White wine can stain your teeth - just like red wine!

A new NYU study shows 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 – it certainly is capable of dulling your teeth. Certain acidic properties present in wine (white, red or rose) create micro-porosity etching rough the surface of your teeth, which make your teeth much more susceptible to stains from other foods. For example, if you were to drink a glass of white wine with your spaghetti dinner, the acidic properties in the white wine could make your teeth more prone to staining from the red spaghetti sauce in your meal, or the cup of tea after the dinner beside your wine! 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., but all wines contain tannins act as a binding protein, which will aid chromogen to saturate themselves upon the surface of the tooth.

Sodas and other beverages like ice tea and cocktails can wreak havoc upon your teeth as well, and not just the color! Stringent acids or sugars (turned into acids) present in most sodas (and acidic fruit juice, like lemonade) are the worst type of liquid to expose your teeth to, and can cause tooth erosion and tooth decay. A bleaching effect of phosphoric acid in the soda can also weaken your bone in addition to their staining properties. If you must drink any of these liquids, be sure to brush and floss after every meal – or at the very least, rinse your mouth or have a glass of water. Do not allow your oral environment stay in an acid bath! If you can feel astringency or drying of the mouth, drink some water and rinse your mouth before brushing to prevent rubbing the acid into your teeth.

Please enjoy your glass of wine, just be wise about the consequences! Yes, we can still keep your healthy and clean looking smile if we keep up the good oral hygiene habits. You can always consult with your dental professional for tips.

Before Lengthening:

After Lengthening:

Your teeth are secured to your jaw via root structures that extend from the teeth into jaw bone. This bone is protected by the gums,  which extends down over the top of the tooth root structure. Excess gum tissue poses no health risk, but can be unsightly and make your teeth look tiny or not as harmony with your face. Aesthetic crown lengthening remedies this condition by trimming away excess gum (and in some cases bone), reducing the amount of display of gum and lengthening the visible crown of the tooth. Gingival (gum) contouring (like a gingival plasty or soft tissue crown lengthening) refers to trimming of the gum tissue only. Most crown lengthenings refer to the recontouring of both the gum and supporting bone (osseous crown lengthening), when there is more length of the tooth is desired.

Traditionally, crown lengthening is performed with scalpel and mechanical rotary tool which trim and flap open the gum also trim away some bone tissue. This mechanical force results unfavorable inflammatory response of the periodontal tissues  and taking up to 8 weeks to heal. The tissue must fully heal before restorations can take place. This procedure is often daunting to many patients!

Thankfully, new technology in the laser dentistry field has made aesthetic crown lengthening much easier and less invasive. By using a small fiber optic tip,  laser energy can be manipulated to trim or ablate away  tissues , disturbing the surrounding environment much less than traditional mechanical rotary instruments. The less invasive procedure means less pain, quicker healing and less trauma. The body does not react violently to laser treatment as it does blunt mechanical treatment!and often time the restorative work can be initiate quickly or even at the same visit. In some cases,  crown lengthening alone can  get you desirable bigger smile,but often time , the restorative work like bonding, veneers or crowns are called for the needed improvement or protection on dental structure.

When gingival contouring or  crown lengthening is performed – but left with a compromised biological width (2 to 3mm is necessary for safe formation of a protective zone from the gum border to the bone) -  gum tissue will stay inflammed and  grow back after several months. It is important to have an experienced dental professional for proper diagnosis before getting your gum trimmed. Find a dental professional who been properly trained using lasers for a more comfortable surgical experience (www. Laserdentistry.org). The design of the smile and the shaping of the gum line both need an aesthetic touch (apart from solid surgical technique), so it is equally important for  the dental professional  have aesthetic background to assure the best aesthetic result (www. aacd.com).

The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea. It is a disorder in which a person periodically pauses breathing during sleep (usually an average of 10 seconds). This is usually associated with a reduction in blood oxygen saturation, which can lead to drowsy and excessive sleepiness during the day. Obstructive sleep apnea can also endanger your cardiovascular system.

