Dental Holiday Gift Ideas!

With Christmas around the corner, many people are looking for unique and useful gift ideas. Why not give that special someone an upgrade to their oral health? Here are some of our picks for top dental gift ideas for 2016!

Almost everyone will appreciate the benefits of an electric toothbrush. Wether it spins, slides or vibrates, the motorized action seems to make brushing a more enjoyable experience. We recommend looking for a model with a built in two minute timer and pressure sensor. You can usually find deals at big box stores on brands like Phillips Sonicare and Oral B. Before you buy, make sure replacement heads are readily available and reasonably priced. 

For the person always on-the-go, you may want to consider a dental subscription service like Quip or Goby. Here, you purchase the initial electric toothbrush and the company sends you regular toothpaste refills and replacement brush heads. This takes all the guesswork out of keeping your brush in working order! Again, look for a product that has a timer and pressure sensor. Additionally, check that the refill toothpaste contains cavity fighting fluoride. 

Looking for stocking stuffers? Try a fun brand/flavor of toothpaste. Crest has various lines of toothpaste with flavors like citrus, cinnamon and even chocolate! You can also try organic brands like Toms of Maine. However, be careful that the paste you choose contains fluoride. If you know any kids or teens in braces, built-in threader floss or ORTHOgami flossers can be a fun way to encourage good oral hygiene. The possibilities are endless!

If you need any help picking out the perfect dental Christmas gift, please give our office a call. We want everyone in your family to be excited about having excellent oral health. Happy Holidays!

Dieting and Oral Health

With the new year around the corner, losing weight is at the top of many resolution lists. If you've done your research, you are probably aware of the general benefits and drawbacks of all diet types. However, have you considered their effects on the teeth? In this article, we will cover the risks and benefits of a few popular strategies. We are not endorsing or promoting a single diet, but rather giving you a clue on how they might affect your overall oral health!

One of the fundamental strategies of losing weight is simply eating less. Portion size is a huge component to a successful diet and one of the most difficult aspects to master. However, eating too little can have various negative effects. On top of slowing down your metabolism (and making weight loss more difficult), eating too little can lead to dry mouth conditions. Saliva is a hugely protective factor agains tooth decay, and hyposalivation is clearly linked to an increased risk of developing cavities. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, diets that rely on frequent, small meals can cause a similar increase in decay risk. Constantly having food in your mouth keeps the decay-causing bacteria working all day, creating more acid and softer enamel. Similarly, juice cleanses or all liquid diets can create the same problems. While your drink might be low calorie, it probably contains ingredients that keep the bacteria in your mouth working overtime!

Patients who are starting the "caveman" or "paleo" diets will be happy to hear that these regimens are anecdotally linked to improved dental health. It makes sense- the paleo diet relies on cutting out carbohydrates, the fuel behind tooth decay. While nearly all food causes the mouth to shift to an acidic state, carbohydrates are some of the worst offenders. 

Naturally, any modification to the amount or types of things we eat will have some effect on the teeth. The oral health implications should be considered as a part of the whole-body effects of your diet. We recommend talking with your physician prior to drastically changing the meals you eat. If you have any further questions, feel free to call our office!

Dental Questions: Why Do I Need A Deep Cleaning?

According to recent estimates from the CDC, about half of all American adults have some form of periodontal disease. In these patients, gingivitis (inflammation of the gum tissue) has progressed to affect the bone and tissue levels around the teeth. The body's natural response to tarter (hardened plaque) is to lower the bone levels around the teeth, creating deep periodontal pockets.

In normal, healthy tissue, the pockets around the teeth have a depth of about 1-3 millimeters. With a toothbrush or floss, you can clean to a depth of about 4mm at home. Additionally, a toothbrush can remove soft, loose plaque but is ineffective at removing hardened tartar. Cleaning pockets deeper than 5mm or removing tartar from teeth requires the skills of a dental hygienist or a dentist. 

