Latest News

From Dr. Keith A. Hoover

TOOTH GRINDING

March 24, 2025Prevention

The technical name for tooth grinding is bruxism. Stress is certainly one of the factors that can lead to grinding. A sleep disorder, an abnormal bite or crooked or missing teeth also can be factors. Some experts estimate that as many as 10 percent of the population deal with this condition to some extent, ranging from children to senior citizens.

The best person to talk to if you or a loved one has this condition is your dentist. It can be a serious problem. Some people who grind their teeth in their sleep may wake up feeling fine. Others, however, may wake with some combination of jaw, shoulder and neck pain. The grinding action also can significantly wear teeth and loosen them. It can also crack tooth enamel and break teeth.

During sleep, bruxism can cause a person’s jaw to clench at pressures up to six times the level exerted during waking hours. Your dentist will first try to diagnose the cause of the condition. If it is stress related, the result, say, of pressure at work, the dentist may recommend physical therapy, chiropractic treatment or counseling. Muscle-relaxing medication and/or a nighttime mouth guard, specially fitted by the dentist, may also be an answer.

If you, your family, or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice. Refer someone you love to someone you trust!

Presented as a service to the community by Doctors Hoover and Yanda,

39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236. 330-650-0360.

www.drshooverandyanda.com

PREVENTING PERIODONTAL DISEASE

March 17, 2025Gum Disease

There are many great reasons to visit your dentist regularly. It’s almost impossible to know if you have periodontal disease because the early signs of the disease are not detectable to the untrained eye. When the disease is caught early, it is easily treated. Early treatment is what you want because gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss.

The initial stage of periodontal disease is called gingivitis. The main cause of it is the buildup of plaque on and between teeth. Brushing and flossing will eliminate most plaque. When plaque hardens, it’s called tartar or calculus, which is too hard to brush away with a toothbrush. The bacteria in tartar produce toxins that attack gum tissue and the bones that support the teeth.

When this bacterial infection spreads well below the gum line, the condition is called periodontitis. In this advanced phase of gum disease, the gum starts to pull away from the teeth, creating pockets. The condition is characterized by bleeding and swollen gums and causes bone loss in the jaw. Eventually, it leads to tooth loss. It also can exacerbate problems like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

If you, your family, or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice. Refer someone you love to someone you trust!

Presented as a service to the community by Doctors Hoover and Yanda,

39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236. 330-650-0360.

www.drshooverandyanda.com

CRACKED TOOTH

March 10, 2025Dental Emergency

Q: What makes a tooth crack?

A: The bite of an average adult exerts about 150 to 200 pounds per square inch. That is a lot of pressure that teeth are subjected to. Even though tooth enamel is an extremely hard material, if certain forces are aligned, you can indeed crack a tooth. And not all cracks are the same. A sudden, obvious crack will send a person immediately to the dentist. However, you can also develop a hairline crack that is not immediately apparent and leaves you only noticing sensitivity to temperature change and to biting pressure.
A hairline fracture on a cusp—one of the points on a tooth—is not uncommon. Cracks in teeth cannot heal like a bone can. Those cracks can, over time, get deeper, longer, and wider, causing a part of the tooth to break off. A crown is often made to protect a cracked tooth. If a crack is small enough that it has not compromised the pulp chamber, it probably is not necessary to perform a root canal, a procedure that involves cleaning out the pulp of the tooth and resealing it.
Any tooth can crack, given the right circumstances, and any tooth that already has a weakness is more susceptible. Add a propensity for chewing hard objects, like ice cubes, pencils, hard candy, or popcorn kernels, and you have the circumstances that can crack a tooth. Inform your dentist immediately of any change in sensation in your mouth. As with any dental problem, the sooner you take care of a cracked tooth, the better.
If you, your family, or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice. Refer someone you love to someone you trust!

Presented as a service to the community by Doctors Hoover and Yanda,
39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236. 330-650-0360.
www.drshooverandyanda.com

IMPORTANCE OF NUTRITION

March 3, 2025Health

Q: How much of what we eat affects our oral health?

