Have you ever had someone with bad breath talk to you up close? Have you had the thought “Gawd, I hope MY breath doesn’t smell like that?” And if it did … would anyone tell you? [Read more...]
Free Dental Care Not Shown to Influence Childhood Cavities
October 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Researchers evaluated the dental history and dental health of more than 1,200 first-graders in Nova Scotia. The province has provided free, universal dental care since 1975, so all the children in the study had access to care since birth. Although more than 90% of the children had their first visit to the dentist by age 2 and annual checkups, some had fewer cavities and better dental health. It was discovered that two other factors contributed to the childrens’ dental health: home dental practices and parental educational level.
Source: Journal of the American Dental Association March 2001
What Is a Deep Cleaning?
October 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment
An type of gum puffiness, redness or bleeding means that your gums aren’t completely attached to your teeth. These areas that aren’t attached are called pockets and once they develop they provide an opening for bacteria to get under the gum line. Once it gets in there, it festers. Even if your gums reattach at the surface, if bacteria is trapped inside, it gets to work on your bone.
With a deep cleaning …called a “scaling and root planing” you get all of that trapped bacteria, plaque and calcification cleaned out. The result is your gum tissue can reattach to the bone. A deep cleaning, when necessary, is one of the most therapeutic health treatments you can get. Good gum health is a foundation of good overall health.
The Top 5 Causes of Bad Breath and Its Treatment
October 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment
A whiff of bad breath can indicate more serious matters than a meal of onions and garlic or a skipped tooth brushing. And occasional “morning breath” doesn’t qualify as a case of chronic bad breath – also referred to as “halitosis.” Chronic foul breath usually accompanies one or more of the following common factors:
1. Plaque Buildup. Cavities and tongues with deep grooves serve as prime reservoirs for bacteria we commonly call plaque – a sticky, colorless film that constantly forms on teeth. The bacteria produces volatile sulphur compounds that give bad breath, or halitosis.
2. Periodontal Disease. Gums that are puffy or bleed when you brush indicate infection.
3. Medications. According to the most recent research 7 out of the top 10 medications used in the US during 1998 had “dry mouth, bad breath, or taste disorders” as a side effect.
4. Tooth Decay. Tooth decay is just what the name implies–dead, decayed matter. Dead stuff smells bad by itself,and since the decay is fairly soft, it absorbs juices from the foods you eat, and that decays as well. Every area of decay is a potential source of bad breath. You cannot hope to eliminate bad breath permanently without first having the decay repaired.
5. Diseases. Some diseases are directly related to chronic bad breath such as diabetes, sinus and tonsil infections and lung, kidney and liver diseases.
Since chronic bad breath can be either medical or dental in origin, the first approach is improving oral hygiene. This includes the following:
•Scrape Your Tongue.
•Brush and Floss every day
•Get regular professional cleanings
•Treat gum disease with deep cleanings that eliminate bacteria that has penetrated into gum tissue that has pulled back from the teeth – called “pockets.” This allows the gums to heal and reattach to the teeth.
If the above treatments don’t address the situation, seek medical treatment for any chronic infections that are contributing to the condition.
Designer Dentures?
September 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Designer Dentures?
Rather Than Dread Dentures, Views Them as a
Chance to Design Your Own Smile
Morton came in as a new patient asking for a new
set of dentures. In collaborating with him so we
could make him dentures he would be proud to
wear, I asked him questions such as:
Do you want spaces between your front teeth?
What type of smiles do you like?
Who do you want to look like?
Do you want big teeth, little teeth, long teeth,
wide teeth?
• Do you want personalization, such as little
character flaws built into your teeth?
• Do you want perfect alignment?
•
•
•
•
Morton told me he’d never been consulted to that
degree like when getting dentures made previously.
He said for the first time ever, he was excited to get
his new denture appliance.
According to the Center for Disease Control, 1 out of
every 4 adults over 60 have lost all of their natural
teeth due to gum disease and tooth decay. Another
CDC report says 1 out of every 5 adults over 65 have
lost all of their teeth. Once that occurs, your choices
are dentures or implants.
Although dental implants are an excellent alternative
to dentures, not everyone can get them. This doesn’t
mean you have to dread dentures. The biggest
reason denture wearers switch to implants is:
• Their dentures are ill-fitting and uncomfortable;
• They don’t like how their dentures look.
You can dread dentures or view them as an
opportunity to design your smile. If you want to pay
$99 and get “teeth-on-a-plate” then the old adage
“you get what you pay for” applies.
On the other hand, if you want someone to craft an
appliance that feels and looks natural, you can spend
the money and get something that will make you
feel confident.
As an Art Minor in college, I see beyond the science
of dentistry. Although an appliance needs to be
engineered perfectly, the aesthetic appeal must also
be present.
If you need a denture, view it as an opportunity to
design the smile you’ve always wanted.
*BLOG is short for “weblog,” a journal posted online.
Rather Than Dread Dentures, View Them as a Chance to Design Your Own Smile
Morton came in as a new patient asking for a new set of dentures. In collaborating with him so we
could make him dentures he would be proud to wear, I asked him questions such as:
Do you want spaces between your front teeth?
What type of smiles do you like?
Who do you want to look like?
Do you want big teeth, little teeth, long teeth, wide teeth?
Do you want personalization, such as little character flaws built into your teeth?
Do you want perfect alignment?
Morton told me he’d never been consulted to that degree like when getting dentures made previously.
