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How much do you know about your tongue? Sure, it’s important for speaking and for removing food stuck in between your teeth. However, this fascinating organ is one of the most important parts of your mouth. Here are some little-known facts about your tongue.

1. Your Tongue Has 8 Muscles

Your tongue is one of the most flexible parts of your body, thanks to the eight muscles it contains. However, the idea that it’s the strongest muscle in the body is just a myth. That honor belongs to the quads and glutes.

2. No Saliva, No Taste

Did you know that without saliva, the taste buds on your tongue couldn’t do their job? That’s right. Saliva is necessary to help flavors bind to the receptor molecules. Your tongue is also partially responsible for producing saliva, through the submandibular glands at its base.

3. Your Taste Buds Die and Are Replaced

The tongue can have as few as 2,000 or as many as 10,000 taste buds. However, they’re not permanent. Some of them die off every week and are replaced with new ones. They’re also located all over the tongue, and the idea that different areas of the tongue correspond to salty, sweet, sour, and bitter tastes is just a myth. Every part of the tongue can taste all tastes.

4. The Color of Your Tongue Says a Lot About Your Health

A normal, healthy tongue is pink. However, if your tongue is red, it’s a sign that you may be suffering from allergies or an infection. White patches on the tongue often indicate a fungal overgrowth, while blistering is usually a sign of an allergic reaction (blood pressure medicines can also cause your tongue to blister).

5. Your Tongue Is a Haven for Bacteria

If you look closely at your tongue, you’ll see that it’s covered by tiny bumps called papillae. That’s completely normal, but it also makes your tongue a perfect home for bacteria. The best way to deal with them is to brush your tongue whenever you brush your teeth. Note that a tongue that’s too smooth (missing a lot of papillae) is an indication that you’re deficient in folic acid.

6. You Can Store Fat in Your Tongue

Recent studies have shown that the tongue stores fat much like other parts of the body. This can lead to a larger-than-normal tongue and increase your risk of sleep apnea due to obstruction by the tongue.

The Amazing, Essential Tongue

Your tongue is one of the most important parts of your mouth, and yet it’s often overlooked when it comes to oral care. Vital for speaking, essential for tasting, and irreplaceable, the tongue deserves a little TLC.

You should brush your tongue twice a day, just like your teeth. You should also keep an eye on its color and texture for clues to other health conditions. Regular visits to your doctor will help ensure that you’re able to keep your tongue, teeth, and gums in good health.

For most people, a trip to the dentist might involve filling a cavity. These erosions in teeth are often painful and sometimes unsightly. But what are cavities? How do they form? What can you do to prevent them? Here are nine things you should know about cavities.

What Are They Called?

Cavities, caries, erosions – they all amount to the same thing – a hole in your teeth that may become painful and will grow larger if left untreated.

Are They Caused by Worms?

Many ancient cultures believed cavities were caused by worms that drank the “blood” of your teeth and ate the roots. While inaccurate, that’s not too far from the truth. Instead of a worm, bacteria cause cavities.

The 1-2-3 Combo

The bacteria that live in your mouth need a couple of things to thrive and cause cavities – a lack of frequent brushing, a diet rich in sugar and/or processed foods, and saliva.

More Veggies, Please

Bacteria love highly processed foods but cannot process whole foods (think broccoli, cauliflower, etc.). A diet rich in whole foods, particularly vegetables, can help you prevent cavities.

It’s All About the Acid

Bacteria don’t cause cavities directly. Instead, the acid produced when these microorganisms eat is responsible for eroding your tooth enamel. It’s a natural byproduct of consuming food debris in your mouth.

Remineralization Can Happen

If you give your teeth enough time and prevent bacteria from permanently colonizing the area, they’re capable of re-mineralizing damaged areas (before the damage becomes too severe). That’s what brushing and flossing do – they remove bacteria so that your teeth have time to heal.

Multiple Types

Did you know there was more than one type of cavity? The three most common are pit and fissure cavities, which tend to form on the tops of molars, smooth surface cavities, which form on the sides of teeth, and root cavities, which form just below the gum line.

