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New Year, New Insurance?

What are ’soft teeth’?

January 15, 2012

New Year, New Insurance?

Every year, we get so many patients asking us for help in decoding their dental insurance.  I feel angry that the insurance companies make it so hard for patients to figure out their benefits, what it means, and how it best suits each patient.  Most HR departments are just as confused when it comes to these plans.  In reality, Dental Insurance companies would rather that people pay premiums and never use their plans!

Dental insurance is actually a misnomer.  Normally, we buy insurance to protect us from damages (car insurance, home insurance, life insurance, health insurance), and hope we don’t have to use it for some calamity.  Dental insurance should be renamed ‘dental benefits’, because you are ‘buying at a discount’  a set amount of dollars per year to help offset the cost of dental care.    Most dental care is maintenance and check ups, routine services.  Occasionally there is a need for dental care when something unexpected happens, but most of the time patients can plan for their dental care.  And the majority of dental insurance is use it or loose it.  Remember, insurance companies are in the business of making a profit, not health care!

So, what does it all mean?  Well, dental insurance is an important part of getting dental care, and it does help pay for necessary and routine care, and does help offset the cost of ‘check ups’.  But, the devil is in the details.  My colleague has written a great post over at his website. In deference of not wanting to plagerize, I invite you to click on the link below, its a great read.

LIKE A GIFT CARD FROM A CONTROL FREAK


November 30, 2011

What are ’soft teeth’?

“Doc, I’m doomed.  My whole family has soft teeth and I always have cavities.  I think my kids are going to have the same problem.”

My heart breaks every time I hear this. Why?  One simple reason.  The outer layer of teeth is called Enamel, and it is the hardest substance in the whole body.  Yes, Enamel is harder than BONE!

So, why the myth of soft teeth?

Dental enamel is the hardest and most mineralized substance in the body.  When those minerals come out, the teeth loose their strength.  How do teeth lose their minerals?  ACID is the culprit here; it just sucks the minerals right out.  Sodas, sports drinks, stomach acid from acid reflux/heartburn are the biggest culprits.  Acid is the reason that teeth ‘get soft’.  Now, add sugar to teeth that are stripped of their natural defenses, and cavities start easily and move fast.

Fiction: Only Sugar in sweets causes Cavities. Fact: Sugar comes in many forms, not just the stuff we put in coffee or tea.  Highly processed grains like white bread and pastries have huge amounts of sugars, and the white flour of processed foods breaks down to sugars and acids in the mouth.

Fiction: Too much sugar is the only way to get a cavity. Actually, the ph level, which relates to the amount of acid in your mouth, is another danger in tooth decay.    The higher the acid level, the weaker the enamel gets making it more prone to cavities.

Fiction: Healthy foods can’t cause cavities. Actually many healthy foods have lots of natural sugars.  Things like dried fruits and fruit juices could cause cavities if you are not careful.

Fact: The higher the acid level in your mouth, the easier it is for cavities to start.  So if diet, habits, or disease is releasing acid into your mouth you have just increased your potential for getting cavities.  Beverages like coffee, tea, Gatorade and energy drinks will lead to higher acid concentrations, and combined with the sugar in those beverages the risks for cavities are enormous.

Even though you may have a sugar free diet, other foods could be causing the acid levels in your mouth to rise, putting you at risk.   And it’s not just how much of the foods you are eating, but the time period in stays in your mouth during the day.  Water has so many health benefits and by sipping water after snacks and meals, you can lower the acid levels as well as wash away foods that tend to stick to teeth.

There are some foods that are great at raising the ph levels as well, and are healthy snacks.  Things like cheese, peanuts, nuts, and sugar free gums are great ways to protect your pearly whites.  Of course, brushing and flossing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste ensures that the enamel will be strengthened as well.

So, since you now know why teeth get soft, ask us how we can help make them strong and beautiful.

July 7, 2011

CAN YOU SEE MY BRACES?

You know the value of having a confident smile. When you are confident, you don’t have to say anything; people can sense it and see it. Whether interacting at work or going out with friends, your confidence to smile speaks volumes.

In my last blog, I explored Six Month Smiles braces for adults.  This blog is all about Invisalign.  Many of my patients choose Invisalign to straighten their teeth because they like the ‘invisible’ factor.

What is Invisalign? Invisalign is a custom-made series of aligners created for you and only you. These aligner trays are made of smooth, comfortable and virtually invisible plastic that you simply wear over your teeth. Wearing the aligners will gradually and gently shift your teeth into position.

