Arthur T. (Skip) Silvers, DMD, FAGD, AASI
| Visit Our Site | Subscribe | Unsubscribe | January 2009 |
Office News
Our goal is to develop a strong partnership with every patient. When you understand the importance of your dental health, we can help you maintain a healthy mouth, as well as treat the causes and symptoms of any dental condition.
We invite you to read our latest SmileLink newsletter and to check out our website often for new information, or contact our office with any questions or concerns. Working together, we can help you achieve a lifetime of healthy and attractive teeth and gums.
Featured Article |
SmileLink Articles |
Itchy Gums Could Be Metal Allergy
Scratching an itch usually provides relief, except if that itch is in your mouth. If you must wear a non-metal watchband, for example, you could have an allergic reaction to a restoration or dental device that uses metal. Restorations include amalgam (silver) fillings and tooth-colored restorations. A dental device could be a bridge, crown, denture, partial denture, or an implant. A metal allergy also affects anyone wearing tongue or lip jewelry. Metal allergies are not uncommon. It is estimated that 80 percent of people who have a skin allergy may also be allergic to metals. An allergic reaction to metal can begin immediately after a dental procedure, or it may develop over time.
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Caution—Smile Under Construction
Warning—Construction Zone—Hardhats Required! If we were in the business of reconstructing buildings, this would be true. But we reconstruct smiles. Reconstructing a smile can range from changing the appearance of just a couple teeth to changing the shape and appearance of all, or nearly all, of your teeth, which is called a full-mouth reconstruction. We consider a full-mouth reconstruction for several reasons. For example, perhaps you were in an accident that damaged several teeth. Maybe your teeth are misaligned, which causes pain in your temporomandibular joint (TMJ). One of the benefits of resolving your pain can be a beautiful new smile!
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Relax Your Way to Good Oral Health
What gives you goose bumps—the IRS? speaking in public? or are you one of the estimated 77 percent of adults who said “going to the dentist?” We are not in the torture business. Despite what you may think, we want our patients to have a pleasant experience while they are in our office. We, along with many other dental offices, have amenities to help you feel more comfortable and relaxed during your office visit. Media have dubbed this “spa dentistry,” which might sound glitzy, aloof and expensive, but that is not the case. Many dental offices have left behind the sterile look and smell of the “old” dental office and now offer amenities such as aromatherapy, TV, headsets to listen to music, massages and refreshments. Some even offer home-baked cookies!
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Oral Care Designed for Organ Transplants
After a kidney transplant or any organ transplant surgery, your oral health is a major factor governing the success of your new organ and your overall health. The strong, immunosuppressant medications you take to keep your body from rejecting the new organ also affect how your body reacts to an infection in your mouth. You could have an infection and not know it because some medications hide it. Even a minor gum infection has the potential of advancing to a chronic stage. An infection can spread elsewhere in your body, plus cause an immune system response that endangers your precious transplant.
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Giving Baby Kisses and Tooth Decay
Mothers share a lot with their children: hugs, kisses and cookies, but one thing a mother should not share is tooth decay.
Research has proven that the bacterium that causes caries (tooth decay) can be transferred from a mother to her baby or small children.
The bacterium is transmitted through saliva. This means when you kiss your baby, stick baby's fingers or hands in your mouth, clean a pacifier with your saliva, and taste/share food and utensils with baby, you pass this germ from your mouth to your child's mouth. The bacterium waits patiently for your baby's teeth to erupt and then begins destroying baby's teeth.
People often do not associate a crying, fussy baby with tooth decay; so, the disease secretly continues its sinister destruction. There is nothing more heartbreaking than finding out your child has extensive decay and not knowing dental pain was not normal.
Caries is the number one, chronic children's disease according to the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. When baby reaches school-age, caries can prevent your child from concentrating in school, cause your child to have chronic pain and suffer a lifetime of dental issues. That first filling will turn into thousands of dollars over the lifetime of a tooth.
Research has also proven that childhood caries is preventable, and prevention begins with mom. Mommy-to-be needs to brush with fluoridated toothpaste, floss daily and...