Oral Health Tips for Smokers

Oral Health Tips for Smokers

* Seek out resources for assistance: www.cancer.org, www.hazelton.org, www.smokefree.gov, www.pointperio.com.
* Schedule an exam with your physician to identify the right smoking cessation program. Inquire about a counseling service, nicotine patch or gum, nasal inhalers and sprays or non-nicotine prescription medications.
* Schedule a professional dental cleaning and oral health checkup. Inform your dentist that you are a smoker and ask to be screened for periodontal disease and other smoking-related conditions.
* Be certain to maintain a proper dental hygiene home program. Smokers have special dental hygiene needs. For example, smokers usually require professional cleaning more often than non-smokers. Treat yourself to a new tongue cleaner, dental floss and mouthwash.
* Initiate a stress reduction program such as an exercise regimen, Pilates or a yoga class.

Smokers’ Challenges & Solutions

The challenge in quitting smoking lies in both the physical and emotional dependency caused by the nicotine in cigarettes. Nicotine is a drug equally addictive to other narcotics. The physical withdrawal from cigarettes may include headaches, nausea, cold sweats, and tremors. The emotional symptoms may include depression, irritability, nervousness, fatigue, and a lack of concentration.

find a local dentistSince withdrawal from smoking can be one of the most difficult challenges to overcome, the healthcare community has developed a wealth of solutions to assist you. There are state-sponsored “quit smoking” hotlines, prescription medications, and over-the-counter drugs designed to help you through the withdrawal period.

There are behavioral modification programs that can be accessed through state sponsored “quit smoking” hotlines. You may have access to one-on-one therapy offered by private psychologists, therapists, counselors or in some cases, through prescription medication companies. In the end, the advantages of quitting are far greater than the risks associated with smoking.

Whose Oral Health is Affected by Poor Nutritional Habits?

Whose Oral Health is Affected by Poor Nutritional Habits?

Minerals and Nutrients Necessary for Oral Health

The number of people consuming sugar-filled sodas, sweetened fruit drinks and snacks that contain little, if any, nutritional value is skyrocketing among the general population.

Eating patterns and food choices, particularly among children and teens, are important factors that affect how quickly tooth decay develops. Dentists believe that children who consume too much soda are more prone to tooth decay and serious ailments, such as diabetes and osteoporosis, later in life. However, foods high in carbohydrates, as well as some fruits, juices and sodas, peanut butter, crackers and potato chips, also contribute to cavities in children.

The elderly, individuals on restrictive diets and those undergoing medical treatment may be too isolated, weak or lack the appetite, time, resources or money to eat nutritionally balanced meals at a time when it is especially vital. As a result, these individuals may be afflicted by tooth loss, pain or a joint dysfunction such as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, all of which can impair an individual's ability to taste, bite, chew and swallow foods.

People who are severely underweight or overweight (struggling with obesity), who have recently lost weight and/or are malnourished or take medications (steroids, immunosuppressants, chemotherapeutic agents, etc.), may have a poor nutritional state that could negatively impact their dental caries rate, also.

If you or someone you know is experiencing any of these circumstances, talk to your dentist about solutions and remedies to the situation. It is important to keep all members of your healthcare team informed and up-to-date about your medical history, lifestyle and eating habits so they can work together to identify, prevent and/or control oral and medical health risks.

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Nutrition affects teeth during development. Poor nutrition may exacerbate periodontal disease, a leading cause of tooth loss in adults, as well as other oral infectious diseases. Although poor nutrition does not cause gum disease directly, many researchers think the disease progresses faster and more severely in people with poor nutritional habits.

Therefore, getting the proper amount of vitamins, minerals, fats and protein is essential for the growth and regeneration of normal tissues, as well as your body's ability to fight infections. Carbohydrates, fat and protein supply the energy your body needs for tissue maintenance and repair. Along with vitamin C, vitamins A, E, B, K and D are essential for healing and a quicker recovery time. For example, vitamin A significantly contributes to healing by reducing the inflammatory period of tissue repair.

