There’s a new trend in pediatric dentistry designed to help quell the fears of kids afraid to visit the dentist. Practices have recently begun employing the services of therapy dogs to provide comfort and calm to younger patients allowing for better treatment plans for all involved. This trend is based in research and results have been encouraging.
According to the ADA Center for Professional Success, a National Institutes for Health study has found that being in the presence of a companion animal is associated with improvements in mental, social and physiologic health status.
Because of their ability to reduce anxiety and stress, along with comforting people, therapy dogs are used in various health care settings such as hospitals, nursing homes and dental practices. According to the American Kennel Club, significant advances in the field of animal assisted therapy and the use of therapy dogs have been made since the 1980s. Organized therapy dog groups provide educational material to volunteers, they screen both volunteers and dogs, and they provide liability insurance for when the dog and handler are volunteering in a therapy setting.
One of the leaders of this movement is 6-year-old Golden Retriever Jo Jo, a trained Comfort dog helping ease the fears of terrified kids at one Illinois children’s dental clinic. The youngsters find comfort and security by petting Jo Jo or by holding her paws during their procedures.
This isn’t Jo Jo’s first rodeo. She has been a source of strength for many kids and adults facing tough situations, including the traumatized students at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut after a mass shooting in 2012 left 26 dead. It’s important to note dogs that act in this capacity must be certified to do so. They are highly screened and trained before starting their service of comforting kids. The only concern might arise if kids suffer from allergies and most only work a day or two each month.
About Southport Dental PC
New patients are always welcome. We will not make you wait weeks to get the dental visits you want. Let us know what you want to accomplish at your first visit and we will make it happen! We take the time with our patients to explain their treatment options and inform them of additional preventive care.
Sunshine, warmer weather, greener grass, and setting our clocks forward an hour can only mean one thing here in Central Indiana: it’s Spring Break Time! Sounds great, right? Let’s just not confuse a much-needed vacation for our bodies and minds with a vacation for our teeth. Simply stated, your vacation is not the time to neglect your teeth. Your overall oral health shouldn’t take a break!
That being said, we’d like to offer up a few spring break dental care tips you should know and consider while on vacation.
Drink plenty of water. Besides the obvious benefits of hydration, drinking water throughout the day will reduce the buildup of plaque on your teeth.
Avoid sugary drinks. High sugar drinks such as soda erode the enamel on your teeth.
Pack your oral health essentials with you. Bring healthy snacks (such as apples) that act as a cleanser for your teeth. Carry travel-size toothbrushes and mouthwash for road trips.
Whatever your plans are this spring break, remember to keep up with your dental care. Spring break can be a great time of relaxation and rejuvenation, but it’s not the time to give your teeth a break! If you would like to schedule an appointment before your break, give us a call.
The staff at Southport Dental is dedicated to providing you and your family the highest quality dental care.
About Southport Dental PC
New patients are always welcome. We will not make you wait weeks to get the dental visits you want. Let us know what you want to accomplish at your first visit and we will make it happen! We take the time with our patients to explain their treatment options and inform them of additional preventive care.
Toothpaste marketers have long pitched enamel-strengthening toothpastes they claim harden the tooth’s protective layer, thereby making it more resistant to attacks from acids found in food and beverages like soda, orange juice and even pickles. Scientists are in agreement these toothpastes do make enamel more acid-resistant—but not nearly enough to protect you if you chug soda all day.
Enamel is a thin covering over teeth made from an organic matrix and minerals, largely crystals of calcium phosphate, says Therametric Technologies Inc., a Noblesville firm that sells and tests dental products. Enamel is vulnerable both to decay, caused by acids in bacteria, and to erosion, defined as direct assault from acids from food and drink. The biggest offenders include diet and regular sodas, citrus beverages, red wine and some sports drinks.
While everyone is vulnerable to acid erosion, the problem worsens as we age due to a decrease in production of saliva—which both washes away acids and neutralizes them. Certain medications also decrease saliva production.
