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Whether you’re using the latest note-taking app or old-school pen and paper, it’s a good time to start jotting down your resolutions for a healthier, happier New Year. To help the process along, we have some suggestions for traditional tooth-friendly resolutions—and also some ideas which might surprise you!

The Classics

• Brush and Floss Regularly

If you’re sticking to the “two minutes twice a day” brushing schedule as well as flossing once a day, great work! Often, though, that two-minute window starts to shrink as our brushing routine becomes *too* routine. Try timing yourself while you brush normally. If you’re falling quite a bit short of two minutes, taking just a bit more time will be lots more effective in removing plaque from your teeth.

And since gum disease is a leading cause of tooth loss in adults, commit to flossing once a day to remove irritating plaque and bacteria from between teeth and around the gumline.

• Use Fluoride Toothpaste

Fluoride toothpaste doesn’t just help prevent cavities by cleaning away plaque and food particles. It also helps make our enamel stronger. 

Acids created by plaque bacteria and acids in our diet dissolve minerals from tooth enamel, making it softer and more vulnerable to cavities. Fluoride bonds with the minerals in enamel to create an even stronger protective enamel coating. Check with Drs. Rottschalk, Acker, and Froidcoeur or the American Dental Association’s website for the best toothpaste choices for healthy, strong enamel.

• See Your Dentist Regularly

Dentists typically recommend a full dental exam and cleaning twice each year. Your dental team at Dr. John Rottschalk Dental Group will take X-rays as needed, examine your teeth, gums, and general oral health, and screen for oral cancer. A professional cleaning will remove any built-up plaque and tartar, which is especially important for gum health.

Being proactive with your dental care means you’ll be sharing your healthy smile all year long—as well as discovering any potential problems before they can develop into major problems!

The Surprises

• Chew (Sugarless) Gum

When you’re not producing enough saliva, you feel the effects of dry mouth, including sore throat, difficulty swallowing, and bad breath. Another side effect? Poorer dental health. 

Saliva helps neutralize the acidic foods we eat, washes away bacteria and food particles, and contains minerals like calcium and phosphorus which remineralize tooth enamel. Chewing sugarless gum encourages saliva production. If you suffer from dry mouth, check with your dentist to see if chewing sugar-free gum can help.

• Don’t Brush Right After Eating

Brushing after a meal is great to remove food particles like sugars and carbs which stick to our teeth—and which the bacteria in plaque thrive on. But if you’ve been eating or drinking acidic foods, it’s best to wait about an hour before brushing. 

Acids in foods, like acids created by bacteria, weaken tooth enamel. Brushing right away can be abrasive and damage enamel, but if you wait for an hour, the minerals in saliva have a chance to remineralize and restore your enamel strength.

• Toss Your Toothbrush

Not that we mean give up brushing altogether! But your toothbrush bristles start to fray and fan out after several months, meaning that you won’t be getting the full cleaning effects of your great brushing technique. Put a note on your calendar to replace your brush every three to four months for the best in plaque removal.

If you’re already following all these suggestions for protecting your dental health, resolve to keep up the good work! If not, give these easy-to-follow recommendations a try. Protecting your dental health is essential to gift yourself a new year filled with happy, healthy smiles in Fairview Heights, IL.

After hours of juggling a wailing baby, you’re probably desperate to address teething pain. If your baby is irritable, drooling, and chewing on hard objects, he or she is likely teething. Although some discomfort while your baby is teething is inevitable, learning a few basic approaches can ease painful gums and soothe your frazzled nerves.

• Offer your finger. Simply chewing on your nice, plump finger may be enough to ease your little one’s pain. Make sure you clean your finger before placing it in your baby’s mouth.
• Use a teething ring. A firm rubber teething ring allows your child to gnaw, and alleviates pain. If your baby seems to like sucking on a bottle, replace the milk or formula with water during teething periods. This reduces sugar intake and decreases the risk of tooth decay.
• Cool it down. Stick a clean, moist washcloth in the freezer (place it on a tray for cleanliness) and offer that to your baby. The cooler temperature of the chilled cloth eases the pain of teeth erupting through the gums. Soaking the washcloth in non-caffeinated tea, such as chamomile, may reduce inflammation associated with teething.
• Grab some hard foods. Certain foods allow your kiddo to gnaw, and can ease teething pain. For example, frozen bananas, large chunks of chilled carrots, an apple, or frozen bagels make good teething pain relievers. If you’re offering your child solid food, watch carefully to ensure that your infant doesn’t bite off a piece and choke.
• Try a natural remedy. Years of grandmotherly wisdom suggest that home remedies might help with teething. Try rubbing clove oil, peeled ginger root, or vanilla extract onto your child’s gums. Although there isn’t scientific evidence to prove these remedies are effective, they may help your little one through the painful teething process. Just remember to test the method out on your own gums first to ensure any tingling or numbing is bearable for your child.
• Use medications. If your baby seems to be especially uncomfortable, over-the-counter medications may be appropriate. Giving an age-appropriate dose of acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) may reduce discomfort. Make sure you check with your child’s pediatrician or our office first to ensure the medication is safe.

