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What Do I Eat To Enhance My Overall Health and Well Being?

May 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

One website I like to visit is www.mercola.com. This is one of the most visited websites online, with traffic surpassing even that of the American Medical Society. Set aside everything you’ve heard about low fat and low carb. If you really want to get healthy, I recommend these tips from Dr. Mercola’s site:

First, decide to get healthier.

That has to include becoming more knowledgeable about food, nutrition and exercise. Realize that you are in control of your own health.

Second, make forty percent of your daily intake fresh fruits and vegetables, preferably organic. Cut out the sugar and start to reduce carbohydrates like breads and pasta and processed foods. Add a tablespoon a day of flax seed oil. When you get up in the morning, drink a hot cup of water with lemon squeezed into it. If you do just those things for two weeks, you’ll notice a difference in how you feel. Losing weight will just be a side benefit.

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Are You Making These Mistakes With Your Dental Health?

January 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Here’s $197 To Correct Them.

1. Ignoring bleeding or swollen gums.
2. Skipping scheduled cleanings and exams.
3. Putting off getting an ache or pain in your tooth checked out.
4. Allowing impacted wisdom teeth or decayed teeth to remain.
5. Keeping old mercury fillings (these often have cracked teeth underneath).
6. Ignoring the fact that you have bad breath and not knowing why.
7. Tolerating neck or back pain that leads to inactivity.
8. Going through life with missing or cracked teeth.
9. Putting up with sensitivity to hot or cold food and drink.
10. Avoiding one side of your mouth while chewing.

Hi. I’m St Louis dentist Dr. Pete Pagano and once we treat any pre-existing dental conditions and get your teeth healthy (and believe me, this is so much easier than you might think), we can then give you the beautiful smile you’ve always wanted.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE WEALTHY TO GET A BEAUTIFUL SMILE.

My patients who have had smile makeovers not only include other dentists and professionals, but teachers, retirees and union workers. Today, cosmetic dentistry is affordable for nearly anyone.

TO CLAIM YOUR $197 TOWARD A CLEANING, X-RAYS AND
5 POINT DENTAL EXAM, CALL 314 576 3000.
MENTION THIS WEBSITE OFFER.

OFFER EXPIRES December 31st.

PS. I hope you take me up on my $197.00 offer. Frankly, an exam and x-rays are too costly for me to give away for very long. I can only extend the offer until May 31st.th.

PPS. Oh … one more thing. When you explore my website you’ll find out I’m also known for accurate diagnosis. That’s why I’m the “Second Opinion Dentist.”

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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

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Can Tongue Piercing Cause Dental Problems?

October 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A survey of university students in 2006 found slightly more than one in 10 have a tongue piercing. If

your son, daughter or grandkid wants to join the growing number of young adults with pierced tongues, they should be aware of the risks to their dental health.

These can cause tooth chipping and breakage and lead gums to recede due to rubbing and irritation.

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Are White Fillings Safer Than Silver Fillings?

October 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Are White Fillings Safer Than
Silver Fillings?
The practice of replacing silver fillings with white, tooth-colored material for health
reasons has been promoted by “biological” dentists who believe silver fillings are
detrimental to your health. You may have heard these referred to as “silver”,
“mercury”, or “amalgam.” These three terms are used to refer to the silver material
which contains more mercury than silver, along with other metals.
If you’re confused about whether mercury fillings are safe or not, you’re not alone:
even the FDA has seemingly changed their opinion. On June 4, 2008, the agency
issued this statement on their website:
“Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have
neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing
children and fetuses.” And: “When amalgam fillings are
placed in teeth or removed from teeth, they release
mercury vapor. Mercury vapor is also released during
chewing.”
The FDA also agreed to release a new ruling in July 2009,
and alert consumers about potential related hazards.
Instead, on July 28, 2009 the FDA issued the following
statement, as reported by Reuter’s:
“While elemental mercury has been associated with
Compare the appearance
adverse health effects at high exposures, the levels
released by dental amalgam fillings are not high enough of teeth with white and
with silver fillings.
to cause harm in patients,’’ the FDA said, citing an
agency review of roughly 200 scientific studies.
The American Dental Association stands behind mercury filling safety, stating:
“Dental amalgam has been studied and reviewed extensively, and has
established a record of safety and effectiveness.”
For cosmetic reasons 90% of our patients prefer the white, tooth-colored
material. If you’re among those of us who grew up when mercury fillings were
the only option and you haven’t had these replaced, you can whiten and update
your smile by replacing these with this new tooth-colored material.
I don’t see enough hard science confirming claims that mercury fillings are linked to
such conditions as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Alzheimer’s. However, I’ve been
using the white, tooth-colored non-metallic filling material since 1987, thereby
eliminating the issue for my patients. That said, some people are allergic to this
non-metal material.
(continued on page 3)

The practice of replacing silver fillings with white, tooth-colored material for health reasons has been promoted by “biological” dentists who believe silver fillings are detrimental to your health. You may have heard these referred to as “silver”, “mercury”, or “amalgam.” These three terms are used to refer to the silver material which contains more mercury than silver, along with other metals.

