Sjogren's Syndrome

The Oyster By Family Dentists provide patients in Oyster Bay, NY, with quality dental care. Drs. Robert West and Denise VeyVoda can help you with the oral symptoms of certain systemic conditions, like Sjorgren’s syndrome. This is an autoimmune condition that targets that salivary and tear glands. The results are a chronically dry mouth. If you notice this happening to you, schedule an appointment with us today.

 

Sjogren’s syndrome, because it is a systemic autoimmune condition, affects the entire body. Your dentists here in Oyster Bay, NY, have sorted out the symptoms specifically related to your mouth. Here are a few of them:

 

-Scratchy or sore voice

-Constant oral infections or cavities

-Dry lips, mouth, and throat

-Chronic cough

-Difficulties swallowing

-Swollen glands in the neck and face

 

There is no known cause for the development of Sjogren’s syndrome. Your general practitioner or primary care provider can provide you with certain medications. This helps curb your immune system’s response.

 

Your Oyster Bay, NY, dentist can make a diagnosis of Sjogren’s syndrome during a dental appointment. Drs. West or VeyVoda evaluates your salivary glands, along with checking for other secondary conditions like dry mouth or cavities.

 

It’s possible to increase your body’s production of saliva. Artificial Saliva keeps your mouth moist and fresh. Certain over-the-counter products like mouthwash and toothpaste can also increase your salivary flow.

 

If you or a loved one are struggling with dry mouth, and are concerned it could be Sjogren’s syndrome, contact The Oyster Bay Family Dentists today. Drs. Robert West and Denise VeyVoda are available at their office in Oyster Bay, NY. To schedule an appointment, call 516-922-5730. You can also visit their website at http://www.oysterbaydentists.com/.

Dry Mouth

Drs. Robert West and Denise VeyVoda of The Oyster Bay Family Dentists, located in Oyster Bay, NY, provide quality care for their patients. They treat a variety of conditions, including Xerostomia. This is commonly known as Dry Mouth. As the name suggests, patients suffering from this problem don’t produce enough saliva. They struggle with chewing, speaking, and swallowing. It lowers your quality of life while also putting your oral health at risk. Schedule an appointment with our staff right away if you notice any alarming symptoms.

 

You may not realize it, but saliva plays an important role in your life. Besides everyday tasks like eating and speaking, it keeps your mouth clean. Saliva is necessary for washing your teeth of food debris. Without properly working salivary glands, you’re at risk for plaque and tooth decay.

 

The first step at your appointment with your Oyster Bay dentist is to determine the cause of your dry mouth. Treatment depends entirely upon the source. Talk to your dentist about your medical history, along with any medications you are taking. There are over 500 different medications that result in negative dry mouth symptoms. Do your research when starting any drugs. If the pharmaceutical is the trigger, you should talk to your prescribing physician about switching to another type. Certain autoimmune disorders also put you at risk. Another possibility is certain medical treatments. Chemotherapy is infamous for creating dry mouth.

 

Once the cause of your dry mouth is determined, the treatment can begin. Here are a few general tips for reducing negative symptoms:

 

-Reduce your sugar intake. Sugar naturally dries out your mouth. That means cutting out or back on tea, soda, alcohol, and coffee.

-Water is necessary for your health, including your dental! Water keeps your mouth moist. Increase your water intake for a wetter mouth.

-Invest in over-the-counter dry mouth treatments. These are sold at your local grocery store or supermarket. They are available in mouthwash, gel, and toothpaste form.

 

The Oyster Bay Family Dentists, located in Oyster Bay, NY, are available for all your dental needs. To schedule an appointment with Drs. Robert West and Denise VeyVoda, call 516-922-5730 or visit their website.

Asthma and Oral Health

When people have chronic dry mouth, they are at greater risk for oral health problems. For this and other reasons, people with asthma need to be especially vigilant about maintaining their oral hygiene. We treat a lot of patients at the Oyster Bay Family Dentists whose oral health is compromised by limited saliva production (called xerostomia), so we wanted to provide asthma patients with some hygiene pointers.

Saliva is crucial to controlling oral microbes. It neutralizes acid, removes food debris, and contains enzymes that restrict the growth of bacteria and fungus. People with asthma commonly breathe through their mouths, particularly at night, causing them to be more vulnerable to microbial growth. This can cause them to have bad breath, tooth decay, and gum recession. Furthermore, asthma patients are often on medications that relax the sphincter separating the stomach from the esophagus, causing them to suffer from frequent acid reflux.