How is it different from other treatments? Traditional braces use metal brackets and wires to move teeth, they are not removable, and brushing and flossing require attention and effort.  Invisalign are custom trays that can be removed to eat, and for brushing and flossing.  And if you are really self-conscious for a big event, you can remove the aligner for a short period of time and pop them back in when you get home.

Can my teenager have Invisalign instead of traditional braces? Most pre-teens and teens that have significant bite problems are better served by seeing an orthodontist for a complete, or comprehensive, orthodontic treatment. But many older teens with minor spacing or crowding issues are ideal candidates in our office.

What are the health benefits of straight teeth? The benefits of straight teeth it not just for looks.  Properly aligned teeth leads to a healthy mouth. Swollen, red gums can often be the result of having teeth that are crowded or too widely spaced. Unfortunately, these are also signs of periodontal disease. When teeth are properly aligned, it helps the gums fit more securely around the teeth, allowing for the strongest and healthiest defense against potential periodontal problems.  Your teeth and gums – and how they look to others when you smile—say a lot about your overall health. If you’re taking good care of both, you’re probably taking good care of the rest of you.

How do I find out more? Call us now at 603.429.2199.  Every Invisalign, Six Month Smile, and cosmetic dentistry consultation is COMPLIMENTARY at our office. And when you do any orthodontic treatment at our office, you get  free teeth whitening!

Visit our website to see real results from our office.  These are people just like you who took the step towards a healthier, happier, confident smile.

Next Up: “My teeth look great except for that one tooth (or two teeth) that is out of line.  What can I do?”

June 20, 2011

YES! You Too Can Achieve a Great Smile with ‘Nearly Clear’ Braces for Adults

Can you smile with confidence?  Do you feel like your teeth are in ‘cosmetic limbo’?  Looking for a conservative option?  Ever ask your self the question ‘But what can I do about it?’

Patients thought they only had 3 options:

  1. Live with my crooked/crowded/gap teeth
  2. Go through adult braces for 2-3 years
  3. Have a ‘dental’ makeover

For the past few years, I have been offering adult braces in my practice. Since I am seeing more and more adults and older teens looking for ways to fix their teeth, I wanted to write about one of the options that I provide. Today’s entry will be about Six Month Smiles, a ‘nearly invisible’ braces system designed to address most adults immediate concerns.

What is it? Six Month Smiles is a system of nearly invisible braces and wires that uses light forces to move teeth. The system was designed to address the teeth that you see when you smile.

How does it work? Using space-age materials, and simple concepts, it works very much like ‘traditional’ braces.  The ‘wire’ on the brackets has a ‘memory’ that is designed to bring teeth into better positions.  Most people can have straight teeth in an average of 4-9 months, with ‘6’ months being the average.

Is this New? Not really. This type of orthodontics has been around for a while.  Recently, technology has allowed us to develop wires that work naturally to do most of the work.   It is the latest manufacturing and materials that allows more dentists to treat patients who are looking to fix their crooked teeth.  The clear brackets make it an attractive alternative for adults who don’t want ‘metal mouth’.

How clear are the braces? Everything is tooth colored, so only you, and us, will know you are wearing braces.

Who is this for? The system was designed with adults in mind, though some older teens may be candidates.  Most adults don’t want to undergo ‘comprehensive’ braces that could take 2-3 years to complete.  Everybody wants to make their smiles better, and Six Month Braces was designed to move teeth in a short period of time and address those concerns.  If your teeth are crooked, crowded or have spaces, and your ‘bite’ is not a problem, then you are a candidate.  Check out some great examples of Jamey, Debbie, and Mike.

Who is not a candidate?

  • If you have significant dental problems due to  bite issues and have crooked, crowded, or spaced teeth
  • If you have significant muscle pain, TMJ pain, frequent headaches that may be related to TMJ or bite problems- you might not be a candidate
  • Have one jaw that is significantly larger than the other, or other skeletal issues
  • Most teens are better served with traditional braces unless their conditions are very minor.

If your teeth are mis-shaped, too big or too small, badly discolored, or have had a lot of dental work on front teeth, you may need more than just a straight smile to make them look good again.  In that case, we also offer other ‘cosmetic’ dental options like porcelain veneers or crowns.  Six Month Smiles may help in getting your smile to where in needs to be to make a ‘dental makeover‘ more affordable.

