbles?

Sparkling water shares the same healthful characteristics as plain water, but if it’s all you drink, the extra carbonation could be bad news for your teeth.

Why Can Sparkling Water Bad for Your Teeth?

To make sparkling water, carbon dioxide gas is dissolved in regular water, creating carbonic acid. The acid gives the water its fizz and makes it more appealing than plain water, but the higher acidity can cause problems for the teeth. Beverages like soda and citrus juices are known for their higher acidity and potential for acid erosion, and while sparkling water is healthier than many options, it also carries the risk of damaging tooth enamel.

Pure water has a level of 7, or neutral, on the pH scale, the measurement of how acidic or basic a substance is. A measurement below 7 means more acidity. Sparkling water generally measures between 5 and 7 depending on the brand, mineral levels, and other added ingredients. For comparison, the pH of soda is between 2 and 4, while fruit juices are usually between 3 and 5.

When frequently consumed over time, the carbonic acid in carbonated beverages like sparkling water can cause the tooth enamel to begin to erode.

The enamel is the hard, protective outer layer of the tooth, and it can start to dissolve in conditions where the pH level is below 5.5.

If the enamel becomes too worn by repeated exposure to high acidity over time, the next layer – known as dentin – could become exposed. This can cause the appearance of discoloration because dentin isn't shiny and white like the enamel. It can also lead to an increased sensitivity to hot or cold foods and beverages.

How to Keep Your Teeth Healthy While Drinking Sparkling Water

While regular water is still the overwhelming best choice, sparkling water is still a healthier choice than soda or juice when consumed in moderation, and there are ways you can prevent damage to your teeth while you indulge.

• Use a straw! Drinking sparkling water and other carbonated beverages through a straw helps keep teeth strong by minimizing the contact between the carbonic acid and tooth enamel.
• Drink it plain. Flavored sparkling water often has added sugars, which can compound the damage to weak enamel. Adding a wedge of fresh lemon or lime is a sure way to add flavor without calories, but it’s not any better for the teeth. Lemons, limes, and other citrus fruits have a higher acidity, which can increase the potential for enamel erosion.
• Indulge with a meal. Instead of sipping sparkling water throughout the day, save it to enjoy during mealtimes. Chewing increases the production of saliva, helping to neutralize the effect of acid on tooth enamel.
• Chase it with plain water. Drinking regular water after drinking sparkling water will help rinse the teeth and prevent wear to the enamel.
• Wait 30-40 minutes before brushing. It might seem like a good idea to get rid of any acidic residue by brushing your teeth immediately after drinking a fizzy beverage, but it could make things worse. Right after drinking a carbonated drink, the tooth surface is slightly weakened. Sipping regular water and allowing saliva to help rinse the enamel will protect the teeth before it’s time to brush.

If you’ve been sipping on carbonated water all day, every day for a while now, you may want to schedule a dentist appointment to see if there’s been any damage has been done to your teeth. As Chicago’s number one dentistry, Water Tower Dental Care can put you on a path to a strong, vibrant and beautiful smile.

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!

The food and drink you put into your mouth can make all of the difference when it comes to your dental health. When some people drink water, soda, or other drinks with ice, they may experience tooth pain. Does this mean ice is bad for your teeth? Let’s take a look now.

Is ice good or bad for your teeth?

Since ice is just frozen water, the real question we should be asking is whether or not water is good for your teeth. The answer is yes! Since many American communities add fluoride to their public water, water can actually strengthen your teeth without you doing anything extra! The reason communities started adding more fluoride to water (since water already naturally contains fluoride) was to help reduce tooth decay. Your ice cubes should contain fluoride as well!
Like water, ice can also prevent you from having a dry mouth. What’s the problem with dry mouth? Well, saliva swishes away bacteria and food particles, and strengthens your teeth naturally with calcium, fluoride and phosphate. When you suck on ice or drink water, you keep your mouth moist.

