Anti-Aging in Dentistry

Posted by drgracesun on October 14, 2009 under Beautiful Smile, Healthy Smile, Hygiene, Nutrition and Diet, Smart Smile | Be the First to Comment

Anti-Aging is something of a buzzword in today’s marketplace: the medical community, the marketing community and nearly every community in between seems to have been captured by this craze. What exactly is anti-aging? The concept is to reduce the visual signs of a person’s age to make one appear younger, more vibrant and more beautiful. While there are a range of methods and procedures available to the public to accomplish anti-aging, the patient themselves must be willing to make changes to his or her lifestyle in order to sustain the changes provided by his or her physician.

I recently attended the 5th European Congress in Aesthetic Dermatology and Surgery in Anti-Aging Medicine, hosted by the European Masters in Aesthetic & Anti-Aging Medicine (or EMAA) in Paris, France. The conference focused on a plethora of anti-aging information and news in the field, but what I found interesting were the procedures tailored toward dental medicine. Botox, or Botulinum toxin, is a neurotoxic protein that is in fact one of the most poisonous substances known to man! Despite the dramatic definition, the use of very small amounts of this toxin to treat muscle spasms in anti-aging medicine is widespread. Botox relaxes muscle spasms in a way that can reduce wrinkles, by training specific muscle groups to relax and lower tension.  Botox effects wear off between three and six months, and will need to be re-administered to maintain results.

From the dental aspect, Botox can be used to control a gummy smile. Botox relaxes the muscles in a person’s upper lip – known as hyperactive upper lip – which contributes to a gummy smile. When Botox is injected into the muscle group in a person’s lip, the toxin actually relaxes the muscles and restricts the muscle’s ability to overly contract upward thus showing excessive gum tissue . Botox can also be used to control facial muscle spasms that contribute not only to wrinkles and frown lines, but to headaches as well. By undergoing Botox therapy, the muscles in the lips and face can be trained to eventually relax on their own.

Although Botox may sound like a miracle drug for reducing the appearance of gummy smiles, fine lines and even headaches, one must remember that any anti-aging treatment plan is dual-fold: the patient must be committed to their health in order to achieve long-lasting results. Patient compliance is key in any medical treatment plan, but when it comes to anti-aging, a healthy lifestyle can make all the difference in the world. Diet is one of the most important factors in patient compliance. Everyone has heard the age-old saying “you are what you eat,” – it is absolutely true.

A patient who is concerned with his or her physical health and appearance – and is willing to go through Botox therapy to achieve anti-aging results – must realize that his or her diet is vital to achieving long-lasting results. Vegetables, lean proteins and minerals are all vital in achieving healthy skin, bones and organ function. A poor diet high in refined sugars, fat and carbohydrates with poor habits (like alcohol consumption and smoking, staying up late and no exercise) all will contribute to a faster aging process. We all wishto be young and healthy forever – it all starts with healthy choices.

“Wearing Dentures?”

Posted by drgracesun on June 27, 2009 under Beautiful Smile, Cosmetic Dentistry, General Dental Knowledge, Healthy Smile, Information | Be the First to Comment

One day the word “dentures” could become a historical term, once all preventive medicine has been practiced! At the present time, however, someone you are caring for may still need to rely on wearing dentures to get by with their dental health. For this reason, it should be nice to learn some facts about dentures. Usually, wearing dentures is a difficult new experience that is often hard to get used to. Time and practive will allow cheeks and tongue get used to the sensation of holding your dentures in place, if there is adequate dental ridge and muscle tone. A dental adhesive might be needed for the beginner or for someone with insufficient bone ridge or muscle tone.

Upper full denture

When first starting to wear dentures, eating even the most simple foods may seem difficult. The foreign sensation of wearing a plastic appliance over a portion of the mouth shouldn’t feel painful – be grateful that this treatment option is available to restore your oral function and health back the best it can be! After first receiving the dentures, eat simple, non-sticky foods like yogurts, steamed vegetables and eggs. Raw vegetables and nuts should be avoided as these items tend to require rigorous use of teeth. When chewing, place food on both rear sides of your dentures to keep your mouth balanced. This is something that will become easier with time.

As a general rule of thumb, denture wearers tend to have a poorer diet than non-denture wearers, so getting a healthy balanced diet is key. If you find difficulty eating with your dentures, check with dentist as adjustments are routine to keep everything functioning and feeling as it should. Dentures should be a supplementary device intended to add to a person’s quality of  life, not detract from it. Speech may also be affected by dentures, and although it may seem difficult or cumbersome in the beginning, after about a month, speech should improve. If not, speak with your dentist about the situation.

Remember, keeping your dentures clean is just as important as keeping your mouth clean. Dentures should be cleaned after each meal, during which the mouth should be cleaned with rinse or lightly scrubbed with a soft bristle toothbrush, to prevent food from sitting beneath the dentures and irritating the gum (which can lead to a fungus infection). Remember, do not sleep with dentures in – the gums need a chance to rest!

It is  possible to have a fruitful, fulfilling life with dentures , if the dentures after multiple adjustments or even new sets still have problem to stay in or hurts, there are other options , maybe selections or set up of different denture teeth,ridge augmentation or dental impalnts, Be sure to find out what will be the best restorative options to regain abilit to eat healthy and feeling healthy. every 6 months with your dental professional to prevent any unexpected problems.

