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Show t 1 1988 18. May (' Did you know all this about Dental care &Hygiene? Wed.. News Valley Did You Know about Did you Know about Plastic Sealants? , changes in dealing with the Tooth Fairy? Are You? How Sugar-Sma- rt all know how bad sugar is for our teeth. Right, so I dont eat much sugar, you say. Yet much of the sugar we eat is hidden in processed foods. You may be eating more than you think. Take the quiz below to find out how sugar-smayou really are. 1. Each American consumes about pounds of sugar per year. 2. About percent of our yearly sugar is from processed foods. 3. Many breakfast cereals contain an average of percent sugar. 4. About pounds of the sugar we consume comes from sodas. annually 8. An eight-ounc- e serving of yogurt with fruit contains around tablespoons of sugar. a. 50 b. 6 c. 130 L 75 e. 20 We The Sun The 10 When a dentist talks about pits and fissures, he is referring to the dimples and grooves on the back teeth. Normally they are deep and narrow, which makes this part of the tooth more susceptible to decay because food and bacteria can be trapped there in a childs permanent teeth. Forty-fiv- e percent of the is in and fissures. the pits decay Decay in this area is a frequent cause of permanent tooth loss. Plastic Sealants will remain in place for years, preventing decay. As long as the sealant is in place, the tooth is safe from pit and fissure decay. If part of the sealant comes out, it is easily replaced. Because this is a fairly new procedure, dental insurance companies will not many cover sealants. Sealant placement is a simple, painless procedure. No shots or drills are used. The tooths biting surface is prepared with a mild chemical, washed, dried and painted with the sealant. Sealant work best on newly erupted permanent teeth. Therefore a child who is should be considered for sealant at age 6 - 7 when the first molars appear and again at age 2 when the rest of the permanent teeth appear. Sealants are not appropriate for teeth with filings, decay, or shallow grooves. Fluorides and toothbrushing are great to ways prevent cavities, but they don't work on pits and fissures at all. Fortunately, the dentist has sealants to fill the gap. This plastic resin flows into the deep pits and fissures, hardens, and seals out the bacteria. rt Weve been dealing with inflation and recession for quite some time now, and prices have been rising and falling and rising fast enough to keep many of us confused. So it likely wont surprise you to hear that the Tooth Fairy has also fallen victim to raging inflation. Can you remember the dimes and quarters you found under your pillow in the morning after your tooth fell out? A couple of informal surveys report that todays kids are finding dollars - and even fives or tens - for each tooth they lose. The average seems to be about a dollar a tooth! But the Tooth Fairy also seems to be (and coming up with a new measure: a tooth with a cavity in it may bring only a fraction of what a healthy tooth is worth. half-dollar- s, nt Answer key: 1. c; 2. d; 3. a; 4. e; 5. b. health-enhancemen- people are afraid to go to the Dentist? How many people do you know who need to see a dentist but are scared to go? Movies, books and history in general have portrayed the dentist as a cold uncaring pain inflicting person who loves to get you in the chair and say Hold on, Im almost done. Dentists know that dental anxiety is one of the greatest challenges they face. One third of our society does not visit their dentist regularly and dental fear is probably the number one cause. Dentistry in general is working very hard to eliminate any pain associated with dental services. Nitrous oxide gas (or as most commonly known as laughing gas), new infection techniques, stronger anesthetics, topical ointments that numb on contact, all have decreased the pain and anxiety associated with visits to the dentist. Today, dentistry is not the same as it was when you were akid. In fact, many patients find todays modern dentistry virtually painless. If you need dental care, give your dentist another chance. decay-causin- g Did you Know about calcium deficiencies in pregnant women? -- Did You Know about Dental Implants? Dental implants solve many problems associated with removable dentures. While modern dentistry enables some people to wear their dentures comfortably, research has shown eighty-fiv- e percent of the estimated 25 million people with dentures in this country experience some nervousness and difficulty due to their false teeth. Replacement with dentures may result in a premature aged appearance. The patients sense of may become diminished. The loss of some or all ofthe natural teeth often leads to an inability to chew properly. When the patient has upper dentures, the plastic covering the roof of the mouth decreases the pleasure of eating and causes some patients to gag. The tongue and cheek muscles cause lower dentures to shift and come loose, resulting in tissue irritation, pain when eating or difficulty during speech. Dental implants restore the natural feeling of having ones own teeth, thus, improving the quality of life. Dental implants eliminate the need for a removable partial denture by providing the support necessary for attachment of a fixed bridge. According to accepted dental principals, missingteeth should be replaced by afixed bridge connected to crowns on the patients remaining teeth. Where there are not teeth on both sides of the space, or where the space is too wide, a removable partial denture is used to restore function. A partial denture is usually held in place by hooks or clasps which may be unsightly, promote tooth decay or put excessive stress on the natural teeth. Dental implants help prevent the premature loss of remaining teeth and are a good investment in oral health. t) Did you know many 11-1- A woman loses calcium from her teeth when shes pregnant because her baby needs it. The calcium for the development of a babys bones and teeth comes only from the mothers diet. Bleeding gums are often a sign of gum disease. Be sure to see your dentist if your gums are bleeding. Everyone needs regular flossing to prevent gum disease. Some believe that chewing gum cleans teeth between brushings. Chewing gum sugarless or otherwise - does not clean teeth. In fact, chewing gum that contains sugar promotes decay. the Editorial Commentary: The Crocodiles Toothache The Crocodile Went to the dentist And sat down in the chair, And the dentist said, Now tell me, sir, Why does it hurt and where? And the Crocodile said, Ill tell you the I have a terrible ache in my tooth, And he opened his jaws so wide, so wide, That the dentist, he climbed right inside, And the Crocodile cried, Youre hurting me so! Please put down your pliers and truth, Did You Know that millions are spent each year on cosmetics? In just a few hours, Wendys crooked little snaggleteeth were turned into perfect gleaming beauties . . .and now a girl whod grown up unsmiling cant stop! Her radiant smile is the result of cosmetic dentistrys newest wonder technique. Americans spend millions every year on cosmetics to make themselves more attractive. Today there is a new trend in this era of cosmetics. Its called cosmetic dentistry. Your dentist nowhas the ability to close spaces between your teeth, cover up stains, and your smile to a more perfect actually let me go. But the dentist just laughed with a Ho Ho Ho, And he said, I still have twelve to go Oops, thats the wrong one, I confess, But whats one crocodiles tooth, more or less? Then suddenly, the jaws went SNAP, And the dentist was gone, right off the map, And where he went one could only guess . . . To North or South or East or West . . . He left no forwarding address. But whats one dentist, more or less? you. All of this can be done without crowns, with no discomfort and at a reasonable cost. Cosmetic dentistry is truly one of the most exciting things happening in dentistry today. Ask your dentist about it. Shell Silverstein Tooth Truth: True or False 1. A woman loses calcium from her teeth when shes pregnant because her baby needs it. 2. You should brush your teeth until your gums bleed. 3. Only people with periodontal disease need to floss regularly. 4. Chewing gum can help clean your teeth between brushings. Answers 1.- F 2.- F 3.- F 4.- F The calcium for the development of a babys bones and teeth comes only from the mothers diet. Bleeding gums are often a sign of gum disease. See us if your gums bleed when you brush. Everyone needs regular flossing to prevent gum disease. Chewing gum sugarless or otherwise does not clean teeth. In fact, chewing gum that contains sugar promotes decay. This public service message brought to you by Dr. Ivan Hendrickson and Staff, of Salina, 5 I |