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It's a habit many people have and not only can it be annoying to the people around you, it can be detrimental to your dental health. Chewing ice is so common that it even has its own name, pagophagia. We're not talking about a slushy or shaved ice (although those artificially sugary treats should be avoided too!) but more like the hunks of ice rattling around in the bottom of your glass.

Ice chewing can be a sign of emotional problems like stress or obsessive-compulsive disorder, but it can also be a marker for iron deficiency anemia and other physical problems. Then again, some people just like to have something to chew on. For whatever reason you find yourself chewing on it, it's a habit you need to break.

Chewing on ice can cause:

• Chipped and cracked teeth
• Damaged enamel
• Sore jaw muscles
• Damage to dental work such as crowns, fillings, or other appliances

If chewing on ice is becoming a problem in your life, don’t hesitate to speak with Dr. Matthew Hilmi about it. But if you find yourself still wanting to chew on something, here are a few alternatives to ice:

• Baby carrots
• Celery sticks
• Sugar-free (xylitol) gum

We know you need to chill sometimes, but chomping down your entire glass of ice is not the way to do it. If you have any other questions on the topic, feel free to talk with a member of our Kingston team. It may be beneficial in solving the issue and helping to remediate any damage to your teeth.

Thanksgiving marks the start to the holidays; a season filled with feasting, indulging, and spending time with family and friends are always special. Thanksgiving is a holiday meant for giving thanks, and while this may seem like such a natural celebration, the United States is only one of a handful of countries to officially celebrate with a holiday.

Unlike many holidays, Thanksgiving is a secular holiday, and it is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States. In Canada, it is celebrated on the second Monday of October, which is, oddly enough, much closer to a time when harvests were likely gathered. In addition to the different dates, the origins of the celebration also share different roots.

Thanksgiving in the United States

Giving thanks for a bountiful harvest are not new, but the modern day holiday in the US can be traced to a celebration at Plymouth in Massachusetts in 1621. This feast of thanksgiving was inspired by a good harvest, and the tradition was simply continued on. At first, the colony at Plymouth didn't have enough food to feed everyone present, but the Native Americans helped by providing seeds and teaching them how to fish, and they soon began to be able to hold a feast worthy of the name. The tradition spread, and by the 1660s, most of New England was hosting a Thanksgiving feast in honor of the harvest.

Canadian Thanksgiving

An explorer of early Canada named Martin Frobisher is accredited for the first Canadian Thanksgiving. He survived the arduous journey from England through harsh weather conditions and rough terrain, and after his last voyage from Europe to present-day Nunavut, he held a formal ceremony to give thanks for his survival and good fortune. As time passed and more settlers arrived, a feast was added to what quickly became a yearly tradition. Another explorer, Samuel de Champlain, is linked to the first actual Thanksgiving celebration in honor of a successful harvest; settlers who arrived with him in New France celebrated the harvest with a bountiful feast.

A Modern Thanksgiving

Today, Thanksgiving is traditionally celebrated with the best of Americana. From feasts and football games to getting ready for the start of the Christmas shopping season, Thanksgiving means roasted turkey, pumpkin pie, and green bean casserole. No matter how you celebrate this momentous day, pause for a moment to give thanks for your friends, family, and all the bounties you’ve received. Happy Thanksgiving from Mid-Hudson Oral and Maxillofacial Practice!

Pregnancy can be one of the most exciting times in a woman’s life, as you eagerly wait for the birth of the new addition. Needless to say, pregnancy comes with a lot of responsibilities. Everything you do to your own body can affect your baby’s health, so you eat right and try to avoid anything that could harm your baby.

You may not realize it, but even your oral health affects your baby. You have a lot to worry about during this time in your life, but it’s important not to let your oral health slide. Maintaining good routines before and during pregnancy can improve the health of your baby.

Gum Disease and Pregnancy

Gum disease includes gingivitis and the more severe condition called periodontitis. Pregnancy gingivitis is a condition that results from bacteria in your teeth. Symptoms include gum inflammation and bad breath. If it progresses to periodontitis, your baby is at higher risk for preterm delivery and low-birth weight. You can also develop pregnancy tumors, or pyogenic granulomas, which can interfere with speaking and eating. Throughout pregnancy, continue to visit Dr. Matthew Hilmi at your regularly scheduled appointments to look for signs of gum disease.

