Top Foods That Might Harm Your Smile

7 Foods That Will Damage Your Teeth

As you sit down with a snack to watch your favorite TV shows or read a book, be conscientious about what you grab to munch on. Whatever you choose, it could be contributing to tooth decay and other mouth diseases. As you know, some foods are worse than others for the health of your teeth. Below, Dr. Landry in Seville, OH outlines some of the worst choices for your dental health.

1. Hard Candy:

Candy is bad enough as is, they contain all kinds of sugars that attack your teeth. However, hard candies are even worse as they can cause a dental emergency. Patients come in all the time who have cracked their tooth due to chomping down on a hard candy.

2. Chewy/Sticky Food:

Foods like gummy bears, jelly beans, starbursts, skittles, and other foods of this nature, have a tendency to get stuck in your teeth for long periods of time.   Due to being stuck on your teeth, these foods assault your teeth and lead to tooth decay. If you do eat these foods make sure to floss and brush after you are done.

3. Crunchy Food:

Foods like potato chips and pretzels contain a lot of starch. Think about this, how often do you find yourself trying to get particles of potato chip or pretzel out of your mouth after you ate them? This is due to the tendency starch has to get stuck in your teeth, especially your molars.

4. Citrus:

Fruits are great for your health, they contain many vitamins that are essential to your health. However, fruits that have high amounts of citric acid may be bad for your teeth. Fruits like oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, and tangerines contain a lot of citric acid. This acid can attack your tooth enamel and cause damage to the tooth.

5. Alcohol:

Think about this the next time you go to grab a beer or glass of wine. One major side effect of alcohol consumption is dehydration, which leads to dry mouth. Dry mouth prevents your mouth from properly protecting itself from cavities, gum disease, and other infections. Make sure to keep you saliva flow adequate.

6. Caffeinated Drinks:

Like alcohol, caffeine causes you to have dry mouth. In addition to dry mouth, many people add sugar to their tea, coffee, and we all know how much sugar soft drinks contain.

7. Sports Drinks:

When exercising or partaking in athletic events, they are great for your recovery. However, if you consume these drinks on a regular basis, the levels of sugars can cause harm to your teeth and mouth.

So, now you may be wondering what foods you can actually eat. Have no fears, Dr. Landry will examine what foods are beneficial to your oral health in our next blog post, so stay tuned!

Think you might have a cavity or need a cleaning? Please feel free to contact Dr. Landry in Seville, OH serving patients in Wadsworth, Medina, Creston, Chippewa Lake, Westfield, and surrounding areas!

Should I Worry About My Snoring?

Is Snoring Serious?

When you snore, it may keep your wife or husband, kids, and maybe even the dog awake at night. Additionally, you may dread trips with friends or coworkers where you will be sharing a room. Yes, snoring is embarrassing and annoying, but could it be worse than just that?

Unfortunately, the answer to that question is yes. Snoring may be an indication of several health concerns. Often, it is a symptom of sleep apnea, a medical condition that negatively impacts your breathing.

There are two kinds of sleep apnea to be aware of: Central and Obstructive.

Obstructive is the more common kind. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the muscles in your throat relax and block part of your airway.

Central sleep apnea is less common, but the more serious. Central sleep apnea occurs when your brain fails to signal to the muscles that control your breathing.

Both sleep apnea and snoring can be a result of other, more serious, health problems. These health problems include:

- Stroke
- Heart Disease
- GERD (Acid Reflux)
- Irregular heartbeat
- Excessive weight gain

The severity of your snoring does not matter; loud or quiet, it could be a sign of something much worse than just snoring. If you are a snorer, there is hope. We suggest first consulting a physician or sleep therapist.

We welcome you to contact us at 330-769-4470 to schedule a visit with Dr. Landry and the friendly Landry Family Dentistry Team! Our new state-of-the-art facility in Seville is conveniently located minutes from Medina and Wadsworth, as well as Westfield Center, Lodi, Chippewa Lake, and Creston.

Why Do We Develop More Cavities As We Age?

Tooth Decay

One of the greatest protectors against cavities is saliva. The reason for this, is saliva helps to neutralize the acids in our mouths. Our salivary glands are located in our cheeks and under our tongues. These glands make two different kinds of saliva: serous and mucoid. Serous saliva is the more wet and watery of your saliva and your mucoid saliva is thick and sticky. Our serous saliva is the important one when considering cavities and oral health.

Unfortunately, as we age, fatty tissue is stored in our serous salivary glands. This means that the area of our mouth that used to create saliva is now being replaced with fat. As a result of this, we start to suffer from dry mouth (xerostomia). Dry mouth means that we are not producing enough saliva, and we have more acids in our mouth than bases. As a result of this imbalance, we start to develop more cavities.

There are other things that can also cause dry mouth for us as we age. These things include side effects to medication and radiation treatment. Many common medications that we use when age are to treat hypertension, heart problems, arthritis, and others. Unfortunately, a side effect of many of these medications is diminished salivary gland production. Additionally, radiation treatment decreases cell multiplication including the cells that make up your salivary glands.

As we grow old, our body goes through many changes that impact our health. Because of this, Dr. Landry in Seville, OH suggests that you continue to see your dentist at least twice per year. If you would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Landry please call us at 330-769-4470 or use our online form.

