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From Dr. Keith A. Hoover

SOME GENERAL MOUTH CARE TIPS

April 22, 2024Hygiene

Q: Do you have any general advice on keeping my mouth healthy?

A: Try to brush and floss after every meal, and even after snacks during the workday. Keep a brush, toothpaste, and floss at work, if possible. If for some reason it’s impractical to brush and floss after a meal, rinse your mouth out with water to flush out any particles of food that may be left.

Your floss should be good quality and shred-resistant so that it doesn’t bunch up between your teeth and do any damage when you’re tugging it through. Check to make sure the toothpaste you’re using has fluoride in it. Not all do.

Also, visit your dentist at least twice a year, or on the schedule that you and the dentist have established for your needs. Watch your diet. High-fiber greens like spinach, lettuce, and broccoli can contribute to whiter teeth. Carrots, apples, oranges, and celery are also good for your smile because they require lots of chewing, which in turn generates lots of saliva and keeps cavity-causing bacteria from settling in on your teeth. Try to avoid sugary drinks and food. The bacteria that live in plaque, the filmy substance on your teeth, interact with sugar to produce the acid that starts the decay process.

If you, your family, or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice. Refer someone you love to someone you trust!

Presented as a service to the community by Doctors Hoover and Yanda,

39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236. 330-650-0360.

www.drshooverandyanda.com

NATURAL CHANGES IN THE MOUTH

April 15, 2024Health

Q: Will proper dental care prevent changes in the mouth?

A: A good regimen of dental care will keep your mouth healthy, but certain natural changes are going to occur, regardless of the quality of dental care. Teeth, for instance, can darken over time because the enamel on the crowns of the teeth becomes thinner and more transparent and reveals more of the dentin underneath.

The longer we live, the more we wear down our teeth. Chewing, for instance, wears down the biting surfaces. This type of wear is called attrition. Abrasion is the wear that occurs just below the enamel of the crown, in the cementum, which is the substance that covers the tooth’s root. Abrasion is more likely to occur in older people whose gums have pulled back or receded, from the tooth. When gums recede, they leave the top of the root exposed and more susceptible to decay.

Another unavoidable development is the wrinkling, or pursing, of the skin around the mouth. Older cells simply contain less fat and water. People who have lost some or all their teeth are also more likely to experience bone resorption or dissolution. Another natural part of aging is increased dryness in the mouth. But mouth dryness can be caused by other conditions as well. So, talk with your dentist if you are experiencing dryness, and talk with your dentist in general about your mouth and the natural process of aging.

If you, your family, or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice. Refer someone you love to someone you trust!

Presented as a service to the community by Doctors Hoover and Yanda,

39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236. 330-650-0360.

www.drshooverandyanda.com

ORAL MICROBIOMES

April 8, 2024Health

The gut microbiome dominates the headlines, but it’s not the only collection of tiny organisms that live inside you and affect your health. The oral microbiome — which populates the mouth and connects with the sinuses, larynx, trachea, and lungs — harbors more than 700 species of bacteria. How do those bacteria get there, what do they do, and why should you be glad they mostly survived COVID-19?

Where do the bacteria in the oral microbiome originate? Many of the organisms have been with you since you were a young child. Food is a factor, but there are many others: the people you kiss, the stuff you touch before bringing your hand to your mouth, and the strains that grow on your old lip gloss. Nearly everything that enters your mouth has bacteria.

Why don’t toothpaste and mouthwash kill the oral microbiome? You can kill surface bacteria with a thorough brush and gargle, but bacteria lodged deep in the gums, tongue and other soft tissue survive to replace them, which is why you go to bed minty and wake up with morning breath. And that’s OK. Those good bacteria are vital to maintaining oral health and for the health of the lungs.

How does that bacteria get from the mouth to the lungs? You inhale small amounts of saliva throughout your day. While this sounds unpleasant, it isn’t necessarily bad. While we don’t fully understand the impact on health, we do know the bacteria that enter your lungs impact your immune system, sometimes detrimentally but sometimes beneficially.

If you, your family, or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice. Refer someone you love to someone you trust!

Presented as a service to the community by Doctors Hoover and Yanda,

39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236. 330-650-0360.

www.drshooverandyanda.com

AN INFECTED MOUTH COULD LEAD TO A BROKEN HEART

April 1, 2024Hygiene

Brushing and flossing regularly can keep your smile shining as brightly as ever, but did you know that it could also help protect your heart? Now, researchers in Japan report that an infected mouth could lead to a broken heart.

