This year, make a proactive change to your oral health. It is important to realize that the longer a person waits to take care of dental treatment, the worse a problem can become! Missing teeth, chipped or broken restorations, bruxism or jaw soreness are all conditions which can affect your bodily health in a serious way if not treated right away. The connection between the mouth and the rest of the body is significant. Do not procrastinate – it is in your best interest this year to see your dental professional before things get worse.

Hygiene is also important. A clean mouth is not just pretty for your social life and professional appearance, but important for your bodily health! Those who want to improve the health of mouth and body should consider the simple act of regularly brushing and flossing their teeth! Tartar can be tricky to remove without professional help, so the best defense is proactive care. This is why regular cleanings with your dental professional are so important. The American Dental Association (ADA) has stressed the importance of maintaining good dental health for adults and children of all ages, not just for healthy gums and teeth, but to ensure good overall health.

Family values are important – brushing and flossing can be an important part of those values! Parents should use the new year to educate their children on the importance of brushing their teeth. If children are taught about dental care, statistics show they are more likely to continue caring for their teeth and gums in adulthood. One important tip from the ADA regarding teeth cleaning is to floss first before brushing because there is more of a chance for the fluoride from the toothpaste to get between the teeth.

Be healthy and safe this new year; may 2011 be a year for health!

Humans and dogs snore for the same reasons – something is blocking their upper airway, due to either a “fat” neck or extra tissue blocking the airway while reclining or laying down. If your dog has consistent loud snoring, or gasps for breath, schedule an appointment with his veterinarian. The following are some of the top associations with snoring:

• Being Overweight: Does your dog have a definable, slim waist? If not, and your dog looks pudgy around the middle, he is most likely overweight. Extra tissue and flabby tissue can push the upper airways closed. Consider using a diet dog food, feeding her less and frequent exercises like jogging or the dog park.
• A Large Neck: If your dog has a large neck (in relation to its head), like a pug or a pit bull, the dog’s airway may be at risk. Similarly, in humans, a woman with a neck larger than 15″ in circumference (or a man with a 17″ or larger neck) may be associated with snoring.
• Sinus Congestion: Does your dog have any kind of cold, allergies or nasal discharge? When the nasal passage is blocked and breathing takes place through the mouth, positive air pressure decreases in the throat, causing the airway to collapse, causing snoring.
• Pain Medication or Tranquilizers: Just as taking muscle relaxants can cause snoring in humans, pain reduction medication will relax your dog’s muscles to the point that they can cause the airway to collapse, causing snoring.
• Having a Flat Face: That cuteness comes with a price. Breeds like Pekinese, Pugs and Boston Terriers often have more nasal infections and easier blocked airways than longer nosed breeds. Consequentially, they almost always snore.
• Smokers: Fictitious dogs love playing poker, but in reality, dogs do not smoke. Humans do. Inflammatory reactions can be caused by smoke irritation, when tissue becomes swollen, blocking the airway which causes snoring. Place his kennel in a clean-air space, and don’t smoke near him.

Generally speaking, the structures involved during vibration (creating subsequent noise) are the uvula and soft palate; the irregular airflow can be caused by any part of airway. Blockage of these passages can be due to inflamed, enlarged glands or ‘floppy’ soft tissues, a large or set back tongue, a small or receded lower jaw or an obstruction of the nasal passageway. These physical attributes can be hereditary or from environmental influences like smoking, alcohol, medications, allergy, asthma and upper respiratory infection.

Snoring can also be a symptom of sleep apnea, an unhealthy condition. While snoring is caused by a narrow airway, sleep apnea is a true breathing obstruction, which awakens the sleeper to begin breathing again. It can occur frequently and can lead to sleep deprivation with further health repercussions. Snoring is a common symptom of sleep apnea, but snoring by itself does not involve the cessation of breathing.

