Periodontal Disease: Interesting Statistics

Good afternoon!

How is everyone doing today? Well we wanted to share some interesting information about how prevalent periodontal disease is among adults. This was an email newsletter sent to me recently and I thought it would be informative to our readers.

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September 21, 2010 -- The number of adults in the U.S. suffering from periodontal disease may be significantly higher than previous research has indicated, according to a study published online in the Journal of Dental Research (September 21, 2010).

The study, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP), researchers appear to have underestimated by as much as 50% how many cases of moderate to severe periodontitis actually exist in the U.S. population.

"This study shows that periodontal disease is a bigger problem than we all thought. It is a call to action for anyone who cares about his or her oral health," said Samuel Low, D.D.S., M.S., associate dean and professor of periodontology at the University of Florida College of Dentistry and president of the AAP, in a press release. "Given what we know about the relationship between gum disease and other diseases, taking care of your oral health isn't just about a pretty smile. It has bigger implications for overall health, and is therefore a more significant public health problem."

According to Paul Eke, Ph.D., M.P.H., an epidemiologist at the CDC and lead author of the study, the findings have significant public health implications. Several research studies have associated gum disease with other chronic inflammatory diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Because recent research suggests a connection between periodontal health and systemic health, "understanding the relationships between periodontal disease and other systemic diseases in the adult U.S population is more crucial than ever," he added.

Copyright © 2010 DrBicuspid.com

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Many adults live with this disease and do not even know they have it. The best way to find out is to have your dental hygienist do an examination of your gum health at your next check up. At that point the dentist can figure out the best way to treat the disease according to your specific needs. We even have Oral DNA tests to determine whether a patient is genetically susceptible to periodontal disease.

This statistic is a wake up call! Make sure you get in to see your dentist or hygienist every 6 months for check ups. Things in the mouth can change quickly, and prevention is the best way to deal with this disease.

I hope you are all doing well.
Richard Stickney DDS PS

Dental Seminar: Laser Dentistry

Hello everyone!

About 2 weekends ago I attended a Waterlase dental  laser seminar done by Dr. Marshall Golan. Much of this seminar discussed technical aspects of laser dentistry, and some of it I'd like to share with you all today.

I've had my Waterlase for over 5 years now, and I use it as often as I can on my patients. Dr. Golan outlined some suggestions that I've already been putting into practice during the seminar, but one thing he mentioned is that he uses the laser on just about every patient to kill bacteria and decontaminate after decay removal, even if he used the drill. On Dr. Golan's website, he outlines some other advantages of using the laser, such as:

• It helps remove areas of infection
• Removes gum disease with great precision
• The laser beam sterilizes as it works
• Anesthetic is not needed as often
• Faster healing
• Less bleeding and swelling
• Less noise so less anxiety
• Less post operative pain so less pain medication is needed.

92% of stained grooves on a non smoker's occlusal (or biting) surface has decay underneath, and this does not show on an x-ray. If that decay stays only on the enamel, then we can treat that as a sealant, but if it goes into the dentin layer of the tooth, at that point we have to do a composite filling. The laser can often be used in removing such decay without the use of anesthetic. Some other uses of the laser include:

1. Gum surgery- we can often treat gum disease with the laser to disinfect deep pockets, remove diseased tissue, and stimulate reattachment of the tissue to the gum without invasive painful scapel surgery.
2. Decay removal- the laser can remove decay, disinfect and biostimulate the tooth
3. Cosmetic purposes- the laser can re-contour the gums and eliminate a "gummy" smile

We love using our laser, and I enjoy learning new ways to use it. If you'd like more information about the Biolase water laser that I use in my practice, please visit their website.

Be well,
Richard Stickney DDS PS

Perio Supplements

Hello!

I hope everyone is doing well! Today we wanted to share some exciting information about a few new supplements we will be carrying in the office. They come from a company called Pharmaden and they have created 3 dental supplements focused on periodontal health. These three products are called PerioTherapy, OsteoTherapy, and PerioCare. Here is how they work:

 
PerioTherapy: This supplement is designed to help support the immune system to promote normal gum health. The ingredients selected to formulate this supplement are balanced to achieve the ultimate bio-availability (which is the body's ability to absorb nutrients). It is a diligent homecare program, that along with personalized care from your dentist and hygienist are key components to good oral health. Some of the ingredients include: Vitamin C, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12, Echinacea Angustifolia Root, Grape Seed Extract, and CoQ-10. This is used as a 60 day regiment to kick start getting the mouth healthy again.


