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
.
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.

Professional Teeth Whitening: Which Options are Best?

If you’ve been researching cosmetic dental treatments, it’s hard to avoid mention of teeth whitening. Teeth bleaching is popular because it can be effective at boosting your smile, but there is an overwhelming amount of brands, products, and whitening methods to choose from.

For best results, it’s always a good idea to visit a dental office for professional care where you’ll usually be presented with two options: in-office teeth whitening or take-home whitening kits. But which will give you the results you want?

When it comes to professional teeth whitening, the in-office and take-home treatments produce similar results.  It really comes down to how much time you have to devote to treatment and the reasons why you’re seeking treatment in the first place.

In-office whitening can typically be completed in one visit, with results being immediately visible. However, the cost for in-office bleaching is often higher. If you need your teeth whitened that same day for a special event, or if you’re in a hurry and can’t devote more than one appointment to treatment, in-office whitening is the best choice to make for the results you want. Same-day teeth bleaching is a great idea for important meetings or job interviews, reunions, professional photo-taking, or weddings.

Take-home whitening is completed over the course of several weeks. Your dentist will provide you with custom trays and a bleaching solution to whiten your smile at home. It’s important to note that professional home whitening kits often make a big difference by incorporating custom whitening trays, so the whitening gel stays exactly where it’s supposed to.  Drugstore whitening kits produce hit-and-miss results, as the treatment is not customized and the gel may not be in-place to do its best work. If you’re looking for a whiter smile as a part of your general dental goals, take-home whitening from a dentist produces beautiful results.

Visiting a cosmetic dentist for teeth whitening ensures you get the treatment you need to meet your treatment goals in the appropriate time. At Peninsula Dental-Facial Esthetics, we offer in-office teeth whitening with Opalesence Boost to give our patients brighter smiles. Contact our office today to learn more or to schedule your consultation.

Traditional Veneers vs. No-Prep Veneers

Dental veneers are one of the quickest and easiest ways to transform a less-than-perfect smile. In as little as two dental appointments – one for treatment planning and taking impressions, and a second appointment for application – you can have a smile that looks more balanced and is whiter and brighter.

As the popularity of veneers has risen among patients seeking cosmetic treatment, newer kinds of veneers have been made available, along with different methods for applying them. These changes have brought a debate to the forefront of cosmetic dentistry: which is better, traditional veneers or no-prep dental veneers? As with any dental treatment, the ultimate verdict boils down to patient preference, but many dentists agree on the advantages that one treatment offers over another.

The process for getting traditional veneers involves preparing patients’ teeth by buffing away a small amount of natural dental enamel, and then bonding the veneer in place. On the other hand, the no-prep variety (as you may have guessed) does not involve buffing away dental enamel.

This preparation process has an effect on the final outcome. While some patients are intimidated by the idea of preparing teeth to accept a veneer, doing so allows the veneer (a thin sheet of porcelain) to rest perfectly on dental enamel. In this way, teeth do not look bulky or fake. Because no-prep veneers are simply bonded to teeth as-is, there is some risk of getting an unnatural result, where teeth look obviously treated or unnatural.

The ability to control the color of treated teeth is also affected by which treatment method you choose.  Traditional veneers tend to be slightly thicker than the no-prep variety. For patients with severely stained teeth that cannot be treated with whitening methods, this means that the standard veneer does a better job of covering and improving their natural tooth color. Thinner veneers may not mask stained teeth as efficiently; traditional veneers give cosmetic dentists better control over boosting the whiteness of a patient’s smile.

In the end, many patients and dentists find that regular dental veneers do a better job of concealing flaws and providing for a natural-looking restoration.  We custom-make traditional veneers right in our Foster City cosmetic dental office. Our on-site master ceramist helps to ensure that our patients’ smiles look beautiful and naturally improved. If you have any questions about veneers treatment, please feel free to contact our office.