Patients with Severe periodontitis have pockets over 5mm on multiple sites throughout their mouths along with gum recession, bleeding and excessive tartar. For this group, a simple cleaning will not suffice. To manage their disease, a hygienist/dentist will provide a deep cleaning, also known as scaling and root planing.  Here, the gums are numbed so that the ulcerated tissue around the deep pockets is undisturbed by the cleaning process. The practitioner then proceeds to remove all tartar and plaque from the teeth, including the areas far below the gum line. This process is commonly performed over multiple appointments, so that your entire mouth is not numbed at once. 

The ultimate goal of a deep cleaning is to plane the roots of the teeth so that new tissue can heal around them, creating shallower pockets. However, the deep cleaning session is only a half treatment. We can get the teeth cleaned and ready to heal, but periodontal disease can only be managed long term with good oral hygiene- brushing twice a day for two minutes and flossing daily. 

Scaling and root planing is only one of many options in treating periodontitis. Depending on the location and severity of the disease, a general dentist or periodontist might recommend anything from a deep cleaning to gum surgery. As with everything in dentistry, a complete exam (including X-rays) is imperative in creating an appropriate treatment plan. If you would like to schedule an appointment today, please contact our office!

Cleanliness in the Dental Office

With our modern understanding of bacteria, infections and transmission of diseases, cleanliness is an absolute priority in the dental office. In any practice, one of the biggest concerns is patient health and safety. With this in mind, we would like to take a moment to show you what goes into keeping our office clean!

For starters, every instrument that we use in your mouth is either single-use or sterilized. In our office (and most offices nation wide) we use a device called an autoclave to ensure the sterility of our instruments.  After thoroughly washing our tools to remove off loose debris, they are dried and placed inside one of our two autoclaves.  These ovens use steam, heat and high pressure to kill bacteria, eliminate spores and destroy infectious agents like viruses or foreign proteins. We regularly test our autoclaves for their effectiveness using bacteria cultures to ensure nothing survives the cleaning cycle.  The end result of these practices is a safe dental experience that eliminates the possibility of patient-to-patient infection.

Beyond instruments, every surface the patient or our staff encounters in a treatment room is either covered with a disposable barrier or cleaned with a disinfectant.  Dentistry produces a number of potentially infectious aerosols, making thorough cleaning between patients an absolute necessity. Additionally, we use clean deionized water in our chairs that is further filtered before delivery.  Beyond any special techniques, keeping an organized and clutter free office allows us to ensure every surface is clean to the highest standards. We hope it shows!

At Thousand Oaks Family Dentistry, our goal is to provide high quality dentistry in a relaxing and safe environment. If you would like to know more about our cleaning protocols or any other procedure, please give our office a call. We want our patients to be confident that they are receiving the absolute best care possible!

Dentistry and Diabetes

Across the United States, about 30 Million people suffer from type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Chances are a friend, a family member or even you yourself are affected by this condition. Most patients are familiar with the general process of diabetes: your body either doesn't make enough insulin or responds to insulin improperly, leading to high amounts of sugar in the blood (known as high blood glucose). However, diabetes has global effects on all parts of the body, ranging from the heart, muscles, limbs and even the mouth. In this article we would like to explore the relationship between diabetes and dentistry. Take a look!

As you may have expected, poorly controlled diabetes has a negative effect on your teeth and gum. On the very surface, the root cause of type 2 diabetes (over consumption of sugar) is the same as dental decay. However, while diabetes comes from the quantity of sugar, cavities are caused by the duration of consumption. Diabetes also has a significant effect on the health of the gums and bones. Periodontal disease is typically worse in patients with diabetes, and has a poorer response to cleanings. Additionally, all types of surgeries (gum grafts, implants, sinus lifts, etc.) take longer to heal and have a higher chance of failure. The high concentration of blood glucose decreases the bodies ability to self-heal, and thus interferes with the procedure's success. 

In an interesting turn, new research suggests that controlling periodontal disease has a positive effect on managing blood glucose in diabetics. It is though that by removing the chronic inflammation from your gum tissues, your body can better regulate it's response to inulin. This has had a profound effect on the management of diabetes and highlights the interplay between your mouth and your overall health. Some insurance companies, like Blue Cross Blue Shield, are now offering coverage for an additional yearly cleaning to their patients with diabetes. For them, better gum health results in better diabetes control and lower costs. For you, it means an easier path towards a healthy blood sugar level!

