“Who Cleans Your Teeth At Home?”

   Every time I used to clean my teeth, it was not always the “Chuck the Dentist” that was holding the toothbrush or the water irrigator. Sometimes it was “Chuck the dad, or the business owner, or the traveler, or the philosopher, or the ‘something’,” but NOT “Chuck The Dentist.”

   Our minds wander don’t they? Especially in the shower! We’re doing one thing while thinking about another. If you’ve ever had a conversation while driving a car, you’ve experienced this. It’s impossible to give 100% attention to both. The fact is, if we focused totally on driving rather than multitasking there would be fewer accidents, but that’s not the case.

   It’s also easy to let your body go on autopilot while cleaning your teeth and begin daydreaming, thinking about work, or children, parents, or anything you’re dealing with other than properly cleaning your teeth.

   Each one of you have been instructed on proper dental cleaning at home. If you still have questions about what to do at home each day, please contact our office for instructions. Knowledge generally isn’t the problem. It’s a matter of “Who’s Cleaning Your Teeth?”

   If you, “the person going on vacation, running late, worried about multiple areas of  your life” is cleaning your teeth, there will be much debris left, bacteria multiplying, cavities growing and gum disease worsening. Dental expenses will be higher and these events usually happen at the worse times.

   If you “the person who is committed to fewer dental expenses, more comfort and keeping your teeth for your lifetime” is cleaning your teeth, your dental visits will consist mainly of preventive maintenance. There could be replacement dentistry in the future, but it can be planned in advance, avoiding unnecessary discomfort and expense.

   Every morning I have to wake up “Chuck the Dentist” to make sure he’s the one cleaning my teeth and not “Chuck the Dreamer.”  Dreams are great, but not when we’re cleaning our teeth. It takes the right person.

   Almost all of you have the physical and mental capability of cleaning your own teeth like you want to keep them for your lifetime and prevent the bigger problems.

  In the Interest of Better Dental Health,

  Dr. Chuck

Adult Fluoride Gets ANOTHER Testimonial

    Last week one of our longtime patients, Mrs. P., asked me a very good question. “Since I’ve been getting the fluoride treatments with my cleanings,I’ve hardly had any more cavities. Why haven’t you been doing this all along?”

    That’s a great question! Many dentists, including me, were taught that fluoride treatments on adults had very minimal benefits, if any. With the way fluoride use to be applied, that’s right. But things have changed. There has been a lot of research and product advances to help adults get the same, or even greater, benefits than children get.

   For adults, the fluoride helps protect the roots of your teeth, which is where most decay happens. If you have a crown and the decay starts on the root and progresses deep under the crown, you have to replace the crown. If the fluoride prevents your root cavity, you also avoided replacing one of your crowns.

   I have encouraged preventive dentistry for all of our patients for my entire career. We see the benefits daily. If you are an adult, especially if you have crowns, make sure you are getting your fluoride treatment at every cleaning appointment. It will help save you time, money, and possible discomfort.

   We want you to be like Mrs. P., who truly appreciates how the fluoride treatments cut down her cavities to almost zero!

     

In the Interest of Better Dental Health,

Dr. Chuck

Check out More About Dr. Chuck 

"How Can I Have A Cavity on My Crown?"

 

   Jane was having temperature sensitivity with one of her older crowns and came in to have it checked out. I found new decay going under her crown. “How can that be???” Jane exclaimed, “I thought once I had a crown that the tooth couldn’t get decay!”

   She was half right. The crown itself will not decay. It’s either porcelain or metal. But the tooth it is cemented on is still 100% tooth and can decay just like any tooth. There is a junction between your crown and your tooth. The tooth can decay at this junction, then spread under your crown. When you take an x-ray of the tooth you can’t see through the metal, so if the decay has spread farther under the crown, it doesn’t show up on the x-ray.

   If we catch the decay in its very early stages, many times we can remove it before it spreads further under the crown. But once it starts moving up under your crown, it’s very difficult, if not impossible, to get it all out. If that’s the case, the crown must be replaced. If you leave any decay under a crown, eventually that decay will grow and infect the nerve in the tooth. Then you need a root canal and a new crown. Once Jane understood her crowned tooth was still able to decay, it was like a light bulb clicked on. She had this misconception for years. Now she knows.

   Make sure to have your crowns checked regularly. Should early decay be present, it’s a simple repair. Once it’s a little deeper, it will take a new crown. Help us help you. We’re into prevention and want to help you maintain your teeth for your entire lifetime!

    

   In the Interest of Better Dental Health,

                                    Dr. Chuck

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