Dental Info

Saliva . Just the word can conjure an array of images in your imagination. From salivating at a delicious meal to studying Pavlov’s dogs to watching a baseball player spit, life is full of saliva! And that’s a good thing because saliva is very important for oral and overall health. Problems with saliva can lead to dry mouth, cavities, and bad breath. Read more below from Atlanta dentist, Dr. Ceneviz to learn more about your saliva. Composition of Saliva Saliva is 98% water. It also contains electrolytes, mucus, enzymes, hormones, and antibodies. Saliva travels to all parts of your mouth via “saliva ducts.” Saliva is made in your salivary glands and the contents come from your blood. Ancient doctors believed saliva and blood were “brothers” when it comes to a person’s wellness.  Because saliva is so similar to blood, research is growing on how to use saliva samples to test for diseases. Saliva samples are already used to test for HIV, but studies are finding you can also detect b...

Thumb sucking is normal behavior for babies and young children. But just how normal? More than 75% of little ones suck their thumbs, fingers, hands, pacifiers, or other items such as the corner of a blanket during these early years. Most kids stop this behavior on their own between the ages of three and six. But how long is too long, and can it be problematic? Chamblee Orthodontics would like to share more information about this common childhood habit. Why Do Babies Suck Their Thumbs? Human babies come into the world hungry, and with hunger in mammals comes an instinct to suck. This urge usually becomes less intense naturally, beginning to taper off when babies reach about six months of age. However, many babies take a liking to the practice, continuing to suck their thumbs to self-soothe when hungry, anxious, sick, bored, tired, or just trying to adjust to changes in their environment. Thumb sucking may also help them fall asleep or lull themselves back to sleep. Since it is an age...

Dentistry is serious medicine, and daily oral hygiene is a top priority. But teeth can be pretty fun, too—not to mention fascinating. For starters, have you ever seen the full sets of baby teeth and adult teeth present in a child’s head x-ray? Go ahead, look it up. There are tons of interesting dental facts out there!  Chamblee Orthodontics in Atlanta treats our patients professionally and joyfully—our team thinks teeth are cool. Take Dr. Ceneviz’s word for it, there’s much to learn and admire about even the most average set of teeth. Facts About People & Teeth According to a survey by Time magazine, 59% of people would rather visit the dentist than listen to one end of a cell-phone conversation. By age 17, 78% of Americans have had at least 1 cavity. Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss for people over the age of 35. Tooth prints are as unique as fingerprints. About 2 million teeth per year fall out due to sports-related accidents. Babies hav...

To binky or not to binky? Pacifier use for infants has been a subject of debate as long as they’ve been around. Dr. Ceneviz shares some pros and cons below. Pros Pacifiers can soothe a fussy baby. Whether your child has a strong sucking reflex or has difficulty falling asleep, a pacifier can be an effective step towards entering Dreamland. (Unfortunately, sleeping through the night is not affected by pacifier use.) Pacifiers are distracting. If baby has to have a shot, a binky can help to forget the poke. Pacifiers can reduce SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) risk at naptime and bedtime. If breastfeeding, wait until baby is 3-4 weeks old and you’ve got a regular nursing routine. Cons Pacifiers may increase ear-infection risk. However, babies 0-6 months old are at the highest risk of SIDS and the lowest risk of ear infection, which is the age babies usually want a binky most. Prolonged pacifier use can lead to dental problems. Chamblee Orthodontics  wants you...

The upper teeth formed along the maxillary jawbone are called “ maxillary teeth ” and include the top incisors, molars, premolars, and canines. Dr. Ceneviz shares more information about maxillary teeth below. Understanding the role of the upper teeth and caring for them properly is important in the fight against bacteria and infection in gum tissues and upper sinus cavities. Most maxillary teeth play specific roles in eating and digesting food, functioning as a set of silverware to break it down.  Because maxillary teeth are so close to maxillary sinus cavities, it is easy to confuse a sinus infection with an infected tooth. If you visit Chamblee Orthodontics complaining of pain, they will determine which infection is present and either provide treatment or send you to your general physician. If you have more questions about your child’s maxillary teeth—or ANY of their teeth— get in touch with us today ! The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professio...