Many people who started Six Month Smiles with me were excited to learn that they were the ‘perfect’ candidate for Six Month Smiles Braces.  Now, imagine yourself with a new smile before your next dental hygiene visit.  Don’t just imagine it, call us for your free consultation, and we will show you what you could look like with a free ’smile’ photo mock up.

If you have questions, or just want a complimentary consultation, please call us at 603.429.2199 and let Kathy know you saw our Blog.

Stay tuned, in the next blog find out what Invisalign is all about.

April 11, 2011

What’s in Your Mouth?

April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month.  Oral cancer is not a rare disease. Approximately 37,000 people will be diagnosed with oral cancer every year in the US. It kills one person every hour of every day, and over 100 new individuals will be diagnosed with it each day. The good news is that it can often be found early in its development, through a simple, painless, and quick screening.  Visual screenings should be done at every check up, and enhanced screenings are offered to every patient at our dental office.

Who should get screened?

Every adult. Oral cancer can often be caught early, even as a pre-cancer. With early detection, survival rates are high and the side effects are from treatment are at their lowest. Like other screenings you engage in such as cervical, skin, prostate, colon and breast examinations, oral cancer screenings are an effective means of finding cancer at its early, highly curable stages. Make them part of your annual health check-ups.

What are the risk factors?

There are two distinct pathways by which most people come to oral cancer. One is through the use of tobacco and alcohol, a long term historic problem and cause, and the other is through exposure to the HPV16 virus (human papilloma virus version 16), a newly identified etiology, and the same one, which is responsible for the vast majority of cervical cancers in women. The quickest growing segment of the oral cancer population are young, healthy, non-smokers due to the connection to this virus.

Early Indicators:

Red and/or white discolorations of the soft tissues of the mouth.

Any sore which does not heal within 14 days.

Hoarseness which lasts for a prolonged period of time.

Advanced Indicators:

A sensation that something is stuck in you throat.

Numbness in the oral region.

Difficulty in moving the jaw or tongue.

Difficulty in swallowing.

Ear pain which occurs on one side only.

A sore under a denture, which even after adjustment of the denture, still does not heal.

A lump or thickening which develops in the mouth or on the neck.

Is Early Detection Screening Mandatory?

Currently there are no population based screening programs for oral cancer in the  US, although early detection of oral cancer can increase survival rate to 80-90%.  The American Cancer Society (ACS) and the American Dental Association (ADA) recommend opportunistic screening for oral cancer.  The National Cancer Institute estimates that only 20% of the US population receives an annual oral examination. The ADA estimates that 60% of the US population visits a dentist every year, however less than 15% of those who visit the dentist regularly report having received an oral cancer screening.

An oral cancer screening should be conducted every year, so take advantage of the offer and get screened today.

For more information about oral cancer, please log onto The Oral Cancer Foundation’s official website at www.oralcancer.org.

March 10, 2011

The Hard Facts about Soft Drinks

Gina, one of our hygienists, put together this blog. Check out the end chart, pretty amazing facts!

Soft drinks have become a popular choice for a growing number of people, especially kids, teens and young adults. Too often these drinks are replacing healthy choices such as milk and water in our daily diet. It’s not surprising since the soft drink companies have their products in our schools, stores, gas stations, movie theaters, and restaurants.

Today the standard size of a can of soda is 12 ounces and a bottle is typically 20 ounces. In the 1950’s a bottle of soda was 6.5 ounces. A “Big Cup” has more than five cans of soda in a single serving. Presently, teens drink three times more soda than twenty years ago. That’s a big increase for a drink that has no nutritional value and high calories derived mainly from sugar. And what about the “diet” sodas? Well, what these lack in sugar they make up for with acid. Either way, sugar and acid equals double trouble.

In addition to cavities, heavy soda consumption has been linked to diabetes and obesity. Acid in soft drinks, whether they contain sugar or not, is the primary cause of weakened tooth enamel. When you take a sip of soda, the acid attacks your teeth. Each acid attack lasts around twenty minutes. This happens again with every sip. These continuous acid attacks weaken the  tooth enamel. Once the enamel is weakened the bacteria in your mouth can cause a cavity.

