[caption id="attachment_568" align="alignleft" width="640"] How Being Vegan Affects Your Teeth[/caption]

There is no doubt that a plant-based diet is optimal for health. Omnivores and vegans alike
benefit from the nutrients present in plants.

But how does what we eat relate to our dental health?

Is a vegan diet better or worse for dental health?

Well, it depends. There are some concerns for oral health when one consumes a vegan diet. Here are the main ones:

Vitamin B12 deficiency

A vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to gum disease and tooth loss. Vegans should supplement with adequate B12, as plants do not provide this important nutrient.

Lack of remineralizing foods

Remineralization occurs when essential minerals that support hardened, healthy enamel are resupplied to the tooth after loss caused by acid erosion. The best remineralizing foods include cheese, meat, and milk, but nuts and leafy greens can also help.

Lack of important amino acids

One example is the amino acid arginine, which is found in meat, poultry, fish, and dairy.
Arginine helps prevent cavities and gum disease by breaking down dental plaque. While  arginine is found in higher quantities in meat, vegan sources of arginine include pumpkin seeds, peanuts, soybeans, lentils, and chickpeas.

Calcium concerns

Your body needs enough calcium to support healthy teeth and gums. Vegans need to supplement their diet with plenty of plant sources that contain calcium (almonds, leafy greens, beans, etc.) as well as fortified vegan milks (almond, soy, rice, etc.).

Frequent snacking

Continual snacking provides an environment for bacteria to thrive and attack your tooth’s  enamel. Vegans may be more prone to frequent snacking in an effort to meet their body’s need for energy. You may find eating meals with a higher fat content helps you stay full for longer periods of time.

More sugars/starches in the diet

It can be easy as a vegan to eat a diet based on sweet/starchy foods like fruits and grains  (cereal, bread, pasta, crackers, rice, etc.). But the bacteria in your mouth that cause tooth decay thrive on sugar. Make sure to round out your diet with non-sugary foods, such as tofu, nuts, seeds, and plenty of vegetables.

If you’re a vegan, you already know you have to be mindful of certain key nutrients that you may need to focus on or supplement in your diet. Keep this list in mind to ensure your dental health is also in tip-top shape!

At All Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, we incorporate proven techniques to share with you and your child at each dental checkup visit. Dr. Allen Job and his team are committed to providing the latest in oral health care prevention. For more information about brushing and flossing check out our preventive care page. Still want more information? Check out our blog posts on prevention! Our practice is centrally located in San Diego, CA.

Scheduling an appointment for your child is easy! Start here to schedule an appointment. All of our forms are online. Fill them out securely from your smartphone or tablet and hit send. On appointment day, your child will be seen at their scheduled time. For example, if you have a 9:00 AM appointment, your child will be seen at 9:00 AM.

Dr. Allen Job, DDS, MS, MPH, MS is a board certified pediatric dentist who practices in San Diego, California, where he specializes in prevention. He is also an assistant professor at Loma Linda University Department of Pediatric Dentistry.

5 Reasons for Healthy Teeth

[caption id="attachment_548" align="aligncenter" width="410"] 5 Reasons for Healthy Teeth[/caption]

1.  Love.

Love your teeth? Get into the routine of making them a priority, so they will last a lifetime.  Honor your body. By taking care of your body using preventive measures, you will not only enjoy good health, but feel great. You deserve it!

2. Your Priority Reflects On Your Own Inner Values.

At a minimum, brush your teeth two times a day and floss once a day. That's just 6 minutes out of your day! Want to find about more techniques? Check out our website's preventive care page.

3. Your Heart Will Thank You.

Oral health is linked to heart health. How? Plaque and bacteria from your gumline can find its way into your bloodstream and heart. Gum disease can lead to bone loss causing teeth to feel loose.  Learn more about how to keep your gums healthy by reading gum disease on our website.

4. Be Motivated.

Did you know only 12% of the general population floss their teeth on a daily basis? You can do it! Then you too can be part of this healthy group.

5. Pass Along the Information.

Become an oral health ambassador.  If you have children or other loved ones in your household, then share with them the painless way to healthy teeth.

There are more ways to have healthy teeth.  Continue to checkout our blog posts for more information.  Our website also great info on oral hygiene and diet recommendations.

At All Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, we incorporate proven techniques to share with you and your child at each dental checkup visit. Dr. Allen Job and his team are committed to providing the latest in oral health care prevention. For more information about brushing and flossing check out our preventive care page. Still want more information? Check out our blog posts on prevention! Our practice is centrally located in San Diego, CA.

Scheduling an appointment for your child is easy! Start here to schedule an appointment. All of our forms are online. Fill them out securely from your smartphone or tablet and hit send. On appointment day, your child will be seen at their scheduled time. For example, if you have a 9:00 AM appointment, your child will be seen at 9:00 AM.

Dr. Allen Job, DDS, MS, MPH, MS is a board certified pediatric dentist who practices in San Diego, California, where he specializes in prevention. He is also an assistant professor at Loma Linda University Department of Pediatric Dentistry.

We love our patients, so we’d be more than happy to see you every day! Alas, we realize that’s not really possible, so here are some more realistic guidelines for making appointments.

In general, it all depends on your oral health status and your health history.

