COVID-19 and Tooth Sensitivity

Having COVID is no fun. Most of us will use our entire arsenal to get better quickly! We’ve all heard that staying home, “Social Distancing”, washing hands, not touching faces, getting plenty of sleep and fluids, and eating a healthy diet are the standard pieces of advice. And did you know the severity of COVID illness is related to gum health? All these things make sense! One recommendation may have an unwanted side effect though.

Vitamins

During the pandemic and when sick with COVID, some of us also choose to take extra vitamins, including Vitamin C.  While Vitamin C is generally considered safe for most people to take, the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and many other sources indicate that there is no clear evidence that Vitamin C is helpful for prevention or cure of COVID-19. However, there are studies indicating Vitamin C deficiency seems to be correlated with people being more susceptible to infections and pneumonia, and also with having a lowered immune response. 

So for those who do choose to take Vitamin C as part of their fight against coronavirus, it may be helpful to know that one little-known but common side effect of taking Vitamin C can be Tooth Sensitivity: a brief sharp pain that often happens when a person eats or drinks something very cold or hot.

Tooth Sensitivity

The causes of sensitive teeth can include a cavity, cracked tooth, broken filling, teeth grinding, gum disease, receding gums, or worn enamel. Another cause of this sensitivity can be acid erosion. Acid erosion happens when the enamel of a tooth is exposed to acidic food or drink, stomach acid, or things such as Vitamin C – particularly if it’s the chewable kind. This acidity can cause the enamel to lose minerals and soften. While this softening can be temporary, if the tooth enamel is repeatedly exposed to acid it will gradually erode to leave the underlying dentin exposed and nerves irritated.

What You Can Do

If your tooth sensitivity becomes constant, painful, or you experience swelling or other additional symptoms, call us to discuss before it becomes worse. If your sensitivity remains mild, and you tend to eat or drink acidic things – or you’re taking Vitamin C – there are options you can try to gain some relief and also help prevent additional enamel erosion and future problems:

• Reduce your intake of acidic drinks such as sport drinks, fruit juices, etc., and drink them quickly or use a straw to limit the amount of time the liquid lingers on your teeth. Swish your mouth with water afterward.

• If you are chewing Vitamin C, consider switching to a different form of C that doesn’t remain in your mouth so long. Also swish with plain water afterward, or even swish water with a little baking soda mixed in it – and then spit it out.

• Avoid acidic foods, drinks and vitamins right before bed or while exercising when you produce less cleansing saliva.

• Use a soft-bristled toothbrush, and brush more gently.

• Switch to a toothpaste made specifically for sensitive teeth.

• Avoid tooth-whitening treatments, which often increase sensitivity.

• Talk with us. There’s a possibility your pain may be caused by high spots or teeth grinding. This is far more common than you may think, and we may be able to help alleviate your pain with simple remedies.

Dry Mouth and Tooth Sensitivity

A constant flow of saliva is our natural defense against acid erosion and tooth sensitivity. However, some prescription medications as well as over-the-counter medications such as decongestants can cause dry mouth. Incidentally, dry mouth is also a risk factor for other serious concerns including oral cancer (see our post on oral cancer for more information). Staying hydrated with pure water is a good first step. If dry mouth is a continued issue for you, be sure to let us know. There are helpful products that can bring relief to this dryness, and we’ve found that some products are more effective for our patients than others. Keep in mind that mouth dryness can have serious consequences so it’s not something to simply dismiss!

The Bottom Line

We all want to do everything we possibly can to keep our families and ourselves healthy.  But sometimes our efforts to be safe in one area of life can cause problems in other areas, as in the case of chewing Vitamin C. It’s tempting to try the many suggested home remedies we hear or read about on the internet, but these ideas can be unhealthy or even dangerous. The wisest thing to do is to stick with respected sources for information, such as the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Teuscher Legacy Health Blog, and, of course, call your physician and/or call us when you need individualized advice and questions answered. We are always happy to help.

Stay healthy!

P.S.- if you have any questions about this, or are in need of cosmetic dentistry, implant dentistry, or general dentistry in St Charles, Illinois, give us a call or text! We’d love to help!

Teuscher Dental goes to Summer School

What I did on my summer vacation… 

How many of us had to write that age-old essay during the first week of school? If you are lucky enough to have a break, most of us want to be relaxing by the pool, out hitting the links, or just enjoying the “me time” of the lazy hazy crazy days of summer.

