Our Blog

Dental hypersensitivity, also known as sensitive teeth, happens because of receding gums and/or because the enamel protecting the teeth has somehow become thinner. Brushing too hard can push back the gums and expose the roots of teeth, while acidic food and drinks, such as wine, can weaken the structure of the enamel and cause sensitivity. You know your teeth are sensitive when it’s painful to consume hot or cold foods and beverages.

In addition to certain food, did you know that breathing in the cold air can also trigger sensitivity? If you're in Chicago, where the winter temperature can reach -20 or lower, tooth sensitivity can be worsened by chilly air. Here are some ways for you to enjoy holiday treats and breathe in the winter air without worrying about painful teeth.

Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth

There are numerous types of toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth. Some of them are also formulated to whiten teeth and prevent cavities. This kind of toothpaste works to coat your enamel and lessen the sensitivity that your nerves feel. Look for American Dental Association (ADA) approved toothpaste brands with fluoride, potassium nitrate, or strontium chloride. Your dental care provider can also use professional strength toothpaste for additional relief and protection from hypersensitivity.

Use a Fluoride Treatment

Fluoride treatments in toothpaste or mouth rinse can prevent sensitivity. Fluoride reinforces the enamel to resist food acid and it also prevents tooth decay. Fluoride intake is important for children, as their permanent teeth erupt, but adults can still use fluoride treatments for overall oral health. While there are over-the-counter fluoride treatments available, their concentrations are lower than professional treatments provided by dentists. Whichever option you choose, fluoride treatments can still benefit you even as an adult.

Treat Receding Gums

If your gums are receding from aggressive brushing or gum disease, visit your dentist to discuss treatment options. Make sure to maintain good oral hygiene. Your periodontist may recommend deep cleaning or, in worst cases, surgery (gingivoplasty) to correct your gums. Treating receded gums can protect your roots and prevent tooth loss.

Avoid Over-Brushing

The recommended number of brushing is two times—first thing in the morning and before bedtime. Brush for two minutes using a soft bristle toothbrush. Avoid brushing immediately after meals. The acids in the food and drink we consume weaken our teeth and brushing right after will only strip the teeth of more minerals, therefore resulting in more sensitivity.

After meals, rinse using water to neutralize the mouth’s pH balance and let saliva break down the acids and sugars first. If you must brush, wait at least 30 minutes after eating to do so. Learn more about how to avoid over-brushing here!

Avoid Acidic and Sugary Food and Drinks

Make conscious choices about your diet to prevent cavity formation and enamel breakdown. Avoid eating sugary food like candy and drinking carbonated drinks, such as sodas. Wine is highly acidic, but if you pair cheese with it, the cheese's enzymes help break down the acids. Choose food high in phosphorus such as fatty fish and tofu, and low-acid fruits like apples and bananas.

Get Your Teeth Checked Out

See your dentist once or twice a year for checkup and cleaning. You may need to visit more often if you are prone to getting frequent cavities or if you have a gum disease. Your dentist can provide you with a combination of solutions if you suffer from sensitive teeth. Dental appointments are crucial for your oral health. Until then, brave the Chicago winter with these tips to reduce sensitive teeth.

We hope these tips help you face Chicago’s chilly winter with a grin! If you struggle with sensitive teeth, it’s very important to see a dentist to find out what’s at the root of your sensitivity problem. Don’t hesitate to make an appointment with Chicago’s number one dentistry, Water Tower Dental Care, today!

We use our tongues to talk, drink, and eat. Any time they get hurt, it can feel like the pain is magnified ten-fold. Usually, pain on the underside of the tongue is caused by a minor injury or ailment and isn’t cause for too much concern. Here are 5 reasons the underside of your tongue may hurt.

#1 - Injury from a Bite

Nearly everyone has accidentally bitten his or her tongue, probably more than once. It can hurt, but the pain usually subsides in a few minutes. Depending on where and how it was bitten, it could hurt more on the underside of the tongue, especially if the bite was the result of a fall or a blow that caused you to bite down inadvertently. Irritation may continue for a few days if your taste buds – the small bumps on the tongue – are injured from the bite and become infected and inflamed.

#2 – Irritation from Foods or Foreign Objects

Common orthodontic devices like dentures and braces can cause tongue pain and irritation if they don’t fit quite right. Often the irritation occurs when someone has just gotten their braces or dentures, and they are still adjusting. Both braces and dentures can cause sores or cuts on the tongue and inside of the mouth that can be remedied by gargling with salt water or using over the counter oral gels or pain relievers.