What’s an Acid Fighter?
A number of toothpastes that claim to combat acid erosion and strengthen enamel are now on the market. Crest Pro-Health Enamel Shield’s label says it “protects against acid attack.” Sensodyne ProNamel says it “protects against the effects of acid erosion.” Colgate Total’s line includes an “Enamel Strength” version. A CVS store brand promises it “helps harden tooth enamel with acid protection formula.”
The claims are often based on the presence of fluoride, which scientists say combines with minerals in your mouth to create a crystal called fluorapatite on the surface of your teeth. Some of the toothpastes, including Crest’s Enamel Shield, Sensodyne ProNamel and Squigle Inc.’s Enamel Saver, are also formulated to be less abrasive to protect your enamel from rubbing off when brushing. (Squigle is a manufacturer of a small brand of toothpastes it says are non-irritating to the mouth.)
Scientists give mixed reviews to the claims. They say it is incorrect to say a toothpaste can strengthen enamel as it doesn’t make teeth physically stronger against shearing forces—such as biting into a piece of popcorn. The products do make the tooth surface more resistant to acids in the diet, says John Featherstone, dean of the University of California School of Dentistry in San Francisco.
While dentists agree toothpastes can help protect enamel, you should still drink acidic beverages in moderation. “You can’t drink erosive foods and drinks in high frequency and expect a toothpaste to protect you,” says Mark S. Wolff, a professor and chairman of the department of cariology and comprehensive care at New York University College of Dentistry. (Cariology is the study of tooth decay.)
Regardless of the toothpaste you use, it is important not to brush your teeth immediately after drinking acids as that is when enamel is most vulnerable to wear from brushing, adds Teresa Marshall, an associate professor at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry in Iowa City. It’s a good idea to take a few sips of water after drinking or eating acids, scientists add, and sugar-free gum can help by stimulating saliva production.
Label Study
As for toothpastes touting enamel strengthening, an informal inspection of labels in pharmacy aisles found the toothpastes often had nearly identical ingredients to other products by the same manufacturers that don’t make enamel claims. Some of the distinction, companies say, involves proprietary differences in proportions of ingredients.
Scientists say any well-designed fluoride toothpaste will make enamel more acid resistant. The enamel-strengthening claims on the label are “a marketing gimmick,” says Dr. Featherstone, who has done paid consulting for a number of toothpaste makers. Consumers should choose a toothpaste with a taste they like, as they’ll use it more, he says. He recommends major brands because a lot of research goes into proper formulation.
Procter & Gamble says its Crest Pro-Health Enamel Shield is the result of more than a decade of research and seven separate inventions. The company says the term “strengthens enamel” on the label refers to making teeth more chemically resistant to acid. GlaxoSmithKline, maker of Sensodyne ProNamel, says that, while fluoride doesn’t significantly harden normal tooth enamel it does have a hardening effect on enamel which has been softened by acid erosion. Colgate-Palmolive declined to be interviewed.
At least two companies—P&G and GlaxoSmithKline—have published studies showing their toothpastes help protect enamel in test subjects wearing either crowns or appliances with test teeth in them. (This type of research allows scientists to perform controlled tests, such as deliberately creating acid erosion on the test teeth.) However, there aren’t enough well-designed studies directly comparing one toothpaste with another to determine if one toothpaste is really better than another, scientists say.
Can “Extra Fluoride” Help?
Based on ingredients, there are some differentiation points. Colgate’s new ProClinical Daily Renewal for Enamel, has 1,500 parts per million of fluoride—more than most toothpastes, according to the company’s website. Sensodyne ProNamel is specially formulated so that more fluoride is available, enhancing the process of remineralizing enamel, GlaxoSmithKline says. Scientists say extra fluoride is likely to have at least a small additional effect on enamel—but more research is needed.
