Healthy Mouth...The Doc's Blog

Beyond Fluoride

2011-12-20T18:03:00.009-05:00

Topical fluoride has been a mainstay of preventive dentistry for decades. Modern biomedical research is taking topical decay prevention to the next level. New formulations actually can replace calcium lost in the tooth structure due to early decay.

MI Paste- This paste has "amorphous calcium phosphate" a bioavailable calcium that is absorbed by the tooth like a sponge. It is edible and is a great preventive paste for at risk kids.There is also a form available with fluoride. This paste is also very effective at improving the appearance of irregular enamel. For more information click here.

ClinPro - Tri-calcium Phosphate is combined with prescription strength fluoride in this paste by 3M. It is an excellent choice for people with dry mouth, high decay rate patients, and during orthodontic treatment. For more information click here.

pHlourigel HA Nano - Xylitol is combined with prescription strength fluoride in a pH balanced formula in this product by Oral Bio Tech. The natural sweetener xylitol has been shown to inhibit decay causing bacteria in multiple studies. For more information click here.

Athletic Mouth Guards Protect Teeth and Your Brain Too!

2011-09-22T09:26:00.005-04:00

No Mouthpiece Led to Vick's Injury?
Research has shown that a properly fitted athletic mouth guard not only protects your teeth and jaws from injury, but help prevent concussions as well. Many concussions are due to the lower jawbone slamming into the base of the skull during contact. Even the best helmets don't protect from this type of injury. A mouth guard helps cushion these lower jaw blows and help reduce the risk of concussion.

Digital Impressions for comfort and accuracy

2011-09-22T07:52:00.007-04:00

We have recently added some really cool technology to the office. The 3M Lava COS digital impression device makes crown and bridge impressions much more comfortable. Instead of gooey impression material this machine takes a digital 3D image of the teeth. These digital impressions are highly accurate and result in better fitting crowns and bridges.

Prevention Tips

2011-06-15T20:57:00.005-04:00

Good tips on prevention from WebMD....

15 Ways to Damage Your Teeth

Athletes Possibly at Higher Risk for Dental Decay

2011-05-23T15:23:00.003-04:00

I ran across this interesting information below. A study in New Zealand found that habits of elite athletes during training put them at high risk for dental decay.This study reinforces the importance of a decay risk assessment being done on even the healthiest patients.

Int J Sports Med. 2011 May 17. [Epub ahead of print]
Elite Athletes and Oral Health.
Bryant S, McLaughlin K, Morgaine K, Drummond B.
Source
University of Otago, Oral Sciences, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Abstract
Elite athletes follow demanding training regimes to achieve optimal performance. Training incorporates strategies which coincide with risk factors for dental caries and erosion. The important role of a disease-free oral cavity for peak performance is often overlooked and oral health may be compromised. This initial exploratory study aimed to identify risk factors for dental caries and erosion in elite triathletes. Questionnaires regarding training, diet and oral health were distributed to a sample of elite triathletes in New Zealand. A further sample of 10 athletes was randomly selected from the Dunedin triathlon club to participate in a clinical oral examination. Sports drinks were consumed by 83.9% of the triathletes while training; for 48.4% consumption of both sports drinks and water was described as 'little sips often, from a bottle'. Eating during training sessions was reported by 93.5% of participants; of those 62.1% ate only during cycling training. Only 3.2% perceived training as high risk to oral health. All clinical examination cases were assessed as high risk for developing caries. The diet of elite triathletes is consistent with a high risk profile for caries and erosion. Future research should be aimed at oral health promotion programs for the athletes, coaches and oral-health providers.
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart • New York.

Oral Cancer Facts

2011-02-09T12:51:00.005-05:00

Oral cancer facts from the Oral Cancer Foundation

"Close to 37,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year. It will cause over 8,000 deaths, killing roughly 1 person per hour, 24 hours per day. Of those 36,000 newly diagnosed individuals, only slightly more than half will be alive in 5 years. This is a number which has not significantly improved in decades. The death rate for oral cancer is higher than that of cancers which we hear about routinely such as cervical cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma, laryngeal cancer, cancer of the testes, and endocrine system cancers such as thyroid, or skin cancer (malignant melanoma)."

2011-02-09T12:31:00.001-05:00

It's National Children's Dental Health Month. Follow the link to the MetLife website's kid's page...
http://c9.go2dental.com/ml_content/kids-dental-health.php?cat=60&catname=Kids-Dental-Health-Corner

Xylitol Helps Fight Tooth Decay

2010-03-31T12:28:00.002-04:00

Xylitol is a natural sweetener that has been shown to help fight tooth decay. Many non sugar sweeteners like sorbitol will not contribute to tooth decay, but xylitol is unique in that it actually helps fight tooth decay. A cavity in a tooth is an infection by very specific types of acid producing bacteria. These bacteria need sugars for energy to produce the acids that leech the calcium from your teeth forming a cavity. The presence of xylitol actually inhibits these nasty bacteria when they try to digest it thereby reducing their presence in your mouth. Xylitol is found in many mints, candies, and gums. A certain dosage is needed each day to get this effect(5 or more grams). A great website I ran across on xylitol and how to use can be found here.... Xylitol.org.

