April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month!

How to have no teeth problems during the holidays...

Holidays are meant for spending time with friends and family exchanging gifts, celebrating and enjoying delicious meals. Even though holiday treats taste great, they can create some painful issues for your teeth. What should you do if you have a dental emergency? Taking a few precautions now can prevent dental problems during the holidays.

Eat cautiously: Most dental issues on holidays are due to sticky hard foods that you’re not used to eating. This can cause lost fillings or broken teeth so try to stay away from those or eat them cautiously.

Avoid strange uses: For some reason, people get the idea their teeth are made to open bottles or to crack open nuts. What they don't think about is that their tooth can come out right along with that bottle cap and that’s a real spoiler, a very painful one at that.

Keep up regular hygiene: Maintaining a healthy oral hygiene habit of brushing, flossing and rinsing will help protect your teeth from the added stress they may encounter during the holidays. If you wear dentures, keep your cleaning products specially formulated for dentures with you—don’t use regular toothpaste.

Knowing how to handle a dental emergency will be crucial for enjoying your holiday experience.

• If a tooth is broken in an accident or injury, rinse with warm water to keep the mouth clean. 
• Press with a cold cloth to keep the swelling down and cover it with a piece of sugar free gum if it has a jagged, bothersome aspect. 
• Clove oil has been used by dentists for centuries for its disinfectant and anesthetic properties. 
• Avoid chewing hard food with the injured tooth since that might cause more to chip off 
• If you manage to bite your tongue or lip, clean the area gently with a cloth, and apply cold compresses to reduce swelling. If the bleeding doesn’t stop, go to a hospital emergency room right away. 
• Bring together a small dental kit just in case. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Dental cement is available to replace lost fillings. Orthodontic wax protects you from any sharp edges you may encounter in your mouth. You can also include a pair of tweezers, a small mirror, some sterile cotton, and a denture repair kit with adhesive may also come in handy. 

Please contact us as soon as possible if you have any dental emergencies during the holiday. Other than this,
we wish you all a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

5 healthier candy options to eat on Halloween

Candy is made largely of processed sugars that can affect your oral and general health if eaten too often. Luckily, candy companies have placed increased efforts in reducing sugars and candy portions which is why you can now find healthier candies on shelves at the supermarket to help your kids enjoy on Halloween.

We recommend choosing any of the following healthier candy options to let you kids have fun and eat candy on Halloween without putting their teeth and health at risk:

• Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate has antioxidants and is lower in sugar. Additionally, it comes in mini versions, minimizing sugar and calorie consumption and calories.
• Peanut M&Ms: Small snack sizes of this candy can boost protein, fiber, and even some calcium in your body. They are low in calories, low fat and low sugar.
• Nestle Crunch: One fun-size bar of this delicious treat has only 60 calories and 3 grams of fat. It is one of the “lighter” chocolate bars.
• Organic Pops: These are new organic choices that taste great and consist only of organic ingredients.
• Tootsie rolls: This traditional candy has just a few calories, plus they come in a small fun size.

Call Dr. Muradian if you have any questions or additional information about your oral health. We wish you a happy, cavity-free Halloween!