J. Peter St. Clair, DMD, PC Blog

THE SILENT EPIDEMIC

April 3, 2023

Last week I talked about a sometimes not so silent epidemic – sleep apnea. This week’s epidemic is much quieter but shares the general idea of decreasing the quality of life.

With more than 24 million diabetics and 57 million pre-diabetics in the United States, there are a lot of people affected by diabetes. That’s nearly a quarter of the nation’s population. The most up to date research shows the connection between dental health and diabetes has never been more critical.

As an indication of our general health, the rapidly rising rate of diabetes should be ringing alarm bells everywhere. The litany of health implications from diabetes is a long and grisly list. It is… (Read More)

INTRO TO ADULT SLEEP

March 27, 2023

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 over this holiday period that I stayed up later than I normally do, my amount of sleep hours was less and my quality of sleep tended to be lower. This had an impact on the way I felt the next day. Sleep “hygiene”, including regular bedtime, is so important.

There are many reasons for… (Read More)

TEEN SLEEP

March 20, 2023

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)

XYLITOL + DOGS = BAD

March 13, 2023

Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol that is commonly used as a sweetener in many products, such as chewing gum, toothpaste and nasal spray. Xylitol kills bacteria by disrupting their ability to metabolize glucose, which is a necessary process for their survival. When bacteria consume xylitol instead of glucose, they are unable to use it effectively as a source of energy, leading to a depletion of their energy stores and eventual death.

The dental benefits of xylitol have been known since the 1970’s. Xylitol is not metabolized by the decay-causing bacteria Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), making it non-acidogenic and thus noncariogenic (not decay causing). Studies have also indicated xylitol decreases the levels of S.… (Read More)

WHAT GOES INTO A DENTURE?

March 6, 2023

There aren’t too many people who really want a denture, but for many people, this is a viable way to replace loss of teeth. Regardless if it is replacing one or all the teeth, it is something removable; that is, the patient takes it in and out of their mouth.

As with many things in life, there can be a significant difference in the quality, appearance and functionality between different dentures. Here’s what Wikipedia says about making dentures:

“The fabrication of a set of complete dentures is a challenge for any denturist, including those who are experienced. There are many axioms in the production of dentures that must be understood, of which ignorance of one… (Read More)

A WASTE OF TIME?

February 27, 2023

In an online report I recently read in a journal that was forwarded to me by a patient, they listed 9 “healthy” habits that they claim are a waste of time. Three of them had to do with oral health. Let’s take a look.

The first on the waste of time list was to see your dentist twice per year. I have seen this reported somewhere else in the media recently. According to the authors, close to 30 studies have apparently found no conclusive evidence supporting a need to see a dentist every 6 months. They went on to say, “If your teeth and gums are healthy, once per year is enough to catch developing… (Read More)

BREATHING IS IMPORTANT – PART 2

February 21, 2023

Last week I introduced Part 1 of “Breathing is Important”. For this week’s column to make the most sense, I would encourage you to read that column first. It can be found at www.thetowncommon.com.

In case you don’t have a chance to read it, here is a brief recap: I have been involved in treating patients with sleep apnea for a few years. These are patients who have been diagnosed with sleep apnea or Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS) by a sleep doctor. Some patients are referred who have mild-moderate sleep apnea as first-line treatment, and others are unable or unwilling to use a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine.

There is clear evidence… (Read More)

BREATHING IS IMPORTANT – PART 1

February 13, 2023

About ten years ago I took a weekend course at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine entitled “Sleep Dentistry”. This was not a course in putting patients to sleep for their dental work. This particular course was an introduction to treating people who had been diagnosed with sleep apnea (a sleep breathing disorder) by a medical doctor, and could not (or would not) use the dreaded CPAP machine.

CPAP, which stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, is a facial mask which blows air through the nose to create an “air stent” to basically hold the airway open during sleep. It is the gold standard of treating sleep apnea and works well for many people, but… (Read More)

ARE YOU AT RISK?

February 6, 2023

Last week I introduced you to a patient who has been struggling with dental decay (cavities), gum recession, and dental erosion (the chemical breakdown of tooth structure). I discussed how these dental problems are complex multifactorial diseases of epidemic levels affecting both children and adults.

I ended with the idea that a healthy mouth requires more than brushing, flossing, and “fillings”. With current scientific evidence and new technologies, patients and practitioners need to begin to look at these problems not just from a drilling and filling approach, but also from a medical (preventive/therapeutic) approach. If “we” continue to think the same way about dental issues, we will continue to have the same struggles and same… (Read More)

ACCOUNTABILITY TO HELP THE AVOIDABLE

January 30, 2023

Last week we discussed changing our lifestyle to improve our health. As we all know, changing our behavior, habits, attitude, or any aspect of our lives can be a difficult thing to do. I am not writing as an expert on this subject, as I have the same struggles as everyone else with change. However, repeated awareness of changes we want to make is one strategy to move us closer to making that change.

A good example is Mary, a patient of mine. Mary is an adult who has had issues with decay (bacterial disease that breaks down tooth structure), dental erosion (chemical breakdown of tooth structure), and gum recession (loss of the supporting structures… (Read More)

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