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Is Sugar Free Gum Good For My Smile?

Chewing gum, which originated in ancient societies, is popular for more than just its minty freshness. Whether you use gum to quell anxiety, freshen your breath or simply out of boredom, you may wonder about the effects that chewing gum has on your teeth. These effects have been debated for years, but your San Jose dentist is here to set the record straight.

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Is sugar free gum different than sugar-containing gum? 
You should avoid chewing sugar-containing gum. Chewing gum can increase the flow of saliva in the mouth, having a positive effect on plaque acids. While sugar-containing gum has this effect on saliva flow, the sugar itself can cause decay, just like the sugar in a cookie or cola. Sugar-free gum is sweetened with non-sugar sweeteners, which are not known to cause decay.

Are some sugar-free gums better than others? 
The American Dental Association actually gives its seal of approval to some chewing gums. ADA-approved gums, however, only include the sugar-free variety. These gums are sweetened with, for example, xylitol, sorbitol or maltitol, which studies show do not cause tooth decay.

When should chewing gum be avoided? 
You should avoid chewing gum if you have certain dental appliances such as traditional braces, bridges or crowns, as they can become loosened or dislodged, or gum can get stuck in or under them. You should also avoid chewing gum if you suffer from jaw-related conditions like TMJ, as it could make the condition even worse.

Is chewing sugar free gum good for my smile? 
While there are mild benefits to chewing gum, it is certainly not vital to the upkeep of your teeth. It can stimulate saliva flow, helping your mouth to naturally wash away plaque acid, but statistics show that chewing gum does not produce significant results. Just because chewing gum has a few beneficial effects, it should never replace brushing or flossing. The best way to keep your smile healthy and happy is with a committed dental hygiene routine and regular dental appointments and cleanings to catch and treat problems and plaque buildup early.

Whether you have questions about chewing gum, your teeth or scheduling a routine dental checkup, The Dental Dimensions in San Jose, CA is here to help. Call (408) 225-6815 to schedule an appointment today!

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May 31 is World No Tobacco Day!

From your lungs to your skin to your teeth, smoking affects many aspects of your body. On May 31, 2014, there’s no time like the present to kick the habit and start on the path to stop smoking for good.
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World No Tobacco Day is an effort from the World Health Organization to stop the more than 6 million deaths from tobacco use and secondhand smoke around the world. At The Dental Dimensions, Dr. Shetty and our entire South San Jose, CA dentist staff have an interest in keeping you smoke-free: It makes your teeth healthier too.
Smoking is associated with a number of dental problems. This includes tooth discoloration, increased risk for plaque and tartar, increased risk for gum disease and affected healing after a gum injury. If you smoke, you also are at increased for oral cancer, which can have deadly effects. All forms of nicotine use can result in harmful side effects, including smokeless tobacco products, which contain cancer-causing substances called carcinogens that can contribute to dental decay and harm.
In addition to improving your oral health, quitting smoking improves your health in general. From breathing better to reduced risk for lung cancer, quitting today or on World No Tobacco Day can make a world of difference in your health.
If you have tried to quit before, but were unsuccessful, we recommend calling the California Smokers’ Helpline at 1-800-NO-BUTTS. The helpline also offers language lines in Vietnamese, Spanish, Cantonese/Mandarin and Korean.
At our South San Jose, CA dentist office, Dr. Shetty and staff want to celebrate and encourage your decision and consideration in quitting smoking. Sometimes the first step is simply making the decision to make a change. By joining with people all around the globe to give up smoking, you are doing something for your health and to protect the health of those around you who could breathe in secondhand smoke.
For more information or to make an appointment at The Dental Dimension in San Jose, please call (408) 225-6815.
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Tooth Anatomy

Let’s Talk Teeth: An Inside Look at the Different Types and Parts of the Human Tooth

