HOME ORAL HYGIENE

OFFICE PROCEDURES

• Infection Protection
• Sleep Dentistry

REGULAR CHECKUPS

• Dental X-rays
• Cleaning
• Soft Tissue Examination

HOME ORAL HYGIENE

Brushing and Flossing

Store your toothbrush uncovered in a dry place such as a bedroom -- bathroom moisture helps bacteria spread. And don't forget to keep your holder clean. Also, when you travel, clean the container where you store your toothbrush, paste, and dental floss.

And remember, a soft brush works best. It's less harsh on your teeth and it massages your gums.

A new type of toothbrush is the Rota-dent product, a toothbrush which is only available in a dental office and is not available in stores. The Roto-dent includes a handle and a set of brush heads of varying shapes to to do different types of work in different parts of your mouth. The rotating head is powered by a cadium battery which can be recharged about once per week.

The Rota-dent toothbrush is ideal for implant patients, periodontal patients and patients with extensive crown and bridge work. It was designed by dental professionals as an effective hygiene instrument to minimize stain and calculus build-up.

• The overall design is like a dental hygiene handpiece
• The neck uses metal parts for strength
• The power handle is made of Lexan Plastic for durability
• The power handle is quiet, and a charge lasts 2-3 weeks
• Rota-dent is clinically proven to significally reduce both dental plaque and gingivitis

Starting your hygiene visit with a healthier mouth reduces the stress of a visit. We are very excited by this new product and hope you'll ask us about it.

Thorough flossing between the teeth once a day will remove accumulated plaque deposits.

more tooth care information

Diet and Nutrition

Diet Drinks

Drinking too much diet soda can be nearly as bad for your teeth as the sugary drinks. Many diet sodas contain larger
amounts of phorphoric and citric acids than their naturally sweet counterparts. These acids are used to add flavor to the drinks. But, unfortunately, they can make the acid content in the drinks high enough to damage your tooth enamel. Dentists are seeing more and more patients with enamel problems -- anything from cracking to tooth erosion. These acids may also actually etch your teeth, and that's not a pleasant thought.

So what can you do? After all, you have to drink something! To be safe, we suggest good old water. It's healthful, has no caffeine, and absolutely no calories. What's more, it's good for your whole system.

Lemons

You need vitamin C daily, but don't overdo it by chewing or sucking on that lemon wedge from your iced tea. Sucking on lemons can be bad for your teeth. Lemons have strong acids that can weaken enamel, the hard protective coating on your teeth. Keeping the fruit in your mouth only gives the acid more time to erode enamel.

Swishing citrus fruit juices in your mouth can do the same thing. Don't stop drinking orange or grapefruit juice, though -- just try to swallow right away and rinse with water afterward.

Vitamins

Vitamins are an important part of a good diet and health regime, helping to speed healing and to guard against disease. Certain vitamins can help your dental health as well.

For example, vitamin C has been shown to promote dental healing and help prevent gum disease; other studies have shown that vitamin E can reduce the risk of oral cancer.

Considering these benefits, it can't hurt to follow a diet rich in vitamins and minerals, and to consider supplements if your diet doesn't provide enough of these essential ingredients. Avoid chewable vitamin C tablets, however, since the acid in the tablets can harm your enamel.

Eat healthy and you'll not only feel better, but you may be guarding against disease and other complications. Of course, consult your family physician before making any significant changes in your diet.

Fluoride

We all know how important fluoride is for children, but you might be surprised to hear that some adults need extra fluoride, too, depending on their circumstances.

For instance, fluoride treatments, toothpaste, and fluoridated water have proven effective for adults with root caries. It's a condition that occurs as gums recede, exposing the tooth roots which aren't protected by enamel to decay.

Fluoride can also help alleviate the dental consequences of dry mouth, a condition in which saliva flow is reduced. Unchecked, saliva problems can lead to increased cavities and tooth decay.

Also, many adults accumulate a collection of dental work throughout their lifetimes, including fillings, crowns, and bridges. The areas around such dental restorations may be more susceptible to tooth decay and cavities. Again, fluoride can help; in fact, it may even repair damage by speeding the return of minerals to the teeth. Finally, fluoride can reduce sensitivity for people who have exposed roots, even when there's no decay.

No matter what your age, fluoride is important for your dental well-being.

