To Pull Or Not To Pull

The ritual of oil pulling has been around for years, but now it has gained momentum in the United States. You may be trying to decide if you want to jump on the bandwagon or let this one pass you by. Dr. Judy Strutz recommends doing your research before you decide if this is something you want to try. There are several reported benefits including overall health of your smile, a naturally whiter smile and reduced bleeding from the gums. 

 

When you are oil pulling you are simply swishing a small amount of oil between your teeth to remove food from the teeth. It is recommended that you do this first thing in the morning, but you can really oil pull anytime of the day. You want to use natural oil; either coconut or sunflower oil is most recommended oil. But you want to make sure you do not swallow any of the oil.

Once you have completed your twenty minutes of swishing, simply spit out the oil and then brush and floss as you normally would. It is recommended if you are on the fence about this, you keep some data for a few weeks to determine if you are noticing a difference. Take a selfie of your smile for two weeks, and compare the before and after photos.

For more information on oil pulling call Dr. Judith Strutz & her team today.

Don’t Let Time Waste

Don’t let time waste! Some dentists and research may tell you that there is no reason to jump the gun and have your baby gets laser surgery for their maxillary frenum, but Dr. Strutz suggests it is important to take care of it as soon as possible. While your baby is growing and developing, it is not only critical for their overall health and development to be able to sleep and eat properly, but once they begin talking a maxillary frenum can impact their ability to say certain sounds.

 

Certain sounds when they are made require the tongue to be in a certain location in the mouth. Some sounds are made at the front of the mouth, while others are at the back. Another set of sounds requires the tongue to push up against the teeth to correctly say. If your child has a frenum that is thick, it can restrict the movement of the tongue.

Once your child enters the age of talking, it is critical that they receive access to proper language models and are able to properly say sounds. Children who have speech impairments can be impacted in the long term in school and may experience depression, school trouble and delays in reading.

For more information on surgery, contact Dr. Strutz & her team today!

4 Keys To Oil Pulling

Oil pulling has been around for thousands of years but recently has gained popularity in helping to restore the health of your smile. While a YouTube video or short twitter post can tell you how to oil pull, it is important to make sure you are utilizing care and caution. Ingesting oil during this process can decrease the positive impact on your smile.

 

1.     Utilize the correct oil. There are multiple types of oils that are recommended for use. Sunflower and coconut oil are the most popular. When choosing oil, you will want to ensure you have a 3:6 omega fat ratio - stay away from those with a 6:3 oil ratio.

2.     “Do not swallow the oil,” says Dr. Strutz. When you put the oil in your mouth, you will want to utilize a small enough amount where you can swish it around in your mouth for twenty minutes but not consume any.

3.     Oil pull at a consistent time. It is usually recommended you oil pull in the morning at the same time. This helps to create a healthy and consistent habit. It also helps to remove food from the teeth prior to brushing.

4.     Swish the oil around the entire mouth. It is called oil pulling because you want to be able to place the oil in your mouth, move it from side to side and around your teeth, in order to remove all of the possible food and bacteria from your mouth.

For more information on how to effectively oil pull, contact Dr.Strutz and her team today.

3 Negative Impacts Of a Maxillary Frenum On Your Baby

When your baby is born it can be difficult and stressful to wrap your mind around them having surgery. While some doctors may tell you that you can wait to have the surgery, or there is no reason to rush, waiting for your baby to have maxillary frenum surgery can negatively impact them especially as they get older. Dr. Judith Strutz, recommends "It is often better to have the surgery soon after they are born.”

1.    A frenum can impact your child's ability to put on weight. Babies lose about half of their weight after they are born and eating is critical for them to get their weight back up. If your baby struggles to latch on to the breast correctly, they can get air in their belly, which makes them think they are not hungry. Then just a few minutes later they can think they are hungry again. But never really get the amount of food they need.

2.    A baby needs about sixteen hours of sleep throughout the day. When they are not getting enough food to fill up their belly they may not sleep as much as they need, or they may wake up often crying to eat. Then they eat a little, go back to sleep and wake up just a few minutes later with a hungry belly to repeat this negative cycle all over again.

3.     A baby who is not sleeping and eating, can become restless and difficult to console. When it is more difficult to calm them down, it can increase the stress for both the parents and baby. This negative cycle can decrease your child’s ability to be happy and enjoy a calm atmosphere.

Contact Dr. Judith Strutz and her team today for more information about your baby's tongue-tie.

How Do I Know If My Baby Requires Tongue-Tie Surgery

Frena is the membranous fold that attaches and restricts the movement of a muscle. In the mouth there are two frena. The plural form of frena is frenum. The first one is located between the inside of the upper lip and the gums. If you slide your tongue up, you can feel the thick piece of skin. While the thickness varies among individuals it should not be between the two front teeth or restrict the tongue from moving back and forward in the mouth. 

The bottom frena should allow free movement of the tongue up and down and should not cause any pain when you move it around.

When your baby is born, you may notice that the frena is thicker and restricts movement, “This is referred to as being tongue-tied,” says Dr. Judith Strutz. This is one sign that may require surgery. While surgery sounds scary for a baby, lasers make this procedure safe and can help to ensure that breastfeeding is successful.

If your baby is struggling to latch onto the nipple during breastfeeding, causing pain and lack of a proper suction you may want to look in their mouth. The frenum should not restrict tongue movement. Your baby should be able to freely move the tongue towards the back of the throat and roof of the mouth.

Contact Dr. Strutzand her team today for more information.