Teeth not only constitute a critical part of a person’s appearance, but they also play an indispensable role in our ability to chew and digest food, as well as speak.  Keep reading for a quick overview of the parts of a tooth and the different functions each tooth serves.
Anatomy
A tooth is divided into two basic parts: the crown and the root. The crown is the visible part of the tooth above the gumline. And the root is the part of the tooth that extends below the gumline and attaches the tooth into the jawbone.
Every tooth has a slightly different shape and performs a different function. Here is a brief description of your different teeth and their jobs.
  • Incisors: These are the eight teeth in the front and center of your mouth (four on top and four on bottom). Incisors are used to take bites of food and are typically the first teeth to erupt in the mouth.
  • Canines:  These are your four sharpest teeth, which are used to rip and tear food.
  • Premolars: These eight, flat teeth are located on each side of your mouth (two on the upper and two on the lower jaw). Premolars are big and have ridges, which make them perfect for crushing and grinding food.
  • Molars: Your 12 molars are even stronger than premolars. Molars are the back teeth that have broad surfaces designed for crushing and grinding food, and they work along with the tongue to help you swallow food after it’s been mashed.
While each type of tooth might look different, they are all comprised of three main types of tissues: pulp, dentin, and enamel.
  • Enamel:  Enamel is the hard, visible, outermost substance that covers the tooth and protects it from decay.
  • Dentin: Dentin is the yellowish, softer layer of the tooth under the enamel that envelops the pulp. Dentin can be attacked by decay if it progresses through the enamel.
  • Pulp: The pulp is the soft tissue located in the center of all teeth, containing the nerve tissue and blood vessels.  The pulp is how the tooth receives nourishment and transmits signals to the brain.
Your teeth serve different purposes, working together to help you speak, chew and digest your foods. Don’t take your teeth for granted. Pay extra care to your teeth and gums now by brushing and flossing every day, and visit Dental Dimensions regularly for routine check-ups and appointments.
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Tobacco Use

Tobacco Use and Your Oral Health

It’s no secret that the use of tobacco products can have a significant impact on your overall health.  But have you considered the consequences it can have on your dental health?
Tobacco use in all forms, including smoking and chewing tobacco, can cause a number of dental health problems ranging from oral cancer (cancer of the lips, tongue, throat and mouth) to tooth loss and severe teeth staining. According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 90 percent of people with oral cancer have used tobacco in some form.  Additionally, the risk of oral cancer is six times more likely among people who smoke compared to those who do not smoke.  The longer a person uses tobacco, the greater the risk.
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Long-term tobacco use in any form can compromise the health of your teeth and gums. Here are just some of the ways that regular use of tobacco affects oral health:
  • Tooth discoloration- Yellowing and severe discoloration of the teeth is one of the first visible effects of smoking.
  • Gum disease- Smoking increases gum disease—about four times more than people who have never smoked according to the Journal of Periodontology.
  • Tooth loss- The risk of tooth loss is much higher in smokers than in non-smokers
  • Bad breath- Because tobacco use increases the amount of bacteria in the mouth, a chronic unpleasant smell is common.
  • Poor healing- Smoking delays healing after tooth extraction and can lead to a temporary and painful condition known as dry socket.
If you use tobacco, it is especially important that you learn how to perform oral cancer self-examinations. Look for:
  • Sores around the face, neck or mouth that do not heal
  • Frequent bleeding in the mouth
  • Swelling or lumps on the lips, gums or other areas of the mouth
  • White, red or dark patches on the cheeks, tongue or palate
  • Loss of feeling in any part of the mouth
 In addition to regular oral cancer self-exams, tobacco users should also work towards kicking their habit. While easier said than done, the sooner you quit, the lower your risk for serious oral health problems.  Additionally, maintain proper oral hygiene by brushing and flossing daily, and have regular checkups with your San Jose dentist in order to verify the state of the gums and make sure oral cancer is not developing.
Oral cancer may be one of the deadliest forms of cancer, but it is also one of the most preventable.  Talk to Dental Dimensions about ways to stop using tobacco, and improve your dental health starting today.
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DIY: Tooth Loss Prevention

Tooth loss can absolutely be prevented, and it is all up to you! The Dental Dimensions office in South San Jose believes that by visiting the dentist regularly and brushing and flossing daily is vital in the avoidance of losing teeth. The main reasons adults lose their teeth are through a combination of poor oral hygiene and dietary habits. Keep the teeth that you were born with, and keep your mouth and body healthy.

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Recommended Oral Health Habits:

We recommend that adults brush their teeth at least twice a day and floss at least once a day. This helps with preventing plaque buildup on or between your teeth. Plaque build-up can cause cavities to form and will eat away your enamel. This can also cause your gums to become inflamed and infected. Tooth decay and gum disease can both weaken the tissue supporting your teeth, which can make your teeth loosen and fall out. Also, be sure to avoid candies, gum, and other sugary snacks, which can lead to tooth loss. Sugar is a big contributor to tooth decay, especially if you don’t brush after eating.