A few Teuscher Dental team members took a break earlier this summer too, but it wasn’t as relaxing as you may expect… our break was all about YOU!  For the entire first week of June, Dr. Mike Teuscher and soon-to-be-dentists sons Riley and Brayden Teuscher traveled to the world-renown Kois Center in Seattle, Washington for a 55-hour dental science intensive course. They were among a group of 40 elite dentists from around the world – including Spain, England, China and Canada – to study directly under the respected Dr. John Kois at this prestigious dental education center.

The class was on biomechanics, which encompasses the relationship between a person’s biological structures (teeth and gums) and dental materials (crowns, composite fillings, root canal material, etc.).  The material included a 788-page course manual (yes, every single page was covered!) that detailed the most recent and advanced methods of repairing teeth using scientific data. Using this research, Dr. Kois outlined the absolute best dental practices for helping our patients achieve the best possible results. So if you or anyone you know has TMJ disorder, tooth sensitivity, questions about fillings or crowns, or may be wondering whether a root canal is necessary, Teuscher Dental is completely prepared to help!

Dr. Teuscher is already one of the few dentists in the nation who have completed Kois’s years-long program of post-doctoral education, and this class was an awesome opportunity for Riley and Brayden too. It is an honor and very exciting for them to be able to learn at the highest possible level as they finish their clinical experience at dental school. It was a great way for them to prepare to join the family practice to provide you the care you’ve come to know and trust, and to continue a Legacy of Excellence.

This class is just one example of how Teuscher Dental’s team is committed to providing our patients with the highest level of care available in the world. As our family cares for your family, you can be confident that we will have an entire team of dentists with a shared vision for the best ways to help you get healthy and stay that way. We are all excited to partner together with you toward this vision of health.

So next time you visit us, we may use processes and tools that are unique to what you have ever experienced before. But nothing we do is for show, and we don’t use gimmicks. We are committed to being a learning organization that consistently provides you with excellence that is backed by studied-and-proven science. You can expect world-class care and results because we take very seriously that you are trusting us with your health.  We are all ready for you – come and see us!

Two Crucial Cold Weather Health Tips to Know Today!

Lots of sane people love winter weather, but I’m not one of them.  Give me the hot sun any day.  But everything in life gives us an opportunity to learn, and cold weather is no exception.

Here are two cold weather essentials you should know:

1. Nose Breathing is best in cold weather – and the rest of the time too. 

Studies show that breathing through your nose (as opposed to breathing through your mouth) not only warms the cold winter air, and cleans and humidifies the air – all good for lung health, but nose-breathing may also improve your memory. Memories have 3 main stages of development: encoding, consolidation & retrieval, and according to a recently published Journal of Neuroscience study, nose breathing – but not mouth breathing – enhances all three of these memory stages.  For the athlete in all of us, it’s interesting to note that the nasal-pulmonary reflex closes the lungs when the nose closes and opens the lungs when the nose is more open – the Cleveland Clinic says this may be why elite athletes like using nasal strips during exercise.  Nose breathing also warms the air before reaching our delicate lungs, humidifies the air for our throat and lungs, and helps clean the air of bacteria, viruses, allergens, pollutants, dust and more before that air reaches your lungs.

2. Pay Attention to the Warning of Cold Sensitivity when it comes to your teeth. 

This is no small thing.  According to the ADA, causes of sensitive teeth include tooth decay, cracked teeth, worn tooth enamel, worn fillings, and tooth roots that are exposed because of periodontal (gum) disease, gum recession or even from too-aggressive tooth brushing.  The Mayo Clinic says that periodontitis, a form of gum disease, can not only cause tooth loss but some research suggests that the bacteria responsible for periodontitis can enter the bloodstream through gum tissue, possibly affecting your heart, lungs, and other parts of the body. Periodontitis may be linked with respiratory disease, rheumatoid arthritis, coronary artery disease or stroke.  

If your teeth are sensitive to cold air, it can be vitally important to heed this warning and take action now with your dentist because periodontal disease can be quite serious, and because other causes of cold sensitivity may be way easier to treat when caught early.  

So let the cold weather be an opportunity to learn about your health, and a motivation to take positive action!  As always, I’d be honored to help you in any way I can.  

Your grateful partner in health,

Dr. Mike