Besides diagnosing what causes snoring,  non-invasive and self-regulatory approaches to control snoring can be a good start: losing weight (decreasing fatty tissues which restrict the airway), sleeping with one’s head elevated and sleeping on one’s side (preventing the gravitational collapse of the airway), limiting alcohol consumption, smoking and medication intake (to prevent dilated, dehydrated, inflamed or floppy tissues), and clearing of the nasal passage (a stuffy nose can make inhalation difficult, creating a vacuum in your throat drawing movements the soft tissues). Nasal decongestants or nasal strips can also be effective in opening up the nasal passage; when combined with a snore guard under a health professional’s care, this can be very effective in treating mild to moderate snoring.

There are several designs of snore guards to aid in suppressing snoring, from a simple diagnostic bite plate to a fixed or adjustable double jaw device which repositions your lower jaw and/or tongue forward and downward (opening the airway at your throat). Ask your dentist whether he or she can help you with fitting a snore guard.If you suffer from severe snoring combined with sleep apnea, a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine is often used.

In most severe cases, a surgical approach might be advised. Surgical treatments like UPPP (Uvulopalatopharyngoplaty) and TAP (Thermal Ablation Palatoplasty) can relieve physical blockages to the breathing pathway. A pillar procedure (palatal implantation) can stiffen and cease vibration of the soft palate to stop snoring.

One solution that might surprise you? Sing and playing musical instruments  that tone up your throat muscle and soft tissues of one’s airway can help. Even playing the didgeridoo may help snorers! A 2005 study in the British Medical Journal found that learning and practicing the didgeridoo helped reduce snoring and sleep apnea (!) as well as daytime sleepiness. This appears to work by strengthening throat muscles , thus reducing their tendency to collapse during sleep.

At last, I wish everyone a quiet, peaceful and healthy night’s sleep every night – be well rested and ready to carry on a productive and happy tomorrow!

Sleep apnea (a lack of oxygen) carries heightened risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, high blood pressure, arrhythmias, diabetes, and sleep deprived driving accidents. Stroke is associated with obstructive sleep apnea as well, as sufferers have a 30% higher risk of heart attack or premature death than those unaffected. Risk factors can often be managed easily without major medical intervention. Being overweight or obese, nasal congestion or blockage and relaxed tongue/throat muscles often contribute to sleep apnea. Avoiding intake relaxants like alcohol or sedatives can play an important role in reducing the occurrence of sleep apnea.

There are three basic types of sleep apnea. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is the only type of sleep apnea that can be treated by your dentist. Central Sleep Apnea is when a person’s brain “forgets” to signal the chest muscles to breathe during sleep. This variation of sleep apnea requires medication prescribed by your physician. Mixed Sleep Apnea is a combination of the preceding two types, and is the most difficult type of sleep apnea to diagnose and treat.

What can be done about sleep apnea – and how can your dentist play a role? The first step is diagnosis. Sleep apnea is diagnosed with a “sleep study”. An individual with sleep apnea is rarely aware of having difficulty breathing, even upon awakening, and is recognized as a problem by others witnessing the individual during episodes or is suspected because of its effects on the body. Symptoms may be present for years without identification, during which time the sufferer may become conditioned to the daytime sleepiness and fatigue associated with significant levels of sleep disturbance.

Once a breathing problem during sleep has been established, there are two main routes of therapy for mild or moderate sleep apnea. The first is Oral Appliance Therapy, to reposition your lower jaw into a forward and downward position, opening up your throat, typically given by your dental care professional or physician. There are several designs from a simple diagnostic one to more sophisticate double jaw design. Your treating health professional will help to determine which would fit you better.

Oral appliance designed to keep the airway open during sleep.

For more severe cases, the use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device can help, which ’splints’ the patient’s airway open during sleep by means of forcing pressurized air into the throat. The CPAP machine assists only inhaling, whereas a BiPAP machine assists with both inhaling and exhaling and is used in more severe cases. Home remedies to treat sleep apnea include loose weight, treating allergy to decrease the volume of inflamed soft tissue of the airway, using a humidifier (in conjunction with the CPAP machine), trying a saline nasal spray before sleep.

