A Time To Give Thanks

As Thanksgiving swiftly approaches, here is a little insight as to how to not over indulge when turkey day hits!  We all know the famous expression “Your eyes are bigger than your stomach!” or “You eat with your eyes first!”  This is usually the case with most of us when it comes to sitting down to eat Thanksgiving dinner.  Let’s just put this out there…  Gorging yourself on snacks, cakes, pies, and starches just means a really big stomach-ache and a miserable rest of the night, not to mention the potential for damage that it can have on your teeth and gums!

This year, why not give your smile the attention that it deserves?

–Instead of the incessant snacking on all of the empty calories, head over to the veggie tray!  A variety of veggies can do wonders for you!  Not only for your oral health, but also for your health in general.  Reaching for a nice healthy snack is a great decision!

–When you are loading up your plate with all those delicious foods, try and plan out your plate.  Be mindful of the items you are scooping on as well as how much of what, you are dishing.  Instead of piling on mashed potatoes, rolls, stuffing and marshmallow covered yams, try this combination instead; A bigger scoop of green beans, some turkey, yams (minus the marshmallow), a smaller portion of the potatoes (minus that extra butter) and a little fruit salad on the side without the whipped topping.  Your plate will be well balanced with more appropriate portions and without all of the sticky, bad-for-your-teeth toppings.

–Thanksgiving desserts are a must for most! After you have yourself a small slice, if you are able to excuse yourself and go rinse your mouth and (if at all possible) brush and floss your teeth, you will be well on your way to a happier and healthier smile!  If you brush those teeth and gums after eating the sweets and dinner, they are not able to sit on your teeth allowing time for bacteria build-up and all that comes along with the damaging sugar ingredients that cause harm.

With proper oral health care and limited portion control when eating, you CAN quite literally “Have your cake, and eat it too!”

Aside from eating, here’s something fun to do.  Sit down with a friend or loved one and think about a couple of specific moments when someone’s smile impacted you, or when your smile meant something to someone else; even as little as holding a door open for a stranger and the exchange of smiles that was made at that point in time.  This will open up a conversation about smiles and positivity!  And really, what could be better than that?!

All-in-all, we hope you have a wonderful and love-filled Thanksgiving!

Dr. Melissa E. Rinck

750 Las Gallinas Ave #215
San Rafael, CA 94903
Phone: 415 479-4977

To Trick Or To Treat? That Is The Question!

Halloween is a night full of spook-tacular thrills and terrifying fun!  It can also be a dreaded nightmare with the overload of candy that can spark the start of a cavity!  This year, why not try something new?  When you are gathering your cauldron full of trick or treat goodies, try and opt for some alternatives to the sugar jitters that are bound to commence!  There is no written rule that you HAVE to give out candy.  This year, let’s stand out from the crowd and spice it up a little bit.

Here are some unique alternatives:

• Mini Play Doh
• Snack Packs (pretzels, popcorn, fruit chews… etc.)
• Temporary tattoos or stickers
• Spooky vampire teeth
• Halloween themed goodies (pencils, rings, toys, activity books… etc.)
• Glow sticks
• Mini juices or waters
• Small chalk packs
• Costume jewelry
• Mini bubbles
• Travel size floss and toothbrushes 😉

A couple of tips to keep in mind before the kiddos are ready to hit the town:

– Feed your child a well-balanced meal before they go trick or treating.
– Use smaller candy loot bags instead of pillow cases or large grocery bags

Now, let’s be real, we all know that Halloween is a time to indulge, a little (or a lot) in the sugary goodness.  Let this be a special day that your child can have a couple of pieces of candy out of their loot bag.  But limit the amount they consume.  Not to mention, no one likes a belly ache after too many sweets.  Just keep in mind, when your child comes home from the wicked Halloween trick or treating, go through their candy.  If there are any candy wrappers that are open or look to be tampered with, throw away without hesitation.  And don’t let your kids keep their candy stash!  If you are in control of it, you can monitor when they have a piece and how much they are eating.

If you only want to allow for a couple of pieces of candy, and get rid of the rest, consider these options:

• Dental Office Candy Buy Backs
• Donating the candy to the troops
• Make your child a deal. For every piece of candy they hand over, give them a Nickel or a dime and then let them pick something special they would like to do with their earnings! Instant allowance! Perhaps a movie of their choice?  A dinner date Mom and/or Dad?  Or a new toy?

No matter what the decision you choose to go with this year, we hope you have a safe and frightfully fun-filled Halloween!

Dr. Melissa E. Rinck

750 Las Gallinas Ave #215
San Rafael, CA 94903
Phone: 415 479-4977

All you need to know about WISDOM… Teeth!

