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YOU MAY BE SURPRISED TO LEARN that dental fillings don’t last forever! While they are extremely durable and can last years, there will come a time when they will have to be replaced.

We Check Your Fillings at Your Visits

You may be wondering, “If fillings don’t last a lifetime, then how long DO they last?” That depends on a number of factors, such as the type of procedure performed, the size or area being treated or replaced, the kind of materials used for the filling and the patient’s level of oral hygiene and care.

At your six-month appointment, we will check your fillings and make sure they are still intact. We will look for early signs of wear and tear so we can replace a dental restoration before it breaks, loses its effectiveness or falls out on its own. We also take x-rays to make sure there is no decay under or around a filling, which can cause it to come loose.  This is especially important for fillings that wrap in between the teeth, as we cannot always visually see or feel decay in those areas. 

We're Here For You in an Emergency

Despite your best efforts, a filling may crack or fall out unexpectedly.  A lot of times, you wouldn’t even notice a crack, but if you experience any tooth sensitivity to cold or sweets, or a twinge when you bite down, there may be a crack.  This is unlikely to occur if you visit your dentist regularly, however accidents can happen. Over time, dental fillings can be weakened by:

• Tooth decay
• Frequent jaw clenching and teeth grinding (bruxism)
• Chewing on hard items or foods
• Injury or trauma, such as those sustained during sports activities
• Time; no filling lasts forever no matter how well kept

If you ever have a filling fall out just remember, don’t panic and don’t wait. Even if it falls out after hours, call us immediately–we’re here for you in an emergency! We will get you in as quickly as we can. In the meantime, keep your filling if you can but don’t try to push it back into place. Part of your tooth may have broken along with the filling, so we need to examine it to evaluate what type of restoration would make a suitable replacement.  If the tooth has broken and sensitive, you can use a product from a drugstore for a temporary filling but  make sure to keep the affected area clean and debris-free before inserting it.

If you don’t experience any pain after losing a filling, it’s still important to come in as soon as possible to have it treated. Not seeking immediate care could result in pain, discomfort and even tooth loss.

Regular dental visits are imperative to maintaining a healthy smile. With that being said, we know not every dental emergency happens during normal business hours. That’s why we strive to make ourselves available to our patients as often as possible. If you need us, call us! 216-2613. Your health and comfort is our number one priority.

Thank you for reading our blog and supporting our practice!

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In an age where health care is becoming so impersonal and assembly line like with the huge corporation owned clinics, we are pleased to offer you another choice where your concerns are listened to; your treatment is scheduled and planned according to your needs, and you are explained and educated about your treatment options. 

Your concerns about the costs of dental care have also been listened to. We are now pleased to announce an in office membership plan, exclusive to Madsen and Hirsch Dental Care called the

SMILES WORTH MEMBER SAVINGS PLAN

Smiles Worth is a membership-based dental savings plan that provides the quality care you deserve at a price you can afford. Members pay an annual fee to receive regular exams, cleanings and X-rays along with access to significantly reduced rates on all other restorative and cosmetic dental procedures performed in our office.

Plus, the plan offers many benefits including no annual caps, no limits and no waiting periods. This provides quick access to the care you need!  If you are frustrated with dental insurance that offers little benefit and high premiums, give us a call today at (608) 216-2613 to learn more about how you too can use this wonderful service.

Ultimately, a simple way to identify foods that cause tooth decay is to ask whether it’s acidic or sweet/starchy. Acidic foods include things like citrus fruits, tomatoes, vinegar, kombucha and sour candy. Sweet/starchy foods include things like candy, soda or sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit, bread, cereal, pasta and crackers.

The longer these things interact with your teeth, the greater the chance for tooth decay to occur. For example, sipping on soda throughout the day, or chewing a gooey caramel treat, increases the amount of sugar that coat your teeth. Bacteria love to feast on this sugar, creating an acidic environment and putting your teeth at risk for decay. Conditions such as gastric reflux or bulimia can also create an acidic environment in the mouth which can be extremely destructive to tooth enamel contributing to tooth abrasion and wear.

To help protect your teeth against tooth decay:

- Reduce your consumption of sweets and refined starches

- Enjoy acidic foods in moderation or as part of a meal

- Decrease or eliminate your consumption of soda or sugar-sweetened beverages

- Swish with water after meals and snacks

- Maintain good oral hygiene to brush away plaque buildup (floss at least once a day and brush twice a day)

-See your physician if you suffer gastric reflux or bulimia.

And, as always, make sure to visit us regularly so we can remove tartar buildup and assess for early signs of decay.

Why Should You Floss?

Your toothbrush isn’t enough to brush away the plaque or biofilm that can build up between teeth and at the gumline. A complete dental routine includes both brushing and flossing.

How Often Should You Floss?

Once a day is ideal. Believe it or not, flossing more often (or with more rigor) can damage your gums. The only exception to once-a-day flossing is if you need to remove pieces of stringy or sticky foods that get stuck after eating. Don’t leave those in there too long.

Should You Floss Before or After Brushing?

Either one is fine! My preference is to brush, floss, and then touch up brush.

How Should You Floss?

Pull out about 18 inches of floss (any brand is fine). Wind the floss tightly around your index or middle fingers on both hands so that the floss between your hands is taut. Slide the floss between each set of teeth that touch, as well as where your last molar meets your gums. Slide the floss up and down the teeth, following the natural curve of each tooth in a “C” shape.

