Eight reasons

Eight Reasons to Stay Away

It's been a long time since you have been in. We're not going to scold you. We understand.

Are you embarrassed because you're unemployed? Did your previous dentist seem cold? Maybe you're afraid because you had a bad experience in the past.

We have a few tips to help you relax.

• A down economy is not the time to skimp on your teeth. Conditions are more easily treated when we catch them early.
• The days of the stern, dentist parent are gone. We are caring professionals who chose this career because we like people and could make a difference in their lives.
• If the sights, sounds and smells of the old style dentist office are a turn-off, they're gone, too. Our office has a relaxed, homey atmosphere.
• And as for those calculus-encrusted teeth, you can't shock us; we've already seen it all.
• Don't be afraid to talk to us. We need to know if you are uncomfortable or want an accommodation; otherwise, we'll continue our procedure as if everything's hunky-dory.
• Some adults and children feel more secure when they are covered by a blanket; so, bring one with you. We're fine with that.
• If you don't like watching instruments being placed in your mouth or the sight of a needle—simply close your eyes.
• Bring your portable CD player or iPod, earphones and your favorite music. We suggest music that will help mask or blend into other sounds in the room.

Now, pick up that phone and call us; together we can make a beautiful difference in your mouth!

Snoring

 Got Snore? 

Are you losing sleep because your bed mate stops breathing, makes choking sounds and gasps for air? This condition is called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

An OSA sufferer can stop breathing as many as 100 times each night when the soft tissues in the mouth collapse into the airway. The lungs struggle to catch a breath—choking sounds—until the chest muscles can force the airway to open—the gasp.

OSA affects about 18 million people in the U.S. and can be life-threatening. OSA increases the person's risk for a heart attack, stroke and high blood pressure. Lack of continuous, restful sleep puts the sufferer at high risk of being involved in an auto accident and an inability to efficiently and safely function during the day.

OSA often goes undiagnosed because the person may be embarrassed to confide in us that there is a problem. Yet, OSA is easily diagnosed and treated, even from the dental office.

If you or someone you love has OSA (or is just someone who snores), the solution can be as simple as a custom-fitted mouthpiece to prevent the tongue and other soft tissues from collapsing into the throat. We would take an impression here in our office and send it to a lab where the technician will create your custom mouthpiece.

Call us right away and schedule a consultation so you and your partner can get the sleep you need and enjoy beautiful dreams together!

Billions of Reasons to Brush

Billions Reasons To Brush

Would you like to turn 20 billion into 100 billion in only one day? Sure, that would be great if we were talking about money but, in this case, we’re referring to how rapidly oral bacteria multiply in your mouth. Researchers think there are at least 20 billion bacteria in your mouth. Using that math, if you skip brushing your teeth just one day, you would have 100 billion bacteria living in your mouth!

We all know the excuse: “But I’m too busy to brush as often as I should!” It’s becoming clearer that oral bacteria have an impact on your oral health as well as your overall health. We know that oral bacteria can:

1. Travel to the heart and cause a heart attack.
2. Travel to the brain and cause a stroke.
3. Create oral infections that make it difficult for diabetics to control their blood sugar.

So, it just makes sense to take good care of your teeth. How can you maintain your busy lifestyle and protect your oral health, heart and brain? It just takes a little planning. Some helpful tips include:

1. Keeping a disposable, waterless, pre-pasted toothbrush in your desk, briefcase or gym bag.
2. Using Floss picks - disposable, stretched floss on plastic holders.
3. Keeping a spare toothbrush at work or in your car.
4. Stow a germ-killing oral rinse in your handbag or backpack.

Another tip is, after you eat, chew gum that contains xylitol. And, by all means, keep those regular bi-yearly hygiene appointments!

Baby Teeth

Baby Teeth  We just saw anklosed tooth in the office today

Dancing is about rhythm. One steps and moves and the partner smoothly follows. The process of getting and losing a tooth is like a carefully choreographed dance.

After a baby tooth erupts, it saves a space in the jawbone for the permanent tooth to one day reside. When the baby tooth and the permanent tooth dance to the same rhythm, the baby tooth's root will dissolve; the tooth will fall out, and the permanent tooth will erupt and take its place.

In rare instances, a tooth partner loses its rhythm. The permanent tooth erupts, but the baby tooth is still firmly secured in the jawbone. When this happens, we say that the baby tooth is ankylosed (ank-ill-osed). This means that the tooth root has welded to the jawbone and now cannot fall out, but the permanent tooth will still erupt, painlessly and out of alignment.

