DeLand Dentist puts a New Spin on an Old Christmas Favorite

‘Twas the day before Christmas & all through DeLand,

Not a single tooth was hurting, not even my drilling hand.

With models all trimmed, and lab cases ready,

We patiently waited for mail carrier Betty.

Into the office she walked, with a man by her side.

We had not seen him before, maybe he was her ride.

She greeted us nicely, then said with a pause,

“This is my friend Santa…Santa Clause.”

“Mr. Clause has a toothache & needs help right away.

Can you help him,” she said. “Let’s get started, don’t delay.”

The first step was blood pressure…Santa’s was high.

“I didn’t take my medicine today,” he said with a sigh.

He sat in the chair & opened his mouth wide.

We couldn’t believe what we found inside.

A broken tooth, cavities and gum problems aplenty.

Good thing I was masked…oh, boy how stenchy!

A cleaning, some fillings & crowns done same-day…

But we knew that Santa must be on his way.

“One thing I must tell you,” Dr. Mathias said with a smile,

“Because I know we probably won’t see you for awhile.”

“Eating candy & cookies & sugar is alright,

As long as you brush & floss after, and don’t eat them all night.

And don’t’ forget that fruits, veggies and exercise are good for you.

Your heart will be happy & your blood pressure will go down, too.”

Santa gave him a hug and said, “Doc, you’re alright!”

“I’ll do everything you said, and I’ll begin tonight.”

He told us goodbye & said, “Betty, Let’s go!

We’ve got packages to deliver…Ho, Ho, Ho!”

We sat & reflected of the days events,

And couldn’t believe how our day went.

We’re headed home now with a new year in sight…

Merry Christmas to all & to all a goodnight!

All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth

"All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth", according to Wikipedia, is a novelty Christmas song written in 1944 by Donald Yetter Gardner while teaching music at public schools in Smithtown, New York. He asked his second grade class what they wanted for Christmas, and noticed that almost all of the students had at least one front tooth missing as they answered in a lisp. Gardner wrote the song in 30 minutes. In a 1995 interview, Gardner said, "I was amazed at the way that silly little song was picked up by the whole country." The song was published in 1948 after an employee of Witmark music company heard Gardner sing it at a music teachers conference.

A few weeks ago, when little Faye Armstrong of Waterloo, Liverpool was born, she actually received two front teeth! Faye is considered a rarity because she was born with two front teeth…and has two more appearing!

Teeth begin to develop before birth, along with other organs in your body; however, they don’t usually erupt until ~6mos to one year of age. The first teeth to erupt are normally the top and bottom 4 front teeth, and by age 3, approximately 20 baby teeth are present. These baby teeth will begin to fall out & make way for larger adult teeth around the age of 5yrs.

But baby Faye’s case is a little different. She represents 1 in ~3000 babies who have natal / neonatal teeth. Natal teeth are teeth that are present at the time of birth. Neonatal teeth are teeth that erupt during the fist 30 days after birth. Natal teeth usually develop in the lower front gum area and are attached to the gums by soft tissue. Most are mobile and do not have adequate root formation, but can cause irritation to the infant’s tongue or a nursing mother. Most natal teeth are removed shortly after birth, especially if they are mobile, to prevent aspiration of the tooth.

No one really knows for sure why these teeth erupt so early, but several sources suggest a possible hereditary connection. For instance, the Tlinget Indians in Alaska show a prevalence of 9% of their newborns having natal or neonatal teeth, 62% of them had affected relatives. Other environmental factors, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), used in pesticides, coolants, carbonless copy paper, etc, have all been sited as other possible sources, and are associated with other symptoms as well. Some also indicate correlations between natal teeth and various syndromes.

Regardless of the cause, there can be complications with the tooth enamel on these teeth, causing the teeth to turn a yellow-brown color or cavity formation to begin. So, if your child has natal or neonatal teeth, it is imperative that you seek professional advice from your dentist to ensure proper tooth development can occur in the future.

So in the spirit of the holidays, you can continue singing Mr. Gardner’s lyrics…that is, unless you are an expectant mother due in the month of December.

Tooth Transplant Cured Blindness

We all know the saying, “An eye for an eye & A tooth for a tooth”, but what about “A tooth for an eye!” If you ask Kay Thornton, “A tooth for an eye” isn’t figurative, but quite literal. Kay was diagnosed with a disease called Stevens-Johnson Syndrome 31 years ago & the symptoms led to blindness.

