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Are energy drinks bad for your teeth? Many of our patients at Comfort Smiles ask us this question, so here’s the scoop.

Energy drinks have been on the rise, taking up more and more space on grocery store shelves. Drinks such as Red Bull, 5-Hour Energy, Monster Assault, Rockstar, and the like promise to jump-start your day, give you more energy, and help you feel more alert. But they also do a lot more than that. Turns out, they do a pretty good job of stripping your teeth of enamel, which is a very bad thing.

Many of these energy drinks are loaded with a lot of citric acid. In addition, they are laden with preservatives (not to mention sugar), not only to enhance flavor, but extend shelf life. While enamel loss, tooth decay, teeth sensitivity, and cavities cannot be blamed entirely on energy drinks (improper oral hygiene at home and lack of professional dental care also play a role), they can wreak havoc on the health of your teeth and gums, especially when consumed in more than moderation. Over time, energy drinks can strip enamel, which is the outer layer that protects your teeth.

What can you do?

Although Dr. Welmilya Francis-Davis and our team aren't recommending you drink energy drinks at all, if you must drink one occasionally, there are a few things you can do to minimize the damage to your teeth.

• Drink through a straw.
• Don’t hold the drink in your mouth before swallowing.
• Rinse your mouth with water immediately after drinking this kind of beverage. Water helps both to neutralize the acid and to increase the production of saliva.
• Chew sugar-free gum immediately after, to increase saliva production.
• Don’t brush your teeth right after drinking an energy drink. Wait at least an hour instead, because the combination of the acid and brushing will further damage tooth enamel.

The best advice is to refrain from drinking energy drinks altogether. One of the best hydrators is water. Water is a natural energy-booster and hydrator, and it doesn’t contain calories.

Give us a call today at our Nassau  office if you have any questions or concerns about energy drinks and dental health. We can provide additional tips and a treatment plan to help reduce enamel loss, eliminate tooth sensitivity, and repair cavities and tooth decay as a result of drinking energy drinks.

We live in a tech-savvy world, and dental professionals take advantage of it! Digital imaging, convenient record storage and sharing, even more comfortable denture design—these are just some of the ways dentists can use modern technology to make our time in the office more efficient and more effective.

And since modern software developers have given us a program for just about everything, it’s no surprise that you can find apps to help make your home dental care more convenient and perhaps even more effective, too. What can an app do for you?

• Brushing and Flossing? Apply Yourself!

A big part of making your smile look its best is the care you take at home. This means keeping up with daily brushing and flossing, and using proper technique. Two minutes brushing, twice each day, and flossing at least once a day are the basic recommendations for preventing cavities and gum disease.

And to help you make sure you get a solid two minutes of brushing twice a day? Try an app that plays two minutes of your favorite music with a perfectly timed brushing playlist. Apps can also send you brushing and flossing reminders, let you know when it’s time to change your toothbrush (every three months, please!), and give you tips on better brushing and flossing techniques.

And for the kids in the house? There are apps just for children that use music and games to help teach them how—and how long—to brush, for an enjoyable and even educational brushing experience.

• Keep Track of Your Appointments

Your dentist is your partner in preventative care. Regular examinations and professional cleanings at our Nassau office not only make sure problems are caught before they become serious, they can help prevent problems from developing in the first place.

There are many apps out there that are designed to help you keep your dental care on track with appointment reminders. This sounds pretty basic, but when you have work, school, volunteering, sports, and activities filling your days, it doesn’t hurt to get a timely reminder that Dr. Welmilya Francis-Davis should be seeing you for a checkup and a cleaning in the near future.

• Mapping Out Your Dental Care

Have an electric toothbrush? There just might be an app available designed to work especially with your model. These handy apps can let you know if you’re brushing long enough. They can alert you if you’re brushing too hard, which is not good for your enamel. Some apps can provide a map that lets you know just where you’ve brushed, in case you tend to neglect a few spots.

If you or a family member are thinking about orthodontic treatment, you’re in luck!

Not sure just how you’ll look in braces? Get a preview with an app that uses one of your selfies to model different types and styles of braces, brackets, bands, and aligners. Metal brackets? Ceramic? Elastic bands in your choice of colors? No bands at all? Hardly visible aligners? Find the look that works for you.