Medications

Medications are meant to help with health problems, but as experienced dental health professionals, we know that many prescription and over-the-counter medications can lead to unwanted oral conditions.

If you take medications for diabetes, epilepsy, arthritis, blood pressure, or muscle relaxants, you may experience side effects. Some may be hardly noticeable, but others may demand immediate attention. For example, dry mouth may lead to cracked lips, inflammation, and even increased tooth decay.

What's important is that you tell us about ANY medications you take and any oral side effects you experience right away. That will help us give you the best, most comprehensive dental examinations and treatments.

If we find that your medications are affecting your mouth, we'll work with your other doctors to minimize the problem. We want to deal with these side effects right away, especially ones that endanger the good health of your teeth and gums!

Antibiotics in Advance of Dental Procedures

The following tables show guidelines for antibiotic coverage for dental procedures.

Illnesses

Osteoporosis

Nearly 25 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis, a disease that weakens bones, making them porous, easy to fracture, and slow to heal. This disease is most common in post-menopausal women, and its first symptom is often a broken bone. By the time a victim suffers this fracture, unfortunately, she may already have lost substantial body bone mass.

Dentists can identify signs of osteoporosis -- which may appear as periodontal bone damage or premature tooth loss. Since teeth and bones are so much alike, oral health examinations that reveal these symptoms in patients with good oral hygiene and no history of dental problems may indicate osteoporosis.

If dental checkups suggest such symptoms, we may be able to help. We can work with you and your other doctors to further diagnose and treat your condition. Your physician or gynecologist may recommend treatments to increase bone mass, including vitamin, calcium, and fluoride supplements, and estrogen replacement therapy which can slow bone loss.

The key to good oral and overall health is prevention. Schedule frequent examinations, and keep your dentist and physician informed of changes that occur in your body through your life stages. Do not hesitate to voice your concerns or ask questions.

Sports/Mouth Guards

Unfortunately, young girls are catching up to boys in sports -- injuries! It used to be that for every three boys who sustained injuries in sports, only one girl was hurt. Today, with many more young women playing all kinds of active and body-contact sports, the figure has narrowed to about one-and-a-half to one.

Because so many more girls are now suffering sports injuries, your active daughter, as well as your son, should always wear a mouthguard to both practices and games. You do not want to risk any permanent injury to their teeth.

Most school sports programs provide and mandate mouthguards. However, it might be a sound precaution to bring that generic mouthguard in when your child has a regular checkup -- before the sports season starts. We will examine it to make sure that it will protect her teeth properly.

If they have orthodontics or any other special dental requirements, we may recommend fabricating a custom mouthguard for your young athlete. We both want to be absolutely sure the mouthguard meets your child's mouth protection needs. We recommend the PLAYSAFE laminated mouth guard, fabricated by Glidewell Laboratory of California.

Smoking

We have known for years that smoking increases the risk of developing oral cancers, cavities, and bone loss, especially among younger patients. Recent studies have shown that smoking also increases the risk of periodontal disease and slows recovery after gum treatments. So now you can add gum problems to the growing list of smoking's hazards.

Young smokers who quit now -- before they further damage their teeth, gums, and supporting bone -- have a much better chance of recovering good dental health.

Breaking the smoking habit makes sense for dental as well as overall health. If you or a loved one need more information on the benefits of quitting smoking, just ask. We'll be happy to help!

Bad Breath

Halitosis (bad breath) can come from a number of sources. Chronic illness and certain foods can result in odors coming from the stomach, lungs or sinuses. These sources, however, account for less than ten percent of all cases. Ninety percent of bad breath comes from the mouth.

The first step in reducing and eliminating bad breath is restoring decayed teeth and treating any periodontal disease you might have. Additionally, proper brushing and flossing is essential not only to improve and maintain your oral health, but also to control the growth of VSC producing bacteria.

Breaking the smoking habit makes sense for dental as well as overall health. If you or a loved one need more information on the benefits of quitting smoking, just ask. We'll be happy to help!

BreathRx is a revolutionary new product that is very effective in reducing or eliminating halitosis. The BreathRx breath management system contains "zytex," a chemical that actually breaks down VSCs into a non odor producing by-product. The complete system includes a mouth rinse, tooth brushing gel, tongue cleanser, tongue conditioning gel, mints, gum and breath spray.

BreathRx products are available in our office.

