Dr. Oz has some dangerous advice for your teeth!

On a recent Dr. Oz blog, there was some very disturbing misinformation.  He was talking about ways to get your teeth white using home remedies.  One suggestion was to eat strawberries because they contain Vitamin C which clears away plaque.  Plaque is a very sticky substance and the best way to remove it is using your toothbrush and floss.  (And it’s much less expensive and alot more practical than eating strawberries!)

Another Dr. Oz suggestion was to eat raisins because they increase saliva flow.  This is about as practical as the first suggestion.  In fact, raisins are sticky and sugary.  They are hard to remove from your teeth and the sugar feeds the bacteria that cause teeth to decay.  Hey, a double whammy!  Now your teeth are at more risk for cavities.

Can it get any worse?  Yes.  His third suggestion was to mix baking soda with lemon juice and put it on your teeth for a minute before rinsing it off.  Lemon juice?  ph of about 2.3….just a little less acidic than stomach acid and car battery acid.  (Enamel dissolves away around ph 5.5)  Great, now your enamel will not only be attacked by the acid, which will cause it to dissolve away AND you encourage those nasty decay causing bacteria to flourish because they love and thrive in an acidic mouth.

So….I recommend Dr. Oz stick to cardiothoracic surgery and leave teeth whitening up to dental professionals.

Janice Frederick, DDS
Mendota Dental
720 Main Street, Suite 213
Mendota Heights, MN 55118
651-209-9219

www.MendotaFamilyDental.com

Enamel Chemistry 101

Enamel is the hardest substance in the human body.  It is built from calcium and phosphate which form crystals of calcium hydroxyapatite.  When your saliva ph is over 5.5, minerals flow from the saliva into the enamel and it gets harder.  Fluoride is a catalyst which increases the speed at which this happens.  Fluoride also combines with the enamel crystals creating calcium fluorapatite, an even harder type of enamel crystal.

Why is this chemistry lesson important to understand?  Everyday the enamel on our teeth is subject to an acidic assault.  It comes from the acid produced by bacteria in our mouth….the sticky plaque that builds up on our teeth.  It also comes from the foods and beverages we consume.  Here is a link to a list of  common beverages and their acidity levels.  You may be shocked. 

http://www.mndental.org/client_files/documents/Sugar-Acid_Chart_11-07.pdf 

In the presence of acid, at a ph of 5.5 or lower, our enamel “demineralizes” and looses it’s hard crystaline structure.  It looses it’s shiny appearance and becomes dull.  It becomes porous and is more likely to pick up stain.  As the enamel weakens, cavities form in your teeth.

Everyone can benefit from fluoride to help make their enamel harder, shinier and more resistant to decay.

Janice Frederick, DDS
Mendota Dental
720 Main Street, Suite 213
Mendota Heights, MN 55118
651-209-9219

www.MendotaFamilyDental.com

Bonded Tooth Colored Fillings

I was one of 100 dentists who was invited out to Salt Lake City, Utah in June to tour a large dental manufacturing facility.  Ultradent makes many dental products which are used in our office.  They make tooth colored dental filling materials, bonding adhesives, cements, orthodontic supplies and teeth whitening products.  We spent 2 full days learning the latest techniques for bonding tooth colored fillings and porcelain to teeth.  We actually had a bonding contest.  Imagine a room full of a hundred dentists bonding filling material to extracted teeth.  Ultradent has a testing device that will pull the filling off the tooth and measure the “bond strength.”   It was both fun and scary to see your tooth placed in the device and get measured in front of your peers!  We always do our best to get the best bond strength when we put in your tooth colored fillings or porcelain restorations.  We want your dental restorations to last for a long time.

Janice Frederick, DDS
Mendota Dental Associates
720 Main Street, Suite 213
Mendota Heights, MN 55118
651-209-9219
www.MendotaFamilyDental.com

The Cheapest Dentistry

Often we get people calling our office enquiring about prices.  How much does it cost?  How much is an implant?  How much to get all my teeth fixed?

Its like me asking you how much a car costs. 

Yes, you ask, but you didn’t say what sort of car.

 Exactly.  My first car cost me $250.  The last car I bought was $7000.  I know for a fact that there are a few cars on the market that are just a little bit more expensive than that!

 Just the same, dentistry can cost a little or a lot depending on what you want to do, what your budget is, and often just the stage of life you are in. Dentists spend a lot of time putting back the teeth that people had taken out when they were bringing up their families and felt they couldn’t afford anything “fancy.” 

