The Same Old ‘Grind’!

Dr. Raymond Hahn

In this week’s blog entry, I’d like to address an issue that lots of my patients mention when they come in for their regular check-ups: 

“I’m under a lot of stress, and I think I’m grinding my teeth.”  

While it’s true that some people may grind their teeth (usually while sleeping), more people actually clench.  As reference, our teeth should never touch except while we’re eating. My own grinding habit during dental school (yes, a stressful time!) reduced the length of my front teeth to the point that I had to have veneers to restore them to their original length. 

Grinding and clenching are both habitual, but have very different results.  Grinders actually destroy tooth structure creating shorter, chipped teeth, while clenchers can create chronic facial and neck pain that can affect the temperomandibular joint (TMJ) and the neck and shoulder muscles.  Both groups can benefit from custom-made nighttime oral appliances that keep the teeth apart.  Alternatively, changing the bite relationship through orthodontic procedures like Invisalign can eliminate the destructive habit. 

Either way, a short evaluation by my team and I can quickly determine if you have a problem, and give you options to prevent any further damage.  Just mention it the next time you’re in for your regular check-up!

Financial District Dental
(415) 433-1970
311 California Street, Suite 450
San Francisco, CA 94104

Why Am I Getting Cavities Now? (Final Entry of a Four-Part Series)

Seniors and Decay, and REAL Solutions for Everyone!

Last week we addressed why adults taking multiple medications are more prone to decay; today we complete our four-part series as we shift the focus to our senior citizens.

Today’s seniors are living longer, and lead very active lives.  In fact, my parents (at 94 and 86 years old) still live on their own!  Sure, they may have a few aches and pains, but they seem to go about their daily lives fairly easily.  And the last thing they want would be more trips to see their dentist (unless I was still their dentist, but they live in Michigan)!

As we all continue to age, our normal salivary flow naturally decreases, setting up that “dry mouth” feeling of xerostomia.  Let’s remember again that saliva acts as our natural ‘friend’ to help keep our mouths at a neutral pH, but xerostomia significantly increases the mouth’s acidic environment, allowing bacteria to attack the enamel surfaces and create new cavities

And although my parents absolutely LOVE seeing their favorite dentist, not everyone feels that way!  So for the rest of you, here are some recommendations:

1. Drink lots of water throughout the day.
2. Sugar-free lemon drops are great to keep the saliva flowing.
3. Any candy, gum or mints with Xylitol (a natural sugar) are great to keep the mouth healthy.
4. And check out products from www.carifree.com that can help to prevent new cavities.

And please visit our office in the San Francisco Financial District for a personal tour and more tips!

Next week’s read will be of interest to those of us who grind or clench (could it be stress?), and that should cover most of us!

Financial District Dental
(415) 433-1970
311 California Street, Suite 450
San Francisco, CA 94104

Why Am I Getting Cavities Now? (Part 3 of 4)

Today: Adults Taking Multiple Medications and Decay

Last week we addressed why working adults (with poor ‘at-the-computer’ eating and drinking habits) have become more prone to decay; today we continue our four-part series as we look at adults who are taking medications.

Let’s remember again that saliva acts as our natural ‘friend’ to help keep our mouths at a neutral pH. Most long-term medications prescribed for chronic conditions and diseases have the unfortunate side effect of causing xerostomia, or ‘dry mouth’, again creating a mouth environment where acid-loving bacteria opportunistically attack the enamel surfaces, creating new cavities.

It’s a long list of medications that can cause this condition. Antihistamines, decongestants, antidepressants, diet pills, sedatives, blood pressure medications, and diuretics are just a few that suppress normal salivary flow. Make sure to check your prescribing information sheet for this possible side effect.

My recommendations: Drink lots of water throughout the day. Some people find that sugar-free lemon drops may help to keep the saliva flowing, and (of course), see your dentist regularly!

And stay tuned for next week’s final entry in our series; seniors and decay. And we’ll also have lots of additional suggestions for keeping your mouth cavity-free!

Next week: Seniors and Decay, and REAL Solutions for Everyone!

Dr. Raymond Hahn

Financial District Dental
(415) 433-1970
311 California Street, Suite 450
San Francisco, CA 94104

Why Am I Getting Cavities Now? (Part 2 of 4)

Today: Working Adults and Decay

Last week we explored why college students are becoming more prone to tooth decay; today we continue our four-part series as we shift our focus to working adults.

Referring back to our last blog entry, let’s remember that saliva acts as our natural ‘friend’, helping to buffer (or neutralize) the saliva after eating and drinking. More and more frequently, today’s modern working environments include sitting in front of a computer for hours, and workers will often have some type of beverage placed near the computer screen that they’ll sip on throughout the day. 

Many beverages, notably coffee, soda, and iced tea are very acidic, again setting up an ideal mouth environment where acid-loving bacteria opportunistically attack the enamel surfaces, creating new cavities.

My recommendations: Drink water instead! And (of course), see your dentist regularly! And stay tuned for the rest of our series; we’ll have some great suggestions for keeping your mouth cavity-free!

Next week: Adults Taking Multiple Medications and Decay

Financial District Dental
(415) 433-1970
311 California Street, Suite 450
San Francisco, CA 94104

Why Am I Getting Cavities Now? (Part 1 of 4)

Today: College Students and Decay

In the last few years, I've seen an increasing number of adult patients in my practice getting new cavities, and the question I always get is: “Why now?”

In my four-part series, we'll explore what’s happening with different adult age groups: college students, working adults, adults taking multiple medications, and senior citizens.

Let’s first address the mouth as an environment, with saliva acting as our natural ‘friend’ that helps to buffer (or neutralize) the saliva after eating and drinking.

College students lead busy lives, having to squeeze classwork, homework, athletics, and new social situations into each week. Sports and energy drinks are prevalent on college campuses, but have the worst effect on oral health. Gatorade and Red Bull (and most other sports and energy drinks) contain large amounts of citric and phosphoric acid. Students who sip such drinks throughout the day set up a very acidic mouth environment that the saliva struggles to neutralize. The acid-loving bacteria opportunistically attack the enamel surfaces, creating new cavities.

My recommendation: Drink water instead! And (of course), see your dentist regularly!

And next week: Working Adults and Decay

Financial District Dental
(415) 433-1970
311 California Street, Suite 450
San Francisco, CA 94104