OsteoTherapy: This is a remineralization supplement. Bone loss support and mineral support is essential but sometimes overlooked in gum disease. This supplement is designed to provide mineral support to assist the body is maintaining bone density. The ingredients include: Calcium Citrate, Magnesium, Vitamin D, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6 and B12, Folic Acid and Grape Seed Extract. Again this is used for 60 days.

 
PerioCare: This is designed to be the perfect compliment following PerioTherapy and helps maintain the results of the dentist's treatment. It is developed to enhance the body's host resistance. Some of the ingredients include: Vitamin C, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12, Grape Seed Extract, and CoQ-10. This supplement is used after the 60 days of using PerioTherapy and OsteoTherapy to continue good oral health.

We are very excited to be carrying these new products and will be incorporating them into our normal hygiene program depending on the patient's needs and wants. So next time you are in, make sure to pick up and brochure and ask our staff about how these products can work for you! You can find more information on their website as well.

Take care,
Richard Stickney DDS

Laser Treatment in Our Hygiene Room Pt. 3

Hello all! Hope you are all having a great week! Here's the final part of our 3 part blog about how we are using our dental laser in our hygiene room! Feel free to let us know what you think in a comment, or on our Facebook or Twitter! Enjoy.

We have begun a new treatment protocol for periodontal disease. In addition to analyzing bacterial samples with our microscope, we now are able to send saliva samples to a lab and see exactly which periodontal pathogens are present and in what concentration, and test for genetic susceptibility for periodontal disease. The sample collection in simple and non-invasive, it involves a 30 second swish with a small amount of saline solution. After analysis, the lab includes a specific antibiotic recommendation for treatment of those who have concentrations of harmful bacteria above threshold. As you know, Dr. Stickney is not in the habit of prescribing antibiotics, so this has been a new leaf for both of us to turn over. One great benefit is that since we know the exact bacteria causing the infection, we are able to target the bacteria with the most effective type of antibiotic available, instead of simply using a broad spectrum antibiotic and hoping it works. Knowing whether or not someone is more genetically prone to periodontal disease, it helps us gauge how proactively we need to address signs of disease. Once we have this information, we are able to plan out our course of action. For those who have results with bacterial concentrations above threshold, typically the treatment includes scaling and root planning, or "deep cleaning", performed in the middle of the eight-day antibiotic regimen. The purpose of this is to attack the bacteria systemically (with the antibiotic) and locally (with the scaling and root planing). The results that we have achieved with the combined antibiotic therapy and scaling and root planing have been amazing. It used to be that we didn't see this kind of healing and recovery unless periodontal surgery was performed. Being a minimally invasive practice, we are happy to have this option for those who show the need for it and are comfortable taking the eight-day course of antibiotics. For those who have results that are positive for harmful, disease causing bacteria but are below threshold, typically antibiotics are not recommended. In these cases the body's own immune system, along with proper professional dental treatment, should be able to overcome the infection. The laser can also be used in conjunction with this treatment protocol for those who would like an option other than antibiotics. You are welcome to have a look at the lab's website, they have great educational resources: www.oraldna.com


Again, we'd love to hear what you think!
Hoping you are all well,
Richard Stickney

Laser Treatment in Our Hygiene Room Pt. 2

As we brought out in our last post, there would be 3 parts to this topic of using the laser in our hygiene room. This is Part 2. Enjoy.


As some of you may have seen, we have a microscope in our hygiene room. We have been analyzing plaque samples that we collect from periodontal pockets, pockets that show signs of gum disease and inflammation. Signs of disease include pocketing of 4 millimeters or greater, inflammation, and bleeding. It is amazing to see how much bacteria is in even the tiniest of plaque samples. I haven't been this excited since my Microbiology and Histology courses in college! Some results have been surprising. For example one sample was from a moderately healthy pocket, three millimeters deep with only a little evidence of inflammation, but upon analysis of the plaque, there were harmful spirochetes evident on the slide. The spirochete family is a nasty one. This is actually the same type of oral bacteria involved in Alzheimer's disease, and here is a link that has research on this: Alzheimer's and oral bacteria
This bacteria is tissue invasive in cooperation with other bacteria, which means that it cannot only live on the surface of your gum tissue, but actually invade and live within gum tissue. It's DNA is found in artherosclerotic lesions of the aorta and is associated with pre-term low birth weight. Those are the systemic effects of this particular oral bacteria. Connections like these reinforce how important diligent daily flossing, proper brushing and regular professional dental care is when caring for our overall health. Those little bugs go non-stop. When I analyzed my own plaque sample and was thankful to see my white blood cells working hard to combat the bacterial onslaught. I felt such affection for the hard working little guys! It is amazing to see what goes on in our bodies without our being aware and how our own beautiful immune system is waging war on harmful microbes. It motivates me to do my part in supporting my immune system and my industrious little white blood cells.

