Dr. Kami Hoss

Image source:  cnn.com For today's blog, Dr. Kami Hoss shares seven well-known and not-so-well-known tips on how to maintain good oral health. If using a toothpick, make sure it isn't hard. Hard toothpicks can cause the gums to recede due to excessive friction or damage to the enamel of teeth or root surface. Toothpicks should also not be used on dental implants or braces as they can cause damage. Use a straw when drinking acidic drinks. Drinking acidic beverages, such as fruit juice and soda, through a straw helps minimize contact with the teeth and keeps acid from wearing away tooth enamel. Floss every day. Flossing removes plaque buildup between teeth that a toothbrush can't reach. Flossing every day helps prevent gum disease and tooth decay. Brush your tongue as well. With a soft-bristled toothbrush, brush the top of the tongue in an up-and-down motion, being careful not to brush too hard. This removes bacteria and helps freshen breat...

  The holidays are packed with festivities. The pandemic may be restricting people from partying with one another, but the grub remains the same. All the holiday treats and family food traditions still find their way to the table. Here are five tips to protect the teeth this season.  Image source: fisherpointedental.com   Candies and chocolates are famous snacks and desserts during the holidays. Lay off the sweets . Consuming excessive amounts of candy canes, mints, chocolates, and cakes can damage the teeth severely. It’s best to limit intake to a few bites to maintain healthy teeth and keep blood sugar levels at bay, says Dr. Kami Hoss. Skip the dried fruit treats after dinner. One might think that eating dried fruits before and after a meal is as healthy as eating an actual fruit. However, these sugar-covered fruits present the same danger to dental health as candies. Choose beverage wisely . With family and friends over, it’s only normal to offer a ran...

  When it comes to choosing products to help keep the mouth, teeth, and gums clean and healthy, one should know that a few differences in its components may have a bearing on proper oral hygiene. Dr. Kami Hoss shares on this blog post a brief guide to picking the right dental care products.  Image link: crest.com For the toothpaste, choose ones that have fluoride in it as it helps prevent cavities. It’s important to pick toothpastes that carry the seal of acceptance from the American Dental Association to ensure its safety and effectiveness. In cases of tartar buildup, get a toothpaste that controls tartar. Desensitizing toothpastes are great for teeth that are sensitive to cold, hot, and sweets. The use of manual toothbrushes with soft bristles is encouraged in both adults and children. Toothbrushes with hard bristles could cause the root of a tooth to get exposed as a result of gum tissue receding due to hard brushing. A toothbrush with a head size that fits perfect...

  Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, most businesses have been forced to close for public health reasons, including dental health facilities. While some still operate, experts such as San Diego orthodontist Dr. Kami Hoss urges people to see their dentists only when there is a dental emergency. However, it may be vague to some people what a dental emergency is. Would a cracked teeth constitute as an emergency?  Image source: absolutedental.com A dental emergency revolves around three main factors: pain, the ability to function, and urgency. If your dental problem doesn’t involve pain, doesn’t impair your daily functions, and can be sorted out later rather than sooner, then it isn’t an emergency. Here are some examples that may help, but keep in mind that cases may vary. If the wires of your braces suddenly break, that constitutes as a dental emergency. Not only could the wires potentially hurt your mouth, prolonged negligence of broken braces could undo months’ worth of ...

The human body has the ability to heal itself. Broken skin or bones can heal on their own. However, tooth enamel cannot heal on its own. According to the American Dental Association, tooth enamel does not contain living cells, therefore it has no ability to wear or repair on its own. Image source: womenshealthmag.com Image source: discovermagazine.com Contrary to posts on the Internet saying there are natural ways to get rid of dental caries, one simply cannot get rid of such in a couple of days on their own. The moment the decay hits the softer part of the enamel and reaches the tooth structure, the situation could get worse. Dr. Kami Hoss says that the only way to effectively get rid of cavities is by having it treated by a professional. If the cavity is in its early stage, a dentist would perform a basic filling treatment by removing the portion of the tooth with the decay. The dentist then cleans the part of the tooth with the cavity to get it ready for t...