Pregnancy and the Role of Our Office

Make an appointment with Dr. Matthew Hilmi at our Kingston office when you first learn that you’re pregnant, especially if you have unresolved oral health issues. If possible, try not to schedule necessary treatment during the first trimester or second half of the third trimester.

Oral Health Care Habits to Follow

Maintain a normal good oral health care regimen, which includes brushing your teeth at least twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste and soft toothbrush, and flossing daily. If your regular regimen is not up to par, now is a good time to develop good habits. You can use an unflavored toothpaste if you have morning sickness and regular toothpaste makes you feel nauseous. Also, rinse your mouth with water or mouthwash if you experience morning sickness to prevent acid damage to your teeth.

We do our best to plan for our health. We eat right, we exercise, we see our doctors and dentists for regular checkups. But despite our best efforts, we can’t plan for accidents. A bike rider’s encounter with a pothole can mean a broken jaw. A clumsy elbow knocks out a basketball player’s tooth. A car collision leaves the driver with fractured facial bones and lacerations.

These are all very different injuries, but they are all considered facial trauma. When you are the victim of an accident, it’s always important to get the best treatment as quickly as possible. That’s why, if you should ever find yourself in the emergency room with facial trauma, it’s a very good idea to ask for a consultation with an oral and maxillofacial surgeon like Dr. Matthew Hilmi.

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are trained specifically in the treatment of facial traumas. They have a minimum of four years of surgical education in a hospital-based residency program. They train with medical residents, and focus on studies in general surgery, anesthesiology, internal medicine, plastic surgery, and otolaryngology (the study of the ear, nose, and throat), among other fields of specialty.

Because their training is centered on the face, mouth, and jaw, these surgeons are experts in diagnosing and treating the complex interrelationship of these structures. Let’s look at our unfortunate cyclist, for example.

A broken jaw involves bone, muscle, ligaments, and teeth. Bones need to fit back together properly; the joint that connects the jawbones needs to function smoothly; and not just the jaw, but the teeth need to be back in alignment. Because they know just how these structures must work together, oral surgeons are experts in restoring function after facial trauma.

But treating facial trauma involves more than restoring functionality. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are also concerned with restoring the patient’s appearance for both physical and psychological healing. Oral surgeons are extensively trained in techniques to reduce scarring and to maintain the balance and symmetry of facial features.

If you suffer facial trauma, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon has the specific knowledge and training to provide you with the very best treatment for your injuries. Oral surgeons are also, because of their wide-ranging experience, able to discover even difficult-to-detect injuries, putting you on the fastest track to recovery. Their medical expertise includes the treatment of:

• Injuries to the teeth and surrounding bone and tissue

An injury to the mouth can lead to a lost or displaced tooth and damage to the bones and tissues surrounding it.

If a tooth is knocked out, reimplantation can be successful if it takes place promptly—after 30 to 60 minutes, the odds of successful reimplantation go down. Oral surgeons are also trained to discover and treat any injuries or fractures to the alveolar bone which contains the tooth sockets.

• Bone injuries

An accident can cause broken or fractured bones anywhere on the face. Oral and maxillary surgeons work with bones in the upper and lower jaws, around the eyes and nose, and in the cheeks and forehead. Just like a broken arm, fractured facial bones must be put back in place and stabilized. Unlike a broken arm, injuries to the facial bones cannot be treated with a plaster or fiberglass cast.

Depending on the nature of the fracture, treatment can involve letting the bones “rest” to heal in place, or placing screws and plates or wiring to keep the bones in their proper positions while they heal. Your surgeon will know if your injuries should be treated surgically or non-surgically, and whether reconstructive surgery might be necessary.

• Soft tissue and special tissue injuries

Accidents can damage more than tooth and bone. When facial lacerations occur, an oral surgeon is skilled at making sure that any necessary suturing is done with an eye toward the best cosmetic outcome. Intra-oral lacerations might mean not only attention to delicate gum tissue, but treatment of the salivary glands and ducts. Facial trauma can also affect the nerves around the eyes, face, and mouth, which require expert diagnosis and treatment in case of injury.

You can’t plan for facial trauma, but you can make sure to involve Dr. Matthew Hilmi as possible. If you or a family member suffers a facial injury, don’t be reluctant to ask for a consultation at our Kingston office as part of your treatment.