What Should An Ideal Bite Look Like?

Our Missouri dental clinics aim to help you achieve a perfect bite. In this case, we are not talking about a spoonful of food that you put into your mouth but rather the shape of your teeth. It's not unusual for a person's bite to be slightly off in one direction or another. When that happens, Access Dental & Dentures will do what we can to get it back on track. 

What is the Ideal Bite?
Many people don't even realize if they have an abnormal bite. The alignment of your teeth can be off slightly enough that it does not affect your daily routine but straightening it up can correct things you didn't even realize could be easier.

We'll start by explaining how an ideal bite should look from different angles. Our knowledgable dentists in Southern Missouri get a good look at your teeth from every angle during a dental checkup. You may be able to see if your bite is off by looking in the mirror once you know what to look for.

Front View
This is the easiest view to see when looking in the mirror. Ideally, the edges of your upper front teeth should be parallel to the top of your lower lip. You want a bite where the upper and lower midlines between the central incisors line up evenly with the center of your lips. 

Next, when you close your teeth together, 1/2-2/3 of the length of your bottom teeth should show. When they overlap too much vertically, this is called on "overbite." While still biting down, the upper arch should be slightly wider than the lower arch and your upper teeth should all sit on the outside of the lower teeth. When they don't, this is called a "crossbite."

Arch View
You can see the arch view of your teeth by opening wide and looking down at the tops of your lower teeth, then looking up at the bottoms of your upper teeth. Each row should be aligned in an even curve and in the best case scenario, all teeth will be touching without either overlapping or having gaps between them.

Side View
This view can be a bit tricky to see. The backside of your upper front teeth should rest in front of your lower teeth. When the edges of the upper teeth land directly on or behind the edges of your lower incisors, this is called an "underbite." On the other hand, if the upper teeth extend too far forward in front of the lower incisors, this is an "overjet."

Benefits of Having a Good Bite
Having a proper bite not only adds to the beauty of your smile. It can also offer you the following benefits.

• Chewing & biting food more efficiently
• Clear Speech
• Lower risk for broken or cracked teeth
• Easier to keep teeth clean
• Avoid uneven wear on tooth enamel
• Ease headaches from jaw strain

It is not unusual for most people to have a slightly less-than-perfect bite. You can keep an eye out for warning signs on your own but the best way to correct this before it gets worse is to have regular checkups at one of our Southern Missouri dentist offices. The skilled professionals at Access Dental will be able to advise you on the best ways to straighten that bite back up and keep it in great shape for many years to come. 

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

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Springfield Office          Rolla Office             Osage Beach Office

(417) 501-1048              (573) 426-5447          (573) 348-1466         

1701 West Sunshine        416 S. Bishop Ave.   4320 Osage Beach Pkwy

Springfield, MO 65807   Rolla, MO 65401      Osage Beach, MO. 65065

Mountain Grove Office              Aurora Office

(417) 926-1160                             (417) 308-3534

921-A N. Main                             1402 S. Elliott

Mountain Grove, MO 65711       Aurora, MO 65605

Why a Tooth Sealant is a Good Idea

During a regular checkup at Access Dental & Dentures, your dentist may suggest a dental sealant to be placed over your child's teeth. This is a simple tool to help keep teeth clean and healthy. When you come into the office at one of our dental clinics in Southern Missouri, sealants can be explained in greater detail to answer any questions you may have but today's blog will give you a good idea of what to expect.

What is a Sealant? 
A sealant is a protective barrier placed on the chewing surface of a tooth. This coating helps protect the grooves of molars where food is ground up. These grooves can hold bacteria, as well as food. A sealant can reduce the risk of tooth damage by food particles being mashed against the tooth over and over. 

