Has there ever been a moment in your life where you felt that you should be a part of something bigger than yourself? An organization, a charity, or a non-profit perhaps? Humans are born with the innate desire to help others, so it’s no wonder that we may feel the need to give back to the world in one way or another. And sometimes, it’s the simple acts that yield the most difference. This month you have the opportunity to get involved with a sweeping issue that goes unnoticed too often, and you may help save a life by doing it.

April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month and we need to stir up some conversation

. Oral cancer awareness in the American public is extremely low, with very little acknowledgment of its devastating realities. According to the AAOMS, oral and pharyngeal cancer (cancer of the upper throat and mouth) collectively kills nearly one person of every hour of everyday of the year. Approximately 48,250 people in the US will be newly diagnosed with oral cancer this year. While smoking and tobacco use are still major risk factors, the fastest growing segment of oral cancer patients is healthy, young, nonsmoking individuals. We know this sounds scary, but the truth of the matter is that it is scary, and we need to confront the concern head on.

Awareness is so much more than just knowing about an issue, it’s also about collective, meaningful action.

Share this information with your family, friends, and coworkers. Help educate those around you about the importance of regular self-exams and screenings. Oral cancer is not a new phenomenon, but with advancing technologies and the ability to rapidly share information, we can have a new approach. It is possible for fatalities to be avoided! As reported by the AAOMS, the death rate associated with oral and pharyngeal cancers remains particularly high due to the cancer being routinely discovered late in its development. This means our voice can carry the power to make a difference in the world of oral cancers.

April 10-16^th is Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Week (OHANCAW).

A message from President Louis K. Rafetto, DMD, mentions that the AAOMS is joining a number of dental organizations in support of the Oral Cancer Foundation’s 17^th annual observance this April. This designated week will encourage practitioners, patients and other interested individuals (like YOU) to promote head and neck cancer awareness through the use of public service announcements, news releases, talks at middle and high schools, walk-a-thons, and other community-based activities.

Never fear, root canals are here to save your teeth!

We all know that the best treatment is prevention. Identifying and working against potential problems is always going to be a better case scenario than repairing damage that has already run its course. Thanks to modern technology and the high standard of care the dental community at large implements, we have the opportunity to find and prevent dental problems before they escalate.

However, we also know that prevention isn’t always 100% successful, and that no treatment is a one-way street.  Sometimes, the roots of your teeth become infected.  Without root canal therapy, you will likely lose that tooth eventually.   

This month is Root Canal Awareness month, so we are focusing on addressing concerns and  dispelling myths regarding endodontic treatment.  For example, many people are afraid of the pain associated with endodontic treatment.  However, root canal therapy actually relieves pain, it doesn’t cause it.  Most people can return to work the same day after treatment.

Stay tuned into our blog and social media channels to learn more about root canal therapy, and how it is saving smiles, one tooth at a time!

You’re awake, congratulations! Now, you are standing in front of the bathroom mirror, you’ve been wanting to upgrade your oral hygiene routine but you’ve heard a lot of conflicting information. There are so many tools and what order should you do them in? We’re here to help! If you’ve ever wondered, “What comes first brushing or flossing?” Read on!

• You’ve probably heard us stress the importance of flossing at your appointments. Flossing is an incredibly important part of your mouth’s health. Flossing your teeth should take place one time per day. We recommend at night so that food does not rest in between your teeth while you sleep. Flossing before brushing is a lot like dusting before you vacuum. The particles will loosen with flossing and the brushing will sweep them away.
• You may have guessed it: the second part of your oral hygiene regimen should be a 2-minute brushing. Dentists look at your mouth in terms of quadrants. Therefore, your mouth consists on four separate quadrants and to ensure proper use of your two minute brushing session, we recommend spending 30 seconds in each quadrant. This brushing routine should take place two times a day!
• Brushing your teeth alone will not eliminate the majority of the harmful bacteria in your mouth. Cleaning your tongue is an easy addition to your routine and will benefit your mouth greatly. Take your toothbrush, apply a very small amount of toothpaste and brush your tongue in gentle, circular motions. You may opt for a tongue scraper instead, they can be purchased at most grocery stores.
• The finishing touch for optimum oral health is mouthwash. Sip a small amount and swish for 30-40 seconds. Spit it out and you are done!

It may seem like a lengthy routine but it actually only totals about 4 minutes. If you value your oral health and want to spend less time in a dental chair, it will be worth your time, we promise!