If you’re confused about whether mercury fillings are safe or not, you’re not alone: even the FDA has seemingly changed their opinion. On June 4, 2008, the agency issued this statement on their website:

“Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses.” And: “When amalgam fillings are placed in teeth or removed from teeth, they release mercury vapor. Mercury vapor is also released during chewing.”

The FDA also agreed to release a new ruling in July 2009, and alert consumers about potential related hazards.

Instead, on July 28, 2009 the FDA issued the following statement, as reported by Reuter’s:

“While elemental mercury has been associated with adverse health effects at high exposures, the levels released by dental amalgam fillings are not high enough to cause harm in patients,’’ the FDA said, citing an agency review of roughly 200 scientific studies.

The American Dental Association stands behind mercury filling safety, stating:

“Dental amalgam has been studied and reviewed extensively, and has established a record of safety and effectiveness.”

For cosmetic reasons 90% of our patients prefer the white, tooth-colored material. If you’re among those of us who grew up when mercury fillings were the only option and you haven’t had these replaced, you can whiten and update your smile by replacing these with this new tooth-colored material.

I don’t see enough hard science confirming claims that mercury fillings are linked to such conditions as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Alzheimer’s. However, I’ve been using the white, tooth-colored non-metallic filling material since 1987, thereby eliminating the issue for my patients. That said, some people are allergic to this non-metal material.

A “biological dentist” would recommend you remove these fillings for health reasons, believing that the longer you leave these in your mouth, the longer you are exposing yourself to metal toxicity.

I recommend replacing decades-old mercury fillings for two reasons: one is cosmetic and the second is tooth preservation. You see, as a dentist, my primary role is to enable you to chew. Since mercury expands and contracts with temperature changes, over time the teeth underneath can crack, which has been the case with some patients. Sometimes, the tooth can crack so deeply it must be removed and replaced with an implant and crown.

Ok, let’s address some common questions.

1. Are white fillings weaker than amalgams?

Yes, however, if you take the total result—the filling plus the tooth—the composites are stronger

because they bond to the tooth, making the tooth more resistant to fracture.

2. Why don’t all dentists offer white fillings?

Many dentists don’t feel comfortable using white filling material on back teeth—it requires special

training to do so. The experience and training ensures the filling isn’t vulnerable to leakage and

new decay. The material has been around since the 70’s, but it wasn’t until the mid-80’s that technology was developed to bond it to your tooth.

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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.

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Why I Favor Minimally-Invasive Dentistry

October 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I usually recommend milder treatments to alleviate conditions before resorting to extractions, surgery or root canals.

For example if your tooth had a three surface cavity, many dentists would do a crown and build up. I might start with a three surface filling to see if that alleviates your problem. If the filling doesn’t hold up, you may need the crown in six months, but often times the less invasive — and less expensive –dental procedure will suffice.

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What is Orthopedic Cosmetic Dentistry?

September 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment
This is not a recognized specialty in dentistry. Rather, it’s a term we use in
our office to describe the Pagano Protocol – the sequence in which your
teeth, gums and structure are treated which results in a dazzling smile that
sits in a structurally sound foundation.
What do we mean by “orthopedic cosmetic dentistry?” Think of your teeth
and gums as the inside of a house and your jaw and head bones as the
structure and foundation. Once Doc ensures that the structure is balanced
and stable – which often includes treatment that eliminates headaches,
teeth grinding and other unwanted conditions – then the restorative and
cosmetic treatments on your teeth and gums can be performed on a stable
foundation. This results in cosmetic treatment that lasts, a bite that feels
natural, and eliminates redoing your work.
One patient with lifelong headaches experienced complete relief. Her
treatment included straightening her teeth and getting a gorgeous
smile. You can read more in Doc’s free downloadable ebook: Lifetime Smile
at www.stlouisdentistdrpete.com.

This is not a recognized specialty in dentistry. Rather, it’s a term we use in our office to describe the Pagano Protocol – the sequence in which your teeth, gums and structure are treated which results in a dazzling smile that sits in a structurally sound foundation.

What do we mean by “orthopedic cosmetic dentistry?” Think of your teeth and gums as the inside of a house and your jaw and head bones as the structure and foundation. Once Doc ensures that the structure is balanced and stable – which often includes treatment that eliminates headaches,

teeth grinding and other unwanted conditions – then the restorative and cosmetic treatments on your teeth and gums can be performed on a stable foundation. This results in cosmetic treatment that lasts, a bite that feels natural, and eliminates redoing your work.

One patient with lifelong headaches experienced complete relief. Her treatment included straightening her teeth and getting a gorgeous smile.

You can read more about orthopedic dentistry in Doc’s free downloadable ebook: Lifetime Smile at www.stlouisdentistdrpete.com.