P&G’s Crest Pro-Health Enamel Shield, which came out last year, is made with a particular type of fluoride called stannous fluoride. In addition to forming fluorapatite crystals like other fluorides, stannous fluoride also has a toxic effect on acid-producing mouth bacteria, says biochemist Matthew J. Doyle, director of global research and development for P&G’s oral-care division. Stannous fluoride also protects against tooth sensitivity by blocking small tunnels in the teeth, he adds.
Crest’s Pro-Health Enamel Shield also has sodium hexametaphosphate, an ingredient that forms a protective film over the teeth that lasts six or seven hours. “It’s a sacrificial layer that protects the surface of the tooth,” Dr. Doyle says.
About Southport Dental PC
New patients are always welcome. We will not make you wait weeks to get the dental visits you want. Let us know what you want to accomplish at your first visit and we will make it happen! We take the time with our patients to explain their treatment options and inform them of additional preventive care.
Water conservation took center stage during a Super Bowl commercial a couple Sunday nights ago. Colgate-Palmolive has long been recognized as a global leader in promoting wise water usage and the commercial below really hits home to TV’s largest audience. Their #EveryDropCounts campaign seeks your personal pledge to help. Take a look and let us know your thoughts by commenting below:
About Southport Dental PC
New patients are always welcome. We will not make you wait weeks to get the dental visits you want. Let us know what you want to accomplish at your first visit and we will make it happen! We take the time with our patients to explain their treatment options and inform them of additional preventive care.
We’ve all been told since childhood that we should see a dentist twice a year for basic cleanings. And the good news is if we brush (and floss) regularly, we may not need any other dental work. The problem is dentists simply cannot increase their incomes by performing just cleanings. So some practices have stooped to “upselling” you into procedures you may not actually need. Many chain dental practices have been in the news lately when exposed for this very tactic.
Mother Jones (the non-profit news outlet) has examined the “creative diagnosis” some dentists come up with. These diagnoses typically require thousands of dollars of treatment without warning. Second opinions by mainstream dentists often find nothing wrong and no need for further treatment.
Upselling in dentistry isn’t a new phenomenon, but it’s having a moment. One reason: Dental school tuition—and debt—has doubled since the ’90s. According to the American Dental Education Association, students who graduated in 1996 were in the hole $112,000 (in 2013 dollars), on average, while 2013 grads were a whopping $215,000 in debt—28 percent were on the hook for $300,000 or more. By contrast, the average med school grad owed $170,000. ADEA executive director Richard Valachovic explained that one reason dental schools have jacked up tuitions is the rising costs of technology for student labs.
In any case, a generation ago, newly hatched dentists would join established practices as modestly paid associates, with the promise of eventually becoming partners. But these days, with dentists retiring later, there’s less turnover in private practice. Instead, more and more young dentists are taking jobs with chains, many of which set revenue quotas for practitioners. This has created some legal backlash: In 2012, for example, 11 patients sued (PDF) a 450-office chain called Aspen Dental, claiming that its model turns dentists into salespeople.
Regardless of your satisfaction level with your current dentist, the best line of defense is always a second opinion before an expensive or invasive treatment. At Southport Dental we are committed to providing a warm, stress free environment in which our patients are treated as family. Only necessary procedures are recommended, in other words, no one is pressured with upselling here. When considering treatment, patients are clearly presented with pros, cons, and all available options.
We are accepting New Patients! Call us at 317-494-7366 to schedule an appointment.
About Southport Dental PC
New patients are always welcome. We will not make you wait weeks to get the dental visits you want. Let us know what you want to accomplish at your first visit and we will make it happen! We take the time with our patients to explain their treatment options and inform them of additional preventive care.
Yes, it certainly is! Brushing too hard (and too often) can absolutely be detrimental to your oral health. For the sake of this discussion, we will refer to both brushing too much and brushing too hard as over brushing.
Let’s take a look at what happens when you over brush and what you can do to prevent it. By the end of this blog entry, we hope you’ll be able to brush your teeth in a safer, gentler manner and improve your overall oral health in the process.
Are there symptoms?