Many Stages of Development

A cavity continues to grow the longer it’s left untreated. They begin as enamel cavities. Here, the hole only affects the enamel of the tooth – the outermost layer. Next, they progress to dentin cavities, where the hole erodes into the softer second layer of dentin.

Pulpitis is the next stage, where the cavity reaches the tooth pulp. This is the most painful stage and can lead to infection. Finally, the cavity results in periodontitis, which can result in bone infection and can usually only be treated by oral surgery.

How to Treat Cavities

In most cases, cavities are treated the same way. Your dentist will drill out the decayed part of the tooth and then replace the hole with a filling. In the past, fillings were often made from silver or gold, but porcelain and amalgam are more commonly used today.

Here’s to Your Oral Health

Cavities affect most people in the US at some point in their lives, but they’re not unavoidable. Regular brushing and flossing will help keep bacteria from building up and destroying your enamel. Regular visits to your dentist will also help keep your teeth clean and free of damage.

Dental pain is some of the most intense you’ll ever experience. And when it appears suddenly, it can be very alarming. What might be causing your agony? Here are a few likely suspects.

Heat or Cold

Perhaps the most common reason for sudden tooth pain is worn tooth enamel and exposure to heat or cold. Did the pain appear shortly after eating or drinking something hot or cold? Was it a sharp flash of pain? Temperature sensitivity is a sign that you should make an appointment with your dentist to check for erosion.

Increased Sensitivity

Have you noticed that your teeth have become more sensitive? If that’s the case, you may have receding gums. Gum tissue surrounds and protects the roots of your teeth, and when it recedes, it exposes parts of the roots to the air, as well as to foods and liquids. Eventually, that can lead to infections and gum disease.

Cracked Tooth

It’s easy to spot cracked teeth most of the time, but sometimes hairline cracks form that are all but invisible. They can still lead to considerable dental pain, though. The good news is that your dentist has solutions for cracked teeth, including veneers and crowns.

Gum Infection

Almost half of all American adults suffer from some degree of gum disease. As gum disease escalates, it can make your teeth and gums more sensitive, particularly to hot or cold temperatures. That can include not just foods and beverages, but also outside air if you’re breathing through your mouth, such as while jogging or during other forms of exercise.

Your Toothpaste

Activated charcoal is everywhere today, including in many different toothpaste formulations. While charcoal can certainly help address mild staining, it also causes tooth sensitivity when used too frequently. If you’re fixed on using charcoal toothpaste, don’t overuse it.

Bleaching Products

Bleaching products are very popular today and can help you whiten your teeth by several shades right in your own home. However, they are not particularly gentle and can cause sudden sensitivity. If you stop using the whitening product, the sensitivity should go away.

Grinding Your Teeth or Clenching Your Jaws

Do you ever have to force yourself to relax your jaw and stop clenching your teeth? Does your dentist suspect that you grind your teeth at night? Both actions wear away at your enamel and can cause sensitivity. Wearing a mouthguard at night can help prevent grinding and clenching. You’ll find over-the-counter mouthguards, but your dentist may also be able to custom-make one to fit your mouth.

Lost Filling

One of the most common causes of sudden tooth pain is the loss of a filling. While fillings can last indefinitely, they can fall out, leaving the hole in your tooth open and exposing the interior of your tooth to temperature extremes that may cause sudden pain.

Experiencing unexplained sudden tooth pain? Your dentist can help. Make an appointment to have your teeth inspected as soon as possible to prevent additional damage.

Cavities (dental erosion) are the most common oral health disease in the US. Most children will have at least one cavity and up to 30% of adults in the country have untreated cavities. Without proper care, cavities can grow and destroy teeth, as well as cause more serious issues, like bone infections. It’s important to have cavities treated as soon as possible, but how do you tell if you have one?

Temperature Sensitivity

One of the most common signs that you’ve got a cavity is sudden sensitivity to heat and cold in your mouth. If you take a gulp of cold water and experience a stabbing pain in your mouth, chances are good you have a cavity. The problem here is that when a cavity exposes the dentin layer of your teeth, the microscopic tunnels in the dentin make perfect channels for food and drink to stimulate the nerve inside the tooth.

