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Close to three million Australians have asthma, meaning around one in nine people are affected by this respiratory disease.[1] And although we understand a lot about how asthma can be triggered and attacks treated, the link between asthma and oral health largely goes unknown by those who suffer from it. Evidence has shown a common outcome of using asthma medication is for asthmatics to be at a higher risk of developing cavities. This is because of changes in the type and quantity of saliva they produce.  Asthmatics are also more likely to breathe through their mouth, causing dryness (xerostomia) and further changes in their saliva’s pH level. Essentially, the protective mechanism from saliva in helping to prevent tooth decay is not the same.

Asthma is also a risk factor for other oral health problems, including periodontal (gum) disease – particularly gingivitis and candidiasis (thrush).  Asthmatics are also more likely to develop tooth erosion and subsequently, tooth decay, also called cavities. But this doesn’t mean asthmatics have to experience negative oral health consequences. With some additional knowledge and a proactive relationship with a dentist, many of the harmful effects of asthma medication on teeth and gums can be minimised.

How to reduce tooth decay when you’re an asthmatic

• Try not to brush your teeth right after you’ve used your inhaler; instead, rinse your mouth with water to remove residue or if the taste is bothering you. Steroids can further damage already weakened enamel. Speak with your doctor about using a spacer with your inhaler[2]. This will help to direct the medication directly into your lungs, rather than onto your teeth and gums.
• Be detailed with brushing your teeth. Use a toothpaste containing fluoride at least twice a day and floss daily. Fluoride mouthwashes can help to re-mineralise tooth enamel.
• Limit sweet foods and avoid drinking soft drinks, juice or sweetened drinks. They are high in sugar and can lead to decay.
• Consider using a ‘dry-mouth’ wash or gel if dry mouth is a problem. Chew sugarless gum to promote your saliva flow and drink plenty of plain water to keep hydrated.
• Book an appointment with your dentist every six months or more often if advised to.
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At your dental appointments

• Let the receptionist know if cool morning air is likely to trigger your asthma. If so, it could help to make an appointment for later in the day.
• Let your dentist know if you or your children are asthmatic and provide them with a list of the medications you’re taking. Remember to bring your preventer and reliever inhalers to your appointment.
• Take a copy of your asthma management plan[3]. Make sure you have an up to date copy to share.

 

[1] https://asthma.org.au/about-asthma/understanding-asthma/statistics

[2] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1834-7819.2010.01226.x

[3] https://asthma.org.au/about-asthma/understanding-asthma/statistics

 

Most of us can easily recognise sugar in its processed form. Sitting prettily in a sugar bowl, those brown and white crystals don’t claim to be anything other than what they are.  But sugar can also be a master of disguise, hidden in many of the foods and drinks we consume.  And no matter how it’s presented and whatever it’s in, sugar has the same effect on our body and importantly, our teeth.

Why do I crave sugar?

One of the main issues with sugar is that it tastes good. As humans, we’re wired to seek pleasure and reward. Sugar, in all its forms, has this feedback loop all worked out.  When something sweet lands on our tongue and sends a message to our brain, Dopamine, the feel-good chemical, is released into our bloodstream. Simply put, when we eat sugar, we feel good. And no matter how old we are this desire for sweetness never leaves us. However, sugar, no matter what our age or stage of life, has a consistently negative influence on our teeth.

How is tooth decay caused?

Dental cavities, also known as tooth decay, happens when acid on the tooth’s surface pulls minerals out of the tooth, causing it to weaken. Sugar + bacteria = acid, causing holes to appear as they dissolve the hard tissues of the teeth. Once a tooth is shows signs of cavities and decay, it ordinarily needs drilling and filling to halt the decay and strengthen the tooth.  And once decayed, a tooth never has the same integrity or strength as when it was intact. This often leads to more complex restorations over time.

Caring for your children’s teeth

For many reasons, baby teeth are precious. Teaching healthy eating and drinking habits at a young age is essential to having a positive impact upon a child’s ongoing oral health. Baby teeth set the template for permanent teeth to erupt and ideally, support a healthy environment of flora in the baby’s mouth. The introduction of too much sugar, especially sugar found in sweet fruit purees and juices can have a larger impact upon your baby’s teeth than you may realise.

What is the best way to look after my baby’s teeth?

Tooth decay in baby teeth can set the stage for ongoing issues with your child’s teeth. Too much sugar consumed can not only cause cavities in your child’s baby teeth but is also likely to cause increased cavities in their adult teeth as well.

