TODAY'S TOP TEN LIST

TODAY'S TOP TEN LIST
The ten most harmful habits for your teeth!

#10... Smoking. Cigarettes and  other tobacco products can stain teeth. There is a high correlation between smoking and periodontal disease. Also tobacco can cause oral cancer.

#9....Binging and Purging. Purging after binging brings strong stomach acids into  contact with your teeth. These strong acids can erode your teeth.

#8... Grinding Your Teeth. Grinding or bruxing can wear down your teeth and make them prone to fracture. It is often caused by stress and most people do it in their sleep.

#7...Tongue Piercing. Biting down on a metal stud can crack or chip your teeth.

#6...Bottles at Bedtime. Giving a baby a bottle of juice or milk at bedtime can lead to extensive decay in baby teeth. The baby falls asleep with his or her teeth covered with sugar.

#5 ...Ice Chewing. It's natural and sugar free but it is not harmless. Munching on hard ice cubes might feel good but it can crack and brake teeth.

#4...Gummy Candy. All sugar treats promote decay. Sticky gummy candy can stick to your teeth longer keeping the sugar in contact with the enamel surfaces of your teeth for a longer period of time. Thus increasing the chance of decay.

3...Opening Plastic Packages with Your Teeth... Opening bottles or plastic wrappers with your teeth may be convenient but it is a habit that makes dentist cringe. Using your teeth as a tool may cause them to crack or brake.

#2...Drinking Coffee and Red Wine. The acids in coffee and red wine can eat away at the surface of your teeth making your teeth mote vulnerable to stain and decay.

And the #1 Most Harmful Habit for your Teeth is

CONSTANT SNACKING. Snacking which also includes drinking fruit juices and soda. Constant snacking on these and any other sweet foods expose your teeth to high concentrations of sugars. These sugars are converted into acids which which attack and destroy your teeth.

Below is a link to an article that recently appeared in the New York Times. It's about this "wonderful, new dental technology". This technology allows a dentist, like me, who own a CEREC machine to make new crowns for their patients in o

ne hour. I think it's great that the Times would write an article about the CEREC system but I wish they were timely. I have owned my CEREC machine for 8 years. My patients have been taking advantage of this "new" technology since 2004. In fact one of my first postings on my Facebook account was about the wonderful CEREC system. Better late then never!

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/08/a-new-tooth-made-to-order-in-under-an-hour/

New Info on Periodontal Disease

A recent study found that 50% of people over 30, have some form of periodontal disease. The CDC collected data from their National Health and Nutrition Survey and found that 47.5% or 67 million people, over the age of 30 have some form of periodontal disease. In people over 65 that number jumps to 70%. The disease is more common in men then women. There is a higher level  in smokers and people living below the federal poverty level. People with less then a high school education are more likely to have it.

We now know that periodontal disease is one of the most prevalent and non contagious chronic diseases. Similar to cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Another Reason to Quit Smoking

Another reason to stop smoking. Researchers have found that nicotine increases the growth of decay forming bacteria. They exposed 7 strains of strep mutans, which are the decay forming bacteria which live and breed in plaque. Bacteria exposed to nicotine caused the plaque to thicken and increased the metabolism of the bacteria. Increasing the metabolism increased the acid production. The acid produced by the bacteria erodes the enamel of teeth leading to tooth decay

Sleep Apnea Linked to Cancer

Recently two studies reveled  a link between sleep apnea and cancer. A study at the University of Wisconsin found that patients with servere sleep apnea were five times more likely to develope cancer of some type. Patients with moderate sleep apnea were two times more likely to develope cancer.

Another study from the Spainish Sleep Network looked at five thousand people over seven years and found 65% of those with sleep apnea developed some type of cancer.

Greater deprivation of oxygen during sleep makes patients more likely to develope  cancer. Doctors recommend patients with signs of sleep apnea, such as snoring and fatigue should be tested.

Donated Dental Services

Donated Dental Services

As many of my patients know, I am a volunteer for an organization called Donated Dental Services. This is a program of Dental Lifeline Network. Since 1974 Dental Lifeline Network has been coordinating care for our society’s most vulnerable individuals.  People with disabilities or who are elderly or indigent.  I am one of   thousands of volunteer dentist across the country who donates time and materials to provide comprehensive care to these needy people in all 50 states.

Though volunteers like me donate our services,   some money is needed to support our work.  Dental   Lifeline Services manages the applications and qualification assessments, matches patients to participating dentists, coordinates care with specialists and provides support and treatment follow up for the patients.

            

Last year Dental Lifeline Services provided life-transforming care for 7,572 deserving individuals. Yet there are over 17,000 still on the waiting   list, and more call every day. All of us who partner with Dental Lifeline Network are committed to serving these desperately needy people, but it will be increasingly more difficult as previous financial resources are eliminated.

Please join me in making a gift that will restore dignity, hope and health to needy people. Each $1 donated generates $9 in life changing care. You can make your tax-deductible donation online at www.DentalLifeline.org  or mail your check payable to Dental Lifeline Network at 1800 15^th Street, Denver, CO 80202. If you have any questions please contact Heather O’Connor at 888-471-6334.

Donated Dental Services

 As Many of my patients know, I am a volunteer for an organization called Donated  Dental  Services. This is a program of Dental Lifeline Network. Since 1974 Dental Lifeline Network has been coordinating care for our   societies   most  vulnerable  individuals.  People   with  disabilities or who are elderly or indigent.  I am one of   thousands of volunteer  dentist across the country who donate time and materials to provide  comprehensive care to these needy people in all 50 states.

Though volunteers like me donate our services,   some money is needed to support our work.  Dental   Lifeline  Services  manages the applications  and  qualification  assessments,  matches patients to participating dentists, coordinates care with specialists and  provides support and treatment follow up for the patients.                                                                   

Last year Dental  Lifeline  Services  provided life-transforming care for 7,572 deserving  individuals. Yet there are over 17,000 still on the waiting   list,  and  more  call  every  day. All of us who partner with Dental Lifeline Network  are  committed  to  serving  these desperately needy people, but it will be increasingly more difficult as previous financial resources are eliminated.

Please join me in making  a gift that will restore dignity, hope and health to needy people. Each $1 donated generates $9 in life changing care. You can make your tax-deductible  donation online at www.DentalLifeline.org  or mail your check  payable to Dental Lifeline Network  at 1800 15^th Street, Denver, CO 80202 . If you have any questions please contact Heather O’Connor at 888-471-6334.