Sugar Sensitivity

While temperature sensitivity is a common sign you might have a cavity, so is sensitivity to sugar in foods and drinks. In most cases, this will be a lingering discomfort that lasts for several minutes after eating or drinking something sugary and is caused by exposure of the dentin layer within a growing cavity.

Tooth Pain

There are few things as hard to deal with as a toothache, particularly when the pain becomes severe. Toothaches are prime signs that you’re dealing with an oral health problem, which is most likely a cavity. However, other issues can cause toothaches, so you must visit a dentist as soon as possible to have the situation diagnosed. Note that toothaches can be sudden, or they can grow slowly and continually. You may also experience pressure in the area when biting or chewing.

White Spots

In many cases, cavities begin as white spots on your teeth. Over time, they can darken, eventually becoming brown or even black. If you notice telltale staining, it’s important to visit your dentist to have the growing cavity treated.

A Visible Hole

If left untreated, a cavity will eventually form a visible hole or pit in your tooth. You may be able to see this when you look in a mirror and/or feel it with your tongue. However, not all cavities can be seen or felt. That’s particularly true if they form under the gumline or between teeth, which is why it’s so important to visit your dentist every six months.

Prevent Cavities with Good Oral Care and Regular Dentist Visits

While cavities can be painful and lead to major oral health problems, the good news is that they’re preventable. Brushing after meals and flossing every night can help prevent plaque build-up that leads to cavities.

Avoid sugary drinks and foods, and make sure to drink plenty of water to dilute the acid that causes cavities in the first place. Combine that with regular dentist visits and you have a good chance of not experiencing another cavity.

Gum has been around for thousands of years in various forms. Today, there are plenty of myths and facts about whether it’s good or bad for you. We’re here to lay the claims to rest and give you the information you’ve been looking for.

Gum originally came from the sap of spruce or chicle trees. People chewed it for the same reasons they chew gum today: as something enjoyable to put in the mouth and to pass the time.

Modern chewing gum, though, isn’t quite what it used to be. It’s made mostly from synthetic rubbers and artificial flavorings, meaning that it has some potential health risks that weren’t associated with original gum chewing. In fact, it’s full of plenty of ingredients that you probably didn’t know you were putting into your mouth.

• “Gum” – a rubbery base that makes the product chewy
• Resin – used to strengthen gum and make it last longer
• Fillers – what gives gum a particular texture (ex: calcium carbonate, talc)
• Preservatives – compounds that make gum have a stable shelf life (ex: butylated hydroxytoluene or BHT)
• Softeners – substances that keep gum from hardening (ex: wax, paraffin, vegetable oil)
• Sweeteners – natural sugar, corn syrup, sugar alcohols, or artificial sweeteners such as aspartame
• Flavorings – natural or artificial flavorings

All of these ingredients are considered food grade and deemed “safe” by the FDA; however, they aren’t often labeled well and sometimes appear as a simple “gum base” ingredient. You should decide for yourself whether or not you want to consume the ingredients in chewing gum.

Certain experts deem chewing gum to have benefits for the mouth, such as:

• Preventing cavities – Sugar-free gum can help prevent tooth decay, especially when it’s sweetened with xylitol.
• Reducing bad breath – Xylitol prevents bad bacteria growth, which is a common cause of bad breath.

It can also have negative side effects though, including:

• Causing cavities – If you chew gum with added sugar, this can be a cause of cavities.
• Plaque buildup – Sugar is dissolved by bad bacteria in your mouth, which increases plaque growth.
• Metabolic conditions – Too much sugar, even in the form of gum, can cause diabetes, obesity, and other health issues.
• Jaw problems – People who chew gum all day long often develop TMJ, or temporomandibular disorder, which causes pain, tightness, and immobility of the jaw.
• Headaches and teeth grinding – Gum chewing can also cause tension headaches and migraines, which can cause jaw clenching and teeth grinding.

Chewing gum here and there, especially when it’s sugar-free and made with natural ingredients, typically won’t harm your teeth. Chewing healthy gum in moderation can even help prevent cavities and rid the mouth of bad bacteria. However, if you’re choosing gums full of artificial ingredients and sugar—and chewing them from sun-up to sun-down—then it could mean a range of dental problems, such as cavities, plaque buildup, tooth decay, and jaw disorders, or even more serious metabolic disorders.

