By: Dr. Heather Hradek

Since the dawn of time people have been looking for newest, best way to whiten and brighten their smile. Lately, you may have seen ads on social media or heard people talking about charcoal toothpaste as an option to achieve that bright smile. On the video ads I’ve seen, the model brushes with the black toothpaste, leaving her teeth looking so black that you can hardly imagine them looking white again, but Voila! The teeth are whiter and brighter! Using charcoal for oral hygiene is actually not something that is new. The first recorded use of charcoal for brushing was actually as early as Hippocrates in ancient Greece! Internet advertising also touts claims of charcoal toothpaste or powder being a “natural” way to prevent cavities, being antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and providing oral detoxification.

So, is charcoal toothpaste the next best thing? According to a September 2017 article in the Journal of the American Dental Association that did a literature review evaluating 118 articles about charcoal and charcoal based toothpastes, the results were less than stellar. While the abrasive quality of a charcoal toothpaste may initially remove surface stains more than a traditional toothpaste, the continued use of it can actually remove enamel! When enamel is worn away, the teeth are going to appear more yellow as the softer, underlying layer, dentin is exposed, which is the opposite effect most people are going for! Enamel is the tough outer shield on our teeth which helps to protect again sensitivity and cavities, so some of the studies showed that use of a charcoal toothpaste resulted in a higher number of cavities, likely related to the enamel being worn away. As far as the claims of being antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, etc, these claims are unsubstantiated. At this time there is insufficient clinical and laboratory data to support the safety and efficacy of these claims.

Moving forward, if you want to whiten and brighten your teeth, your best bet is choosing a whitening toothpaste with the American Dental Association Seal of Acceptance, which means the product has been tested and approved for safety and efficacy so you won’t cause damage while trying to improve your smile!

Are you interested in more whitening options? Give our office a call! (219)929-9289. Chesterton Family Dental is the general dental office of Dr. Mystie Pieters, Dr. Heather Hradek, and Dr. Robert Pieters providing comprehensive dental care for the entire family.

By: Dr. Heather Hradek

‘Why are my teeth sensitive?’ There are more answers than you might think! Let’s explore the various reasons that your teeth might be sensitive, but first let’s discuss the anatomy of the teeth! The part of the teeth we see in your mouth are covered by enamel, which is the hard outer covering. Enamel is actually harder than your bones and provides insulation to the underlying layer of the tooth, dentin, which is made of tubules that connect to the pulp or nerve chamber in the center of the tooth. When the enamel becomes thinned, broken, or penetrated, the irritants from sugar, acid, or temperature can reach those tubules and affect the nerve. How do they penetrate it in the first place?

1) Cavities- The most obvious answer everyone thinks of is cavities. The bacteria in our mouth eat the sugars in our mouth and their byproduct is acid, which dissolves the minerals in the enamel. Over time, this creates a hole in the tooth that allows that underlying dentin to become exposed to the various elements in our mouth. Once a small hole breaks through the hard enamel, the dentin is softer, so the cavities grow at an elevated rate and the only way to stop them is through dental intervention.

2) Gum Recession- enamel covers most of the tooth structure we see in our mouth… but it doesn’t extend onto the roots. Our root structure is covered by cementum, which is softer than enamel and can be worn away more easily. When our gums recede or pull down over time due to aggressive brushing or poor tooth alignment and wear, that cementum and subsequently the dentin can become exposed, leading to sensitivity.

3) Cracked, chipped, or fractured teeth- Anything that can break away that enamel, from a traumatic break from a baseball to a microfracture on the biting surface, can allow the underlying dentin to be exposed and create sensitivity.

4) Grinding- Many of our patients that we mention that we notice signs of grinding don’t even realize it! Just because your partner hasn’t mentioned you grind during your sleep, we can see wear facets from that tooth on tooth wear that can thin the enamel or wear away completely over time, leading to sensitivity.

5) Tooth whitening- There are a lot of various whitening products out there, but the reason they work is that they leach through the enamel to the dentin to lighten the dentin. Enamel is very light to clear, so when our teeth are yellow, it’s the underlying dentin that is actually darker and what we are trying to lighten through whitening… however the dentin is what can cause sensitivity as well.

6) Orthodontics- When we are straightening teeth, we are actually moving them through bone to get them to their ideal position. To do this, we are breaking down bone on one side of the tooth and building it up on the other, which is why your teeth are sensitive.

Are you having sensitivity in any of your teeth? There are various solutions to getting rid of your sensitivity, but first we have to diagnose what is causing the sensitivity in the first place. Call today at (219)929-9289 to schedule your visit so we can figure it out together!

Chesterton Family Dental is the general dental office of Dr. Mystie Pieters, Dr. Heather Hradek, and Dr. Robert Pieters providing comprehensive dental care for the entire family.

By: Heather Hradek, DDS

Cavity. Sugar bugs. Decay. All these words spark fear into our patients when the dentist comes into their room for an exam, but do you know what the dentist is looking for during the exam? Dr. Heather Hradek shares some of the signs and symptoms that are indications that a cavity might be present!

1) A toothache
Tooth decay is one of the biggest causes of tooth pain; however it’s not the only reason your tooth might hurt. Sinus infections or trauma to the tooth from a car accident or baseball can cause tooth pain as well, but if your health is normal and a toothache comes on suddenly, a cavity could be the cause. Once a cavity breaks through the enamel, the hard outer layer of the tooth, it can grow quickly and gets closer to the pulp of the tooth, where the nerve resides. The deeper the cavity gets and closer to the nerve, the more the nerve of the tooth becomes inflamed and painful. Cavities aren’t always painful though—if caught early with a visual exam or x-ray, they can be treated BEFORE they become painful.

2) Sensitivity or pain when you drink or eat something sweet, acidic, hot, or cold
Some patients have generalized sensitivity due to recession or pulling away of their gums, but if the pain seems to be getting progressively worse, it could be because that cavity has created a hole in the tooth, exposing that underlying layer of the tooth, the dentin, which is made up of tubes that extend to the nerve. Once cavities have broken into the dentin, they only get progressively worse and larger over time as the tubules are filled with those sugary or sweet substances, irritating the nerve until a dentist repairs the hole.

3) A hole or pit in your tooth you can see
One of the most common places for cavities is on the biting surfaces of the teeth. The grooves on those surfaces attract food and plaque that are difficult to clean out and over time can cause cavities to form if not cleaned regularly. It starts as a bright white area that if left untreated can continue to burrow into the tooth, creating a pit. If there is a hole or pit that is visible to the naked eye, it is a clear indication of a need for dental care.

4) A dark brown or black or bright white surface
Cavities start by the tooth surface turning from its natural color to bright white, called a ‘white spot lesion’. This is the first indication of a demineralization or breakdown of the enamel surface. As the cavity progresses, stain from the food and beverages you eat catch in the broken down surface so it starts to turn darker as it gets deeper.

5) A sharp pain when biting
If you have sharp pain when biting down, it can indicate several potential dental problems, such as a cracked tooth or even an infection from the nerve dying. Either way, both require immediate dental treatment otherwise the cavity could progress to the point where the tooth is no longer savable and has to be removed.

Chesterton Family Dental is the general dental office of Dr. Mystie Pieters, Dr. Heather Hradek, and Dr. Robert Pieters providing comprehensive dental care for the entire family. Call today at (219)929-9289 to schedule your visit!

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Chesterton Family Dental is the general dental office of Dr. Mystie Pieters, Dr. Heather Hradek, and Dr. Robert Pieters providing comprehensive dental care for the entire family. Call today at (219)929-9289 to schedule your visit!