Advancements in medical treatments gave Kay hope in seeing again one day…a day that came recently. Kay sought medical advice from her eye doctor, who found her to be a good candidate for a relatively new type of transplant procedure to cure her blindness. But little did she know that the person used to facilitate her cure would be her own dentist.

Her eye doctor explained that she would need something special to hold the optical lens in her eye…her very own tooth! Kay’s canine tooth was removed by her dentist, then it was converted into a special holder for her optical lens by drilling holes in it. After several hours of surgery, the tooth was inserted into her eyeball. And voila…sight once again.

The mouth, teeth and gums were once thought of as a separate entity from the rest of the body by the general population, but that’s not the case anymore. More and more studies are finding that good oral health can prevent many diseases, such as heart disease, stroke & diabetes. So taking the time to see your dentist regularly, in addition to brushing & flossing daily, is not only important, but a necessity to maintain good oral health.

Fortunately, Kay had a healthy, stable tooth that was required for the procedure. If you are unsure of the health or stability of your own teeth, see your dentist…it could be an eye-opening experience.

Sink Your Teeth Into This...

Last week, a man named Conrad Feasel was arrested for biting his 3yr old daughter on the arm—2yrs ago. It was said that the bite was intended to teach his daughter a lesson, but investigators say it was a hard enough bite that the girl needed medical treatment. And why did it take 2yrs for the arrest?—Officials say it was due to a backlog at the police department, and the father had since moved.

As cooky as this story may seem, it actually reminded me of my own childhood-- I remember my younger sister going through a ‘biting phase’. Only separated by two years, I recall one evening I upset her, causing her to bite an arm-- just like Mr. Feasel; however, in this case, she didn’t bite my arm…she bit her own…then blamed it on me!!! Being the middle child I am, I pled my case to my mother explaining how I wouldn’t do such a thing, how my little sister was such a liar, and of course, how I get blamed for everything. The jury came back GUILTY. So I was sent to bed as my sister sat with a smirk on her face.

Fortunately, the story doesn’t end there. It wasn’t long before my mother entered my bedroom with an apology, accompanied by my sister...now wearing a frown. Apparently my futile attempt at pleading my case actually worked. I found out that my mother began a little “discovery” of her own and began looking at teeth marks. Fortunately, these incriminating marks left a deep enough wound for the evidence to remain in existence long enough for the truth to be revealed.

Most people have never measured the amount of force used when biting, so the following numbers may seem a little surreal. Adults with their natural teeth can bite with ~200 lbs of force. Young children, with their primary teeth, can bite with ~50 lbs of force or less. As a child’s permanent teeth erupt, their biting force increases. These biting forces allow us to not only chew our food, but to chew our food well. Those that do not have a full complement of teeth (denture wearers) can only bite with ~50 lbs of force, and those that have been wearing dentures for more than 15yrs can only bite with ~6 lbs of force.

Basically, the more teeth you have, the stronger you can bite, the more you can chew your food, and the longer you will live—(denture wearers have a 10yr shorter life span).
The circle of life takes us from childhood to adulthood, then back to childhood again as our body wears out & ages…but your teeth only wear out because of poor habits or trauma. They can stay in adulthood with proper care and at least 2 annual visits to your dentist.

So the next time you want to bite your child to teach them a lesson (and if you haven’t done it already, I know it’s crossed your mind), remember the power of your adult teeth…and the power of the law.

Flu Increases Risk of Heart Attack

Recent studies, conducted by Dr. Andrew C. Hayward of University College London, reveal a correlation between influenza and heart attack. Dr. Hayward led a total of 39 studies between 1932 and 2008, and what he found was pretty astonishing…35-50% of cases in which people who had the flu died, the cause of death wasn’t from influenza…it was from a heart attack or other cardiovascular related events!

We all know that the flu causes inflammation throughout our body, which is why the symptoms are usually fatigue, fever, and other unsightly emissions. This inflammation is theorized to alter the plaque in your arteries, thus triggering clot formations that lead to heart attacks. And did you know that the bacteria that creates the plaque on your teeth is the same bacteria that is found in the plaque in your arteries?

Dr. Hayward also found that people who were vaccinated against the flu were at a significantly lower risk for cardiac related death and other studies have shown that a decrease in oral plaque is indicative of a decrease in arterial plaque as well.

