Continuing Education: Gum Disease and Overall Health

We have been utilizing the Perio Protect System in our practice for almost two years with impressive results. I recently had the opportunity to attend the first annual Perio Protect annual meeting in Las Vegas on April 8^th and 9^th 2011. There were two days of presentations from the inventor of the Perio Protect system, various dentists and a Periodontist.

There were several take home messages from the conference I would like to share with you:

1. Two years ago the medical research was saying periodontal infection was a PROBABLE causative factor in heart disease and other medical diseases such as strokes, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis and pregnancy problems. Now, the medical research is saying periodontal infection IS a causative in the disease process along with other causative factors. Oral pathogenic (disease causing) bacteria cause infection that affect your dental health and general health. Now we have scientific validation of what I have been saying for many years.

2. Oxygen therapy has been proven to kill the pathogen bacteria. The proven way to do this is with Perio Protect Trays and hydrogen peroxide medication. Hydrogen peroxide liberates the oxygen that gets rid of the bad bugs.

3. A new study showed that for most people brushing and flossing alone did not control their dental disease over time. I have seen so many patients that brush and floss very well and eat a good diet and yet they still have decay or gum problems.

4. Using Perio Protect Trays with Hydrogen peroxide and other medicaments is becoming a foundation tool to protect your dental and overall health and well being.

5. If a person has gum inflammation, the simple act of eating increases bacterial toxins 400 percent in the person’s blood stream.

I believe in being a role model for my patients. Ever since having my old dental amalgam fillings removed improved my health over night, the mouth-body connection has fascinated me. I have been exploring natural health for many years. I believe the drug and surgery oriented approach that is in use in our health care system is flawed. Drugs and surgery can be important, but they do not solve the cause of disease. When I place a restoration on a tooth, it preserves the tooth. However, if we do not do something to alter what caused the need for the restoration then the problem will come back.

Perio Protect is a fantastic tool for stripping oral biofilm and reducing the risk of oral pathogens causing further dental disease and system problems.

In my next Blogs/Newsletter I will be sending information on the best ideas to improve your dental and overall health.

Two books I have recently read and put to use are:

The Secret of Instant Healing, Author: Frank Kinslow

The Immortality Edge, Authors: Dr. Fossel, Greta Blackburn and Dr. Woynarowski

For mediators or people who are interested in meditation, The Secret of Instant Healing book is fantastic. Dr. Kinslow teaches you how to instantly go into the Gap. I spent many years getting there but not being able to replicate it easily. It can take years of constant work. Well, not anymore! Dr. Kinslow shows you how to do it in a matter of minutes. The beauty is that you can easily go back into this peaceful state anytime you want.

The Immortality Edge is a book about the latest research in anti-aging medicine. It focuses on how to prolong your health and life by preserving and protecting your telomeres. Telomeres protect your DNA. Every time your cells divide your telomeres become shorter. Short telomeres means your cells are approaching the end stage. When enough cells are at the end stage, organ systems are in trouble and people die as a result.

At a conference I was once attended a doctor said, “I want to die young, just at a later date.” I became so interested in this idea and the research found in this book that I decided to search for more information. I found an interview and presentation by one of the authors, Dr. Woynarowski, that I listened to attentively. I wanted even more information, so I contacted the company that developed TA-65, which is a nutraceutical discussed in this book. I have followed the process, and now I am now certified to prescribe this nutraceutical to my patients. TA-65 is very interesting. It is extracted from Astragalus, the Chinese herb. TA-65 is the only substance that has been proven to actually increase telomere length. This preserves your cells. The health of your body is the health of your cells. I highly recommend this book, if long term health and well being are important to you.

Office Staff Continuing Education

Dear Readers,

In order to keep my practice up to date with the latest procedures and technology, I am devoted to participate in as much continuing education possible. That being said, I wanted to update you on the latest seminars my staff and I have been able to attend.

'Restoring Implants and Their Surrounding Teeth'
Presented By: Dr. Tony Mancuso
Office Attendees: Dr. Richard Stickney

Dr. Mancuso is known for being one of Canada's leading experts on restorative dentistry. In this particular seminar, he focused on the restoration of implants and surrounding teeth. A dental implant is an artificial tooth replacement used to replace missing teeth and prevent or stop jaw bone loss. Dental implants have become a large and important part of restorative and cosmetic dentistry. Therefore, I believe it is very important for the welfare of my patients that I am fully educated and updated about the implant process and restoration of previous implant work. This seminar focused on pretreatment considerations for proper treatment outcomes, treatment planning for crowns and bridges, mini implants, restoring full mouth reconstructions utilizing implants and porcelain restorations. I also appreciate and support Dr. Mancuso's approach to placing crown margins above gum tissue in order to prevent gum disease. This is not a process all dentists incorporate, but I find that keeping the margins above the gum tissue prevents bacterial build up and infection. I found Dr. Tony Mancuso and his seminar very informative and interesting. I look forward to implementing the tools and information he presented to better serve you!

'Dentrix Insight Seminar'
Presented By: Dentrix Software Representative, Dayna Johnson
Office Attendees: Kendra Kyselica, Front Office

Previously, we had announced to you that we transitioned over to a new dental software, Dentrix, in order to be more efficient and serve you better. Kendra was able to attend this continuing education seminar to ensure our office is able to take full advantage of the Dentrix services and benefits. One of the highlights of the seminar was how to go paperless! This is something that our office has been striving for, in order to keep up with all the technical advances and of course, to support our environment. Also beneficial was the information on how to more effectively follow up with you! This new software enables us to better track your upcoming appointments and needs so that we can make sure we are giving you the very best service possible. In addition, we have been able to implement the very helpful Dentrix treatment planning tool. This enables us to print and or email you your treatment plan! The treatment plan layout is very simple and informative so that you can be as educated as possible about your dental needs. We can even print out or email you a graphic chart showing you your plan more visually. So far we are very happy with this new software and look forward to using it even more fully in the future!