 So what is the cheapest sort of dentistry?  After doing dentistry for a 26 years, I’ve found that the dentistry that is cheapest is dentistry that lasts a long time and doesn’t have to be redone too often.

 The most expensive dentistry is often the cheap option that fails and has to be done over, usually in a more costly and complicated way.  A good example would be a tooth with a crack in it.

 One option is to place a crown or cap on the tooth.  Another option is to do nothing.  Just recently, I had a couple of patients  whose cracked teeth split right into the nerve.  They then needed root canal therapy and a crown, which nearly doubles the cost, or an implant, which may even three to four times the cost once it is all said and done.

 Perhaps you want to save money by not getting x-rays at your check-up, but then we miss seeing a cavity and a $300 filling becomes a $3000 root canal treatment, buildup and crown.

 Maybe you lose a tooth and then put off getting it replaced with an implant right away.  Usually the bone and gum shrinks away and when you go to get the implant a year later, suddenly you need a bone graft before you can place the implant.

 Periodontal disease is much easier and inexpensive to treat if caught early.  If left untreated for a while, soon it needs to be treated with surgery or the teeth will be lost.  (To say nothing about the harm to the rest of your health….a subject for another blog.)

 I think you start to see a bit of a pattern.  Doing it right the first time is often the cheapest and least painful option.

Janice Frederick, DDS
Mendota Dental Associates
720 Main Street, Suite 213
Mendota Heights, MN 55118
651-209-9219
www.MendotaFamilyDental.com

Stop Being So Sensitive!

We’ve all noticed it from time to time – you have some ice cream followed by good hot coffee and OUCH! – your tooth is telling you not to do that! But how do you know if your tooth sensitivity is a sign of a problem?

Let’s start with a little quiz. What is the hardest substance in the human body?

a)     Fingernails

b)     The thigh bone, also known as the femur

c)      Your hard-headed uncle’s skull

d)     Tooth enamel

If you guessed tooth enamel, you’re not only on your way to a winning appearance on Jeopardy, but you’re ready to understand tooth sensitivity.

The enamel that covers your teeth is an extremely hard substance and acts as a great protectant. Inside the enamel is something called dentin, which is a bit softer and actually has small hollow tubes leading right into the nerve chamber.  If you irritate that layer, your tooth will let you know.   If the enamel on your teeth is worn away, sensitivity can set in. The roots of your teeth are in a similar situation, and receding gums which cause the roots to be uncovered can cause sensitivity as well. So what can you do?

First of all, be gentle when you brush and always use a soft toothbrush. Lots of pressure and stiff bristles don’t clean your teeth any better and actually can wear away enamel and gums.  Be sure to use a toothpaste that is not gritty and limit the amount you use.  Toothpaste can be very abrasive over time.  There are special over-the-counter toothpastes made just for sensitive teeth.

Some people find that acidic foods such as citrus fruits and tomatoes can cause sensitivity, so avoid those if you are in that category.

Unfortunately, many of the causes of tooth sensitivity are also signs of much larger dental problems. Things such as cavities, defective fillings or crowns, receding gums due to gum disease, grinding, and many other conditions can cause sensitivity and all of these things definitely need attention from a dental professional.

At our office, we want you to be comfortable and have healthy teeth and gums! If tooth sensitivity or any other dental issues are causing you concern, please give us a call at 651-209-9219 and we will be glad to see how we can help. We want to get you comfortable again!

Janice Frederick, DDS
Mendota Dental Associates
720 Main Street, Suite 213
Mendota Heights, MN 55118
651-209-9219
www.MendotaFamilyDental.com

Sleep Disordered Breathing

I spent some time recently in Dallas, Texas visiting with Keith Thornton, DDS.  Dr. Thornton is the inventor of the TAP appliance for treating sleep disordered breathing.  I was able to tour the facility where TAP appliance kits for dental labs are assembled and also some TAP appliances are made.  The TAP appliance is one of the most researched oral appliances in the field of dental sleep medicine.

Sleep disordered breathing could include a  person who snores, someone with upper airway resistance or someone with obstructive sleep apnea.  Snoring is common and is caused by air vibrating over the tissues in your throat.  It can disrupt your sleep and also the sleep of your bed partner.  Lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, avoiding alcohol close to bedtime or sleeping on your side, can also help stop snoring.