So what can you do to prevent the flu from affecting your heart? 1) See your dentist to ensure your oral plaque is maintained, 2) See your doctor for a flu vaccine if you have a history of heart disease or ailments, are over the age of 65, or have a compromised immune system.

Don’t get heartsick over the flu… See your dentist & your doctor today!

Oddity Removed from Man's Ear

In recent history, we heard much about the 33 Chilean miners and their 66 day ordeal trapped inside the earth…from heroic measures by their team leader to an outed affair upon rescue, we certainly know more about these miners than they ever dreamed. Many have been offered movie deals, book deals, and many other tell-all deals for their stories from beneath the earth’s surface. These miners will have to get used to the limelight, seeing they’ve now adjusted to the sunlight.

So much focus was put on the Chilean miners that one miner in particular almost went unnoticed. This miner, named Stephen Hirst, was not a Chilean miner, but a 47yr old ex-miner that had spent the last 33yrs living w/ excruciating pain in his ear & constant ear infections. Mr. Hirst had been to several doctors over the 33yrs, but no one was able to diagnose his problem or help ease the pain. Mr. Hirst continued to seek help & finally found it from the Doctors at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They were determined to find the problem and offer a solution….and they did.

“The nurse put a suction tube in my ear and cleaned it, then (tried) a microscope probe,” Hirst said. “Finally, she used some tweezers and got it out.” So what was “it”? A TOOTH! To this day, no one knows why it was not found sooner, but Mr. Hirst says his ear pain is now gone for the first time since he was a teenager and theorizes that the tooth became lodged during one of his childhood accidents.

Although now deaf in one ear, due to years of constant ear infections & pain, Mr. Hirst is grateful he listened to the still-small voice of perseverance.

Are There Bugs in Your Grill?

Are There Bugs in Your Grill?

As most Floridians know, it is Love Bug season. These creatures don't sting like bees, or buzz like mosquitos, but gently swarm their way to death by air conditioning or death by car. There are a few urban legends as to how love bugs came into existence, but the fact of the matter is--these gentle creatures do a lot of damage--to your vehicle.

Someone recently stated a love bug has the life expectancy of 6 days....and they must know it. I was driving down the road at 55mph and noticed a pair of love bugs on my driver's window. The funny thing was that only one of them was hanging on for dear life as the other fluttered in the wind--at 55mph. And yes, this lasted for a significant amount of time before they were whipped through the air to their probable death of a car grill. Poor bug, poor car!

The "bug juice" from any insect can be significant if left untreated, but the quantity of "bug juice" during love bug season combined with the hot sun of Florida can do a lot of paint damage in a short amount of time--if not cleaned immediately. "Bug juice" produces acid, which eats through the paint, eventually causing other problems, such as holes in your vehicle.

Your car grill isn't the only grill that has "bug juice". Your mouth actually has thousands of bacteria swarming in it everyday. These bacteria live on particles of food on your teeth and gums & in the crevices of your tongue & cheeks. These bacteria, like love bug juice, produce acid that eats through the enamel and bone of your teeth, causing cavities, gum disease, bone loss, bad breath, and many other problems. So like your vehicle, your mouth must also be cleaned immediately, by brushing & flossing, to decrease the acid-producing bacteria & prevent any significant damage.

Love bugs are seasonal, but oral bacteria are a constant presence that must be kept under control by brushing after meals, flossing at least once a day & seeing your dentist at least twice a year. We may not have control over our external environment, but a toothbrush and floss can certainly help us to control our internal one.

What's on Your Toothbrush?

Three things come to mind when I hear the word "toothbrush"--1) Clean teeth, 2) Dentist and 3) Bathroom bacteria. A toothbrush is great because it brushes away the bacteria on your teeth & in your mouth, but having an unclean toothbrush causes you to actually brushyour teeth WITH bacteria.

Studies have shown that several micro-organisms (tiny organisms that include bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc.) remain on toothbrushes. Some of them include:

• Mutans Streptococcus: the main bacteria that causes cavities
• Beta-Hemolytic Streptococcus: the main bacteria that causes strep throat
  
• Candida Albicans: the main fungus that causes thrush in babies
• Coliform: the main bacteria found in the bathroom (we'll call this "toilet-bowl" bacteria, if you know what I mean)
• Herpes Simplex Virus: the virus that causes cold sores

Becuase these micro-organisms can cause multiple viruses and/or infections, and can also spread to others upon contact, it is extremely important to change your toothbrush frequently--probably more frequently than you think.