If you start to notice that your gums are receding, you may be brushing too hard! Your gums will begin to recede if you continually, day after day, brush them too hard. Additionally, if you see that some gums on certain teeth are much higher than others, you very well could be brushing too aggressively. If this is the case, it’s a good idea to see your dentist as soon as possible.
Another way to tell if you’re turning into the Incredible Hulk when you brush is if you notice your teeth becoming sensitive. It’s possible that you have created this sensitivity by exposing your mouth to such extreme brushing. Also be on the lookout for bleeding from your gums. This is a very good indicator of over brushing and a clear cut sign you need to lighten up.
What can I do?
Here is the good news: you can be helped if you are an overbrusher. There are plenty of resources online to make certain you are brushing your teeth properly. Brushing is an important activity that we do so often, it’s key to remember that you do it correctly. Gentler strokes, gentler strokes, gentler strokes! You simply can’t go wrong with gentle, proper brushing.
And we have one last helpful tip for you overbrushers out there. Consider picking up an electric toothbrush. It’s a great investment that will have you in greater control of just how hard you brush. Or, perhaps an alternate view of looking at things, an electric toothbrush can help stop you, within reason, from hard brushing.
Always get professional dental help from experienced, certified and responsible professionals the minute you notice something is wrong with your teeth or gums. Dentists are able to advise you on the best course of action when you’ve been over brushing.
If you are looking for top dental care, you’ve come to the right place. The staff at Southport Dental always puts your needs first. We want to be positive that you leave our office smiling after every visit. Get in touch with us today to schedule a checkup.
About Southport Dental PC
New patients are always welcome. We will not make you wait weeks to get the dental visits you want. Let us know what you want to accomplish at your first visit and we will make it happen! We take the time with our patients to explain their treatment options and inform them of additional preventive care.
Healthy teeth all during your lifetime is not as complicated as people make it out to be. Dental health is really a simple recipe – with only three key ingredients.
Get cavities, infections and dental problems treated as soon as you become aware of them. Waiting for dental problems to fix themselves will never make things better.
Cavities are more easily treated when they are small. If left too long, the cavity will inevitably progress to an abscess. The filling that would have treated the cavity, will not fix the abscess. Treatment becomes more costly and possibly more radical, such as taking teeth out rather than saving them, or root canals rather than fillings.
Gum infections spread deeper and eat away at the jawbone that holds your teeth in. This bone, once eroded will never grow back – leaving your teeth unsupported and mobile. What could have been treated with a routine cleaning now requires gum and bone surgery, or even extractions.
Lifetime Healthy Teeth Solution #2: Eat healthy for your teeth
When talking about healthy eating habits for our body, experts commonly suggest abalanced diet – rich in lean meats, fruits and vegetables with several small meals each day rather than the three big meals, which our parents and grandparents recommended.
While a balanced diet is good for your body’s general health, the manner in which food is eaten during the day can have a big influence on whether your teeth develop problems or not.
When we eat, the bacteria in the plaque on our teeth and in the mouth use the food particles to produce acids, which then eat away at the teeth. Compounds present in saliva act to neutralize these acids and minerals in saliva then act to repair the damage done by the acid attack after eating. It commonly takes ninety minutes to two hours to neutralize an acid attack after eating.
Researchers have shown that eating or drinking anything other than water on more than five different occasions each day lessens the time for saliva to neutralize the acids between each acid attack – and may not be adequate. This means that the teeth may be under acid attack for most of the day and this will inevitably lead to enamel damage, decay and tooth loss.
If you want to keep your teeth for life, being reactive and waiting for dental problems to manifest before seeking professional help just won’t do it.
Good health for your teeth and gums, just like any other body system requires being proactive, not reactive. You never hear cardiologists recommend their patients waiting for their arteries to clog to the point where you have a heart attack and then having surgery to have the diseased arteries ‘bypassed’. Common sense would say this approach is obviously inferior to a program of regular exercise and a healthy diet.