A tooth is not a simple object. Beneath the gums lies a complex system of dental structures that protect a tooth so that it can last a lifetime.

A tooth has a periodontal ligament. This is a tough, sock-like structure that snugly fits around a tooth's root. The fibers in the ligament attach to two structures: 1-the cementum, a thin layer of calcified material that covers a root's surface, and 2-the jawbone. In essence, the ligament is like a thread of a spider's web that suspends the web between two tree branches.

Causes of ankylosis

There are several theories why a tooth's root does not dissolve. Some researches blame the periodontal ligament. Somehow a tooth loses its ligament. Without that sock, the tooth root and the jawbone weld together and dance cheek-to-cheek.

An ankylosed tooth can cause the opposing partner tooth to dance alone and protrude from its socket because the ankylosed tooth sits lower in the jawbone. The ankylosed tooth can block the permanent tooth from erupting properly. The tooth erupts crooked and misaligned, which can create orthodontic issues later.

Preventative measures

This is one more reason why it is so important to bring children in for regular dental check-ups. We can usually identify an ankylosed tooth just by observation and x-rays. Then we can decide what the best treatment is. We might decide to leave it alone and watch it for a period of time. In the end, we may have to remove the ankylosed tooth or put a crown on it to make it a little taller.

We will work closely with you to determine the best treatment.

Please schedule an appointment right away if your child is experiencing a dental issue. The sooner we can evaluate a situation, the sooner we can intervene and help those smiles last a lifetime!

Sports Drinks

Sports drinks Erodes Tooth Enamel

Energy drinks are a $10 billion business, and you are getting more than your money's worth of energy. You are getting tooth decay from the corrosive acids in those drinks.

Dental erosion and decay occurs when acids leach calcium and phosphorous out of your tooth's enamel, the strong cover that protects the visible part of your tooth. Dental erosion is irreversible. Once the enamel is gone, it is gone forever.

Dental erosion is an epidemic amongst our youth because their teeth are not yet hard enough to withstand constant acid attacks.

Teens and young adolescents are the biggest group of soda consumers, and advertisers target this market. A spokesperson for the Academy of General Dentistry states that his teen- to 20-year old patients are flirting with needing full mouth reconstructions to repair their damaged teeth unless they change their beverage of choice.

Dental erosion from sports drinks and non-colas can be 11 times greater than drinking other beverages. The worst offenders are energy drinks, canned iced tea and bottled lemonade. Exposing teeth to those beverages for only 14 days produces damage equivalent to 13 year's normal beverage drinking exposure!

Stopping dental erosion and decay can be done by limiting how much and how often you drink acidic beverages.

1. Drink an acidic beverage only with a meal.
2. Wait at least 20 minutes before brushing because your tooth enamel will be soft and vulnerable during that time. In the meantime, rinse your mouth with plain water.
3. Drink 100 percent fruit juice, fluoridated water, milk or a less acidic beverage.
4. To increase saliva flow, chew gum that is made with the natural sweetener, xylitol. An increased saliva flow neutralizes acids that destroy enamel.

During your regular check-ups, we watch for signs of dental erosion and can make recommendations that will help you keep your dazzling smile! Is it time for your check-up? Call us today.

Halloween was One Week ago

Post Halloween Tips

Halloween is, let’s face it, a holiday built around candy consumption. There are lot of good reasons to restrict your child’s intake of candy but doling it out one piece at a time might not be the best idea for protecting their teeth.

When you dole out a continuous stream of single candies, instead of allowing larger portions less frequently, you’re keeping the level of sugar high throughout the entire day. Decay-causing bacteria feast on the sugars in candy and produce acid that dissolves minerals in tooth enamel. Once the enamel is weak and soft, teeth are more vulnerable to toothbrush abrasion, abrasive toothpaste products and decay. Each acid attack can last about 20 minutes, so giving your child one piece every hour is a constant acid attack from which the enamel never has a chance to recover.

Current recommendations are:

• Brush before eating sweets to get the teeth as clean as possible.
• Let your child eat several pieces of candy at one time.
• After finishing the candy, rinse with water or a fluoride rinse but don’t brush.
• Wait at least 40 minutes for saliva to reharden the enamel, then, brush with fluoride toothpaste.

Another recommendation is, after a sugary treat, to offer chewing gum or mints that list xylitol as the first ingredient. Xylitol is a natural sugar that prevents bacteria from producing decay-causing acid. Note: Xylitol is poisonous to dogs. Don’t allow your dog to eat anything that contains xylitol.

