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During the second week in April, we recognize and celebrate the expert care dental hygienists provide. Let’s take a moment this week to explore how the special skills of this valued member of your dental team in Ashland enrich your dental health.

Regular Cleanings

Dentists typically recommend routine dental examinations twice a year, and these visits will almost always include an in-office cleaning by your hygienist. Dental hygienists are highly trained healthcare professionals who are specialists in caring for your teeth and gums.

• Plaque and tartar need to be removed from tooth enamel to help prevent cavities and gum disease. While you can brush away plaque, it takes a dental professional to remove tartar, which is plaque which has mineralized over time. The hygienists who work with Dr. John Zarrella and Dr. Peter C. Rider might use a hand scaler, an ultrasonic scaler, or both tools to gently scrape sticky plaque and hardened tartar from your tooth enamel.
• Your cleaning will also include polishing, where surface stains on the enamel are removed using a gentle abrasive. This cleaning might be done with a special toothpaste applied with a small rotating cup or with an air polisher, which removes stains with a stream of fine abrasive powder, water, and pressurized air.
• An expert flossing will remove any remaining plaque from between the teeth.

Deep Cleaning

Hygienists help prevent gum disease. Plaque and tartar on tooth surfaces below the gum line increase your risk of gum disease. Irritated gum tissue gradually pulls away from the teeth, creating pockets of bacteria and causing inflammation and infection.

• Your hygienist will use a probe to gently measure the depth of the space between the teeth and gums. Deeper than normal spaces or bleeding could be a sign of gum disease.
• Tartar on the tooth surface below the gum line will be removed using a treatment called scaling, a non-surgical procedure where your hygienist uses hand scalers or ultrasonic tools to carefully scrape hardened plaque from the tooth.
• Root planing might be done to smooth the root surfaces so that gum tissue can attach snugly around the teeth again, protecting the roots from plaque buildup and bacteria.

Preventative and Cosmetic Care

Some hygienists work with dentists to help provide additional diagnostic, preventative, and cosmetic services:

• X-rays and digital imaging.
• Oral cancer screenings.
• Sealants, thin plastic coatings which protect the top surfaces of molars—the most likely places to develop cavities—from accumulating food particles and plaque.
• Fluoride treatment, if recommended, applied in varnish, foam, or gel form.
• Professional whitening treatments.

Education

Finally, your dental hygienist is an educator!

• When it comes to brushing, there are effective techniques and . . . not so effective techniques. Your hygienist can teach you the best way to clean away food particles and plaque and the best tools for the job.
• During a cleaning, your hygienist will point out any spots where plaque has built up. Discovering the spots where you tend to leave plaque behind allows you to do a better, more thorough cleaning job at home.
• Flossing can be difficult for some of us because we have braces, or because of the way our teeth are aligned, or because of dexterity issues. Your hygienist can show you the best way to floss, as well as recommend products such as specially designed flosses or water flossers which will make flossing easier and more effective.

The dental hygienists at Zarrella Dentistry are skilled professionals who work to create cleaner, brighter, healthier smiles for their patients every day. This week, we appreciate them for helping us achieve the beautiful smiles we get to appreciate all year long!

We all know that brushing your teeth and flossing regularly keeps your smile sparkly and bright, but did you realize that cleaning your teeth can actually help your heart? Recent research suggests that people with periodontal disease also have a higher cardiovascular risk, which means they are more vulnerable to heart attacks or stroke. It’s probably not time to throw away those running shoes in favor of a new toothbrush, but this is an added incentive to maintain good oral hygiene.

Relationship between Periodontal Disease and Cardiovascular Health

In 2003, researchers from the University of Buffalo conducted analyses which suggested that patients with gum disease were also at elevated risk of cardiovascular problems. Furthermore, people with more severe cases of gum disease have even poorer heart health. Although the exact causes of this relationship remain unknown, scientists continue to explore the impact of oral hygiene on broader health.

One hypothesis is that poor oral hygiene leads to inflammation, which negatively affects the heart. Gum disease occurs when bacteria build up in the mouth, and feed off sugars found in food. These bacteria release compounds that contribute to inflammation and red, swollen gums. The same inflammatory compounds may affect the heart, increasing overall cardiovascular risk.