It’s the same with teeth. Waiting for teeth to abscess and having root canals does not make sense compared to regular six month visits, yet only half of the population have a regular dentist and not even all of those have regular check-ups every six months. Common sense just doesn’t seem to be that common these days.
Well, OK, the pain says it’s time to have your wisdom teeth removed. Many dentists refer you to an oral surgeon for this procedure. Dr. Mills’ advanced surgical techniques allow Southport Dental to perform many of these extractions without the inconvenience of scheduling an appointment with an oral surgeon. Only in special circumstances of extreme compaction will Dr. Mills recommend an oral surgeon. And the other good news is it should only take a few days for your mouth to heal and for you to feel back to normal.
Why Take Them Out?
Wisdom teeth are a third set of molars in the back of your mouth. They usually come in between the ages of 17 and 25, and they’re spotted on X-rays. Most people have them removed for one of these reasons:
They’re impacted. Because they’re so far back in your mouth, wisdom teeth may not come in normally. They can be trapped in your jawbone or gums, which can be painful.
They come in at the wrong angle. They may press against your other teeth.
Your mouth isn’t big enough. Your jaw has no room for an extra set of molars.
You have cavities or gum disease. You may not be able to reach your wisdom teeth with your toothbrush or dental floss.
Before Surgery
You’ll meet with Dr. Mills to discuss the entire process. At this appointment, make sure you:
Talk about any health problems you have.
List any drugs you take on a regular basis.
Ask any questions you have about the surgery.
Discuss what type of anesthesia you’ll have. You can either be numb or asleep during your surgery.
Plan time off from work or school to have your surgery and rest afterward at home. Set up child care, pet care, or a ride home if needed.
During Surgery
Your surgery should take 45 minutes or less. You’ll get one of these types of anesthesia so you don’t feel pain during the removal:
Local: We will numb your mouth with a shot of Novocaine in your gums.
General: You may also breathe nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, to relax or even doze during surgery. You should feel alert again shortly afterward.
Dr. Mills may have to cut your gums or bone to get the teeth out. If so, he’ll stitch the wounds shut so they heal quickly. These stitches usually dissolve after a few days. He may also stuff gauze pads in your mouth to soak up some of the blood.
After Surgery
Everyone responds differently to anesthesia. If you had a local anesthetic and feel alert, you might be able to drive home to begin your recovery. You might even be able to go back to work or do your normal activities. If you had general anesthesia or still feel drowsy, you’ll need someone to drive you home.
Most people have little to no pain after surgery. You’ll likely have swelling and mild discomfort for 3 or so days. Your mouth may need a few weeks to completely heal.
Follow your doctor’s instructions for a quicker recovery. Here are some tips for the first 3 days after surgery:
Dos:
Use an ice pack on your face to curb swelling or skin color changes.
Use moist heat for a sore jaw.
Gently open and close your mouth to exercise your jaw.
Eat soft foods like pasta, rice, or soup.
Drink plenty of fluids.
Brush your teeth starting the second day. Don’t brush against any blood clots.
Take the drugs your doctor prescribes to ease pain or swelling.
Call your doctor if you have a fever, or if your pain or swelling doesn’t improve.
Don’ts:
Don’t drink through a straw. Sucking may loosen blood clots that help your mouth heal.
Don’t rinse your mouth too harshly. Your doctor may suggest rinsing gently with saltwater.
Don’t eat hard, crunchy, or sticky foods that may scratch your wounds.
Don’t smoke. Smoking can slow your healing.
About Southport Dental PC
New patients are always welcome. We will not make you wait weeks to get the dental visits you want. Let us know what you want to accomplish at your first visit and we will make it happen! We take the time with our patients to explain their treatment options and inform them of additional preventive care.
When it comes to chewing gum, it’s the type of gum you chew that makes a difference in whether it’s helpful or harmful to your teeth. While chewing gum containing sugar may actually increase your chances of developing a cavity, there is clinical evidence that demonstrates just the opposite for sugar-free gum. And there’s even better news when it comes to chewing sugar-free gum that is sweetened with xylitol.
