Things that happen if you avoid the dentist

Many people believe good oral care means they only need to brush their teeth once or twice each day, and floss once daily. While these are important actions, it’s also necessary to schedule regular dental appointments for a checkup and professional teeth cleaning.

Consider four things that happen if you don’t:

• Tooth decay – Daily tooth brushing and flossing help keep plaque under control. Plaque is created by food particles that join with bacteria to form a substance that adheres to teeth. If not removed, plaque can break down tooth enamel and cause decay. During regular dental checkups, dental professionals clean and remove plaque. Skipping these appointments allows bacteria to flourish and attack your teeth and gums, and create decay that may require extensive restorations, such as a root canal or crown, and also cause bad breath.
• Gum disease – Untreated tooth decay can lead to gum or periodontal disease. The gums are designed to provide a tight cover around your teeth and roots. Plaque bacteria can attack the gums, causing swelling and bleeding, allowing bacteria to settle underneath. If not treated properly, this condition, called gingivitis, can lead to periodontal disease.
• Health problems – During a checkup, dental professionals also may detect signs of serious medical problems. Catching these problems early may help you avoid expensive medical bills. If you don’t regularly see the dentist, health problems, such as hypertension, diabetes, oral cancers, kidney failure and heart disease may not be discovered until they’re in a more advanced stage. Often it’s because people see their dentist more often than their regular medical doctor.
• Stains – Drinking coffee, tea and wine, or smoking cigarettes can stain teeth and create an unattractive smile. Professional teeth cleanings help remove stains. However, dark discolorations may require cosmetic dentistry procedures to remove stains and whiten teeth.

What to Expect at the Dentist

A visit to the dentist doesn’t have to be something to dread. Dentists and hygienists want to help, and they’ll usually try to make your office visit as easy as possible.

You can often watch movies or TV. They may break up work into many visits so it’s not too much in one sitting. And there are options for pain relief or sedation during procedures.

Making it to the chair puts you closer to better health and smiling with more confidence.

Before the Appointment

Plan enough time off from work or school to feel less rushed or anxious about getting back. When you make your appointment, ask how long a cleaning and exam usually take, then add extra time to that. You’ll be in the dentist’s chair longer if it’s been a while since your last visit. An end-of-day appointment is a good option so you can go right home.

If you have dental insurance, see if your dentist is in-network to save money. You may have to pay a co-pay when you’re at the office, or your dentist might bill you the balance after your insurance pays them. If you don’t have insurance, find out ahead of time how much you should plan to pay at your appointment.

On the day, get there early so you can fill out paperwork (or turn it in if forms are available online ahead of time) and give the staff time to set you up. Have your driver’s license and insurance card ready when you check in at the reception desk.

A Routine Visit

A dental hygienist covers your chest with a plastic or paper cloth, and you may get eye shields to wear, too. You’ll see a tray of metal and perhaps ultrasonic tools. The hygienist uses these, working a tooth at a time, to scrape off any hard buildup of plaque and tartar on the surfaces and along your gumline. They may floss between your teeth, too.

If your jaw hurts or you have mouth pain while they’re cleaning, let the hygienist know. You can have rest breaks when you need them.

After that’s done, you’ll rinse well. Using a tool with a spinning head, the hygienist polishes your teeth. You might even get to choose the flavor of buffing paste. And you’ll rinse again.

Typically, you’ll get X-rays every year or so to help find problems that are just starting or are hard to see.

Then the hygienist brings the dentist in to do a thorough exam, checking each tooth and looking for pockets or gaps between your teeth and gums.

A tool called a periodontal probe, which could be metal or ultrasonic, helps the dentist find problem spots. It can also measure the depth of any gum pockets. The hygienist often stays to record notes in your chart.

Afterward, the dentist will talk to you about how things are looking and what’s next.

After the Visit

If your mouth is sore, you can take over-the-counter pain relievers.

Call the office between routine visits if you have questions, your teeth hurt, or your jaw swells. Issues like broken teeth are an emergency, and you should let your dentist know right away.

Follow-up Care

When your mouth is healthy, you should probably get a cleaning and exam every 6 months. Depending on what the dentist finds during your exam, they’ll recommend a treatment plan, dealing with the most needed care first.

