dental hygiene

CONGRATULATIONS! You're pregnant!

If you are wearing braces, let your orthodontist know as soon as possible your happy family news.

Your orthodontic treatment will continue while you are pregnant with a few special considerations.

Considerations for Dental and Orthodontic X-rays

Your orthodontist will elect not to do X-ray (radiographs) while you are pregnant. Please let all dental and medical professionals know when you are pregnant and restrain from having X-rays taken.

Pregnancy and Gingivitis

Due to the increased levels of your hormones, your gums are more susceptible to gingivitis. You may have "pregnancy gingivitis" if your gums become puffy and you are pregnant. Your gums may bleed when you brush and appear red. This is due to pregnancy gingivitis which affects up to 70% of pregnant women.

Pregnancy does not cause pregnancy gingivitis. The altered tissue metabolism of pregnancy accentuates the response to local irritants. For this reason, it is of utmost importance for your oral hygiene to be excellent during pregnancy for your to avoid the pregancy gingivitis condition.

If you have symptoms of pregnancy gingivitis, your orthodontist may recommend additional cleanings with your dental hygienist. These are best done with the orthodontic arch wires removed. If you have gingival enlargements of your gums, your orthodontist may also send you to your dentist or a periodontist for additional specialty gum care. Our goal is for you to have minimal gingival inflammation during pregnancy with no infections of your teeth or gums.

Your teeth may also feel lose during pregnancy if you have pregnancy gingivitis. Your orthodontist may recommend that your teeth be moved more slowly or not at all during the last trimester of pregnancy.

Pregnancy gingivitis can be minimized or prevented by excellent oral hygiene from the beginning to the end of your pregnancy.

If You Have Questions, Let Us Know!

If you have questions about orthodontics or pregnancy gingivitis, visit us at Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, California. Find us at www.clubbraces.com.

Your body may feel hot during pregnancy as well. Due to your hormonal changes, your taste buds may have the constant urge to eat ice cream. Eat up and enjoy this special time. Come see us for braces when your pregnancy is over and be sure to bring your baby for an initial orthodontic exam at 7 years old.

FOR ME, going to the hygienist is like a mini vacation. I love my dental hygienist and the great work that she does.

Let Me Share My Experience...

When I arrive at my 6-month hygiene appointment, my hygienist gives me a warm blanket heated in the dryer for one minute before I am seated. This blanket is so warm and cozy. Snuggling here in the dental chair for an instant gives me the feeling of a luxury hotel.

Cool jazz plays in the background while my teeth are gently cleaned. My hygienist does not talk excessively during our appointment. She lets me relax. As a busy orthodontist, wife and mother, I appreciate this time very much. I can close my eyes and unwind. This is a rare and enjoyable time.

An aroma candle burns in the hallway. It smells great. A hint of the fragrance makes it's way into the cleaning room and hides the scent of my own breath.

My hygienist polishes my teeth with my favorite flavored pumas. I think it is cherry. It tastes so good I almost want to eat it. It reminds me of how much I loved having my teeth cleaned as a child and is probably one of the reasons why I became a dentist.

After polishing my teeth, my hygienist hands me a warm towel heated in the microwave. I wipe and freshen my face. For an instant, I feel like I'm in the clouds flying Transatlantic First Class.

My hygienist then schedules my next cleaning at my convenience. She fills her own schedule. No need to bother the front desk. She schedules the appointment right then and there in the treatment room. She saves me time and the front desk additional work.

On my way out, I'm handed a goody bag with a new toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss. I'm now equipped to achieve excellence in oral hygiene and I don't want to let my hygienist down.

After a little small talk with the lovely ladies at the front desk, I take a few pieces of my favorite orange Trident sugar-free gum displayed in a little clothe covered basket. It taste great and I feel great. I just can't wait to come back and get my teeth cleaned again next time.

Thank You Wendy!

My hygienist gets a 5 star rating not only for excellence in clinical care but also for excellence in customer service. She is so sweet and also amazing! Thank you, Wendy, for all that you do.

Happy National Dental Hygiene Month to all of our wonderful dental hygienists from Gorczyca Orthodontics, Antioch, California www.clubbraces.com.

WHY ARE CERTAIN CANDIES so bad for our teeth? One reason is all that sugar, of course. We know that. Here’s something you may not think about as often... Many popular treats include the descriptors tart, tangy, and sour. It seems the more bitter, the better.

Trouble is, our teeth are paying the price for this sour trend and we continue to see the damage.