1. If you can see a tooth, it needs cleaning. Clean their teeth at least once a day with a soft brush or even a damp cloth.
2. Start using a children’s toothpaste from around 18 months of age as this will help protect their teeth even further.
3. Aim to stop your baby’s bottles from around 12 months of age and offer cups which can help to ensure your baby’s teeth placement is not impacted. Try not to give bottles of juice or milk to go to bed with. Milk contains lactose, a form of sugar and when left sitting on the teeth can lead to an increased risk of cavities. Brushing your baby/toddler’s teeth before they go to bed will help you to avoid this occurring.

How can I look after my older child’s teeth?

You have one of the most important roles in your child’s dental health when it comes to monitoring your child’s diet and ensuring their sugar intake is low. Keep sweet treats for special occasions. Children don’t have the hand dexterity to do a good job brushing their teeth until they’re around 8 years of age. Solet your baby/toddler practice their own tooth brushing but always clean them yourself as well.

Three tips to caring for older children’s teeth

1. Discourage snacking between meals. Each time this re-starts the cycle of food + bacteria = acid, causing decay. If they’re hungry, cheese, milk and dairy foods are better choices.
2. Encourage water as the best drink between meals. Sports drinks, cordial, soft drinks and energy drinks are all high in sugar and lead to decay.
3. Use a children’s fluoridated toothpaste until five years of age. Encourage them to spit but not rinse.

How can I support my older child to care for their teeth?

Your influence is still important, even though your child is older.  This is an age when hunger peaks and extra food and snacks help to fuel growth.  Snacking especially is a risk factor for tooth decay and many snack foods are high in sugar and refined carbohydrates.

Three tips to care for young adult’s teeth

1. Encourage your teenager to learn how to read food and drink labels so they can become used to making informed decisions about what they eat and drink.
2. If your child has braces, encourage them to brush after every meal. It’s important to limit sweet and sticky foods when braces are on because of increased challenges with teeth cleaning. A soft-headed toothbrush held at a 45-degree angle to the gums and then brushed downwards will help to clean the top and bottom brackets. Experiment with different floss options which discourage shedding and retain the shape and function of the floss.
3. Make regular dental appointments. For many young adults, there is an increased risk of decay once parents are no longer monitoring and managing their child’s oral health.

What is the best way adults can care for their teeth?

With many years under your belt when it comes to taking care of your teeth, it can be easy to become a little complacent. Many adults have already had restorative work on their teeth by the time they reach their 30s and 40s and while you may be feeling like your teeth are still going strong, this does not mean they no longer need attention. The hidden sugar in many of the foods and drinks we consume today, even those which claim to be sugar free can still trigger harmful cavity-causing reactions from our teeth. Monitoring and maintenance are essential to ensure teeth and gums remain healthy and to identify small issues before they become big ones.  Sugar is still a precursor to decay and its effects no less detrimental than they are when we are children.

Three tips to care for your adult teeth

1. Brush at least twice daily and ensure you floss to remove any remnants of sugar and food between your teeth.
2. Be mindful of hidden sugars in food and drink – read labels and be suspicious of ingredients with ‘ose’ at the end (meaning sugar)- for example fructose or sucrose
3. Visit your dentist regularly. As we get older, dental maintenance has the primary goal of retaining teeth and maintaining healthy gums.

Across all ages

Sugar and its effects do not become less influential as we age.  And tooth decay can happen at any point in our life. The sugar we eat and drink has long lasting effects on our body – even after it has left our mouth. Visit your dentist regularly and learn as much as you can about the best way to care for your teeth and gums. Building an ongoing rapport with your dentist will not only help you feel more comfortable in raising any oral health issues, but your dentist will also be more aware of the ongoing changes taking place to your teeth and gums over the years.

 

There are all sorts of health benefits to cutting back on sugar. And although we’ve always known about the relationship between sugar and tooth decay, there’s increasingly more evidence about sugar’s connection with other health related conditions too.  High sugar diets increase the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease, as well as other, often complex health issues.

How does tooth decay occur?

Sugar works its magic by partnering with bacteria which live on the surface of our teeth.  There is a range of different types of bacteria and, depending on the individual, there are fewer or greater numbers of specific bacteria.  Interestingly, our oral microbiome, or community of bacteria, begins at birth and is strongly influenced by our mother’s oral health and her own bacteria during pregnancy.

Whenever we eat or drink something sugary, the bacteria on the surface of our teeth eat the residue of sugar and acid is formed.  This acid works like a microscopic extraction fan, pulling minerals out from the surface of the tooth.  Eventually, this weakens the enamel of the tooth and dental cavities form.

Once a tooth is decayed and filled, it is never as strong as it once was. There isn’t just a financial cost in restoring teeth, but also a biological cost as well which can have a lifelong impact.

How can I reduce my risk of getting dental cavities?