If your child’s permanent adult teeth haven’t emerged in a timely manner, you may wonder if there is a reason to worry. Chamblee Orthodontics would like to share a few possible reasons permanent adult teeth can be delayed . Is There Enough Space for the New Teeth to Grow? The most common reason for permanent teeth to appear late a simple one: there is just not enough space for them. Adult teeth tend to be larger than the primary baby teeth they replace, and at times, a surrounding tooth (or teeth) may require removal to create extra space. Occasionally, braces also become necessary to facilitate this process. Are Permanent Teeth Facing the Right Direction? Sometimes permanent teeth come through the gums facing the wrong way. This is most common with upper canines and bicuspids. The primary teeth around the affected area may require removal to allow repositioning of teeth that are out of place, and braces are usually required for a permanent solution. Gender There are wide variat...

Dr. Ceneviz can diagnose and screen for a host of maladies thanks to sophisticated imaging technology . X-rays are now so frequently used and so effective that most of us take their capabilities for granted—but it was not so long ago a tumor or damaged bone couldn’t be found without the patient actually being cut open! The discovery of x-rays was a happy accident. A physics professor named Wilhelm Roentgen was testing whether cathode rays could pass through glass and observed a mysterious light that would pass through human tissue and to reveal details of the bones and tissue underneath. Because Roentgen didn’t know what the rays were, he called them “x”, meaning “unknown”. The medical community and the public alike were very excited about x-rays, and as their use became commonplace, the potential side effects of radiation exposure were ignored at first. Scientists like Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla sounded the alarm about the dangers of radiation, but x-rays were still used for en...

If your child loses a tooth too soon or needs a baby tooth extracted due to decay, Dr. Ceneviz may recommend space maintainers to support their dental health. Space maintainers are custom-made acrylic or metal dental appliances that can either be removable or cemented into the mouth. Their purpose is to keep the space open for the future permanent tooth or teeth. Baby teeth are essential to the development of permanent teeth, jawbones and muscles, which guide those adult teeth into the place absent baby teeth once were. If there is no space for permanent teeth to grow, teeth can shift drastically enough for orthodontics to be needed. Not every child with premature baby tooth loss needs space maintainers, but a consultation with Chamblee Orthodontics is advisable to see if a space maintainer is the best solution. Dr. Ceneviz can also advise you about best practices for eating habits and oral hygiene for fixed space maintainers. Your child should be seen regularly by their den...

Acids and bases might sound like something from far back in your memory, like middle-school science class, but the concept is still very applicable to every aspect of life today. The foods and beverages you consume daily have a very big effect on your oral health and overall health, for better or worse. You can protect and support your health by eating the right foods. We know this isn’t news to anyone, but it’s much easier said than done, right? Dr. Ceneviz, Atlanta dentist explains below how an alkaline diet can benefit your oral health and overall health. What is an Alkaline Diet? Everything around us is made of chemicals that are either some level of acidic or basic (alkaline). Chemicals are numbered on the pH scale from 0-6 as acidic, 7 as neutral, and 8-14 as alkaline and more people are talking these days about the negative effects of diets high in acidity. A minimally acidic—or alkaline—diet will contain mostly foods with a pH above 7. Research shows that some chronic dise...

Dr. Ceneviz at Chamblee Orthodontics finds integrative orthodontics for children a fascinating subject that many people may not know about, and today we’d like to give you a brief overview of some of the benefits. We used to have plenty of room for all our teeth, and anthropological evidence shows no genes for crooked teeth. Our bodies have adapted to the changes in our “industrial” environment since the time between Paleo man and Modern man. If we change the environment that teeth grow in—in this case, the environment being the mouth—we can also change the way those teeth grow. This philosophy is the basis of Integrative Orthodontics (IO). What are some of the benefits of IO? Prevention: IO helps to prevent crooked teeth if treatment begins early enough. Facial Growth: IO provides lifetime benefits by guiding the face shape towards health and aesthetics from the beginning, modifying teeth, appearance, and breathing passages positively. Health: IO finds the cause of the problem r...