Remineralizing your teeth is easier than you might think

Remineralizing your teeth is easier than you might think

The enamel on our teeth is made out of calcium phosphate, which are minerals. When you eat or drink flavored beverages, the bacteria in our mouths metabolize what been consumed and makes acids. These acids demineralize the teeth by removing minerals on the enamel.

In order to remineralize the enamel on our teeth and help protect it from cavities, we really need to do one thing: spit. The minerals in your saliva will allow that remineralization to happen. Saliva has calcium and phosphate in it and some other buffers that will help buffer that acidic state.

If our mouths produce saliva, then why do we get cavities at all? The answer, in part, is due to the way—and frequency— in which we eat and drink. If while sitting at our desks, we nurse a couple cups of iced-coffee all day, never giving our mouths the chance to return to that neutral state, then we leave our mouths freaking out on acid, so to speak— an intense state that compromises tooth health.

It takes a little over a half hour for your mouth to go from an acidic state after eating or drinking a flavored beverage, to a neutral state, in which the saliva can exercise its healing power. If you’re sipping coffee, and you take another sip, then you’re starting at square one again. And this all-day exposure to acidic foods or drink is what leads to cavities.

Optimally, we should take a two-hour break after eating a meal or finishing a drink in order to allow our saliva to remineralize teeth. If you want to accelerate your mouth’s healing time, the American Dental Association points to studies that show using Xylitol gum or mints (Spry) after meals can lower instances of tooth decay, by increasing saliva flow.

While our bodies are self-equipped to remineralize teeth, this biological auto-correct isn’t enough to ward off tooth decay and cavities on its own. Maintaining proper dental hygiene, including flossing once a day and brushing twice a day for two-minutes increments is vital.

Bottom line: keep your mouth off acid between meals, take some time with brushing and your teeth will find their way back to their mineral-hardened state—no hand-churned toothpaste or high-maintenance diets required.

For more information about what you can do to protect your teeth, click here.

Tooth-Colored Cosmetic Dentistry

When you need a tooth repaired, you have the option to restore your smile with treatment that is made to match the color and luminosity of real dental enamel. Tooth-colored dental treatments make it easier to enjoy long-lasting care that doesn’t detract from the appearance of a naturally beautiful smile.

Tooth-colored dental treatments include:

White dental fillings – Cosmetic dentists can use white composite resin to fill in cavities, instead of silver metal amalgam. The result is a tooth that looks free of damage and doesn’t contain metal and mercury.

Porcelain, ceramic, or zirconia crowns – Standard dental crowns are often a layer of porcelain over a base of metal. While these crowns are sturdy, they don’t age well and look less like natural teeth over time. Crowns made from all porcelain, ceramic, or zirconia mimic the qualities of real teeth and blend into your smile seamlessly.

Porcelain veneers – A veneer is a tooth-shaped shell of porcelain that is used to hide cosmetic flaws, like cracks, gaps between teeth, and severe discoloration. Like porcelain crowns, veneers are custom made for each patient and made to look as natural as possible.

Tooth-colored cosmetic restorations are excellent for repairing teeth that are in your smile line. Thanks to the wide-spread use of stronger materials (like zirconia), cosmetic restorations are durable and can support improved oral function. If you have decayed or flawed teeth, you can choose cosmetic treatment options that will look just as natural as your own teeth.

If you have questions about tooth-colored cosmetic dentistry, contact Dr. Kinsel for more information about available treatments and the work performed by his in-house master ceramist.

The Healthy Impact of Dental Implants on Jaw Structure

Dental implants help you get a natural-looking and complete smile after the loss of one or more teeth. While this is certainly important for your oral health – strong replacement teeth support better oral function – the way implants are secured has a positive impact on bone in your jaw.

Bonding to Bone

The body of a dental implant looks like a small screw, or post, and is made of titanium. When placed into bone in your jaw, the post of the implant naturally bonds with the bone. This processed, called osseointegration, actually helps maintain healthy bone density levels.

The presence of your natural tooth root keeps your jaw bone dense, but the lack of a natural root from a missing tooth causes bone to shrink, changing the shape of your face.  The post of a dental implant, however, takes the place of a real tooth root and prevents bone from diminishing. 

