Economic Recession = Gum Recession

Posted by drgracesun on February 8, 2009 under Healthy Smile, Information | Be the First to Comment

Economic recession = gum recession.

Lose job = loose teeth.

These two analogies went through my mind while I was writing my last blog on gum disease, feeling the overwhelming impact of our falling economy!

It might seem like common sense that stress can take a toll on our health, but often we don’t think about what specific implications stress can have. Only weeks ago, Mahesh Verma, principal of the Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences said “Growing economic stress among people has a deep damaging impact on teeth and heart. Recent studies have found that financial stress is one of the major cause of increasing dental problems.”

The damage begins when chemical triggers block your immune function, inhibiting your body’s natural defense mechanisms and deplete your teeth supporting bones of calcium and other necessities in order to maintain blood mineral levels. These triggers, brought on by stress (such as an economic recession), can worsen over time and indeed cause gum disease, in addition to a host of other medical maladies! The stress can also lead to poor diet and lifestyle habits (smoking, drinking), further damaging your health.

let’s hope today’s economical crunch has less impact on tomorrow’s public health!

Take home message: besides stress management, take charge of your own dental health, spend the full (read: required!) two minutes on oral hygiene brushing and flossing your teeth. Eat healthy, think positive and get ready for a better tomorrow.

“What is Tongue Thrusting?”

Posted by drgracesun on February 7, 2009 under Healthy Smile, Smart Smile | Be the First to Comment

“Dr. Sun, I’ve had braces twice and I still have all of these spaces in my teeth!” Disparaged new patient Lisa was at her wits end for the answer to her dental dilemma.

Lisa did wear her retainer for a year after the braces, bur once stop wearing the retainer, but her condition had relapsed. Two thoughts went through my mind – either bruxism (night grinding) or tongue thrusting. Checking the wear pattern of Lisa’s teeth as well as performing muscle palpitations for clues of bruxism and observing whether Lisa’s tongue could be seen between teeth during swallowing to evaluate her tongue thrust .

Bruxism has gained awareness in recent years, but tongue thrusting is still a mostly unfamiliar word. Let’s have a discussion about this interesting phenomenon!

Although nearly all children experience tongue thrusting, it is usually self-corrected at age six, and some continue tongue thrusting into adulthood. Because we swallow up to 2,000 times a day, pressure exerted on the teeth from a protruding tongue at each swallow can create force on the teeth, leading to mis-aligned dentition or a lisp-orientated speech impediment or reversed orthodontic work.

Generally, there are several contributing factors which can lead to tongue thrusting. Certain types of pacifiers in childhood can set bad oral habits in young children. Allergies or nasal congestion causing the tongue to lie low in the mouth due to breathing obstruction (as opposed to the normal position behind the upper front teeth against the palate), genetics or ankyloglossia (a tongue tie requiring a frenectomy to remedy) can also cause tongue thrusting. A laser frenectomy is the most advanced treatment for alleviating a tongue tie.

Possible treatment includes a training appliance from your dentist. Myofunctional therapy, a proactive strategy which trains  the tongue to swallow properly. With proper myofuntional training and exercise , we can swallow without tongue thrust. To improve airway, check with your ENT doctor, retraining of proper body postures are all important for oralfacial health.

Wow, isn’t this interesting? The tongue is an essential part of our body. It is influenced by and can influence our physiology in many ways! Look at the mirror and swallow – are you tongue thrusting?

“How Can I Make My Teeth Whiter?”

Posted by drgracesun on January 28, 2009 under Beautiful Smile, Technology | 2 Comments to Read

If your eyes are the gateway to your soul, your smile is the gateway to your heart. There are many factors that contribute to a beautiful smile in my line of work, but teeth whitening is one of the simplest ways to give your smile a brighter, whiter lease on life.

When we are children, our deciduous teeth (baby teeth) are bright, white and full of life – that is, until they fall out and are replaced by permanent teeth. From this point onward, our teeth are exposed to a multitude of conditions which endanger the white enamel surface of the tooth. Foods, dark liquids such as tea, coffee, red wine and caffeinated beverages, smoke and even some prescribed medication can all cause your teeth to loose their whiteness. A history of dental trauma can also cause tooth discoloration, which would require a different approach to reach the desired whiteness. Generally speaking, the teeth bleaching only applies to oxidizing normal tooth enamel. Whitening will not change the color of any dental restorations, and should not be used on darker root structures of the tooth or with tetracycline staining. Sometimes, cosmetic procedures such as porcelain veneers or bonding would be a better solution, in which case a consultation with your dentist would be necessary.

