Kiss Your Valentine with Confidence

Kiss Your Valentine with Confidence



There’s more to a kiss than just meeting lips. If you have a sweetheart you like to kiss, here are more reasons to keep smooching the one you love:

1. Brush, floss and kiss. Kissing is linked to decay prevention because it stimulates the flow of saliva- nature’s mouth cleanser.

2. One good brusher deserves another. Kissing couples tend to have similar dental habits.

3. Shared interests. A person with good oral health is over five times more likely to have a partner with comparable oral health.

4. …in sickness and in dental health.. For many considering marriage, dental behavior is a consideration of compatibility.

Spouses who kiss each morning miss less work because of illness, have fewer auto accidents on the way to work, earn 20 to 30 percent more monthly and live approximately five years longer. All that and healthy dental habits, too!

Baby Boomers Bust Out

Baby Boomers Bust Out



This is an exciting time for those born in 1946- they have finally pushed their pig-size girth through to the tail end of the allegorical “python” and have officially reached retirement age. Coined by historians as one of the most prolific generations in history, these “Baby Boomers” (including those born over the following 18 years), have experienced the best and the worst of American society... and of dentistry, too.
When Boomers were born...

Tooth pulling was more common than placing fillings.

Amalgam (metal alloy) was the standard filling material.

Belt-driven drills and sodium pentothol were hi-tech.

Soap and water was the only protection a dentist's hands needed.

Over 60% of our patients are Baby Boomers whom we are helping to achieve longevity and youthful smiles. We can help you, too. Call us for a free consultation.

Bad News Bisphosphonates

Bad News Bisphosphonates



Many breast cancer, osteoporosis, multiple myeloma and bone cancer patients take medication that can actually place them at risk for rotting of the jaw bones (known as osteonecrosis)

The drug family of bisphosphonates these patients are prescribed interfere with the healing dynamic of the jaw bone which needs more time than other bones.
This is a concern when a bisphosphonate patient has some type of dental surgery such as removal of a tooth or teeth. The jaw bone may have difficulty sloughing off infected or diseased tissue and creating new healthy bone in its place.

If you are using bisphosophonates, tell your dentist, get regular cleanings and opt for root canal therapy over extractions when possible. If you wear dentures, maintain them well to keep a good fit.

Barbells on Their Tongues

Barbells on Their Tongues

If you are considering oral piercing, you need to be aware of the procedure and its associated risks:

1. The needle used is typically seven times wider than a needle used for anesthetic

injection.

2. No anesthetic is used.

3. The practitioner probably does not have formal training or knowledge of anatomy or sterilization techniques.

4. Infection may occur and swelling of the tongue may result, causing choking.

5. Other side effects may include prolonged bleeding, permanent numbness, loss of taste and interference with speech and chewing.

6. Pierced tissues in the mouth may facilitate transmission of viral infections, such as Hepatitis and HIV, into the bloodstream.

7. Manipulating the metal tongue barbell against the teeth can brake or chip them.


Always investigate sterilization practices of the practitioner and then consider alternatives, such as magnetic jewelry, before taking the final plunge.