Dental braces are devices that help correct misaligned and overcrowded teeth. For many individuals, these dental structures can cause damage to their teeth and gums. They can also cause difficulties in breaking down food. While most people wear braces during their adolescent years, these days, it's not uncommon for adults to improve their teeth with the dental appliance. Dr. Kami Hoss shares this guide to maintaining a healthy smile while wearing braces. Image source: Pexels.com Image source: Pexels.com Brush and floss more. Food and bacteria can build up in the mouth faster with braces in place. This is why dentists advise their patients to brush after every meal. Those who wear braces use special brushes that can clean the brackets. Flossing should be done at least once a day to keep teeth and gums clean. Stay away from hard and sticky foods. Dentists like Dr. Kami Hoss advise their patients to watch what they eat. Hard and crunchy foods like nut...

Keeping one’s teeth clean goes beyond just brushing. For fresh-smelling breath and strong teeth, flossing and gargling with mouthwash should be part of your daily oral care routine. However, some are still not sold with the idea of having to rinse with mouthwash as they believe it has dire consequences on one’s health. Image source: oralb.co.uk Alcohol-based mouth rinse products are great for getting rid of germs. Rinsing with alcohol-based mouthwash can prevent plaque and gingivitis. Tartar buildup can be avoided with the use of mouthwash. Although, dental practitioners advise individuals of health risks that may be associated with ingesting alcohol. Another advantage of gargling with mouthwash is whiter teeth, notes Dr. Kami Hoss. Certain mouthwashes though contain reduced concentrations of hydrogen peroxide causing very little bleaching and damage to the gums. You can reap the benefits of rinsing with mouthwash if you brush twice daily and floss regularly. A comp...

The body is a complex machine, and the food people eat have an impact on their overall health. The food an individual consumes may also have an effect on the health of their teeth and gums. When a person eats too much sugary treats, they could be at risk of tooth decay. Image source: askthedentist.com Tooth decay occurs when plaque touches the sugar in the mouth, which causes the acid to attack the teeth. Any food that contain sugars of any kind can play a part in tooth decay. A healthy diet is critical to keep the mouth and gums in good health. To keep one’s oral health in check, it’s best to skip sweets and sticky foods. Sweets aren’t just candies: these could be sodas, energy drinks, and any kind of drink that’s rich in sugars. Check the nutrition label in order to know which kinds of foods are high in sugar. Even spaghetti sauces and cereals can have high sugar content. Image source: bbcgoodfood.com While they may be good in keeping a healthy physique, st...

Serious dental anxiety prevents millions of Americans from having their teeth examined and cleaned by a dentist. While a trip to the dentist doesn’t always equate to experiencing pain, some patients had had painful encounters in the dentist’s chair, which trigger their dental anxiety and phobia. Image source: defactodentists.com An estimated nine to 15 percent of Americans avoid seeing the dentist due to their fear and anxiety, making dental anxiety and phobia extremely common. As phobia is an intense and unreasonable fear, some individuals put off dental cleaning and examinations for years, even decades. Dental phobia is a more serious condition than dental anxiety, and those who suffer from it are petrified or panic stricken. Individuals with dental anxiety will experience nervousness when it’s time for their check-up with the dentist. In most cases, patients will have exaggerated or groundless fears or worries. There are dentists who specialize in treating fearful patie...

Much has already been said about the importance of brushing the teeth regularly as part of maintaining children’s proper oral hygiene. However, flossing should also be included in the routine because it is the best way to extract food debris that is trapped between the teeth or the spaces where gums meet the teeth, areas that a toothbrush could not reach. Image source: deltavisionmo.com As many parents know, it is quite schallenging to get their children to floss for a variety of reasons. Listed below are some tips on how to encourage kids to floss. Demonstrate how it is done: Flossing obviously requires more dexterity than brushing, which is why parents should show the kids first how it should be done. It is better to pay a visit to a dental clinic so that both parents and children would get to learn the proper way of flossing. The family can even make it a family affair by including it in the nighttime routine. Use floss picks or floss holders: Because it m...

A lot of parents use sugary treats to “contain” their children, especially when they’re starting to get rowdy. Children are allowed a lot of sweets like candy, ice cream, chocolates, cake, and sometimes carbonated drinks. Too much sweets can cause children to have colds, cough, acid reflux, type two diabetes—and most of all—poor dental health at a young age. But some parents are still not convinced that their children are exposed to chronic and avoidable health problems because of sugar. Image source: sciencenews.org Cavities that cause tooth decay can set in even at a young age. Cavities are infections caused by acids that bore holes in the teeth. The mouth is full of bacteria, and many of which bring benefit to one’s overall oral health. However, if these oral bacteria feed on sugars children eat, the mouth produces acids that can bring harm to the tooth’s enamel. When cavities are not treated well, it can cause pain and tooth loss. Despite the bad news about cavity...