Hope you enjoyed reading part 2 of this blog post! Stay tuned next Monday for the last part of this interesting subject!
Richard Stickney

Introducing: Laser Treatment in Our Hygiene Room

We are happy to be able to offer laser services in our hygiene room as well as Dr Stickney's treatment room. Our hygienist, Annika, received additional training in using our laser for the treatment of periodontal disease. She would like to share what she learned and how we are integrating this into our treatment.
This is Part 1 of 3 blog's we will do on this subject:

The course started with the physics of lasers and laser safety, and it always good to have those reminders. We went on to learn about all the applications of lasers in gum tissue treatment, from surgeries to biostimulation. We reviewed which types of procedures I am licensed to provide in the state of Washington, which include treatment of apthous ulcers (canker sores), herpetic lesions (cold sores/fever blisters), laser bacterial reduction, which reduces the amount of live bacteria in the mouth prior to cleaning. This helps to reduce the bacterial cascade that enters the bloodstream upon the manipulation of gum tissue during cleanings. Some types of oral bacteria are linked to upper respiratory tract infections, so it is a great tool to reduce the risk of spreading harmful bacteria to the rest of the body. We also learned the specific steps associated with laser assisted periodontal therapy, which is augmenting our periodontal disease treatment. Biostimulation means activation and regeneration of damaged cells. These non-active cells are stimulated and new cells are regenerated to get proper cell metabolism. This supports the function of the immune system and thus promotes the healing functions.
We are already implementing new treatment protocols in the office I am very excited to be able to provide these services. Our experience is that diseased gum tissue heals much faster and more completely after treatment with the laser. A simple topical anesthetic gel is all that is needed to prepare the tissue and treatment is typically very easy. In certain cases, we are adding laser treatment to our scaling and root planing (also called deep cleaning) procedures. The laser is not needed on every visit but it is wonderful to have such a practical tool at our disposal.


Stay tuned for the rest of this information in the coming week!
Hope you are all doing well,
Richard Stickney

Laser Dentistry

Hello!
We wanted to talk today about our laser and our continued success with using it. At this point, most of our patients prefer it to having anesthetic on procedures where we can use it. We use the laser for many different procedures including: decay removal, extractions, disinfection, root planning and scaling, gingivalplasty, gingivectomy, and biostimulation. We enjoy being able to use this helpful tool for periodontal and other surgical procedures. One of the advantages to using the MD Waterlase is that the recovery time for invasive procedures is less, and most of our patients report little to no pain after soft tissue procedures.

Here are some interesting comments that some patients have made about the Waterlase, taken from Biolase's official website. (http://www.laserdentistry.com/testimonials.html)

97% of patients who experience Waterlase treatment
would recommend it to their family and friends.

Richter 7 Survey
"I would definitely recommend it.
It was much easier than I thought it would be."
- S. Pruitt, California
"After having this procedure done with a Waterlase MD, I would never want to have another procedure done with your conventional drills, and knives, and sutures, and everything – there’s no need for it."
- M. Roybal, California
"Before, they would get me numb, they’d leave the room, and I’d be sitting there, waiting for myself to get numb, and then they’d come back. This, they started right up."
- T. Flagler Oregon
"I saw a Waterlase® dentist just this morning, after a seven-year absence from the dentist. I belong to an online community and happened to mention how much I despise the dentist. One woman had heard about the Waterlase® and suggested I look into it. I made an appointment and then paid the price for my procrastination--four cavities and one crown (for a horrendous root canal done previously--I've been walking around with a temporary crown for seven years!) Today I went in to have two of the cavities filled and the crown prepped. The dentist used the Waterlase® on both cavities and it was the procedure I've been waiting my whole life for!"
- S. Hogan, California
"You can just have your treatment done, no anticipation. So I do think it’s going to change how people feel about coming to the dentist."
- N. Seyler, Oregon
"I just wanted to comment on the Waterlase®. I lost a crown (pin and all) and figured that the tooth couldn't be saved and I'd have a painful procedure to look forward to. My dentist recently purchased a Waterlase®, I noticed it as soon as I sat in the chair. He asked me if I was willing to have him use the Waterlase to cut back the soft gum tissue so he could reattach the crown. I have to say, even though he said he's only been using it for about 3 days, I had no pain beyond that I get from flossing. It was a wonderful experience and I should know, I've had extensive dental work performed over the last 10 years. I still can't believe I came out of today's visit without any pain or numbness. Thank you Biolase!"
- C. Stevens, Colorado