Protect Your Teeth, Protect Your Heart

Taking a few commonsense measures can go a long way to improving your oral health and your cardiovascular risk. Consider the following:

• Brush twice daily, and floss at least once per day. Brushing your teeth at least twice a day cleans away the harmful bacteria that contribute to gum disease. Similarly, flossing your teeth ensures that dangerous bacteria that build up between each tooth get swept away. These simple steps are the easiest ways to reduce your risk of periodontal disease.
• Eat healthy foods. Those sugary snacks that you love so much don’t help your teeth. Whenever possible, stick to a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain foods. For example, grab an apple or a few celery sticks for a mid-afternoon snack, rather than indulging in that candy bar.
• Drink water. Staying hydrated doesn’t just help your body – it also swishes bad bacteria away from your tooth and gum surface. Drinking plenty of water improves your overall oral health. It’s particularly helpful after eating a sugary or sticky snack, because water can reduce plaque buildup.
• Visit Zarrella Dentistry. Dr. John Zarrella and Dr. Peter C. Rider and our staff will monitor your mouth for signs of periodontal disease and can make specific recommendations to keep your mouth – and your heart – safer.

Xerostomia, commonly known as dry mouth, is a condition in which the salivary glands in the mouth don’t produce enough saliva. Saliva keeps the mouth moist and cleanses it of bacteria. A lack of it makes for an uncomfortably dry mouth that is also more susceptible to infection and disease.

Symptoms of dry mouth include:

• Dryness or a sticky feeling
• Frequent thirst
• Burning sensations or redness in the throat or on the tongue
• A sore throat or hoarseness
• Difficulty chewing, swallowing, or tasting food

Dry mouth usually comes about as a side effect of certain medications or medical conditions, but can also be caused by damage to the salivary glands because of injury or surgery.

If you're experiencing any of the symptoms of dry mouth, here are a few tips for what to do:

Double-check medications: If you are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medications, speak with Dr. John Zarrella and Dr. Peter C. Rider to see if any of these could be causing the dry mouth as a side effect.

There may be ways to alleviate the symptoms.

• Stay hydrated: Whether you have dry mouth or not, it’s essential to stay hydrated. Drink plenty of fresh and pure water throughout the day. A good rule of thumb is to drink eight eight-ounce glasses of water a day.
• Suck or chew on a natural, sugar-free candy or gum: Sucking on candy or chewing gum will keep your salivary glands producing saliva. Healthier versions of sugar-free candy and gum are available these days. Some are made with xylitol, a sugar alcohol that actually helps prevent tooth decay.
• Add moisture to your living spaces: Try adding a vaporizer to your bedroom or the rooms where you spend the most time. It’s best for your home to have a humidity level of between 40 to 50%. Anything less than 30% is too low. You can measure humidity with a hygrometer, which is easy to find at your local department store or online.

These are just a few general tips, but if you’re experiencing the symptoms of dry mouth often and it’s interfering with your life, pay a visit to our Ashland office. That way you’re more likely to get to the root of the problem.

There are a few dental treatments that Dr. John Zarrella and Dr. Peter C. Rider and our team recommend for all patients to get if they wish to protect their oral health. Sometimes it’s hard for patients to decide which treatment plan would be best for their teeth. Learn about these three must-have treatments and how they can help protect your teeth in various ways.

Professional Cleanings

First, get a professional dental cleaning every six months. Regular cleanings can protect you from potential gum disease because they enable us to catch it early.

Cleanings also will get rid of plaque and tartar that have collected on your teeth over time. Oral health has been linked to your body’s overall health. We recommend scheduling your appointments in advance: Feel free to contact our practice’s Ashland location if you forget when you scheduled your next visit. Our staff will be happy to assist you.

Periodontal Exams

We also recommend that all our patients at Zarrella Dentistry receive a complete periodontal exam each year. You can ask about this during your regular, scheduled cleanings.

It’s a quick and painless procedure in which our hygienist probes each tooth to make sure the bone and soft tissue are healthy. If there’s a sign of infection, we will be able to treat it effectively before painful symptoms kick in.

Many adult patients are unaware that they have periodontal disease, and they may suffer the loss of a tooth if it goes untreated. Make sure you schedule a periodontal exam each year and save yourself a lot of time and pain.

Sealants

We also recommend dental sealants, particularly to protect your molars. Many people assume this treatment is just for kids to prevent cavities, but it can be used for adults too!

Sealants provide a protective barrier on your teeth that can help block against the buildup of plaque in those hard-to-reach areas in the back of your mouth. If you received sealants as a child, chances are they’ve worn off over time.

So if you want to save dental costs over the long haul, we recommend getting sealants again for cavity protection.

Dr. John Zarrella and Dr. Peter C. Rider and our team hope you take our advice when it comes to your oral hygiene and schedule regular appointments for your dental cleanings. We look forward to seeing you at your next appointment!