Amorphous Calcium Phosphate

2010-02-03T15:02:00.002-05:00

ACP or Amorphous Calcium Phosphate is a substance which can actually heal damaged enamel. When teeth decay they lose calcium when bacteria produce acid. This is a crucial part of the infection that is tooth decay process. The softer, decalcified tooth substance is a perfect home for these nasty bacteria. Eventually the weakened enamle collapses and becomes the whole in a tooth we think of as a cavity.
Fortunately, early dacay is reversible. By increasing fluoride and bioavailable calcium and reducing carbohydrate intake frequency teeth will absorb more calcium and heal themselves. ACP is such a breakthrough because it contains a form of calcium that can actually be absorbed by enamel.
ACP is available in over the counter and dentist dispensed products, even chewing gums. Look for and use this product..when paired wit fluoride i can make your teeth stronger and even improve their appearance.

Good article on Implants

2010-01-25T13:36:00.002-05:00

I ran across this NY Times article on dental implants and it is mostly "spot on". Give it a read.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/health/17brod.html?_r=3

Smile Reminder..exciting new addition to the practice

2009-09-14T20:14:00.003-04:00

We are now participating in the Smile Reminder service. This innovative program integrates with our office software and sends automated email and text confirmations for your dental appointments. Participation is optional and one can opt out whenever they want. Patients who participate will be able to confirm appointments with a simple click of the mouse. Part of the service is also the SmileDash system which allows patients to check their account and even pay their bills online. The service also will allow us to send out office newsletters via email and we will be sending out special offers on services as well.

Dental Appliance for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

2009-07-22T11:49:00.002-04:00

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common disorder where people have episodes where they stop breathing during the night. This is the most severe form of snoring. It is caused when the airway in the throat collapses and air can not pass into the lungs. Long term damage can occur leading to hypertension, heart diseaese, stroke, and the like. Apnea sufferers often feel groggy all day even when they get a solid nights sleep. A common treatment is the CPAP machine which is a mask worn by the patient to basically pump air past the obstruction during the night. CPAP is quite effective but many people have trouble tolerating the device.

There is an effective alternative to the CPAP. Dental devices have been proven to be a comfortable alternative to CPAP machines for the treatment of sleep apnea. Current recommendations by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine are that oral appliances are indicated for treatment of .....

	Mild to moderate sleep apnea
	Severe sleep apnea where CPAP has been tried and failed
	Primary snoring without sleep apnea

We provide the TAP 3 (Thornton Adjustable Appliance) in our office. It represents the latest in design, comfort, and effectiveness for the treatment of snoring and sleep apnea.

Dominican Dental Project 2009

2009-07-21T14:03:00.003-04:00

This year's Dominican Dental Project went very well. Three Dentists, six University of Maryland dental students, and three Domincan dentists saw over 400 patients in a week providing extractions, fillings, and partials. We worked in the towns of El Cercado and Honde Valle in the San Juan province near the Haitan border.
Here are some pictures.....
http://picasaweb.google.com/bolt99/DRProject2009?feat=directlink

New Laser up and Running

2009-04-22T15:29:00.002-04:00

I recently traded in my Waterlase MD dental laser for a new Lares Powerlase. I have been happily practicing laser dentistry since 2004, but now am loving it even more. The main advantage to the Powerlase is that it is faster than the Waterlase when treating teeth for fillings, yet paradoxically even more comfortable for the patient. Most fillings can be performed with no numbing at all so no needles, puffy lips, or funny talking after dental appointments. It is also two lasers in one (known as Er:Yag and ND:Yag). The Erbium(Er:Yag) laser is used to prepare teeth, remove bone during periodontal and oral surgery, and can be used for soft tissue surgeries as well. The Nd:Yag laser is for soft tissue only and is used to do scalpel free periodontal surgery, biopsies, gingivectomies, and the like. Both lasers when used for surgery result in more rapid healing with significantly reduced post operative discomfort. This is a great machine resulting in both better dentistry and more comfort for the patient.

Keep Sports Drinks on the Playing Field

2009-02-27T09:13:00.002-05:00

Gatorade and it's kin are a handy way to rehydrate while exercising on a hot day. They can also be useful keeping sick kids (and grownups too) hydrated during a bad illness. However, I have seen an increase in recent years of families using sports drinks as a regular every day drink. Bought by the case at the local warehouse club by mom and dad, kids will drink these around the house all day, every day. Parents often tell me they considered it a healthier alternative than soda. This is not surprising given how the ads for these drinks seem to promote them as some kind of healthy super drink. These drinks are designed to help keep fluids and electrolytes in balance during and after vigorous exercise where a lot of sweating occurs. They are quite good at this. However their nutritional value is about zero (and don't be fooled by the ones with vitamins in them!).

The problem dentists are seeing from these drinks is a sometimes quite dramatic increase in tooth decay for regular users. Adolescents are at particular risk. When we advise patients regarding decay risk we stress the importance of limiting frequent sugar exposure (particularily in liquid form) and to avoid acidic drinks. Most sports drinks are loaded with sugar and are quite acidic. Both of these factors can increase decay activity immensely. It has not been unusual to find multiple decayed teeth in teenagers pop up even from their last six month appointment. In my experience these cavities are also more aggressive than what is typical these days in the age of flouridation.