Drinking soda in moderation will help reduce decay. Try to avoid sipping a soft drink for an extended period of time. Ongoing sipping prolongs the sugar and acid attacks on your teeth. After drinking soda, swish your mouth out with water to dilute the sugar. Never give a young child soda at bedtime. The liquid can pool in the mouth coating the teeth with sugar and acid all night. Always use fluoride toothpaste to protect your enamel.

Remember to visit your dentist regularly so she can examine your teeth and check for any signs of tooth decay. Your hygienist will clean your teeth to remove any bacteria or plaque and help you with your brushing and flossing technique. She may also recommend an in office fluoride treatment. As always, prevention is the key to a healthy mouth.

In case you still aren’t convinced to beat that soda habit, here are some interesting results comparing sugar and acid amounts found in some popular soft drinks, juices, and sports drinks. The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry did this study.

                                                         Acid                                                       Sugar
                                                       (low=bad)                                       per serving

Mountain Dew                           3.22                                                      11 tsp

Sprite                                             3.42                                                      9 tsp

Orange  Slice                                3.12                                                     11.9 tsp

Coke                                                 2.53                                                      9.3 tsp

Pepsi                                                 2.49                                                    9.8 tsp

Gatorade                                         2.95                                                     3.3 tsp

Nestea                                            3.04                                                      5   tsp

Diet Coke                                       3.39                                                      0

Diet Pepsi                                       3.05                                                     0

Dr. Pepper                                     2.92                                                      0

Hawaiian Punch                           2.82                                                    10.2 tsp

Battery Acid                                  1.00 (ouch)

December 31, 2010

Happy New Year !

This blog is  ‘light and easy’ after the rich holiday season.  We have lots of teachers in our practice, and one of them asked our hygienist Rena about the history of the toothbrush.  Rena put in a lot of research for her answer; so all credit goes to her for this great blog.

(By the way, January 1st is a great time to break open a new toothbrush).

The first identified toothbrush dates back to the year 3000BC.  A twig was frayed between the teeth to create a splayed “brush”.  This ‘chewstick’ was then used between the teeth and chewed on. The use of twigs and sticks continued for many hundreds of years.

In the early 1700’s the use of rubbing rags with soot and salt on the teeth was a common tooth brushing method.  For many years, the use of hair from a variety of animals including horse, boar, and bird feathers was common.  Unfortunately, many people poked their gums with these hairs and developed infections, which led to tooth loss!  Not really an effective method for overall oral health!

William Addis of England thought of the idea of taking a small animal bone and drilling holes into it.  He then tied bristles together to form tufts, and put the tufts into the holes, and glued them in. By 1840 mass production of toothbrushes was common in England, Germany, and Japan.  Pig bristle was common material for the cheaper versions, while badger hair was considered high-end material for the wealthy.

It was not until 1885 that the toothbrush was mass-produced in the U.S.  It was actually not common practice to brush one’s teeth until WWII, when American soldiers were required to brush their teeth to avoid undo medical concerns in the field.

By 1938 DuPont developed the nylon bristle that is commonly used today.  The first electric toothbrush was invented in 1954 in Switzerland.  And ever since, companies have been making variations of the manual and electric brushes that are now common.

Whether manual or electric, remember to keep the bristles soft and use the right technique.  It’s in the way you use it that makes all the difference in the world.

Now, Eat, Drink , Be Merry, and celebrate the New Year (just remember to brush)!

December 13, 2010

This Time Dr. Oz Got It Wrong

I usually like watching like Dr. Oz and Oprah. I can always gleam some good advice or learn something new when they do shows on health and beauty. And in September, Dr. Oz had a really good article on dental health. But, I have to take issue with Dr. Oz’s recent blog on December 2, 2010. He wrote about natural dental remedies, and natural ways to whiten teeth. Unfortunately, most of this blog was not accurate.

We all know that fruits are good for you. But can raisins, apples and strawberries clean your teeth and make them white? NO, of course not. Dr. Oz suggested that since raisins can stimulate saliva flow (true) it ‘naturally’ washes away dental plaque. This is false; worse yet raisins are full of sticky sugars. Many fruits like raisins have this natural sticky sugar, and when combined with plaque, it sticks to teeth and causes cavities (the same way candy causes cavities). The blog goes on to say that chewing crunchy apples removes the excess food and bacteria in your mouth, and the malic acid in apples is like a whitening agent. Well, the truth is the best way to clean plaque, and sugars, is by mechanical means, like good old-fashioned brushing and flossing. And the malic acid?  In the small quantities found in a single apple, it won’t ‘whiten’ your teeth at all.

