Around 150 million Americans have at least one cup of coffee each morning; that’s about half of our country’s entire population. Many people can’t start their day without a fresh cup of joe, and often, that’s ok. One cup of coffee has about 95 mg of caffeine, and anywhere under 200 mg is considered safe, even for pregnant women. So, if you have one or two cups of coffee each day, you’re probably in the clear, but if you have more than that, use this month to consider reevaluating your caffeine intake. 

There are many benefits to drinking coffee; it can help wake you up, focus, and stay alert, as well as potentially help you lose weight and decrease the chances of certain cancers or diseases. However, there are also many negatives to relying on coffee and caffeine. For example, coffee can cause restlessness or insomnia, especially if you consume more than 200 mg of caffeine per day. It can also increase your heart rate and blood pressure, cause nausea or vomiting, and cause bad breath and yellowing of the teeth. 

Effects of Coffee on Your Teeth

It’s no secret that drinking coffee can turn your teeth yellow. The reason for this is due to the tannins in the beverage. Tannins cause colored compounds to stick to your teeth, leaving an unwanted yellow stain behind. Tannins are in other beverages such as red wine and tea. 

Many people brush their teeth immediately after finishing their coffee to get rid of that awful coffee breath, but we are here to tell you to stop doing that. Coffee contains acid, and brushing your teeth immediately after eating or drinking something acidic weakens your enamel and can cause further staining. Instead, wait at least 30 minutes before your brush your teeth. During this time, you should rinse your mouth out with water and drink a full glass of water to help prevent bacteria buildup. In addition, professional whitening can help reverse signs of staining.

If you want to switch to energy drinks or tea to reduce the effects of coffee on your teeth, please do so in moderation. Many energy drinks contain at least 200 mg of caffeine and can increase your blood pressure and anxiety and impact your sleeping patterns. Keep these factors in mind as you choose between whiter teeth and adverse health issues. 

At Cakmes Dental Studio, we can unlock a smile up to eight shades whiter in less than an hour. If coffee keeps you going every morning, we can help reverse the adverse aesthetic effects. This month, take time to evaluate your caffeine intake and make adjustments when necessary; if the only negative you see with your morning cup of coffee is yellow teeth, we can help. Call us today to schedule a whitening consultation or a bi-yearly cleaning.

Every February, we support National Children’s Dental Health Month. There is a strong emphasis on proper dental hygiene for kids during the month. As children grow, they rely primarily on their parents to learn what is right and wrong and what to do and avoid. So, as a parent, it’s your responsibility to show your children what healthy dental habits are. 

According to the American Dental Association (ADA), children should go to the dentist when their first tooth grows in or before their first birthday. When starting healthy habits early, your children are more likely to have better dental hygiene throughout their lives. As with adults, children should visit the dentist twice yearly to ensure that their teeth, gums, and mouth are healthy. This is increasingly important as children lose their baby teeth and their permanent adult teeth come in, especially if they see cavities, tooth decay, or inflammation. If these issues persist, your dentist may recommend a quarterly dental checkup instead of a bi-yearly visit. 

When instilling proper dental hygiene into your children, you get a reminder, too! Make flossing a family activity and consider offering rewards for positive dental visits, such as movie nights or game nights. 

Practicing healthy oral habits will also transfer to healthy habits in other areas of their lives. When children are consistently working on ways to better their health and life, you will see more positive choices in their future. For example, daily flossing and brushing can lead to better study habits and help around the house – especially when healthy and positive habits are reinforced and rewarded! 

Silver Diamine Flouride (SDF)

A relatively new technique in America is silver diamine fluoride, and it prevents cavities from growing, forming, or spreading. SDF is applied directly to the surface of teeth, whether on a specific tooth in which a cavity has started to develop or on all teeth as a preventative measure.

This procedure is easier and less invasive than drilling for cavities and can help those with anxiety about the dentist, especially children. This technique is generally performed yearly, if at all. While there are many positive aspects to this procedure – it’s easy, painless, and a helpful cavity solution – there are also negatives. The main drawback to this procedure is that black staining around the areas where SDF was applied has been known to turn black. It’s unknown whether this is a temporary or permanent change. 

Before recommending SDF treatment, each dentist will consider your (or your child’s) specific scenario. However, due to the adverse aesthetic risks, although harmless, many dentists still prefer the traditional technique of getting cavities under control.  

If you’re looking for the best dentist in Knoxville, whether for children or adults, you’ve found it with Cakmes Dental Studio. We’re more than happy to start your children on their dental health journey and can answer any questions you or they have along the way. Give us a call today to schedule their first appointment!

