Aging and Dental Health

As you age, it becomes even more important to take good care of your teeth and dental health. One common misconception is that losing your teeth is inevitable. This is not true. If cared for properly, your teeth can last a lifetime.

Your mouth changes as you age. The nerves in your teeth can become smaller, making your teeth less sensitive to cavities or other problems. If you don’t get regular dental exams, this in turn can lead to these problems not being diagnosed until it is too late. 

If you want to feel good, stay healthy, and look great throughout life, you might be surprised what a difference a healthy mouth makes.

Tips for Maintaining and Improving Your Oral Health

• Brush twice a day with a toothbrush with soft bristles. You may also benefit from using an electric toothbrush.
• Clean between your teeth once a day with floss or another flossing tool.
• If you wear full or partial dentures, remember to clean them on a daily basis. Take your dentures out of your mouth for at least four hours every day. It’s best to remove them at night. 
• Drink tap water. Since most contains fluoride, it helps prevent tooth decay no matter how old you are.
• Quit smoking. Besides putting you at greater risk for lung and other cancers, smoking increases problems with gum disease, tooth decay and tooth loss.
• Visit your dentist. Visit your dentist regularly for a complete dental check-up. 

By adopting healthy oral habits at home, making smart choices about diet and lifestyle, and seeking regular dental care, you can help your teeth last a lifetime—whether you have your natural teeth, implants or wear dentures. 

Caregiving for a Disabled or Elderly Loved One  

You may have a parent, spouse or friend who has difficulty maintaining a healthy mouth on their own. How can you help? Two things are critical:

• Help them keep their mouth clean with reminders to brush and floss daily. 
• Make sure they get to a dentist regularly. 

These steps can prevent many problems, but tasks that once seemed so simple can become very challenging. If your loved one is having difficulty with brushing and flossing, talk to a dentist or hygienist who can provide helpful tips or a different approach. There are dentists who specialize in caring for the elderly and disabled. You can locate a specialist through the Special Care Dentistry Association’s referral directory. For those who wear dentures, pay close attention to their eating habits. If they’re having difficulty eating or are not eating as much as usual, denture problems could be the cause.

When you’re caring for someone who is confined to bed, they may have so many health problems that it’s easy to forget about oral health. However, it’s still very important because bacteria from the mouth can be inhaled into the lungs and cause pneumonia.

If you are a representative for a nursing home resident who needs dental care and is enrolled in Medicaid, there is a regulation, called an Incurred Medical Expense, that may help pay for medically necessary care as determined by a dentist. The Medicaid caseworker at the nursing facility and the dentist providing care can work together to apply the Incurred Medical Expense to pay for needed dental benefits.

To read the entire article visit mouthhealthy.org

Coloman E. Kondorossy, DMD, FAGD, DICOI   

Stephen K. Kondorossy, DMD, MBS  

General Dentists  

1445 Hamilton Street  

Somerset, NJ 08873   

(732) 249-0055   

SomersetImplantDental.com

Nutrition: What You Eat Affects Your Teeth

Below is an excerpt from an article found on MouthHealthy.org

Your mouth, teeth, and gums are more than just tools for eating. They’re essential for chewing and swallowing-the first steps in the digestion process. Your mouth is your body’s initial point of contact with the nutrients you consume. So what you put in your mouth impacts not only your general health but also that of your teeth and gums. In fact, if your nutrition is poor, the first signs often show up in your mouth. Here are a few helpful things to know about how what you eat can impact your dental health.

Diet and Tooth Decay
The foods you eat and the beverages you drink can have a direct influence on the incidence and progression of tooth decay, depending upon: 

• The form of the food-whether it’s liquid, solid, sticky or slow to dissolve makes a difference. 
• How often you eat sugary foods and beverages and how often you eat or drink acidic foods and beverages. 
• The nutritional makeup of the food. 
• The combination of the foods you eat and the order in which you eat them. 
• Medical conditions you may have, such as gastrointestinal reflux and eating disorders, which can increase risk of cavities and weaken teeth.

How Snacking Affects Your Dental Health
For dental health, it’s recommended that people limit eating and drinking between meals. Of course, sometimes eating between meals must happen. Unfortunately, most people choose foods like sweets and chips for snacks; foods that harm teeth by promoting tooth decay. If you do snack, make it a nutritious choice-such as cheese, yogurt, fruits, vegetables or nuts-for your overall health and the health of your teeth. Did you know that certain foods can put you at risk for cavities and other dental health problems? Here are some MouthHealthy tips.

To read the entire article visit MouthHealthy.org.

The remainder of the article details the following:

• Recommended Nutritional Guidelines
• Foods That Harm Your Dental Health
• Sugar and Your Dental Health
• How Sugar Substitutes Affect Your Teeth
• 4 Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Cavities

Coloman E. Kondorossy, DMD, FAGD, DICOI   
Stephen K. Kondorossy, DMD, MBS  
General Dentists  
1445 Hamilton Street  
Somerset, NJ 08873   
(732) 249-0055   
SomersetImplantDental.com

6 Ways to Reduce Your Child's Sugary Snacking (Part 1 of 3)

When working with her young patients, pediatric dentist and ADA spokesperson Dr. Mary Hayes teaches them this simple, but important, saying: “Sugar is fun to eat, but not good for your teeth!”