When ice is bad for your teeth

Just because ice can be good for your teeth doesn’t mean it always is. Chewing on ice is a common habit that many people form. It can lead to a variety of serious dental issues, including a broken, cracked or chipped tooth, enamel damage, a sore jaw, and issues with fillings and crowns. These incidents tend to increase during the summer months.
Instead of chewing ice, it’s best that you let ice melt in your mouth or in your drink. If you have an addiction to chewing ice, we recommend that you carry carrots, celery, or apples with you when you’re feeling the urge to chew. Don’t hesitate to speak with us if you’re having trouble kicking your ice addiction.

Why does ice hurt your teeth?

Since we already covered the fact that ice is good for your teeth, why do so many people experience pain when ice comes into contact with their mouth? This issue comes down to a problem with your mouth - not frozen water. You probably notice similar pain or discomfort when you eat anything cold, including ice cream and popsicles. This may be because you have sensitive teeth.
Sensitive teeth are usually nothing to be worried about. In fact, millions of people in the U.S. have sensitive teeth. You can work to make your teeth less sensitive by using toothpaste that is specifically designed for sensitive teeth, avoiding highly acidic foods and drinks, and making sure you’re not brushing your teeth too hard or with bristles that are too strong.
If you experience very sensitive teeth for three days or more, you may have a more serious problem. It’s best to contact your dentist at this point to see if you’re experiencing tooth decay or gum disease. If you’re in Chicago and are experiencing this problem, feel free to contact us today! We can help you figure out why your teeth are so sensitive.

For the young and old, teeth grinding is a serious concern. Thankfully there are methods to stopping teeth grinding before it gets too serious. For the young, however, this can be harder to do than for an adult. Children have less of a conscious attitude toward health than an adult, who understands the cause and effect of such bad habits. For children, it will take the help of their parent to stop teeth grinding before it becomes a serious health concern.

Teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, is when the jaw muscles tighten and clench, pushing the teeth together in a way that wears down the enamel of the tooth. The more this happens, the flatter the tooth becomes, and the closer the nerve endings are to being exposed, making the teeth more sensitive.
Almost all cases of teeth grinding happen at night, when the person is asleep, so it can be a hard habit to detect. With children, this is especially hard as they don’t realize why their head might hurt, or why their jaw is sore in the morning, which are two main symptoms of teeth grinding.
The best way one will know if their child is grinding their teeth is by the sound. Much like nails on a chalkboard, the sound of teeth grinding can be excruciating. If you hear a kind of grinding sound coming from your child’s room, you can suspect that they’re grinding their teeth. Often children grind their teeth because the top and bottom teeth are misaligned. They also may grind in response to an earache or teething.
Before heading straight to the dentist, there are ways to help you child relax their jaws and prevent them from teeth grinding without seeking medical attention.

Drinking More Water

Often teeth grinding in children is caused by dehydration. If you have discovered your child grinds their teeth, make sure to have them drink plenty of liquids throughout the day, the most important liquid being water.

Reducing Stress

For both adults and children, stress is a big cause of teeth grinding. For adults, stress can be caused by work or relationship troubles, while for children, it can be more about being scared at night, or having nightmares. To help prevent this, make sure your child isn’t eating too much bad food at night. Junk food with high amounts of sugar and sodium can lead to bad dreams. As well, make them feel comfortable by reading them a book or telling them a story before going to bed. This will help them relax and feel safe throughout the night.
Stress may also be caused by an illness such as an earache. Talking to your child’s pediatrician about ways to reduce pain in the ear and ease your child is recommended.

Relaxing Muscles

When muscles aren’t relaxed, they tend to tighten and clench at night. So it’s important to make sure your child’s muscles are loose, especially the jaw. A good way to loosen all muscles is by doing simple stretches before bed. For the jaw, a rag soaked in warm water and placed along the jawline and against the cheeks will help it become relaxed.

Aligning the Teeth

If the teeth-grinding is due to misaligned teeth, it could be time to seek the help of an orthodontist. Of course, visiting your dentist first for their full opinion is recommended.

Visiting the Dentist

If these practices do not help your child relax their jaw and stop grinding their teeth, you should seek the help of a dental professional. They can provide a mouthguard or other methods to help prohibit your child from grinding their teeth, along with evaluating if any serious damage has occurred due to the grinding.
While teeth grinding can be a serious issue, it is often easily resolved. If you have any more questions or concerns, contact Water Tower Dental. We can help guide you on methods for helping your child stop grinding their teeth and ensure their smiles are bright and healthy.

