Wisconsin: One of the Top States for Oral Health

At Madison Smiles Solutions, we’re pretty happy with our home state of Wisconsin. Why? While Wisconsin has become synonymous with cheese, which by the way is amazing and is good for overall and oral health, we’re proud of the people of Wisconsin because of their dental care and habits and overall oral health.

In an article on WalletHub, Wisconsin ranked as the second best state concerning good dental health. Only our neighbors to the West in Minnesota have better dental health. Because we take care of our teeth, we have the fourth lowest rate of adults with low life satisfaction due to an oral condition. Perhaps that is why Wisconsin is such a great place to live and work.

The study took into account different variables when assigning these dental health rankings. These included the percentage of adolescents and adults who visited a dentist last year, the costs of dental treatment, the number of dentist per capita, percentage of smokers, the amount of sugary drink consumption, percentage of the elderly population with their natural teeth, the percentage of adults with poor or fair oral health and the percentage of adults who experienced oral pain over the last year.

Besides the usual at-home oral hygiene routine, the study seems to indicate that good oral health also goes hand-in-hand with more frequent dental office visits, lower dental care costs, greater availability of dentists, lower rates of smoking and consumption of sugary drinks and an overall high rate of people with poor to fair oral health. States with good oral health also experience less oral pain, have more of their natural teeth remaining later in life and are more happy in life due to the great health of their teeth and gums.

Our dentist and staff appreciate our patient’s determination to maintain great care of their health and we feel honored to help each patient get that healthy and gorgeous smile they’ve always dreamed of.

A common misconception about oral health is that one can do it all at home and forgo seeing a dentist. When this happens, patients often wait until something is wrong to schedule an appointment with their dentist. Sometimes, the issue has progressed and requires potentially expensive, intensive treatment. Prevention is by far the best route to go to save money and ensure great oral health.

Besides a solid at-home oral hygiene routine, regular dental check-ups and teeth cleaning every six months are highly recommended for healthy teeth and gums and for a beautiful smile.

At Madison Smiles Solutions, we provide patients a variety of dental services to meet their dental needs, whether that be a routine cleaning and examination or needing non-surgical periodontal treatment or getting dentures. We also offer cosmetic dental services like teeth whitening and veneers, so patients can have the perfect smile they’ve always wanted.

Our dentist and dental staff gladly accept patients of any age with a variety of dental needs. Below is a sampling of some of the specific services your family will find at Madison Smiles Solutions:

• Dentures

• Crowns

• Gum Disease Treatment

• Braces

• Non-Surgical Gum Treatment

• Veneers

• Teeth Whitening

• Root Canals

• Mouth Guards

• Fillings

• Dental Implants

• Bridges

Regular visits to the dental office is just as important as a strong at-home oral hygiene routine. We at Madison Smiles Solutions are proud of how well Wisconsin residents take care of their oral health.  If your teeth and gums aren’t in as great of shape as they could be or if your smile can use a facelift, contact us today to schedule an appointment. We want you to have a healthy mouth and beautiful smile and experience a happy, highly satisfied life. Let’s partner together and see if we can get Wisconsin to be #1 for best oral health.

How Enamel Breakdown Works

While it is translucent and seemingly invisible, the enamel on your teeth are very important. You wouldn’t have your strong, white teeth without it.  Your tooth enamel is the hard, clear protective, outer covering of your teeth.

This crucial tooth strengthener and protector, however, isn’t invincible.

Injury to a tooth, such as a tooth that gets chipped or broken, can crack and damage the tooth enamel, which in turn can compromise the strength of the tooth and the tooth’s resistance to tooth decay.

Poor oral hygiene, the lack of professional dental care, lifestyle habits such as smoking and drinking and a diet high in sugar and starches, can also destroy tooth enamel.

This later breakdown of tooth enamel is caused by unchecked, improperly treated plaque.

To understand the breakdown of tooth enamel, one must know of the important, crucial role of saliva. Saliva is your body’s natural, built-in mouthwash. It rinses out food particles from between teeth and it coats the teeth and gums to make their surfaces too slippery for food particles, germs and bacteria to stick to their surfaces.

Saliva also has the important role of coating the teeth with needed calcium and other minerals. These important vitamins and mineral help strengthen tooth enamel, making it the tooth hard and more resistant to decay.

As mentioned previously, there are many ways tooth enamel can become compromised. In cases where to the tooth enamel breaks down, there are conditions that hinder the replenishing, nourishing and strengthening of the tooth enamel.

