October is almost gone, which means only 2 months left in 2017. Where did the time go? It’s crunch time to get everything done that we haven’t gotten done during the rest of the year. For those with dental plans, it’s also the time of year to consider utilizing unused dental benefits.

Unused dental benefits go directly back to the insurance company, which generates hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars for the insurance companies each year. Dental insurance companies count on the fact that many people will not claim their $1000 or so in benefits by the end of the calendar year. Those with dental insurance should look for legitimate means to use these… (Read More)

Last week I discussed teenager sleep patterns and issues. This week we start a conversation about sleep for the majority of those reading this column.

My body has become accustomed to a certain amount of quality sleep. I have always had difficulty sleeping past a certain time in the morning, regardless of what time I go to bed. On the days when I stay up later than my normal bedtime, my amount of sleep hours is less and my quality of sleep tends to be lower. This has an impact on the way I feel the next day.

There are many reasons for poor quality sleep. Everything from a poor mattress, poor pillow, sleep position,… (Read More)

When we were all young children, most of us got plenty of sleep, and for that matter, we didn’t think much of it. Our parents told us it was time for bed and we went to bed. We slept until the morning at which time we were woken by our parent’s gentle touch.

As we progressed into our teenage years, our responsibilities increased. This typically led to staying up later and getting up earlier to be able to keep up with these added responsibilities. Today, it seems that getting enough good sleep is even more of a challenge for our teenagers.

One of the contributing factors of this teen sleep crisis is that parents are… (Read More)

If you feel a sudden twinge in your teeth, you should never ignore it—in fact, it’s time to investigate! Tooth sensitivity can be caused from many different things, and your dentist is here to help you unveil your dental problems “root” cause.

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The more we learn about the body through research and science, the more aware we become about the interconnectedness of all the systems. For example, we now know and continue to learn about the relationship of sleep and its effects on the rest of the body. Sleep breathing disorders, namely sleep apnea, is something that should be routinely screened for by physicians and dentists. While sleep apnea is not necessarily an “oral disorder”, it presents in ways that can be easily screened by a dentist. The key here is the practitioner thinking “outside the box” and treating each patient’s total-body health.

You may have heard the phrase “the mouth is the gateway to the rest… (Read More)