Introducing Our New Hygienist, Annika Mundus!

We are very excited about a new addition to our team! We have decided to add a hygienist to our staff, to ensure you are receiving the ultimate dental care on your routine cleaning visits. We wanted to take a little time for you to get to know her!

"Hello, I would like to introduce myself to everyone. My name is Annika Mundus and I recently joined Dr. Stickney's team as a dental hygienist. I grew up in Squaw Valley, California skiing and snowboarding to my hearts content. I began as a dental assistant when I was 17 and found that I truly enjoyed the field of dentistry. I decided to become a dental hygienist and attended Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists which was affiliated with Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. I graduated in 2002 Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science of Dental Hygiene. I have worked in a variety of offices, some traditional and some that tried to incorporate holistic ideals. I am excited to join Dr. Stickney and his staff and continue learning about true holistic dentistry. I look forward to meeting all of our patients!
I briefly wanted to share an experience with you. Recently, we had a patient come in and he was surprised to find out that he had several new areas of decay that required restorations. When doctor Stickney asked about his diet he said that he has been eating a lot of trail mix with dried fruit. I too had a similar experience with dried fruits. I spent a few months on a road trip and had almonds and dried apricots as a snack and came home with a few new cavities of my own. Here is what happened to both of us: Dried fruit contains a high amount of sugar and is sticky. Small bits of dried fruit stick in the pits and grooves of the chewing surface of the tooth between brushings. The bacteria consumes the sugars and as a biproduct of metabolizing the sugars, the bacteria produces acid that demineralizes the enamel and causes tooth decay. The longer the sugar is present on the tooth, the more it is available to be metabolized by bacteria, the more acid is produced, the more tooth decay! Sticky sweets, even healthful dried fruits, can cause cavities.

Even though I knew they were cariogenic, as a recently graduated dental hygienist, I thought I could do a good enough job with my brushing. It was another reminder to watch how much dried fruit I eat and to educate our patients do to the same." -Annika Mundus

We look forward to you all meeting her!

Thank you and be well,
Rick Stickney and Team

Periodontal Disease and Your Health

Hello Everyone,

Recently, we have been focusing a lot of attention on periodontal disease and the Perio Protect Treatment. There has been so much new information regarding periodontal disease and the link to your overall health, that I feel that it is important to continue sharing it with you. We have many patients that are currently using the Perio Protect Trays with hydrogen peroxide and antioxidant medications to treat their gum disease and are having great results. We have some updated information that we wanted to make sure to pass on to our Perio Protect users, to ensure you are receiving the utmost benefits:

Previously, you were instructed to brush and floss before using your trays. We now have new direction to use the trays prior to brushing and flossing. The reason for this is that when you brush and floss your teeth you are disturbing the oral bacteria and releasing it into your system. When you use your Perio Protect Trays first, you will be killing off 99% of the bad bacteria prior to brushing and flossing, therefore, limiting your body's exposure to the harmful bacteria. So if you are currently using the trays, please alter your routine to using the trays prior to brushing and flossing.

We also want to emphasize the importance of using the trays more than once a day if you currently have periodontitis or gingivitis. I have added a extremely motivating video to this blog that I encourage you to watch. It shows a plate sample of oral bacterial and it's growth within a 24 hour period of time under high magnification. When you use your trays you are killing off 99% of the bad bacteria. As shown in the video, any remaining bacteria in your mouth quickly will multiply and within a 24 hour period of time return full force. Therefore, it is important to use the trays multiple times as a day, as directed, to keep the bacteria level low so your gum tissue has time to heal.

Negative Effects of Periodontal Disease

Biofilm, communities of bacteria found on teeth and gum, causes inflammation of the gum tissue. Since the gum tissue is only three cell walls thick, toxic bacteria can make its way through the gum tissue into the blood stream. Once the bacteria reaches the blood stream it can be linked to major health problems. For example, did you know that if you have periodontal disease you are:
168% more likely to develop Heart Disease
250% more likely to have a Stroke
300% more likely to get Osteoporosis and
700% more likely to have a low birth weight baby?

Researchers have also found oral bacteria in the artery walls of the heart and in blood vessels. C Reactive Protein is a measure of inflammation in the body and can be measured by blood work. Many physicians view elevated C Reactive Protein as more predictive of a future heart attack than high cholesterol! Inflammation is a healthy person's response to injury or infection. The inflammatory process alerts our immune system which helps us to heal. However, when inflammation becomes chronic, it becomes a major health problem.

A colleague of mine, Dr. Ostler, put together a bibliography of almost 1,000 studies conducted showing the negative effects of periodontal disease to your systemic (overall) health. We have this bibliography in our office for those of you who like see for yourself the eye-opening results.

I am personally committed to helping my patients to attain their ultimate health. As we can see, treating periodontal disease is part of this process. Please contact our office if you would like further information about periodontal disease and the Perio Protect Treatment.

Thank you and be well.

Dr. Rick Stickney and Team

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.