Potential risk factors associated with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders

Researchers have identified potential risk factors for temporomandibular joint disorders, referred to as TMD.  The study presented in the NYSDA News pointed out that individuals with symptoms such as:

• Pain in the chewing muscles or jaw joint
• Pain in the neck, jaw and face
• Stiff jaw muscles
• A jaw that locks or has limited movement
• Painful clicking, popping, or grating in the jaw joint
• Changes in the fit between upper and lower teeth
• Notches at the gumline on more than one tooth

• Excessive wear to teeth

Temporomandibular disorders are estimated to affect more than 10 million Americans; women more so than men, according to the National Institutes of Health.  If you have one or more of the symptoms listed above you should ask your health care professional more about the problem or ask for a referral to someone that does manage TMJ disorders (TMD).

At Aesthetic Dental Designs® we have extensive training on handling the various types of TMD.  Dr Todd Snyder, DDS completed an extensive 17 month training program on occlusion and TMJ disorders at the prestigious FACE Institute in Burlingame, CA.

Decrease your risk for a Stroke or Heart Attack

The American Heart Association recently presented a study showing that individuals receiving professional tooth scaling was associated with fewer strokes and heart attacks.  Of the 100,000 people that had their teeth scaled and cleaned, 24% had a lower risk of heart attack and 13% lower risk of stroke compared to those who had never received a cleaning.  The participants were followed for 7 years.

Professional teeth cleaning and scaling appeared to reduce inflammation causing bacterial growth that could lead to bacteria spreading to other parts of the body putting one at greater risk for heart disease and stroke.

Find out more about other new links in the Oral/Systemic Health Connection.
At Aesthetic Dental Designs®, we want everyone to be aware that regular cleanings 2-3x a year is recommended for healthy adults as bacterial buildup on the teeth and root systems at a toxic level at 90 days. Keeping that colonization from progressing and spreading throughout the mouth and body will have huge benefits in ones life and health care expenses.

Have you been checked?

Velscope Vx Oral Assessment Device

April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month.

Aesthetic Dental Designs® wants everyone to consider the life changing potential of having oral cancer.  Many people think it will never happen to them, but it can, it can happen to anyone at any age even if you are not a tobacco user or a consumer of alcohol.  Oral cancer is becoming more prevalent in our teenagers also due to the human papilloma virus.

Make sure you get an oral cancer screening once a year by your dentist.  Furthermore, a fairly recent device that is non-invasive and takes less than two minues that can provide early detection is the Velscope Vx.  We are using this device on every patient and have found early forms of cancer that are completely undetectable without its use on a few of our patients already.  Dont wait to find out and check yearly.  April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month and Dr. Snyder and his staff would like everyone to help spread the information so that other's can benefit.

Some amazing facts to consider: 30,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year. It will cause over 8,000 deaths, killing roughly 1 person per hour, 24 hours per day. Of those 30,000 newly diagnosed individuals, only half will be alive in 5 years. Overall survival rate is 18% or less. This is a number which has not significantly improved in decades. The death rate for oral cancer is higher than that of cervical cancer, Hodgkin’s disease, cancer of the brain, liver, testes, kidney, ovary, or skin cancer (malignant melanoma).

Thinking about getting porcelain veneers?? Choose carefully.....



A new smile with porcelain veneers done
by Dr Todd Snyder (top photo),
replacing the poor quality veneers
that were done by a different dentist (bottom photo).



Everyone wants to look good and have an amazing smile, but if you are thinking about altering your smile with porcelain veneers there are some things you need to know, and the process is not reversible. First is that a veneer is a custom made piece of art hand crafted as a one of kind piece of glass. Every dentist does them differently, and every office uses a different ceramist to fabricate the veneer. Custom craftsmanship has lots of variables. Take extra time to talk about a doctor's previous cases when interviewing an office. Ask to see plenty of photographs demonstrating the quality of the work, make sure it is their work and not just stock photographs of someone else's work. Find out about how the veneer process works in each dental office you interview as it is not the same in all offices. Ask about how the teeth and gums will be handled during the procedure as well as any temporary restorations while waiting for the final veneers to be completed. Veneers can be done in many ways and on one tooth or many teeth. Veneers when done well can look every bit as natural as the tooth next to it. More importantly veneers need to look believable and unperceivable as shown here by Dr Todd Snyder's work at Aesthetic Dental Designs®, in Laguna Niguel, California where he has replaced six existing veneers with new ones. In replacing the bulky white veneers shown in the bottom photo, notice how the lip position was able to be enhanced as well as creating healthier gum tissues, and a more symmetric smile. To replace existing work that has damaged tooth structure and gum tissue can be a lot more costly and challenging, so take the time to interview and ask many questions. At Aesthetic Dental Designs® we always offer complementary consultations.