You may have the straightest, most beautiful, and gleaming white teeth, but that doesn’t mean your mouth smells nice. If you take care of your teeth, you might still have bad breath. However don’t be surprised if bad oral hygiene coincides with bad breath. Either way, horrible-smelling breath is a major concern for anyone who wants to make a good impression on someone, or just wants to hold a conversation.
To combat bad breath, you first need to know what causes it, and then how to fight it. There are many reasons that bad breath can occur. First, there are the natural ways that unfortunately occur from eating garlic or onions. This kind of bad breath comes from the stomach and the bloodstream, travels to your lungs, and reappears on your breath. Other causes of bad breath include using tobacco products, having a dry mouth, and having bad oral hygiene.

The main cause, however, comes from bacteria that is living on the back of your tongue. This is why most men and women have bad breath. The bacteria, known as volatile sulfur compounds, live far back on the tongue where a toothbrush cannot reach. This is why many people who may have great looking teeth can also experience bad breath.
So what’s the solution to the problem of reaching far back on the tongue and combating that terrible smelling bacteria? There’s a few things you can do.

Ways You Can Prevent Bad Breath in Your Bathroom

Brush and Floss
While your toothbrush and floss can’t reach the back of your tongue, a big reason that far away bacteria is able to survive is because of the sugars, acids, and other bacteria than live in between your teeth and the pockets of your gums. The cleaner your mouth is from brushing and flossing, the harder it is for the volatile sulfur compounds to survive.
Use A Mouthwash with Chlorine Dioxide
Swish the mouthwash around in your mouth and gargle with your tongue sticking out. Make sure that the mouthwash reaches as far back in your mouth as possible without you swallowing it. Most mouthwashes will combat and kill bacteria, however chlorine dioxide is known to be especially effective at washing away those pesky bad-breath-causing bacterias.
Use a Tongue Scraper
We’ve praised the tongue scraper a few times on our blog, and that is because it’s truly effective. A lot of the bacteria that grows on the tongue can actually be seen if you stick your tongue far out. It will look like a milky white film. Gross, right? While brushing your tongue can loosen some of this bacteria, a tongue scraper is specifically designed to pull off the bacteria on the back of the tongue. Use your fingers to pull your tongue out as far as possible to make sure to remove the bacteria from the farthest reaches of your tongue. Make sure to rinse the tongue scraper after each use as well, so that you don’t allow the bacteria to return to where it was.
When it comes to a routine to help you keep your breath fresh and tongue bacteria-free, we recommend first using mouthwash, then the tongue scraper, brushing and flossing, and finally, if you’re really working hard to kick that bad breath, use mouthwash once more.

Tips for Preventing Bad Breath When You’re Out of the House

When you’re not in front of a sink working on correcting your bad breath, and you’re out of the house, here are a few tips to keep your breath in check.
Drink a lot of Water
A great defense for bad breath is flushing out particles, acids, and bacterias from your mouth by drinking lots of water, especially with meals or after drinking a darker liquid (coffee, tea, cola, etc.).
Chew on Herbs
That little green piece of grass on your plate at lunch? That’s actually parsley, and it’s great for neutralizing bad smells in your mouth. Mint is another effective herb to have around and take a bite out of. You’ll be surprised how fresh your mouth can feel and smell after eating it.
Chew Gum with Xylitol
Similar to fresh herbs, gum with xylitol can help fight bacteria and keep your breath fresh. We advise avoiding gum or mints that contain a lot of sugar, because while they may work for a little bit, they also harm your teeth and don’t really combat the problem of bad breath. Instead, they temporarily cover it up.
If you follow these tips, you should have fresh breath everyday. If you are still experiencing bad breath after following all of these suggestions, you may be experiencing a larger issue, such as a dead tooth or a medical condition you’re unaware of. If so, contact Water Tower Dental. We can help you develop a routine for fresh breath and a healthy smile that’s right for you.