Author: MK & C Dental Group

Maintaining good posture can go a long way in keeping your bones aligned as nature intended, which allows your muscles to work smoothly and you to exert less effort. This means less soreness, which we’re always a fan of here at our dental offices in Middletown, Kettering, and West Chester. But what some may not know is that your posture can also affect your oral health.

The Head Bone’s Connected to… All the Bones!

Your head is connected to your jaw, your jaw to your neck, your neck or your back… and on and on. But that’s why posture is so important. If one part of the chain is out of whack, it can throw off all the other parts. This connection is particularly true with your posture and your jaw. Most people stand or sit with their heads too far forward, placing strain on the muscles in the neck, shoulders, and jaw. This strain actually makes the head heavier, causing the muscles to react. What happens next? The shoulders fall forward, the jaw falls back, and your bite falls out of place. And a bad bite can lead a whole host of uncomfortable, and sometimes serious, concerns including TMJ disorder or cracked, damaged teeth.

Signs of a Poor Bite Caused by Poor Posture

• Pain in the jaw or neck
• Numbness in one hand
• Headaches
• Inability to clear ears

How’s Your Posture Measure Up?

Not sure if you have great, mediocre, or poor posture? Try one of these simple tests to find out.

• The Wall Test – Put the back of your head against the wall and your heels about six inches apart. Allow your buttocks to touch the wall and check the distance between your lower back and the wall, and your neck and the wall with your hand. Within an inch or two? Congratulations! You have near perfect posture.  
• The Mirror Test – Stand facing a full-length mirror and check for even shoulder height, a straight head, level hips, kneecaps that face forward, ankles that aren’t bent, and that the spaces between your arms and sides are equal. If you check all those boxes, you’re posture is in pretty good shape.

At our dental offices in Middletown, Kettering, and West Chester, we care about all aspects of our patients’ health. If you think you suffer from poor posture, talk to us about it. We’ll check out how it may be influencing your dental health and work with you fix it.

Serving patients from Middletown, Kettering, West Chester.

There’s a common belief that dental problems occur as a result of genetics passed down from parents to children. Many assume the appearance of a smile and someone’s overall oral health is based solely on DNA. And while for some instances that’s true, at our Middletown, Kettering, and West Chester dental offices, we’d like to share with our patients just which dental issues can be blamed on genetics and which likely have another cause.

It’s All in The Genes

There absolutely is a connection between several oral health concerns and genetic makeup. Some of the common dental health factors related to DNA include:

• Overcrowded or crooked teeth which can make effective brushing and flossing difficult
• Oral cancer risk increases if it’s common in your family
• Size and shape of the mouth which may lead to a bad bite and potential TMJ pain

Even if someone is at increased risk for any of the problems above, we don’t always have to work with what nature gave us. Cosmetic dentistry, orthodontics, and early treatment can help transform the looks and health of a smile. If your family has a history of any of the above, we encourage you to talk to your dentist.

What We Can’t Blame DNA For

While there are definitely some parts of oral health that can be passed down directly through DNA, some are a result of behaviors. Discoloration, decay, and even gum disease aren’t problems that are transferred from the genes of parents to children, but may more so be the habits of parents passed down to children. If oral hygiene and regular dental appointment aren’t started early and made a priority, the chance for problems later in life greatly increases.

What Can You Do?

If you know you’re family medical history and are experiencing some of the DNA-related dental concerns, or are at risk for them, there are things you can do. For example, if oral cancer runs in the family, avoid smoking and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol to lower your risk.

Even if your family doesn’t have a history of any of the DNA-related concerns, it’s still crucial to brush twice a day for at least two minutes, floss every day, and get professional cleanings and checkups at least every six months. Having good oral hygiene and getting regular exams can lower anyone’s risk for decay, gum disease, and other dental problems.

If it’s time for you to see a dentist about changing the smile nature gave you, or if you haven’t seen a dentist in awhile, give our dental office in Middletown, Kettering, or West Chester call to schedule a consultation today. We’ll help identify any concerns and work with you to fix them.

Serving patients from Middletown, Kettering, West Chester.

“Will it hurt?” “How long will it take?” “What should I expect when getting a filling?” These are all questions we typically get asked before filling a cavity for a patient. And while they’re great questions, there’s one we wish we’d get to answer more and it’s, “Will the filling last forever?” So all of us our Middletown, Kettering, and West Chester dental offices figured we’d ask it and answer it all in one place for everyone.

Dental fillings are a great way to keep your natural teeth healthy by closing in and protecting any decay that may have occurred. There are several types of fillings that are made out of different materials. It’s these materials that determine how long your cavity filling should last. And unfortunately, no, it’s not forever.

White Fillings

More commonly becoming the preferred treatment for cavities, white fillings, also known as tooth-colored or composite fillings, are a great way to make your restorations virtually invisible. Your dentist will closely match the filling material to neighboring teeth, making it look like there’s nothing there but a healthy, natural tooth. On the downside, the expected lifespan of tooth-colored fillings is the lowest of all restoration options at about 7-10 years, depending on the location of the filling and your oral health habits. However, it’s still one of the most viable, trusted options for treating cavities.  