Sugar-free gum helps to clean teeth
Studies have shown that chewing sugar-free gum after meals and snacks can help rinse off and neutralize the acids released by the bacteria in plaque, which are harmful to tooth enamel. Both the act of chewing and the flavor of the artificial sweeteners in the gum stimulate ten times the normal rate of saliva flow. Not only does the increased saliva flow neutralize the acids in your mouth, it also washes away food particles, helping to keep your teeth clean.
Xylitol reduces decay-causing bacteria
Sugar-free gum sweetened with xylitol has the added benefit of inhibiting the growth of Streptococcus mutans, one of the oral bacteria that cause cavities. In the presence of xylitol, the bacteria lose the ability to adhere to the tooth, stunting the cavity-causing process. With xylitol use over a period of time, the types of bacteria in the mouth change and fewer decay-causing bacteria survive on tooth surfaces.
To chew or not to chew
Although chewing sugar-free gum can be beneficial in most instances, there are some cases in which chewing gum is not recommended. For example, if you are experiencing any type of jaw pain or temporomandibular disorder symptoms (TMD/TMJ), you should refrain from chewing gum and talk to your dentist about what options are available to you.
For most people, chewing sugar-free gum (especially gum sweetened with xylitol) can be a good preventive measure in situations when toothbrushing and flossing aren’t practical, but sugar-free or not, chewing gum should never replace good dental hygiene practices.
At Southport Dental we are committed to providing a warm, stress free environment in which our patients are treated as family. Only necessary procedures are recommended, in other words, no one is pressured with “up selling.” When considering treatment, patients are clearly presented with pros, cons, and all available options.
We are accepting New Patients! Call us at 317-494-7366 to schedule an appointment.
About Southport Dental PC
New patients are always welcome. We will not make you wait weeks to get the dental visits you want. Let us know what you want to accomplish at your first visit and we will make it happen! We take the time with our patients to explain their treatment options and inform them of additional preventive care.
The level of confidence is changing in dentistry because of the emergence of dental chains. In today’s world, unfortunately there are some dentists that are simply out to cash in on their patients. Dental chains are known for recommending unnecessary procedures to their patients for the sake of increasing their bottom line profits.
The ADA News, the official publication of the American Dental Association published an article by pediatric dentistry Jeffrey Camm describing a disturbing trend he called “creative diagnosis”-the peddling of unnecessary treatments. Dr. Camm went on to say that there were several instances where dentists recommended a procedure with the thought it’s covered by insurance so it’s not hurting the patients. At Southport Dental we will only recommend dental procedures that we feel you truly need!
Up-selling in dentistry isn’t anything new it’s just becoming more of a phenomenon since tuition is on the rise and many dentists are taking jobs with chains. Many of these dental chains have turned dentists into salespeople. In recent years several chains have been sued over allegations of unnecessary fillings, extractions and root canals that were covered by Medicaid. Several other chains have been sued over similar allegations.
The word to the wise is just be cautious when seeing your dentist or a new dentist that you feel may be recommending excessive procedures. It doesn’t hurt to seek a second opinion on dental care. Dr. Ryan Mills and his staff are dedicated to providing you and your family the highest quality dental care.
At Southport Dental we are committed to providing a warm, stress free environment in which our patients are treated as family. Only necessary procedures are recommended, in other words, no one is pressured with “up selling.” When considering treatment, patients are clearly presented with pros, cons, and all available options.
We are accepting New Patients! Call us at 317-494-7366 to schedule an appointment.
About Southport Dental PC
New patients are always welcome. We will not make you wait weeks to get the dental visits you want. Let us know what you want to accomplish at your first visit and we will make it happen! We take the time with our patients to explain their treatment options and inform them of additional preventive care.
I hated the dentist before I started coming to you guys! I skipped the dentist for 5 years out of disdain. Now I've been getting my cleanings faithfully for almost ten years because you guys are awesome!(and the tvs in the rooms help too) - Melodie R.