A toothbrush should be changed every 3 months, according to the American Dental Association. They should also be changed when the bristles begin to show wear (see picture below) and as soon as possible after a sickness, or cold, to prevent re-infection or infection of someone else.

Because bacteria and micro-organisms love a warm, moist environment, NEVER store your toothbrush in a container. It should be stored in a well-ventilated environment at least 6ft from a toilet (studies have shown that aerosols from a toilet flush can migrate up to 6ft). And anyone with children should label or clearly identify each child's toothbrush so that sharing is avoided.

Other interesting facts include:

• Parainfluenza virus can survive on toothbrush bristles for over 24 hours (Dr. Kim Loos - Clinical instructor University of Pacific School of Dentistry)

• A New Zealand study found that toothbrush sharing was a risk factor for transmitting the Hepatitis B virus between children (New Zealand Medical Journal)
  

• Within only 48 hours, even a new toothbrush becomes infected with potentially disease-producing bacteria, viruses, and fungi, some of which can remain alive and multiply on a toothbrush for hours and even days. (Dr. John Rippin - Head of Oral Pathology at the University of Birmingham {UK})

So don't wait for another toothbrush from your dentist. Better health can be achieved easily just by changing your toothbrush more frequently...and better yet, it may even save you a trip to the doctor!

The Right to Wear White

Labor Day has come and gone...and so has the wearing of white for some people. In years past, the wearing of white was considered poor etiquette. It began with white bags & pumps and progressed into other clothing garments until fashion designers began incorporating a "winter white" into their fall/winter collections. Although the reason is not clear, most assume the ritual began due to white shoes not mixing with messy winter weather and slim dry-cleaning budgets of the past. In either case, the color white continues to still have a stigma associated with it post-Labor Day. But there is one place on the body that white is encouraged to be worn all year 'round---the teeth!

No one likes to have dingy whites (proven by the Clorox campaign for years), so why would you have dingy white teeth? There are many products and services today that have the ability to whiten or substantially whiten your teeth, ranging from in-office whitening procedures to simply eating more fruits and vegetables. Whatever your budget, whiter teeth can still be in your future.

In-office teeth whitening procedures are done at the dental office, using a high strength whitening agent and, most often, are accompanied by custom fit trays so you can continue whitening at home. This option tends to deliver the greatest whitening results with the greatest investment. Over-the-counter products are not custom fit and tend to be a bit messier. Since these products can be bought over-the-counter, and don't require supervision by a dentist, the concentration of whitening agent is less. The whitening results are often less than in-office whitening, but so is the investment. The least expensive option, eating more fruits and vegetables, actually comes with health benefits, too. Eating fruits with seeds, such as strawberries, or biting into crunchy vegetables, such as carrots or celery, actually help to remove stains from your teeth. The hard vegetables and seeds act as abrasives (like toothpaste) for your teeth and fortify your body at the same time.

So Labor Day or not, white is always in fashion...you just have to know where to wear it.

Early Detection of Oral Cancer in One Easy Step

Last night, Michael Douglas announced to America that he had stage 4 throat cancer, diagnosed only 3 weeks ago. Symptoms? Yes-- pain, dry throat, hoarse voice, ear pain--all which he told to many doctors, many months ago. Only after a biopsy did they determine it was stage 4 throat cancer, attributing it to previous cigarette & alcohol use. He is now undergoing radiation & chemo treatments 5 days per week for the walnut-sized tumor located under his tongue.

Pathologies in the mouth & throat tend to grow & spread fairly quickly due to the constant reproduction of cells in the oral cavity. Most aren't even visible until they are already a stage 3 or stage 4 (the worst). Even worse, the 5 year survival rate for oral cancer is only 50%.

So why is this important? Every hour of every day in America, someone dies of oral cancer. As dental providers, we now have ways to screen for early detection of oral cancer--early enough to catch at a stage 1 (the earliest) or 2. One of these screening tools is called Velscope. It is "a technology platform based on the direct visualization of human tissue fluorescence and the changes in fluorescence that occur when abnormal tissue is present"--meaning it uses a special light filter that enables us to see beneath the tissue inside your mouth, allowing us to see any abnormalities beneath the surface (see below). Being able to see beneath the suface provides us the ability to diagnose pathologies earlier, which means a greater success rate & survival rate for the patient. If an abnormality is found via Velscope, the dentist should recommend a follow-up evaluation of the area 2 weeks later. If the area is still diagnosed abnormal via Velscope, a biopsy of the area should be recommended to determine or rule out the pathology.