“I Have Canker Sores!”

Posted by drgracesun on March 12, 2009 under Healthy Smile, Information | 3 Comments to Read

When you stay up way too late you might find pimples on your face and canker sores in your mouth – never fun to get! This painfully annoying little mouth sore – also known as an aphthous ulcer, can be quite bothersome to your eating and speaking actions for days. Thankfully, you can still kiss your loved ones with a canker sore, which are not contagious, different from viral cold sores (also known as a fever blister) caused by the herpes virus. Both are ulcerative sores in the mouth, but canker sores occur on the soft tissue inside the mouth. Cold sores tend to be on the outside of the mouth, around the lips.

Canker sores can arise for many reasons; the most common are stress factors, like a lack of sleep. Stress can wear down your body’s immune system, making your oral environment more susceptible to ulceration. Food allergies or sensitivities (to acidic fruits or toothpaste containing sodium lauryl sulfate for example) can trigger canker sore formation. The environment you are in can also stress your body and cause canker sores, like being in extreme heat or cold. Deficiencies in iron, folic acid, zinc or vitamin B12 will lead to a nutritional imbalance in your body, making you more susceptible to canker sores. Bacterial infection, hormonal imbalances and hereditary issues can all be causative factors. Finally, dental appliances or procedures which place pressure in specific parts of your mouth (like braces) can cause canker sores. Some physicians have theorized that canker sores are actually hereditary, but extensive research on this topic has not yet taken place.

So what do you do if you have a canker sore?  Improve your lifestyle! If you are able to extend your sleep cycle to between 7 and 8.5 hours of sleep nightly, maintain a balanced diet and master “stress management” at work, school and at home, your canker sore frequency will decrease. Canker sores are your body’s way of telling you to slow down and re-evaluate! Luckily, most canker sores will heal within 14 days (albeit painfully), unless your immune system was compromised. If you have a canker sore, avoid contact with it. Any unnecessary stimulation to the site can cause you to say ouch! Avoid spicy or acidic foods as this will further irritate the site. Make sure you are eating a well balanced diet, take supplements like vitamin B and C, and reduce your acidic fruit intake.

There are topical agents which can relieve canker sore symptoms, such as Milk of Magnesia, kenalog in orabase, tetracycline, suspension or low-level-laser-therapy (LLLT). Non-alcoholic mouthwash can also reduce the frequency of canker sores. If you do suffer from severe, frequent or lingering canker sores, speak with your dental professional or your primary health care physician.  Remember, the best path to a healthy, ulcer-free mouth is proper oral hygiene, a healthy lifestyle (including quality sleep) and a healthy, balanced diet – if you take care of your body, you can enjoy your quality of life even more.

“What about eating disorders?”

Posted by drgracesun on February 18, 2009 under Healthy Smile, Smart Smile | Be the First to Comment

“I am scared! Am I going to loose my teeth?”

I looked at Jenny, as I have with many similar pretty young ladies, and really felt for her.

“Jenny, you will be fine – you are here to make sure you can have a healthy and beautiful smile. It is challenging, but work with me – together we can get your mouth back in shape.” And we did.

Jenny is not alone. Among the susceptible figure-conscious young female group, eating disorders are quite common, and teeth erosion is a side effect of the acidic oral environment resulting from either purging or a poor diet.

Eating disorders, including bulimia (binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting), anorexia and poor dieting habits carry side effects which are detrimental to your bodily and mental well being – they can also rot your teeth. Studies have shown that up to 2.1% of males and 7.3% of females purge (self-induced vomiting) at least once a week, and the numbers are even higher for adolescents.

Tooth surface loss from erosion caused by chemicals such as dietary, gastric or environmental acids typically wear away tooth enamel, which leads to sensitive teeth, caries or gum disease. If untreated, these effects can exacerbate leading to teeth grinding and gastric reflux disease. Soft tissue lesions, malnutrition,  a suppressed immune system, low self-esteem, an addictive personality (smoking, drinking or drugs), peptic ulcers and esophagitis are common among people who suffer from bulimia and anorexia. Oral damage from such disorders can include a severe breakdown of the teeth or their supporting structures which can affect the facial muscular system, negatively affecting your daily quality of life; the effort to restore a damaged mouth can become extremely challenging and costly.

Treatment of the problem, besides education and being supportive to the person suffering from the disorder, involves precise dental management; controlling the oral environment, drinking water or healthier juice instead of diet soda, eating healthier (as opposed to binge eating and purging) are all part of the solution. Getting prescription strength fluoride from your dentist to harden and desensitize your teeth and maintaining your oral hygiene by brushing and flossing at least twice a day is also crucial. if you regurgitate or vomit, rinse your mouth out right away. Adding baking soda to your brushing can also neutralize the acidic environment.

Regarding dental treatment, additive composite bonding to cover exposed dentin or to replace lost tooth surface is a possibility. Getting a custom-fitted night guard to prevent further loss of tooth structure from bruxism and maybe veneers or crowns to restore your mouth to ideal health are other possibilities. Of course, a professional assessment would be the first step of the process. The earlier you start treating the problem the better. A healthy mouth is essential for a healthy life.