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Welcome to “Oral Sedation Dentistry”

May 17, 2015

Fear has no boundaries affecting all types of people. There are no sex, economic, or race discrimination guidelines. Research shows at least 30% or our population avoids going to the dentist due to fear. Our personal estimate is closer to 50% where anxiety is the culprit for avoiding needed care. With such a large segment of the population needing care but too afraid to seek us out, it is easy to see why a safe, non-judgmental, pain-free experience would be a welcome change for the anxiety-stricken patient. Oral Conscious Sedation (OCS) meets that incredible need. The Dentists who have made a commitment to learn the advanced technical skills required to practice OCS provide a solution for those needing this service putting them into a state of “twilight sleep” without rendering them actually unconscious. To be totally successful a dentist must learn more than just the technical skills. The certified OCS dentist must understand the emotional state as well. This involves understanding the state of a high-fear patient. This requires the dentist to actively listen to those who have avoided dentistry for years because of intense, realistic, palm-sweating, sick-to-the-stomach, eye-popping, and sleep depriving fear. It is a well-known fact that many people are often afraid to tell anyone about their fear, so they feel isolated. As dentists, we must be their “rock” in these situations

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March 7, 2015

It is imperative that dentists adopt to what is known as two distinct, separate causes of oral cancer. Tobacco / alcohol use which is traditionally identified as a leading risk factor for the development of oral cancer and the infection of HPV-16 which is rising rapidly especially in the younger ages that are non-smokers between the ages of 25-50. Oral cancer is on the rise in all age groups regardless of tobacco and alcohol decline due to the spread of the spread of a particular strain of human papilloma virus, HPV-16. In fact, “HPV may contribute to the development of approximately 20% to 30% of all oral cancer case” worldwide and 40 to 80% of all oral cancer case in the US. Because there are two distinct causes for oral cancer, and therefore are two different important protocol for detecting them. For example, recent data tells us the HPV related oral cancer is more elusive than the tobacco / alcohol related cancer. Unlike tobacco and alcohol which occur mostly in the anterior floor of the mouth and the lateral borders

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January 12, 2015

Traditional Impression Technology

In 1984 the first “digital” impression was introduced into the world of dentistry.  This meant that instead of having to fill a patients mouth with impression materials, digital images could be taken with a miniature camera and once stitched together, could be used to fabricate a model on which a crown or bridge could be made. This was a real advantage because the patient wouldn’t be drooling and/or choking on the impression material waiting for it to set up,  a process normally taking 3-5 minutes!  On the other hand, the scanners at the time were very expensive and many doctors felt these first prototypes were not as accurate at the impression materials were.

Digital Imaging Impressions Today

Fast Forward to today.  Along with the advances in computer technology, computer imaging has progressed by leaps and bounds.  Along with this, the number of competitive dental imaging companies has exploded.  Now, instead of taking images of just one tooth, we can scan full arches.  Two methods are now in use and competing with each other.  One, takes still images and “stitches” together these images into a data base that can be transmitted over the internet to the lab for model fabrication to make a crown, bridge or , , , , ,

October 22, 2014

First – The Facts: The Ebola virus is spread through direct contact only!That is, it has to be transmitted through broken skin or a mucous membrane by blood or body fluids (urine, feces, saliva, vomit or semen) from a person who is sick with it, or by an object (like needles) that have been contaminated. References to Ebola mutating to airborne transmission come from a 2012 study involving a contamination of monkeys from pigs in an adjoining cage and surface cross contamination was the suspected real cause. Also, although Ebola mutates at a high rate, in studies of viruses for over 100 years “we’ve never seen a human virus change its mode of transmission.” Second – Transmission:  Fluids from those infected must be transmitted to a new individual before the first dies, or the virus can’t survive.  The CDC reflects an incubation time of 2-21

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May 20, 2014

Gum Disease is an infection by germs in the gums around your teeth. It is one of the most common infections in people throughout the world. In its more serious form – known as “periodontitis” – the infection is long lasting. The soft gums and bone around the teeth dissolve over time. This can lead to the loss of teeth. One-half of the U.S. Population 30 years and older has periodontitis, as do 60% of those over 60.

Periodontitis raises blood sugar and may lead to type 2 (Adult Onset) Diabetes

People with diabetes, especially uncontrolled diabetes, have more gum disease than those without diabetes. Now, scientists are finding that the sum disease raises blood sugar levels in people both with, and without diabetes.. At a recent meeting of the top dental and diabetes researchers from around the world, scientists looked closely at the latest research into how gum disease affects humans. They found that, compared with those having healthy gums, people with periodontal dise

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May 16, 2014

Ceramic, Non-Metallic Crowns are the current rave in Cosmetic Smile Enhancements. Everyone wants teeth that, once restored, “Brighten Your Smile” and give you that overall “Glow” your face has begun to miss as we age and begin to wrinkle and tarnish a bit. The old metal crowns had been replaced in the mid-1960’s by porcelain jacket crowns. But by the mid-1980’s these crowns showed a 25% chance of failing after 11 years and in posterior teeth it was much greater! Fortunately, in 1983 Horn, Simonsen and others introduced the first bonded porcelain crowns. However, although these crowns didn’t fracture as often, they frequently came loose from their underlying teeth because their dental cements didn’t adhere well to dentin.