Choose your gum carefully and remember—everything in moderation.

Dealing with yellowing teeth is a common issue for many people. Teeth can become discolored from smoking, food and drink stains, or plaque and tartar buildup. However, sometimes people notice that just one tooth is discolored when the rest around them are their normal shade. What causes this, and what can be done about it?

Tooth decay often happens when the enamel (the hard, protective coating on the outside of your teeth) starts to erode. When this is gone, it’s more likely that plaque can stick to your teeth (and plaque is filled with bacteria).

If you see a dark spot on one tooth, this can be a sign of many other things, too, such as:

• Cavities – Cavities that are left untreated can cause brown, yellow, or black spots on a tooth.
• Tooth decay – Teeth will turn gray, brown, or black if the pulp inside has died.
• Injury – Trauma to teeth can damage the nerves, which can cause spots or whole-tooth discoloration.
• Tartar buildup – When plaque isn’t removed, it turns into tartar, which stains teeth and can be difficult to remove.
• Fluorosis (excess fluoride) – Sometimes children receive too much fluoride during the time that their teeth are forming. This can cause fluorosis, which can result in tooth discoloration.
• Celiac disease – Celiac disease (gluten intolerance) can cause wear and tear on teeth enamel, which in turn causes brown spots on the teeth.
• Overuse of antibiotics – Certain antibiotics, mainly tetracycline and doxycycline, can cause discolored teeth. This typically happens in children who took these medications regularly while their permanent teeth were forming, but it can also be caused when the mother took them during pregnancy.
• Tartar buildup -Single-tooth discoloration can also be caused by tartar buildup. Tartar is hardened plaque, and it often presents as yellow or brown, usually by the gumline.
• Chlorhexidine mouthwash – This type of mouthwash is prescribed for people with halitosis or chronic bad breath. Although it kills the bad bacteria which cause bad breath, it can cause brown spots on the teeth.

Usually, when only one tooth is discolored (i.e., yellow, gray, or brown) and there aren’t spots on the surrounding teeth, it can signify a root issue. Check with your dentist and get an x-ray to determine if there are issues underneath your gums that are causing single teeth to become discolored. If the pulp inside your teeth dies and has caused your tooth to turn brown, you’ll probably need a root canal.

Many people also notice that their teeth become spotty with age. This is sometimes a result of a few factors, such as enamel wearing down over time, darkening dentin (the substance underneath enamel that surrounds each tooth), and years of stains from food and drink.

Check your teeth carefully for spots and make sure that you’re staying up on dentist visits twice a year. If you notice that one tooth is discolored compared to the rest, don’t ignore it! Treating the issue early can mean saving your tooth and preventing further damage.

Dental treatments and options for taking care of your oral health have evolved a great deal over the years. One of the best new tools is a water flosser, or an oral irrigator. These are handheld devices that look similar to electric toothbrushes. They are meant to be used in addition to a toothbrush and regular flossing as a very effective way of removing bacteria, plaque, food particles, and gum-disease-causing elements.

Water flossers use—you guessed it—water to get all those pesky germs out of the crevices of your teeth and from beneath the gum line. They concentrate on the areas of your mouth that brushing just can’t get to.

There are many types of water flossers, each with benefits that work well for different lifestyles.

• Countertop water flossers – These can be a bit bulky and heavy, but they’re easy to use in most bathrooms as they only need an electrical outlet. The irrigation tank gets filled with water and you refill it as needed.
• Battery-operated water flossers – These are great for traveling or for those with limited counter space. They’re slim and portable; however, they aren’t as powerful as the countertop variety.
• Shower flossers – These attach to your showerhead so you can floss in the shower! They’re a bit more difficult to maneuver, and you’ll need space in your shower to mount it, but they’re great for people who would rather keep all the “mess” in one place.
• Faucet flossers – These are similar to shower flossers but they use a cord that connects to the sink faucet instead of the shower head. They’re also a bit more cumbersome.

Most types of water flossers, no matter the design, have different modes that make them easy on sensitive gums and effective for people who want more pressure. They’re also easy to use for people with braces, bridges, and implants.

