Dental Conditions- statewide factor for lower school grades and lack of attendance:

As you may have seen a recent article published in local newspaper Argus, dental disease has become ‘epidemic’ in California children, which is now, becoming a major factor in lack of academic achievements in schools across the state.

 

Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic diseases, which is linked to lower grade point average.

The Alameda County Public Health Department is working hard to try to resolve this issue.

Alameda county’s ‘Healthy Smiles Children’s Dental Program’ is a dental treatment and insurance enrollment program for Alameda County children under age 19 with dental needs and no dental insurance.

As always, our focus at SmilePlus Dentistry is to educate parents regarding most common oral conditions for their children. We don’t want dental conditions to be responsible for lower grades and lack of school attendance for our little patients.

If you are a parent, caretaker or an educator, we urge you to refer back to the series of eight posts written last year by Dr Patel about ‘how to raise cavity free kids’, which will give you plenty of tips to keep your child’s oral health safe.

How to care for your dental appliance

Q. How often do you need to replace your dental appliance?

A. Probably more often than you do—if you don’t care for it properly!

Occasionally we have a patient who brings a distorted mouth guard or teeth-whitening tray to a dental appointment, and requests a new one. Since the damage to the appliance most commonly occurs as a result of an improper cleaning solution or improper storage, some information on proper care might be helpful to anyone who has such a dental appliance. These appliances are expensive to replace, but proper care can help them to last much longer.

The most common dental appliances are:

• A protective mouth guard, which is custom-fitted and helps prevent damage to the teeth and mouth during contact sports or other physical activity.

• A dental night guard, which is inserted at bedtime and fits snugly over the teeth to act as a cushion between the upper and lower teeth and which minimizes the effects of any grinding or clenching that might wear down the teeth.

• Snore guard: custom fitted snore guard positions the lower jaw forward using special connectors that are attached to upper and lower trays to minimize airway obstructions and snoring.

• A teeth-whitening tray, which is a custom-fitted, thin, flexible plastic tray that ensures proper application of a bleaching solution for at-home teeth-whitening.

• Invisalign Aligners: Custom made series of aligners used to straighten teeth.

The steps you can take to make your appliance last longer:

• Before using your appliance, rinse your guard with cool water;
• After using your appliance, wash it in cool, soapy water, and rinse it thoroughly; then brush it with a toothbrush and toothpaste;
• Soak the appliance in antiseptic mouth rinse for 10-15 minutes periodically, and then rinse it under cool water;
• Store and carry your appliance in a protective container that has openings for ventilation;
• Keep your appliance out of hot water or direct sunlight, because heat can distort it and affect its fit;
• Inspect your appliance regularly for wear and tear; and finally,
• If you observe any change or deterioration in your appliance, bring it to your dental checkup appointment to see if it needs replacement.

Your appliance was designed to do a job, but, if it’s not maintained in the proper condition, it’s not doing that job.

Remember, your dentist doesn’t want you to spend any more than you need to on protecting or whitening your teeth, and so it’s up to you to keep your appliance in good shape!

Editing by Veronica McDavid, WordsOnTheWebNY@gmail.com

VALENTINE’S DAY AND YOUR ORAL HEALTH

With Valentine’s Day here, once again, it is time to remember to be very careful choosing your candies and sweet treats!

Sweet, sour and sticky candies taste the best, but they are known to damage your teeth. Remember, sour candies are acidic to your teeth and can weaken your enamel, which is a hard shell that protects your teeth. Weak enamel is easy to break down into tooth decay.

Our friends at the American Dental Association recommend choosing softer treats, such as soft chocolate or the treats that would melt in your mouth. There is nothing wrong in indulging, as long as you make sure you brush and floss between your teeth and around your gum line. If damage or sensitivity occurs, please give us a call as soon as possible.

 

Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at SmilePlus!

 

Dental Q and A: Crown or Extraction

Plastic Crown, Porcelain or Extraction (Root Canal)?

