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)

Now, everyone is looking for ways to save money while making their lives easier with do-it-yourself tutorials. In addition to the home improvement and cooking videos, you will find many dental-related tips online. Among the most popular DIY dentistry information currently trending on social media involves the use of charcoal toothpaste to resolve stubborn tooth discoloration. The results are simply amazing as the black substance provides drastic results without having to visit a dentist. While there are many claims raving about its success, is it really safe for your teeth?
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You’ve spent spend thousands of dollars to straighten your teeth or your kid’s teeth with an orthodontist and the goal is to keep them that way. However, long-term compliance of retainers is an issue. Adults who have had braces tend to be better with retainer compliance. 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. Retainer use is abysmal at five years following treatment.

There are basically three methods used to retain teeth after braces: a clear, vacuum-formed retainer (typically referred to as an Essix retainer), a hard,… (Read More)

I’m sure you have heard the saying “You are what you eat”. This implies that a healthy balanced diet high in vitamins and nutrients and low in junk food is better for you and will help you maintain a healthy body and stave off illness.

Your diet provides your body with the fuel it needs to run at its optimum, so if you are filling your tank with a diet heavy in sugary and fatty foods instead of nutrient-rich vegetables and lean proteins, you’re doing yourself a disservice. A poor diet can lead to weight gain, high blood pressure, digestive problems, increased risk of illness, and can also affect the health of your teeth and… (Read More)

Dentistry has nine recognized specialties. They are listed below with a brief description. As you will notice, cosmetic dentistry is not one of them. Every general dentist does “cosmetic” work – unless they are putting silver fillings in front teeth. There are some general dentists who do more “cosmetic” work than others and some who even limit their practices to esthetic cases. However, a dentist cannot officially be designated as a “cosmetic dentist” or “cosmetic specialist.”

The nine recognized specialties in dentistry are:

Public Health Dentistry – this field of dentistry is involved in the assessment of dental health needs and improving the dental health of a specific population of patients.

Endodontics – this dentist,… (Read More)

It is common for a patient to ask what kind of toothpaste they should use. The concept of toothpaste and mouth washes is pretty old – almost as old as the Egyptian toothbrush. In fact, the earliest known toothpaste was created by the Egyptians. It was said to contain rock salt, mint, dried iris flowers and 20 grains of pepper, all crushed and mixed together to form a powder. It wasn’t until the 18th Century that the next recorded version of toothpaste showed up. That recipe was interesting as well.

The 19th Century saw a lot of toothpaste innovations, although many of them would be repulsive compared to what we are used to today. Charcoal,… (Read More)

For decades, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommended that patients with certain heart conditions take antibiotics shortly before dental treatment. For those with these certain heart conditions, this was done with the belief that antibiotics would prevent infective endocarditis (IE), previously referred to as bacterial endocarditis. IE is an infection of the heart’s inner lining or valves, which results when bacteria enter the bloodstream and travel to the heart. Bacteria are normally found in various sites of the body including on the skin and in the mouth.

In 2007, the AHA’s revised guidelines were published in its scientific journal, Circulation, and there was good news: the AHA recommended that most of these patients no longer… (Read More)