The airway can become obstructed at several sites. The upper airway can be obstructed by excess tissue in the airway, large tonsils, a large tongue and/or a retruded lower jaw. Usually, the airway muscles are relaxing and collapsing during sleep in this case. Nasal congestion or blockages (as a deviated septum), large turbinate and collapsed nostrils can cause your throat and tongue muscles to contract at night. Ask your partner to observe you sleep if you are in doubt, and keep a sleep diary every night, recording when you fall asleep, when you wake up, if you recall any trouble breathing during the night and how refreshed you feel when you wake. Speak with a sleep specialist to have a sleep test.

If you do have sleep apnea, what does it mean? Depending on the type and severity of your sleep apnea, it could spell some very dangerous health effects, and could even be life-threatening. The main effects of sleep apnea are daytime drowsiness (sleep deprivation) and oxygen deprivation. Depriving your brain of oxygen while sleeping is particularly dangerous and can result in heart disease, high blood pressure, sexual dysfunction, and learning/memory problems. Some sufferers of sleep apnea report short term memory loss, as a result of oxygen deprivation during sleep.

Mild sleep apnea is usually treated by some behavioral changes. Losing weight and sleeping on your side is often recommended. There are several oral or dental devices that can help keep the airway open – most are for bringing your lower jaw forward, or elevating your soft palete to retrain the tongue from falling back, blocking the airway. Moderate to severe sleep apnea is usually treated with a CPAP system (continuous positive airway pressure) which straps around your head and ventilates oxygen into your respiratory system, ensuring a clear breathing pathway during sleep. There are surgical innovations, such as LAUP (laser assisted uvulo-plasty) as well as radio-frequency somnoplasties and radio-frequency volumetric reductions of the palate or tongue to help alleviate severe sleep apnea.

Behavioral modifications can also be advised from your dental professional to treat obstructive sleep apnea, after it has been diagnosed. Besides losing weight and sleeping on your side and controlling your allergies, a properly designed dental appliance can help you get healthier sleep. Your bed partner might get more peaceful sleep as well!

Because TMJ involves not only bone joints but muscular tissue as well, a multitude of symptoms can be attributed to TMJ. Among the most widely experienced are symptoms in muscles, nerves, ligaments, bones, connective tissue, the ears and teeth. Headaches, muscle pain, jaw popping or cracking (or even locking), tooth mobility (movement), tooth sensitivity, damaged dental work, ringing of the ears and tooth loss are all symptoms of TMJ. The temporomandibular joint itself, an extremely complex set of joints in the human body and its position and development is related with the rest of the body as well. If you have comprised orthopedic conditions such as spine misalignment or bad posture (caused from wearing high heels, carrying a heavy purse on one side for women or even Kung Fu for men!), the TMJ can often become constrained and surrounding tissues of the head and neck region which ascends to the TMJ can become sore; people who suffer from TMJ often feel their jaws clicking or popping as a result. Because the joint is so close to the ear, TMJ can cause ear pain and be confused with an ear-related issue.

Factors which can contribute to TMJ include jaw trauma (such as being in an accident or being punched), tongue thrusting (which can occur subconsciously during speech and swallowing) which will put the head at a more forward unbalanced position (which is also a phenomenon involving multiple factors, from airway obstruction to allergies to anatomical anomalies etc…), excessive nail biting or gum chewing (or any excessively repetitive activity involving jaw movement), and night grinding. Treatment of TMJ would of course require consultation with your dental professional and maybe chiropractor. A common treatment of TMJ, if in an acute stage is ice compression, and muscle relaxants. The use of an oral appliance to control jaw movement and tension is also possible treatment. Other treatments can be looked into when the cause of the problem has been found; Symptoms can be releived with medication, injection, massage, infrared or low level laser therapy treatment (or by using other energies to treat the affectd site or meridian points).

Using a TMJ splint, which is commonly a custom acrylic appliance, fits over your upper teeth and directs your lower jaw to rest in a more favorable position allowing your system to recover to a healthier condition. A more permanent solution would be orthodontical or restorative repositioning of the jaw, to create a more balanced orthopedic and facialmuscular harmony. Not only can a night guard protect against potential damage to your Temporomandibular joint, but can also promote a healthy faciomuscular system, in addition to protecting your teeth against possible bruxism (grinding) damage. Consult with your dental professional to find the best TMJ solution for you, or to find out if symptoms you are experiencing may be attributed to TMJ disorder!

Temporomandibular joint