Imagine the floss giving each tooth a little hug! Floss between teeth and where your teeth meet your gums. Use a new clean section of floss for each set of teeth.

For a helpful infographic, use this one from the American Dental Association. You can also ask our hygienist, Patty, to show you how to floss at your next visit. Here’s a video from the ADA to show you the technique.

Remember, it takes a good 2-3 weeks to develop a habit, so stick with it and soon you will feel like you’re missing something if you skip it.  The thing is you are missing something is you skip it-those nasty biofilms that linger between teeth causing tooth decay, periodontal disease, and bad breath.

Can’t floss?

If arthritis in your hands or another condition prevents you from flossing adequately, consider a dental pick, oral irrigator, or a handled flosser.  Patty will advise you and give you recommendations. Give us a call: (608) 234-4295 or ask about options at your next visit. We will help find a solution for you!

Teeth Get Yellow For A Number Of Reasons

Teeth becoming yellow over time is as normal as graying hair–it is a natural part of the aging process. As we get older, our tooth enamel begins to thin due to everyday wear and tear. This causes the layer beneath our enamel, called the dentin, to show more, giving our teeth a more yellow appearance.

There are other factors that can cause teeth to yellow other than aging however, such as:

• Tobacco use

• Food and drink

• Poor dental hygiene

• Dental trauma

• Certain medications

If you want to prevent your teeth from yellowing as best you can, we suggest you change some of your lifestyle habits. If you use tobacco in any form, quit. Consume acidic food and drink in moderation and monitor your intake of beverages that can stain your teeth such as wine, coffee, tea, soda, etc. And as always, brush up on your oral hygiene habits and make sure you’re getting frequent cleanings!

The Way You Whiten Your Teeth Depends On The Stain

There are two types of stains that you can have on your teeth. Surface, or “extrinsic” stains, caused by smoking and diet occur on the surface of the enamel. “Intrinsic” stains are deeper, and happen inside the tooth.

These toothpastes can be tough on tooth enamel, so make sure to always read labels when using them–some should only be used temporarily.

Intrinsic stains can’t be helped by whitening toothpastes. To get that brighter smile, you’ll need to actually change the color of your teeth. You can do this using a bleaching agent. The bleaching agents most products use are hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. These chemicals break stains into smaller pieces, making their color less concentrated and leaving your teeth much whiter! Some of the most common ways to bleach your teeth are whitening strips and gels, tray-based tooth whiteners and in-office whitening services supervised by a dentist.

We Would Love to See You at Our Office

At our practice, we offer in-office whitening that will get you the white smile you’ve been dreaming of in half the time or less than other whitening options. We will also carefully monitor the whole process to ensure its safety and efficacy.

Or, if you’re looking to use a tray-based whitening system, we can customize your mouthpiece to exactly fit your teeth! This will protect the soft tissues of your mouth, especially your gums, as well as ensure maximum contact between your teeth and the whitening solution.

Either way, we’d love to see you, whether that’s for a cleaning, checkup, or whitening treatment!

Have any questions? Call us at 216-2613. Thank you for reading our blog!

Medicine And Oral Chemistry

Some medications—even some vitamins—can damage our teeth for the brief period that they’re in our mouths. This can pose a particular problem for children. As adults, we swallow most of our medicines. Children’s medicine tends to come in the form of sugary syrups and multivitamins, which feed oral bacteria and leads to tooth decay.

Inhalers for asthma can also cause problems, specifically oral thrush, which is white patches of fungus in the mouth that can be irritating or painful. The best way to avoid this complication of using an inhaler is for you or your child to rinse with water after each use, and the same goes for sugary cough syrups and chewable multivitamins.

Side-Effects For Your Mouth

Plenty of other medications, though they don’t do any damage while you’re ingesting them, can be harmful to your mouth in the long term because of the side-effects. Let’s take a look at some of the more common side-effects.

Inflammation And Excessive Bleeding

If you notice your gums becoming tender and swollen shortly after you start on a new medication, you should talk to a medical professional about it. Several medications can cause gingival overgrowth or excessive growth of the gums), which puts you at increased risk of gum disease.

To learn more about the risks of gum disease, watch the video below:

Altered Taste

Some medications, such as cardiovascular agents, central nervous system stimulants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and smoking-cessation products can leave you with a bitter or metallic taste in your mouth, or even interfere with your overall sense of taste. This isn’t necessarily a serious side-effect, but it can be unpleasant, especially for food-lovers.

Dry Mouth

The most common mouth-related side-effect of medications is dry mouth. A wide range of medications, including antihistamines, decongestants, painkillers, high blood pressure medications, muscle relaxants, drugs for urinary incontinence, Parkinson’s disease medications, and antidepressants can all cause it.

Aside from feeling uncomfortable, dry mouth is very dangerous to oral health. Saliva is the mouth’s first line of defense. It contains compounds that remineralize your teeth, neutralize acids, and keep bacteria in check. Without enough saliva, that bacteria runs rampant and there’s nothing to neutralize the acid or add minerals back into your tooth enamel. From there, you can develop mouth sores, gum disease, and tooth decay.

Taking Medications? Let Us Know!

The best thing you can do to ensure your medications aren’t clashing with your oral health is to tell your dentist about your prescriptions and any over-the-counter medications you’re taking. From there, we can formulate a plan for how to counteract the medications’ effects.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.