You have spent thousands of dollars to straighten your son’s or daughter’s teeth with an orthodontist, and then a year or two down the road when you ask them where their retainers are, they answer, “I don’t know.” Sound familiar? Long-term compliance use of retainers is an issue. Here is the latest research and my thoughts on keeping your kid’s teeth straight.

Studies show and should not be surprising that the average patient compliance decreases dramatically the longer a patient is out of treatment, and is abysmal at five years following treatment.

There are basically three methods used to retain teeth after braces: a… (Read More)

Sleep apnea is one of the foremost medical problems facing American society. Fortunately, there are many ways that a sleep dentist can help to treat the problem, from spotting common symptoms to crafting a customized anti-apnea appliance. But part of the process of treating apnea is correcting the misconceptions that have grown up around the condition. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the most common beliefs about apnea and weight loss.

The Truth about Apnea and Weight Loss

First let’s consider three things that medical experts know for sure:

1. People who are overweight are more likely to suffer from sleep apnea and vice versa. The two problems… (Read More)

You’ve heard it before – three in four adults over 35 have some form of gum disease. And a preponderance of new clinical research reveals that gum disease poses a far greater threat to health than just losing a tooth. Periodontal disease may actually increase your risk for a variety of health concerns including heart attacks, low birth weight babies, diabetes and stroke.

Dr. Isadore Rosenfield, Health Editor of PARADE magazine – “People with chronically infected gums have twice as much heart disease as the rest of us. We have an imperative to treat gum disease – to save not only teeth but also patients.”

I think it is safe to say that our healthcare system has some flaws. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a healthcare system that realized that everything in the body is connected? Unfortunately, there are no reasonable solutions for this in the near future. Therefore, it is important for you to take your health into your own hands and plan appropriately.

Patients will sometimes balk at treatment not covered by their dental insurance. Dentists will often hear, “Just do what my insurance covers. I don’t want anything extra.” In fact, a recent ADA poll showed that a lack of dental insurance was the #1 reason most patients gave for not visiting a dentist.… (Read More)

Disease is defined as, “a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific signs or symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of physical injury.” Symptoms are those which are felt and signs are those which are seen. Disease may show signs but no symptoms. Two areas dentists see signs of, often without symptoms, are bruxism (grinding)/clenching and GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease, causing chemical erosion of the teeth.

Some people present with symptoms relating to these two issues, but more often than not, people do not have symptoms. Dental… (Read More)

There are many people who suffer with pain involving some area of the head. Toothaches can cause pain, but these are mostly avoidable with proper diet, home care and regular visits to your dentist. Teeth can also play an indirect role in facial/head pain.

Orofacial pain includes a number of clinical problems involving the chewing (masticatory) muscles and/or temporomandibular joints (TMJs). Problems can include TMJ discomfort involving muscle spasms in the head, neck, shoulders and/or jaw, migraines or other types of tension headaches, pain with the teeth, face or jaw; and can even play a role in anxiety and/or depression.

You swallow approximately 2,000… (Read More)

Want to enjoy healthier gums? Start by watching what you eat. Onions, leafy greens, and reduced-fat dairy products are great choices. These foods are rich in vitamins and minerals and low in sugars and simple starches. All of them can help you to enjoy a better report from your dentist.

The word is out – taking care of your oral health is better for your whole body, including your mind. However, statistics still indicate only about half of the population goes on a regular basis. For those that do go, most patients usually stay with a dentist unless there is some kind of personality conflict or philosophical discrepancy in the perceived need for treatment. How do you know if another opinion is right for you?

When it comes to larger purchases, such as a car, a house or even home improvements, it’s not uncommon to get a second or third opinion/quote. We use the information we gather to make a more informed decision… (Read More)

I recently had the opportunity to do some dental hygiene appointments for a hygienist who was out for a family emergency. While at first I was not particularly excited about doing this because I have my own busy schedule, I have to say, it was both gratifying and eye-opening.

Typically, when I check a patient after a hygiene exam, I am examining clean teeth and will briefly discuss any concerns the patient or the hygienist has. But on this day, I got to spend much more time with patients who I normally only see for five minutes after they see the hygienist.

My first patient was a 20-year-old, very pleasant and bright… (Read More)

Have you broken any of your New Year’s resolutions yet? Essentially, it is just another “to-do” list. As with many to-do lists, some of the items on it keep getting pushed down in the ranking of priorities because of the constraints of time. So, I have a suggestion to keep in mind when making pledges to yourself about what you are going to do this year; make purifying your time your first resolution.

Many driven people pride themselves on how many tasks and commitments they are able to take on. This is difficult to sustain. Eventually, this philosophy of always doing more becomes counterproductive, as you inevitably have to approach your growing list… (Read More)