Think of disclosing tablets as a form of plaque detective that finds residual bacteria and plaque that still remains on your teeth, even after you have brushed and flossed. 

These tablets are 100 percent bio-friendly and will not hurt your mouth or your body.  They are, in fact, made with a special vegetable dye that turns plaque red on your teeth. 

Plaque is actually a bacteria colony that is sticky, colorless, and very difficult to completely remove from your teeth.  The bacteria in plaque secrete acid, which erodes your dental enamel.  Plaque is also dangerous because it can harden into tartar over time, and tartar is something that brushing and flossing cannot remove.

The only way to prevent the buildup of tartar is to rigorously remove plaque on a daily basis.  If you do not, you will need much more complicated and more expensive dental treatment down the line.

The pervasive presence of plaque is readily seen if you ever try this experiment at home.  Chew on disclosing tablets before you brush your teeth and look in the mirror.  You will see your teeth are practically covered in red.  Next, brush and floss your teeth according to proper dental hygiene guidelines.  Use disclosing tablets again, and in spite of your best efforts to get all of the plaque of your teeth, you are still going to find some remaining.

If there is tartar on your teeth, you will see it show up as a blue stain.  Tartar is even more serious than plaque, because it damages gum tissue as well as teeth enamel and contributes to the development of periodontal disease.

While only professional teeth cleaning services on a regular basis can completely remove all of the plaque and tartar on your teeth, you still have to do the best you can on your own to minimize the risk of cavities and gum disease.  This is why disclosing tablets can be such a valuable tool for you if you really want to stay on top of taking care of yourself.  They literally show you exactly where you need to brush and floss and give you the best possible chance of managing your own dental health, to the fullest extent possible, at home.

Using this method will protect your gums from gingivitis, periodontal disease, and your teeth from cavities. 

Disclosing tablets are very easy to use.  Begin by brushing and flossing.  Then, chew a tablet and let it dissolve in your mouth, moving the fluid over your teeth.  Rinse with water and use a mirror to check for any signs of red.  Pay close attention to your gumline. 

Brush and floss these areas again until the red stains on your teeth are completely gone.

Have you ever had a patient that had a fear of dentists so severe it led to severe long term damage?
Yes.

Were you still able to help her?
Ultimately, yes.

What age was the patient? 
She was 78 years old.

How many teeth had she lost? 
By the time she came to us, she had lost 15 of her teeth.

What caused her to lose those teeth? 
Tragically, it was the result of long-term fear more than anything else.  She had a fear of going to the dentist and just stayed away from dental offices whenever she had a problem.  Unfortunately, waiting until the last possible minute, only compounded the problem.

When she was infected, she had no choice but to show up at the dentist office.

What else had been tried? 
She had been treated over the years in a similar fashion.  She would wait until she had a crisis, and then was treated only partially, because that is all she would allow  The patient would get just enough work to solve the immediate problem, and then she would disappear from dentistry for another 10 years or so.

Do you encounter a number of patients with similar fear of dentists?
Sadly, we do.  We are not scary people, and modern dentistry is nothing like the painful memories that some people carry with them from their childhood.  We have all types of tools, and all types of new strategies, to deal with both the fear of dentists and the individual comfort level of each and every patient.

Even so, why are so many people still afraid of going to the dentist?
It goes beyond dentistry, believe it or not.  Not to sound passé or pop psychologist here, but much of it does truly relate to a variety of childhood traumas.  Anything from a dog bite, a fight, or even  falling and hitting the coffee table and going to the emergency can create long-term subconscious phobias that create severe emotional, internal resistance to seeking much needed care.

How did you ultimately help this patient in spite of the damage her fear caused her to suffer?
We place a total of 5 implants in her upper arch because there was not enough inherent strength in her jaw to take any more than that.  Then, we built a fixed porcelain bridge using the implants as anchors. 

Was there any bone grafting involved?
It was not necessary in this case.

Did she need any bridgework?
Her entire mouth is bridgework now…. Both arches are in 2 pieces, left and right…

How would you recommend people overcome their fear of dentists if they suffer a phobia similar to that if this individual?
Call us and be honest about your fear.  We are professionals trained to never take your concerns personally or offensively.  In terms of overcoming your fear within yourself, we can would quote Eleanor Roosevelt here and simply say,

“You must do the thing you think you can’t.”

Contrary to myth, smokeless tobacco is not safe.  It contains nicotine additives and toxic chemicals that absorb directly into the tissues of the mouth.  From there, they spread throughout the entire body.  These chemicals include lead, formaldehyde, cadmium, and uranium 235.  Keep in mind that car batteries use cadmium, and uranium 235 is used to manufacture nuclear weapons.

