As with most Western countries, we in the U.S. love our carbs. While fats and proteins make an appearance in our diets, many of us go full-tilt on sugars, starches and fibers.

Regardless of what some diet gurus say, we do need these organic compounds to generate energy for our cells. But carbs can also fuel inflammation: This is a mechanism in the body that isolates and protects healthy tissues from damaged tissues or toxins. Chronic inflammation, though, contributes to systemic conditions like diabetes, heart disease and, yes, gum disease.

And it's not just a matter of too many carbs in your diet. Not all carbs are equal: Some can actually stimulate inflammation, making conditions like gum disease worse. Others, though, might actually help decrease inflammation.

So, in terms of your gum health in particular, how do you know which carbs are better for you and which are worse?

It depends on their ranking on the glycemic index, a measure of how fast the body digests a particular carbohydrate to form glucose, the blood sugar that fuels our cells. The faster the digestion (higher on the glycemic index), the more likely they'll overload the bloodstream with glucose, requiring the release of the hormone insulin to bring the levels back to normal. Continuous insulin increases ultimately lead to higher inflammation.

High glycemic foods include those with added sugar, bakery items made with white flour, white rice or mashed potatoes. But there are also carb foods low on the glycemic scale—most vegetables, greens, beans, nuts and whole grains—whose slower digestive rates avoid the big blood sugar spikes and excessive insulin—and actually hinder inflammation.

So, if you want to control inflammation, reduce your consumption of high glycemic foods like chips, French fries, cookies and similar items. Instead, eat low glycemic foods like apples, bulgur wheat products, oatmeal, and other fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts.

In short: steer clear of processed foods with added sugar, and indulge yourself in fresh “real” food. These also have the added bonuses of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants that keep your body functioning normally. And that can also make a big difference toward keeping your gums healthy and disease-free.

If you would like more information on diet and dental health, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Carbohydrates Linked to Gum Disease.”

Sometimes it seems that appearances count for everything—especially in Hollywood. But just recently, Lonnie Chaviz, the 10-year-old actor who plays young Randall on the hit TV show This Is Us, delivered a powerful message about accepting differences in body image. And the whole issue was triggered by negative social media comments about his smile.

Lonnie has a noticeable diastema—that is, a gap between his two front teeth; this condition is commonly seen in children, but is less common in adults. There are plenty of celebrities who aren’t bothered by the excess space between their front teeth, such as Michael Strahan, Lauren Hutton and Vanessa Paradis. However, there are also many people who choose to close the gap for cosmetic or functional reasons.

Unfortunately, Lonnie had been on the receiving end of unkind comments about the appearance of his smile. But instead of getting angry, the young actor posted a thoughtful reply via Instagram video, in which he said: “I could get my gap fixed. Braces can fix this, but like, can you fix your heart, though?”

Lonnie is raising an important point: Making fun of how someone looks shows a terrible lack of compassion. Besides, each person’s smile is uniquely their own, and getting it “fixed” is a matter of personal choice. It’s true that in most circumstances, if the gap between the front teeth doesn’t shrink as you age and you decide you want to close it, orthodontic appliances like braces can do the job. Sometimes, a too-big gap can make it more difficult to eat and to pronounce some words. In other situations, it’s simply a question of aesthetics—some like it; others would prefer to live without it.

There’s a flip side to this issue as well. When teeth need to be replaced, many people opt to have their smile restored just the way it was, rather than in some “ideal” manner. That could mean that their dentures are specially fabricated with a space between the front teeth, or the crowns of their dental implants are spaced farther apart than they normally would be. For these folks, the “imperfection” is so much a part of their unique identity that changing it just seems wrong.

So if you’re satisfied with the way your smile looks, all you need to do is keep up with daily brushing and flossing, and come in for regular checkups and cleanings to keep it healthy and bright. If you’re unsatisfied, ask us how we could help make it better. And if you need tooth replacement, be sure to talk to us about all of your options—teeth that are regular and “Hollywood white;” teeth that are natural-looking, with minor variations in color and spacing; and teeth that look just like the smile you’ve always had.

Because when it comes to your smile, we couldn’t agree more with what Lonnie Chaviz said at the end of his video: “Be who you want to be. Do what you want to do. Do you. Be you. Believe in yourself.”

If you have questions about cosmetic dentistry, please contact our office or schedule a consultation. You can read more in the Dear Doctor magazine articles “Beautiful Smiles by Design” and “The Magic of Orthodontics.”

Tooth enamel, to play on a phrase from Shakespeare, is made of “sterner stuff.” The strongest substance in the body, enamel can take years of biting and chewing and keep on going.

It does have one nemesis, though—mouth acid, which can soften and erode enamel’s mineral content. This is less of a concern if you have healthy saliva flow, because saliva neutralizes acid in thirty minutes to an hour after an acid attack and can also help re-mineralize the enamel. Daily brushing and flossing also help curb mouth acid by reducing the bacteria that produces it.