When tooth enamel break down occurs, the tooth becomes susceptible to various oral health issues including tooth decay and gum disease.

When one thinks of tooth enamel break down, you likely think of the tooth enamel dissolving. In a sense, that is exactly what happens.

When certain drinks and foods are consumed, lifestyle choices are made, medication is taken and other oral health conditions, the saliva in the mouth can’t combat the onslaught of bacteria and germs. When the germs and bacteria find food particles to feed on, an acidic film is produced. The acid of this film that covers the teeth and gums, dissolves and destroys tooth enamel. This acidic food particle decomposition byproduct can accumulate on and between teeth in the form of plaque.

The acid of the plaque gradually eats away at tooth enamel and create pits in the enamel. The pits become more widespread and larger if not treated.

If left unchecked, acidic plaque will continue to destroy more and more layers of tooth enamel until the germs and bacteria penetrate the pulp (or center) of the tooth.

Tooth enamel doesn’t replenish itself as it isn’t made of living cells. Therefore, once tooth enamel is broken down and eroded, it’s gone forever.

Therefore, it is important to protect your tooth enamel. Below are some common culprits that cause the break down of tooth enamel and which you should either avoid or limit your intake of:

• Soft drinks, which include high levels of citric and phosphoric acids

• Fruit juices, which can have acid that is stronger and more corrosive than batter acid

• A diet high in starches and sugar

• Certain medications, namely antihistamines and aspirin

• Excessive teeth grinding and jaw clenching from stress

Other factors that can increase your risk of tooth enamel corrosion include:

• Certain genetic oral health conditions

• Gastrointestinal conditions

• Eating disorders

• Acid reflux disease and GERD

• Dry mouth or low salivary flow (xerostomia)

Your tooth enamel is important for strong, beautiful teeth. Once it has become broken down and compromised, the enamel can’t grow back and the teeth are more vulnerable to tooth decay and gum disease.

Proper oral hygiene, a nutritious and balanced diet and regular visits to the dentist are ways you can protect your teeth enamel from break down.

If it has been a while since your last dental examination and teeth cleaning, contact us Madison Smile Solutions today to schedule an appointment.

Spring Smile

Is Your Smile Fresh for Spring?

The snow has melted and the world is starting to wake up from a long winter again. Spring is starting to arrive, which can mean a lot of things for you. Maybe you’re airing out your house and getting ready to start Spring cleaning. Maybe you’re gearing up to take care of your lawn.

All of these things are important, but there might be one thing you’re forgetting. Is your smile fresh for Spring?

Taking care of your teeth is important throughout the entire year, but Spring is the perfect time to get back into our office for a cleaning. Here are some of the ways you can take advantage of the Spring weather and get your teeth all fixed up.

Get a Dental Cleaning

One of the best things you can do for your teeth also tends to be one of the easiest things to forget to do. Going to see your dentist for a regular cleaning and examination is the best way to prevent your teeth from decaying.

We recommend you come in to see us for a cleaning at least once every six months. This way, we can check your teeth and gums to make sure there aren’t any underlying problems that could possibly cause bigger complications later.

During a cleaning, you’ll get X-rays and the dentist will examine each of your teeth and your gums. A dental hygienist will also clean your teeth and gums to clear any tartar and plaque buildups.

Teeth Whitening

Spring is all about being fresh and clean. What better way to create a new, fresh smile than with teeth whitening? Cosmetic dentistry is becoming more popular today, and even more dentists are offering inexpensive cosmetic procedures that can give your teeth a quick makeover.

Teeth whitening in Madison, WI is becoming one of the most popular cosmetic procedures. During tooth whitening, the dentist will use a combination of chemicals and UV light to brighten the white in your teeth and eliminate any stains.

With teeth whitening being as common as it is today, it’s become one of the most inexpensive cosmetic treatments as well. This procedure makes for a perfect introduction into Spring.

Learn More about Your Teeth

Spring is the best time of the year to learn and try new things. It’s also the perfect time of the year to learn more about your teeth and gums and find new ways to take care of them. You can read informational articles online or talk to friends and family to learn new ways to care for your mouth.

Perhaps more importantly, you can set up an appointment to come see us for a consultation. During a consultation appointment, we can look at your teeth and discuss possible options to help you feel happier with your smile.

Spring is the time for something new, and we can help you achieve that same feeling with your smile. Don’t hesitate, take time to give us a call and get an appointment set up.  608-227-7000