To take care of problems, you’ll likely need to come back sooner than you would for another routine visit.

You may need fillings to close up cavities in the teeth before they get larger. For more serious decay, crowns surround and cover the core of the damaged tooth, keeping the root in place. This “cap” is cemented in place to look and feel like the real thing.

Cosmetic bonding, veneers, and shaping can improve the appearance of any broken and discolored teeth. Ask your dentist about options for improving your overall smile.

To start healing gum problems, scaling and root planing clean the sides of the teeth below the gumline so the gums can tighten up around the roots better. You may need X-rays every 6 months to check your progress.

If the dentist finds infection or swelling in the roots of a tooth, you might need a root canal. This treatment involves opening the tooth and cleaning the inside before closing it back up. You may need to see a specialist called an endodontist.

Dental X-Rays

Overview

Dental X-rays (radiographs) are images of your teeth that your dentist uses to evaluate your oral health. These X-rays are used with low levels of radiation to capture images of the interior of your teeth and gums. This can help your dentist to identify problems, like cavities, tooth decay, and impacted teeth.

Dental X-rays may seem complex, but they’re actually very common tools that are just as important as your teeth cleanings.

Why dental X-rays are performed

Dental X-rays are typically performed yearly. They can happen more often if your dentist is tracking the progress of a dental problem or treatment.

Factors affecting how often you get dental X-rays may include:

• your age
• your current oral health
• any symptoms of oral disease
• a history of gum disease (gingivitis) or tooth decay

If you’re a new patient, you’ll probably undergo dental X-rays so that your new dentist can get a clear picture of your dental health. This is especially important if you don’t have any X-rays from your previous dentist.

Children may need to have dental X-rays more often than adults because their dentists might need to monitor the growth of their adult teeth. This is important because it can help the dentist determine if baby teeth need to be pulled to prevent complications, such as adult teeth growing in behind baby teeth.

Starting a Dental Practice: Tips For Success

Let’s begin by saying that, as a dentist, you’ve chosen an amazing line of work with proven high success rates. With every chapter, every experience and every challenge you encounter in your career, there is opportunity. Hopefully you will take from this article insights about growth, learning and avoiding the costly mistakes many new practice owners make.

Do some homework.

The failure rate for dental practices is very low, but when it happens, it can be a life-defining disaster, both professionally and personally. In the past, one could build a practice from scratch and have a booked schedule of patients before opening for business. This is rarely the case today. As soon as your mind is made up to become your own boss, start exploring the unknowns that lie ahead. Talk with current practice owners about what challenges they faced, what they did to prevail, and what (if anything) they would do differently today. Once you’re comfortable with the challenges you’re likely to face, you’re ready to move on to tip No. 2.

Build a network of trusted advisers.

Starting on the day you decide to start a practice, you’ll meet many people. As you filter through all the advice and various relationships you’ll establish, it is important to team yourself with industry-specific advisers who will help you with the many crucial decisions you’ll make.

Your team of trusted advisers should include:

Dental-specific building contractors. This is very important. Trying to save money with a general contractor who’s not experienced in building out dental practices can lead to overruns and frustration. Dental-specific contractors are easy to find: Your equipment specialist can likely put you in touch with contractors they’ve worked with, or you can look for contractors at your state annual session. You can also check with colleagues who may have valuable feedback about contractor performance.

A specialized CPA. A general dentist can do root canals, but an endodontist is highly recommended for more difficult procedures. In much the same way, a specialized Certified Public Accountant is highly recommended for your practice. Of course, there are many general CPAs who would like to earn your business, but we encourage you to have a conversation with a CPA who works with at least 25 dental clients.

A dental equipment specialist. A good equipment specialist won’t try to sell you as much equipment as your financing will allow, but instead will look out for your best interests. This person can also be one of your most insightful advisers. In fact, it’s not uncommon for a dental practice owner to maintain a career-long relationship with a trusted equipment specialist. It is important to these specialists that your start-up practice is positioned for success, since they hope to provide you with updated equipment and the latest technology for many years to come.