In a study published last month in the International Journal of Oral Science, researchers from Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) have revealed that a common oral pathogen can stop cardiac muscle cells from repairing themselves after a heart attack caused by coronary heart disease.

Heart attacks occur when blood flow in the coronary arteries is blocked, resulting in an inadequate supply of nutrients and oxygen to the heart muscle, and ultimately death of cardiac muscle cells. To prevent this, cardiac muscle cells use a process known as autophagy to dispose of damaged cellular components, keeping them from causing cardiac dysfunction. The oral pathogen inhibits the heart muscle cells from this necessary repair.

If you, your family, or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice. Refer someone you love to someone you trust!

Presented as a service to the community by Doctors Hoover and Yanda,

39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236. 330-650-0360.

www.drshooverandyanda.com

FLUORIDE

March 25, 2024tooth sealants

Q: Why is fluoride important to dental health?

A: Fluoride is credited with having reduced tooth decay in the United States by some 50 to 60 percent in the years following World War II when water fluoridation programs were instituted. Essentially, fluoride makes the tooth’s enamel stronger. It is a chemical compound that occurs naturally in water and in many foods. An American Dental Association-approved toothpaste that contains fluoride is the toothpaste that is guaranteed to have the right amount of fluoride to be safe and effective.

Some natural sources of fluoride are milk, spinach, kale, apples, canned fish, and tea. Dental plaque and saliva hold fluoride. Fluoride is good not just for your teeth, but also for your bones. It’s known to help fend off osteoporosis, a disease characterized by degenerative bone loss. Though there has been some debate over water fluoridation programs, the fact is that fluorine, from which fluoride is derived, is the 13th most abundant element in the world. Fluoride is naturally present in water. The fluoridation programs are designed to bring the presence up or down to 0.7 parts fluoride per one million parts of water.

If you, your family or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice. Refer someone you love to someone you trust!

Presented as a service to the community by Doctors Hoover and Yanda, 39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236. 330-650-0360. www.drshooverandyanda.com

DENTAL CARE DURING PREGNANCY

March 18, 2024Health Hygiene

Q: Should pregnant women avoid the dentist until after delivery?

A: The best thing a pregnant woman can do for both her and her baby is to continue regular dental visits. For one thing, bacterial infection in the gum could affect the placenta, the organ that links the fetus with the mother’s uterus. There has been some concern over the years about a link between periodontal infection—gum disease—and pre-term, low-birth-weight babies.

Pregnancy is a joyous time. Let your dentist know about your pregnancy at the first opportunity. A woman’s body functions change significantly during pregnancy. Fluctuation in estrogen and progesterone levels and other hormonal changes can affect the body’s response to the bacteria, mentioned above, that cause gum infection. So, the need for dental care during pregnancy actually increases. Knowledge of your condition will also affect the decisions the dentist makes regarding the use of certain sedatives, like nitrous oxide, and prescriptions he or she may recommend.

At some point during a nine-month period, you will be due for one of your six-month visits to the dentist. And as your obstetrician or general physician would tell any mother-to-be, the best way to keep an in-utero baby healthy is to keep mom healthy.

If you, your family or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice. Refer someone you love to someone you trust!

Presented as a service to the community by Doctors Hoover and Yanda, 39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236. 330-650-0360. www.drshooverandyanda.com

X-RAYS

March 11, 2024x-ray

x-ray Q: Why does my dentist take x-rays?

A: The x-ray is a vital tool for the dentist. X-rays, of course, let the dentist see what’s not visible to the naked eye. For example, your dentist uses x-rays to view the root, that part of the tooth that is submerged in the gum. In the case of a new patient, the dentist will want to take a set of x-rays to establish a baseline of a person’s mouth to be use in future evaluations. And the dentist will periodically use x-rays during a regular visit to screen for decay.

Both the American Dental Association and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have set guidelines for the use of x-rays. The main ADA rule is that dentists should use them only when necessary. The frequency of x-rays will depend on the details of an individual patient’s case. You and your dentist can work out an x-ray schedule that’s appropriate for your planned treatment. That schedule will vary according to your age, your risk of disease and the symptoms of your condition.

As with all aspects of dentistry—and other health-care fields—technology and techniques have improved considerably over the years. Digital x-rays are state-of-the-art. They reduce radiation to less than one-third of what it is for traditional x-rays. Ask your dentist if he or she uses digital x-rays.