There are 28 known carcinogens in smokeless tobacco, total.

Chewing tobacco exponentially increases your risk of oral cancer.  You are 4-6 times more likely to develop oral cancer if you use smokeless tobacco.  If the cancer is not detected and treated early, there is a less than 5-year survival rate.  If caught early enough and cured, there will still be life-long disfigurement, distorted speech, and pain.

If you chew tobacco, your risk of oral cancer skyrockets. In fact, if you use smokeless tobacco, you are four to six times more likely to develop oral cancer than a non-user. If not identified and treated early, oral cancer has a very poor five-year survival rate. Even if treated and cured, it can still result in life-long disfigurement, distorted speech, and pain.

Smokeless tobacco use will affect the entire body even if it does not cause cancer.  Having a chunk of tobacco in your mouth all day long will cause the nicotine to pass directly into the blood.  You will feel an adrenaline rush from this, and you will get addicted to the “nicotine buzz.”  This always results in wanting more of the product, which is why you are willing to still keep paying for it even though the prices continue to skyrocket. 

Smokeless tobacco also causes tooth abrasion and gum recession.  Teeth will become more sensitive to heat, cold and sweets.  Periodontal disease is more likely to develop as a result, and this will lead to infection and loss of teeth and bone.

Another problem that smokeless tobacco causes is discoloration of teeth.  Teeth will look brown or yellow after consistent use of the product.  Bad breath is also associated with its use.

In addition to mouth and throat cancer, dangerous health risks of smokeless tobacco include:

The health consequences of smokeless tobacco are:
1.  Cavities and various negative effects on gums.
2.  Soft tissue alterations in oral cavities.
3.  Precancerous white patches in the mouth
4.  Nicotine addiction
6.  Increase blood sugar
7. Increased heart rate ]
8. Increased blood pressure
9.   Blood vessel constriction

DANGER SIGNS – If you use smokeless tobacco, call us at once if you experience any of these early signs of oral cancer:
A sore that does not heal
White patch
Sore throat that does not go away
Difficulty chewing
Restriction of tongue or jaws
Feeling like something is in your throat. 

Pain is the first symptom, so even without the others, regular dental checkups are strongly recommended.

It does not matter whether or not you use a manual toothbrush or an electric toothbrush.  You must use proper tooth brushing techniques no matter what.  This is the only way to disrupt the bacteria that cause plaque, tooth decay, and gum disease. 

To begin with, you should always brush at least two times a day.  You should also floss every day and eat a well-balanced meal.  Regular visits to the dentists are also necessary. 
 
Always use a toothbrush with soft bristles.  Because they are gentler on teeth and gums, they make it much easier to remove plaque that lies beneath the gumline.  This is the area where gum disease always begins, so keeping it clean is extremely important. 

If you use a medium or hard bristle brush, you could easily damage your gums.  This, of course, increases your risk of gum disease. 

Use an ADA (American Dental Association) approved toothbrush if you can. 

Also, along with proper tooth brushing technique, you should also use toothpaste with fluoride. 
This will strengthen the outer enamel layer of your teeth.  In fact, it can even stop a cavity in its tracks, and it can prevent future cavities from forming. 

Fluoride is just as important as proper tooth brushing techniques.  Since its introduction into the public water supply some 50 years ago, it has caused a dramatic decrease in the incidence of tooth decay and cavity formation.

Fluoride protects teeth against the acid that bacteria in your mouth secrete.  It makes the tooth enamel stronger, and it can even remineralize teeth to some degree, thus reversing the early stages of acid damage. 

Brushing long enough is part of proper tooth brushing technique.   You need to make sure that you have brushed your teeth long enough to get rid of all the plaque on your teeth.  We recommend that you brush a minimum of two minutes.  Use a timer or clock if you need to sure your brushing routine lasts long enough to thoroughly remove plaque.  We recommend that you brush for at least 2 minutes.  Use a clock or timer to make sure you do this.

Electric toothbrushes often come with their own timers. 
 
A 45 degree angle to the brush is the best angle for optimal dental hygiene.    Center the brush at the base of the gumline and angle it at a 45-degree angle so the bristles will fit underneath the gums.  Move the brush in circular motions.  Brush the outer surfaces of the tooth, but do not lose the 45-degree angle.  Then, brush the biting surfaces of the teeth.  Finally, brush the insides of the teeth by tilting the brush vertically and brushing in circular movements.  Brush your tongue too to clean your mouth of bacteria.