The best time to start new habits? The beginning of a new year! It’s easy to lose focus at the end of the year, whether that’s with your diet, fitness goals, or even flossing. So, with the new year before us, use this time to set your resolutions and find the motivation to stick with them. We suggest adding better dental hygiene to your list.

There are many ways to benefit your mind, body, and soul, and proper dental hygiene plays a role in most of them. Poor dental hygiene can cause cavities or gum disease, but it can also cause heart disease and diabetes. So what does proper dental hygiene involve, exactly? Let’s take a look.

Brushing. We all know that you should brush your teeth in the morning and the evening. When you wake up in the morning, brushing your teeth removes microbes from your teeth and gums, which contributes to that icky morning breath. Brushing at night helps remove the plaque, bacteria, and food particles you’ve ingested throughout the day. If you brush your teeth more than twice daily, ensure that you use a soft-bristled toothbrush to avoid damaging your teeth, enamel, or gums. 

Flossing. Floss reaches areas that your toothbrush can’t. This helps remove plaque and bacteria, leading to cavities and gum disease. You should floss (at least) once a day; if you floss only once, you should do so at the end of the day, after dinner (and dessert), to ensure you get the most out of it. If you prefer to floss after each meal, make sure that you use a gentle technique and are extremely careful to avoid irritating your gums. 

Mouthwash. Much like floss, mouthwash can reach places that your toothbrush can’t. The ingredients in mouthwash work together to kill lingering bacteria in your mouth, strengthen teeth, and prevent gum disease. The great taste is just an added benefit. 

Visit your dentist. At Cakmes Dental Studio, we have the best patients! We’d love to see you all of the time, but we hope to see you twice a year for preventative maintenance. This includes x-rays (once each year), plaque removal, a thorough cleaning, and extra attention to anywhere that needs it or that you have questions about. When you routinely visit the dentist, we can help you take care of your teeth and gums and stop any problems before they become too serious. 

Watch what you eat. Sugary foods and drinks increase the risk of cavities and bacteria and can even cause your enamel to erode. Caffeine and alcohol can cause dry mouth, leading to bacteria and even oral cancer. Try to limit these whenever possible to help keep your mouth as healthy as possible. 

We have some of the best patients, and we know you do everything in your power to keep your teeth, gums, and mouth healthy. So here is your annual reminder to brush, floss, and use mouthwash. Then, give us a call and schedule your next appointment. We hope this year is your best yet! 

It sounds a little scary, but a dental implant surgery can be an incredibly effective procedure for people who have lost teeth and want the security and aesthetics of having their smile back after losing a tooth or teeth. Let’s learn about dental implants, how they work, and how to care for them after completing the dental implant process.

What is a dental implant? 

A dental implant is a replacement for the root or roots of a tooth. The implant is secured in your jawbone and utterly invisible to people when you smile. The implants are then used to secure crowns, bridgework, or dentures. Dental implants restore the mouth to optimal function, stabilizing the bone, tissues, and teeth by supporting the tooth’s root structure. At Cakmes Dental Studio, we provide both Implant Crowns and Implant Supported Dentures.

Am I a candidate for dental implants?

If you’ve lost teeth, you might be a candidate for dental implants. Other important considerations are that you have adequate bone to secure the implants, have healthy oral tissue, and don’t have any health conditions that would affect bone healing. 

What is the process for dental implants? 

The first step in the dental implant procedure is preparing the site, where the implant is put in the bone and covered with a healing cap. While it heals, we can put in a temporary tooth to fill in the space and preserve the look of your healthy smile. Then the crown or dentures are secured in place once the bone has healed (osseointegration). Your tooth and your smile are now restored to optimal shape and function. Note that these steps and the procedure in their entirety often require multiple appointments.

How do I care for my dental implant? 

It’s crucial, as it is with all dental procedures, to continue practicing excellent oral hygiene. Keep your implants and natural teeth and gums clean. Also, keep your regular dental appointments, cleanings, and checkups to ensure the proper functioning of your implants. Finally, avoid bad dental habits like chewing on ice or hard candy or staining your teeth with products like tobacco and caffeine. 

The primary benefit of implants is creating excellent support for your new teeth because the bone has healed tightly around the implant. If you have lost teeth and are interested in restoring your smile with dental implants, contact us to learn more about our implant process or call us at (865) 584-6163 to schedule an appointment. 

Hybrid dentures may be the solution for you if your teeth are not where you wish they could be, whether they are decaying or you simply aren’t happy with your smile. Hybrid dentures are a more permanent alternative to regular dentures. Dentures help improve chewing and eating, facial muscle sagging, speaking, and your overall smile. 

Hybrid dentures are created to replace a whole row of teeth with multiple implants. They don’t move around because they are fixed in place with screws and are designed to replace missing gum tissue. These dentures are more natural-looking, with four to six dental implants placed in your mouth to create a solid base. The hybrid is an excellent option if you need dentures but don’t want to take them in and out daily. 