If you have been diagnosed with OSA and think your dentist can help, be sure to bring your concerns to his or her attention.

Holidays are a joyful time for friends and family, filled with good food and great memories. During this happy time you must remember to take care of your oral health, not only during the feast but beforehand as well! Since most dental offices close for the winter holidays (some for up to two weeks!), it is a good idea to get a checkup before the holiday – especially if you have any pain or sensitivity.

With regards to holiday staining of your teeth, as I have previously mentioned in a wine blog, white wine has an acid content that tends to increase the risk of stain or darkening of your teeth, if combined with other habits of drinking tea, or similar dark beverages. Do not be fooled by the crystal clear appearance of a white wine – they are certainly capable of dulling your teeth. Both whites and reds are equally capable of staining teeth. Certain acidic properties present in wine (white, red or rose) create micro-porosity etching which rough the surface of your teeth, making your teeth much more susceptible to stains from other foods.

If you were to drink a glass of white wine with a red meat sauce, the acidic properties in the white wine could make your teeth more prone to staining from the red sauce in your meal, or the cup of tea after the dinner! Red wine is still more “dangerous” to the pearly opalescence of your teeth than white, however, as it contains pigment molecules known as chromagen, which will stain your teeth. All wines contain tannins, which act as a binding protein, aiding chromogen to saturate upon the surface of the tooth. Just remember to brush and floss after every meal, especially during the holidays!

When you do drink acidic liquids or eat sugary foods, be sure to rinse your mouth with water. Brush and floss twice daily, and after meals – oral hygiene should be routine to avoid problems. Prevention is the most powerful form of self defense from oral health problems!

Apart from keeping your teeth beautiful and pearly-white, remember not to over-do the quantity of the foods you eat during over the holidays. Lean proteins (like turkey and chicken), veggies (like green beans and yams), fruits (like pumpkin and cranberries) are all delicious in moderation – the Christmas ham could be a bit much (taste everything)! Don’t forget the pumpkin or pecan pie for desert! Holiday meals don’t have to be boring and bland to be healthy; sample everything in moderation. Have a happy and safe new year!

The new teeth in the dino would grow directly beneath the existing teeth, similar to how our permanent teeth develop beneath our baby teeth. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a replacement tooth grow automatically whenever we have a problem?!

Earlier this year, researcher and long-famed paleontologist Jack Horner  had uncovered “B. Rex,” a 68-million year old T-Rex that is giving the academic community a lot to think about, both relating to dinosaurs and to the use of tooth material (and other mineral matter) in fossils. Through a special process of acid dissolution of ancient dino bones, organic material – blood vessels – were extracted and found in near-fresh condition!

“[We] dissolved away pieces of an even older dinosaur – a well-preserved 80-million-year-old duckbill – in acid, and again, found what appear to be blood vessels.” With this matter, new creatures could be genetically grown that had fallen extinct millions of years ago – a dino zoo even! What is interesting about dinosaur teeth however is that they illustrate how versatile teeth are in Earth’s many different life forms.

Humans obviously use their teeth for tearing, chewing and start the process of digesting food; speech and aesthetic purposes are also served by our teeth. Although we only have two sets of natural teeth, we can artificially create new teeth with implant dentistry. Other creatures have no teeth, like ducks and geese, which simply use their bill to seek out food and begin the digestion process.

The systematic replacement of old or broken teeth in dinosaurs is what’s driving research that will hopefully, in the future, result in human teeth being grown for human tooth replacement. Imagine being able to have a real, natural and healthy tooth installed in your mouth!

T-Rex tooth - it's replaceable!