A: Unfortunately, our increasing exposure to so-called “modern” food has over years had a deleterious affect on our dental health. In 1939, Dr. Weston A. Price, a dentist and pioneering nutritionist, published the book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration.” He reported in the book on so-called “primitive” societies that followed a diet of indigenously produced food and had nicely shaped jaws that held an abundance of strong, pearly white teeth. And this was without the benefit of modern dental care.
As modern foods, particularly white flour and sugar, were introduced, dental problems followed, including the previously rare issue of cavities. Price found that “primitive” diets were rich in calcium, other minerals ,and in what’s called essential fat-soluble vitamins — like A, D, E and K. The diets also were heavy in eggs, butte,r and fish.
It remains true today that a balanced, nutritious diet is good not only for dental health, but also for your overall well-being. Fresh fruit and vegetables, especially the green leafy variety, prepared so as to retain their nutritional value, are especially good for dental health. Try to avoid processed foods, sugar, white flour and the fast food so prevalent in our world.
If you, your family, or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice. Refer someone you love to someone you trust!

Presented as a service to the community by Doctors Hoover and Yanda,
39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236. 330-650-0360.
www.drshooverandyanda.com

DENTAL TRAUMA

February 24, 2025Services

Q: What should I do if I knock a tooth out in an accident?

A: A fall, car accident, collision with a tennis doubles partner, any number of sudden, unexpected events can result in a tooth loss.
So, here’s what to do if you have a tooth knocked out: First, retrieve the tooth if you can. Depending on the environment, keep the tooth moist with either saliva or milk. Don’t scrub it clean because any fibers still attached could be helpful if there’s an opportunity to replant the tooth.

That having been said, go to your dentist — as opposed to a hospital emergency room — as quickly as possible. If he can reseat it within a reasonable time, the likelihood of saving the tooth increases. Likewise, if you break or chip a tooth, try to retrieve the broken-off fragment. If the dentist cannot repair the tooth with the retrieved part, depending on the size of the chip, he or she may be able to repair it with a tooth-colored resin. For a more sizable chip, the dentist may have to put a crown on the tooth.

If a tooth is knocked loose, you may be able to push it back into place yourself. But in any case, involving dental trauma, you should see a dentist as soon as possible. The effects of trauma are not always evident. There may be damage that only an X-ray can detect.
If you, your family, or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice. Refer someone you love to someone you trust!

Presented as a service to the community by Doctors Hoover and Yanda,
39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236. 330-650-0360.
www.drshooverandyanda.com

ROOT CANAL THERAPY

February 17, 2025Health

Q: What exactly is root canal therapy?

A: Root canal therapy is a procedure your dentist, or an endodontist, performs to treat problems in the soft core inside the tooth, the material known as the dental pulp. It is the pulp that holds the blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue that resides within the root canal space inside of a tooth. A deep cavity or a crack in the tooth can let bacteria get into the pulp. That causes an infection that eventually will create a pocket of pus at the tip of the tooth’s root in the jawbone. That pocket of pus is called an abscess. An abscess causes swelling, can become quite painful and can also damage the bone around the tooth.
The first step in a root canal procedure is making an opening in the crown of the tooth through which the dentist can remove the infected pulp. Often times root canal therapy can be performed in one appointment but not always. If there is quite a bit of infection, then the interior of the tooth is cleaned out and sealed with a temporary filling at the first appointment. When the infection is fully gone, the dentist will fill or seal the root canals in a second appointment. After that, the tooth needs to be protected with a crown in order to prevent it from fracturing.
If you, your family, or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice. Refer someone you love to someone you trust!

Presented as a service to the community by Doctors Hoover and Yanda,
39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236. 330-650-0360.
www.drshooverandyanda.com

ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS

February 10, 2025Dental Implants

One of the best ways to replace a missing tooth or teeth these days is with a dental implant. Implants are generally preferable to dentures in that they don’t slip. That makes talking and chewing easier. What’s implanted is a pin, usually made of titanium. The pin goes into your jaw. It acts as a replacement root to support an artificial tooth.

Inserting the pin is a procedure normally done under local anesthesia. Not everyone, however, is a candidate for an implant. For one thing, you have to have enough bone in the jaw to support the implant. If you don’t have enough bone, under some conditions the dentist might be able to graft bone.