Acid Erodes Our Teeth

A pH scale shows where substances are on a spectrum from base to acidic. 14–12 is really base, and 2–0 is really acidic.

A nice, neutral pH level of 7 is ideal for your mouth. When you eat acidic foods the pH level lowers. This can create a hostile, enamel-eroding environment for your teeth. No sugar (or plaque) is necessarily needed for an “acid attack” to be damaging.

Let’s Break It Down

Our tooth enamel can start to erode at a pH level of 4. Spree, a relatively mild sour candy, has a pH level of 3, Sour Skittles 2.2, and WarHeads Spray 1.6. That’s pretty shocking when you consider battery acid has a pH level of 1.0.

The Sad Signs Of Erosion

The acid in sour candy can really take a toll on our teeth and may even cause:

• Sensitivity
• Translucence at the biting edge of your teeth
• Increased cavities due to weakened enamel

Be Smart

Chewing sugarless gum stimulates saliva flow for cleansing. Swishing water around in your mouth can also help. Still, the smartest thing you can do is to stop eating tart candies, or eat them very sparingly. They’re treats, not snacks.

If you have braces you need to be extra careful. Not only can candy damage your appliance, it can be hard to remove around the brackets and may increase the chance of decay. You’re better off avoiding it.

If you’re experiencing signs of acid erosion, ask us about it. We can help.

Thanks for being our valued patient! We hope you and your smile are doing well!

TOOTH DECAY IS THE #1 CHRONIC DISEASE IN CHILDREN. It’s estimated that 40% of children have some form of tooth decay before they even reach kindergarten. Alarming, isn’t it? But SO much of the problem is preventable through routine hygiene appointments.

Add Dental Checkups To Your Back-To-School Checklist

Don’t wait until there’s a problem—even if your child isn’t complaining about discomfort. Tooth pain doesn’t usually exist until decay reaches the tooth’s pulp. At that point, it’s probably advanced and may require more extensive treatment. Good preventive treatment happens BEFORE there’s pain.

Don’t Forget About Orthodontic Evaluations Too!

Loose baby teeth ready to fall out can also cause tooth and gum pain.

The first baby teeth to fall out are the lower central incisors. These teeth can become loose at kindergarten age. The last baby teeth to fall out are the lower primary second molars. These teeth usually fall out by sixth grade.

When baby teeth stay too long, they may have a root caught in the gum with a permanent tooth pushing up underneath it. These teeth wiggle back and forth and may not be possible for your child to remove on their own. This can be uncomfortable and also cause the permanent teeth to be pushed out of place, making permanent teeth crooked.

Painful and harmful loose baby teeth are one of the reasons the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that every child receive an orthodontic evaluation by age 7. Your orthodontist can evaluate baby teeth loss to make sure that your child will be pain free. To find an orthodontist in your community, visit www.mylifemysmile.org.

At Gorczyca Orthodontics, We Love Working With Kids

At Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, California we see children for a complimentary orthodontic examination as early as age 4. If tooth decay is visible, we will refer your child to a pediatric dentist or back to your family dentist for treatment.

Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca has been a licensed dentist since 1988. She completed her university based orthodontic residency program to become an orthodontic specialist in 1990. She is a Board Certified orthodontist and a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics.

In 2015, Dr. Gorczyca celebrates 25 years of being an orthodontist and working with children. She has now treated over 10,000 patients! To have your child seen by Dr. Gorczyca, call us at (925) 757-9000 or visit us at www.clubbraces.com to schedule a complimentary exam.

How Do We Protect Your Child’s Smile?

It is important to be free of tooth decay prior to getting braces. Gorczyca Orthodontics also uses Opalseal, an additional bonding resin to protect teeth from decay during orthodontic treatment. While in braces, it is important to still have cleanings twice per year with your regular dentist. Dr. Gorczyca removes wires for dental cleanings to ensure that all parts of teeth can be cleaned well and that excellent oral hygiene can be maintained during orthodontic treatment.

Patients receive a hygiene evaluation at every appointment at Gorczyca Orthodontics. Wires will be removed and an extra cleaning and hygiene instruction scheduled with your hygienist if necessary. If hygiene is excellent at your orthodontic appointment, you will recieve a reward token to collect to win a prize.

Our goal is to have your child decay free, pain free, with the most beautiful smile possible.

Help Set Your Child’s Great Oral Health Habits Now!

When you take an active role in your child’s oral health, you do a lot more than care for his or her teeth. You help your child develop habits that will positively shape overall health for life... Habits that will likely be passed down to your posterity as well.

Have a great school year!

Top image by Flickr user Elizabeth Albert used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.