Important minerals and nutrients your body needs to stay healthy include the following:

Calcium:
Your teeth and jaws are made mostly of calcium. Without enough calcium in your diet, you may develop gum disease and tooth decay. Calcium is found in many foods and liquids, such as milk and dairy products, beans, broccoli, nuts and oysters.

Iron:
Iron deficiency can cause tongue inflammation and mouth sores. Iron is found in foods such as red meat, bran cereals and some nuts and spices.

Vitamin B3 (niacin):
A lack of vitamin B3 can cause bad breath and canker sores. To boost your B3 levels, eat chicken and fish.

Vitamins B12 and B2 (riboflavin):
Mouth sores can develop when you do not get enough Vitamins B12 and B2. Red meat, chicken, liver, pork and fish, as well as dairy products like milk, yogurt and cheese, are good sources of vitamin B12. Vitamin B2 is found in foods like pasta, bagels, spinach and almonds.

Vitamin C:
Vitamin C deficiency may lead to bleeding gums and loose teeth. Sweet potatoes, raw red peppers and oranges are great sources of vitamin C.

Vitamin D:
Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, which helps build strong bones and teeth. A diet lacking or low in vitamin D can lead to burning mouth syndrome. Symptoms of this condition include a burning mouth sensation, a metallic or bitter taste in your mouth and mouth dryness. To increase your vitamin D intake, drink milk, and eat egg yolks and fish. Limited amounts of sunshine help the body to produce Vitamin D.

Preventive Dentistry Strategies

Preventive Dentistry Strategies

Preventive oral care strategies for children and adults include a number of in-office and home care activities, including:

At-home oral hygiene.
The most important prevention technique is brushing and flossing at least twice a day (or after every meal) to remove dental plaque, a film-like coating that forms on your teeth. If not removed, plaque can build up and produce dental tartar, a hardened, sticky substance with acid-producing bacteria that cause tooth decay and lead to gum disease.

Fluoride use.
Fluoride strengthens teeth and prevents tooth decay. Fluoride treatments are provided in dental offices, and dentists recommend using fluoride toothpastes and mouth rinses at home. Public water fluoridation – ranked as one of the 20th century's 10 great public health achievements – provides a major source of fluoride.

Diet.
A balanced diet is a dental health essential. Foods with sugars and carbohydrates feed the bacteria that produce dental plaque, while calcium-poor diets increase your chances of developing gum (periodontal) disease and jaw deterioration.

Regular dental visits.
Since most dental conditions are painless at first, if you don't regularly visit your dentist, you may not be aware of dental problems until they cause significant damage. For best results, schedule regular dental check-ups every six months; more often if you're at higher risk for oral diseases. Your dentist should also perform oral cancer screenings to check for signs of abnormal tissues. Especially for children, checking oral growth and development (including an assessment for caries development) should be part of dental evaluations.

Dental cleanings and screenings. A dental cleaning (prophylaxis) is recommended every six months to remove dental plaque and stains you're unable to remove yourself, as well as to check for signs of tooth decay.

X-rays.
X-rays enable dentists to look for signs of dental problems that are not visible to the naked eye, such as cavities between teeth and problems below the gum line.

Mouth guards.
Mouth guards – particularly a custom-made mouth guard prescribed by your dentist to provide a better fit – can be worn during sports activities to protect against broken teeth. Mouth guards also are used to treat teeth grinding (bruxism), which can wear down teeth and contribute to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder.

Orthodontics. A bad bite (malocclusion) can impair eating and speaking, and crooked teeth are hard to keep clean. Correcting an improper bite with orthodontics that may include the use of dental braces or clear teeth aligners (invisible braces), such as Invisalign or Invisalign Teen, limits the possibility of future dental problems.

Sealants. Sealants are thin composite coatings placed on the chewing surfaces of back permanent teeth to protect your child from tooth decay.

Avoid smoking and drinking.
Smoking, chewing tobacco and alcohol consumption can negatively affect your oral health. Apart from dry mouth, tooth discoloration and plaque buildup, smoking causes gum disease, tooth loss and even oral cancer.

