Diabetes increases your risk of gum (periodontal disease).  Diabetes lowers resistance to infection.  Controlling blood sugar levels makes you less prone to developing oral infections.  Periodontal disease causes teeth to look long due to bone loss and eventually causes them to loosen and fall out.  Maintaining good oral hygiene at home is critical to achieving a healthy mouth.  Brush twice a day and clean between teeth with floss or interdental cleaner once a day.  Thrush is a fungal infection that produces white or red patches that may be sore and progress into ulcers.  It may attack the tongue, causing a painful burning sensation, and it can also cause difficulty in swallowing. Thrush seems to occur more frequently among people who smoke, wear dentures or need to be treated often with antibiotics.  High glucose (sugar) levels also increase this risk.  Antifungal medications prescribed by your dentist can treat this infection.

Checking for oral cancer is a part of the twice yearly check-up.  We check for: a red or white patch, a sore that bleeds easily or does not heal, a thick or hard spot or a lump, a roughened or crusted area.  Pain, tenderness, numbness, or a change in the way your teeth come together are other signs.  Problems with chewing, swallowing, speaking, or moving your tongue or jaw should also be noted.    Heavy drinking , tobacco, and human papilloma virus places people at risk for oral cancer.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider heavy drinking to be an average of more than two drinks per day for men and more than one drink per day for women.  Oral cancer can only be diagnosed with a biopsy.  The American Dental Association has developed recommendations for dentists to help in checking for signs of oral cancer.

Americans spend billions of dollars each year for fresh breath products.  Ninety percent of bad breath problems are caused by the following: tooth decay, gum disease,  poor tongue hygiene, and food debris.  Brushing, interdental cleaning, and tongue cleaning are basic ways to improve breath.  Visiting the dentist twice per year to check for tooth decay helps too!  Gastrointestinal reflux may cause bad breath, also.

Silver or amalgam fillings on average last twice as long as composite or white fillings.   Composite fillings are preferred in front teeth in high visibility zones.  Amalgam fillings are preferred in the back teeth or where they are not visible during speech.

The current recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Dental Association and American Academy of Pediatrics are to start fluoride supplements, if required at 6 months.  Fluoride supplements can be given to at-risk children as drops, lozenges or tablets, with the dose varying with the level  of fluoride contained in the domestic water supply and the age of the child.  It is recommended that children begin to use fluoride toothpaste at age 2.  Children under the age of 6 should always be supervised and should spit and rinse after brushing.  Fluoride is the most important measure that can be taken to prevent dental decay and tooth loss.

 Waterpik Dental Water Jets use pulsation and pressure to clean where brushing and flossing can’t reach.  The Waterpik is especially useful around braces, bridges, and implants.  Some people find flossing difficult due to arthritis or coordination problems.  The Waterpik is an effective alternative.

 Veneers are thin custom-made shells that attach directly to the tooth surface.  They can be used to fix gaps between teeth or improve the appearance of teeth that are badly stained, misshapen or out of alignment.

Implants can be used to replace a single tooth, to stabilize a full or partial denture, or provide anchorage for tooth movement in orthodontics.  Implants look like a screw in bone on x-rays.  An abutment is attached to the implant internally with an implant screw.  An implant crown is then cemented or screwed onto the abutment cylinder.  Implants have a very high success rate as they do not get decayed like teeth!  Implants preserve bone which is esthetically desirable and functionally desirable for keeping partials or dentures in place while eating and speaking.

What determines the cost of dentistry?  The full fee is the fee for a service that reflects the cost of providing the procedure and the value of the dentist’s professional judgement.  Insurances typically set fees at 70-80% of what the average dentist submits as their fee for a given procedure.  Dentists hope to make up for the shortfall of 20-30% with volume of patients coming to the preferred provider accepting that paticular insurance.   Patients are more likely to come to the dentist when they have insurance.

Carefully using a small amount of fluoridated toothpaste (pea-sized amount) with children under the age of six is a safe and effective way to prevent cavities.  Parents should be present  and monitoring young children when they brush.  We recommend that parents rebrush their teeth until age 7.  Some parents may be concerned about fluorosis (white spots) on permanent teeth. Excessive use of fluoride toothpaste and swallowing the toothpaste when children are less than 6 can cause white spots on teeth.  Sucking on the toothbrush with toothpaste on it should be strongly discouraged.  Parental monitering of amount of toothpaste used and child’s ability to spit out excess toothpaste can eliminate the possibility of  fluorosis due to toothpaste.