You may be wondering, “What does a cracked tooth have to do with endodontics?” Great question! In fact, it has everything to do with endodontics! You see, without fractured, chipped and broken teeth, there would be almost no need for root canal therapy ever!

Here are some of the most common types of tooth fractures, and what can be done about them:

Cracked Tooth: When we think of a cracked tooth, we are talking about a crack on the crown that extends down toward the root. If the crack has not reached the pulp yet, your dentist may be able to save the tooth with a crown. If it has reached the pulp, we may treat you with a root canal first to remove the pulp and place a crown for protection.

Chipped Tooth: As long as the pulp hasn’t been affected, your dentist can place a crown to fix your chipped tooth.

Craze Lines: These tiny cracks are common in adults and only exist in the outer enamel. They are not a problem and require no treatment.

Fractured Cusp: Many times, an old filling will give way and a piece of the tooth’s chewing surface will break off. If the pulp is exposed, we will perform a root canal prior to the crown to remove the pulp and save the tooth.

Split Tooth: Split all the way down to the roots, a tooth in this state cannot be saved 100%. However, sometimes a root canal treatment and crown can help to save part of the tooth. Often a split tooth started off as simply a cracked tooth, which is why it’s so important to get care early on if you have any tooth injury!

Vertical Root Fracture: In this scenario, the fracture starts at the bottom of the root of the tooth and extends upward toward the crown. Often they go unnoticed until the bone and gum become infected. Sometimes extraction is necessary. However, we will check first to see if we can save the tooth by removing the fractured portion with endodontic surgery.

Could diamonds be the endodontist’s best friend? Previously highlighted for their possible use in dental implant surgery, nanodiamonds are making the headlines again, this time for their potential in assisting with root canal therapy!

What are nanodiamonds? A byproduct of diamond refining and mining, nanodiamonds are tiny particles that are thousands of times smaller than the width of one of your hairs. They have been the subject of research for a variety of health applications relating to cancer, regenerative medicine, imaging and dentistry over the years.

Recently, at the UCLA School of Dentistry, researchers have been experimenting with these fascinating little particles to see if they can improve even further on what is already a successful procedure: root canal therapy.

One possible use they have found for nanodiamonds in the field of endodontics is as an additive to the polymer filling material, known as “gutta percha.” While gutta percha is the optimal filling material after a root canal (due to the fact that it does not react inside the body), it has room for improvement in the area of infection prevention and rigidity.

Nanodiamonds may be just the thing to enhance this tried-and-true material and bring the already high success rate of root canal therapy (97% some studies show) to even higher levels. We are excited to see what the future brings!

If you get a runny nose this winter, you may be tempted to breathe through your mouth. While we know cold weather wreaks havoc on our lips (let’s just call it “Chapped-Lip Season” instead of winter), breathing through your mouth also triggers sensitivities and other oral health issues! Itchy skin and dry mouth are just two things that can irritate you this season however, here are some of tried-and-true methods to keep your mouth healthy all winter long. 

Brush Up

Brush gently with a soft toothbrush. Aggressive brushing can cause more sensitivity! If you find that your teeth are feeling extra sensitive, use a desensitizing toothpaste. Rinsing with mouthwash daily and flossing your teeth will stimulate your gums so that they are less likely to recede in the cold months.

Drink Up

We know our bodies need at least eight glasses of water for optimal health, but did you know it’s important for oral health too? Drinking water rinses out your mouth and keeps it moist—keeping bacteria at bay. Moisture depletion can be maintained with proper hydration reducing the feeling of a dry mouth.

Bundle Up

Our teeth may be hard, but they are not immune to extreme cold! In fact, fluctuating in temperature too drastically can cause your teeth to expand and contract, this may cause hairline fractures in the surface. Limit your time in cold weather, and when that isn’t an option, trap heat near your face by wearing a scarf or mask when you have to brave the cold!

You may have noticed a shift in the smoking world over the past few years. Smokers have been seemingly taking a step in the right direction. Smokers are transitioning away from the traditional cigarette to the e-cigarette, this act is also known as: vaping. Transitioning to an e-cigarette from a chemical-filled cigarette that decades of research have proven is deadly seems like a good thing, right? Think again. There are many people venturing into the world of e-cigarettes blindly. While e-cigarette advertisements and companies are currently unregulated, we wanted to uncover a few potential dangers of this popular fad.