Upper airway resistance (UARS) patients typically have some obstruction to their airway which causes them to have arousals during their sleep. UARS patients usually have some form of daytime fatigue and almost all state that they are “light sleepers.”  The obstruction is often the result of the muscles in the throat relaxing and not holding the airway open.  Sleeping on your back can exacerbate the problem due to the tongue falling back in the throat.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the actual cessation of breathing while sleeping.  The lack of oxygen to the brain causes an arousal and then the person starts to breath again.  Arousals disrupt sleep and prevent the person from reaching the deep stages of sleep which our bodies need to rest and replenish. Once normal breathing is restored, the person falls asleep again.  This may happen hundreds of time during the night.    OSA occurs in approximately 2 percent of women and 4 percent of men over the age of 35.  It is estimated that 18-20 million Americans have obstructive sleep apnea.  The public health consequences of sleep disordered breathing are huge.  More to come. 

Janice Frederick, DDS
Mendota Dental Associates
720 Main Street, Suite 213
Mendota Heights, MN 55118
651-209-9219
www.MendotaFamilyDental.com

Kids at the Dentist

Two questions that we often hear are:

“Do you see children?” The answer is “YES! We love kids!” (We have 6 moms on our staff.☺)

The second question is “When should I schedule my child’s first dental visit?”

The recommendation of the American Academy Of Pediatric Dentistry is that a child should be seen either as soon as their first tooth comes in or by their first birthday. We are happy to take a quick peek at that age, especially if you have any concerns. By age 3, most kids are happy to take a ride in the dental chair and get their teeth polished. We do our very best to make their visits enjoyable. By seeing them every 6 months, they get used to the routine and are usually very cooperative and don’t develop a fear of the dentist.

Since many people avoid visiting the dentist purely out of fear – and we want to make sure that for the up and coming generation that is a thing of the past. With so many modern ways to make dentistry more comfortable, there simply is no reason to be afraid! Unfortunately, television shows and movies continue to depict things in a negative light. At Mendota Dental, it is our goal to let children (and adults!) know that dental health is a comfortable, important and even fun part of our overall well being.

Here are a few more easy and important tips to pass along to those with infants or older children:

• Never nurse a baby to sleep or allow them to go to sleep with a bottle. This can cause a very harmful and serious form of cavities. If a baby must go to sleep with a bottle, only water should be used.

• Use a small-headed soft bristle toothbrush with a very, very small amount of fluoridated toothpaste to clean your child’s teeth. Do it twice a day, and always before bedtime.

• Even though they will eventually be lost, “baby teeth” are very important. Not only do they help children to speak and chew, they hold space for the permanent teeth to erupt. If they are lost prematurely, the adult teeth can be compromised.

At Mendota Dental, we strive to provide the best and most comfortable treatment possible for patients of all ages. If you have any questions about children’s dental care – or anything else – feel free to give us a call at 651-209-9219.

Janice Frederick, DDS
Mendota Dental Associates
720 Main Street, Suite 213
Mendota Heights, MN 55118
651-209-9219
www.MendotaFamilyDental.com

What Causes Bad Breath?

A common question we get in our dental office is – “What causes bad breath?”

Many times the complaint is not from the offender but from a spouse or family member. There are many causes of bad breath (which we call “halitosis”) – some serious and some not. While many people have decided to just hold their nose and live with it, the good news is diagnosing and treating bad breath is something that may easily be done.

Here is a list, in no particular order, of some of the common causes of bad breath:

• Foods Containing Pungent Oils

Garlic and onions are healthy, but they also contain oils which may cause an unhealthy reaction to those around you. These odors come from the lungs, last up to 72 hours and can be tough to cover up. Mints, gum and rinses are your best bet. One of our patients told us about making dog bisquits with garlic in them. Although her puppy loved them, she couldn’t stand his constant bad breath.

• Routine Illnesses
Colds, sore throats, coughs and sinus infections all cause bad smelling mucus to get trapped in our mouths, throats and noses, which causes bad breath until the illness is taken care of. Of course, if you have one of these highly contagious problems you shouldn’t be that close to someone anyway! If a sinus infection, sore throat, cough or cold doesn’t clear up in a few days to a week, you should probably see your physician to make sure things aren’t of a serious nature.