Perks of  a Tooth Sealant

• Cavity PreventionThe grooves in a molar are hard to reach. Brushing alone may not be able to completely clean out this space. Food and bacteria that may get into these grooves may start to wear away your tooth enamel. Once the bacteria has worked its way through the protective enamel layer, it is inside your tooth. This is known as a cavity. Cavities can be painful and cause severe damage to your tooth.
• Effective Protection
  A sealant can greatly reduce the risk of your child developing a cavity. The procedure is very effective in protecting your tooth. Sealants are placed in high-risk areas for cavities and give an additional layer of protection for the tooth.
• Inexpensive Treatment
  Many dental insurance companies will cover a protective sealant. Even if you don't have insurance or it is not covered, the out of pocket expense is fairly affordable. It's an inexpensive way to help protect your child's teeth and reduce the chance of on-going and pricy dental work in the future.
• Non-Invasive Procedure
  Sealants can be placed and cured in a short amount of time. Many times a sealant will be placed during a routine check-up. It's a fast and effective way to protect your child's teeth. A sealant now is much less invasive than filling a cavity later!

Tooth sealants are just one of the many ways that our dentist offices across Southern Missouri can help to keep your teeth clean, healthy, and less likely to have problems in the future. This combined with a good dental routine and regular checkups is the best way to keep your smile its very best for years and years to come. Give Access Dental a call at 1-877-DENTIST to schedule an appointment and find out if dental sealants are right for your child. 

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Connect with us on LinkedIn

Springfield Office          Rolla Office             Osage Beach Office

(417) 501-1048              (573) 426-5447          (573) 348-1466         

1701 West Sunshine        416 S. Bishop Ave.   4320 Osage Beach Pkwy

Springfield, MO 65807   Rolla, MO 65401      Osage Beach, MO. 65065

Mountain Grove Office              Aurora Office

(417) 926-1160                             (417) 308-3534

921-A N. Main                             1402 S. Elliott

Mountain Grove, MO 65711       Aurora, MO 65605

The Negative Effects of Thumb Sucking

A common habit for many children is to find comfort in sucking their thumb or other fingers. About 90% of children between the ages of 2-4 suck their thumbs. Although this is normal behavior for this age range, it can start to impact your child's teeth and mouth composition if this habit goes on for too long. Our knowledgable dentists in Southern Missouri are here to help you understand common thumb sucking tendencies, as well as some ways to help wean your child away from this habit.

Thumb Sucking Tendencies
While your child is under the age of four, it is not uncommon for him or her to be attached to sucking their thumb. Many children will start doing this as soon as they are born. It is a self-soothing method that develops while still in the womb. It can be a security action and help to reduce any anxiety the child may have. While this is not an unusual habit to pick up, it may be a very hard habit to break the older a child gets.

Negative Impacts of This Oral Habit
By the age of four to five, a child may go to the habit of sucking his or her thumb for a number of reasons. Whether it's boredom or simply second nature by that point, thumb sucking at this stage in life can have some damaging effects. 

As your child's mouth and jaw develop, it can possibly damage permanent teeth as they continue to grow. With misalignment of the teeth growing in and even changes in the palate, your child's bite may be impacted as they grow older. Teeth can be pushed around by continuous thumb sucking, as well as the chance of developing a lisp. Aside from structural damage to the mouth, your child may be allowing more germs to enter his or her mouth by sucking on a thumb or fingers.

How to Discourage Thumb Sucking
Trying to break the thumb sucking habit in your child may be difficult. It's okay if they resist at first, but be persistent with your methods. Try to use positive reinforcement instead of nagging or punishing your child. This can lead to stress in your child, which may lead to more thumb sucking. 

Another tip is to discuss the reasons why thumb sucking is bad at a certain point. Try to explain the long term effects of this habit to your child. Some kids will suck on their thumbs or fingers as a stress reliever, so try to narrow down the source of stress for your child and work to eliminate the habit in that way.

When it comes to parenting, there are a wide range of concerns about children. Thumb sucking may be just one of the things you have to worry about as your child grows older. It's important to practice the correct techniques to sway your child away from sucking on his or her thumb. 

If you have tried to put a stop to this detrimental habit without success, contact the Access Dental and Dentures location nearest you. Our dental clinics in Southern Missouri would be happy to take a look at your child's teeth and offer more helpful tips to solve any problems that may arise due to your child's thumb sucking habit.