Tooth Loss Prevention

The best way for you to prevent tooth loss is to practice good dental health habits everyday by brushing and flossing. It’s also vital for you to see your dentist at least once every six months and to make an appointment as soon as possible if tooth pain or other dental problems occur.
Maintaining a healthy diet by getting the appropriate calcium, protein, and other nutrients is also important for not just your teeth, but also your overall bodily health. If you notice any tooth problems such as sudden tooth loss or decay, consider getting tested regularly for diabetes, especially if you have a family history.
A healthy mouth also means a healthy body. Losing your teeth not only makes you look unhealthy, but it can be a sign of other serious health problems. Identifying dental and overall health issues early gives you a greater chance to recover quickly and prevent future complications.
It’s never too late to change your oral habits. To learn more about the prevention of tooth loss, as well as the importance of oral hygiene, contact our office in South San Jose today!
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Get to the Bottom of Your Toothache with Root Canal Therapy

Root canal therapy is needed when a cavity has progressed well into the interior of the tooth. The infection can spread deep into the roots of the tooth, causing an abscess. If left untreated, an infection in the root canal of the tooth can cause swelling of the face and head, and even bone loss. The best solution is to save your tooth, and root canal therapy from our South San Jose dental office is an option that helps restore the natural tooth to its normal function and natural appearance so that tooth extraction doesn’t have to be an option.
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Root Canal Therapy Basics

Your tooth is made up of a hard protective shell called enamel, a softer middle layer called dentin and a soft tissue inner layer called dental pulp. Composed of nerve tissue, lymph tissue and blood vessels, the dental pulp is considered a vital part of your tooth. If your dental pulp is severely damaged, the tooth begins to die. Root canal therapy is often the best treatment to prevent and eliminate infection, thus preventing tooth loss.

Signs you might need a root canal include:

  • Minimal to severe pain
  • Tooth discoloration
  • Swelling and irritation in the surrounding gum tissue
  • Signs of infection visible on a radiograph
Root canal therapy allows dentists to save your teeth in the safest way possible and is used to find the cause and treat the problems of the dental pulp. The narrow channels beneath the pulp chamber in the inner part of your tooth are hollowed out and cleaned through root canal therapy and the roots are filled with materials that are designed to prevent pain and infection from recurring.

Call The Dental Dimensions Today

Our dentists in South San Jose provide root canal therapy to ensure a positive, gentle, tooth-saving experience for everyone. Remember, delaying treatment for an infected tooth may lead to serious consequences and make treatment more difficult. Keep up-to-date with your regular dental visits to maintain your best smile.
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Sedation Dentistry

An Introduction to Sedation Dentistry

According to the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation, 30 percent of the population avoids visiting the dentist due to fear.  A condition known as “dental phobia,” this all-too-common fear prevents people from receiving necessary, routine dental care, potentially compromising their oral health.
The good news is that more and more people are now able to receive necessary dental care thanks to sedation dentistry. Sedation is a process administered by a trained dentist to establish a calm, relaxed state through the use of sedatives, enabling fearful patients to follow through with their dental procedures and maintain better oral health as a result.

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Types of Sedation

Sedatives can be administered by a trained dental professional in a variety of ways. These include:
Oral sedatives
Oral sedation is a popular method used to establish relaxation. A sedative pill is taken by the mouth and requires no needles, which makes this method easy to administer.  Oral sedatives create a comfortable, relaxed experience for patients—helping them reach a sleep-like state—while allowing them to maintain a level of consciousness for safety and cooperation.
Inhalation sedatives
Also known as nitrous oxide sedation, inhalation sedation is one of the most widely used dental sedation techniques. Nitrous oxide is administered through a mask, and as the patient inhales the sedative, it causes a euphoric effect, which calms and relaxes the patient within moments. This method is often considered the safest option for light to mild sedation and short, routine dental procedures.
IV sedatives
IV (intravenous) sedation is delivered via injection to sedate a fearful patient. It is the most powerful method of conscious sedation for management of more severe levels of dental anxiety or lengthier, extensive dental procedures. The sedatives are administered directly into the bloodstream, producing deep relaxation and pain relief.
General anesthesia
For lengthy and invasive procedures, such as oral surgeries, general anesthesia may be necessary to provide a deeper level of sedation for the patient.  When a patient is given general anesthesia they are completely unconscious throughout the entire procedure.  Because the patient is unresponsive and requires breathing assistance, a highly trained anesthesiologist or oral surgeon can only administer general anesthesia.

Are You a Candidate for Sedation?

Not everyone is a suitable candidate for sedation dentistry. People who benefit the most from dental sedatives include those with an intense fear of dental procedures, have severe gag reflex, suffer from physical limitations or have trouble becoming fully numb following the administration of local anesthetics.  If you suffer from severe dental anxiety, don’t put off required dental care any longer. Talk to your San Jose dentist about safe, comfortable and relaxing sedation dentistry.
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Reasons for Tooth Extraction

Why is Teeth Extraction Necessary?