There many things you can do, but among the most important is to understand how important your role is in preventing decay in the first place. Whilst your dentist will be supporting you, their role builds on what you’re doing every day between visits.

• Brush your teeth at least twice each day and use fluoridated toothpaste.
• Spit, but don’t rinse out the toothpaste. The fluoride it contains has a protective action on your tooth’s surface.
• Brush your tongue well each day. A range of bacteria grow on the tongue. One of them, Streptococcus Mutans is a primary reason for dental decay.
• Replace your toothbrush when it starts to look worn and shaggy, or every three months, whichever comes first. Remember, toothbrushes are a disposable item and need to be thrown away once they’ve reached the peak of their usefulness. A soft, small headed toothbrush with a flexible neck is ideal for reaching back teeth and small areas of a tooth’s surface.
• Clean between your teeth at least once each day. Use dental floss and interdental brushes to remove food from between your teeth. Spend some time finding the style of floss and interdental brushes that suit your teeth. The spacing between adjoining teeth varies between us all and it’s important to use the right size brush and floss to do a thorough job.
• Drink water between meals if you’re thirsty. Avoid drinking soft drinks, cordial, energy drinks or other carbonated fluids. Swish your mouth with water after snacking and drinking.
• The World Health Organisation recommends we eat no more than a total of 6 teaspoons /24 grams of added sugar each day. One teaspoon of sugar = 4 grams.  Read labels of the foods you’re eating and check the amount of sugar per 100 grams. The Australian Dental Association says to aim for 10 grams or less of sugar per 100 grams.

Book an appointment to see your dentist regularly to maintain good oral health.  Small issues can easily become big issues.  It’s important to have your dentist monitor your teeth and give you individual support and guidance about preventative strategies.

I’ve got the munchies!

Every time we eat and drink, the sugar + bacteria = acid cycle happens again. Snacking is a good example of how eating frequency leads to repeated acid attacks. There simply isn’t enough time for the mouth to build up enough protective mechanisms to prevent decay from happening.

If you’re hungry and need a snack, reach for a glass of unflavoured milk, unsweetened yoghurt, nuts or crunchy vegetables like carrot sticks or celery. If you need a sweet treat, eat it in one sitting and then brush your teeth. This will help you to limit the acid = decay cycle.

Did you know?

Oral bacteria groups together and forms plaque, a sticky film which coats the teeth.  Plaque uses the sugar we eat as a form of energy and over time, plaque grows thicker and harder to remove. That’s one of the reasons why regular dental checks are important – to remove the build-up of plaque which tooth brushing alone cannot remove.

 

We’re all familiar with the look and taste of processed sugar. The granules we add to our tea and coffee and the immediate sweet taste from cakes and biscuits make it easy to recognise it as containing sugar. But sugar can come in many forms and it’s not always easy to detect its presence or how much we’re eating.

Aren’t sugars the same?

Yes, to a point. Though sugars can come in a ‘natural’ form as in fruit, vegetables and milk it is the added, refined sugars that are often added to the foods we eat, leading to us unknowingly consuming more sugar than we should be.  This can cause dental decay and when eaten in excess, lead to obesity and other health issues.

Foods which contain naturally occurring sugar such as fruit, vegetables and dairy foods, include other important nutrients and fibre so it’s important to keep these within your diet. The small amounts of sugar they contain are outweighed by the benefits.

It’s easy to overdo it with sweet foods and drinks because there’s often not the bulk of roughage to send a signal to our brain that we’re full and it’s time to stop. Foods you wouldn’t think to check for sugar can often be some of the biggest culprits of hidden sugar. Sauces such as tomato, barbeque, stir fry and pasta sauces often have added sugar. These hidden sugars often go un-checked when it comes to foods considered more savoury but are no less damaging to our teeth. Some breakfast cereals can contain 6 or more teaspoons of sugar and snacks such as muesli bars that are often considered healthy options can contain quite a bit of sugar. Even the mixers we combine with a relaxing beverage can be deceivingly high in sugar.

Foods high in sugar and added sugar generally don’t serve any nutritious purpose. We anticipate the pleasure we’ll get as they’re eaten, have a momentary sense of delight as they’re in our mouth but that’s it as far as their usefulness goes.

Where’s the sugar?

Sugar is one of the most common ingredients in processed foods. There are many reasons why, but it’s generally lower in cost to produce and consumers are drawn to buying food and drinks which taste good and make them feel better.

Sugar, along with fat and salt are considered the magical trinity of tastes and when combined in food, they trigger reward centres in our brain.  Sugar especially, can become addictive when it’s eaten in excess and not in a healthy combination with other, more nutritious foods.

