Boomerang Champion!

Hello!

Today's post is not about Dentistry, but rather, a post from a proud father! My oldest son, James, participated in the 2012 World Boomerang Championship in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which started on October 17th, 2012 and ended the 29th. This event was 10 days of competition with "boomerangers" from around the world, including countries like Germany, Austrailia, Japan, Brazil, France, Italy, Spain, and many others. In addition to the competition, my son and the other participants got to experience Brazilian culture and food. I'm proud to say that James came in 4th place, which makes him the 4th best in all the world for Boomerang!

There will be a new post this Thursday, as usual, but I just had to share this exciting news with everyone!
I hope you are all staying dry in this Seattle rain (although we should be grateful that we aren't dealing with hurricane Sandy).

Richard Stickney DDS PS

Common Dental Issue

Hello everyone!

Today we wanted to talk about a common issue many of our patients have. On our Health History forms we have the question, "Have you had problems or undesirable experiences with previous dental treatments?" Many of our patients have stated there that they requested no amalgam fillings, but they were put in anyways! You might be wondering, "well how is that possible?"

The answer to that is communication, and the lack of REALLY listening to what the patient wants. As for the amalgams, sometimes they are left behind when a crown is made and they are found years later. They can be underneath old crowns, fillings, or bridges. Other times, some dentists take it upon themselves to make decisions for the patient without consulting with them about what they would prefer.

When we consult with patients about their treatment, whether it be crowns, onlays, composites, etc, we really try to listen to the needs and desires of each individual person. We may have a recommendation, but if the patient would prefer some other form of treatment, we of course would cater to that need, as long as it applies to the situation. When we go over treatment options with them, we outline what the ideal and optimal solutions would be, but also provide alternative plans so that the patient can make an informed decision regarding his or her mouth. To me, patient education plays a major role in my practice so we always encourage our patients to ask questions. We also ask our patients to speak up about things so that we can deliver the best experience for them. We are happy to tell our patients about the materials we are using and why we use them.

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

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.

____________________

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

_________(end)____________


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

Laser Helps With Sensitivity

Hello everyone!

I hope this blog post is finding you all happy and healthy! We just returned from our two week vacation, and we are ready to start up our weekly blog again, sharing timely and informative news with you!

This week's blog is talking again about our dental laser! (Boy do we love it!) But this time we are focusing on how the laser can help with sensitivity during and after dental procedures and how it can help with general tooth sensitivity. We've attached a video at the bottom on this post that explains how the laser can help with sensitivity caused by gum recession and exposed nerve endings. These exposed nerve endings can cause sensitivity to brushing, and cold.

This week alone, we've done a couple of composite fillings with the use of our Waterlase. Asking the patients afterwards how they felt during the treatment, all of them said they had no discomfort. No anesthetic was used during either of these treatments. Unfortunately, we cannot use the laser for every procedure, but we do use it as often as we possibly can. Many of our patients prefer the use of our laser opposed to the use of anesthetic and the drill. On the flip side, some people prefer not feeling anything at all and want to be numb, so we definitely respect all of our patients wishes.

If you'd like to see an animated demonstration of how the laser can help with tooth sensitivity, please follow this link to watch a short video.

Please feel free to leave feedback in the comments section or on our Facebook or Twitter pages!

Be well,
Richard Stickney

Don't Wait Until the Last Minute!

Use it or lose it!

What are we talking about here? Dental insurance.

Many of our patients have dental insurance, that if not used within the calendar year (January-December), they lose that coverage; it does not roll over into the new year. So what happens every year is many people decide to come in in December, and we book up very fast, often being booked out for weeks. The problem with this is that with most dental insurance companies they cover based on the finished date. For example, if a patient needed a crown prep, the insurance company would go based on the SEAT date, not the PREP date.

So if a patient comes in for a prep on December 28th, that restoration may not be covered in that year because it takes about 2 weeks for the crown to be made and sent back to us to be seated.

We want to encourage everyone to start booking their cleanings and restorative work early so you'll be sure to get insurance coverage for the work! November and December are the busiest times of the year for most dental offices. Don't wait until the last minute!

Enjoy the rest of the summer!
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

What's In Your Mouthwash?

Today we wanted to talk a little bit about what's being put into current toothpastes and mouthwashes. A dangerous chemical called Triclosan, which is an antibacterial chemical used in mouthwash and toothpaste, along with other products such as lipstick, deodorant and hand soap. A new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has shown that not only does Triclosan hinder reproductive hormone activity and signaling in the brain, but also has dramatic effects on cardiac functions and hinders muscle contractions on a cellular level. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently investigating the safety of this chemical.

What we'd like to get across to our patients is the importance of checking the ingredients on the dental products you use. Many of the popular products on the market these days are using ingredients and chemicals that might be harmful to overall health. These chemicals are then being absorbed quickly into the body "sub-lingually" (under the tongue) and directly into the blood stream.

I once heard from Dr. Marshall that you don't want to put anything on your skin or in your mouth that you wouldn't eat because it can be absorbed into the skin very easily. And that has become part of my philosophy here; don't put things in your body that cause problems. In my practice I like to use and recommend products that are natural and that have no harmful chemicals in them. One of the mouthwashes and toothpastes that I carry is from a company called "Dental Herb Company" and their products contain medicinal grade herbs and essential oils. The tonic and toothpaste contain no artificial chemicals, flavorings, preservatives, sweeteners or fractionated ingredients.

I hope that you are all experiencing good health!
Richard Stickney DDS