Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Fluoride Rinses Can Help Diabetic Patients Maintain Clean Teeth


Cleaning teeth regularly is especially important for people with diabetes because they often suffer from dry mouth, or xerostomia.
Chronic dry mouth can lead to tooth decay because there's not enough saliva to wash away food particles and bacteria, and to buffer the acid that causes decay. If you have diabetes and you often suffer from dry mouth, your dentist or dental hygienist might recommend a fluoride rinse. Most fluoride rinses have artificial sweeteners that won't impact blood sugar, but be aware that there may be fluoride rinses that contain sugars that could affect glucose control in people with diabetes. Overall, fluoride rinses are safe, but be sure to follow the instructions and avoid swallowing the rinses.
Alternatively, professional fluoride treatments may be recommended for patients with diabetes to help protect against tooth decay. The best way for those with diabetes to prevent decay and gum disease is to follow a consistent oral health routine of twice-daily tooth brushing with a toothpaste with fluoride and daily flossing.
If you have diabetes and you are prone to a dry mouth, you may want to brush your teeth more frequently to help get rid of food particles and bacteria. And consider using a soft-bristled toothbrush to avoid gum irritation.
Info in this article from:

Monday, June 25, 2012

Treating Gingivitis

 

Treating Gingivitis


The truth is, the best cure for gingivitis is to catch it early. This is especially true for people who are prone to developing periodontitis, associated with potential tooth loss and the need for root canals.
Gingivitis is the earliest, mildest stage of gum disease. At this stage, the gums may become red and slightly swollen and they may bleed easily. But most people experience very little discomfort on a day-to-day basis, so they may not bother to see the dentist. Even if you see your dentist regularly, schedule an extra appointment as soon as possible if you notice redness, swelling or bleeding in your gums, even if it isn’t painful. Early intervention is they key to combating the infection before it becomes serious.
Some medical conditions make you more likely to develop gingivitis. If you are pregnant, have diabetes, are being treated for cancer or are HIV-positive or have AIDS, you are at increased risk.  Even if you are perfectly healthy, you should still pay attention to your oral health and see your dentist at the early signs of gingivitis.
Also, your genes may be against you. Research has shown that approximately 30 percent of the human population overall is at increased risk for gum disease independent of other health factors.
The best early intervention for gingivitis is a professional dental cleaning. Then it’s up to you to maintain a consistent oral health care routine of twice-daily toothbrushing and daily flossing. In addition, your dental hygienist or dentist may recommend a mouth rinse as part of an early intervention to help keep plaque at bay.

Information in this article from:  http://www.oralb.com/topics/treating-gingivitis-in-its-early-stage.aspx

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Dental Care at Home


Brushing
Tooth brushing is one of the most important aspects of good oral hygiene. Others include flossing, diet, visiting the dentist regularly, etc. Many people question their dentist as to which brand or type of brush is the best to use. Many have personal preferences, however, what is agreed on most, is that a soft brush is best. Medium or hard can cause damage and wear to the soft tissues surrounding the teeth, as well as unnecessary wear to the tooth outer surface called enamel. Brushes should be replaced often, usually after three to four months or after a bad cold or flu. Ideally, one should brush after each meal, but at least mornings and before bedtime should be made part of one’s normal routine.
Other common questions are what types of bristles should a toothbrush have. The answer again depends on personal preference, however, studies have found that synthetic bristles are best due to their ability not to split as often as natural bristles. This splitting of the bristle ends can cause severe gum irritations and eventually recession of the gums and tooth sensitivity. If one uses a synthetic soft bristled toothbrush that is replaced often, it will not cause this irritation.
Sequence of Brushing
Each person has their own method of brushing, however, an easy technique is to divide the mouth into six sections. Depending if one is right or left handed, you can choose which side to start on in the upper arch. Assuming you start on the upper right, start brushing the posterior four teeth. Place the toothbrush slightly on the gums or gingivae at a 45 degree angle and partly on the tooth. Gently brush back and forth. After brushing in this fashion, move the brush further down away from the gums and onto the rest of the teeth. Go further anteriorly until you reach the next one third. You should now be on the anterior six teeth.
Repeat the procedure. Move on to the four back left teeth, repeating the back and forth motions. Once completed, brush the left four posterior teeth, on the biting or occlusal surfaces. Roll to the inside tongue or lingual side of the teeth. Again, place the brush at a 45 degree angle on the gums and tooth. Follow this procedure now going from left to anterior to right upper back teeth. This is now repeated by dropping down to the lower teeth. Follow the same instructions.
Outer/inner surface of teeth: Place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle against your gums and gently brush back and forth.
Chewing surface: Use the toothbrush as shown, and applying slight pressure, brush back and forth over the chewing surface.
Inside surface of the front teeth: Angle the brush as shown and use gentle back and forth strokes with the end of the brush.
Tongue: Brush the tongue in a back-to-front sweeping motion to remove food particles and freshen your mouth or you can use one of the many tongue scrapers available.