Xerostomia (Dry Mouth) - Part 4

Relief For Dry Mouth

Now that we have looked at what dry mouth is, what some of the common causes are, and what some good treatment options are, let’s discuss a few more ways to find relief. Finding relief from dry mouth is not always easy, but avoiding certain foods and activities can help.

Unfortunately, cutting some of your favorite foods and activities out of your life is not easy. However, if you are serious about finding relief for your dry mouth, here are some suggestions of what to eliminate from your diet or daily activities:

- Avoid alcohol consumption.

- Avoid smoking cigarettes and other tobacco products.

- Avoid excess caffeine intake.

- Avoid foods and juices with citrus.

- Avoid consuming too much sodium.

Additionally, you should dry to breathe through your nose as much as possible. When you breathe through your mouth, it can cause your mouth to dry out. However, if your nose is stuffy and you cannot breathe through your nose, please breathe through your mouth instead of not at all!!

If you suffer from dry mouth, please know it can lead to further dental and general health problems and become both annoying and dangerous. If you leave your dry mouth untreated,  you may begin to suffer from extreme tooth decay and gum disease. In a study done by the Oral Cancer Foundation, it was found that roughly thirty percent of cavities in adults were a result of dry mouth. If you can detect dry mouth, and relieve your symptoms, you will not only be more comfortable but also could save your teeth. Unfortunately, the longer you wait to treat your dry mouth - the worse shape you will be in. 

Dr. Landry and his team of dental professionals want you to lead a happy and healthy life. Dr. Landry welcomes you to contact us to schedule an appointment at his office in Seville, Ohio, just minutes from Lodi, Wadsworth, Medina, Creston, and Chippewa Lake to get on your way to a healthy smile.

Xerostomia (Dry Mouth) - Part 3

Remedies For Dry Mouth

In Parts 1 and 2 of our blog series about Dry Mouth, Dr. Landry discussed what dry mouth is, as well as some of the common causes.  At Landry Family Dentistry, we want everyone in the Seville, OH area to be educated about their dental health. Below are several pointers and treatments to find some relief from dry mouth:

- Consume more water
- Proper at home oral care (brushing, flossing, and mouthwash twice per day)
- Chew sugarless chewing gum, look specifically for xylitol
- Utilize a humidifier while sleeping
- Keep your lips hydrated
- Use an artificial saliva substitute
- Visit Dr. Landry regularly

Dry mouth, or xerostomia, often has an underlying cause that cannot be treated. It is common that medication you are taking can cause dry mouth, and not a health issue itself. 



In part 4 of our blog series regarding dry mouth, we will discuss other ways to find relief. If you would like to schedule a visit to Landry Family Dentistry, we would be happy to see you. 


Xerostomia (Dry Mouth) - Part 2

Common Causes of Dry Mouth

Everyone at Landry Family Dentistry in Seville, OH understands that maintaining your oral health is critical in maintaining your overall health. You may not know but dry mouth, or xerostomia, can stem from an underlying health condition. Whatever is causing your dry mouth, it is important to understand it and properly treat it.

What are causes of Dry Mouth?

Dry mouth is when you do not produce enough saliva to keep your mouth moist. But what causes this insufficient secretion of saliva? Common causes of insufficient salivary flow include medications, diseases like anemia and diabetes, radiation therapy, nerve damage, dehydration, smoking, caffeine intake and other various triggers.

While all of the above can cause dry mouth, the leading cause is medications. Many medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, have dry mouth as a potential side effect. Below is a list of several groups of medications that can be involved with dry mouth. The list includes, but is not limited to the following:

- Alergy medications
- Antidepressants
- Pain Killers
- Diuretics
- Blood Pressure medications

- Inhalers
- Decongestants

If you would like to know some treatment tips to prevent and reverse dry mouth please stay tuned for part 3 of our blog series on dry mouth.

For tips like this and more, please like us on Facebook and follow us on Google+ and Twitter! If you are in the Seville, Wadsworth, Medina, Creston, Chippewa Lake, or Westfield area, please contact us for a visit to discuss ways in which we can address your dry mouth or other dental concerns.

Xerostomia (Dry Mouth) - Part 1

What is Dry Mouth?

Do you find yourself quite thirsty all the time? Do you have trouble swallowing certain kinds of food? Does your saliva ever feel foamy or thick? You may be one of the millions of Americans that suffers from xerostomia, better know as dry mouth.


25% of Americans are affected by dry mouth, so you are not alone in suffering from this common disorder. Dr. Landry and the entire team at Landry Family Dentistry want the gums, teeth, and mouths of people in Seville, OH to be as healthy as possible. The following is information that Dr. Landry and his team want you to know regarding dry mouth and how it impacts your dental health.

What is dry mouth?

Dry mouth (xerostomia), is an absence or inadequate amount of saliva in the mouth. This can lead to many issues as your saliva is an integral part of maintaining good oral health.

Why is it a problem?

Saliva is one of the most important factors to maintaining your oral health. The reason saliva is so important is due to the many functions it performs like preventing tooth decay, aiding in the digestion process, and helping us fight off infection. If you create an insufficient amount of saliva it can lead to things like periodontitis and cavities.


Keep your eyes open for part two of our series on dry mouth where we will discuss some common causes of dry mouth. If you are in the Seville, Medina, Wadsworth, Creston, Westfield, or Chippewa Lake area please contact us today at 330-769-4470.