He said for the first time ever, he was excited to get his new denture appliance.
According to the Center for Disease Control, 1 out of every 4 adults over 60 have lost all of their natural teeth due to gum disease and tooth decay. Another CDC report says 1 out of every 5 adults over 65 have lost all of their teeth. Once that occurs, your choices are dentures or implants.
Although dental implants are an excellent alternative to dentures, not everyone can get them. This doesn’t mean you have to dread dentures. The biggest reason denture wearers switch to implants is:
• Their dentures are ill-fitting and uncomfortable;
• They don’t like how their dentures look.
You can dread dentures or view them as an opportunity to design your smile. If you want to pay $99 and get “teeth-on-a-plate” then the old adage “you get what you pay for” applies.
On the other hand, if you want someone to craft an appliance that feels and looks natural, you can spend the money and get something that will make you feel confident.
As an Art Minor in college, I see beyond the science of dentistry. Although an appliance needs to be engineered perfectly, the aesthetic appeal must also be present.
If you need a denture, view it as an opportunity to design the smile you’ve always wanted.
Want to Keep Your Teeth and Gums Healthier
September 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Want to Keep Your Teeth and
Gums Healthier? Try Adding
This Little Known Step to Your
Daily Dental Routine
Everyone pretty much knows by
now brushing and flossing after
every meal and getting a
professional cleaning at least
every six months has a huge
impact on dental health.
But there’s another facet to
personal daily dental hygiene
that has a big impact on dental
health: scraping your tongue.
Perhaps we don’t hear that
much about it because tongue
scrapers are not well promoted.
One inexpensive one can
practically last a lifetime.
Studies suggest that by
removing the soft plaque from
the tongue, you’re removing
most of the bacteria and other
debris that are the primary
source of bad breath, hard
plaque (tartar) and mineral
leaching acids (tooth decay).
The latest research associates
the bacteria in our mouths with
heart disease and other
ailments. The bottom line – for
dramatically better oral hygiene
and health just add cleaning
your tongue to your routine.
You can get a tongue scraper at
your next appointmentTry Adding
Try Adding This Little Known Step to Your Daily Dental Routine
Everyone pretty much knows by now brushing and flossing after every meal and getting a
professional cleaning at least every six months has a huge impact on dental health.
But there’s another facet to personal daily dental hygiene that has a big impact on dental
health: scraping your tongue. Perhaps we don’t hear that much about it because tongue
scrapers are not well promoted. One inexpensive one can practically last a lifetime.
Studies suggest that by removing the soft plaque from the tongue, you’re removing
most of the bacteria and other debris that are the primary source of bad breath, hard
plaque (tartar) and mineral leaching acids (tooth decay).
The latest research associates the bacteria in our mouths with heart disease and other
ailments. The bottom line – for dramatically better oral hygiene and health just add cleaning
your tongue to your routine.
You can get a tongue scraper at your next St Louis dental appointment.
An Unseen Cause of Bad Breath
May 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Do you do everything possible to keep your breath fresh? Brush, floss .. even scrape your tongue? Yes, you heard that right. Bacteria gets on your tongue, just like it does between your teeth. Your tongue harbors plaque and dirt. If you’ve ever noticed a coating or discoloration of your tongue, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Adding tongue-scraping to your regimen is a simple solution. And, if that doesn’t handle your bad breath, we’ll find out the cause when you come in. By the way, one website offering tips on how to tell someone they have bad breath suggested you email the offender. Hmmm … how does one go about doing that diplomatically?
Look Ma’ No Cavities!
August 25, 2008 By Leave a Comment
For Boomers who grew up with this famous toothpaste commercial, I have a news flash: At your age, it’s no longer just about cavities!
If you’ve passed the age of forty, you really should have a mid-life diagnosis to evaluate the overall state of your oral health AND to plan a proper course of treatment that will enable you to keep your teeth for the remainder of your lifetime.
Patients over forty have often shortchanged their dental health or just barely maintained their teeth and gums. With the expense of family taking precedence through the previous two decades, Boomer-aged patients coming to me for the first time are often prepared to play catch-up with their own dental health.
Today you can plan a course of treatment that will ensure you’ve got your own teeth to chew with well into your senior years. In addition, nothing is more youthful than a natural-looking white smile. Unlike your parents, if you take care now you can have both.
Bad Breath? Tender Gums?
July 6, 2008 By 1 Comment
I’m not a fan of spending money on drugstore mouthwash. Why? I use Tooth and Gum Tonic™ for all patient visits. It definitely costs more than drugstore mouthwash, but there’s just no comparison between the two.
I’m Italian, so a good analogy would be the quality difference between frozen pizza and pizza from Cicero’s in the Loop. Would you even bother eating frozen after that?
When it comes to my patient’s health, I get pretty picky about what I use in their mouths.
Tooth and Gum Tonic™ has all natural ingredients. This mouthwash is made of herbs and essential oils that are organically grown and contain exceptionally high quality extracts, which are alcohol-free. It is said that this product is an anti-microbial and rebuilds the infected tissues because the plant extracts have a known anti-inflammatory response to the tissues.
One study showed the Tonic to be the most effective mouthwash in controlling bad breath of all products tested. This product is definitely worth considering if you suffer from chronic halitosis, or have chronic bleeding gums due to gingivitis or after surgery or any dental work, for that matter. It’s only available in dental offices who use it. If you’re interested in taking some home, ask my staff about it. The cost is higher, but the results speak for themselves.