Modern Advancements in Crown-Related Procedures

Today, along with the development of newer cements, the modern-day all-ceramic crowns have arrived. These new systems not only stay bonded to teeth well, they can also be categorized into two groups: those that are translucent and very natural in appearance and those that are more opaque having a higher-strength core that resist extreme chewing forces. Both are fabricated without a metal backing and therefore do not show their metal (called “shine through”) up by t

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May 13, 2014

NOBODY LIKES TO HEAR “YOU NEED A ROOT CANAL!”or “THAT TOOTH NEEDS TO BE EXTRACTED!” when visiting a dentist. Yes, these certainly are the needed treatments in many cases where decay and/or infection have progressed too far and they are the only treatments left. As dentists we all have our share of patients coming in on an emergency basis who are experiencing pain, and it used to be expected that an extraction or root canal therapy were the last two choices. Not surprisingly, with the development of modern materials and treatments, a third choice has become available.

Using a procedure called “Pulp Capping”, dental materials called liners can be used where the removal of decay and/or old restoration comes close to or slightly exposes the main nerve chamber of the tooth, the Pulp, but where infection is minimal. In the past these liners were frequently used beneath dental restorations to redu

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May 9, 2014

Chances are good that a person prone to gum disease – especially those with moderate to severe periodontitis – may also have systemic medical conditions related to a compromised immune system.

At a recent meeting of the European Federation of Periodontology and the American Academy of Periodontology, a panel of experts reviewed the existing evidence linking periodontal disease to a person’s health. Their conclusions were published and made public in a special supplement release in April of this year. They concluded the following:

  • Diabetics -There exists emerging evidence that periodontal disease adversely affects glycemic control (sugar control) in people with type 2 (adult onset) diabetes and raises blood glucose levels in non-diabetics, as well as promotes the development of new type 2 diabetics. It also causes complications in both type 2 and type 1 (juvenile) diabetics with their medications.
  • Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ACVD) – There is a strong association between periodontal bacteria and ACVD. Studies show the presence of live and viable periodontal bacteria in the lesions causing this disease. Periodontal treatment such as regular cleanings, deep scalings, laser decontaminations, and periodontal surgery reduces this systemic infestation, decreasing also the levels of inflammation and C-reactive protein that break down the

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February 25, 2014

Your Mouthwash Can Give You High Blood Pressure!

In the past the presence and metabolic activities of oral bacteria has been traditionally associated with negative health effects ranging from bad breath and cavities to more serious gum diseases like gingivitis and periodontitis as well as contributing to cardiovascular disease and stroke. However, new studies are beginning to show that certain amounts of bacteria present in our mouths are actually beneficial to our health.  In fact, these bacteria may be a prime source in the process of converting nitrogen containing compounds back into nitric oxide in our blood which causes our blood smooth muscle to relax and lower our blood pressure. Recently, groups of researchers from the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, and the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet of Stockhom, Sweden studied the effects of using a popular mouthwash prescribed  by oral clinicians to drastically reduce and control the population of natural oral bacteria in their subjects mouths. Since the presence of oral bacteria is crucial in the initial step of converting nitrogen compounds into nitric oxide in our bodies, this greatly reduced the amount of nitric oxide.  All these test subjects were healthy, non-smoking, disease free individuals who were placed on controlled healthy diets with low nitric acid

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January 28, 2014

Everyone loves a bright white smile, and there are a variety of products and procedures available to help you improve the look of yours! The best place to start is with a healthy mouth.

Begin with a Dental Checkup

Your dentist can diagnose and treat any pressing oral health conditions and determine which whitening procedure will work for you. Once the dentist determines the reason for discoloration – injury, food or tobacco stains, childhood or teen antibiotics – a suitable whitening method can be selected. Without this you could be wasting time and money using whitening products that aren’t effective for your kind of stain.

Have Your Whitening Done in a Clean and Safe Environment

Teeth whitening chemicals if not applied properly can damage your teeth and gums resulting in burns or infections, and “kiosk” whitenings are done by people wearing “scrubs” or laboratory coats who are made to look like “health care professionals”, but aren’t. Dental offices use licensed professionals and strict disinfection protocol including washing hands, changing examination gloves and disinfecting work surfaces after each patient.

Choosing the Right Procedure

There are three ways to whiten your smile: 1)Chairside Bleaching, 2) At–Home Bleaching and 3) Whitening Toothpastes. After examination, your dentist will offer you the opti

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