Medications and Your Mouth

   Can’t figure out why your teeth are breaking, your mouth is dry, your food tastes different, your gums are swelling, or you keep getting new cavities?  Maybe it’s your Prescription Medicines! The fine print that accompanies your medication may be difficult to read, but it contains some very important information you should know.

   If you are taking just ONE medication, there is a 50/50 chance you will have some type of adverse reaction to it. It could be hives, itching, upset stomach, swelling, etc. If you are taking TWO medications, there is a 90% chance you will have an adverse reaction between the interaction of those two medications and your body’s reaction.  If you take THREE or MORE medications, it’s practically guaranteed you will have an adverse reaction.

   You can’t stop taking the medicine, so what do you do?  If you have a dry mouth, which is a common side effect of over 400 medications, try to keep your mouth moist. A dry mouth gets cavities much faster. Over the counter products like Biotene help. Sipping on water and keeping it convenient throughout the day helps.

   The biggest help you can do at home is keep your teeth and gums as clean as humanly possible. That will cut down on cavities, help your breath, and keep your mouth feeling much fresher. Not to mention, save you many trips for dental care.

   So read the labels of your medications, look out for the interactions between them, and keep your mouth super clean. These simple steps can make your life much more enjoyable, especially eating! (And you know I like to eat!)

In the Interest of Better Dental Health,

 Dr. Chuck

Oral Cancer Screening Saves Lives

    You are probably familiar with the old adage, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." This saying goes a long way when we examine your mouth, lips, and neck at your regular dental visits.

    April is Oral Cancer Awareness month. Did you know that a person dies of oral cancer every hour of every day here in the U.S.? According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, 100 new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed each day. That's approximately 37,000 Americans each year.

    Risk factors include the use of any tobacco products, excessive alcohol use, sun exposure and diets low in fruits and vegetables. Fortunately, all of us have control over these risks. However, new studies are showing that the fastest growing segment is the 25-50 age range due to the human papilloma virus HPV-16.  

   Survival rates for oral cancer vary a great degree depending on the stage that the cancer is detected. Currently, when oral cancer is found in the early stages (1 or 2), you have a 80-90% chance of survival. If cancer is found in the later stages (3 or 4), the survival rate is only 20-30%. According to the American Cancer Society's website, www.cancer.org, the 5-year survival rate for early stage cancer is about 83%.

    Early detection is the key to treatment and survival of oral cancer. When you come in, we look for any changes in your mouth. These changes may include mouth sores that bleed easily and do not heal, red or white patches that persist or lumps. In between regular dental visits, you can take an active role by performing a monthly self-examination. 

   If it's been awhile since you've visited your dentist, make the call today to schedule an exam. It could save your life.

  In the Interest of Better Dental Health, 

  

                     Dr. Chuck       

“It’s Good To Be Dentally Healthy!”

     Russell (not his real name) came to the office just to keep his wife from nagging him. Nothing bothered him. Some teeth were chipped or loose, but he was dentally comfortable. There were other medical issues like diabetes and heart stents, but these can’t be related to your mouth, can they?

     As Russell learned, yes they can! The mouth is a clearing house for millions of bacteria. These bacterial cause not only cavities and gum disease, but they get into your blood stream and can affect your heart, strokes, diabetes, and they’ve even shown links to arthritis, Alzheimer’s, and liver issues.

     Think of your daily dental clean-up routine as a clean-out for your body. Getting the millions of bacteria out of your mouth so they don’t affect your heart, joints, or other medical issues is preventive medicine. Just a few weeks ago I heard an interesting statement. “If you can’t afford prevention, how can you ever afford treatment?”

     Russell says his mouth feels better. He was so used to the bad taste, he thought it was normal! It was a welcomed surprise that his mouth could actually taste good, food could taste better, and he had more energy than he did before.

     If you’ve been putting off your periodic check-up and professional cleaning, get back in sequence. Your health, your comfort, and your wallet will thank you!(Prevention is economical!)

 

      In the Interest of Better Dental Health,

                                           Dr. Chuck

A Valentines Day Kiss

    February is the month of Valentines Day.  Flowers, Candy, and Cards are freely given and received in love or admiration of others.  Many times a “Thank You” is followed by a kiss.  Makes you feel good, doesn’t it?

    I’m very much in favor of appropriate kissing. You can define “appropriate.”   Some prefer a peck on the check, while others play tonsil hockey, and then there’s everything in between. The question is “Are you receiving yet another gift with your kiss?” Bacteria?

   You already understand how bacteria (plaque) gets on your teeth and deposits their toxins and acids that cause cavities and gum disease.  You know these bacteria travel all around the mouth, including the tongue. When we recommend tongue scrapers it’s for a reason.  If you use a tongue scraper, you can see the bacteria you remove every time you use it.  The person you kiss may or may not have the same bacteria as you.  Depending on your kissing, you could be spreading around or receiving new bacteria to your system.  That could be bad for your health.