No apparent lesion

Irregular, dark area visible with Velscope

Biopsy-confirmed: Carcinoma in Situ (CIS)

Velscope uses a special light only--no bad tasting rinses, no brushing away of gum tissue--just a light. The dentist should be trained to diagnose abnormalities through the special filter & the entire oral cavity examination with the Velscope should take less than 2 minutes.

Did Michael Douglas see his dentist on a regular basis? I don't know. Did he have an oral cancer screening regularly? I don't know. What we do know is this...Early diagnosis is key to preventing & saving lives. So ask your dentist for a Velscope oral cancer screening at least once a year.

Unbelievable Item on Craiglist

Roger Miller’s King of the Road came to mind after I read an article about a Pennsylvania woman who put an ad on Craigslist for some used dentures. “Trailers for sale or rent, rooms to let..fifty cent”…but dentures? Really?

The story detailed how the elderly woman was on a fixed income, had medical issues & had patched her old set to the point of no repair. The ad was placed in hopes of using the used pair until a new set could be purchased. This story may sound unconventional, but unrealistic?—no.

The power of the internet is at our fingertips daily. From simple research, to purchases of all sizes, the internet seems to put everything “at arms length”….even dentistry. There are searches for providers, searches for education of dental services, even sites to bid on treatment! But remember…even though the power is at our fingertips, we must first be good stewards of the power.

Searching for a dental provider that fits you is almost like shopping for clothes. They have to fit your personality, make you feel comfortable and have the ability to create a final product you would wear. This can sometimes be a long & tedious search, so I’ve created an article titled, 10 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Dentist. Answering these questions will help guide you in the direction of the dental provider that best fits you and your goals.

Unfortunately, the elderly lady did not have my article. No one responded to the Craigslist denture ad & the woman continues her search. The power of the internet reminds us that commodities can be purchased online by anyone. But a well-educated consumer knows that dentistry is not a commodity, but a value-driven service that is personally customized to each individual….so click here & do your research!

The Skinny on Mini's

As new technological advancements grow bigger & bigger, the results tend to be thinner & thinner. Microwaves, iPods, TVs & even hamburges have all maintained their original functions, but have shrunk quite a bit in size.

Electronics & food aren't the only advancements making waves. The dental industry has also changed with the advancement of implants--and now mini implants. Although mini dental implants (MDI's) have been around for a couple of decades, it is only in recent years they have made their mark mainstream.

Dental implants are used to replace a missing tooth/teeth or to secure a loose denture. Mini dental implants are basically a smaller version of a traditional implant, having the same components for function (screw & abutment), just in smaller form. The screw is what anchors to the bone & the abutment is placed on top of the screw to connect it to a crown, in the case of replacing a missing tooth. If a MDI is used to secure a loose denture, chances are, there will be at least 2-4 mini implants recommended. The implant screw is still anchored into the bone, but in a denture case, a special attachment is used to connect the screw to the denture. This special attachment allows the denture to snap into place for security.

Becasue MDI's are smaller and take less time to place, they are approximately half the cost of a traditional implant. And best of all, most patients have the crown & implant ,or the implants & denture placed in the same day with little to no discomfort.

In addition to providing replacement for missing teeth or security for loose dentures, both MDI's & traditional dental implants provide a way to help keep your bone. Over time, if a tooth is lost & no implant has been placed, the bone shrinks and begins to cause other problems.

So if you have a missing tooth/teeth or have loose or ill-fitting dentures, contact your dentist to see if you are a candidate for mini dental implants. Your frustrations aren't shrinking, but your bone is... so call today!

Dentistry - Key Identifier in Cancer Treatment Success

Picture any visit to the doctor resulting in a converstation about the need for cancer treatment. A myriad of questions begin to form, with the primary one asking, "what do I do now?" If this ever happens to you in the future, there are two key healthcare professionals that must immediately become your best friends...your oncologist & your dentist. Your oncologist, for obvious reasons, and your dentist to help prevent serious problems.