That’s because your child might love sweet treats, but the bacteria in his or her mouth loves them even more. “Sucrose (sugar) is the ‘food’ for the bacteria that cause tooth decay,” Dr. Hayes says. “Those bacteria produce acid that etches away the teeth.”

Limiting the amount of sugar your entire family eats is good for your teeth and key to your overall health. Here are some dentist-recommended ways to start saying good-bye to unnecessary sugar throughout the day.

Know the Limits
When choosing a snack, keep an eye on added sugar (sweeteners like corn syrup or white sugar that are added to prepared foods). Naturally occurring sugars are less worrisome, as they are found in healthy choices like milk and fruit.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends that people age 3 and older should consume no more than 12.5 tsp. each day of added sugar. (The same as one can of soda.) The World Health Organization states that adults should consume no more than 6 tsp. of added sugar, and children should have no more than 3 tsp. 

When reading labels, you’ll see sugar is listed in grams. Since 1 tsp. of sugar equals 4 grams, aim to make sure the foods you are feeding your child fall between 12 to 50 grams a day.

The Truth About Juice
Because juice is high in sugar and calories, water and milk are always the best options for your little one. In fact, if your child is under 1 years old, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests completely removing juice from his or her diet. 

Older children can occasionally drink juice, but if they do, there are two things to remember:

• Children ages 1-6 should have no more than 4-6 oz. of juice each day, according to pediatric guidelines. Children ages 7 to 18 should drink no more than 8-12 oz. (Many juice boxes are about 6 oz., so younger children should have no more than one per day, and older children no more than two.)
• Allowing your child to sip on juice throughout the day puts him or her at higher risk for tooth decay because you’re giving that cavity-causing bacteria more opportunities to eat and produce the acid that eats away at teeth. This can also happen with juice that is watered down. “Even though the volume of sugar has decreased, you’ve added the time that it takes to drink it,” says ADA spokesperson Dr. Jonathan Shenkin.

So what’s a parent to do? Limit the amount of juice your children drink, and always offer water or milk first. If your child does drink juice, serve the recommended, age-appropriate limits at mealtimes only. When your family is done eating, clean up any leftover juice instead of letting your children leave the table with it.

To read the entire article visit MouthHealthy.org.

Coloman E. Kondorossy, DMD, FAGD, DICOI   
Stephen K. Kondorossy, DMD, MBS  
General Dentists  
1445 Hamilton Street  
Somerset, NJ 08873   
(732) 249-0055   
SomersetImplantDental.com

Surprisingly Simple Food Tips for Healthy Teeth

Below is an excerpt from an article found on Colgate.com that was written by Donna Pleis

You already know the value of regular tooth brushing and flossing to the prevention of tooth decay and gum disease, but what you eat can help too. Here are a few tips for healthy teeth involving simple foods that may be more helpful to your dental health than you thought they were.

An Element of Strength
The mineral, fluoride, plays an important role in building strong teeth and bones, and ultimately protecting your teeth against tooth decay. This is why fluoride has been included in toothpastes like Colgate Cavity Protection and many community water supplies. But did you know it's also found naturally in many foods? Any fluoride you ingest is absorbed and distributed throughout the body, according to the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), though most of it deposited into your bones and teeth.

So, to give you and your family's teeth an extra bit of strength now and then, serve up foods with naturally high concentrations of fluoride. Most seafood is a good source of this because oceans are full of natural sodium fluoride. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), tea and gelatin contain fluoride as well. Carrots, beets, canned pork and beans also have significant amounts (who would've thought?), as well as infant formula, juices, canned tomato products and cheeses. And if you like baked potatoes, don't peel off the skin; that's where most of the fluoride is found. You can identify more fluoride-rich foods at the USDA National Nutrient Database.

To read the entire article visit Colgate.com.

The remainder of the article details the following:

• 'Moo're Dairy Please
• Swish and Swallow
• Candy and Chewing Gum
• Nature's Toothbrush

Coloman E. Kondorossy, DMD, FAGD, DICOI   
Stephen K. Kondorossy, DMD, MBS  
General Dentists  
1445 Hamilton Street  
Somerset, NJ 08873   
(732) 249-0055   

SomersetImplantDental.com

Nutrition Tips: How to Eat Healthy

Below is an excerpt from an article found on Colgate.com that was written by Yolanda Eddis

Healthy eating is essential for your overall health. Choosing foods and beverages that provide the right amount of energy and nutrients goes a long way toward maintaining not only a healthy body, but also a healthy mouth. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offer numerous nutrition resources, such as sample recipes, menus and educational tools that will guide you in picking out the right foods and drinks to consume. By knowing how to eat healthy, you can improve your physical and oral health, prevent disease and promote healthy growth and development for children and adolescents.