Seattle Met Magazine Top Dentists 2011

We are so excited to share that Dr. Stickney is listed as one of the top dentists of 2011 in the February issue of Seattle Met Magazine! On the first page of the article our office is featured for our holistic and laser dentistry. We are honored to be recognized for our holistic approach and state of the art technology. We wanted to share this information with all of you!

New Dental Software to Serve You Better!

To serve you better, my office staff and I have transitioned into using the new dental software, Dentrix! This new program will not only help my team and I to be more organized and productive, but it will help us to serve you more efficiently. From scheduling and appointment reminders to helping you understand your treatment options and optimal plan, this software has it all! This program will enable us to show you your mouth virtually, and display educational videos on the treatments you require or have questions about. We are convinced this new technology will add to the level of service we provide.

'Longevity Now' Seminar

I recently participated in the 'Longevity Now' online seminar put on by Nutritionist and Best-selling Author, David Wolfe. I am really excited to apply the knowledge and remedies to my own life and into my dental practice! The seminar focused on strengthening the immune system, detoxification, living longer and feeling younger! Some of the key factors revealed in the seminar to attaining the above goals included eating raw foods, Vitamin D and medicinal mushrooms. I was so thrilled to learn about the health benefits of the medicinal mushroom supplements that I will be carrying them in my office. The mushroom supplements and the 'Longevity Now' DVD will be available to my patients interested in learning more. I am looking forward to experiencing these new techniques to promote overall health and wellness! I would like to send a special thank you to Dr. Les Berenson for referring me to this helpful information.

Why do I need my crown replaced?

Several of my new patients have come into our practice recently, and many of them have asked me this very common question, 'I thought crowns lasted forever; why do I need my crown replaced?' In each of these new patients I had found decay under their crowns, some mild and some so deep the tooth could not be saved. This prompted me to write an article to explain this common misconception.
A crown is the last restorative step a dentist can take before the tooth is lost. A crown can either be a partial or a full, meaning it fits over part of the tooth or all of it. A crown can restore the tooth for many years. How long a crown last depends on the quality of the dentist's technique and how well the patient takes care of the tooth.
Where the crown meets the tooth is very vulnerable. This is where decay can get it. The crown itself never decays but the tooth can, especially in the seam or margin. There are many reasons this can happen. For instance, sometimes crowns don't really fit well to begin with. The lab could have made an error while making the crown, or the cement may have not sealed well because of moisture contamination.
There are steps that you and your dentist can take to be sure you have a quality crown:
1. The patient should have healthy gums before the crown is made so the impression is accurate.
2. Dentists should check the impression carefully. Even the smallest bubble means the impression should be redone. If the impression isn't perfect then the lab can't make a quality crown. Over the years I have talked to many dental labs; their estimate is 50% of the impressions are inadequate.
3. The dentist should work under high power magnification to insure a clear margin, or edge, for the dental lab.
4. While the patient is wearing the temporary, excellent home care is essential. The patient needs to keep the tooth and gums very clean.
5. The dentist should clean and disinfect the tooth before seating the crown.
6. The dentist should carefully check the fit of the crown before cementing.
7. The dentist should us a water insoluble cement. 70% of dental cements are water soluble and their failure rate is higher.
8. It is important that the bite is correct. An error of a few degrees can cause problems. The dentist should carefully evaluate the bite on all crowns. However, after the seating of the crown the patient is usually numb. If the bite doesn't feel right after the patient returns home the patient should always come back for an adjustment. Patients that ignore that their bite is off can cause real problems to their dental health.
9. The dentist should take a final x-ray to verify the fit is excellent.
10. The patient then should schedule a follow up continuing care appointment.
11. If the patient feels that their floss is catching on an edge around the crown or the floss shreds, the patient should make a follow up appointment and the crown should be reevaluated by the dentist. This could be a sign of problems with the crown.
12. The patient should eat a diet low in refined sugars. This is important for the dental and overall health of the patient.
If a patient needs a crown, I would assume that the patient has or has had a high risk of dental decay. In this case, follow up appointments are extremely important. If something starts to go wrong we want to be able to catch it early. Regular cleanings as well as brushing and flossing at home are also very important for the health of all your teeth including your crowns.
Most patients choose to have porcelain crowns. These crowns are beautiful and natural in appearance and are kind to the dental tissues. The disadvantage is a small percent of porcelain crowns do break or fracture. This should be taken into consideration when getting a new crown.
To sum up, crowns usually need to replaced at some point, but the patient can do a lot to preserve the health and longevity of their crowns. First, choose a dentist that abides by all of the guidelines stated above. Second, take responsibility for your dental health. Have regular cleanings, excellent home care and diet, and follow up on any and all concerns related to your crown.

A Natural Story Teller

Ever since he was little, my son James has always loved to have stories told to him. Recently he needed to have some dental treatment so our newest team member, Katlyn, stayed late to assist me in doing his treatment. My son asked Katlyn to tell him a story to distract him during his procedure and she happily complied. Wow! For the full hour she told him a great story that kept his mind occupied during his care. The story started and ended in Australia with stops in Europe and Africa. She drew a mental picture of all the characters. I have to tell you, I can't wait for the sequel! I hope you all get a chance to meet her and maybe even hear one of her stories; she assists me in the afternoons if you want to make an appointment while she is here :). She has been a great addition to our team. Thank you Katlyn!