Bottom line? Keep the sports drinks on the playing field and encourage healthier drinks at home like iced tea or lemonade with non sugar sweetener, milk, or good old fashioned tap water (not the bottled kind!......I'll get to that on a later post).

Calcium Fortified Fruit Drinks Better for Your Teeth

2008-11-17T21:20:00.002-05:00

I ran across an interesting study recently in the Journal of the American Dental Association. The authors found that fruit drinks with added calcium are better for your teeth. Just about everybody knows that calcium helps build strong teeth and bones, but in this study the benefits of the added calcium were quite intriguing. Many fruit drinks are quite acidic (orange, grape, grapefruit, etc). Many studies have shown that this acid can contribute to erosion of dental enamel, an actual washing away of your tooth structure. The author's of this study found that added calcium prevents this destructive erosion. When teeth erode they literally have their calcium washed away by acidic liquids. The calcium in the drinks appears to negate this problem. Bottom line: look for calcium fortified fruit drinks whenever possible.

Treat Decay with a Mouth Rinse

2008-09-15T12:25:00.003-04:00

I have been dispensing the CariFree products in my office for a few years. They consist of a series of products designed to help reduce the level of harmful bacteria in your mouth. These products also raise the pH in your mouth (make it less acidic). Decay is caused by an infection of tooth structure by a bacteria strep mutans and a few other species. Bacteria digest the sugar in your diet into acids which literally dissolve away the calcium in your teeth.The CaiFree system is so effective because it is based on the latest research regarding the role of bacteria, acid, and dry mouth on tooth decay.
Fortunately the CariFree company has made their products available online and offer a discount when referred by CariFree dentist. I highly recommend visiting the CariFree Website and you can receive a discount each and every time you order by using the referral code POH5797.

Dominican Project '08 :Another Great Trip

2008-08-06T11:54:00.003-04:00

This year's Dominican Dental Project was a great success. Two dentists, eight dental students fom the University of Maryland, and three Dominican dentists provided extractions, fillings, and partial dentures for nearly 400 patients. The patients live in the rural mountain region of the Dominican Republic near the Hatian Border, the most poverty stricken part of the country.Everyone had a great time and the students enjoyed an unbeatable educational experience. For pictures of the trip click HERE.

No Bisphenol A in Dental Sealants

2008-06-18T15:49:00.004-04:00

There has been much media buzz lately about the chemical in plastics known as Bisphenol-A. Found in a variety of household products it has been linked to infertility, cancer, behavioral disorders and the like. This evidence is tenuous at best but cause for concern is being raised by scientific, health, and government institutions. Unfortunately many media reports have indicated that Bisphenol A can be found in dental materials, most notably sealants. Unfortunately the media tends to be it's own source for things and such misinformation can be endlessly Googled and repeated by well meaning, albeit lazy journalists.
Current dental sealants do not contain Bisphenol-A and have not for many years. Below is a quote from a blog on Ultradent"s website (A popular and respected dental material company whose sealants and bonding agents I have used for years)

Results from testing for Bisphenol-A

Dear Colleagues
The media continues to address the health concerns over Bisphenol-A. As is often the case, they serve an important role in bringing public safety issues to light. To support you in communicating with your patients about these concerns, we want to provide you with additional third-party evidence that our own sealants are void of such contaminants.

After testing through a well-respected laboratory, we received tests results that indicate a 0.00000% presence of Bisphenol-A in our UltraSeal XT plus. This is the same type of test we conducted over 12 years ago – the results remain the same. Our sealant is alternatively composed of Bis-GMA, like many currently available dental sealants. Despite this, I encourage others to undergo the same testing to bring confidence back to clinicians and patients alike.

Dan

Is My Headache TMJ ?

2008-06-05T16:13:00.007-04:00

I have many patients present in my office with a history of headaches. Often these headaches are a manifestation of Temporomandibular Disorder, commonly called TMJ. Patients rarely make the connection between their mouth and this head pain. Unfortunately many physicians do not either and patients can go for years suffering from this pain which most of the time can be easily managed with an NTI Device(go to my website to find out how). Patients usually attribute their pain to "tension" headaches or sinus trouble. So how can you tell if your headaches are TMJ related? Most important is the location of the pain. Headaches with TMJ are mostly due to muscle fatigue and pain of the temporalis muscle, which can be seen in the picture above. This powerful muscle fans out the side of your skull from your temples to nearly the top of your head.This pain is simply from overuse of the muscle while asleep due to grinding or clenching of the teeth. Temporalis muscle pain with lesser TMJ pain in other structures often results when a patients clenches more than they grind. In my experience the great majority of patients with temporal (i.e. side of the head) headaches suffer from pain due to clenching and grinding.

2008-06-05T14:57:00.002-04:00

Hi and welcome to my oral health blog. This blog is linked to my website www.stevedds.com and is a place for the latest information all things dental. It may also include office updates and news of interest to our patients here in Linthicum, Maryland.