The e-cigarette anatomy consists of a battery, a heating element and a cartridge that holds the nicotine, liquid and flavoring. If anyone has tried to convince you that e-cigarettes are not addictive, they’re wrong. Nicotine is highly addictive, and while many teens and young adults believe that vaping is harmless, nicotine is known to negatively affect brain development in this age group. The act of holding an e-cigarette and the presence of nicotine has indicated that it could be a very strong gateway to smoking real cigarettes for these young adults. That correlation has big tobacco firms excited for the future. Tobacco companies have been severely restricted in their advertising campaigns. In the recent past, they were forced to rely on the ‘cool-factor’ of smoking, something they hoped that celebrities and young adult’s peers would embody. E-cigarettes present a gateway to becoming addicted to the real thing. This is just what tobacco companies had been hoping for! Speaking of advertising, while tobacco companies are highly restricted in their advertising campaigns, no one is regulating e-cigarette companies. In fact, these companies can make any claims they wish. With regard to the manufacturing aspect of the e-cigarettes and their cartridges, there is also no regulating body that creates standards for the products.

We have talked about the anatomy of the actual e-cigarette, but what makes up the vapor that is exhaled by the smoker? The cloud that you see consists of aerosol, nicotine, propylene glycol, flavoring and fine particles. The hotter the body of the e-cigarette gets, the more harmful the chemicals contained in them becomes. This means that the deadly carcinogens present in a traditional cigarette are also present in their electronic counterpart.

Research is currently underway to determine the long-term effects of vaping. While current research indicates that an e-cigarette is safer than smoking an actual cigarette, research also proves that e-cigarettes are far from harmless. If you are looking to improve your mouth and lung health, experts agree that quitting smoking devices altogether is still the only 100% risk-free option available.

You tripped, you fell and now you have found yourself with a part of your tooth broken and the root exposed. A complicated crown/root fracture is common in trip and fall injuries. In this form of fracture, the crown is fractured with the fracture extending below the gum line, involving the root of the tooth. This is the kind of fracture we typically see portrayed in movies.   This is a dental emergency and you should see us right away. Since this injury is traumatic, we thought it be best if you had a general overview of what to expect during the investigation and treatment stages.

Complicated crown/root fracture is the most challenging type of fracture to treat. As traumatic injury responders our priority is you, your health and your safety. We will do our very best to ensure your comfort during a stressful injury such as this.

We will work quickly in order to assess the vitality of the tooth. We will first assess for pulpal necrosis, vestibule swelling, periapical lesions and/or dramatic color change of the crown. There are instances in crown/root fractures where a gingiovectomy may be necessary in order to ensure that the tooth can be properly restored. During a gingiovectomy, we remove gum tissue that is no longer vital and reshape it to accommodate the tooth accordingly. Using the most current technology and techniques, we will treat your injury as the unique situation it truly is, tailoring a treatment plan and follow-up schedule specifically for you.

Remember: chipping your tooth mildly may not always be a dental emergency but you should call or see us right away so we may help you determine this.

Giving up processed foods and artificial sugars is a great way to improve our overall health, but sometimes our “healthy” habits can actually deprive us of vital nutrients. Internal health is an important factor when it comes to oral hygiene, and cutting meat, dairy products or sugars out of your diet could lead to serious conditions such as gum disease if you don’t find the right substitutes. Keep reading for a list of nutrients you might be missing and some tips for balancing your diet with your oral health!

Zinc in saliva and enamel prevents the buildup of bacteria, which eventually turns to tartar or calculus. It is essential to preventing cavities and even gum disease (periodontitis). If you notice a metallic taste in your mouth, zinc deficiency may be to blame, as it causes a buildup of bacteria in the mouth.

• Zinc-rich foods: Seafood, lean meats, dairy products
• Alternatives: chickpeas, cashews, almonds

Gum swelling or bleeding may be a sign of Vitamin C deficiency. Vitamin C is necessary for collagen production, which is an essential part of the connective tissue in the gums surrounding the teeth.

• Vitamin C-rich foods: citrus fruits
• Alternatives: Bell peppers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes

A lack of calcium weakens the gums, and people who don’t eat animal and dairy products may be increasing their risk of periodontal disease. Calcium prevents bone degeneration, keeping the jaw strong and healthy so bacteria doesn’t destroy the bone that supports the teeth.

• Calcium-rich foods: dairy products
• Alternatives: chickpeas, broccoli, collard greens, oranges

Vitamin D works with calcium to promote strong bones. It increases calcium absorption, preventing tooth loss and jaw bone degeneration.