If a tooth has been damaged by trauma or decay, your San Jose dentist will try to restore the tooth with a filling, crown or root canal. In many cases, these procedures are successful in saving the tooth, but if enough tooth structure has been destroyed to render the tooth unsalvageable, extracting the tooth may be the only other option.
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Other common reasons for the removal of teeth include:
  • Tooth is very loose
  • Baby teeth or extra teeth in the mouth are blocking other teeth from growing in
  • To make room for orthodontic treatment and the shifting of teeth
  • Abscessed tooth
  • Teeth have become infected as a result an underlying medical condition that weakens the immune system; medical treatment; or organ transplants
  • Impacted or problematic wisdom teeth

Types of Extractions

There are two types of extractions performed: simple and surgical.  Simple extractions involve removing a tooth that can be seen in the mouth using a local anesthetic.  Your San Jose dentist will gently loosen the tooth so that it can be removed from the mouth.
Surgical extractions are used during more complex procedures, such as when a tooth is broken off at the gum line or has not grown into the mouth yet.  Because most surgical extractions involve a small incision in the gum, it is often performed by an oral surgeon and the patient is administered a general anesthesia.
Preserving and saving a patient’s natural tooth is always the main goal for a dentist, but in some cases, it is not always possible. Thanks to advances in modern dentistry, a patient has many options for replacing their tooth following extraction including dental implants, dentures and bridges—all of which produce a beautiful, natural smile.
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When You Should Visit a Pediatric Dentist

South San Jose—Although dental care—brushing teeth, flossing, rinsing with mouthwash, and remembering to make regular visits to the dentist—is something that many adults find themselves worrying about on a frequent basis, but if you pay attention to national statistics, it appears it’s something that children should be mindful of as well. Tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease, according to The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD).
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But children can possibly be expected to oversee and manage every facet of their own dental hygiene. For one, most children are too preoccupied with more important things, like playing. Even if they weren’t, children are too small to even know what a dentist is by around the time most professional organizations recommend they first see one: an ideal first visit to a dentist should happen is around their first birthday.
What You Can Get from Your Child’s First Dental Visit
While a pediatric dentist will perform an examination of your child’s teeth, this first dental visit isn’t simply a routine oral check up. At this visit, you’ll also gain valuable information about how to care for your child’s teeth. Children possess some habits that are infamous for negatively impacting teeth health, like finger- and thumb-sucking. Your pediatric dentist can help you combat these habits, as well as help you plan your child’s diet. There are many foods that directly improve or reduce overall tooth health.
Planning for your child’s future shouldn’t be left until later, and that future includes excellent dental care. Schedule your baby’s first dental appointment at The Dental Dimensions today!
To learn more about pediatric dentistry in the South San Jose area, call (408) 225-6815.
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Dental Implants Can Save Your Jawbone

When it comes time to visit The Dental Dimensions in South San Jose to replace your badly damaged or missing teeth with new ones, you’ll have several options, including dental implants, bridges or dentures. While all three options are great ones, if you want the option that will provide the most durability, dependability, and trustworthiness, dental implants are the best choice.

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Dental implants offer many benefits worth considering. They are durable, life-like and resilient. They are easy to clean and they allow you to eat just as you would with your own natural teeth. One important benefit many people don’t realize, however, is that dental implants can also help save your jaw! Here’s how.

1. Dental Implants Preserve the Shape of Your Jaw

Your jaw doesn’t just support your teeth; your teeth also help support and stabilize your jaw as well. When you are missing a tooth, your remaining teeth may begin shifting. This shifting can result in a misshapen jaw and an unnatural face shape. Dental implants from The Dental Dimensions in South San Jose work to prevent this.

2. Dental Implants Help Prevent Your Jawbone From Shrinking

Not only is your jaw likely to change shape without teeth, but it is likely to shrink over time as well. This results in a sunken mouth and face shape that makes you appear years or even decades older than you actually are. Dental implants save your jaw from shrinking.

3. Dental Implants Prevent Your Jaw from Weakening

Lastly, without teeth, your jaw bone will naturally start to weaken over time. Dentures and bridges may help you eat your favorite foods again, but they won’t keep your jaw strong and healthy. Only dental implants can do that.

Whether you are missing one tooth or several, your appearance and your ability to eat your favorite foods aren’t the only things you need to take into consideration. You need to consider your jaw health as well. Thankfully, dental implants from The Dental Dimensions in South San Jose are the perfect way to get both the appearance and the functionality you want with the jaw health you need. Call and set up an appointment today!