Some benefits to hybrid dentures are the fact that they look and feel like natural teeth. Compared to a regular denture, hybrid dentures do not cover the roof of the mouth. This makes it easy for the wearer to enjoy eating and drinking altogether. Also, creams and adhesives are not needed to secure hybrid dentures in place since they are secured with screws. Hybrids also increase the bite strength, which allows for an increased option of foods.

Some disadvantages of hybrid dentures are that small amounts of food or bacteria can lodge their way beneath the dentures, usually causing light pain or discomfort. Even though hybrid dentures are less bulky, an improper fit can lead to breaks or bone loss around the dental implants they are secured to. With this, it is highly essential to make sure your hybrid dentures are correctly fitted. Regular dental visits can help eliminate these disadvantages, but it is important to know that if you do not regularly maintain your dentures, there can be severe consequences.

Everyone has different dental needs, but looking into denture options, hybrids might be for you. Hybrid dentures allow for a better quality of life, confidence, and self-esteem. At Cakmes Dental Studio, we offer many denture options, including hybrid dentures. Call our office today to schedule an appointment to see if hybrids are right for you!

Dental care is critical and matters to your overall health as much as any other sector of health. A toothache, jaw pain, or mouth pain can affect your everyday life, and it is effortless to push aside a dental appointment until necessary. Especially with the COVID-19 pandemic, many people think they don’t have the options or opportunities to visit the dentist.

At Cakmes Dental Studio, we are here to help no matter what. We have committed to keeping our office exceptionally clean and follow and exceed all COVID-19 guidelines. We understand that dental care is time-sensitive, and we are available for appointments through our website or if you give us a call. Taking care of your oral health can make a huge difference in your overall health and everyday life, and we prioritize that at Cakmes Dental Studio.

Some time-sensitive dental care that should be taken care of immediately is painful toothaches, mouth or face swelling, teeth or face injuries, or broken or lost fillings. Other time-sensitive dental care can be seen as broken teeth, bleeding or swollen gums, gum disease, as well as severe pain to the point that you can’t eat or sleep. Tooth pain can be a sign of various diseases like tooth decay, an infection, or something worse. This is a common time-sensitive issue that we can take care of immediately. 

If you need some pointers on how to keep your oral health in tip-top shape at home, we have many tips for you. Flossing should be more of a priority than we know you think it is. Regular brushing and flossing can help remove plaque, which damages teeth and gums. Avoiding sugary foods and drinks, as well as tobacco, can eliminate several health issues, including tooth and gum disease. Of course, a simple tip is brushing your teeth morning and night; we suggest making sure that you use toothpaste with fluoride in it to help prevent cavities. Try practicing tongue cleaning at home, too. For best results, you can use a tongue cleaner or a soft-bristle toothbrush. This can make a huge difference in your overall health.

Remember, at Cakmes Dental Studio, we prioritize your overall health and are here for any dental needs you may have, including those that are time-sensitive. If you need to come into the office, call us at 865-584-6163 or visit our website to request an appointment. 

Breastfeeding is known to be one of the earliest ways to reduce your baby’s risk of SIDS, obesity, asthma, and many more. It can also reduce the mother’s risk of ovarian and breast cancer. But did you know that breastfeeding can also impact the dental health of the baby? 

Breastfeeding promotes better teeth alignment

Recent studies have shown that babies who were exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months were less likely to develop open bites, crossbites, and other teeth alignment issues. 

Breastfeeding reduces the risk for baby bottle tooth decay 

Baby bottle tooth decay develops when a baby has prolonged exposure to drinks containing sugar. This usually happens to babies who are put to bed with a bottle, even if it’s formula or milk.

Dental care is still needed even if you are breastfeeding.

Although breastfeeding can be beneficial in so many aspects, children who have been breastfed can still develop cavities. Breastfeeding doesn’t make the kids cavity-free. 

It’s very important to start caring for your child’s dental health early. You can start cleaning your child’s gum area with a clean, damp cloth after every feeding. You can do this even if your child isn’t teething yet.

For moms, self-care is important especially if it affects your health. Many moms end up neglecting their dental health due to their busy schedules. Your dental health is as important as the rest of your family.

Brushing and flossing your teeth twice a day are still the simplest ways to prevent gum and tooth diseases. Also, make sure to have your teeth checked by a dentist. An annual dental check can help prevent serious dental health issues. 

Cakmes Dental Studio in Knoxville has a team of dental health professionals who can help you bring back your smile. To request an appointment, you can call us at (865) 584-6163 or visit https://cakmesdentalstudio.com/contact/

References:

https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/caring-babies-teeth

https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/b/breastfeeding