If you, your family or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice. Refer someone you love to someone you trust!

Presented as a service to the community by Doctors Hoover and Yanda, 39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236. 330-650-0360. www.drshooverandyanda.com

DIET AND DENTAL HEALTH

March 4, 2024Health

diet Q: I know sugar’s not good for teeth. What foods are generally good for dental health?

A: You’re right about the sugar. Your mouth is full of bacteria that naturally occur there. The bacteria love sugar — and starch. And when your teeth are not thoroughly clean, the bacteria eat the sugar and starch that form a film on your teeth — the plaque. The byproduct of their eating is acid that can eat through the enamel. That’s decay.

It’s hard to avoid sugar entirely, and you don’t have to. Fruit, milk, bread, cereals, and vegetables all contain sugar. But avoid sugary snacks. The American Dental Association estimates each sugary snack results in an acid attack on your teeth of 20 minutes or more.

If you feel the urge for a snack, reach for fruit, nuts, seeds raw vegetables, plain yogurt, popcorn, dill pickles and olives. Sugar and starches eaten as part of a meal are less harmful than when eaten alone. During a meal, your mouth is producing substantial saliva, which helps wash away food particles.

Avoid things like cake, chips, cookies, and crackers when you’re eating them by themselves. In general, eat a balanced diet, including the FDA recommended portions of bread and grain, fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry and fish, and dairy — milk, cheese, and yogurt. Ask your dentist for more information on healthy eating habits.

If you, your family or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice. Refer someone you love to someone you trust!

Presented as a service to the community by Doctors Hoover and Yanda, 39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236. 330-650-0360. www.drshooverandyanda.com

THE RIGHT WAY TO BRUSH

February 26, 2024Hygiene

Q: Is there a recommended technique for brushing teeth?

A: As with just about any human activity, there are ways to maximize the quality of the outcome. Divide your mouth into quadrants, thinking of the right and left sections on top, and the same on the bottom. And think of each quadrant having an inside and outside, for a total of eight sections. Brush each of those sections separately.

The back teeth are the hardest to clean, so start with them. To get to the outside surfaces of the back teeth, open your mouth only slightly. Otherwise, you will stretch the cheeks taut against the teeth and impede the movement of the brush. In each of the sections, tilt the brush to a 45-degree angle to brush where the tooth and the gum meet. You want to make sure the brush’s bristles work their way into the groove — also called the sulcus — where tooth and gum meet.

Keep the brush horizontal and the strokes short, a quarter inch or so, as you brush the teeth. Move to the next section and repeat. After brushing, rinse your mouth thoroughly with warm water. Talk with your dentist and dental hygienist about the right way to brush your teeth and how to supplement brushing with flossing and with any other steps he or she might recommend.

If you, your family or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice. Refer someone you love to someone you trust!

Presented as a service to the community by Doctors Hoover and Yanda, 39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236. 330-650-0360. www.drshooverandyanda.com

SOME GENERAL ORAL CARE TIPS

February 19, 2024Hygiene

Q: Do you have any general advice on keeping my mouth healthy?

A: Yes, there are some broad topics you should keep in mind as you live day to day. First, try to brush and floss after every meal, and even after snacks during the work day. Keep a brush, toothpaste and floss at work, if possible. If for some reason it’s impractical to brush and floss after a meal, rinse your mouth out with water to flush out any particles of food that may be left. Your floss, by the way, should be good quality and shred-resistant so that it doesn’t bunch up between your teeth and do any damage when you’re using it. Check to make sure the toothpaste you’re using has fluoride in it. Not all do.

Make it a point to visit your dentist at least twice a year, or on the schedule that you and the dentist have established for your particular needs. Watch your diet. High-fiber greens like spinach, lettuce and broccoli can contribute to whiter teeth. Carrots, apples, oranges and celery are also good for your smile because they require lots of chewing, which in turn generates lots of saliva and keeps cavity-causing bacteria from settling on your teeth. Try to avoid sugary drinks and food. The bacteria that live in plaque, the filmy substance on you teeth, interact with sugar to produce the acid that starts the decay process

If you, your family or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice. Refer someone you love to someone you trust!

Presented as a service to the community by Doctors Hoover and Yanda, 39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236. 330-650-0360. www.drshooverandyanda.com