There are apps which can keep track of the hours you wear your aligners, or alert you to put on or replace your elastic bands if you wear traditional braces. Some apps even let you track your progress with selfies or “countdown” features.

• When Problems Happen

There are apps which can help you with basic dental questions. Apps can let you know that symptoms like a discolored tooth mean you should give your dentist a call, or provide instructions for taking care of simple problems, such as applying wax to an irritating bracket. Always remember, though, an app is not a dentist, and can’t diagnose or suggest treatment. If you have a problem or concern, call us immediately.

• Dentist Approved

If you’ve checked out the dental apps available for your operating system, you know that there are a lot of options out there. To help you find the best app for you and your family, talk to Dr. Welmilya Francis-Davis.

We might know just the app for your specific dental needs, whether you’re looking to brush up on brushing techniques, organize your time more efficiently, manage your dental care, or simply make your family’s dental activities a little more fun. It’s a tech-savvy world—take advantage of it!

Congratulations! You’ve made the decision to replace a missing tooth with an implant. While an implant will restore the appearance of your smile, you also know that there are many reasons that an implant will improve your health, too.

A missing tooth causes structural problems as well as cosmetic ones. Remaining teeth can shift to fill the gap, leading to wear and bite problems. Without the stimulation of biting and chewing, bone tissue under the lost tooth gradually shrinks and is resorbed. The shapes of our jaws, cheeks and lips can be affected. Replacing a lost tooth with an implant can not only restore the appearance of your smile, but maintain it.

And implant procedures have a very high rate of success. Implants are made of materials compatible with the body, and surgically placed in the jaw to act as anchors for replacement teeth. The implant will actually integrate with the bone growing around it for strong, stable, and long-lasting support. After the time it takes for the implant to integrate and the area around it to heal, a crown, designed to match your own teeth perfectly, will be securely attached to the implant post.

What can you do to help the healing process? Follow our instructions carefully. Dr. Welmilya Francis-Davis will give you suggestions for the time immediately following the procedure as well as instructions on the importance of keeping the area clean while healing takes place. And one very important favor you can do yourself? If you smoke, this is the time to stop.

Studies have shown that smokers have a significantly increased risk of dental problems and implant failures, and there are several theories as to why.

• Smoking slows the healing process. Some studies indicate that smoking impairs blood flow in the gums, so that less oxygen and fewer nutrients are delivered to healing tissue.
• Smokers tend to be more vulnerable to gum disease.
• Smoking has been linked to a weaker immune system, so it’s harder to fight off an infection or to heal from one.
• More marginal bone loss around implants is seen in smokers than in non-smokers.
• Peri-implantitis, an inflammation of the gum tissue around the implant that can lead to bone loss and implant failure, is also more common in smokers.

Now that you have decided on a dental implant at our Nassau office, make one more decision to ensure the success of the procedure. Talk to us about ways to quit smoking before your implant, and how to reduce the chance of smoking-related complications. We know that quitting can be difficult, but your improved smile—and your improved health—are worth it!

Feeling apprehensive or guilty for not visiting a dentist in over a year is common, but coming back to receive dental care is easier than you may think. Our dental team at Comfort Smiles provides caring, non-judgmental, personalized service, and knowing this you can truly feel at ease making your first appointment back.

During your first appointment back, we will focus on three prominent dental issues including gum disease, cavities, and wear and tear by utilizing a full mouth series of X-rays, a hygiene appointment, and a comprehensive exam.

The full mouth series of X-rays are taken every three to five years, or as needed. A full mouth series may be a panoramic X-ray and bitewings (a set of four that checks for cavities) or a set of X-rays that views the entire anatomy of every tooth. The set of X-rays will depend on your individual needs.

Your hygiene appointment will begin with a review of your medical history, personal concerns and questions, and an evaluation checking for any infection. After any necessary diagnoses are made, the appropriate level of cleaning is proposed and completed if time allows.

A comprehensive exam serves as a review of what the hygienist has already covered. Dr. Welmilya Francis-Davis will again review your medical history and dental concerns, and confirm any periodontal diagnosis. An evaluation of any decay, breakdown or broken fillings, or areas that are at risk for future problems will also be reviewed.

After the appointment, a team member at Comfort Smiles will review any recommended treatments, payment options, insurance coverage, and scheduling. The time spent at your first visit back is an important step in the right direction, and we are committed to making this visit as comfortable and easy as possible! Come see us in Nassau.