How Tongue Tie Can Impact Breast Feeding

 

Tongue-tie can negatively impact the amazing experience of breastfeeding. In order for your baby to latch on correctly their tongue needs to be in a position where the tongue is against the back of the mouth at the roof. If the thick piece of skin that attaches their tongue to the lower part of their mouth is too thick, it will create a barrier for their tongue to move efficiently in the mouth.  As they attempt to latch on, the tongue-tie may cause them to latch on to the side of the breast instead of the nipple.

If your baby is able to latch on to the nipple, it may still be an issue. When the latch is not quite right it can be painful for you and eventually cause your baby to overcompensate and suck harder. “This takes effort on your infant’s part. Once he is unable to keep up the strength it takes to hold onto the nipple that hard, he may let go,” says Dr. Judith Strutz. “If he lets go too soon, there may be more milk remaining in the breast, causing an increase of pain and soreness for the mother. Your baby will have also not received enough nutrition and then may quickly become hungry again.

Depending on the thickness of the frenum, some babies are not able to latch to the breast at all. While breastfeeding under normal circumstances can cause stress, this situation can create unnecessary strain on you during breastfeeding. Don’t give up. Instead get help.

Contact Dr. Strutz & her team today and have your child evaluated for a lip or tongue tie..

Get Your Baby Laser Surgery

Laser surgery can help save you and your baby from hours of sleepless nights, gas and nursing pain. When your baby is born and you are staring at their perfectly formed ten fingers and ten toes, you may not notice the frenum - a thick piece of skin that attaches the lip to the roof of the mouth and another that attaches the tongue to the bottom of the mouth.  This piece of skin should not obstruct movement of the tongue, but many times it does.

Some may suggest you wait to have surgery as the skin may fix itself, but when you are nursing your baby, it can become a problem for your child and you. A lip tie or tongue-tie may mean that your baby will have difficulty correctly latching on to the nipple. In order for you baby to have the proper attachment when eating, the tongue needs to be in the correct position.

A frenum, can decrease the movement in the tongue when a baby is trying to eat, which can become painful. Babies can cause sleep deprived mothers and fathers under normal conditions, if they are not eating correctly or if they are in pain, this can cause them and you to get even less sleep.

Surgery for this can be done using lasers and completed when your baby is just a few days or weeks old.  For more information on laser surgery, contact Dr. Judy Strutz today.

 

Is Oil Pulling Right For Me

Oil pulling is the process of swishing oil in the mouth, in order to pull impurities from the mouth and the body. While this procedure is not new, and has been done for thousands of years, it has only recently hit the mainstream as a process that can help rid the mouth and the body of the buildup of toxins. While oil pulling may not be right for you, when paired with healthy dental habits, research shows it can increase the health of your smile. Here are three things to consider before you begin this process.

Dr. Judy Strutz, says “While oil pulling can be beneficial, it may not be the right process for everyone.”  Toxins overtime build up in the mouth. These toxins can come from inside the body and be held in the mouth for long periods of time. If you lead a healthy life, and are able to rid toxins from the body through other processes, there may not be a need for you to utilize oil pulling. If you find yourself feeling, tired, sluggish and have low energy, you may be a good candidate to try this.

Oil pulling can remove buildup of plaque from your teeth. Nothing will replace healthy dental habits, but to provide an extra layer of support for your teeth, oil pulling can reduce the amount of plaque buildup, which leads to cavities and other problems.

Gum disease is the number one disease in America that affects adults. Dr. Strutz suggests, “Oil pulling can help strengthen the health of your gums.” Stronger gums help hold your teeth in place and decrease your chances of additional bone loss due to periodontal disease.

For more information contact Dr. Strutz & her team today

Laser Surgery

Laser surgery can seem scary, especially when performed on your infant. While some dentists may recommend that you wait if your baby has a maxillary frenum, Dr. Judy Strutz recommends taking care of this early on. While initially your baby may be impacted negatively right away with decreased ability to eat correctly, as they get older their ability to speak correctly may also be impacted.

Children that enter school with a frenum may be unable to correctly pronounce certain sounds. If a child by the age of five is unable to pronounce certain sounds correctly they may never be able to say them quite right. Children can be teased or become frustrated when peers ask them to repeat what they are saying. 

Curriculum requirements mean that students are reading at earlier ages then years ago and are required to orally express their thoughts and understanding of problems.   Dr. Strutz states, “While they may struggle to correctly speak due to the thin piece of skin between their teeth, it can also decrease their self-esteem, causing them to speak in school less and less.” An inability to express their understanding of a problem has a tremendous impact on their overall educational opportunities and could impact them for years to come.

           

If your child has a frenum, now is the time to get it evaluated.

Oil Pulling & You

Here are the facts:

Oil pulling has earned the positive respect from professionals as an alternative method to keeping your smile healthy. While some individuals can’t understand why someone would stick oil in their mouth and swish it around, the impact of this choice can change the way your smile looks. Here are the facts about oil pulling. While oil pulling does not replace regular brushing and flossing, it can still be a valuable addition to your routine habits.

Oil pulling has been around for three thousand years and is not new in the dental field. It has gained recent attention due to reported benefits. The recommended oil is sesame, coconut or sunflower oil. Coconut oil has the added benefit of having anti-microbial agents.   

While twenty minutes may seem like a long time when oil pulling, if the time is a struggle you may want to begin at five minutes and then work your way up. Dr. Judy Strutz, suggests, “Do this one time a day.” The purpose of oil pulling is to remove food from between the teeth and remove bacteria in the mouth.

Once you put the oil in your mouth, you need to gently swish back and forth. Your jaw should not hurt while oil pulling. It is just a gentle swish in the mouth. When your time is up, you’ll want to spit out the oil. “It is not recommended you swallow any,” says Dr. Strutz.

To learn more, contact our office.