Cavities and tooth decay occur when a tooth is damaged from the food and drinks you consume over time. The tooth has two layers, enamel (the outer layer) and dentin (the inner layer). The bacteria in your mouth consume the sugars that are present in the food and drinks you take in each day. Then they turn them into acids. The mixture of bacteria, acid, food and the saliva in your mouth form plaque which will stick to your teeth and demineralize your teeth. After a while, they start to form holes which we call cavities or decay. 

What kind of foods make you more prone to cavities?

• Food with carbohydrates such as bread and cereal
• Milk
• Soda
• Fruit
• Cake
• Candy
• Even coffee can contribute to tooth decay. Coffee is acidic and can worsen the demineralization of your teeth. 

 How do I tell if I have a cavity?
The cavity exposes the nerves of your teeth to the environment in your mouth. So sometimes when you eat or drink something sweet, hot or cold, you will have sensitivity or even a toothache. Sometimes you can see pits or holes in your teeth and sometimes those areas can discolor. Dentists will check during your exam and look for soft spots to see if decay has started to occur or use xrays to check for decay. 

How to prevent cavities?
Now we know that the food and drinks we consume cause the bacteria in our mouths to release the acid that causes tooth decay. We also know the way to prevent cavities from forming. Brushing and flossing! Brushing with a fluoride toothpaste will remove the food and bacteria from your mouth. The fluoride in your toothpaste will help remineralize and strengthen the enamel layer on your teeth. It is important to brush after meals and I recommend the best is to brush after every meal. So food is not left on your teeth for too many hours at a time. Bringing a toothbrush to work or school is a great way to get that extra brushing session after lunches. For younger kids that may not be able to brush at school. Brushing right after they get home from school is great to get those teeth clean in the middle of the day.

Now to talk about flossing. Sometimes it is hard to reach the food in between our teeth. So that is why flossing is important to remove the food and plaque that we cannot reach with toothbrushing alone and prevent cavities from forming in between our teeth. 

Over the counter fluoride at home such as ACT rinses are a great way to add that extra layer of protection to our teeth. I always recommend to use it at bedtime after teeth have been brushed and flossed. Just rinse for one minute, spit it out and do not rinse with water. Let the fluoride rinse coat your teeth. 

And of course, come see your dentist twice a year. We make sure to look for any possible cavities your might have and early detection can give you a chance to try to reverse those tiny cavities, or if the cavity has progressed, the dentist can fix your decay and help prevent losing the tooth. During your check up, we also give you a cleaning, to remove any plaque or calculus that you might have missed at home. Proudly serving the areas near Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Chino and Wildomar.  

A popular question that patients always ask me is “Can we speed up orthodontic treatment?” The answer is “Yes! It is possible!” What we have observed is that the patients that have teeth extracted for orthodontic treatment have rapid teeth movement in the area near the extraction site for up to six months. During healing, the body brings in cells that not only heals the extraction site, but also allows teeth to move through bone more quickly. We can simulate this same effect with PROPEL technology to help teeth move more quickly. 

Propel can be used with both Invisalign and traditional braces to help teeth move into their final positions up to 50% faster. Propel is technology that will allow the doctor to create micro osteo-perforations to accelerate the stimulation of bone production in the upper and lower jaw. Propel can speed up tooth movement and it's so minimally invasive, it allows the patient to return to their normal daily routine immediately. 

Straight teeth with Invisalign or braces are not just for children or teenagers anymore. More and more adults are also choosing orthodontic treatment to achieve a beautiful smile. Now it's possible to straighten teeth in less time. Contact us if straight teeth in less time is something you might be interested in. We can help with Propel! 

Guest Editor:  Rita Hung DMD, MPH, MSD ​

You may have arrived here because you started having intense aching in your tooth, jaw or ear, can’t even drink cold water without sharp, severe pain, or can’t chew on that side at all. Unfortunately, you may have a toothache or other dental problem!
 
Of course, the best solution is to see your dentist as soon as possible. While home remedies may help relieve the symptoms, the reason your having pain in the first place is because there’s something that may need treatment. But this advice isn’t all that helpful when you can’t see your dentist right away and the pain is unbearable!
 
Here I’m sharing the best method to get out of toothaches or gum pain while you wait to see the dentist!

​Tooth or gum pain is largely due to inflammation or swelling. Reduce the swelling and you’ll reduce the pain. The best way to reduce this inflammation in the short-term is with the 3-3-3 method: 3 ibuprofen (600 mg total) 3 times a day for 3 days.
 
