Should you eat caramel apples?

As September rolls around and fall fruits start flooding your local grocery stores, you’re probably excited by a special treat that seems particularly representative of autumn: caramel apples. The sticky, crunchy snack, whether homemade or store-bought, is a go-to treat in many American households.
But, as dentists from Bronitsky Family Dentistry warn, caramel apples, delicious as they may be, aren’t a miracle food. Like many other sweet treats, caramel apples pose some oral health-related issues that are good to keep in mind as you enjoy the autumn.

Apples and Teeth

Surprisingly, the story isn’t entirely a negative one. Sugary additions aside, the base ingredient–the apple–is actually one of those seemingly rare foods that are actually good for the teeth.
Apples are teeth-friendly for two reasons: first, they contain a unique blend of chemicals that help brighten your teeth naturally. The slightly acidic nature of the fruit helps erode bacteria and promotes healthy development of the enamel. This is helped by the second feature of the fruit: eating apples naturally spurs saliva development, boosting the body’s natural defenses against bacteria and healing the teeth along the way.
Of course, too much of a bad thing is never good. The acidic nature of apples can damage the enamel when exposed in large quantities, meaning that you shouldn’t try to snack on apples all the time. However, on balance, apples in their natural state are more of a benefit than a harm for your teeth.

Caramel and Teeth

Apples might be good for your teeth, but it’s the other half of the caramel apple that poses a problem. Caramel, in all its sticky-sweet glory, is one of the most problematic foods for the teeth.
This is again for two reasons: first, the high sugar quantity in caramel is a great attraction to decay-causing bacteria. Because the harmful bacteria feed on sugar, large intakes of artificially sweet foods like caramel can be quite damaging for your teeth. Over time, the bacteria can wear away the enamel on your teeth and cause tooth decay and cavity-formation, making the presence of sugar a very dangerous one indeed.
This isn’t helped by the fact that caramel is also very sticky–not only does the sugar draw bacteria toward the teeth, the stickiness of that sugar means that the bacteria will adhere to the teeth and remain long after the snack is consumed. Even if you can’t taste the caramel, traces of it will linger in the mouth until you brush your teeth fully, and that could mean that hours pass before the sticky substance is eradicated from your mouth.
As a whole, caramel is one of the foods that harm the teeth the most. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a caramel apple once in a while, but it does mean that you should punctuate those experiences with a good toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste.
Visiting a dentist regularly will help as well. Dr. Bronitsky can regularly check up on the state of your teeth and recommend dietary adjustments as needed. Set up a time to talk with Bronitsky Family Dentistry today! Simply call (503) 649-5665 or visit the website brodental.com to schedule an appointment.

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Dr. Morrissey Stresses the Importance of Heart Disease Prevention

Many are well versed in the so-called “common sense facts” about heart disease prevention: These include eating a healthy diet, watching salt intake, and getting enough exercise and sleep. Far fewer, however, may know that good oral health, including regular visits to a dentist, can also play an important part in heart disease prevention.

Poor dental hygiene can lead to periodontal disease and atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis occurs when cholesterol, calcium, and large white blood cells called macrophages (harbingers of inflammation) build up in artery walls. Periodontal disease can promote this inflammation of blood vessels and make the risk of atherosclerosis more likely. People who have periodontal disease, for example, typically have elevated levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation that is associated with a greater risk of coronary artery disease. Those with periodontal disease also have elevated levels of another marker for inflammation that can mean a patient is at greater risk of heart disease, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2.

Dr. Patrick Morrissey of Boones Ferry Dental seeks to educate patients on the importance of good oral health and its connection to good cardiovascular health and heart disease prevention. His philosophy as a dentist is “always to do what is best for the patient.”

Good dental hygiene can reverse periodontal disease and help prevent heart disease.

In regard to heart disease prevention, preventative periodontics and dentistry are the gentle but effective weapons of choice. Regular exams mean that any signs of gum disease can be caught early. Thorough cleaning and polishing removes plaque buildup and tartar that can cause gum inflammation and, if left unchecked, arteriosclerosis.

Regular checkups can also help prevent and even partially reverse heart disease in patients who already have active periodontal disease

Even when patients already have active periodontal disease, regular checkups can still help prevent heart disease in those patients. Patients who receive good dental care on a regular basis and take their own oral hygiene seriously at home can improve vascular function over time.

One study used something called the carotid intimal medial thickness test to show that treating periodontal disease aggressively can also partially reverse existing vascular disease and thus help reverse and prevent heart disease. This test assesses how thick the plaque located in the carotid arteries is. The thicker the plaque, the less space there is for blood travel through the vessel and the greater risk the patient has for heart disease, including catastrophic events like heart attack and stroke. By the same token, as the plaque build up dissolves, the threat of heart disease and catastrophic events as described lessen.

 

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What Does Sensitive Teeth Mean?

What Does Sensitive Teeth Mean? Have you ever experienced a strange stinging sensation in your teeth? Tooth sensitivity may be  isolated in the tooth itself, but may also feel like pain is crawling into the gums. Causes of Tooth Sensitivity Sensitive teeth are quite common....