But as effective as saliva is at neutralizing mouth acidity, it can be overwhelmed by outside acid derived through certain foods and beverages. In the past couple of decades, at least two of these acid sources have grown in prominence: energy drinks and, believe it or not, sports drinks.

Just how acidic are they? The pH scale runs from 1 to 14, with acidity on the low end and alkalinity on the higher (7 is neutral). Tooth enamel begins dissolving below 5.5. Laboratory tests have pegged the average pH of energy drinks at 3.05 and sports drinks, 2.91.

Because of their acidity, frequent energy or sports drink consumption will bring mouth pH into the danger zone for tooth enamel. It’s even more likely if these beverages are sipped over an extended period, which can prevent saliva from getting ahead of any newly introduced acid.

Keeping your distance from these beverages is probably the safest bet. But if you do imbibe occasionally, follow these common sense tips:

• Avoid sipping the beverage over long periods—and try to limit drinking them to meal times;
• After drinking a beverage, wash your mouth out with water and wait an hour to brush to give your saliva time to neutralize any acid.
• Practice consistent, daily brushing and flossing.

Above all, keep a healthy respect for acidic foods and beverages like energy and sports drinks and don’t overuse them. Your tooth enamel will appreciate it.

If you would like more information on the effect of sports and energy drinks on dental health, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Think Before You Drink Sports and Energy Beverages.”

When you hear the word “surgery,” your first thought might be of a high-charged operating room with a surgeon operating intently as a nurse mops sweat from their brow. While there are high-stakes surgeries, most aren’t quite that dramatic.

Dental implant surgery falls into the latter category. It does qualify as a surgical procedure because we make incisions and tissue alterations for the implant. But it’s no more rigorous than a surgical tooth extraction.

Still, if you’re new to implant surgery, it’s natural to feel some apprehension about it. To calm any nervousness, here’s a rundown of what to expect before, during and after the procedure.

Pre-Planning. Implant surgery is usually a routine affair because of meticulous planning beforehand. Often, we map out the implant site using CT scanners or other high-level imaging, identifying obstacles like nerves, blood vessels and sinus cavities, verifying there’s enough bone present to support an implant. With this information we can create a surgical plan or guide for placement in the mouth to accurately situate the implant.

Site Prep. On the day of the surgery we’ll first administer local anesthesia to numb the entire work area to pain. We’ll start with a few small gum incisions to expose the bone. Then using the surgical plan or guide, we’ll create a small channel for the implant with a drilling sequence that successively enlarges it until we achieve the best fit for the implant.

Implant Placement. Once we’ve completed drilling the channel, we’ll remove the implant from its sterile packaging and install it in the channel. After we’ve made any necessary adjustments and verified proper placement with x-rays, we’ll suture the gum tissue back into place.

After the Surgery. You might experience mild to moderate discomfort afterward that’s usually manageable with over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. We can, if necessary, prescribe medication if you require something stronger. We may also prescribe an anti-bacterial mouth rinse for a short time to reduce the risk of infection.

After the implant has integrated with the bone which usually takes about 8-12 weeks, we’ll install your life-like crown or restoration. Your new smile and improved dental function will be well worth the process.

If you would like more information on the process for obtaining dental implants, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Dental Implant Surgery.”

Although highly preventable, total tooth loss continues to affect millions of people worldwide, harming their nutrition, health and social standing. In the United States alone, a quarter of adults between 65 and 74 suffer from total tooth loss.

Fortunately, there are a number of ways to restore lost teeth, including fixed bridgework and dental implants. These fixed solutions, though, can put a strain on finances; implants in particular require a minimum amount of bone in the jaw, which may not be present in people with extensive tooth loss. In these cases, removable dentures, time-tested and affordable, are a viable option.

While the technology is simple, adaptable and effective, creating custom-fitted dentures is a painstaking process. It begins with an impression mold of the patient’s jaw ridges that once supported the natural teeth. A dental lab technician uses the impression to fashion a life-like plastic resin base, making sure the final dimensions won’t interfere with the patient’s cheeks, lips, and jaw movement.

The prosthetic (artificial) teeth, each chosen to match the patient’s facial structure and past appearance, are then carefully positioned on the base. Teeth positioning on each denture arch must also balance with the opposing arch to assure a good bite. Once delivered, the dentist may make other adjustments to assure they fit comfortably within the patient’s mouth.

Dentures also require regular care and maintenance to ensure a continuing good fit and an overall healthy mouth. Your gums will still be susceptible to disease, so cleaning and maintaining both your dentures and the mouth’s soft tissues is an ongoing necessity.

The lack of natural teeth can also lead to more bone loss, which can cause the dentures to lose their accurate fit and make them uncomfortable to wear. To remedy this, we can add more resin material to the dentures to refit them or, in extreme cases of poor fit, create a new denture to match current gum contours. Alternatively, we can install a few dental implants that will support the denture instead of the gum ridges, which would inhibit further bone loss.

To learn whether dentures could be a good option for you, we’ll first need to conduct a thorough examination of your mouth. It could be this original tooth replacement system will bring back the teeth and smile you’ve lost.

If you would like more information on dentures, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Removable Full Dentures.”