We know a lot of our friends and neighbors aren’t fans of being asked how often they brush and floss, but at Chamblee Orthodontics, we hope you know it’s because we care and want to help you keep your smile healthy and beautiful for life! Getting to know your habits also helps us personalize your care and offer suggestions such as using a water flosser if the string type floss isn’t your favorite. Our team happens to appreciate the WaterPik® and its comparable effectiveness at removing food debris and getting in those hard-to-reach areas—especially if you’re wearing braces . Floss is Boss Regardless of which flossing tool you prefer, it’s important to remain diligent in the habit. Flossing helps remove plaque, which causes cavities and dangerous gum disease if left to harden and become tartar. If you have any questions about flossing, WaterPiks, or any other dental topic, Dr. Ceneviz would love to hear from you. Contact us today to schedule a visit! The content of this blog is n...

Mail-order braces are a controversial dental topic, and Dr. Caroline Ceneviz weighs in today. Direct-to-consumer orthodontics companies make many appealing promises—no dental visits, aligners delivered to your door, and lower costs. But are the risks worth it? Not according to this consumer alert from the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO). As of November 2017, the AAO had filed complaints with 36 State Dental Boards, alleging direct-to-consumer orthodontics can not only cause long-term oral health problems for their users but may be illegal. (These claims are pending investigation.) A licensed doctor is not seen before or during self-managed orthodontic treatment. While direct-to-consumer braces companies base aligner prescriptions on computer-simulated mouth scans as licensed dentists do, teeth movement doesn’t always follow the initial computer assessment—and self-managed orthodontic treatment makes no further adjustments to correct that. In short, wearers get what th...

According to a recent study published in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, teeth were the #1 feature that increased a child’s chances of being bullied . A person’s smile and teeth are often the first things people notice, and kids are no exception. Chamblee Orthodontics in Atlanta would like to share some ideas that can help kids feel better about their teeth—with parents’ help! Explain that baby teeth are not all lost until kids reach their early teens, so their smile will continue to change as they grow—and this will be happening to the kids making fun, too. Google “celebrity teeth before and after” for hundreds of examples showing successful grownups who were once kids that probably didn’t feel so great about their teeth. This reinforces that things will eventually get better. During your child’s first evaluation for orthodontics, ask Dr. Ceneviz to show before and after results to reassure your child they can have a beautiful smile at the end o...

Parents face many decisions, even before their baby makes an appearance—but once that bundle of joy arrives, one important choice is whether to use a pacifier. Babies have a natural reflex to suck their thumbs, fingers, pacifiers, or other objects to help them feel more secure, to soothe them, or to lull them to sleep. If you decide your little bundle of joy needs a binky for a bit, Dr. Caroline Ceneviz recommends an orthodontic pacifier. What is an Orthodontic Pacifier? Orthodontic pacifiers are specifically designed to help alleviate misaligned teeth and orthodontic issues as baby teeth come in. The nipple of an orthodontic pacifier supports the shape of the developing jaw and palate. When the baby sucks, the orthodontic pacifier mimics the shape of a mother’s nipple, reducing pressure on gums and developing teeth and promoting a natural sucking motion. Some orthodontic pacifiers are even constructed to feel soft enough to avoid irritation of their delicate baby skin. Research in...

Technology has changed nearly every aspect of human life and modern society. New tools, programs, and education can greatly improve your healthcare, too! Let’s say you need any kind of standard dental restoration for a cracked or missing tooth. From x-rays and impressions to surgery and installation, your whole treatment could be digital. We’re so used to digital tools these days, you may not even notice how much technology a dentist can utilize to best serve your oral health needs. Below are some of the ways your oral care may be digitized. CAD/CAM Software Short for computer-assisted design and computer-assisted manufacturing, this software brings you better-fitting crowns, veneers, inlays and onlays, and bridges. CAD/CAM technology comes out of industrial engineering and manufacturing and into the dental office to provide faster, superior products and services in oral health. Using computers to design oral appliances–including clear aligner orthodontics –increases accuracy, effic...