And strawberries? Well, the article suggested that the Vitamin C found in the berries would clear away plaque which would help whiten teeth. He also suggests that the astringent in strawberries effectively aids in the removal of surface stains. Again FALSE. Just eating the strawberry won’t do either. It simply is not true that ‘foods’ can clear plaque or remove surface stains. Remember, there is no magic paste, mouth rinse, fruit, or food that can remove plaque and stains.

Lastly, and most disturbing, is that Dr. Oz suggested using a slurry mix of baking soda and lemon juice on your teeth to whiten them. What? That is just crazy. The pH scales runs 0 to 14, with 0 being most acidic. Lemon juice is very acidic at pH2, the same as Coca-Cola! And baking soda? Yes, is it on the opposite end of the acid scale, being mildly basic and able to neutralize the lemon juice. (That is why it bubbles when both are mixed together.) But baking soda is very abrasive. So combine an acid with an abrasive material, and you get the perfect material to destroy enamel. Imagine doing this over and over again over time and the enamel will erode, 100% sure of that.

Sorry Dr. Oz, the very idea that a celebrity like you would suggest a DESTRUCTIVE method to “whiten” your teeth in an effort to save a few hundred dollars ( the cost of professional, effective, and SAFE whitening) is mind-blowing to me. Proven methods of whitening teeth, when done as instructed, will not hurt enamel.

I know there are many people who want natural remedies for everyday ailments, and many of those work fine. But this is one area that there is no alternative. To find out more just click the link “Teeth Whitening”, or ask a dentist near you.

September 30, 2010

Athletic Support

School is back in session, and student athletes are back on the playing fields. Most schools require students to wear a mouth guard during practice and games and many get the standard ‘boil and bite’ guards available over the counter. These are OK in a pinch but studies show that it offers no real protection.

Facial and head injuries can be sustained in nearly every game, from “contact” sports such as football, soccer and basketball, to “non-contact” sports like baseball, gymnastics, bicycling or skateboarding. We see more injuries to the mouth as a result of playing sports than from almost any other single cause. A survey conducted by the University of Texas found nearly 5 percent of male college athletes who played football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, baseball, ice hockey and lacrosse without wearing a mouth guard sustained some oral injury. That’s more than 2,000 injuries in just a single year at the college level alone! It’s at the junior high, high school, community and amateur levels that most injuries occur

If you or your children play any kind of sport, then a form fitting mouth guard offers better protection. A properly fitted mouth guard is an important piece of athletic gear that can help protect your mouth, cushion falls and blows that might otherwise cause broken teeth and injuries to the lips, tongue, face or jaw. Custom-made guards are designed to cover all the teeth and are shown in the literature to be the best type of protection. Custom-made mouth guards may be slightly more expensive than commercially produced mouthpieces, but they offer the best possible fit and protection and are the most comfortable as they allow for easier breathing and speaking.

The National Youth Sports Safety Foundation, Inc. reports dental injuries are the most common type of orofacial injury sustained during participation in sports. Victims of tooth loss may face lifetime dental costs of $10,000 – $15,000 per tooth, hours in the dentist’s chair, and the possible development of other dental problems such as periodontal disease. While most people realize the importance of protection in organized sports, sometimes they forget to wear their mouth guards during recreation sports. Consider even just a basic custom mouth guard.

So our motto for all athletes is: Protect only the teeth that you want to keep!

August 20, 2010

Prevention Is The Best Investment

I was waiting at the hair salon the other day, and I picked up a magazine with the simple headline ‘How to Save Money on Dental Bills’. Of course, I had to read the article. I am glad I did as it reinforces the things that we talk about all day long to our patients.

When times are tough, we look to tighten our budgets, and sometimes skipping a dental visit can be an ‘easy out’. But in the end, it will take more time and money to get back to a healthy mouth after the damage is done. We now know that there is direct correlation between gum disease and heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, just to name a few.

Does your company have a Flexible Savings Account or Health Savings Account? These allow you to put away a preset amount tax-free. Even if you don’t have one, dental expenses fall into the health-care category and are tax deductible if your total health-care related costs exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income.

Prevention is always the best investment that you can make. Did you know that even if you don’t have dental insurance, all it takes is $1 a day to have 2 cleanings, X-rays, and checkups for the whole year? That’s a great investment that beats the stock market in any economy!

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