Postmenopausal Women With Periodontal Disease May Have Higher Risk Of Developing Breast Cancer

Psych Central (1/1, Pedersen) reported in continuing coverage that a new study by the American Association for Cancer Research finds that postmenopausal women who have periodontal disease may have a higher risk for developing breast cancer. According to the article, the researchers monitored nearly 74,000 postmenopausal women, finding that “the risk of breast cancer was 14 percent higher in those with periodontal disease.” In addition, “of all the women who had quit smoking within the past 20 years, those with periodontal disease had a 36 percent higher risk of breast cancer,” while “women who were smoking at the time of this study had a 32 percent higher risk if they had periodontal disease, but the association was not statistically significant.”

Dental Care Advised Before, During, And After Cancer Treatment

The About (12/29) website states that “mouth complications...can and do occur in more than one-third of those being treated for breast cancer,” adding that untreated dental problems may impact treatment. Given this, the article recommends seeing “your dentist as soon as you know you will be having chemotherapy,” adding, “Consider your dentist a part of your care team as you will be seeing him or her during treatment, as needed, and after treatment is completed.”

Children With High Risk Of Cavities Not Receiving Needed Preventive Dental Care

PRNewswire (12/29) hosts a Delta Dental Plans Association release announcing that its “study of more than 97 million dental claims...found two-thirds of children who are at higher risk of developing cavities aren’t getting recommended preventive dental care.” The study determined 27 percent of children are at higher risk of developing cavities based on their history of recent fillings. Of those children, the study found that “65% did not receive two fluoride treatments per year,” “68% of 6- to 9-year-olds didn’t receive sealants on their first permanent molars,” and “85% of those ages 10 to 14 didn’t receive sealants on their second permanent molars.” According to the release, the ADA “recommends children at higher risk of tooth decay receive two fluoride treatments a year as well as sealants on their first and second permanent molars.” The ADA provides fluoridation FAQs online. Additional information on fluoride is available on MouthHealthy.org.

Increasing Number Of Adults Seek Orthodontic Treatments

Healthline (12/23) discusses the growing number of adults seeking orthodontic treatments, stating that “the number of adults undergoing orthodontia has risen by 40 percent in the past decade, according to the American Association of Orthodontists.” The article states that nearly 25 percent of people who began orthodontic treatment in 2014 were adults, attributing the increasing number of adults seeking orthodontic treatment to “a combination of relatively lower prices and newer, less clunky products.”

What Goes Into Designing your Cosmetic Treatment Plan

When you have a tooth that’s stained, decayed, chipped, or cracked, restoring it to its natural, healthy appearance requires skill and precision. Cosmetic dental treatments should look as natural and seamless as possible, which means that all of the following needs to be taken into consideration:

Soft Tissue Height – Part of making sure that your restoration – veneers and dental crowns – matches the appearance of the rest of your teeth, is taking soft tissue into consideration. A restoration shouldn’t be placed too far into the gum tissue, throw-off the aesthetic balance, or cause gum irritation and inflammation.

Picking the Right Restoration – It’s not uncommon for some dental offices to recommend the restoration that requires the most work and therefore the higher price tag; however you don’t necessarily always need the most extensive treatment. It’s important to save as much of your natural tooth structure as possible and select the restoration that is best for your oral health and treatment goals. Even small changes, like teeth whitening, can provide a significant boost for the appearance of your smile.

Comfort and Durability – Your cosmetic treatment shouldn’t irritate soft tissue and should remain a beautiful addition to your smile for as long as possible. Selecting the appropriate materials, such as porcelain, ceramic, tooth-colored composite, and zirconia help you achieve bio-friendly treatment that stands the test of time, and looks as natural as possible.

Matching Color and Luminosity – A treated tooth shouldn’t stand out in your smile by looking obviously fake, or being a completely different color than surrounding teeth. Considering the shade, hue, and luminosity of your natural teeth are important factors in a cosmetic dental restoration. With this information, your new tooth can be created to be a perfect complement for your natural smile aesthetic.

Planning Your Treatment at Peninsula Dental-Facial Esthetics

Dr. Kinsel puts a great deal of care into helping you meet your cosmetic dental goals and has specialty training in prosthodontics, dentures, crowns and fixed bridges. With an on-site, full-service dental laboratory, we’re able to ensure that your restorations are created with all of the above criteria in-mind. We also have an on-staff Master Ceramist who is especially skilled at creating life-like reproductions of your natural teeth for use in cosmetic dental prosthetics.

If you have questions about getting cosmetic care, please feel free to call our Foster City cosmetic dental office for more information.

Dental Implants May Result In Better Quality Of Life For Osteoporotic Women

Science Daily (6/12) reports on a study published June 11 in the Journal of International Dentistry that “suggests dental implants may be the best route to take” as treatment for tooth loss in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. The study looked at women with one or more adjacent teeth missing, excluding wisdom teeth or third molars, who had restoration work done that included implants, a fixed partial denture, a removable denture, or no restoration work. “Women with dental implants reported a higher overall satisfaction with their lives, said Christine DeBaz, a third-year Case Western Reserve dental student,” who served as the study’s lead researcher.

When to Consider Implant Dentures

If you’re a removable denture-wearer, you enjoy the full and complete smile that dentures provide. However, there are some downsides to removable prosthetics that can begin to cause problems over time, or have an effect on quality of life.

It may be time to think about a more permanent restoration if you’re experiencing:

Ill-fitting prosthetics – Dentures that don’t fit comfortably can cause problems all day long – from shifting out of place more frequently, to making eating a hassle. While removable dentures can be re-sized to be more comfortable and secure, this is often a lengthy process that may be need to be repeated, depending on wear and tear of your appliance and whether gum tissues have shrunk
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Soft tissue irritation – Because removable dentures are not fixed in place permanently, they can become loose and rub or slip on gums. As mentioned above, this causes tissues to shrink over time. In short, removable dentures can be hard on gum tissue and cause more problems than they solve.

Dietary restrictions - If you’ve begun to feel limited by the foods you cannot eat while wearing removable dentures, it may be time for a fixed prosthetic. Removable denture wearers typically do not have full biting and chewing power, so crunchy foods and foods that are difficult to bite into should be avoided. But having to refrain from eating some of your favorite foods in order to accommodate your dental restoration is frustrating.

Choosing Implant-Supported Dentures

Getting dental implants to permanently secure your full dentures provides a huge boost for your oral health and function. If you’ve been in and out of your dentist’s office for repeated fittings lately, a fixed denture could be the solution. Implant dentures rest on dental implant posts, not on gums, and therefore do not create soft tissue problems or limit your eating habits.

A few dental implants could be a significant difference in how you feel about your smile, and how your dental restoration improves your daily life – not detracts from it.  Dr. Richard Kinsel helps patients get strong new smiles with full-arch implants in Foster City. Contact our office today for more information on trading your removable dentures for a fixed implant denture.