What Is a Nutritious Diet?

Eating a nutritious diet has many benefits. A well-balanced diet should include foods from the basic food groups and subgroups along with the right oils. Nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals are a staple of healthy diets, but it's also important to avoid eating too many or too few nutrients.

In an effort to assist consumers to learn how to eat healthy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture developed the MyPlate website. MyPlate illustrates the five food groups, which include fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins and dairy, and provides several examples of each. Oils that come from different plants and fish are also recommended although they don't constitute a food group of their own. The selection of foods from these groups can be fresh, canned, frozen or dried. The site also recommends different ways to balance your caloric intake by increasing nutrients and decreasing the consumption of sugar and sodium in meals and snacks.

To read the entire article visit Colgate.com.

The remainder of the article details the following:

• How to Select Healthy Beverages
• Healthy Habits after Eating and Drinking
• Healthy Eating Tips
• Diet and Dental Health

Coloman E. Kondorossy, DMD, FAGD, DICOI   

Stephen K. Kondorossy, DMD, MBS  

General Dentists  

1445 Hamilton Street  

Somerset, NJ 08873   

(732) 249-0055   

SomersetImplantDental.com

Halloween Candy: Your Dental Health Survival Guide

Below is an excerpt from an article found on MouthHealthy.org

With Halloween comes ghosts, goblins and goodies-and the sugar in those treats can play some unwanted tricks on your teeth if you’re not careful. 

Here’s why: The bacteria in your mouth are probably more excited to eat Halloween candy than you are. When the bacteria eat the sugar and leftover food in your mouth, a weak acid is produced. That acid is what can contribute to cavities. 

But don’t hang up your costume just yet. “Halloween is about candy, dressing up and having fun,” says ADA dentist Dr. Ana Paula Ferraz-Dougherty. “It’s OK to eat that candy on Halloween as a splurge as long as you’re brushing twice a day and flossing once a day all year long.”

To help you sort through the trick-or-treat bag loot, we have a rundown of some common candies and their impact on your teeth:
Chocolate
Chocolate is probably your best bet, which is good because it’s also one of the most popular kinds of candy handed out on Halloween. ìChocolate is one of the better candies because it washes off your teeth easier than other types of candy,î Dr. Ferraz- Dougherty says. “Dark chocolate also has less sugar than milk chocolate.”

Sticky and Gummy Candies
Be picky if it’s sticky. These are some of the worst candies for your teeth. “This candy is harder to remove and may stay longer on your teeth, which gives that cavity-causing bacteria more time to work,” Dr. Ferraz-Dougherty says.

To read the entire article visit MouthHealthy.org.

The remainder of the article details the following:

• Hard Candy
• Sour Candy
• Popcorn Balls

Coloman E. Kondorossy, DMD, FAGD, DICOI   
Stephen K. Kondorossy, DMD, MBS  
General Dentists  
1445 Hamilton Street  
Somerset, NJ 08873   
(732) 249-0055   
SomersetImplantDental.com

12 Tips for a Healthy Halloween

Below is an excerpt from an article found on MouthHealthy.org

Halloween is around the corner, which for most children means bags of free candy and a chance to build a stockpile of sweets for the winter. No surprise, Halloween can also present parents with a variety of health and safety challenges. “It’s OK to eat that candy on Halloween but it’s important to have a plan,” says ADA dentist Dr. Ana Paula Ferraz-Dougherty. 

Here's how you can help your family stay MouthHealthy on Halloween and year-round.
Time It Right
Eat Halloween candy (and other sugary foods) with meals or shortly after mealtime. Saliva production increases during meals. This helps cancel out acids produced by bacteria in your mouth and rinse away food particles.

Stay Away from Sweet Snacks
Snacking can increase your risk of cavities, and it’s double the trouble if you keep grabbing sugary treats from the candy bowl. “Snacking on candy throughout the day is not ideal for your dental health or diet,” Dr. Ferraz-Dougherty says.

Choose Candy Carefully
Avoid hard candy and other sweets that stay in your mouth for a long time. Aside from how often you snack, the length of time sugary food is in your mouth plays a role in tooth decay. Unless it is a sugar-free product, candies that stay in the mouth for a long period of time subject teeth to an increased risk for tooth decay.

To read the entire article visit MouthHealthy.org.

The remainder of the article details the following:

• Avoid Sticky Situations
• Have a Plan
• Drink More Water
• Maintain a Healthy Diet
• Stay Away from Sugary Beverages
• Chew Gum with the ADA Seal
• Brush Twice a Day
• Clean Between Your Teeth
• Visit an ADA Dentist

Coloman E. Kondorossy, DMD, FAGD, DICOI   

Stephen K. Kondorossy, DMD, MBS  

General Dentists  

1445 Hamilton Street  

Somerset, NJ 08873   

(732) 249-0055   
SomersetImplantDental.com