What not to do: Don’t take the ibuprofen and stop once you start to get pain relief. The trick is to keep the ibuprofen levels up to reduce the inflammation. If you stop, then it’ll take a while before the ibuprofen will kick in again.
 
Please keep in mind that this only treats the symptoms and does nothing to address the root cause of your pain. Also, make sure you can take ibuprofen and it doesn’t interfere with any health condition or medication you are already taking. (Check with your doctor if you aren’t sure.)

Salt water rinse:  Slowly stir in salt into a cup of hot water. Keep adding until you see salt crystals at the bottom that are no longer dissolving. Rinse with this solution for 30 seconds 4-5 times a day to reduce gum inflammation. This is especially helpful if you have gum pain or something stuck between the teeth like a seed.
 
Clove Oil: This is an essential oil that has been used for decades as a way to calm inflammation. Apply a small amount with a cotton swab to the affected area. This works best if you can directly apply the oil to the affected area like if there is an exposed nerve due to a deep cavity or your pain in your gums.
 
Pillows:  Keep your head elevated. Stack a couple pillows when you sleep to keep your head higher than your heart. Resting totally flat allows blood flow to the head and may make swelling and pain worse. 

Don’t hesitate to go straight to the ER if you have:

• Trouble breathing or swallowing due to the swelling
• Eyes that are swelling shut
• A fever

There are many causes of tooth/gum pain, but here are a few common ones:

• Cavity deep into the nerve sometimes needing a root canal treatment
• Trauma to the area (dental injury, fracture from biting on something hard, grinding your teeth)
• Sinus infection causing pain on upper teeth
• Swollen gums from gingivitis or periodontitis
• Food getting stuck between your teeth, especially if you have spaces between them

If you are in pain right now, I hope you learned some tips that help and I wish you a speedy recovery! 

Dr. Rita Hung is an endodontist or root canal specialist that works to save teeth, diagnosing and relieving dental pain everyday. 

Guest Editor:    Rita Hung  DMD, MPH, MSD

I hope everyone had some good tricks and treats this Halloween! Now, let’s talk about something really haunting…. ROOT CANALS!

​When the cavity and bacteria goes into the pulp chamber (where the nerve and blood supply exist), this causes pain and irritation. Now, this is where an endodontist, or root canal specialist, comes to the rescue! The endodontist will remove the nerve (and the pain), clean out the root canal system and fill the roots to prevent future contamination. The nerve isn’t necessary after the tooth has already grown so the removal of it doesn’t damage the tooth. After the root canal treatment, a core build-up (or filling) and crown is placed to protect the tooth and keep you functioning for a long-time after!

​Sometimes, if the toothache has gone too long, the nerve will die and a bump will form on your gums. This could be a dental abscess or infection which causes destruction of the bone around the end of the root. (Of course you should visit your friend dentist to check it out and properly diagnose the problem.) But if it's caused by a dead nerve, a root canal treatment can be done to clean out the bacteria from the canals. After treatment, the infection takes several weeks to clear from the bone and gums and rebuild healthy surrounding tissues again.

​Realistically, a root canal treatment isn’t any more scary or spooooky than a filling. In both cases, you are completely numb for the treatment. Often times, the tooth that needs a root canal is in pain and a root canal treatment is done to remove the cause of pain. So really, root canals are friendly!  (Contrary to popular belief!) Of course, no one really wants to get a root canal treatment so please remember to brush, floss and see the dentist for regular check ups to catch cavities early BEFORE they get to the dreaded nerve. 

Many of our patients who have braces are not fans of the maintenance. Those of us in the dental field consistently tout the importance of flossing. Flossing is important to remove the food, debris and bacteria growing between our teeth and around our gums. The lack of flossing leads to the development of cavities between our teeth, gingivitis (gum infection) and periodontitis. Periodontitis can lead to loss of the bone that holds your teeth in place leading to tooth loss. :( So what do we do if we want to protect our gums and teeth and dread the daily chore of flossing? Luckily there are a variety of products available online and in stores that can expedite the process and make it easier on the rest of us.
​ 

​These handheld orthodontic flossers have a smaller tip that may fit in between teeth. Eliminating the need to thread the floss through and simplifying cleaning. 

These brushes can fit into tighter spaces and do a good job of removing plaque and food between teeth and around braces. 

This is great if there are multiple family members in braces or need a waterflosser to help clean around implants and bridges. The unit is more pricey, but each family member can get their own tip and make use of this great cleaning tool.