Wisdom teeth are considered to be a third set (upper and lower jaw) of molars.  They typically appear during your last few teen years and early twenties.  There are some people who are lucky enough to experience no problems what-so-ever with their wisdom teeth.  If they are developing in the proper position and not causing pain or problems, there is no need to pursue any sort of treatment or extraction.

There are three main reasons as to why your wisdom teeth would need to be surgically removed:

1.  There is not enough room for them to fully erupt.
   When there is not enough space for your wisdom teeth to pop through the surface of your gums, you run a higher risk of them being impacted.  Most commonly, this means that your wisdom teeth have made it through the bone but cannot get through the gums.
   Sometimes symptoms come along with this type of impaction.  Other times, one may not experience a single symptom.  This is one of the reasons why frequent visits to our office are very important.  In order to look into this, an x-ray is required.
2. The wisdom teeth are not coming in at the proper vertical angle.
   A lot of times wisdom teeth develop in different positions.  They could even be developing facing towards your other teeth instead of growing upwards.   When this occurs, people face problems with their other fully developed teeth, crowding and can even cause poor bite and jaw alignment.  As stated above, in order to see how your wisdom teeth are growing, which direction or any other abnormality, x-rays will need to be taken.
3. Partially erupted wisdom teeth.
   Sometimes the wisdom teeth are able to poke through the top of the gum but cannot fully erupt.  If this happens, there is an elevated chance that infection may occur.  This infection is called Pericoronitis.  This occurs when bacteria from plaque or food get trapped between the partially erupted tooth and the gum surrounding it.

Warning signs and symptom to look out for include:

• Red, swollen, tender gums
• Jaw pain
• Pain while trying to eat
• Bad breath
• Unpleasant taste in your mouth

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, please give our office a call to schedule an appointment and x-rays to see exactly what is going and what steps need to be taken in order to get the problem treated and relieve any discomfort you may be experiencing. Wisdom teeth extractions are typically done by an oral surgeon, however, in some cases a certified dentist can extract them.  Local anesthesia is most commonly administered.  Healing time is usually less than 1 week.

Post oral surgery instructions will be explained and given to you.  It is imperative that you continue to practice good oral health care during this time and to follow those instructions carefully.  Having your wisdom teeth removed will not hinder the functionality of your mouth.  (For example being able to eat, chew, speak or your bite position.)   When an extraction is required, the younger you are when it is discovered, the better.  Wisdom teeth extractions are considerably easier to extract while the teeth are still in development.  If you are interested in your wisdom teeth and their current stage or any other information you are curious about, give us a ring today!

Dr. Melissa E. Rinck

750 Las Gallinas Ave #215
San Rafael, CA 94903
Phone: 415 479-4977

7 Serious Health Concerns That Also Affect Your Teeth

Mouth and Body Go Hand-in-Hand

Did you know that poor oral health care can be the cause of many different health issues within your body itself?  There are many connections between taking care of your mouth, teeth and gums and the rest of your body.

People with gum disease have a 40% increased risk of developing a chronic health condition. Bacterial build up on your teeth and gums give you a greater probability of infection which may then spread throughout other areas of your body.

Common Health Issues That Affect Oral Health

• Diabetes: causes oral inflammation and affects the body’s ability to process sugar.
• Heart Disease: about 91% of those with heart disease are also found to have periodontitis. Inflammation in the mouth corresponds with the inflammation of blood vessels which then leads to less blood flow causing an increase in blood pressure.  There is also a chance of plaque that is attached to the blood vessel itself, breaking off and traveling to the heart and/or brain resulting in a heart attack or stroke.
• Issues during Pregnancy: pregnant women with gum disease run the risk of premature birth, low birth weight, and susceptible to developmental issues such as learning disorders, lung and heart conditions.
• Osteoporosis: osteoporosis, like periodontitis, causes bone loss. It’s common for those with osteoporosis to also have some degree of gum disease.
• Rheumatoid Arthritis: those with rheumatoid arthritis battling gum disease have found gum disease treatment may also reduce overall body pain in regards to their arthritic symptoms.
• Smoking: bad for your health, both overall and oral.  Nicotine interferes with your gums’ ability to fight infection.  This also extends the recovery period for those gum infection treatments.
• Obesity: those with 20% or higher body fat percentage have been linked to rapid progression of gum disease.

Taking excellent care of your oral health has a positive domino effect for the rest of your body.  Same can be said with your body – taking care of your health and body can positively affect your mouth, teeth and gums.
If you care about your health and yourself, you in-turn need to care about your mouth.  Be true to your teeth, or they will be false to you!

Dr. Melissa E. Rinck
750 Las Gallinas Ave #215
San Rafael, CA 94903

Phone: 415 479-4977