Chemotherapy and radiation treatments are used to kill cancer cells. But these treatments also harm and/or kill normal cells as well. Some of the side effects cause serious problems in the mouth--some serious enough to delay or stop treatment. Some of these side effects include: Dry mouth, Increase in cavities, Loss of taste, Sore gums, Increased infections, Jaw stiffness & bone changes. Because the side effects often happen when a person's mouth is not healthy, it is recommended that you see a dental professional at least 2 weeks prior to undergoing any form of radiation or chemotherapy treatment.

If you don't have a dentist, ask your oncologist for a recommendation. If you do have a dentist, contact the office to schedule a quick exam and consultation. At this visit, the dentist will check your teeth, take any necessary xrays, and show you how to care for your mouth during your treatment. Make sure the dentist can contact your oncologist for questions regarding your cancer treatment. They may also want to confer regarding any dental treatments you may need prior to starting any cancer treatment.

One of the keys to cancer treatment success is looking at your mouth on a daily basis, keeping it moist with lots of water, saliva substitutes, or sugarless candies/gum, brushing & flossing daily and contacting your dentist about any mouth problems that may occur during or after cancer treatment.

Regardless of where the cancer is located in the body, your dentist is a key part of your cancer treatment success team.

A Dish Best Served Cold

Fortunately, I'm not talking about revenge...but I am referencing the coveted all-american treat of ice cream, in honor of National Ice Cream Month! This crazy commemoration was created for us by Ronald Reagan back in 1984--(you just can't beat a president with a great sense of humor....and sweet tooth!) Like many others, I assume he probably topped his favorite flavor with, you guessed it, jelly beans. Apparently jelly beans brought him much intuition & wisdom, for he once said, "You can tell a lot about a fellow's characher by the way he eats jelly beans." (He noticed some would eat only one color, while others would eat many flavors at once.) Well, I am here to tell you that you can also tell a lot about a person's teeth by the way he/she eats jelly beans (and other candy as well).

Ever experience a burning sensation in your gums or in between teeth when eating something sweet like candy? Ever experience pain or sensitivity when eating something cold like ice cream? These symptoms are indicative that there is something unhealthy about the tooth/teeth. Depending upon the severity of the pain or sensitivity, the treatment is usually something small, common & routine, such as a filling. Recognizing these symptoms early and seeing a dental professional for treatment will eliminate the pain/sensitivity, restore the teeth back to health & help ensure you don't have any suddent toothache-style interruptions to your summer. Just remember...teeth that need treatment get worse over time, which means the treatments become bigger..as does the price.

Enjoy the hot summer days with a cold beverage, a popsicle or a cold bowl of ice cream. And if you experience any pain or sensitivity when you do, contact a dental professional. The summer's long from over, so ensure you can enjoy the rest of it with a pain-free healthy mouth.

To BP or not BP?

As the oil continues to wash closer & closer, encroaching upon the livelihood of surrounding towns, the anticipation of devastation has Gulf Coast cities low on both tourism & optimism. Military response efforts have helped defray some time & expense, helping to streamline the claims process on land & stave off the oil at sea. So how does this relate to dentistry?

Bacteria, like gushing oil, continues to multiply until something stops it or removes it. Small amounts of bacteria can be removed by a toothbrush and can die with the use of a Fluoride mouthrinse; however, small amounts of bacteria quickly multiply into large amounts of bacteria if not stopped or removed on a daily basis. The only way for bacteria to survive is to eat something nutritious—and in the mouth, nutrition comes from healthy teeth & gums.

The livelihood of a tooth is its nerve and bone. The nerve is in the middle of the tooth and it is joined to the bone at the base of the tooth. Bacteria begins eating on the outside of the tooth and migrates toward the most delicious part—the nerve. It has a great blood supply with many nutrients that keep bacteria strong & multiplying. At this point, the bacteria have eaten a hole in the tooth, are sucking the life out of the tooth by eating the nerve, and are working their way to the bone. Like the Gulf Coast communities feel the affects of the oil spill via a decrease in tourism & trade, a person’s livelihood will be affected by pain & swelling.

Dentists to the rescue! Although there is still no cure for the BP gusher, there is a cure for a person in such a condition. A dentist has the skills and tools to remove and kill the bacteria causing the acute problem so your mouth doesn’t become a “BP Situation.” The key is to see your dentist regularly so that gushers don’t continue to erupt all over your mouth.

