What’s Inside Your Mouth?

Your mouth is made up of more than just teeth, so good oral health goes way beyond simply brushing and flossing. The oral cavity consists of several components in addition to the teeth, including gingiva (gums), tongue, palate, cheeks, lips and floor of the mouth. Whether we are taking preventative care, restoring oral health, or making cosmetic improvements to your smile, Bensalem Dentistry offers a wide variety of services to keep these components looking and feeling their best.

The next time you’re brushing your teeth, spend a minute looking at the parts of the mouth that lie farther inside the oral cavity. Knowing what these structures do and what they look like can help you to maintain optimal oral health. When you open your mouth and look in the mirror, everything that isn’t a tooth is covered by a protective lining called the oral mucosa. The oral mucosa plays an essential role in maintaining your oral health, as well as your overall health, by defending your body from germs and other irritants that enter your mouth.

Also covered by oral mucosa, gums play a critical role in your oral health. Healthy gums are firm, cover the entire tooth root, and do not bleed when brushed, poked, or prodded. Whether you are eight-years-old or eighty-years-old it is important to practice good oral hygiene to keep all of your oral cavity components healthy by brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing.  

To learn more about services we offer that protect the inside of your mouth, visit www.bensalemdentistry.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Michael Eisenbrock at Bensalem Dentistry in Bensalem, PA, call 215-638-9952. 

How to Get Stronger Teeth and Gums

Healthy teeth and gums not only give you an esthetically pleasing smile, but also indicate that good oral health and hygiene play a very important role in your life. In addition to brushing and flossing, a healthful diet (with natural or added fluoride) protects teeth from decay and keeps the gums healthy. At Bensalem Dentistry, Dr. Michael Eisenbrock wants patients to know that a healthy diet, good oral hygiene and professional cleanings will not only help protect you against oral disease, but it can also help you to keep your teeth for a lifetime.

In addition to brushing and flossing as well as routine dental cleanings, proper nutrition is critical for developing teeth and gums to ensure that they are resistant to tooth decay. Good nutrition remains important for maintaining healthy teeth and gums in adults. Avoiding sugary sweets is also important. Fluoride, which is easily absorbed into tooth enamel, also strengthens your teeth making them more resistant to decay-causing acids. Fluoride may also repair early-stage tooth decay by promoting remineralization of tooth enamel.

To learn more about our services provided at Bensalem Dentistry, visit www.bensalemdentistry.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Michael Eisenbrock at Bensalem Dentistry in Bensalem, PA, call 215-638-9952.

Loose Teeth in Adults

For children, loose teeth are a part of the aging process and they often look forward to their tooth loss with eager anticipation. However, loose teeth in adults can be indication that some of the bone or ligaments have been damaged due to periodontal (gum) disease. At Bensalem Dentistry, Dr. Michael Eisenbrock can successfully treat his patients, even in advanced stages, with deep cleanings and good periodontal maintenance protocols.

Periodontal disease is one of the most common causes for loose and shifting teeth. It all starts when the bacterial plaque that forms on your teeth around the gum line hardens into tartar because of inadequate brushing and flossing. This leads to infection that gets into an area between the teeth and gums, called the sulcus. The infection then breaks down supporting tissues and creates a pocket that gets deeper as the disease progresses. This damages the attachment of the teeth to the gums and they become loose.

The good news is that you can avoid this disease, and you don't have to let it get to the point of developing periodontal pocketing and loose teeth. To learn more about our services provided at Bensalem Dentistry, visit www.bensalemdentistry.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Michael Eisenbrock at Bensalem Dentistry in Bensalem, PA, call 215-638-9952.

How to Properly Brush Teeth

Brushing your teeth should be part of your daily routine; and if it is, it’s probably not something you put too much thought into. But maybe you should! Here at Bensalem Dentistry of Bensalem, PA, we want to remind our patients of the proper way to brush for a healthy mouth!

Brushing does not have to be a vigorous activity. In fact, it shouldn’t be. All that is needed is a light touch with the brush to remove plaque. Hard and forceful brushing should lead to wearing down enamel. When enamel disappears, this actually makes the teeth prone to cavities.

Brushing teeth should be done in circular motions to make sure you brush the whole tooth. Side-by-side brushing could irritate gums and often misses the gum line where plaque builds up.

Brushing should be done two or three times per day. A helpful tip for squeezing a third time in your day is storing a toothbrush and toothpaste in your desk at work or locker at school.

Brushing often is important; however there is a wrong time to brush. You should wait thirty minutes after eating to brush teeth due to the acids some food leaves on teeth. Brushing too soon could allow those acids to wear down teeth.

Make sure to brush all surfaces of the teeth and include your tongue, gums, and cheeks. For more information on keeping good oral hygiene, contact Bensalem Dentistry of Bensalem, PA by calling (215) 638-9952 or by visiting our website, www.bensalemdentistry.com.