OFFICE PROCEDURES

Infection Protection

We use stringent infection control protocols, products and procedures in our practice. They are the foundation of making our practice as infection transmission-free as it can be.

We observe controls required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in that each of our employees receives all mandated hepatitis B vaccinations. Further, we also follow, and in many cases exceed, American Dental Association and Centers for Disease Control infection control guidelines.

Our practice employs the following rigorous quality controls:

• We completely sterilize and disinfect all dental instruments before each use.
• We manually clean all handpieces to remove surface materials and then heat/steam sterilize them in an autoclave before each use.
• We clean all dental instruments in an ultrasonic cleaner, then package and sterlize them in a chemical sterilizer.
• We chemically sterilize all instruments which are sensitive to heat.
• We utilize strict waste control procedures for sharp instruments, such as needles and scalpel blades, in keeping with OSHA requirements.
• We wear disposable gloves, face masks, and protective eyewear as barrier techniques.
• We change our clinical attire as appropriate.
• We cover all handpieces with a protective sleeve containing a surface disinfectant.
• We disinfect all environmental surfaces, such as chairs, headrests, light handles, and counters, prior to each patient treatment.
• We take an initial, comprehensive medical history of each patient, then update it at subsequent appointments.

Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our patients and our employees.

Sleep Dentistry

Did you ever put off an exam or treatment because you were anxious about it? If you have, we've got a solution for you! Sleep dentistry -- you doze while we treat you.

We can use different oral medications to help you relax deeply. The amount and type we use depends on how awake you want to be during the procedure we do.

You'll feel little discomfort and may not even remember the procedure. Depending on how involved your treatment is, we may be able to do everything in one visit.

We can also use conscious sedation, such as nitrous oxide. With it, you'll be somewhat alert, you can hear us talking, and you'll respond to our questions. You shouldn't feel tense or recall any discomfort later.

We find nervous patients enjoy sleep dentistry. They feel at ease, knowing they can rest during their visit. Don't put off a checkup because you're nervous or anxious.

REGULAR CHECKUPS

Dental X-rays

There has recently been a real concern over the amount of radiation that people receive from dental x-rays, and rightly so. Following are some statistics which may allay those fears.

• Children sitting too close to the television can receive up to 890 milirems of radiation to the eyes per year.
• This amount (890 millirems) is equivalent to about 45 chest x-rays or 18,000 dental x-rays. Two and one half hours of sunlight is equivalent to about thirty or forty dental x-rays.

Cleaning

Because plaque and calculus deposits on teeth can irritate your gums and cause imflamations, we set up a regular schedule of prohylaxis, or cleaning, visits for you. We think of these really as health maintenance visits because we do a lot more than just perform prohylaxis. At each visit, we also take your blood pressure, perform a soft tissue examination, check for periodontal problems, check for cavities, keep you up on the latest techniques and dental aids for effective home care, and rinse your mouth with a berry-flavored fluoride rinse which has been shown to help prevent decay and may even help remineralize decay that has already started.

The emphasis in health care today is on preventing problems rather than dealing with problems after they arise. The results of a double-blind study performed in 1987 tell us that an interval of 90 days is optimum for effectively removing the accumulated toxins and enzymes that are not removed by general home care. Based on this study, we recommend that you schedule a health maintenance visit with us every three months.

Soft Tissue Examination

During your examination, we gently probe the inside of your mouth with our gloved fingers. What we're doing is conducting a brief examination of your soft oral tissue to check for any bumps, lesions, and signs of any other problems such as oral cancer.

Although a small fraction of cancers occur in the mouth, that adds up to thousands of cases every year. So we don't like to let a checkup go by without giving you this important exam. Early detection based on regular examinations is fundamental.

We check your palate, tongue, lips, cheeks, gums, and neck, and try to do it as gently and thoroughly as possible.

If we should ever find something to be concerned about, you can be sure that we'll tell you. In fact, if there's any deviation from the normal, we'll mention it to you and explain what it is, so you don't have to worry. And if you become aware of something -- your tongue touches a bump or anything else -- please let us know so that we can both be sure it's nothing to fret about.

There are several things we may do in the unlikely event that we find anything questionable -- we may want to simply re-examine you later, take a small biopsy, or refer you to another dental specialist. But whatever, the choice, we'll tell you everything you'll need and want to know.

The odds of finding malignancies are very low, but we don't like to take any chances with the health of our patients.