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...]
Puffy, Bleeding Gums Are The Red Light On Your Car Dashboard
February 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Stinky breath. Puffy, red, ugly gums. Deep pockets where bacteria can crawl in and eat away at your bone. We dentists know that these are signs of the gums screaming out for deep cleaning. Truth is, they’re also indications that you don’t have enough “brush border” in your system to stay healthy. And that means you’ve most likely got other health issues.
Here’s a simplistic description of “brush border” that will probably make any medical person who is intimately familiar with this cringe, but I’m more interested in being understood than in being absolutely technically accurate.
Your brush border aids in the absorption of nutrients by increasing the surface area inside your gut wall. When this surface area is reduced from long term antibiotic therapy, suppressant medications and even stress, the brush border is compromised. The less brush border, the fewer nutrients get absorbed from your food and vitamins. That means the less healthy you’ll be and the less resistant your gums will be to periodontal disease. Having brush border is like having a big savings account. If you suffer a financial setback, you don’t hit the panic button. Brush border determines if you’re going to catch this year’s virus or be able to resist it. And, in case you haven’t guessed by now, brush border determines how quickly your gums are impacted by poor hygiene habits.
That’s why some people who are fanatical about brushing and flossing can still get periodontal disease. Others whose hygiene habits aren’t great, never seem to even get bleeding gums. Those people are in better overall health. They have good brush border and their resistance is higher.
In either case, you don’t want to ignore the signs of periodontal disease. You want to address redness and swelling right away. Your gum health contributes to your internal health and vice versa. So, pay attention to those gums. Like the red light on your car dashboard, their condition indicates your overall health.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Dr. Pete’s Top 5 Dental Health Trends
September 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Trend #1. The explosion of implant dentistry will bring costs down. Like computer technology costs came down with demand, so it is with dental implants. The cost of materials that kept prices high for implants and crowns is coming down simply because more people are getting implants for missing teeth and instead of dentures.
The American Academy of Implant Dentistry reports, “As the Baby Boomers begin filing for Social Security, they’re replacing teeth weakened from periodontal disease with dental implants instead of bridgework and removable dentures. Further incentive is that highly precise computer-guided dental implant surgery has made the procedure faster, highly predicable and long-lasting with a success rate of 97 percent.”
Trend #2: Teeth straightening will increasingly become the first step in a cosmetic makeover. It’s been a common practice to place porcelain veneers on crooked teeth. While this gives the appearance of straight teeth, it does nothing to address the health conditions caused by uneven teeth. These create uneven bite pressure which can lead to health problems, including headaches and migraines. With more dentists understanding the connection between the bite and jaw joints and head, neck and back pain, concern for health will lead to correcting the uneven bite rather than covering it up with veneers.
Trend #3: Gum Contouring Will Become More Popular. Just like lip plumping or botox improve appearance without surgery, contouring gum lines will become popular as more dentists investing in acquiring and learning how to use laser dental equipment. With laser technology being used in everything from skin care to knee replacement surgery, it was only a matter of time before it would be more routinely employed in your dental care. In addition to gum contouring which, by the way, is also great for men, lasers can disinfect diseased gum tissue. They can also cut into the teeth, making it faster and more comfortable to get fillings.
Trend #4: 3D x-rays will enable more precise dental treatment. Technology called “cone beam” takes two dimensional x-rays and makes them 3D. This allows your dentist to provide more precise dental treatment. For example, with a 3d picture, your dentist can see the nerve tissue surrounding impacted wisdom teeth. This allows for a better surgery. With implants, we’re able to determine more exactly their correct placement.
Trend #5: Teeth whitening will become part of a daily makeup routine for women. Whitening pens like Liquid Smile will make a professional in-offce whitening last a lot longer. Instead of bulky whitening trays sitting in your mouth for an hour with saliva coming out the side of your mouth, pens allow you to touch up the teeth that are visible.
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.