Stimulating Bone

As you bite and chew, your tooth root actually stimulates bone in your jaw. This stimulation is necessary to keep bone strong and healthy. However, as we mentioned above, the absence of a natural tooth causes problems for bone, especially because it’s not getting the stimulation it needs.

Your dental implant extends into jaw bone and stimulates it in much the same way as your real tooth root. Other dental restorations, like bridges and removable dentures, do not touch bone and cannot provide the same benefits.

By choosing dental implants for teeth replacement, you’re able to maintain strong and dense bone, which enables you to maintain facial structure and enjoy full oral function. If you have questions about what dental implants can do for you, contact our Foster City dental office to speak to our implant dentist.

Men’s Health Considers Common Toothbrushing Mistakes

Men’s Health Considers Common Toothbrushing Mistakes

Men’s Health reported on common toothbrushing mistakes, including doing at the improper time of day, using the wrong type of brush, not using correct technique, not rinsing with mouthwash, not brushing the tongue, and not replacing the toothbrush frequently enough. The article cites the American Dental Association throughout, noting that the ADA recommends purchasing a new toothbrush every 3-4 months.

Oral Health Shares Close Link With Overall Health, Well being

In a lengthy article, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports on the intimate link between oral and overall health, noting that people “should really give your pearly whites more attention.” The article notes that just 28 percent of people report flossing daily, and many people also over-consume junk food and sugar, “which, when combined with a lack of flossing, is a recipe for oral health problems.” In addition to gum disease, cavities, poor oral health “has also been shown to cause sleeping issues, hurt your self-esteem, and diminish your ability to chew and digest food properly,” the Journal-Constitution adds.

NYTimes “Well” Blog: Dentist Should Be Consulted Before Any Whitening Procedure

The New York Times (3/21, Saint Louis) “Well” blog considered “the healthiest and most effective way to whiten” teeth. The Times reports that “higher concentrations” of hydrogen peroxide “can be delivered in a dentist’s office, so those procedures tend to be quicker than drugstore aids.” While adding light to bleaching procedures is popular, “the light doesn’t really do anything, but the marketing behind it is so powerful,” director of the Gavel Center for Restorative Research at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Dr. Ronald D. Perry, said. Additionally, adding heat and lasers “may have an adverse effect on pulpal tissue,” according to a 2007 systematic review of evidence in the journal Dental Materials. Still, the Times reported, “Before any bleaching, even when it’s done at home, a dentist should check fillings and crowns, because, Dr. Perry said, applying peroxide to a restoration that is no longer perfectly sealed will be very sensitive.”

Nine-Year-Old Michigan Girl Founds Oral-Health Conscious Sucker Company

The Washington Post reports that a 9-year-old Michigan girl has created a sugar-free sucker “designed to help improve mouth health” called Zollipops. The suckers “use a natural sweetener called xylitol” to “restore the mouth’s pH — a measure of acidity — to a neutral level,” which “helps prevent tooth decay and cavities.” In designing the suckers the girl and her father meet with dentists in order to learn the science of oral health and “spent hours testing different ingredients and packaging before they came up with a product ready for shelves.” The company will also donate 10 percent of its profits to oral health education, and the 9-year-old founded 100,000 Smiles, an effort to teach kids about preventing tooth decay, donating 100,000 Zollipops in the process.

Nearly half of adults have periodontal disease

Over 47 percent of the U.S. adult population have mild, moderate or severe periodontitis. In addition, nearly two-thirds (64%) of adults over age 65 have moderate to severe forms of periodontal disease.

These findings are based on epidemiologic data from the 2009–2010 National Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey (NHANES). The new CDC study is the first to use the FMPE protocol on a national probability sample from the U.S. civilian population. As noted by the study authors, using the FMPE protocol rather than a partial-mouth evaluation provided “optimal surveillance measurements for assessing the burden of periodontitis across the U.S. population.”