Five tips about added or hidden sugar

1. ‘No added sugar’ does not mean a food or drink is sugar free. Fruit juices are a good example of no extra sugar being added, but the contents still being high in sugar.
2. ‘Added sugar’ refers to foods and drinks that have sugar added during processing, cooking and just before eating and drinking. Common forms of added sugars are brown sugar, maple syrup, rice malt syrup and sucrose (sugar).
3. Hidden sugars are often disguised behind confusing names. Fructose, corn syrup, syrup, saccharose, glucose and dextrose are all commonly used terms which mean the same thing – sugar.
4. The closer to the top of an ingredient list, the higher its concentration. Foods which note sugar as a first or second ingredient are best avoided.
5. Sugars are commonly listed under carbohydrates on an ingredient list. If a word ends in ‘ose’ that means it’s a form of sugar e.g. sucrose, glucose, fructose.

How can I reduce my sugar intake?

• Read labels of processed foods. If something already comes in a box or plastic bag from the supermarket, it’s likely to have been processed. Learn what’s in the food you’re eating and how much sugar is included.
• Consider serving sizes and the amount of sugar you’re eating. The Australian Dental Association and World Health Organisation recommend that you aim for 10 grams or less of sugar per 100 grams and limit your sugar intake to 6 or less teaspoons per day – around 24 grams or less of added sugar.
• Know the times you often crave something sweet and plan for healthy snacks. Fruit, dates, dried fruit, natural yoghurt with fruit added, nuts, cheese/crackers are all reasonable alternatives.

Remember

Sugar is a part of life for all of us and like many things, is fine in moderation. Avoid setting yourself unrealistic goals of not eating any sugar and think about when you’re eating it.  Look for balance and give yourself permission to enjoy the occasional treat.

Regular dental visits will help to ensure that any changes in your mouth or early decay can be detected sooner rather than later. Speak with your dentist about the changes you can make towards cutting back on your sugar intake.

Remember to brush, floss and repeat, at least twice a day, every day.

Seeing your dentist regularly can make a huge difference.

Book an appointment today to find out how.

 

Unfortunately, there are times when the damage to a tooth is too extensive and a tooth extraction is needed. It will rarely be the first option for repair put forward and, in many cases, other options such as a filling or a crown may help you retain your tooth for longer. If and when the time comes for a tooth to be removed, there are often many questions which arise. Here are a few answers to give you peace of mind before your next dental visit.

Why would I need a tooth extraction?

The top 5 reasons that you may need an extraction are outlined below.

1. Significant tooth decay or damage to the tooth
2. Gum disease
3. To improve appearance, in conjunction with orthodontic treatment
4. Extensive tooth cracks, fracture or trauma
5. Poor positioning or tooth functionality (e.g. impacted wisdom teeth)

A consultation with your dentist will help outline all that is involved with any of the above reasons for an extraction. Of course, if you are having regular dental check-ups you will already be aware of any ongoing issues with your teeth which may lead to the removal of a tooth in future.

What can you expect with a tooth extraction?

It’s important to note that not all tooth removals will be performed in the same way. Your dentist will discuss the best treatment options with you and will require an x-ray of the tooth concerned in order to view the root location and formation, as well as the density of the supporting bone before making a decision on the best tooth removal method for you.

The vast majority of tooth extractions are completed in the dental chair using local anaesthetics, however for more complex cases or where patients are highly anxious or phobic, alternative options such as intravenous (IV) sedation or general anaesthetic in a private hospital are available.

Your dentist will advise you about the complexity of the extraction taking into account your health, age, the location of the tooth and the complexity of the root formation when determining the best method of extraction for your tooth, and whether a referral to a specialist is required.

How much does it cost to have a tooth removed?

The cost of having a tooth removed (tooth extraction) can range from $180 and $400* depending on the complexity of the extraction and the need for any additional procedures.

This cost estimate does not include any consultation costs or x-rays that may occur as a part of the extraction appointment which will assist your dentist in determining the most effective extraction method for your circumstances.

Protecting your teeth early

The simple answer to reducing the chances of a tooth extraction is ongoing preventative dental care. Taking care of your teeth consistently will help prevent gum disease and cavities which can all lead to larger dental issues in future. This involves brushing twice daily and flossing as well as ensuring you attend regular 6 monthly check-ups with your dentist.

It’s also important to remember that accidents do happen and is one of the major causes of a tooth removal procedure. When you know you will be undertaking an activity that has a high chance of damage to your teeth such as sports, ensure you get fitted for an appropriate mouth guard by your dentist. It might just save your teeth in future.

If you think you might need a tooth removed contact your nearest nib Dental Care centre.

 

*Prices are indicative and may vary by practitioner. Tooth extraction complexity will also play a part in the final price. The price indicated does not include any consultation costs or x-rays that may occur as part of the extraction appointment.