Dangerous Holiday Food For Your Crowns

The food you consume can cause havoc not only to your permanent teeth, but also to your newly placed dental crowns. Brushing, flossing and visiting your San Bernardinocosmetic dentist regularly are critical to having your smile stay in great condition. During the holidays, don’t let food choices, impact your dental crowns or your natural teeth by following these simple food rules. 

Avoid extra sugar and treats. Sugar can cause your tooth underneath the crown to decay. While you are consuming pie or more sugary drinks, the bacterium in your mouth is feeding off of the sugar, this combination can cause major problems. If you are going to consume treats or candy, it is recommended you either brush your teeth right away if you can, or chew a piece of sugar-free gum.  

The extra saliva can help to remove sugar and other food debris from your teeth. 
Avoid consuming lots of breads and high carb foods. “While these traditional Thanksgiving foods are available, you may want to avoid them in large quantitties to protect your smile,” says Dr. Judith Strutz. Small portions, brushing immediately and consuming fruits or vegetables can help protect your crowns. And any food that has a larger water content can remove food from between the teeth.  

      For more information on healthy food to consume contact Dr. Strutz & her team today.  

Sleep Apnea During The Holidays

Don’t let sleep apnea hold you back from visiting family or staying where ever you want to go. You may be embarrassed because you know you snore loudly, or you don’t want to travel with all the necessary supplies for your breathing machine. There are current options that may change this traveling dilemma for you. 
Sleep apnea is caused when, during sleep, your tongue blocks your airway when you lay down reducing your ability to breathe normally. During your sleep pattern, you may wake up several times a night in order to get air to your lungs. This can be dangerous if your brain does not get the oxygen it needs.  
While it seems out of place that you would call and set up a consultation with your prosthodontist, this is exactly what you need to do. Dr. Judy Strutz and her team are available to complete a consultation with you. During this time, they will evaluate the shape of the roof of your mouth and discuss other problems or symptoms you may be experiencing from sleep apnea. 
Once the consultation is over, you and Dr. Strutz will work together to create a plan to provide support to you. This may include a removable dental device that widens the pallet of the mouth. By having the pallet of the mouth widened, she may be able to prevent the blockage from your tongue when you are sleeping. 

              Don’t spend one more Holiday by yourself embarrassed about your sleep apnea. 

Treat Yourself to a Beautiful Smile

Everyone deserves to treat him or herself now and again. We work hard throughout the year providing for the family, the kids, your employer, but now is the time to keep your needs in mind as well. The end of the year is coming to a close and with that you may lose some of your insurance benefits. Don’t end the year with a smile you don’t love. This holiday get a consult and determine the best course of action to restore your smile and be picture perfect ready.

Money is sometimes tight during the holidays, and that is why this gift is so incredible. You have insurance benefits you have already paid for but may not have used. Now is the time to use them. “There are certain restorative procedures that can be completed,” says Dr. Judy Strutz, “that restore your smile, but that are covered by insurance.”

Implants, bridges, and crowns are all procedures that can be completed to restore your smile. It is never too late to get your healthy smile back and to regain the function of your teeth.  Depending on the strength of your jaw, how many teeth you are missing, or the look of your natural teeth, there are plenty of options.

We know how important your smile is during the holiday photos. Contact Dr. Strutz and her team today for more information.

3 Reasons Why Your Baby May Need Tongue-Tie Laser Surgery

When your baby is born with tongue or lip tie it can impact their ability to properly latch onto the breast when eating. At first you may think it is just you and something that you are doing, but before you jump to conclusions, take a look inside their mouth. A lip or tongue-tie restricts movement and is associated with a thick piece of tissue that attaches the lip to the upper teeth, or the tongue to the floor of the mouth. If you think your child may suffer from a lip or tongue-tie, Dr. Judy Strutz recommends giving her a call and scheduling a consult. If your baby is unable to latch to the breast properly, you may want to consider laser surgery. It can be very painful if they are latching onto the side of the breast or only holding onto the nipple.

Breastfeeding is built on a supply and demand system. The more you produce, the more your baby eats, and the more they eat the more you produce. If your baby is unable to latch on to the breast completely, your body can think they are no longer eating and your body may begin to reduce the amount of milk you are producing. Or you may end up with a bacteria infection called mastitis because of your baby’s inability to latch onto the breast and fully drain the milk.

As your baby gets older, a lip or tongue-tie may impact their speech and ability to say certain sounds. Sounds like Th or Wh are said with the tongue in a particular location. The thickness of the tongue-tie will determine how much or how little they are able to move their tongue within their mouth.

It is never easy when you are a new parent and you have to consider whether it is in your baby’s best interests to receive surgery. But laser surgery does make that choice easier. For more information contact Dr.Strutz and her team today.