   How do you prevent it?  Simple:  Brush, Floss, Water Irrigate, Tongue Scraper...Good Dental Health!  If your mouth is clean, and your partner’s mouth is clean, great.  If not, one of you (or both) should make a dental appointment and get dentally healthy! :)

     Enjoy Valentines Day with 2 simple rules:

 ♥  Brush/water irrigate/tongue scrape Before you kiss. If your gums bleed, there are open areas for bacteria to enter your system. Kiss with caution. If your gums are healthy with no bleeding, you are much safer. Go for it!

 ♥  Brush/water irrigate/tongue scrape After you eat. It is better to properly clean your teeth ONE time a day RIGHT, than 5 times a day wrong!

   And don’t get them mixed up! ;-) Enjoy your Flowers, Chocolate, and Kissing!

      

   In the Interest of Better Dental Health,

Dr. Chuck

New for 2012 - Implants are Now Available at TDE

Many of you have asked why I don’t place implants. The reason is simple. Up until now, I hadn’t taken specialized training. And bottom line, I didn’t want to do my learning on you. That’s been remedied. Last month, I completed the third four-day, jam packed session on implant selection, bone grafting, and decision making training. I traveled with Dana and Katie, my assistants, to Canada where we saw 17 surgeries in three days, with much discussion and training following every surgery.Since I don’t have a Canadian dental license, 

I observed and assisted the doctor placing the implants. We came back well prepared to place most implants right here in the office.

     If you are thinking of replacing missing teeth with implants, or holding your dentures or partials better with implants, I’d be happy to discuss your options with you. Each person and case is different. Whether or not I place your implant(s) here in the office depends on if you have enough bone in the area. If so, I can do it here. If not, I will refer you to the right specialist to add bone. After the bone is solid, I can place the implant(s) about six months later. It’s that simple.

     With improvements in techniques and materials, implants have come a long way in the last 25 years. It is absolutely amazing how the body accepts implants. It’s come to the point that you’d be better off with an implant than a root canal, post, core and crown. The financial investment is similar and implants have a greater success rate. They are a great, long-term replacement for missing teeth!

     Maybe 2012 is the year you make the resolution to replace that missing tooth. Or, for those of you denture wearers - to have your dentures stay put!

           

In the Interest of Better Dental Health,

                             Dr. Chuck

Chemotherapy and Your Mouth

     Many of you know that Mary Rose, my better half, has been dealing with colon cancer this last year and a half. The treatment appears to have been successful, but there are still side effects to chemotherapy.

     Mary Rose has excellent home care. We cleaned her teeth regularly at the office but didn’t take new x-rays because the last ones were taken just before her chemo started.  In less than a year, between her upper molars decay started and advanced at breakneck speed. When she complained of cold sensitivity we took  a new x-ray. We were shocked at how quickly and how deep the decay went. The tooth now needed a root canal! Her teeth will be just fine when we’re finished, but prevention is so much nicer.

     Here’s my recommendation. If you are on chemotherapy or any other type of medication that can have a negative affect in your mouth, x-rays should be taken every 6 months, or sooner if the cavity rate is high during your treatment.  It’s much easier to put in a filling than to do a root canal and crown.

      We truly don’t want to take any more x-rays than are absolutely necessary. Using digital x-rays, like we do, lowers your exposure to next to nothing. It’s not like the old days with lead shields and people leaving the room when you’re zapped. It’s very safe today.

     So if you or a loved one is going through chemo, make sure to have the teeth checked and x-rays taken very regularly. It could avoid a root canal!!

To Your Dental Heath,

Dr. Chuck

Directed Water Irrigation Works!

“I’m passionate about Directed Water Irrigation because it works!” 

Dr. Chuck

Directed Water Irrigation (DWI) uses a physics phenomenon called the Venturi effect. Think of it not as a power washer but more like a vacuum cleaner. The suction that’s created next to the flowing water removes bacteria from under your gum tissue and from in between your teeth.

Let’s put this power to work for you everyday! 
Here’s how:

  
Brush for two minutes with a soft nylon or an electric toothbrush. Save a step and brush in the shower. Electric toothbrushes are designed to get wet! Then use your Shower Breeze or any other water irrigation device.

Use as warm of water as you can comfortably tolerate. Aim the irrigation tip DIRECTLY BETWEEN your teeth, in the space you would floss; not up into your gums. "Shoot the gap" for FIVE full seconds. (Keep the pressure all of the way on high, or as high as you can comfortably tolerate and work your way up as you get healthier.)

Move on to the next space.

Note:  You only need to go around your mouth on the outside of your teeth. It is not necessary to use DWI on the inside and outside of your teeth.

If you’d like to review this technique online, check out my video at iHateFlossing.com.

In the Interest of Better Dental Health,

Dr. Chuck