You still need to continue regular visits to the dentist. The dentist will want to check regularly on the condition of the implant and of the tissues around it. Talk with your dentist about whether you’re a candidate for an implant.

If you, your family, or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice. Refer someone you love to someone you trust!

Presented as a service to the community by Doctors Hoover and Yanda,

39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236. 330-650-0360.

www.drshooverandyanda.com

WARNING ON ASPIRIN

February 3, 2025Health

Q: I’m on a low daily dosage of aspirin? Does this raise any dental concerns?

A: Indeed, many of us are on low daily doses of aspirin as part of high blood pressure treatment or because of a heart problem. That’s because aspirin thins the blood. It is also a proven pain reliever and an anti-inflammatory agent. So, it is a safe, reliable piece of our medical kit. We do, however, have to be careful with its use.

One danger is the practice by some people of chewing aspirin. They may have a fear of trying to swallow a pill. Rather than waiting for a pill to dissolve in water, they’ll pop it into their mouth and crush the pill with their teeth. That can severely damage tooth enamel. It can also harm the soft tissue of the mouth. Studies have found that a steady diet of that can significantly erode teeth.
Another dangerous practice is to pinch an aspirin tablet between cheek and gum as a treatment for a toothache. The acid in aspirin can literally burn the soft tissue.

Since aspirin, as cited above, is a blood thinner, you want to make your dentist aware of the fact that you take it regularly. It may be a consideration if you are scheduled for any oral surgery. Naturally, you should tell your dentist about any medications you take.
If you, your family, or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice. Refer someone you love to someone you trust!

Presented as a service to the community by Doctors Hoover and Yanda,
39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236. 330-650-0360.
www.drshooverandyanda.com

DENTAL CARE DURING THE WORKDAY

January 27, 2025Dental Emergency

Q: I brush and floss faithfully every morning and night. What can I do for my teeth during the workday?

A: Along with scheduling regular visits to the dentist, maintaining a good regimen of dental care at home is one of the most important things you can do to protect your oral health. Whether it is work or some other activity that keeps you busy during the day, here are some steps you can take to keep your mouth fresh and healthy during the day:

Don’t snack on foods that cling to your teeth, like candy. Keep a toothbrush and some toothpaste at work, if possible, and brush after lunch. If brushing isn’t feasible, use a paper towel or napkin to wipe your teeth after lunch. Even that wiping will remove some plaque, bacteria, and leftover food particles.

Chew sugarless gum if it is appropriate in your daytime circumstances. Chewing gum stimulatesthe production of saliva, which is a natural mouth cleanser. Drink plenty of water during the day, and particularly after eating. This, too, will help wash away the food particles that cavity-causing bacteria thrive on.

If you, your family, or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice. Refer someone you love to someone you trust!

Presented as a service to the community by Doctors Hoover and Yanda,
39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236. 330-650-0360.
www.drshooverandyanda.com

DANGERS OF ACIDIC FOODAND BEVERAGES

January 20, 2025enamel wear

Q: Are some foods more detrimental to tooth health than others?

A: Yes. Dental enamel, the thin, outer layer of hard tissue that protects the tooth and maintains its shape, is subject to erosion and decay. Acidic foods and beverages are among the substances that can adversely affect the enamel. The prolonged exposure to acid that can come from sipping or holding acidic drinks in the mouth before swallowing is not good for the enamel.
Most commercial soft drinks contain acids, which can break down the tooth surface. These acids also damage tooth enamel over time by dissolving the mineral structure of teeth, thinning the enamel. Eventually, because of repeated exposure to acid, the tooth’s enamel will lose its shape and color. As the damage progresses, the underlying dentin—the tissue that makes up the core of the tooth—becomes exposed, causing the teeth to look yellow.

To prevent tooth erosion, wait at least 20 minutes after consuming an acidic food or beverage before brushing the teeth, so as not to damage the weakened enamel. It is safer to eat acidic foods all at the same time, instead of snacking on them throughout the day. Eat these foods only during mealtimes to minimize the amount of time the acid is on your teeth.
If you, your family, or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice. Refer someone you love to someone you trust!

Presented as a service to the community by Doctors Hoover and Yanda,
39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236. 330-650-0360.
www.drshooverandyanda.com