Irritation can also come from foods, particularly those served at a high temperature like hot cocoa or soup or those that are spicy. Accidentally sipping or biting into something that’s too hot can cause the tongue to feel burned and to become red and swollen. Most tongue burns from too-hot foods are first-degree burns that heal quickly, but more severe burns should be seen and treated by a doctor. Spicy foods can make the tongue feel as if it’s burning and can exacerbate other conditions.

#3 - Canker Sore

Canker sores can develop on the tongue, underneath the tongue, or on the inside of the mouth. The cause is unknown, but they look like a small crater and may be red with white and yellow in the center. Canker sores can be related to irritation and injury from braces or biting the tongue, but may also be triggered by other factors, including stress. They usually stop hurting in 7-10 days and are completely gone within a few weeks.

#4 - Strained Tongue

The tongue is one of the strongest muscles in the body. It’s rare for it to become strained because it’s accustomed to nearly constant use from eating, talking and drinking, but it is possible. A strained tongue would be most likely to occur from overexertion or overuse of the muscle.

#5 – Glossitis, or Inflamed Tongue

Glossitis is inflammation of the tongue that is often the symptom of another issue. Acute glossitis has a sudden onset, usually stemming from an allergic reaction. Chronic glossitis, on the other hand, is recurring and generally signals an underlying health issue. Allergic reactions or irritation from food or medication, low iron levels, mouth trauma, dental appliances like braces or dentures, dry mouth, and certain diseases are all potential causes of different types of glossitis.

There are many reasons people may experience pain on the underside of the tongue Most of them are not serious and will go away within a few days or, at most, a few weeks. Tongue pain, however, can be the sign of a serious underlying medical issue. Always consult with a dentist to ensure that the pain isn’t the result of a severe problem, like a viral infection or even tongue cancer. Reach out to us today to find out what may be causing pain on the underside of your tongue!

Hydrogen peroxide is a medicine cabinet staple. Used for cleaning up scrapes and cuts, it also offers directions for oral use right on the label. But can it be harmful to your teeth? 

What is Hydrogen Peroxide?

Hydrogen Peroxide is an oxidizing agent in clear liquid form. Chemically, all it is is water with an extra oxygen molecule. It acts as a mild antiseptic to prevent skin infections due to cuts and scrapes and can also be used to relieve minor mouth irritations and mucus. When applied to the affected area, the hydrogen peroxide releases oxygen and bubbles up, and the bubbles help clean and disinfect the area by lifting away dead skin cells.

How Do Dentists Use It?

Dentists first used hydrogen peroxide as a treatment for gum disease back in 1913, according to Registered Dental Hygienist Magazine (RDH). It is still used to fight gingivitis and periodontal disease.

Gingivitis is inflammation of the gums that can be a precursor to periodontitis. It occurs when the bacteria from plaque builds up, causing inflammation, and potentially leading to bleeds when brushing teeth. Rinsing with hydrogen peroxide under these circumstances kills the harmful bacteria and can prevent the inflammation from getting worse, so dentists may recommend it for certain patients.

Periodontitis occurs when gingivitis is left untreated, and the gums and bone pull away from the tooth, creating pockets that can become infected. Dentists use custom-fit prescription trays to deliver the hydrogen peroxide deep into the periodontal pockets and hold it there for more effective treatment of periodontal disease.

Hydrogen peroxide is also a whitening agent and is sometimes used by dentists to help with tooth whitening. The bottled hydrogen peroxide available in stores is generally 3% concentration, but products designed for dentists to use for tooth bleaching can contain up to 10% hydrogen peroxide.

Some over-the-counter whitening products like toothpaste, rinses, and whitening strips contain hydrogen peroxide as their bleaching agent. At home, it can also be combined with baking soda to make natural whitening toothpaste.

Can Hydrogen Peroxide Be Bad for Your Teeth? 

Many dentists do not recommend regular use of hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash or rinse. Regular use can cause irritation of the gums and can be too harsh for those with crowns, fillings, and dental implants.

Some dentists believe hydrogen peroxide can safely be used as an oral rinse if it is diluted with a mixture of water and Listerine. But because it can be so harsh on the gums and enamel, it should only be used if recommended by a dentist. There are other oral rinses available over the counter that contain hydrogen peroxide and may be less abrasive and therefore more suitable for regular use.

