Bobby Bones brought his dentist Dr. Jeff Trembley on The Bobby Bones Show this morning (October 24) to ask some frequently asked questions.
Recently, Bones went into the dentist and found out he has either a cracked tooth or a problem with the pulp. Dr. Trembley is sending him to an Endodonist today for a surgery to look at the tooth from the inside. If there's not a crack in the tooth, he will get the pulp out, which means he will get a root canal. If there is a crack, they will have to pull out the entire tooth and put in a new one. In talking about this surgery, Bones asked Dr. Trembley some questions about mouth and teeth health.
- Do floss picks work the same as regular floss? Dr. Trembley says yes and no, they don't work as good as old school floss but it's better to do something rather than nothing. Noting the point of flossing is to remove food and build up on parts of teeth we can't brush and the only way to do it is mechanically with either water picks, floss or floss picks.
- What's the best way to get kids to brush their teeth? He suggests rewarding them for doing it or celebrating with them whenever they finish.
- What is a cavity? There is enamel that covers the teeth and the enamel's weakness is acidity. Basically everything that's colorful and tastes good is acidic. Prolonged exposure to acid reaches the tooth and breaks down the enamel to the nerve.
- What's the best way to whiten teeth? The things we eat and drink stain our teeth on the layer beneath the enamel. So when people use whitening toothpaste, it's only whitening the top layer. A really good way to whiten teeth is with peroxide gel and do it a little bit day-to-day over long periods of time. Charcoal isn't the best option when it comes to whitening teeth either, it has abrasive content so the charcoal wears down the enamel and that's not good for teeth.
- Should we brush our teeth before going into the dentist? Dr. Trembley says if you're going in for a teeth cleaning, it's not necessary. But if someone is only going in to see the dentist, yes. He always appreciates whenever his clients come in with clean mouths.
- What helps dry mouth? Dry mouth can be very bad for teeth as salvia is alkaline which helps protect teeth from acidity. Anyone who experiences dry mouth can take Biotin or eat Xylitol gum, which is very great at stimulating saliva.