The CDC researchers determined that 47.2 percent of 2009–2010 participants aged 30 years and older exhibit some form of periodontitis (mild, moderate or severe). This means that 65 million U.S. adults over age 30 are estimated to have periodontitis, and 64 percent of adults over age 65 have moderate to severe forms of the disease.

The CDC also found oral health disparities among racial and ethnic groups, and persons with lower education and income. These researchers also indicate that previous national surveys may have significantly underestimated the true burden of periodontitis in the adult U.S. population.

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease characterized by loss of connective tissue between teeth and gums, but this condition can be successfully treated and managed. Given the considerable burden of periodontitis, dentists are encouraged to include a periodontal assessment in the clinical examination of adults of all ages, especially middle-aged and elderly patients, and to provide or refer patients for appropriate therapy when indicated. To maintain oral health and prevent periodontal disease, the ADA promotes the importance of good oral hygiene and regular dental care. The ADA also encourages dentists to take thorough health histories, evaluate patients for oral diseases, promote tobacco cessation, and identify risk factors that may predispose patients to periodontal disease.

Porcelain veneers

Let’s explore the porcelain veneer. Porcelain veneers combine the esthetics of feldspathic porcelain with the strength of tooth bonding on tooth enamel. A skilled ceramist creates a thin covering of the tooth surface that improve color, shape, size and alignment of the teeth. Porcelain veneers are strong, durable and resistant to decay when bonded to etched enamel. The edge or margin of the veneer usually is placed at the level of the gum tissue, so there is no adverse affect on periodontal health.

If your teeth are significant misaligned, limited tooth movement with orthodontics (Invisalign) may improve the final porcelain veneer result. This prevents excessive removal of the enamel that exposes the underlying dentin. This is important because the bond strength to dentin is far below enamel, which can result in bonding failures.

The most important consideration – in any cosmetic endeavor, how much of my original tooth structure will remain? Before you decide, the ceramist can usually make a “mockup” of the proposed porcelain veneers prior to beginning treatment.

For clinical cases, please click here

What's trending

Dental Hygiene, Tooth Whitening, Other Procedures Can Improve Appearance.

Fashion & Style reports on “How To Achieve Your Ultimate Smile In 2015,” also the title of the piece. The article stresses the importance of dental hygiene, which it says starts with regular dentist visits. “If you want to keep your great smile, you need to visit your dentist on a regular basis,” the article reports. The article then highlights several cosmetic dental procedures, including tooth whitening, cosmetic veneers, and gum lifts that dentists may use to improve the overall look and health of a patient’s smile.

What are your options to replace dentures?

Patients who have lost all of the teeth face difficult challenges to regain normal chewing function. Fortunately, dental implants allow you to enjoy all nutritional foods.

What are your options? Implant overdentures, fixed denture or a ceramic fixed bridge.

Implant-supported overdentures are retained by two or four dental implants and gives you increased masticatory function far beyond conventional full dentures.

The fixed denture (hybrid denture) requires more implants. The bridge has denture teeth that are supported by a computer designed titanium metal framework. Should the denture teeth need to be replaced after years of function, this can be done in a day when coordinated with the dental technician.

The ceramic fixed bridge represents the ultimate in personalization. The number of implants is usually the same as for the hybrid denture. Because our in-office master technician creates your unique bridge with a result that is unique to you alone.

For more detailed information, please click 

What's treading?

The New York Times reported that the Swedish orthopedic surgeon who accidentally discovered the modern dental implant, Dr. Per-Ingvar Brånemark, died on December 20 in Gothenburg, Sweden at the age of 85. In a study not originally focused on its dental applications, Dr. Brånemark discovered in 1952 that titanium would fuse with bone tissue. The Times went on to chronicle the history of Dr. Brånemark’s implant discovery.

We cannot overemphasize the contribution that Dr. Brånemark has made to the fields of implant dentistry and orthopedics. Previous to his discovery of titanium’s potential to bond with bone, dental implants were considered the domain of charlatans.