Of course, diabetes is only one of many conditions that has a delicate interplay with dentistry. Pregnancy, smoking, cancer treatment, HIV/AIDS and even stress can effect your dental treatment and how your body will respond. This highlights the importance of keeping us updated on all aspects of your health history- even the parts that seem irrelevant. If you would like to know more about the importance of dentistry in overall health, please contact our office!

What to Expect When Your Baby is Teething

This post comes courtesy of the American Dental Association's Mouth Healthy blog.  The original article can be found here. Enjoy!

Teething can be a very stressful time for parents between fussy daytime hours and restless nights. For better or for worse, it is a necessary, natural and healthy process of childhood development. Babies have twenty primary teeth that start coming in at about 6-12 months and finish at about three years of age. During this time, irritability, poor sleep, loss of appetite and increased drooling are common. Fever, rash and diarrhea are not normal signs and need to be evaluated by a pediatrician.

To sooth a teething baby, you might be tempted to try a anesthetic gel like Orajel or Orabase. These products may provide temporary relief, but pose a risk of inducing a rare but fatal condition known as methemoglobinemia. Rather, try gently rubbing your clean finger, a cold spoon or a piece of gauze over the irritated gums. You can also use a teething ring to alleviate some pain. This age range is a critical period for your child to become inoculated with decay causing bacteria, so make sure whatever you use is cleaned and not shared between family members or siblings. 

We know that caring for an infant is a true labor of love. If you ever have any questions about your child's dental needs, development or expectations, please give our office a call! 

Fall Festivals, Winter Parties and Dental Woes

The next three months will be marked by office parties, fun sized candy bars and indulgent meals with your friends and loved ones. For many of us, this can also be a stressful time between end-of-year obligations and hosting family gatherings. Thousand Oaks Family Dentistry wants to take a moment to remind our patients about the risks posed during these fall/winter months, and how to manage them. Remember, it only takes a few easy changes to protect your teeth and save yourself from future dental headaches. 

Firstly, avoid marathon meals and snack sessions. Does that bowl of halloween candy call to you at all hours of the day? Every time we eat or drink anything other than water, our mouths become acidic enough to demineralize enamel for thirty minutes. If you eat one candy bar every half hour, your teeth would spend the whole day in this softened state. Likewise, the classic 4pm to 9pm holiday meals have the exact same effect. Minimize your risks by paying attention to the duration over which you are eating. By limiting yourself to three meals a day with light sugar/carb free snacks in between, you give you saliva a chance to use its natural remineralizing powers. 

Another way to avoid dental troubles this holiday season is to stay hydrated with water. When the thermometer drops, we often gravitate towards teas, coffees and other warm beverages. Unfortunately, these are often acidic, sugary and sipped over a long period of time. This creates a perfect storm for cavities and damaged enamel. Try to swap out some of your favorite fall/winter drinks for an old fashioned glass of water. This small change spares your teeth from demineralization, provides a rinsing effect and (if you are drinking tap water in Southern California) provides a beneficial dose of fluoride. Its a win-win-win!

Finally, make sure to take care of yourself! As the days get shorter and the calendars get more full, it becomes easy to forget the basics. Make sure to brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and floss once a day. Additionally, don't ignore your regular dental cleanings and exams! It can make a huge difference in the longevity and comfort of your teeth. If you would like to know more about how to keep your teeth healthy this fall/winter season or schedule an exam, please give our office a call!

Dental School

For many students, dental school provides the most challenging, humbling and stressful academic experiences of their lives. At the same time, it can be extremely rewarding to watch yourself transition into a practicing clinician. Somewhere between the lectures, tests, patient encounters and graduation requirements lies a special mixture that gives you the right to go by the title "doctor." 

Like medical school, most dental schools are four year programs split between traditional classroom learning and clinical experience. Dentists-in-training take classes that cover the entire human body- not just the teeth. This lays a foundation for treating patients with all types of medical conditions, disabilities and special needs. Furthermore, the first two years of dental school always have a patient simulation component. Here, students work on mannequins in a lab to learn the basics of removing cavities, placing crowns and other dental procedures. One of the biggest challenges during this time is balancing studying, lab courses and your own personal time. 