Hi i am a 28 years old lady. I just had my root canal therapy last May 2010 without a crown. It was my third tooth from the right starting from the back. Because of the guava i ate and the years my root canal have been made my tooth crack. Now the doctor told me that i have only two solutions for this. Either porcelain or plastic crown. I am kind of hesitant to get both solution cos my tooth is no longer strong and it cost a lot too. So im planning on extraction. Is a good choice though?

Dr Patel’s Answer:

Crown or Extraction

Root canal treated teeth are weaker and more fragile. However, if your dentist said he could place a crown (either Porcelain or Plastic) on the tooth, I am assuming that the crack has not gotten to the root and the tooth can be saved.

Alternate option of extraction may sound cheaper for now, but it could cost you more in a long run. Tooth replacement (Bridge or and Implant) can be more costly and more involving procedure then a crown, which can be more conservative.

My suggestion is to get a crown if you can. Seek a second opinion if not sure prior to deciding to extract.

Source: http://www.realself.com/question/plastic-crownporcelain-extraction-root-canal

Xylitol—A Natural Defense against Tooth Decay

Xylitol—A Natural Defense against Tooth Decay

Want to indulge your taste buds with some holiday sweets without exposing your teeth to cavity-causing sugar?  If you think that sounds like a good idea, here’s the scoop on how you can do it. The magic ingredient is Xylitol.

• Sugar, Acid, and Bacteria: If you remember the article we posted earlier this year showing the relationship of sugar, acid and teeth, then you know how the acid pH of saliva can cause cavities in our teeth.

• What is Xylitol, and how does it work? Xylitol is a naturally occurring alcohol found in the fibrous part of some plants and fruits. Xylitol tastes sweet, but, in the mouth, Xylitol, unlike sugar, is not converted to acids that cause tooth decay. The ingredient also reduces the amount of decay-causing bacteria in saliva and prevents acid attack, which can last for up to half an hour after each meal. Xylitol can be found in some toothpastes, mouthwashes, chewing gums, and mints. If you want to help neutralize your saliva’s acid pH, try having some chewing gum, mints, or candies that contain Xylitol after each meal.

Here, courtesy of Delta Dental, is a holiday recipe for cookies made with Xylitol.

Almond Cookies with Xylitol

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

2 cups coconut oil

1½ cups Xylitol

2 eggs

1 teaspoon maple extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoon almond extract

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

A handful of whole almonds

Instructions:

Cream coconut oil and Xylitol together. Add eggs and beat well. Beat in extracts. Combine dry ingredients, and slowly add them to creamed mixture. Drop by tablespoonfuls two inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet. Press an almond into the center of each cookie. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Now there’s a holiday recipe that will really brighten your smile!

 

Editing by Veronica McDavid, WordsOnTheWebNY@gmail.com

Use it or Loose it:

Many of our patients have dental insurance, and we take pride in doing everything possible to help you make the most out of your insurance benefits. The purpose of this note is to point out a way in which you may be able to more fully utilize your benefits. Your insurance policy allows for a certain dollar amount of coverage to be provided each year. In many cases these benefits can amount to over a thousand dollars! If you do not use your coverage during the year, you lose those benefits (unused coverage does not ”carry over” into the next year.)

If you have outstanding dental treatment that you have not scheduled, it could be to your advantage to call us and schedule to have this treatment done before the end of the year, in order to utilize any outstanding benefits that you may have. If you need extensive dental treatment you may be able to complete your treatment in the new year, utilizing back to back insurance benefits for 2012 and 2013!

If you have any questions about this, or would like to schedule an appointment, please give us a call at 510-796-1656.

P.S. Most insurers go by the calendar year for their annual maximum benefit and deductible, but a few plans follow a fiscal year (July through June). Your employee benefits manager can tell you if your insurance is on a calendar or fiscal year.

 

FREE Wi-Fi access at SmilePlus

We want to ensure you feel as ‘connected’ as you do at the home or at your office.

We are pleased to offer FREE Wi-Fi access at SmilePlus!

Feel free to bring in your mobile devices at your next appointment.