2 Causes Of Reduced Milk Supply

Tongue-tie or lip ties occur when the thick piece of skin under the tongue or above the upper lip is thicker than it is supposed to be. "There are two spots where the tongue attaches," Dr. Judy Strutz. When the skin is tight, it can restrict the tongue and lip from movement. Sometimes, when babies are born, this skin is thicker or reaches between the gums, causing problems for your baby to breastfeed.

When your baby is unable to latch onto the breast correctly, the baby is only getting half of the supply. They may be eating for just a few minutes and then letting go. Then eating long enough for the let down to occur and then unlatching from the breast. This may cause your overall milk production to decrease, as your body believes there is no reason to continue producing that much milk.

You can also end up getting mastitis. This can be very painful and is usually caused from not having your baby feed enough. Mastitis is a bacterial infection and can lead to a need to get the area drained in order to remove the infection. During the time of the surgery and when you are recovering, it can be painful to breastfeed and again, your body may feel it does not need to produce milk because you are not feeding your baby as much as you would normally.

If you find that you are struggling to breastfeed and you are feeling pain due to your baby’s tongue tie, contact Dr. Strutz & her team today for more information.

Breastfeeding Is A Supply & Demand Business

A few days after your baby is born it may feel like you are going to explode as your milk comes in. Your body is responding to the needs of your baby and you want to give them the best you can. But if your baby has a lip or tongue tie it can impact the supply of milk you are producing.

Dr. Judy Strutz suggests, "when your child latches on to the breast in order to eat, the proper attachment is critical to the success of them getting enough milk." When a baby has a maxillary frenum they may latch onto just the nipple. Sucking and then letting go, then re-latching on. This can become extremely painful for the mother and can leave your child feeling frustrated and hungry.

Sometimes the infant may latch onto the side of the breast to compensate for the fact that their tongue does not move enough in the mouth. When this happens, your child may get some of the let down before the milk really comes in. But then because they do not have the ability to stay on the breast, they may unlatch. The process of latching and then trying to latch again can cause breast pain.. Not only that, but while this cycle continues, your supply of milk could be decreasing. Because your child is not fully getting the milk,  your body may think your baby is not wanting to eat and therefore there is no reason to produce more milk.

While this can be frustrating and lead to mastitis there is help you can get.

For other information on Tongue or lip-ties and for support contact Dr. Strutz & her team today.

Breastfeeding & Supply Of Milk

The amount of milk your body produces when you are breastfeeding is based on several different factors. How healthy you eat, the amount of water you consume, your overall stress, and how well your baby is eating. After birth, the goal for your child is to regain their birth weight. Babies often lose about 7 to 10% of their body weight in the first few days after they are born.  Babies impacted by a lip or tongue-tie may lose more weight than that, as they try to navigate how to properly eat.

Once your baby is latched on, they need to continually suck in order for them to get milk. While when they first latch on they get a little bit of milk as you let down, they must work for the milk to continue. Dr.Strutz suggests, “Babies with tongue or lip-ties, may not be latched on properly. This means that they are unable to work correctly to get additional milk after the initial let-down. If your baby does not continue sucking, your milk supply can begin to dry up because your body does not believe that it needs to make more milk.

If your baby is latching on but you are not releasing enough milk it can also lead to mastitis or blockage in a mammary duct. This blockage can be very painful and require antibiotics to clear up the infection. During this time, breastfeeding may not only be painful for you, but can continue to decrease your supply if you are not able to breastfeed through the mastitis.

We now know how to help many mothers successfully nurse. If you have questions, or to have your child evaluated for a lip or tongue tie, contact Dr. Judy Strutz & her team today.

Breastfeeding & The Impact Of Tongue Tie

Breastfeeding is an amazing opportunity for moms to take care of their baby. It can be more than just eating. Breastfeeding is a way to build a strong, safe and loving bond from the early days of life. It can help you to feel a strong connection to your child and for them to know they are always going to be taken care of and loved.

While your body, as a new mom, is ready to feed and nourish her, sometimes it’s not as easy as just your baby latching on and eating. Dr.Strutz says, “A tongue-tie or lip tie can cause problems for both you and your child.”  Milk production is based on supply and demand. Latch problems can negatively impact your infant when they are attempting to eat.

An improper latch on the nipple can cause your little one to attempt to eat but not be able to get enough milk. They may latch onto the side of the breast, or sometimes hold loosely onto the nipple, sucking. This can cause the nipple to become sore and chapped. While your infant holding onto the side of the breast can cause lesions, rough skin and an inability to produce the amount of milk you need for them to sustain a healthy weight.

For more information on lip and tongue-ties contact Dr. Judy Strutz & her team.