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Wisdom Tooth Extractions: What You Should Know

September 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Summer is a popular time in St Louis for wisdom teeth extractions, particularly for young adults. When you as an adult or your child is diagnosed as needing wisdom teeth extracted, does this mean you need to have it done right away? What are wisdom teeth, why do we have them and under what circumstances should they be removed?

Wisdom teeth, also known as third molars, are the last teeth to erupt. This normally occurs between the ages of 17 and 25, a time of life that has been called the “Age of Wisdom.”

Anthropologists contend that the rough diet of early humans resulted in excessive wear of their teeth. The wear, it’s theorized, caused teeth to drift and by late adolescence there was space for wisdom teeth to erupt into. Modern diets don’t put the same demands on chewing and so teeth no longer shift to make room for wisdom teeth.

Do Wisdom Teeth Always Have to Be Extracted?

No. Dr. Pete believes that if wisdom teeth are well aligned, they can be very useful for chewing and may be left in place. However, in the majority of people they don’t completely erupt and remain “impacted” in the jaw. Therefore, Dr. Pete will advise extraction when he sees any of the following:

1. The width of the jaws does not allow wisdom teeth to erupt in an alignment that is beneficial for chewing.

2. Wisdom teeth are partially erupted, which may allow bacteria to penetrate the gum, causing infection.

3. Wisdom teeth are not properly aligned causing crowding or damage to the second molars. This condition makes good oral hygiene difficult and increases the likelihood of cavities and gum disease.

4. Development of an operculum, Latin for “little lid,” which is essentially an extension of the gum. This can occur when wisdom teeth have not fully erupted. In many such cases, chewing on food can irritate this operculum causing infection. This condition, called pericoronitis, can result in redness, intense pain, a bad smell and a difficulty of opening the mouth.

Is There a Benefit to Extracting Earlier Rather Than Later?

Possibly during adolescence, the roots of wisdom teeth may not be completely formed, making extraction less complicated.

What to Expect

Before removing a wisdom tooth, Doc will administer appropriate pain prevention to numb the area where the tooth will be removed. Even needle-phobes no longer need worry because Dr Pete’s dental procedure includes first putting a topical numbing agent on the area to be anaesthetized so the needle is never felt.

How soon afterward can you resume your normal activity?

Dr. Pete recommends up to four to five days, but the time varies depending on how impacted the teeth are. One patient returned to work immediately after surgery. Another took the full four days for recovery.

If you or your teen or college-aged student need wisdom tooth extractions, call as soon as possible to lock in a summer appointment.

See What Others Say About Their Wisdom Tooth Surgery With Dr Pagano:

After having 2 wisdom teeth pulled in one sitting, I am a happy camper. Dr. Pete was fast and efficient removing the two perpetrators. Afterward there was minimal discomfort in the affected areas, little swelling and complications that could only be attributed to the work done by a skilled professional. Thank you Dr. Pete and Staff.
Guy M.


Let me just first start off that I was freaking out about this dental procedure, especially because I was not going to be knocked out like everybody else I knew. I was shaking and crying before anything even happened but of course you heard all the horror stories and all I could think was the worst. Dr. Pete calmed me down and explained what he was going to do and why he wasn’t going to knock me out. His lovely assistant held my hand the whole time, poor girl, I thought for sure she would loose all circulation in it but she didn’t complain and smiled at me the whole time. After the 1st 4 shots, I really couldn’t feel much and the next million (I’m exaggerating, but I am very sensitive) nothing at all. Before I knew it, it was over. The very next day, I was walking over and running errands. My roommates couldn’t believe it. They said “you must have an awesome dentist”. I said, “I do, his name is Dr. Pete!”

EP posted on yahoo.com


When I first came to Dr. Pagano’s St Louis office, I was very apprehensive because he was a new dentist (to me). After my consultation and check-up Dr. Pagano informed me that I needed to pull my wisdom teeth, not 1, not 2 but all 3!! I was terrified because I had so many horrible experiences with dentists in the past. He assured me that everything would be fine. During the procedure he talked to me the whole time and kept letting me know what he was doing. This made me feel calm. He would ask me if I felt any pain and I did not. After my wisdom teeth were pulled I didn’t feel any pain nor did I need any pain medication! I’ve heard horror stories from people and their bad experiences with their wisdom teeth being pulled, but I had a good experience and that was due to Dr. Pagano’s skilled and talented hands. He knows what he’s doing and he’s the best! I recommend him to everyone I know and meet. Thank you Dr. Pagano.

Abby J.

To Schedule a Wisdom Tooth Surgery Consultation With Dr Peter J. Pagano please call Brenda at 314 576 3000

12334 Olive Boulevard, Creve Coeur, MO 63141
One Block West of I 270 Olive Boulevard Exit

Saturday hours available

 

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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.

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Filed Under: Anti Aging Dentistry, Blog, Dentistry, General Health, Teeth and Gums, Teeth Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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