Current technology, like existing biocompatible metals (such as titanium) are used to replace human parts like hip bones. Biocompatible  titanium is used for dental implant fixture, replacing a tooth’s root being implanted in the jaw bone. Porcelain restorations are then attached to the artificial titanium root after proper healing of the jaw bone.

It is also important to remember that not all dental implant restorations are made due to improper oral care or an irresponsible lifestyle! More and more people are being born with congenitally missing  teeth, which can cause surrounding teeth to become misaligned, a possible evolutionary trend. Early diagnosis always makes the restoration process easier.

Though technology is constantly evolving, and may at one point completely replace the need for artificial dental restorations, it is of the utmost importance to try and take care of what you have! A person’s original, natural teeth are always the healthiest and most desirable option.

Dental DNA can be used in anthropology as well! Earlier this month, doctors from the Massachusetts General Hospital threaded a scope up the neck and into the skull of a disembodied, 4,000-year-old mummified skull, in an effort to extract a molar. The tooth DNA was collected from the pulp of a well-preserved tooth and used to solve an “ancient art mystery,” which could identify his or her gender and age from material lying deep within the pulp of the tooth.

My  experience with forensic dentistry was sad and shockingly personal – I had to send dental x-ray records to police department officials for identification of a friend killed in a plane crash.

Even criminals are aware of dental identification. Just this past summer, reality show star Ryan Jenkins had been suspected of killing his ex-wife Fiore; the perpetrator removed her teeth and fingers to destroy her forensic ID. What he didn’t realize was that the  breast implants in Fiore’s chest carried a serial number that was later used to identify the body, and subsequently issue a warrant for Jenkins’ arrest. He committed suicide.

Dental identifications have always played a key role in natural and manmade disaster situations, in particular the mass casualties normally associated with aviation disasters. In the attacks on the World Trade Canter on September 11, 2001, only an estimated half of the 2,749 victims were identified – through a mixture of DNA, jewelry, and dental records. The deceased individual’s teeth are photographed and charted with impression materials that can be compared to the dentist’s patient chart, to make a positive identification.

Forensic dentistry has also been used to identify several infamous figures from the Nazi era, including Adolf Hitler, Martin Bormann, Eva Braun, and Joseph Mengele. The assassin responsible for the murder of John F. Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald, was also confirmed through dental records. Even the remains of Czar Nicholas II and his family, who were shot during the 1917 Russian Revolution, were initially identified through dental identification.

Forensic evidence in dentistry is a widely-applicable science in the identification of those individuals who cannot be identified visually or by other means or used as evidence  utilized in law enforcement, but in scientific discovery as well! Teeth speak the truth!

An autistic child stacks cans, a commonality amongst autistic children.

Often times, children suffering from autism are very difficult to treat by a physician – especially in dentistry. Autistic children often have a very hard time trusting physicians (especially if he or she is unfamiliar with said physician). In regards to dentistry, autistic children can have difficulty sitting still. This can make orthodontic treatment very difficult, especially if the child does not like braces or feels they are causing him or her pain. An autistic child can be treated just as successfully as any child if he or she is treated with patience and care.

Regarding dental home care, brushing and flossing will require a family member’s daily help and guidance. Nutritional needs for Autistic children are extremely important, not just for dental hygiene, but for the brain. There are researches showing how certain foods seem to affect the developing brain of certain children, causing autistic behavior. This is not because of allergies, but because many of these children are unable to properly break down certain proteins. Researchers in England, Norway, and at the University of Florida had previously found peptides (a breakdown product of proteins) with opiate activity in the urine of a high percentage of autistic children. Opiates are drugs, like morphine, which affect brain function. These findings have recently been confirmed by researchers at Johnson & Johnson’s Ortho Clinical Diagnostics.  Gluten-free diets (a protein fraction found in wheat, rye, barley and most oat products) and Casein-free diets (a protein in dairy) are suggested. A professional nutrition consultation is really a must.