For most patients, the optimal frequency to visit the dentist is twice a year. In six months, enough tartar and plaque can build up to require a dental check-up and cleaning, especially if your dental hygiene isn’t as rigorous as it should be.

For others with gum disease, a genetic predisposition for plaque build-up or cavities, in braces, or have a weakened immune system, you’ll need to visit more frequently for optimal care.

Depending on where you fall in those categories, we will prescribe the necessary frequency to keep your optimal health.

It’s important to keep your routine visits with us so that:

• We can check for problems that you might not see or feel. Want more information? Check out our Teeth for Life section on our website.
• We can find early signs of decay (decay doesn’t become visible or cause pain until it reaches more advanced stages).  An ounce of prevention goes a long way.  See our previous blog, Understanding the 5 Stages of Tooth Decay.
• We can treat most oral health problems found affecting children (generally, the earlier a problem is found, the more manageable it is).  If your child requires treatment outside the scope of Dr. Job's expertise, we will refer your child to another outstanding specialist.
• Routine visits become routine when your child feels comfortable in the dental setting.  Having a dental home for your child is important for them to feel safe and comfortable. Read about why so many patients continue to come to our practice at All Smiles Pediatric Dentistry.  Check out our section on, What Sets Us Apart. 

There you have it! Those are the brass tacks for how often you should schedule an appointment.

But don’t let this keep you from stopping in and saying hi whenever you’re in the neighborhood!

Scheduling an appointment for your child is easy.

Start here to schedule an appointment. All of our forms are online.  Fill them out securely from your smartphone or tablet and hit send.  On appointment day, your child will be seen at their scheduled time.  For example, if you have a 9:00 AM appointment, your child will be seen at 9:00 AM.

Dr. Allen Job and his team would love seeing your smile!

Dr. Allen Job, DDS, MS, MPH, MS is a board certified pediatric dentist who practices in San Diego, California, where he specializes in prevention.  He is also an assistant professor at Loma Linda University Department of Pediatric Dentistry.

Did you know there are five distinct stages of tooth decay? And, that in the first stage of decay, you can actually take steps to reverse the progression of the disease?

Indeed, it’s true. In the first stage of decay, whether you’re a child or an adult, the application of fluoride via fluoride treatments, your toothpaste and even the local water supply can stop a cavity from penetrating through the enamel and reaching its second stage.

Even the saliva in your mouth and the foods you eat help to re-mineralize a tooth in jeopardy. But that’s just the first stage!

What about the rest? Understanding how a cavity progresses can assist you in preventing each successive stage from occurring in your children. There’s always a lot going on in that little mouth!

Stage One: White Spots

In stage one, the tooth begins to show signs of strain from the attack of sugars and acids, and white spots will begin to materialize just below the surface of the enamel. These white spots are representative of the demineralization of the tooth and can be easy to miss because they’re likely to occur on your child’s molars. A dental exam, of course, is designed to catch such cavities! Can you see why regular visits to the dentist are recommended? As mentioned previously, at this stage, the cavity can be repaired without the need to excavate the tooth. During his examination, Dr. Allen Job checks for these early signs of cavities; which often appear as white spots.

Stage Two: Enamel Decay

Stage two marks the beginning of the end for the surface enamel that is being attacked. Initially, the tooth erodes from the underside outward, so the outer enamel will still be intact for the first half of this second stage. Once the cavity breaks through the surface of the enamel, there is no turning back, and your child will need to have the cavity corrected with a filling. Dr. Job says, "Stage 2 enamel decay can be prevented by treating Stage 1 White spots with a preventive home fluoride regimen."

Stage Three: Dentin Decay

If a cavity in your child’s mouth were to progress beyond stage two without you knowing, you’d tend become aware of it when it started to hit stage three because it would probably start to cause some pain. At this level, the cavity begins to eat away at the second level of tooth material that lies beneath the enamel: the dentin. A filling can still be used to stop the onslaught of bacteria assaulting the tooth in order to prevent the cavity from reaching the tooth’s most critical component: the pulp.

Stage Four: Involvement of The Pulp

Once the cavity reaches the pulp, pain ensues. So if you’ve unfortunately missed all the signs to this point, a screaming child or moaning teenager will certainly let you know there is a big problem. Stage four is serious.  A root canal treatment, called a pulpomy, at this stage may save for a complete extraction.

Stage Five: Abscess Formation

In the fifth and final stage of a cavity, the infection has reached the tip of the root and exited the tip of the tooth’s structure. This in turn infects the surrounding tissues and possibly the bone structure. Swelling would be commonplace and pain severe. In children (as well as adults) an abscess can be fatal if not dealt with immediately. An extraction would be the order of the day should decay reach this stage. Often, completing a round of prescription antibiotics will need to be completed prior to the treatment.

If your child is at this stage or any of the stages, contact us to schedule an appointment.

As you can see, cavities don’t happen overnight. In the early stages, regular visits can stall and reverse the progression of these dastardly little devils, so it really does pay to visit the dentist at pre-selected intervals. You can keep your children far from stage five their whole lives, and if a little bit of prodding to get them to the dentist accomplishes that, you can rest easy despite the griping.

Dr. Allen Job, DDS, MS, MPH, MS is a board certified pediatric dentist who practices in San Diego, California, where he specializes in prevention.  He is also an assistant professor at Loma Linda University Department of Pediatric Dentistry.