• Vitamin D-rich foods: Fatty fish, egg yolk
• Alternatives: mushrooms, tofu, dairy alternatives (i.e. soy milk)

If you notice a burning sensation in your mouth, specifically on your tongue, or frequent canker sores you may be suffering from iron deficiency. Iron deficiency leads to reduced red blood cells and decreased oxygen flow.

• Iron-rich foods: Red meat, poultry, seafood
• Alternatives: dried fruits, beans, dark leafy greens

Finding a solution to your symptoms may be as simple as picking up a few extra ingredients at your local supermarket! Adding some of these nutrient rich foods to your diet can help you get back on track with your oral health and wow us next time you visit our office!

There are certain things every patient comes to expect when visiting the dentist. They generally expect prompt treatment, a staff that is attentive and kind, trained to ease any anxiety a patient may experience, and a doctor who provides quality care. But aside from these expectations, patients still look forward to that something special at the end of their appointments- goodie bags! In these tough economic times, like everyone else dentists are forced to cut back on the extras. It may be tempting to reduce goodie bag “goodies,” or to eliminate them altogether. However, the goodwill these tokens bring to your practice makes them worth the price- and the potential growth they promote. There is nothing worse than being disappointed when expectations are not met. However, exceed patient expectations, and you will have happy, referral-giving patients for life!

Package

• The Bag Itself

Consider how your bags are presented. Many companies specialize in dental-themed printed bags with handles, a pocket for business cards, and sometimes an imprint of your practice name and information. This is a great option if you can afford it, but other possibilities, such as brown paper lunch bags bought in bulk from a dollar store, can be effective as well. Not only are these bags reusable and biodegradable, but they can also be equally charming as their more expensive counterparts as long as some time is devoted to making the bags your own.

• Decorative Options

No matter what kind of bag you choose, dressing it up a little can go a long way. Try tying ribbon around the top of the brown paper bag, or adorning a clear one with stickers. Adhering address labels is another way to decorate the bag a bit. If possible, keep a stock of bags decorated with different stickers or colors, depending on the age of the patient that will be taking it home.

Personalize

Everyone loves receiving gifts and freebies. However, not all gifts are created equal.Taking the time to add a personal touch to anything you distribute to patients, including goodie bags, can boost your practice in the patient’s eyes.

It is always nice to receive a toothbrush and floss at the end of an appointment, but by getting a little more creative, you have the opportunity to show each individual patient that you see them as just that- an individual.

• Established Patients

You never know which patients will be interested in those coupons and brochures you receive for new dental products. Including a few of those, along with a tongue scraper, a squeezer for maximizing toothpaste tubes, and some mouth wash will give your bags an edge. You can even make the toothbrush and floss giveaway a little more interesting by sometimes offering travel or disposable brushes, and floss holders.

• New Patients

New patient bags should be loaded up with lots of goodies to leave a positive first impression. Sending them off with the usual items, plus a fridge magnet or a to-go mug imprinted with your information will leave new patients with a memorable token, and you an opportunity to get your name out there.

• Adolescents

Teenagers and tweens are generally a tough group to please, but by customizing their bags to include goodies catered to their needs, you may bring a rare smile to an adolescent face! Small samples of lip balm, mouth rinses or sprays, and sugar-free or xylitol chewing gum are usually appreciated by this age group.
For patients with orthodontic needs, floss threads to aid flossing with braces, flavored wax, and interproximal brushes would all be appropriate extras.

• Children

Filling up the bags with items children might enjoy is probably the easiest task! Children love to receive little treasures, and the range of options is endless. Stickers, dental-themed coloring and activity books, balloons, “Tooth Fairy boxes” for lost teeth, and toothbrush covers shaped like animals are all likely to please your young patients. Also including sand timers to encourage proper brushing time, and flavored dental floss is usually a hit with children, and helps make practicing good oral hygiene more fun.

These tokens are also especially important to children, because they encourage the kids to associate the experience with fun. Goodie bags help build trust for the little ones, reminding them that trips to the dentist aren’t so bad after all.

Profit

At the end of the day (or the end of the appointment), you do not want patients walking away thinking you have become cheap or downgraded your dedication to quality. In these financially-tight times, the practices that are thriving are not those that have cut out all the things that make them special and unique; it is those that continue to go above and beyond to provide the best service and care possible that succeed and even grow during recessions.

People love to feel special, and the goodwill your efforts to package and personalize goodie bags garner will strengthen loyalty, and give you an edge over competition. Perhaps it will even promote referrals, allowing you to “bag” some new patients!