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Connect with us on LinkedIn

Springfield Office          Rolla Office             Osage Beach Office

(417) 501-1048              (573) 426-5447          (573) 348-1466         

1701 West Sunshine        416 S. Bishop Ave.   4320 Osage Beach Pkwy

Springfield, MO 65807   Rolla, MO 65401      Osage Beach, MO. 65065

Mountain Grove Office              Aurora Office

(417) 926-1160                             (417) 308-3534

921-A N. Main                             1402 S. Elliott

Mountain Grove, MO 65711       Aurora, MO 65605

Everything in Moderation - Balancing Good & Bad-For-You Foods

The month of June is designated as both National Candy Month and National Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Month. One of these "celebrations" can be great for your dental care routine and the other, well, not so much. Today Access Dental & Dentures has a few tips that will allow you to enjoy the best of both worlds with a little self-control, moderation, and the help of our knowledgable dentists in Southern Missouri.

How Sugar Reacts Inside a Mouth
Eating too many foods with a high level of sugar, like candy, can have a very negative effect on your dental health. The bacteria in your mouth feed on the sugar that you eat. Once this bacteria feeds off sugar, it breaks down into acids that eat away at the enamel protecting your teeth. The longer sugar is in the mouth, the more the bacteria break down and eat away at the tooth enamel. Crevices in teeth where sticky, sugary candy can hide are usually the most prone to having an issue caused by the bacteria eroding the protective layer on the teeth.

How to Avoid Cavities From Sugar

When the process explained above begins, cavities are inevitable if you don't make every effort to clean that sugar out of your mouth as soon as possible. First and foremost, regulate your sugar intake. Not only is too much sugar bad for your mouth but it's bad for the rest of your body too. 

Next, always brush at least twice a day and floss at least once daily. If you can brush your teeth after every meal, especially after eating candy, even better. When you are not able to brush right away, rinsing your mouth out with water and drinking lots of water while you eat can help rinse off some of the bacteria left behind. 

Finally, don't miss your regular dental checkups so that the professionals at our dentist offices in Southern Missouri can deep-clean your teeth and check for any cavities that may have already formed. The quicker you get those fixed, the easier and much less painful they will be.  

Substitute Fresh Fruits & Vegetables

Substituting yummy berries and melons for dessert is a tasty solution a lot of the time but remember that some of these can have a high amount of natural sugars. Those can harm your teeth much like candy. You will still need to brush and floss as usual to protect your mouth but the vitamins and minerals your body will receive make fruit a much better alternative to candy. 

Vegetables can be harder to sell as a snack than fruit, especially to children. Not only are these good-for-your-body foods full of nutrients but the texture of crunchy vegetables can even help to scrape some bad bacteria off of your teeth.  

Make Healthy Eating Fun

Presentation is everything! For adults, a platter full of colorful fruits and vegetables is so beautiful it makes you want to dig right in. For kids, make a smiley face or cute little creature out of their fruits and veggies. There are tutorials all over the internet with clever and simple ideas for how to do this. 

Hot summer days are on the way and you can easily substitute sugary ice cream bars and popsicles with frozen yogurt bars. If you make them at home, you can even add in some of your favorite chopped up or pureed fruits.

Smoothies are all mixed up into a drinkable liquid form which makes them the perfect healthy snack to sneak in a few leafy greens. You get nutrients from foods you may not necessarily enjoy on their own but the right recipe can mask that flavor with another food you do enjoy. 

You don't have to avoid candy completely for a cavity-free life. Just make sure to limit your intake of sugary foods and always practice a good oral hygiene routine to limit the bad effects that candy may have on your teeth. Work as many fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet as you can to curve those candy cravings. Also, don't miss your dental checkups in Southern Missouri. If any problems do arise with your teeth, this is when the experts at Access Dental & Dentures will find them and do what is necessary to get your mouth back to its healthy best. 

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Connect with us on LinkedIn

Springfield Office          Rolla Office             Osage Beach Office

(417) 501-1048              (573) 426-5447          (573) 348-1466         

1701 West Sunshine        416 S. Bishop Ave.   4320 Osage Beach Pkwy

Springfield, MO 65807   Rolla, MO 65401      Osage Beach, MO. 65065

Mountain Grove Office              Aurora Office

(417) 926-1160                             (417) 308-3534

921-A N. Main                             1402 S. Elliott

Mountain Grove, MO 65711       Aurora, MO 65605