However, the most daunting challenge in dental school (and any health education program) is transitioning to the clinical years. Treating actual patients comes with huge psychological, emotional and educational hurdles. No amount of training can prepare you for the reality of being responsible for another human being's health. As students treat patients, they are very closely monitored by school faculty. While this ensures patient safety, it can also make the appointments much longer than private practice. If you are planning on being seen by a dental student, be prepared to wait!

Beyond dental school, many students elect to attend a residency program. These can range from one year (general practice residency) to six years (DDS/MD oral surgery programs). Here, students learn more advanced techniques and get experience practicing on medically compromised patients. After residency, license renewal requires dentists to take frequent continuing education classes. These courses cover everything from clinical refreshers to cosmetics and even surgical techniques. The educational process never stops! If you would like to know more about what it takes to become a dentist, feel free to give our office a call.  

Dental Questions: Can I Overbrush My Teeth?

Does your toothbrush get used five times a day? Are you constantly following your lunch hour with a stop to clean your pearly whites? Contrary to popular belief, there is such thing as too much brushing. Read on to find out why you might want to change your habits!

The ADA recommends using a toothbrush twice a day for two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste, along with daily flossing. Brushing once in the morning and once at night is generally sufficient to keep bacteria at bay and ward off cavities and gum problems. However, many patients feel more comfortable supplementing this with a quick brush after each meal. To understand why this is a problem, it is important to know how tooth decay works. Every time we eat or drink anything other than water, our mouths become acidic for a 30 minute period. If you brush your teeth right after eating, you are basically taking a surface softened by acid and rubbing it down with sand paper. Over time, this can wear away tooth structure and slowly lead to new cavities. For this same reason, many dentists recommend brushing your teeth in the morning before breakfast.

Naturally, using your tooth brush occasionally after meals to clear out sticky or stringy food is not a problem. If you want to add something to your daily routine to clean your teeth after meals, there are still a number of great options. You can always swish with fluoridated water for a quick and easy clean. To get food out of the grooves and pits of teeth, consider chewing a stick of xylitol gum. Finally, try modifying the order that you eat foods to self-clean your mouth. Hard, moist fruits and veggies like apples, celery, and carrots will naturally dislodge sticky carbs like cookies and crackers. If you would like more information on keeping your teeth in top shape, feel free to contact our office!

As an aside, you can also brush your teeth too hard! Habitually aggressive brushers usually present with distinct patterns of abrasion and gum recession. To best prevent this, use a light touch while brushing (lighter than you think!). Additionally, many electric toothbrushes now come with built in pressure sensors to take the guesswork out of brushing force.

Dental Questions: Why do dentists use loupes?

At your last dental appointment, chances are your dentist or hygienist was wearing a set of eyewear with two microscope lenses mounted to the front. These specialized glasses are called loupes and serve a number of uses in the dental setting. Take a look at how loupes make dentistry safer and easier for both the patient and doctor!

The most obvious benefit of using loupes comes from their ability to magnify the small spaces within the mouth. Many times your dentist or hygienist is try to visualize unthinkably small objects and surfaces, often times smaller than the tip of a pencil. This becomes extremely difficult when you factor in saliva, patient movement and poor lighting. Loupes give the practitioner the best chance of visualizing and treating your teeth. In addition to their magnification abilities, many loupes are also equipped with spotlights that direct focused light at the area of interest. This allows the user to utilize a strength of illumination that would be impossible from overhead lighting. 

Beyond better imaging, loupes help the dentist/hygienist to improve their posture and reduce fatigue. Dentistry is a physically taxing profession that often requires providers to strain their backs and shoulders to complete treatments. Loupes provide relief by allowing the user to assume a more upright seating position and discourage "leaning in" to see more detail. More comfortable daily work leads to a longer career and less chronic back, shoulder and neck pains later in life. Many loupe manufacturers design the angles of their lenses to guarantee a nearly vertical seated position- ideal for prolonged daily work. 

Loupes have helped improve the patient experience in dentistry by providing more thorough care at a quicker pace. If you would like to know more about emerging technologies that are improving the dental field, please give our office a call!