There are two ways to whiten your teeth: with whitening kits, and laser whitening (power bleaching).  Over-the-counter kits to whiten teeth are sold both at your local pharmacy and from your dentist’s office. Custom fitted kits sold from your dentist’s office include retainer -like trays which are made from custom impressions of your teeth, whereas over-the-counter varieties are not as effective. The active ingredient breaks down into hydrogen peroxide, which oxidizes the stain deposits in the enamel of your teeth. Application is done for a few hours per day, for one to two weeks. The advantage to whitening kits is that you can keep your impression trays for future use, and only have to buy the whitening gel again. Regular dental check ups are necessary to make sure your teeth are healthily receiving the bleaching process.

Laser whitening is the method to whiten teeth I use in my office. Employing the use of an argon laser enables fast, painless and safe whitening of the teeth without potentially harmful UV damage, or heat which can irritate the pulpal tissues of the teeth. Arc lamps, a more common light-based whitening treatment, use energy that comes in a wide range of electro-magnetic waves, which could cover from the UV range into the infrared (heat) range, which could pose a health risk. Also, arc lamps can cause pulpal inflammation, leading to heightened gum sensitivity.  The laser whitening process takes about 1 hour, providing instant gratification of the whitening results and the convenience of minimum work at home.

For the best teeth whitening results, I usually recommend my patients use a combination of in-office laser whitening, and usage of our take home kit, allowing for touch-up treatment by the patient at the convenience of one’s own time and own place. Once the desired bleaching result is reached, with proper care, it can last up to 3 years. If touch-up bleaching is needed, the time investment is extremely low (almost instant).

Remember, your smile is the gateway to your heart! Let it shine!

“Why Do I Grind My Teeth?” (Bruxism)

Posted by drgracesun on January 27, 2009 under Healthy Smile, Information | 3 Comments to Read

When I examine a patient’s mouth,  I often inform them “You have been grinding your teeth at night! If  you’re grinding at night as well,  please take a vacation – doctor’s orders!” We laugh, then get serious about what was just said. Common responses from patients include:

“How do you know that I grind my teeth?”

“Why do I grind my teeth?”

“I sleep with my mouth open; I do not grind my teeth!”

“Yes, I know, but I do not want to wear a night guard !”

Let’s have a discussion.

Teeth grinding is a multifactorial phenomenon, it can originate from bite problems, posture problems, stress, diet or even certain oral medications. You may experience one or multiple symptoms of night grinding, including sensitive teeth, receding gums, teeth chipping, teeth movement, flat teeth, broken teeth, damaged dental restorations (such as fillings), and even headaches and a sore jaw .

Usually, during the day, there is space between your upper and lower teeth – the teeth are not in contact, they come in contact only when they are being used to chew food. Eating food exerts approximately 5 – 10 pounds per square inch of loading force. This is normal and will not create wear and tear issues in the tooth structure. At night however, during sleep, facial muscle contractions (like the Masseter muscle) generate a much greater force, anywhere from 300 to 500 or even up to 1000 pounds per square inch of force! This is very powerful, and very destructive.

So how do we fix the problem? Management of night grinding can be approached from several angles. By wearing a night guard, immediate protection is provided when sleeping. The design of the night guard can be as simple as a thin coat of silicon rubber material which is custom-molded to fit over your teeth, or can be highly specialized to help realign your jaw when made from acrylic. Ask your dentist about this.

Grinding your teeth at night (bruxism ) occurs during the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) cycle of sleep, for light sleepers. If restful sleep can be induced, the REM cycle of sleep can be reduced, contributing to a more peaceful night for your mind and also your body (including your facial muscular system). This means less grinding!

Achieving restful sleep can be tricky, there are many techniques: meditation to clear your mind in preperation for a restful night of sleep, deep and slow breathing, and cutting out sugar and caffeine in the PM hours will all be helpful.