Flossing
Flossing the teeth is a very important adjunct to tooth brushing for good oral hygiene. Studies have even demonstrated that those who floss regularly have a decrease in periodontal disease, bad breath, and cavity incidence. Unfortunately, many people do not floss, and so the increase in periodontal disease is seen. Flossing, as many people believe, is not used to remove food particles only. It is used to remove plaque under the gums, which is the invisible film of bacteria that constantly forms on teeth. Floss allows one to go in between the teeth, and scrape the surfaces clear of this plaque and bacteria.
Technique
A 12 to 18 inch piece of floss should be used first. By placing a few inches around the middle fingers on either hand, and then using the thumbs for control, one places the floss in between teeth. Again, you can divide the mouth into sections. The important thing to remember is that you should get sufficient pressure to get in between the teeth. Pressure should be placed on either side of the teeth once the floss is in correct position. One must get under the gumline to loosen the debris, plaque, and bacteria. This area is called the sulcus. A good way to remember how long to stay in this area and clean, is to count the up and down strokes on each tooth. Eight to ten strokes on each surface should be quite sufficient. The amount of time might seem excessive, but the rewards are great for your dental health.
Questions arise on how often one should floss? The answer is that, to be effective, one should floss each day. What kind of floss is best? There are many flosses to choose from on the market. Each one works. Personal preference is up to the patient. Thickness, waxed or unwaxed, etc. are for the difficult spaces that exist in teeth. Flavored, non-flavored flosses are available, again it is personal preference of the patient. The main thing to remember is to floss on a regular basis to maintain good oral health. What if one finds it difficult using floss due to dexterity problems or a handicap? There are commercial devices that can aid one in overcoming these problems. Recently, a company has developed an electric motor type flossing device. more on flossing
Tongue Scraping & Bad Breath
Ninety percent of bad breath is caused by bacteria, and dead cells on the back of the tongue. The best way to remove odor is to remove build-up on tongue. Tongue scrapers were developed to remove these dead cells and bacteria.
Things one can do to prevent bad breath:
  • Brushing and flossing regularly, including tongue surface, decreases bad breath.
  • Fibrous vegetables, such as celery sticks and carrots, aid in keeping the tongue surface clean
  • Foods rich in proteins can cause bad breath. Dairy products, meats, fish etc., cause this by breaking down the bacteria on the tongue. The proteins, in turn, cause sulfur to form which causes bad breath.
  • Keep mouth moist. Saliva flow keeps tongue surface clean.
  • If odor is noticed. more from the nose, respiratory infection may be the culprit. See your physician.
info from: http://www.floss.com/dw_dentalhygiene.html

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Oral Health Care - Gum Disease Treatment


Gingival Recession

Gums may recede for any of several reasons, including thin tissue, abnormal position of teeth in the dental arch; malocclusion; inappropriate expansion orthodontics; heavy bite stress; and periodontal disease.

Video and article created by: ToothIQ.com





Jeffrey Cohen, DMD
4324 Forest Hill Boulevard
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
Tel:(561) 967-8200
Email: info@thecosmeticdentist.com
Website: www.thecosmeticdentist.com 

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Dental Implant Dentistry


Bone Resportion

Bone resorption is a common complication of tooth removal—one which makes it challenging to replace the teeth esthetically. Fortunately, dentistry has been at the forefront of development in bone science, and offers several common techniques to avoid bone resorption and reconstruct resorption defects. This animation illustrates removal of a lower molar tooth, and the subsequent bone resorption which takes place. Pressure resorption of an edentulous area is shown under a removable partial denture. Compromised placement of a dental implant into an atrophic area of the mandible is animated, and compared with a fixed bridge as a restorative option. Bone resorption in the esthetic zone is then illustrated, showing the cosmetic compromises which must be made if bone grafting is not undertaken prior to restoring the edentulous area. Compromises in implant placement are shown. Sinus pneumatization is animated, and sinus elevation is briefly mentioned as an option. A block cortical graft is quickly shown, followed by placement of a dental implant and restoration with a crown. The animation closes by showing a socket graft to preserve alveolar bone following an extraction.

Video and article created by: ToothIQ.com





Jeffrey Cohen, DMD
4324 Forest Hill Boulevard
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
Tel:(561) 967-8200
Email: info@thecosmeticdentist.com
Website: www.thecosmeticdentist.com 

Friday, June 1, 2012

Preventive Dental Care


Dental Sealants and Fissurotomy

By some accounts, 80% of tooth decay begins in the pits and fissures of teeth. Toothbrush bristles may not be able to completely remove food from those areas. Dental sealants and fissurotomy techniques may help protect against these types of cavities. This animation opens by describing the epidemic nature of pit & fissure cavities, and the impetus for their prevention. Pits and fissures are shown in cross-section, and dissolution of tooth enamel in the inaccessible fissures is illustrated- ultimately progressing to caries in dentin. Prophylactic odontotomy (fissurotomy) is described as a potentially viable means of eliminating deep fissures, along with use of microabrasion handpieces to debride the grooves. Sealants are applied, stressing the importance of good moisture control. Microleakage is discussed as a possible consequence of maintaining poor moisture control during placement, followed by caries progression which may be difficult to observe clinically. Finally, a failing sealant is shown, which illustrates the most common problems associated with sealants.

Video and article created by: ToothIQ.com





Jeffrey Cohen, DMD
4324 Forest Hill Boulevard
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
Tel:(561) 967-8200
Email: info@thecosmeticdentist.com
Website: www.thecosmeticdentist.com