Oral health management.
Consistent dental care for chronic dental diseases/conditions is essential for arresting or reversing their harmful effects.

Patient education.
Patients who understand the outcome of poor dental health are likelier to see their dentist for preventive dentistry treatments. Instilling excellent oral hygiene habits significantly helps ensure a lifetime of dental health.Preventive Dentistry Strategies

Nutritional Tips for Good Oral Health

Nutritional Tips for Good Oral Health

* Maintain a healthy and balanced diet centered on moderation and variety. Select foods from each of the five major food groups (breads, cereals and other grain products; fruits; vegetables; meat, poultry, fish and beans; and milk and dairy products).
* Keep a food diary for a week. Record every item you eat and drink, especially ones that contain sugar. Compare your dietary entries to the food pyramid recommendations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) by visiting mypyramid.gov.
* Avoid “fad diets” that limit or eliminate entire food groups, which usually result in vitamin or mineral deficiencies.
* Drink plenty of water. This keeps your mouth moist and helps to wash away loose food particles.
* Limit the number of snacks between meals. Remember that each time you eat foods that contain sugar, your teeth are bombarded with acids for 20 minutes or more.
* Keep your consumption of foods containing free sugars to a maximum of four times a day.
* If you must snack, opt for healthy foods that are low in sugar and do not stick to your teeth. Cheese, raw vegetables, nuts, plain yogurt or a piece of fruit are good choices.
* find a local dentistWhen you eat fermentable carbohydrates like crackers, cookies and chips, eat them as part of your meal, instead of by themselves. Combinations of foods neutralize acids in the mouth and inhibit tooth decay.
* Drinking soda at meal times is less harmful to your teeth than drinking it alone; continuously sipping soda over time is more harmful than drinking the entire can of soda at once. To help reduce the amount of soda that comes into direct contact with your teeth, try drinking with a straw.

consultation with a cosmetic dentist

consultation with a cosmetic

Your initial consultation with a cosmetic dentist is an opportunity for you to learn about the practice that you've narrowed down your search to, as well as discuss what you like and don't like about your smile. It's also an opportunity for you and the cosmetic dentist to establish realistic expectations for your cosmetic dental treatment.

Consultations for cosmetic dentistry treatments typically include records gathering. Because these records are important for developing a unique and precise cosmetic dental treatment plan that will satisfy your needs, a significant amount of time may be spent for this purpose. Records gathering involves, but is not limited to:

* A comprehensive intraoral examination and inspection of any existing dental work.
* Intraoral photographs
* Radiographs (x-rays)
* Impressions of your upper and lower teeth (models and study casts will be made later).
* Looking through smile design books that show an assortment of before and after photographs of different cosmetic dental procedures.
* Reviewing different tooth shapes and sizes to see what appeals to you.
* Discussing tooth color
* Using a computer monitor, reviewing your smile tooth by tooth with the cosmetic dentist so you can thoroughly understand what can be changed and how.

Your consultation may also include a meeting with a patient coordinator. The patient coordinator's role in the cosmetic dental practice is to help you with scheduling appointments and follow-up care.

You may also meet with the practice's office manager to discuss the types of financing or payment options available to help you manage the cost of your cosmetic dentistry treatment – dental insurance does not typically provide coverage for cosmetic treatment. If not, remember to ask about what the financing options are. While payment plans are available through a number of dental loan providers, your cosmetic dentist may offer in-house payment options as well.


Considerations for the Consultation

Cosmetic dentistry results may vary and are dependent on the skill of your dentist. Finding a qualified cosmetic dentist therefore requires careful consideration, even during the consultation stages of treatment.

During your consultation, make note of how you feel about the practice's ambiance. Specifically, are you comfortable with the cosmetic dentist's chair-side manner? Is the staff friendly, welcoming and quick to address your concerns? Since cosmetic dentistry treatment can take time, it is important to establish a rapport with all individuals involved.