If you had to give up your toothbrush or your car, which would it be? According to a recent survey, 42 percent of adults and 34 percent of teens would rather turn in their keys, computer, cell phone, or microwave than get rid of their toothbrushes. It seems that many people love toothbrushes the way your Atlanta orthodontist Dr. Caroline Ceneviz does. Chamblee Orthodontics would like to take this opportunity to celebrate the history of the toothbrush and discuss choosing the one that’s right for you. Toothbrushes are Older than What?! Did you know that toothbrushes were invented before soap, deodorant, and even toilets? The idea of the toothbrush is over 5,000 years old, although back then they were a lot different than what we have now. In ancient times, people used sticks, bones, and all manner of animal hair and products to brush their teeth and take care of their gums. The switch from animal hair to synthetic materials (for bristles) is fairly new, and the mass production of to...

Right Here, Right Now “When is the right time to begin orthodontic treatment?” is a frequently asked question at Chamblee Orthodontics —and for good reason! Each smile is unique, so there is no one-size-fits-all answer. However, there may be a “one size fits most”. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends a child’s first orthodontic visit take place before the age of 7.  At this age, orthodontists can determine whether early intervention is needed, and if it is, which treatment method will be the most successful. Even if your child’s teeth are straight, there may be subtle problems with jaw growth and emerging teeth, or indications of a sleep disorder . Other symptoms that may signal the need for orthodontic treatment include: Mouth breathing Jaw clenching or teeth grinding Inability to fully close lips Misaligned bite (also known as malocclusion) Popping jaw Frequent cheek biting The Benefits of Early Intervention Many parents are surprised to learn that ...

When it comes to ridiculous beliefs on dental hygiene and treatment, we’ve heard just about everything. However, the most dangerous ones usually aren’t quite so over the top. Unfortunately, a number of dental myths are floating all over the world, so Atlanta orthodontist Dr. Caroline Ceneviz is here to put an end to the misinformation. Don’t feel bad if you have believed one or more of these at some point, you’re not the only one, but do make sure to give us a call if you have any questions or concerns. If your gums are bleeding, don’t brush them The idea behind this false claim is that bleeding gums need to be allowed time to heal before they should be brushed, when in fact, gums bleed because they haven’t been brushed enough! This is because bacteria buildup around and beneath the gum line has irritated the gums. If your gums are bleeding, it means you have gingivitis, or worse, advanced gum disease, and you should see your dentist right away. Sensitive teeth are a sign of cavit...

Full disclosure before Chamblee Orthodontics starts dropping knowledge on the muscles in your mouth that are partially to thank (or blame) for the foods you love: we’re hungry as we write this and are envisioning pizza; yummy, savory pizza with cheese that stretches when you grab a slice, crust with just the right amount of crunch, sauce with the best blend of veggies and herbs…what were we going to talk about? Oh yeah, taste buds ! Wait—are you craving pizza now, too? Let’s go halfsies on some ‘za! Gusta-what?! The scientific term for your taste buds is gustatory receptor cells . Jot that down because there will be a quiz later (we joke). These taste buddies (that’s just more fun to say, isn’t it?) form before we evacuate the womb. In fact, based on their sensitivity to sweet and bitter tastes, newborns may have more taste buds than adults. For an image to distract from the pizza that may still be on your mind, picture babies trying new foods. Need help? That’s what we’re here for!...

Sore jaw? Restless nights? Play sports? If any of these apply to you, you might be surprised to hear that you could use a mouthguard! Atlanta orthodontist Dr. Caroline Ceneviz has more information below. Functions of Mouthguards Mouthguards are solid pieces of plastic that keep your teeth and jaw in a specific resting position. The basic function of a mouthguard is protection. Mouthguards help prevent accidental mouth injuries, ease pain from grinding your teeth, and can even help patients with trouble sleeping. They usually only cover the top row of teeth, but can sometimes be made to cover the bottom row too. You can buy a mouthguard pre-made, custom-made, or use the “boil and bite” method for something in the middle. Custom mouthguards offer the highest level of protection and the most comfortable fit, but no matter where you get your mouthguard, actually wearing it is the most important part. Types of Mouthguards All mouthguards look and function mostly the same, but they mi...