What are you Blowing??

Everytime you talk you are potentially offending someone.  It could be what you are saying, but more importantly its what your talking or blowing over.  Dr Todd Snyder, DDS of Aesthetic Dental Designs® in Orange County, California states that your tongue has millions of bacteria on it and when they digest food they give off a biproduct made of volatile sulfur compounds.  These compounds smell horrible!!  SO when you talk you are actually blowing the smelly waste product of these bacteria out of your mouth at people in your vacinity. 

Death from gum disease?

Yes it is possible that you or anyone else can die from complications that arise from gum disease.  Gum disease has been linked to overall health in many ways.  Gum (periodontal) disease has been shown to cause an increased risk of blood clots, which could lead to the onset of heart attacks and strokes.  Inflammation that occurs in the mouth due to the bacterial invasion of the oral tissues creates a measurable effect in the bloodstream which is sent througout the body thus potentially compromising other organs.  The pancreas is another organ that can be damaged which increases the risk of diabetes or can worsen the status of existing diabetics health condition.  According to some reports, more than 70% of the population suffers from periodontal disease.

Pregnant women are at risk as well in that they could potentially have premature births and or low birth weights.  This is again due to the oral bacteria that are present in periodontal disease which often flourish in the second trimester due to hormonal changes in the mother.  This bacteria travels through the blood stream which can compromise the baby and give rise to premature births and low birth weights.  Expecting mothers with periodontal disease have a seven times higher risk of premature births than expectant mothers that do not have periodontal disease.

Brushing and flossing properly and meticulously after each meal is the only way to irradicate the disease from your mouth in addition to seeing your dental professionals regularly for checkups and cleanings.  You will live longer and be happier by taking a few extra minutes in your day to protect yourself and those around you.  Yes it is a disease and it is transmisable to others. See some of my other blogs on this topic and more informative dental topics.

For further information you can contact Todd Snyder, DDS, Laguna Niguel Dentist at Aesthetic Dental Designs®. 

 

Acidic Foods and Liquids, linked to Tooth Health

The current typical Western diet is largely composed of acidic foods and liquids (coffee, sodas, energy drinks, some bottled waters and many types of foods). Alkaline foods such as milk, cheese and vegetables are eaten in much smaller quantities. Many foods are alkaline by nature, but many manufactured processed foods are acidic.

Many people will often consume acidic liquids and foods consistently throughout the day while working or going to school.  This process does not allow the body's salivary glands enough time to neutralize the acidity in the mouth which will lead to tooth erosion, damage, and tooth decay over time.  It is important to rinse out the mouth after a meal or eat alkaline type foods at the end of a meal to assist in neutralizing the acidity of the mouth.  Think of eating a piece of cheese after a meal. 

There are some other products that can help reduce the acidity of the mouth as well.  Chewing gums that have Xylitol and Recaldent are excellent sugar free sources that can assist in neutralizing acidity in ones mouth by stimulating the salivary glands to naturally secret saliva that will buffer acidity.  Products like MI Paste can also help to diminsh the effects of acidity on our teeth when applied to the teeth daily.

Brushing and flossing also helps to remove remaining food and bacteria that cause increased levels of acidity to remain while the natural body defense of saliva is trying to counteract the acidity.  It has been noted after eating or drinking very acidic foods and liquids that the teeth may be more susceptible to toothbrush damage.  Allowing the acidity of the mouth to diminsh or be reduced prior to brushing may take about 15 to 30 minutes based on salivary flow, stimulation and other factors.

Todd Snyder, DDS of Aesthetic Dental Designs in Laguna Niguel, CA. states that anyone from children to elderly should try to minimze the acidic attack on their teeth daily by chewing sugarless gum and rinsing with water after meals followed by brushing and flossing.  By doing so the protective enamel coating will last longer and teeth will have their health and pretty white exterior for many more years.