And not all candies are created equally. In order from worst to best:

1. Sour candies (enamel dissolving acid plus sugar)
2. Sticky candies like taffies and caramels (clings to teeth)
3. Hard candies and lollipops (lingers in the mouth longer)
4. Powdered candies (dissolves on tongue. Requires no chewing)
5. Sugar-free candies and gums

And the same rules apply to you, too. Indulging that adult sweet tooth must be done thoughtfully to avoid dental disasters. The trick is to enjoy that treat without forgetting your oral health. A little planning and regular dental checkups will keep your holidays happy.

Part 24: USDA's New Food "Plate"

Life just got easier.  One of the few good things out of the government lately.  Out with the Pyramid and in with the "Plate".  Here is the info.

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/

It shows easy to remember portion sizes for your plate and how to have a balanced meal.  Let's see if that sinks in to the public!

Part 23: Snoring - Who's Problem Is It?

More and more evidence is showing that sleep disorder breathing is bad for your health as well as your partner's sleep.  Sleep apnea has been linked to dying from cardiovascular disease.  The issue for your health care providers is to accurately determine the degree of the disorder.  It ranges from simple snoring to severe sleep apnea.  Fortunately, there are treatments available for the various stages as well as things you, the patient, can do to prevent or lessen the problem.

Apnea is defined as stopping breathing for 10 or more seconds or taking less than 25% of a normal breath.  15 million Americans have sleep disorder breathing with up to 90% being undiagnosed.  4-9% of the male population and 1-5% of the female population are affected.  There is a higher incidence in African-Americans, Native Americans and Hispanics, as well as an increase with age and weight.

Here are some questions to help you determine if this is a problem.

  1. Frequent or heavy snoring?
  2. Significant daytime drowsiness?
  3. Have you been told you stop breathing while sleeping?
  4. Do you gasp at times when waking up?
  5. Do you feel unrefreshed in the morning?
  6. Do you have morning headaches?
  7. Are you aware of any teeth grinding at night?

Typical  Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) patients have one or more of these:

  1. Large necks:  Men - 17 inches or larger; women - 16 inches or larger
  2. Small chins (overbite).
  3. Over weight - % increases dramatically over 200 lbs.
  4.  Scalloped tongue - Sides of tongue show imprint of the teeth ( a 70% predictor).
  5.  Eroded enamel - Enamel worn off teeth.
  6. Enlarged tonsils - Graded by amount of blockage (Pharyngeal grade 1-4)
  7. Crico-mental  space < 1.5 cm. (Turkey Gobble neck)

If you have a Turkey Gobble, an overbite, and a Pharyngeal grade >II, there is a positive predictive score of 95%!

The final diagnosis of OSA is done with polysomnography (PSG) at a certified sleep lab.

So, let us say "You've got OSA".  Now what?  Here are your options.

  1.  Sleep hygiene
  2. Over the counter nasal aids
  3. Oral Appliances
  4. CPAP, CPAP Pro, Nasal CPAP, and BiPAP
  5. Surgery

Let's look at each one a little closer.

Sleep Hygiene:
  Avoid sleeping on back (sleep position training).
  Avoid alcohol for 2 hours prior to bedtime.
  Lose weight
  Avoid CNS depressants
  Stop smoking

Over the Counter:
  Breathe Rite Strips
  Lubricants (Ayr,etc.)
  Nasal sprays (Afrin, etc. and my favorite - Xlear)

Oral Appliances: Over 40 types available, here are some I like.
 Silent Nite - For snoring only
 Aveo TSD - For snoring, no impressions
 Myerson EMA - For snoring and mild OSA
 TAP III -  For mild to moderate OSA
 Somnomed MAS - For mild to moderate OSA

CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure):  The Gold Standard
  Machine with various masks to provide pressurized air to the lungs to override obstructions.

Surgery:
  Various surgeries on the throat to open the airway by removal of tissue.  This is usually the option of last resort.  One, a tracheotomy, bypasses the throat altogether.

The object of all these methods is to get oxygen (air), to the lungs.  The dental versions do this by holding the lower jaw and tongue in a forward position which opens the airway.  It is a low cost, non surgical option that doesn't restrict sleeping patterns.  I would recommend it as a primary choice for mild to moderate OSA or for people who cannot adapt to the CPAP.  A before and after sleep study will tell it's % of effectiveness.

The main thing is to do something.  Your life may depend on it!