Is it Safe to Use at Home?

Hydrogen peroxide on its own should not be used for dental purposes at home unless directed by a dentist. If diluted in a solution of one-part hydrogen peroxide, one-part water, and one part Listerine, it is safe to use as a rinse and could be helpful for the treatment of gingivitis.

Consult a dentist to determine if such a solution is beneficial or if there are other treatments or rinses that would be safer. Hydrogen peroxide combined with baking soda can be used as a natural, at-home whitening toothpaste, but using correct proportions is key to ensuring it’s more helpful than harmful. At Water Tower Dental Care, we offer take-home teeth whitening trays that contain a safe yet effective amount of hydrogen peroxide-bleaching agent.

As always, when considering any at-home remedies, particularly for treating diseases like gingivitis and periodontitis, it’s important to consult a dentist to determine the safest, most effective form of treatment. It’s always safer to purchase ADA-approved products with hydrogen peroxide or receive professional treatments from your dentist. Making your own concoction could be more harmful than beneficial.

If you think you have gum disease or want to whiten your teeth, contact Water Tower Dental Care today! We can examine your pearly whites and put you on a path to effective treatment.

For teens and adults considering Invisalign, the nearly invisible aligner treatment is a big draw. But the fear of developing a lisp is enough to make many people reconsider. After all, what’s the point of investing in invisible orthodontic work if one of the potential side effects would quickly reveal the secret?

The good news for patients considering Invisalign treatments is that not everyone experiences a lisp, and in many cases, it’s extremely minor. Even those who experience more distinct lisps usually adjust quickly to resume normal speech, so the potential for a temporary speech difficulty shouldn’t be a deterrent when considering treatment.

Why do Some Invisalign Patients Experience Lisps?

A lisp is a speech defect that causes the –s and –z sounds to be pronounced “th.” Lisps are caused by improper tongue placement inside the mouth when speaking, which affects airflow and makes certain words sound different when spoken.

Some Invisalign patients, as well as patients with traditional braces, develop lisps because the aligners alter the space within the mouth. They also cause the tongue to move differently around the teeth, which can affect pronunciation. Invisalign aligners are made of very thin plastic, so the changes and effects are usually minimal. But some people may take longer to adjust.

Lisps due to Invisalign may also be caused ill-fitting Invisalign trays. Each tray is a clear plastic mold designed to fit snugly over the teeth, but because the goal is to change the tooth positioning, the molds are made to fit the desired tooth positioning for the end of that phase of treatment.

Typically, Invisalign patients do not develop lisps with each new set of aligners because they are similar enough in shape and thickness. But if a tray isn’t shaped quite right or is improperly placed, it can cause a lisp. This is why it’s important to receive Invisalign treatment from skilled and experienced dentists, like Dr. Aneszko and Dr. Stino. 

How Long Will It Last?

Every patient is different, but in general, any lisp due to Invisalign will go away after no more than a few weeks. Some people even adjust within a few hours! If a lisp occurs, it will fade and eventually disappear as the tongue get accustomed to the aligners and adjusts accordingly.

How to Prevent or Fix Invisalign Lisps

To prevent or fix a lisp due to Invisalign, keep talking! For someone with a lisp, the first instinct may be to talk less to hide the defect. But talking will actually help fix the issue sooner. Because the lisp is caused when the tongue adjusts to the orthodontia, the more a person talks, the more quickly the tongue will be able to learn how to maneuver around the aligners to form sounds, and the more quickly speech will return to normal.

To avoid speaking with a lisp at a major event or during an important meeting or phone call, just remove the aligners for that specific time. Unlike other dental work, Invisalign can be removed temporarily during treatment. The aligners must come out while eating, and they can also be taken out at other times as needed. (Just make sure to consistently wear them 20-22 hours a day to achieve results!)

If the lisp develops after beginning Invisalign treatment and doesn’t go away within a few weeks, contact the prescribing dentist or orthodontist. It’s normal to have a slight lisp during the adjustment period as the mouth and tongue re-learn how to make the proper shapes for each sound while wearing the aligners. If the issue is ongoing, however, there could be a problem with the fit or placement of the mold.

Interested in learning more about Invisalign? Contact Water Tower Dental Care today! We are Invisalign experts and would love to put you on a path to straighter teeth.