I hope you are all doing well!
Take care,
Richard Stickney

Zero Tolerance for Bleeding Gums!!

The blog post today is short and sweet. Its taken from: (http://www.Zt4bg.com/ForthePublic.html)
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Imagine a raw wound the size of your palm on your arm. Now just rub the foulest dirt you can imagine into that wound. Do this twenty-four hours a day.

Think that'll be great for the rest of your body (let alone your arm!)??

Heck no, but that's what we do every day, day in and day out if we have bleeding gums ("gingivitis") or frank gum disease going down even deeper into the bone.

And big congratulations to The View that just discussed this newly emerging information.

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Pretty powerful statements huh? Do you think your bleeding gums are no big deal? Many people have the thought that "If it doesnt hurt, I don't need to fix it!" Well when your gums bleed, your body is telling you something, and that something is very important not only for the health of your mouth, but also for your body as a whole! One of the simplest ways to prevent bleeding gums is to change the way you brush your teeth, and floss at least once a day. Think of your toothbrush also as a "gum" brush. Brushing your gums 2 times a day is going to help keep them very healthy, along with regular office visits every 3-6 months depending on individual situations.

To your health,

Richard Stickney

The Importance of Oral Systemic Health

Today's blog is just a few facts about how your oral health effects the rest of your body, and the importance of having a healthy mouth. This is a little fact sheet that I received at the first annual meeting for the American Academy of Oral Systemic Health, and I thought I'd pass along this information!

• The Surgeon General reports that at least 80% of American adults have gum disease

• Gum disease can cause heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke.

• If you have diabetes and bleeding gums, your risk of premature death increases by 400 to 700 percent.

• Gum disease and tooth loss increase risk of Alzheimer's disease

• Pregnant women with gum disease have a 1 in 7 chance of giving birth to a healthy child of normal size.

• Harvard studies state gum disease increases Pancreatic and Kidney cancer risk by 62%.

• Eliminating gum disease adds 6.5 years to your life.

• 93% of people with gum disease are at risk for diabetes.

• Gum therapy improves blood vessel health and helps prevent heart attack and stroke.

• Healthy gums help prevent diabetes.

• People with gum disease are twice as likely to die from heart disease and three times as likely to die from stroke.

• Gum disease increases risk for head and neck cancer.

• Cavities are caused by a germ that spreads during kissing and sharing food.

The first annual meeting for The American Academy for Oral Systemic Health was held in Chicago, IL on June 24, 25, 2011 and I was happy and excited to be a founding member. To find out more information please visit the website: www.AAOSH.org.

Hoping that all of you are well,
Richard Stickney

Dental Implant Maintenance

Dental implants are a serious process and decision. Therefore, it is imperative that once an implant(s) is placed, it is maintained and cared for properly. Hygienists play an important role in the maintenance of dental implants. At each re-care appointment the dental hygienist should conduct a complete assessment of the implant. They should check the surrounding gum tissue for inflammation, bleeding and mobility. The implant should be scaled, preferably before the other natural teeth because studies have shown that the bacteria from the natural teeth can be transferred to the implant and cause damage. It is important that the implant and surrounding gum tissue is properly cared for at home and at the dental office to ensure the longevity of the implant and because plaque build-up on implants has been linked to bone loss. The hygienist should therefore also explain to the patient specific instructions for home care at the end of each re-care appointment.
We are so happy to have Annika as the new hygienist in our office. With her expert help and care, we can insure that we are maintaining our patient's dental implants to the best of our ability. We feel that it is extremely important to care for restorations appropriately in insure their ultimate longevity for our patients. This is beneficial for the oral and overall health of the patient and their pocket books.