Every parent knows that daily brushing and flossing are the key components to your child’s preventive dental care.  But there are other things parents can do to help ensure their children enjoy good dental health.  Dr. Erpenbach believes that maintaining a healthy balance of bacterial flora in the mouth is another important part of preventive care.

Using an antiseptic mouthwash like Listerine or Scope can help eliminate bad bacteria.  One way of protecting the good oral flora in your child’s mouth is preventing dry mouth.

Dry mouth can be caused by climate, diet, medication and a variety of other problems, but there is one way to minimize dry mouth that children find to be a lot of fun.  Chewing sugarless gum that is sweetened by an ingredient called Xylitol has been clinically proven to help produce saliva, thereby helping eliminate dry mouth.

In addition to helping eliminate dry mouth, chewing a Xylitol based gum can also help your child exercise the muscles that control the jaw and stimulate the roots of the teeth to promote bone density and growth of new teeth.

To choose the right sugarless gum to promote your child’s dental health, look for Xylitol on the label.  Some gum brands are made specifically for this purpose and will list Xylitol as an active ingredient.  These products can be found at Whole Foods and other organic grocery providers.  Other sugarless gums that contain Xylitol as the main ingredient can be just as beneficial.  You can identify whether xylitol is the main ingredient by it being listed first in the order of ingredients on the nutritional label.

To schedule a regular professional cleaning and checkup for yourself or your child, contact our office at 865-240-2035.

Did you know that the mouth contains over 700 different kinds of bacteria? Not all of these are harmful, but the buildup of certain strains can become a problem. We tend to think of our teeth as invincible and not take infection as seriously as we do in other parts of the body. But the reality is, teeth and gums endure daily stress that can lead to serious problems both in the mouth and the body if not properly cared for.  

There’s a medical term called the oral-systemic link that refers to the connection between oral health and whole-body, or systemic health. The easiest way to visualize this is to think of the mouth as the body’s largest doorway. Infection in the mouth has open access to the body and can spread through the bloodstream. Disease in the mouth increases an individual’s risk for heart attack, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and more. 

It’s especially important for older family members to see have regular oral checkups. This is because sensitivity is lost in the gums as we age so it’s not always easy for the patient to detect a problem. The best way to keep the mouth healthy is to maintain good homecare and routine dental exams. That way we can provide any necessary treatment as early as possible and avoid long-term damage. 

Do you have questions about the oral-systemic link or dental care for your family? Don’t hesitate to contact us at 865-240-2035.