Asthma patients shouldn’t change medications without oversight from their doctor, but they should request changes when they are suffering recurrent dryness. We can assist them by prescribing stronger throat moisturizers, and they can stimulate additional saliva production by chewing sugar-free gum. Asthma patients should also brush their teeth at night after using inhalers, since inhaler medication often contains sugars which will be dispersed throughout the mouth.

Drs. Denise VeyVoda and Robert G. West operate The Oyster Bay Family Dentists at 123 South Street, Oyster Bay, New York, 11771. To schedule an appointment, call 516-922-5730 or visit Oyster Bay Dentists and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Causes of Bad Breath

Bad breath isn’t always caused by something as benign as eating pungent food. We at the Oyster Bay Family Dentists have restored a lot of teeth, and we know that a lot of health problems can reveal themselves through a foul odor. To help our patients protect themselves, we wanted to discuss some of the causes of halitosis and what can be done about them.

The most common cause of halitosis is odor from bacterial build-up. Bacteria eat the food debris that gets trapped between teeth, and if they are allowed to fester enough, the acid they produce may damage gum tissue. But bacteria also commonly live on the tongue, where they may have another food source in the form of nasal drip when the patient is sick. This is why we encourage patients to brush their tongues and use a scraper on them every day.

Certain conditions increase a patient’s risk of oral bacterial build-up. Dry mouth makes it harder to swallow food debris and changes the mouth’s pH level to make it more hospitable to pathogens. Diabetes causes saliva to contain more sugar, which could fuel bacteria. Onions and garlic, besides being acid reflux triggers, contain chemicals that pass from the bloodstream into the lungs and cause bad breath to originate there. We recommend that patients suffering from dry mouth use artificial throat moisturizers. Patients should also remember that chewing sugar-free gum, besides masking halitosis, can also stimulate new saliva production and remove food debris.

Drs. Denise VeyVoda and Robert G. West operate The Oyster Bay Family Dentists at 123 South Street, Oyster Bay, New York, 11771. To schedule an appointment, call 516-922-5730 or visit Oyster Bay Dentists and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Causes of Bleeding Gums

People whose gums are bleeding need help and The Oyster Bay Family Dentists are here for them. Many people accept spitting some blood out with their toothpaste as normal, but it’s actually a sign of gum disease. We wanted to use this post to help our patients prevent this problem.

In most cases, bleeding gums are caused by infection, although there are several other factors which contribute to it. The gum pockets are an easy place for decay-causing bacteria to colonize, and the tartar they produce accumulates on dental crowns around the gum line. This irritates the gum tissue, causing it to bleed when brushed. That doesn’t mean patients should stop brushing, but they may need to switch to a toothbrush with softer bristles. Keep in mind that brushing harder is not necessarily a good thing and that a professional hygienist’s help is necessary to remove plaque.

Dry mouth makes oral infections worse. There are several medications, including anti-depressants and heart medications, which suppress saliva production, throwing off the mouth’s pH level and depriving it of a means of washing away tartar. Pregnant women also tend to experience bleeding gums due to hormonal changes. Oral hygiene is especially important for these people, as are regular cleanings.

Drs. Denise VeyVoda and Robert G. West operate The Oyster Bay Family Dentists at 123 South Street, Oyster Bay, New York, 11771. To schedule an appointment, call 516-922-5730 or visit OysterBayDentists.com and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Drink More Water

The best thing you can do for your smile is to keep your mouth clean. In addition to brushing and flossing on a daily basis, it’s important to stay hydrated to keep your mouth moist. Water replenishes saliva, our body’s natural defense against dry mouth and tooth decay. Sugary beverages may wash down your food, but as we’ve previously mentioned, they provide no nutritional benefits to tooth enamel. Our doctors at The Oyster Bay Dentists are here to encourage you to drink more water to protect your teeth.

Water cleans the mouth with every sip, keeping teeth cavity-free. Water washes away the sugars that food and beverages leave behind to attack tooth enamel. Additionally, when saliva runs low, the mouth becomes dry. The frequent dry mouth can lead to tooth decay. Next time you reach for a sugary drink, try replacing it with water, or if you decide to consume the sugary beverage regardless, wash it down with a refreshing glass of water.

If you have questions or concerns about dental health, please give us a call. To learn about the services we provide at the practice, visit www.oysterbaydentists.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at The Oyster Bay Family Dentists in Oyster Bay, NY, call 516-922-5730.