I was luckily blessed to have the opportunity to treat some special people who needed special care. Of course, every patient is special in my dictionary, but when dealing with someone who cannot communicate (or resists treatment), the challenge is greater to make that person better. You can also feel the love in between the family members – the special person actually plays the “glue” role to get the family together! When you see them together, it is such a beautiful scene.

Treating Autistic or any other special people can be an extremely rewarding experience. Everything is possible if we determine how to make things better; with patience, love and knowledge, we can experience miracles!

The disease, which claimed Sharron Thorton’s vision for so many years is an idiopathic condition (read: spontaneous and of unknown-origin) which causes the epidermis to separate from the dermis in what is often a life-threatening battle. The condition destroys the cells on the surface of the eye causing severe scarring of the cornea. Because the eye is such a sensitive part of the body – which rejects foreign material, including plastics and other man-made objects – a piece of hard natural tissue was needed for the implantation of the prosthetic lens. Because the body would normally reject an artificial base, the eye tooth was chosen as a hard, durable tissue which was composed of natural minerals that the body would not reject.

Corneal specialist Dr. Victor Perez said of the procedure, which was developed in Italy, “MOOKP has proven effective as a solution to end-stage corneal disease where severe corneal scarring blocks vision and corneal transplants are no longer an option but the eye’s internal structures and optic nerve remain healthy. For certain patients whose bodies reject a transplanted or artificial cornea, this procedure ‘of last resort’ implants the patient’s tooth in the eye to anchor a prosthetic lens and restore vision,” he explained.

Before the eye-opening procedure, the eyetooth was actually implanted in the patient’s stomach for several months, in order to expose the tooth to other bodily tissues (blood, plasma etc), preparing the tooth for implantation within the eye. Had the tooth not been cocooned by the body before implantation, the chances of bodily rejection would have been rather high. Medical technologies like these (and revolutionary medical procedures) have helped improve our life so much – dental or other bodily implants have been used routinely with great success, but the bottom line is that prevention still is the best answer for our  health and quality of life. When tragedy strikes – as it did with Kay Thorton – a combination of science and fortune just might save the day.

Simple outpatient surgical procedures – which are performed in clinics, doctor offices and dental practices on a daily basis – which require mild to moderate painkillers is customary and routine  may turn out to be fatal. The case in question occurred last weekend when an otherwise healthy 2-year-old boy died after being prescribed codeine to relieve pain from having his tonsils removed. The sad fact is that cases like this even the protocol of post operative was followed, and very little could have been  done to avoid such a tragedy.

The child mentioned above had a history of snoring and sleep apnea (when a person momentarily stops breathing during sleep throughout the night). In an effort to clear the boy’s airway, he had a routine tonsillectomy outpatient surgery and was sent home. Doctors prescribed codeine syrup and told the boy’s mother to give it to him for pain, but two nights later, the child developed a fever and wheezing. He was found dead the next morning, according to the report.

Although the coroner’s office noted that toxicology tests showed the mother had given the child the proper dosage, the boy had high levels of morphine in his system, which is metabolized from codeine. Further investigation determined that the child had an ultra-rapid metabolism genotype, which causes the body to metabolize codeine at a faster rate than the norm. The only true way to have avoided this tragedy would have been to keep the child in the hospital overnight, for 24 hours, for observation to see whether his breathing had improved, and whether pain medications (such as codeine, which suppresses the respiratory system) could have put him at risk.

The take home message here is that common, routine dental procedures which involve pain relievers (like wisdom tooth extraction or implant surgery) must always be treated with the utmost care and attention.Be aware the potential risk of toxicity and allergic reaction of any medication . If you are unsure of your body’s reaction to certain medications or pain relievers, consult with your dental professional or primary care physician. If you have a child who is about to undergo an outpatient procedure, speak with his or her physician before the procedure. Are there any potential risks associated with the procedure, or with the post -operative medications ? Know your child and know their body – proper supervision is essential, especially with children.