On a personal note, I was exposed to this bias in dental school. In 1984, I was educated in this new and well-researched dental paradigm. Several major advances have occurred in the past 30 years following my dental implant training. We are now able to offer patients a variety of alternatives that will successfully address missing teeth.

Dental Implants: From the Past to the State of the Art

We have provided our patients with dental implant-supported crowns, bridges and dentures since 1985. 

Although the field of implant dentistry has dramatically progressed over time, the history is remains interesting. 

Please share my passion from my introduction to the UCSF, Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) implant syllabus that was published in 1997. 

 

“Human history is replete with attempts of dental implantation for missing teeth. Archeological findings show that the Egyptians, Arabs, Greeks, Romans, Etruscans, and Chinese transplanted teeth from one person’s mouth into another.

The practice of tooth transplantation developed later in Europe. Generally, only the wealthy or the nobility would receive a transplant—the teeth generally acquired from the poor, who either sold the teeth for money or simply had them removed against their will.

Dental implants that employed artificial materials became popular over

100 years ago. Beginning in 1887, a lead root containing a platinum pin was fused to a porcelain crown and then inserted into the jaw. Other materials included silver capsules, gold or iridium tubes, and corrugated porcelain teeth.

Vitallium, a cobalt–chromium alloy, was introduced to dentistry in the 1930s

as a metal for removable partial dentures. Screws were machined from Vitallium

and first placed in human jaw bone in 1937 at the Brigham Hospital in Boston.

In 1952 Dr. Per–Ingvar Brånemark, a Swedish orthopedic surgeon, began his extensive study of cylindrical, threaded implants revolutionizing the world of dental implants. In 1986, the Brånemark system received provisional acceptance by the American Dental Association. Although many clinicians contributed to the development root–form implants, it was the extensive documentation from Dr. Brånemark that precipitated the major interest of implants in the United States.

Titanium has been used in orthopedics for more than 20 years without one

documented case of incompatibility. This material also has many favorable

characteristics ideal for dental implants. Titanium is inert in tissue, possesses good mechanical properties and stimulates bone anchoring.

Currently, more than 125 million Americans suffer from the loss of natural teeth. After complete loss of teeth, the jaw begins to shrink in size. Ultimately, this leads to problems with denture fit and function.

Osseointegration is a process by which dental implants integrate with the bone, allowing permanent replacement of teeth and normal function. Dental implants are artificial substitutes for natural tooth roots. Replacement teeth are attached to the part of the implant that projects through the gums.

Dental implants can provide non–removable tooth replacement in the toothless jaw, stability for a full denture, support a fixed bridge eliminating the need for a removable partial denture, and also restore a single missing tooth without the need to alter the adjacent natural teeth.

The placement of dental implants involves three basic stages of treatment. The initial evaluation typically consists of a thorough examination of your oral tissues and supporting bone in the jaw, specialized x–rays that show the jaw bone shape and height, study models of your upper and lower teeth to analyze the bite and tooth positions, and consultation with the implant surgeon.

The surgical treatment consists of placing the implants into the jaw bone.

Most often, simple local anesthetic ensures patient comfort during this procedure. Patients typically have minimal discomfort following implant surgery and can quickly return to their normal activities. Over a period of six weeks, the implants undergo become intimately attached to the bone.

Lastly, the replacement teeth are created and securely attached to the abutment posts. This phase of therapy is very technically demanding and will require several appointments to ensure a cosmetic, functional, and long–lasting result.

Maintenance and follow–up care are extremely important with visits typically scheduled every three to six months.

Osseointegration is predictable. Our personal success rate is over 98% in both jaws, which makes this one of the most predictable procedures available in medicine or dentistry. If properly cared for, your implants should serve you the remainder of your life.

Successful implant rehabilitations require close communication between the dental implant team members in all phases of treatment. The dental implant team consists of the surgeon, restorative dentist or prosthodontist, dental technician, and other dental specialists as needed. Only when each clinician is involved at the onset of therapy will optimal results consistently be obtained.”