If the cosmetic dentist provides you with a diagnosis and treatment plan during the consultation, it is important that he or she share that information with you in detail. Make sure that you understand your diagnosis and any viable treatment alternatives. Make sure that you feel completely comfortable with the level of detail and thoroughness of the explanations you are given so that you can make an educated decision about your cosmetic dental treatment.

Likewise, when providing you with a treatment plan, the cosmetic dentist should be able to tell you about the type of materials that will be used in the fabrication of your restorations. Be sure to ask about how long the results are expected to last and the type of maintenance required in order to sustain the benefit of the procedures. For example, teeth whitening must be repeated every three to six months – depending upon the procedure you choose – in order to maintain the benefits. Similarly, you may be required to wear a protective mouth guard at night to help maintain your veneers.
find a local dentist

Since most cosmetic dentistry procedures include restorations made in a dental laboratory, ask about the dental laboratory technician your dentist plans to involve in your treatment plan. Is the laboratory technician or ceramist a Certified Dental Technician or an accredited member of the AACD? Has the dentist worked with this laboratory technician for many years and/or on similar cases in the past?

When you select a cosmetic dentist, you are selecting a dental professional who will help you change your appearance by changing the look of your teeth and your smile. It is a very personal and important choice. Most procedures are not reversible, so you will want to take your time, ensure that you feel comfortable with the dentist, and that you feel confident with his/her skills and capabilities. When you do, you will likely be happy and completely satisfied with the results that are achieved with the cosmetic dentistry treatment you receive

DENTAL CROWN

DENTAL CROWN

The cost of a depends on several factors, including the technical demands of the treatment, the training and expertise of the dentist, the training and expertise of the dental technologist, and the location of the dentist.

Dental Crowns may range in price from $1,000 to $3,500 and last between 10 and 15 years or longer, though results vary depending upon your unique considerations. In esthetically-demanding situations, it can be helpful to ask the treating dentist for clinical photographs of treatment they have provided in the past to visualize the expertise and skill of the dental team being selected.
Selecting a Crown Dentist

Both the dentist and the laboratory technologist play a role in the design and treatment outcome of a crown. Art and science are important factors in designing the proper anatomical features of the crown to provide the best possible fit in the mouth.

Some of the technologies and material choices for today's crowns are fairly new, making it important to know how much experience the dentist has with the equipment used in the procedure. General dentists, family dentists, cosmetic dentists and prosthodontists may perform all treatment options; however, the level of expertise varies among dentists. For example, prosthodontists receive an additional two- to three-years of training focused on understanding complex tooth and bone structures, which may be applicable to your case.
Prolonging the Life of the Crown

The longevity of the full coverage crown is determined by the precision of its fit to the underlying tooth. The fit of a crown can vary tremendously and requires attention to detail by the providing dentist. An ill-fitted dental crown can house bacteria that may build into more serious tooth decay in years to come.

It is also important that the tooth be in a healthy state to ensure its longevity. In all cases, your dentist will evaluate the gums and supporting bone structure to ensure these supporting tissues are in a healthy state. This protects the tooth and minimizes the potential for eventual gum recession that exposes the crown margin.

what type of Braces do you want ?

what type of braces do you want ?

Thanks to today’s technology, patients now have more options when it comes to wearing braces. While regular metal braces are still widely used, clear braces are becoming increasingly popular along with new self-ligating high-tech braces. Removable appliances can still be used for mild cases of misaligned teeth.


Metal Braces

The most common type. Today’s metal braces are smaller, more comfortable and more attractive.

Clear Braces

Made of transparant materials, most popular with adult patients, due to their esthetic appeal. Drawbacks are that they are more fragile and less efficient.


Damon Braces

The new self-ligating high-tech braces eliminate the need for elastic o-rings thus more hygienic. Damon braces are more comfortable, move teeth faster and require fewer control visits for the patients.

Lingual Braces

Custom made and bonded to the back of the teeth making it invisible to others. Very complicated and can be uncomfortable

Removable Appliances

Usually used in children with mixed dentition and mild cases. Treatment effect is highly dependent upon patients cooperativeness in using the appliance. Can be used as an adjunct to fixed appliance.