If nothing seems to be helping your child’s teething pain, you can always schedule an appointment with Drs. Rottschalk, Acker, and Froidcoeur. Our team at Dr. John Rottschalk Dental Group understands the unique health needs of your little one, and are more than happy to help ensure he or she grows up with a beautiful smile.

For more information about teething, or to schedule an appointment with Drs. Rottschalk, Acker, and Froidcoeur, please give us a call at our convenient Fairview Heights, IL office today!

It's a moment many of our patients have experienced. One second you're chewing on a piece of gum, then suddenly you forget to keep chewing and swallow the entire rubbery gob whole! It's at this point you remember your mother warning you as a child that if you swallow gum it will stake a claim and take up residency in your belly for seven years. Drs. Rottschalk, Acker, and Froidcoeur and our team at Dr. John Rottschalk Dental Group hate to take all the fun out of the mystery, but the truth is that chewing gum, when swallowed, will enter your stomach and move through your digestive system just like any other piece of food. So, if you ever accidentally swallow a piece of gum, there is no need to worry!

That being said, it's important to know that gum does not have any dietary benefits, so while it’s not exactly harmful to swallow, you still want to avoid swallowing it. If you are an avid gum-chewer, we encourage you to chew sugarless gum, especially if you are wearing braces, because gum with sugar can lead to cavities. Sugarless gum still has the same amount of flavor, but has fewer cavity-causing ingredients. In fact, many brands contain an additive called xylitol, a natural sweetener known to fight cavity-causing bacteria. Xylitol is also known to increase salivary flow as it rinses away plaque and acid.

The fact is, when the bacterium in your mouth breaks down sugar, what’s left behind is acid. This acid eats away at the enamel coating of your teeth, causing holes that we call cavities. Cavities can lead to other long-term mouth problems if they are not treated in time, so it is best to try and avoid overexposing your teeth to too many harmful substances!

If you have any questions about chewing gum, please contact our office. Happy (sugar-free) gum chewing!

Snoring may not be something you take seriously. You might even laugh or joke about it. But the fact is, anytime you or your partner snore to the point of waking, it could be a sign of serious health problems.

Sleep Apnea and Its Effects

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that is potentially dangerous, and the most common symptom is loud snoring. Breathing repeatedly starts and stops throughout the night, and you wake up feeling tired. Other serious effects from sleep apnea could be potentially dangerous to your health if left unaddressed.

Besides losing a good night's sleep, you may experience difficulty concentrating. Depression, risk of heart attack, irritability, high blood pressure, memory loss, sexual dysfunction, and chances of stroke all increase when sleep apnea is not treated.

Sleep apnea occurs when the muscles in the back of the throat relax to the point of inhibiting natural breathing. The muscles used to support the soft palate relax and the airway closes, causing breathing to stop for ten to 20 seconds. This lowers the oxygen level in the brain. As the brain senses the inhibited oxygen levels it rouses the sleeper awake so the airway can reopen. Normally, the reawakening is so brief the person won't remember it.

If you think you may have sleep apnea, visit our Fairview Heights, IL office and let Drs. Rottschalk, Acker, and Froidcoeur determine what treatment is needed. Without it, you could risk losing more than a restful night's sleep.

Prevention and Treatment

Anyone can develop sleep apnea, but it is more common among middle-aged adults who are overweight. Drs. Rottschalk, Acker, and Froidcoeur can help you determine the cause and suggest positive treatment.

A common treatment for apnea is the placement of oral devices that are designed to help keep the airway open. By bringing the jaw forward, the device opens the airway and thereby discourages snoring. We are experienced in sleep apnea appliances, and Drs. Rottschalk, Acker, and Froidcoeur can prescribe a fitted device and monitor its success with follow-up therapy.

A continuous positive airway pressure mask, known as a CPAP, is among the other treatment options. A mask is fitted over the mouth and forces oxygen through the throat while you sleep. The pressure holds the soft tissue and throat muscles open.

Our professionals at Dr. John Rottschalk Dental Group can advise you of other ways to prevent sleep apnea, including weight loss, avoiding alcohol, or alternative sleeping positions. We can help you sleep return to easy sleep, knowing you are safer and healthier during your resting hours.