What is dry mouth (xerostomia)?

Xerostomia is the condition of not having enough saliva to keep the mouth wet.  Dry mouth can happen to anyone occasionally – for example, when nervous or stressed.  However, when dry mouth persists, it can make chewing, eating, swallowing and even talking difficult.  Dry mouth also increases the risk for tooth decay because saliva helps keep harmful germs that cause cavities and other oral infections in check.

Dry mouth occurs when the salivary glands that make saliva don't work properly.  Many over-the-counter and prescription medicines, as well as diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's disease and Sjogren's syndrome, can affect the salivary glands.  Other causes of dry mouth include certain cancer treatments and damage to the glands' nerve system.  It's important to see your dentist or physician to find out why your mouth is dry.

Depending on the cause of your dry mouth, we can recommend appropriate treatment. There are also self-care steps you can take to help ease dry mouth, such as drinking plenty of water, chewing sugarless gum, and avoiding tobacco and alcohol.  Good oral care at home and regular dental check-ups will help keep your mouth healthy.

The CAMBRA protocol that was established by the UCSF School of Dentistry analyses the risk for decay and recommends individualized preventive measures. 

For home care instructions, click

What is CAMBRA?

           

Recurrence of dental caries (decay) despite our best efforts is frustrating for both dentists and patients. CAMBRA (CAries Management By Risk Assessment) represents a paradigm shift in the standard “drill and fill” mindset.

CAMBRA analyses the patient’s specific caries risk and provides specific recommendations that can arrest and reverse the caries disease process. At last, our patients are empowered with the tools to prevent future decay.       

In collaboration with my colleagues Peter Rechmann, DDS and Howard Rose, the MyCambra app for the iPad was created. This app facilitates the dentist’s implementation of CAMBRA. MyCambra quickly identifies decay risks (low, moderate, high, extreme) with specific preventive recommendations for each patient. The patient’s progression towards a lower caries risk is closely monitored by the dentist and sent to their patients.

The University of California, School of Dentistry, has approved the MyCambra app, which can be downloaded at the Apple app store.

For more information, please click

Is red wine good for your teeth?

Red wine may help prevent caries according to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.  These researchers reported that red wine and red wine without alcohol inhibit the growth of certain bacteria found in oral decay biofilm. Although the media coverage touted the possible cavity fighting effects of red wine, this study actually found that red wine with or without alcohol had no effect on the growth of S. mutans, the primary bacteria associated with dental decay.

The researchers reported that red wine and dealcoholized red wine were effective in limiting growth of decay causing bacteria. Could this mean that red wine may be good for periodontal health? Maybe if you hold it in your mouth for two minutes every seven hours for seven days – a small feat indeed! So what the study findings mean for oral health, if anything, is a guessing game.

Sorry! Red wine is enjoyable, but not for reduction of tooth decay.

To maintain oral health the ADA recommends:                                                                        Brush your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.                                                          Clean between your teeth once a day.                                                                                           Eat a healthy diet and limit snacks.                                                                                               Visit your dentist regularly

What’s new for denture patients?

Our dental implant team is excited to offer an implant-supported fixed bridge (hybrid denture) that replaces traditional dentures for a fee of less than $20,000. This fee includes the implants and fabrication of the final bridge. From our over 60 years of combined dental implant experience, we have developed a procedure that is both efficient and cost effective. 

The Straumann fixed denture offers several important advantages over conventional dentures

• Improved chewing function and appearance
• A cost effective alternative from other providers and heavily marketed implant centers cannot duplicate – a better choice
• In some cases, the final fixed bridge can be completed in 2 days
• Genuine Straumann components 

The implant-supported, hybrid denture as described above is for denture patients who have adequate bone height and width. Specialized CBCT scans, radiographic and surgical guides, and bone grafting are not included in the base fee. The patient’s restorative dentist is encouraged to maintain primary care. Annual follow-up appointments are provided at our office for a nominal fee.

For more in depth information, please click