• Dry Mouth
A dry mouth lets dead cells accumulate on your gums, tongue and cheeks. While morning breath is a perfectly normal phenomenon due to lowered salivary activity at night – it shouldn’t last all day. Those who snore, mouth-breath, or take certain medications are prone to a dry mouth.

• Smoking
Smoking dries out your mouth and tobacco just smells bad. If lung cancer and heart disease aren’t reason enough to give up smoking, maybe constant bad breath will help you make that tough, but life-saving decision.

• Chronic Diseases or Conditions
Many serious diseases such as lung infections, kidney failure, diabetes, cancer, GERD, anorexia, bulimia and others can cause very specific types of halitosis. The good news is that these are on the rare side, but if anything along these lines is suspected, a referral to the appropriate practitioner is in order.

• Poor Dental Hygiene and Gum Disease
Ahhh… this is our favorite! Not because we like people to have poor dental hygiene and gum disease, but because these are very common causes of bad breath and we can usually treat them quite easily. But please don’t wait too long! Gum disease can do much more than make your mouth stinky, it can cause you to loose bone and then your teeth. There is also mounting evidence of associations with many other serious medical problems.

Catching gum disease early is great as treatment is typically conservative. Wait too long and it gets much more difficult and extensive.

Bad breath is not normal! Seeing your dentist and dental hygienist on a routine basis is your best bet for making sure your teeth and gums stay healthy, your smile stays bright, and your breath doesn’t cause others to turn away.

Janice Frederick, DDS
Mendota Dental Associates
720 Main Street, Suite 213
Mendota Heights, MN 55118
651-209-9219
www.MendotaFamilyDental.com

Healthy Gums and a Healthy Heart

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States.  Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease which affects close to 75% of  adult Americans.

A consensus paper was published in 2009 by the American Journal of Cardiology (a publication which reaches 30,000 cardiologists) and the Journal of Periodontology, the official journal of the American Academy of Periodontology.  The paper discusses the scientific evidence linking periodontal (gum) disease and cardiovascular disease.

Clinical recommendations in the paper advise periodontists (dentists who specialize in treating gum disease) to inform their patients of the increased risk of cardiovascular disease associated with their gum disease.  It also recommends that cardiologists (physicians specializing in treating diseases of the heart) evaluate their patients for the basic signs of gum disease such as tooth loss, visual inflammation and receding gums.

“Both periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease are inflammatory diseases, and inflammation is the common mechanism that connects them,” says Dr. David Cochran, DDS, PhD, President of the American Academy of Periodontology and Chair of the Department of Periodontics at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. “The clinical recommendations included in the consensus paper will help periodontists and cardiologists control the inflammatory burden in the body as a result of gum disease or heart disease, thereby helping to reduce further disease progression, and ultimately to improve our patients’ overall health. That is our common goal.”

When you are seen in our office for your initial appointment and all recare appointments, we check your gums for signs of gum disease.  We will give you our best recommendations for keeping your gums healthy.  Healthy gums may lead to a healthier heart.


Janice Frederick, DDS
Mendota Dental Associates
720 Main Street, Suite 213
Mendota Heights, MN 55118
651-209-9219
www.MendotaFamilyDental.com

Photodynamic Therapy for Oral Cancer

One of my patients was recently treated for oral cancer (a squamous cell carcinoma) by photodynamic therapy.  She told me it was not a difficult procedure and she felt very fortunate to have been treated.   I had never heard about this type of treatment.  After a little research, I found some interesting information.  Photodynamic therapy is an outpatient procedure.  A photosensitizing agent is injected into the bloodstream.  After 24-72 hours, most of the agent has left normal cells, but remains in cancer cells.   A specific wavelength of light (often a laser) is then focused on the cancerous area.  The photosensitizer in the cancerous cells releases a form of oxygen that kills nearby cells.

The FDA has approved the photosensitizer called porfimer sodium or Photofrin  for use in photodynamic therapy to treat or relieve symptoms of esophageal cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.  It is also approved to treat Barrett’s esophagus, which can lead to esophageal cancer.

A local surgeon, Dr. Merrill Biel has recently published a book called Photodynamic Therapy of Diseases of the Head and Neck.  It is exciting to find out that there are more less invasive methods of treating certain cancers and these treatments are available locally.

Janice Frederick, DDS
Mendota Dental Associates
720 Main Street, Suite 213
Mendota Heights, MN 55118
651-209-9219
www.MendotaFamilyDental.com