What's New...
Hi everyone! . Well the holidays are here and the year 2003 is quickly coming to an end. Don't forget to schedule any unfinished treatment before year-end to avoid another annual deductible on your dental insurance and also to "max" out your insurance limit for the year. Once 2003 is over, you lose any unused benefits on your dental insurance limits for the year. WOW! That's all we can say about the results we are getting with the new ZOOM! tooth whitening system in our office. This is the same exact system that is used on the ABC "Extreme Makeover " television show and our patients are thrilled! Ask us if your smile would qualify for this "en-lighten-ing" procedure.

NEW!. LASER SCAN CAVITY DETECTOR

We now have the latest equipment in early decay detection. DIAGNOdent is a mini-laser that we scan over the teeth grooves to help find hard to detect decay. Normally there are two methods of detecting cavities, visual examination with a dental instrument and bite-wing x-rays. But due to the nature of narrow grooves in back molars and overlapping teeth, some decay can be difficult to detect in the early stages. Also, over the last 30 years since fluoridated water has been the norm in most communities, children's tooth enamel has gotten harder and more dense, making it more difficult to detect early decay on an x-ray. Thus, decay can slowly progress in unsealed grooves until it reaches the inner layer of the tooth, the dentin. Normally most x-rays will pick up decay at this stage, but due to the extra dense, fluoride-hardened enamel, the decay can be obscured. That is why sometimes when we clean out the decay, it can appear to be a pinhole on the surface, yet we may end up finding a crater underneath.

DIAGNOdent acts like sonar in that the laser beam is bounced back to the detector at a different wavelength when a hidden soft or hollow area is detected in contrast to sound tooth structure. This detector will show a high digital numeric reading when decay is detected as well as an audible alarm.

The advantage of early decay detection is that a very small cavity can be restored much more conservatively than a deep one, and often with no numbing! We try to keep up with the most recent advances in dental technology to give our patients top notch dental care .

DIABETES AND DENTAL HEALTH

Do you have chronic bad breath or bleeding gums? Do you have problems with wound healing or a high decay rate? You could have late onset diabetes and not be aware of it. The American Diabetes Association reports that 17 million Americans have diabetes yet only ONE-THIRD of them are aware that they have the disease. Although diabetes is not curable, it can be controlled. But it is important that it be treated as early as possible to minimize complications. Diabetes occurs when the body does not produce or does not regulate insulin production well. This results in blood glucose levels becoming too high or too low. Many organs, such as the heart, eyes, kidneys and nervous system can be damaged over time. Circulation and wound healing is impaired. Other symptoms include: excessive thirst or hunger, weight loss, fatigue, blurry vision, and dry mouth. Gum disease can aggravate a diabetic condition and make your blood sugar harder to control. Diabetes results in a dry mouth and high content of glucose in the saliva, which in turn leads to increased tooth decay and worsened gum disease. Thus, it becomes a vicious cycle. Let us know if you have been diagnosed with diabetes so we can treat and monitor any gum disease and treat high decay rates. And most importantly, see your physician for regular check-ups.

• New! Laser Scan Cavity Detector
• Diabetes and Dental Health

• Protect Your Children with "Toothprints"!
• The Dental Benefits of Green Tea

• Three New Teeth Whitening Systems
• Too Much Water Can Be Bad!

• Searching for a new job? ...First look at your teeth!
• THE SMILE STARTER!

• The Silent Disease...
• The First Dental Implant Was Done In Ancient Times!

• Sippy Cups - Hidden Danger!
• Asthma-tooth Decay Link Suspected
• Tooth Worms in Brazil

• Women's Oral Health

• Men's Oral Health

• Watch Your Tongue!
• How To Take Care of Your Baby's Teeth
• Your Best Friend's Teeth

• What's New...
• Here's the Lowdown on Toothbrushes...
• We're Not Blowing Smoke

• What's New...
• The Importance Of An Oral Cancer Exam
• What To Do If Your Tooth Is Knocked Out

• What's New...
• Is it a Cold Sore or a Canker Sore? ... What Are They?
• Ask Your Dentist

• What's New...
• Stop Grinding Your Teeth Away!
• Tips For Tots

• What's New...
• New Non-Surgical Gum Disease Treatment is Now Available
• The Real Risk of Dental X-Rays

• What's New...
• Tongue Piercing Can Be Dangerous!
• Gum Disease Not Always Caused By Poor Oral Hygiene
• Did You Know?...