I don’t know if BP had any foresight into the effects of their actions, but as responsible adults, we know the consequences of our own actions. If a dental professional informs you about a cavity-- in relation to BP, it means the oil is bubbling and if you don’t have it treated, it will become a gusher. If he/she suggests anything larger, (ie crown, root canal, etc), it means you already have a “BP Situation” and there is a system in place to resolve the problem. If you are told there are multiple issues throughout your mouth that need to be addressed…it means you definitely have a “BP Situation” –and in order to resolve the problem, we, as engineers will devise a plan for treatment & you, the patient, will have to join the clean-up crew.

If only BP could make it so easy…

Are Your Teeth On Acid?

Every morning, children across America hear the words, "Finish your orange juice...Now go brush your teeth!" Orange juice is good for the body, and brushing is good for the teeth, but orange juice (and other acidic beverages) immediately followed by brushing is catestrophic to teeth. Could mom be wrong after all these years?

Enamel Erosion- A number of studies have shown that beverages with a low pH (acidic) have an influence on the softening and erosion of tooth enamel. One of the studies exposed a cow tooth to an acidic soft drink for 5 minutes and reported that the tooth surface--after only 5 minutes--was 31% less hard. The study also reported that the tooth regained only 86% of its strength back after a 24hr period of time.

Dental Abrasion- Another study revealed that brushing teeth immediately after consuming acidic products accelerates enamel erosion. Once the enamel is softened by the acid, it becomes more susceptible to abrasions by toothbrush bristles.

Most people tend to sip their beverages, submersing their teeth for a total time of several minutes. So a recent study chose to immerse teeth at times of 5 seconds, 1 minute or 10 minutes in one of the following four beverages: Coca-Cola, Pepsi One, Diet Mountain Dew or Tropicana Pure Premium Low Acid Orange Juice. Micrographs showed that the appearance of the tooth enamel was altered after only 5 seconds. The altered appearance showed the noticeably softer enamel surface. Brushing with toothpaste induced even greater surface changes and caused some enamel to be brushed away.

So how much time should elapse after drinking acidic beverages before brushing can occur? Well, that has yet to be determined. What we do know is that the plaque around teeth becomes acidic within 2 minutes of drinking a beverage containing sugar and that more than 30 minutes must elapse before normal pH is restored. Until a protocol is determined, I tell my patients to swish with water after drinking an acidic beverage and wait 30 minutes before brushing.

All acidic beverages aren't bad for the body, but most are bad for the teeth if not cared for properly...so don't leave your teeth on acid--Swish, Wait, then Brush!

Does Size Really Matter?

I remember feeding my nephew shortly after he began eating solid foods. This child loved to play & loved to eat, which in most cases isn't a big deal; however, the quantity of food eaten was out of the ordinary. Like most active little boys, he enjoyed playing so much that eating became somewhat of a chore. In the excitement of wanting to return to playing, he would eat so quickly that the results, sometimes in whole, would show up later in his diaper.

As children, most of us can remember our parents reminding us to chew our food. I even remember my grandmother advising us to chew each bite 32 times. Well, as a child--and even as an adult, 32 times takes forever--even getting to 10 is a stretch. Most often people reference chewing longer for fear of choking, but there's another reason why we must remember to chew our food well.

Our back teeth are made for chewing. Their design and position in the mouth are all indicators for chewing. We have also known for years that digestion begins in the mouth, and not the stomach. For example, before a bite is taken, saliva is produced, which hydrates & prepares the mouth to begin digesting the food. Saliva begins this process because it contains special enzymes. When eating, back teeth come together and a great force is placed on the food, causing the food to start breaking down. The jaw moves, causing a chewing action, and the food is broken down even further. The food is swallowed and progresses into the stomach and then the small intestines, both of which continue breaking down the food into even smaller particles to aid in digestion.

Food is made up of nutrients, minerals, etc. that provide our bodies with energy and nutrition. Once food leaves the mouth, it has a limited amount of time to go from stomach, to intestine, to well, how should I say it?...porcelain. This means that if food is not chewed enough, the stomach doesn't have enough time to break it down and extract all the nutrients inside. So the stomach does what it can in the limited amount of time it has with the food and then the remaining food is sent to the small intestines to take over. Again, there's a limited amount of time in the small intestines before the food remnants are "out the door". In essence, the larger, and less chewed, pieces of food provide less nutrition for the body than the well-chewed, broken-down, smaller versions.

So the next time you prepare to take a bite of food, ask yourself...Does Size Really Matter? I think men and women would both agree that it does--At least in this case.