Silver Fillings

Silver or amalgam fillings are another option for treating a cavity. They do last longer than a tooth-colored one, usually about 10-15 years, but there are some aspects to them that many patients find unattractive. Not only can these restorations cause teeth to look gray, dingy, and discolored, they also usually require more of the undamaged tooth to be removed for application. What’s more, there has been a rise in concern about the mercury levels in amalgam fillings. If you’re worried about the mercury content or have questions about the safety of these fillings, ask our Middletown, Kettering, or West Chester dental office. We’ll be happy to help.

Gold Fillings

These fillings aren’t incredibly popular anymore, but they are still in use and a viable option. While cast gold fillings typically last 15 years or more, which is longer than any other filling discussed, the cost for them is typically higher than other options. There’s also the aesthetic concern with the obviousness of the gold color.

If you think you may have a cavity, don’t wait to get it checked out. Any treatment is better than no treatment, and can actually save your tooth. Don’t have a dentist? Give our dental office in Middletown, Kettering, or West Chester a call today!

Welcoming patients from Middletown, Kettering, and West Chester.

Almost every job requires a bit of face-to-face interaction. And your smile is the first thing others notice about you. Unfortunately, this could inadvertently lead to a misconception of who you are and could affect your career. Everyone at our Middletown and Kettering dental offices would like to talk a bit about the unfortunate truth about what your smile may be saying about you.  

It’s Not All About the Resume

When we apply for a jobs, we’d like to be taken seriously and let our resumes do the talking. However, no matter how good you look on paper, the reality is when you’re brought in for a face-to-face interview, the interviewee subconsciously makes judgements based on how you look. While this sounds incredibly shallow, it’s true.

Your Smile Says A Lot

Research has shown that nearly 75% of Americans trust those with a great smile over someone who wears expensive clothes or drives a luxury car. When we’re talking about a job, trust is one of the top qualities employers look for. Even more, about three quarters of all Americans believe an unattractive smile can negatively affect professional advancement.

What You Can Do

If you’ve been hiding your smile or have been embarrassed by how it looks, your dentist in Middletown or Kettering can help. There are tons of options that can transform your grin and boost your confidence, both personally and professionally. Smile enhancing treatments include:

• Tooth whitening to quickly and easily take a dull or discolored smile and make it bright, white, and dazzling.

• Veneers to fix minor imperfections like tooth shape, size, and color.

• Implants to replace a missing tooth or teeth. Since this option replaces the tooth and the roots, it’s a permanent way to get you back to smiling with confidence.

• Tooth-colored fillings designed to custom-match your teeth so they’re virtually undetectable compared to the other option of metal, amalgam fillings.  

No matter what your smile challenges are, there’s an appropriate mix of treatments that’s just right for you.

If you’re ready to take your smile to the next level, schedule an appointment at our dental office in Middletown or Kettering. We’ll work with you to determine what treatments are right for you so we’re able to give you the smile you deserve. Don’t put your grin, or your career, on hold. Call us today.

Serving patients from Middletown, Franklin, Springboro, Kettering, Beavercreek, Centerville, and Oakwood.

New Year’s resolutions are made each and every time the ball drops in Times Square and we all sing Auld Lang Syne. Resolutions give us hope for a better, more successful, healthier year. But unfortunately nearly half of all resolutions fail within six months. At our Middletown and Kettering dental offices, we want to challenge our patients to make resolutions towards a healthier smile and keep them all year long.  

• Drink more water. Your body and your mouth both need water to function properly, yet many people don’t drink enough. Slug eight, 8-ounces glasses of some H₂0 every day to keep your body in tip-top shape and your mouth moist and capable of ridding away bacteria.

• Quit smoking. Smoking or use of smokeless tobacco is a serious addiction that often takes several attempts at kicking. We think you can do it, both for your overall health, and your smile. Tobacco use increases the chance for oral cancer, gum disease, and yellow teeth. Quitting may be difficult, but we promise it’s worth it.

• Eat fruits and veggies. Eating a well-balanced diet packed with crisp fruits and crunchy veggies can do wonders for your overall health and your teeth. These foods are loaded with super nutrients that fight off bacteria and inflammation to help keep gums healthy.

• Get that smile makeover you’ve always wanted. If your pearly whites are maybe just a bit too dark, your smile a smidge crooked, or you’re missing some teeth, you owe it to yourself to resolve to get the smile of your dreams. There are many cosmetic dentistry options available to fix any concern from whitening to veneers, dental implants to full-mouth makeovers. Bonus: Oftentimes cosmetic dentistry doesn’t just make you feel better about your grin, it has a host of health benefits, too.

• Visit your dentist in Middletown or Kettering. We don’t recommend visits every six month just because we like you (which we promise we do!), but because they are necessary for keeping your smile healthy. At each visit we’ll check for issues and if we find any, we’ll work with you to discuss the best treatment. Many dental problems are fixed successfully if they’re caught early, so don’t put off your dental visits.

If you’re ready to make 2016 the year when you get the healthiest, brightest smile of your dreams, give our Middletown or Kettering dental office a call today. We’ll talk about your smile goals and decide on the best plan for you.

Accepting patients from Middletown, Franklin, Springboro, Kettering, Beavercreek, Centerville, and Oakwood.