Water flossers are a more fool-proof way of getting all the bacteria and build-up from between teeth and underneath the gumlines. Even for those that floss the traditional way each day, most don’t do it properly. There’s less “technique” involved with water flossers, which means that you’re more likely to keep your gums healthy and happy. 

Oral irrigators are especially beneficial for people with the following issues:

• Bleeding gums – This is an early sign of gum disease that needs attention right away.
• Braces – Food and plaque often get stuck behind and between brackets.
• Dry mouth – Saliva is a natural mouth cleaner, so those with dry mouth usually have more buildup and are at higher risk for cavities.
• Crooked teeth – If your teeth aren’t perfectly straight, it’s more likely that food will get stuck in them. Plus, it’s harder to floss them well!

Oral irrigation devices should be combined with a regular flossing routine to ensure that your mouth remains as clean and healthy as possible. Especially if you already have signs of periodontal disease, such as bleeding gums, or if you have braces, dry mouth, or crooked teeth, then a water flosser is a smart addition to other elements of a dental hygiene routine.

Dental sealants are just one tool that dentists use to protect teeth against decay and damage. While they are not for everyone, dental sealants can play an important part in maintaining the health of your teeth and getting the most out of daily dental hygiene activities like brushing and flossing.

Sealants are a thin, protective coating that is typically applied to the back molars. It’s an easy process, with the sealant painted directly onto the tooth enamel and then allowed to dry. Sometimes the drying process uses a curing light. Once they’re in place, sealants blend in with the surrounding tooth and will likely not be visible to anyone else.

The general idea of a dental sealant is that it seals off all the grooves and impressions in the targeted teeth that are generally very difficult to reach by traditional flossing and brushing. Sealants eliminate the possibility of food and other particles becoming trapped in those difficult-to-reach places and going on to form cavities or cause decay.

While they are not a permanent fixture, sealants can last a considerable amount of time. They will remain in place for up to ten years if properly maintained. Their effectiveness does wane with time, and they offer the most protection in the first two to four years after placement.

Who Can Get Sealants?

Traditionally, sealants are placed on healthy teeth that have no cavities or decay. This means they’re most often used on children, although adults who have healthy teeth with no presence of tooth decay or cavities would also be eligible for sealants.

Sealants can be particularly helpful for kids. Nearly 30% of children between the ages of 2 and 5 will develop a cavity. Sealants can help prevent that from occurring.

Even though sealants have most often been used for children and many adults would have been rendered ineligible due to existing decay, dental technology has made incredible advancements in recent years. Using the Waterlase™ technique, more adults may now be eligible for sealants. The precision offered with Waterlase™ allows your dentist to remove debris and properly sanitize the tooth, making sealants possible!

If you are ineligible for dental sealants, remember that they are only one option of many when it comes to protecting your teeth.

Discuss With Your Dentist

The best way to determine whether sealants are right for you is to speak with your dentist. Sealants can be an incredibly useful aid in dental hygiene when used alongside proper brushing and flossing practices. Even if you are not personally a candidate for sealants, speak with your child’s dentist about the possibility of using sealants on their teeth.

When it comes to your teeth, the importance of preventative care can’t be overstated. Any added protection against cavities and tooth decay will work to the benefit of your teeth and overall dental health.

Retainers and mouthguard therapy are often used to help straighten teeth, but they have several other potential benefits, which we will look at below. Even if you don’t need to straighten your teeth, you might still want to consider this option to help in other areas of your life.

Help with Teeth Grinding

Are you someone who clenches and grinds their teeth at night? This is called bruxism, and it is unfortunately common. Over time, it can lead to some serious issues with your teeth. For example, you might find that your teeth start to hurt or that they crack and break. You might begin waking up with headaches, a sore jaw, or general pain in your face. Many people also find that they don’t get good sleep, which can lead to fatigue throughout the day.

Bruxism is a problem for a large number of people. Fortunately, there are some solutions that could work, and retainer or mouthguard therapy is one of the best. You can find a range of mouthguards on the market today that could help.

Most people grind their teeth at night occasionally. As long as it is not a chronic problem, it shouldn’t be too much of an issue, and it can be treated. However, there are also those who have chronic bruxism, which could eventually lead to loss of tooth enamel, broken teeth, and lost teeth.

