Meyer Park Dental Care
Dr. Lauten's Newsletter
Your Teeth and Your Health
Think that the health of your teeth and your overall health aren't related? Evidence seems to be pointing to the contrary. Studies continue to find a correlation between dental health and precursors to heart disease.
In one study, researchers found that among people who were missing at least ten teeth, 60 percent also had plaque buildup in their major arteries. In those missing nine or fewer teeth, the percentage with clogged arteries was just over 45 percent. Some scientists believe that the presence of periodontal disease is an important factor in calculating the risk of stroke or heart attack.
Tooth loss also severely affects diet. To put it simply, many healthy foods require the ability to chew. Those who are missing teeth or have unstable teeth have difficulty ingesting raw fruits and vegetables, which are nutritious and fat-free. It's important for such people to be sure they are still eating foods that are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
One thing is certain: Taking steps to prevent gum disease while you still have your natural teeth is essential to keeping them. Brushing after each meal, flossing daily, and seeing us at recommended intervals can make a difference in your dental health and your overall health.
Do You Like to Make People Smile?
When you choose a career in dentistry, you are giving yourself the opportunity to make people smile.
Dentistry-whether you decide to become a dental assistant, hygienist, lab technician, or dentist-can be a very rewarding vocation. If you like the feeling of having improved another’s life by your actions, a career in dentistry may be a good choice for you.
Dentists and their employees generally find their work to be satisfying. They experience a sense of prestige and accomplishment in being part of a profession that combines science with helping others on a daily basis. The variety of skills and flexibility needed to provide this vital service help keep the work interesting as well as rewarding.
Dentists often face a new challenge with each person who walks through the door. Dental assistants perform a wide variety of duties, including exposing and/or processing x-rays, assisting the dentist during procedures, and working with dental materials. Hygienists may spend a good amount of time cleaning teeth, but they also are charged with screening procedures and performing patient-education tasks. A lab technician uses creativity and technology to produce crowns, bridges, and inlays/onlays as replacements for the patients' own teeth.
The dental profession is among the most respected in the country. It is one that allows room for personal growth and accomplishment while helping others to feel good about their teeth and their overall appearance. If you think a career in dentistry sounds intriguing, check out the ADA Web site at http://www.ada.org/ or the Academy of General Dentistry at http://www.agd.org/consumer/topiks/careers/careers.aspf or more information.
Your Cleaning Checkup… It’s essential to good dental health.
If you own a car, you know that ignoring regularly scheduled maintenance is a big mistake. Forego that oil change one time too many, and you'll be walking for sure. It's the same with dental hygiene recall visits. Those cleanings and checkups that you visit us for every six months or on the schedule we've specifically recommended for you are essential if you want to keep your teeth.
Your preventive-maintenance appointment is a time when several things that are very important to your dental health occur.
Among these are:
- Professional removal of plaque and calculus from the teeth
- Measuring of periodontal pockets
- X-rays when necessary
- Updating of your health history
- Oral examination
- Oral-cancer screening
- Patient education, such as proper brushing and flossing techniques or nutritional information
- Scaling and root planting, if necessary...
Put down the sports drinks.
The essential electrolytes contained in sports drinks are necessary for athletes seeking to replace the ones they lose during tough workouts.
The drinks rehydrate athletes quickly and quench their thirsts at the same time. That's a good thing, but habitually consuming these drinks apart from a workout regimen is bad new for teeth.
A recent study has revealed that sports drink can cause irreversible damage to enamel - the hard layer that protects the teeth from decay. Energy drinks are suspected of being as dangerous to enamel as colas and other soft drinks that contain sugar. The study exposed the enamel of molars to the drinks continuously for a period of about two weeks. Researchers estimated this to be the equivalent of 13 years of a person's beverage consumption Acids in sports beverages and other additives are believed be dangerous to enamel.
Be sure to exercise common sense when using these liquids to rehydrate.
Want Your Kids to Have Fewer Cavities?
Make sure they eat breakfast.
A resent study has uncovered evidence that children who eat a good breakfast each day may develop fewer cavities.
The study involved youngsters between the ages of two and five. Results showed a 40 percent reduction in tooth decay development in those who ate breakfast regularly.
The reasons behind the decrease weren't readily apparent, but researchers came to the conclusion that a good breakfast has an effect on the types or foods children choose to eat later in the day. Those who had a good breakfast were less tempted to ingest snacks later in the morning. Snack foods and drinks are more likely to promote cavities than the nutritious foods that generally make up breakfast and lunch for young children.
The bottom line is to choose healthy breakfast foods for little ones each day and to be sure they brush well right afterward. When it comes to snacks, choices such as fruits and raw vegetables are preferable to cookies and cakes. Perhaps best of all, you'll he helping children develop good eating habits that will benefit their teeth and their overall health throughout their lives.
Take It Easy
Some people find dental visits to be very unnerving. We're aware of this, and we're sensitive to how they feel. Not everyone finds it a snap to have their teeth cleaned or other procedures completed. The main reason we do our best to keep up with all the advances in anesthesia, pain management, and other new technologies is to lower patients' anxiety levels and make their visits more comfortable.
The use and administration of local anesthesia is done completely with your comfort in mind. Our goal is to help you be as relaxed as possible. We'll also be happy to give detailed explanations beforehand of any procedures that need to be performed.
In addition, we suggest the following steps to reduce anxiety before and during your next dental visit:
Get a good night's sleep
Eat balanced, nutritious meals that day...unless you've been instructed not to eat or drink.
Help yourself to relax in the chair by breathing slowly and rhythmically.
Feel free to close your eyes, and allow your muscles to relax.
Choosing the Right Brush.
With myriad options available today, it can be difficult to know which toothbrush is right for you. Should you purchase the one with the angled head? The curved bristles? Maybe an electric brush with a rotating head? The choices can be overwhelming.
Whatever brush you choose, how you brush is far more important than the brush you use. No single brush design has been proven to remove plaque more efficiently than another.
So how can you do a better job of removing plaque and keeping your teeth healthy? First, choose a brush that feels comfortable in your hand and which has a ½ - l-inch head of soft bristles. Brush gently in a back-and-forth motion. Start with the outsides of the teeth, then cover the insides, then the chewing surfaces. Include areas between teeth and the tongue. Brush at least twice daily - after each meal or snack, if possible.
The length of time you brush is as important as how thoroughly you clean. Brushing for less than three minutes generally indicates a less-than-adequate job.
For more tips on how to improve your home-care technique, ask us at your next checkup.