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Dental Insurance at Bronitsky Family Dental

While you can hope that there will never be a problem with your oral health, that is not the case all the time. There is more care needed than just brushing and flossing every day. You will also need cleaning every so often or an oral examination. If you have children, it is especially important to make sure their teeth are also checked up on. If you do not have dental insurance, then these costs can be quickly accumulated. Most dental procedures can run up an expensive bill, especially depending on each procedure. Dental insurance is as important as other insurances because your oral health needs the same attention as any other part of your body.

Why Is Dental Insurance Important?

Dental Insurance is important because most people who do not have dental insurance do not properly care for their teeth. Teeth need to be properly taken care of because you only get one set of them for the rest of your life. Teeth can be damaged by a wide variety of ways, such as injury or even chewing on ice. Your oral cavity will decay as you get older. No matter who you are and how you take care of your oral cavity there is no way of avoiding decay. However, with dental insurance you get dental care at a low price that would be normally be much more expensive. If you avoid going to a dental professional to save money, your oral health will suffer. Dental Insurance is also important for any oral emergency. Oral emergencies can happen at any time from any oral injury or a problem that occurs from bad oral care. Typically, the procedures that are conducted to solve oral emergencies are too expensive to get done without dental insurance. Dental Insurance does not only make procedures more affordable, but they also offer you the dental care you need.

What Does Dental Insurance Cover?

Dental Insurance is typically described as a “100-80-50” coverage. Which means that normally 100 percent of cleanings, checkups, and examinations costs are completely covered. And 80 percent of procedures that consists of fillings, root canals and other moderate procedures costs are covered. The 50 percent covers the costs for crowns, bridge and severe procedures. The average dental insurance policy for an individual comes out to be around 360 dollars a year.

Why Choose Bronitsky Family Dental As Your Dental Care Provider?

We at Bronitsky Family Dental believe that our patients deserve the best care possible. Our dental professional, Dr. Bronitsky, believes in providing all services from dental cleanings to full mouth reconstruction. We make it a priority to give our patients all they need from treatment plans to even financial plans to ensure they can have the smile they want. We aim to give our patients the best technology possible. Our staff aims to provide a comfortable and enjoyable dental experience. We understand that dental procedures can be expensive. But that should not stop you from getting the smile you deserve. To make the appointment to change your life please call us at (503) 649-5665.

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Is Your Headache Due to School Pressure?

Dr. Diaz: Is Your Headache Due to School Pressure or Something Else? School puts pressure on everyone: the parents, the teachers and most especially the students. If you or your child has been having headaches, you could probably chalk it up to the stress that school brings. […]

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Teeth Whitening for School Portraits

Now that it’s back-to-school-season once again, one of the things that students look forward to in school, aside from seeing their friends after the break, is posing for school portraits and taking new batch pictures with their classmates and friends.

School portraits serve as a timeless memento of your student’s milestones and a way of keeping memories for a lifetime. That’s why so many students make sure they look their best for the cameras. That includes making sure that you have a beautiful white smile.

Teeth whitening is the answer

If you want to have a perfect smile for your school portrait, tooth whitening is the answer. While Photoshop can whiten your teeth in your pictures, it won’t give you the confidence to smile beautifully when you pose in front of the cameras. Only a pearly white smile can give your teen a confidence that will transcend your pictures.

What is teeth whitening?

Tooth whitening is one of the most common procedures done by dentists. Tooth whitening is used to lighten the color of the teeth, especially those with yellow, brown or gray tones. It is used to remove stains on the teeth commonly caused by drinking coffee, tea or red wine and smoking tobacco.

In-office teeth whitening

There are two kinds of whitening systems available, one is in-office tooth whitening and the other is at-home tooth whitening. Between the two, it is highly recommended to undergo in-office whitening since the process is supervised by dentists. A dentist-supervised tooth whitening procedure is more beneficial because:

Your dentist knows your dental history, so he can examine your teeth to if it’s okay for your teeth to undergo a whitening or bleaching procedure.

Your dentist can safely determine the best treatment and/or type of tooth whitening necessary for your teeth.
In-office tooth whitening is more effective and has better results so you’re sure to get your money’s worth from it.
Your oral health is safe because your dentist knows what he’s doing and can minimize any potential side effects.

Maintaining your beautiful smile

With tooth whitening, you not only get a beautiful smile for your pictures, but the right treatment and maintenance plan afterwards can also help your results last for up to three years.

You can maintain your teeth whitening results by:

Avoiding dark-colored foods and drinks, especially a few days after your tooth whitening procedure.

Practicing good oral hygiene which includes brushing your teeth with a whitening toothpaste for short periods in between whitening treatments. Undergoing follow-up teeth whitening treatment at least once year.

If you want to have a pearly white smile for your school portrait, visit Boone Ferry Dental today and talk to us about teeth whitening. Dr. Morrissey and his team of dental care experts will surely give you the best professional teeth whitening in Lake Oswego, OR. Have your teeth examined and whitened today! Call us at (503) 683-7484 to book your appointment!

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How to Convince College Students to Listen to Dentists and Not Self-diagnose

Have you ever felt any discomfort with your teeth and gums or experienced any symptom of an oral health problem and just looked it up on the Internet without going to the dentist? If yes, stop! You might be putting your oral health at risk. Now that information can be easily obtained anywhere, many people, […]

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