What are the causes of bruxism? Unfortunately, the cause is not entirely known or understood, but there are some theories. Many believe that it could be due to stress and anxiety. There could be other factors that are causing problems, too, including caffeine, smoking, and having an abnormal bite, for example. Regardless of the cause, it may be worth considering mouthguard therapy as a solution. You might be able to ensure your teeth stay a little bit safer.

Help with Sleep Apnea

However, mouthguard therapy can help with more than just teeth grinding. One of the other ways mouthguard therapy is commonly used is to help with sleep apnea. With the right type of appliance, it is possible to ensure the tongue doesn’t fall back into the throat and create an obstruction. Some of the appliances can also help to move the position of the lower jaw slightly. Again, this should help to prevent sleep apnea.

Many of the same issues associated with teeth grinding cause sleep apnea. It can also be caused by being overweight. Regardless, you don’t want to deal with the fallout of sleep apnea, as it can cause some serious health problems. Some of those health problems include high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and early death.

As you can see, there are quite a few dangers when it comes to sleep apnea. If you or a loved one has this condition, you will want to get it checked out and dealt with sooner rather than later. Sometimes, something as simple as using a high-quality mouthguard could help.

Get in Touch with a Dentist?

Are you concerned about the state of your teeth because of grinding your teeth? Are you worried about snoring? As you have seen, mouthguard therapy has the potential to help. Make sure you are working with a great dentist, such as the professionals at Foutz Family Dentistry. They can help you get a better understanding of what this type of retainer or mouthguard therapy could do for you, and they may have some other suggestions to help get your oral health in tip-top shape.

Those who want to have excellent dental health need to make sure regular flossing is part of their routine, along with brushing and visiting the dentist for checkups. While it might initially seem that all floss is the same, that’s not the case at all. There are many different options when it comes to dental floss, and you will want to be sure you are choosing the right one.

Benefits of Flossing

Flossing serves as preventative dental care, and it helps to reduce not just food in the teeth but also bacteria. It can get to places in your mouth that regular brushing just can’t reach. When you floss, you will also be able to prevent tartar build-up on the teeth. Plaque tends to accumulate quickly, and when it isn’t removed, it could harden and become tartar. When you floss each day, it helps remove the plaque from your teeth.

One of the other reasons you will want to floss regularly is because it can help to prevent bad breath. The food and bacteria can start to create a terrible odor, and flossing helps to remove this. Of course, flossing along with brushing will help you have better overall dental health, and it could prevent gum disease.

Types of Floss

You need to be sure you are using the right type of floss for your mouth and needs, of course. When you have the right floss, it can make a difference in how well it works. Let’s get a closer look at some of the options.

Waxed Floss

This is one of the most common options and the style that most people typically think about when it comes to flossing. This will work nicely for those who have teeth that are sitting tightly near one another. It is typically made from nylon, and it has a thin wax layer coating that helps it slide between your teeth easily.

You can often find the waxed floss in different flavors, such as mint or cinnamon, which can help to freshen your breath. You can find unwaxed floss, too, but this isn’t as strong and will snap easier.

Dental Tape

Another option to consider is dental tape. It is a good choice for those who have more space between their teeth. The tape is wider than normal floss. You can find this option either waxed or unwaxed. Again, the waxed tends to be stronger. This type of floss is often used for those who have dental appliances and dental work done, including things like crowns and bridges.

Floss Picks

Floss picks are another option that a lot of people like. They are especially useful for those who are on the move a lot. They are handy, and they can help you reach into some areas that might otherwise be difficult. However, you should use these only on occasion according to most experts because the same small piece of floss is used for the entire mouth. They can work in a pinch though, and when you don’t have access to standard waxed or unwaxed floss. Some people might like these floss picks if they have trouble holding and using traditional floss. You might want to choose the picks for when you are at work.

Find Your Floss

Of course, if you still aren’t sure which type of floss might be a good solution for you, consider talking with a dentist. The experts at Foutz Family Dentistry can help you find the best floss. Get into the habit of brushing and flossing regularly and it will improve your dental health.