A dental-specific lender. Many financial institutions — including local, regional, and national banks, SBA lenders and loan brokers — are interested in financing dental practices. Some are experienced in the dental industry and some are general small business lenders who typically look to lend against the collateral in the transaction and don’t always consider soft costs, which include build-out or tenant improvement and working capital. Dental-specific lenders are familiar with the true cost of a start-up practice, which may run upwards of $450,000 (and of which only a third is equipment costs.) It’s important to work with a lender who understands the project breakdown.

Secure financing.

While there is no shortage of banks wanting to lend to dentists, you may find that your local bank and others are unfamiliar with the cost and funding allocation requirements for a start-up practice. But many major lenders are familiar with your needs and can provide you with the required funds. Also, be sure not to base your loan decision solely on interest rate. Although the rate is important in keeping your payments lower, it should only be one factor in your decision-making process

Teeth Care Tips From Dentists That Shouldn’t Be Ignored

It’s good to have a friend who is a dentist, right? Of course, they won’t treat you for free but they can always give you some useful piece of advice and warn you of dangers you may have never even thought about. And surprisingly, our oral health depends on even the smallest details.

It’s really easy to damage your enamel this way (especially if you use a hard toothbrush). Food and drinks disrupt the pH-balance in the mouth and make the tooth enamel a little softer for a short time. Dentists recommend brushing teeth at least 30-40 minutes after having a meal.

Of course, nobody says that swimming is not beneficial for your health. But the problem is that the chemicals used to disinfect the water in swimming pools have a terrible effect on the teeth. In the 80s, American scientists published the results of a study that focused on the health of teeth of professional swimmers, 40% of whom suffered from tooth enamel damage.

Think about the way we drink tea or coffee at work. We pour the full cup of hot coffee and drink it in small sips, constantly talking to our colleague, and answering e-mails. While we are doing it, the coffee (especially coffee with sugar) is working on destroying the enamel of our teeth. So, it’s best to drink this beverage as quickly as possible.

First, a cavity is an open source of infection that spreads from the tooth tissues to the gums and could then get into the bloodstream and affect the fetus. This could lead to premature birth and the baby having serious congenital diseases.

Helpful Dental Tips for our Burnaby Patients

This is where we will regularly update our patients on what’s new and exciting at our practice and in dentistry at large.

This blog will provide information on advances in dental technology, oral home care health tips, news about our practice, and more! We hope you will read and respond to the array of engaging topics here, from health, beauty, technology, and family.

“it’s a smile, it’s a kiss, it’s a sip of wine … it’s summertime!” ― Kenny Chesney… How poetic, and more importantly that Kenny Chesney recognized it is the smile that comes first.

“Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.” Laertius Diogenes… Here in our office time is ever present.

There are so many different toothbrushes on the market today. How do I know which one is the right one for me? Walk down the dental product isle in any drugstore, pharmacy or supermarket and the choices can be overwhelming.

Why do my gums bleed when I brush and floss?

This unfortunately is an all too common problem and generally means that gum disease (gingivitis/periodontitis) is present.

What Implant Crowns From a Cosmetic Dentist Can Do For You

Many cosmetic dentists recommend implant crowns over other teeth replacement options because of the long-term benefits they offer. It is helpful to fully understand what dental implants are and how they help patients when determining an appropriate treatment choice.

Many cosmetic dentists offer implant crowns as a way for patients with a missing tooth or multiple missing teeth to restore the appearance of their smile, improve oral health and make daily oral functions easier. The following is an overview of dental implants, including what they are exactly, how they help patients and how the placement process works.

What are dental implants?

Dental implants are screw-like devices that a dentist or oral surgeon places into or on the jawbone above a missing tooth to serve as the root of a replacement tooth. An abutment is attached to the dental implant, which connects the implant and the artificial tooth together, completing the process. Most commonly, a dental crown is used for the artificial tooth, which is made of either porcelain, a metal alloy or gold material or a combination of porcelain fused to metal

What dental implants can do

There are many benefits to choosing dental implants over other teeth replacement solutions such as removable dentures and fixed bridges

Dental implants can last for as many as 25 years or more before needing replacement, a length of time that far exceeds other replacement options. Many people who lose teeth begin to lose confidence in their appearance as well, and improving the cosmetics of their smile and filling in gaps caused by missing teeth often restores confidence.

Helpful Tips for Finding the Right Pediatric Dentist

As a parent, you eagerly accept the responsibility of building a firm foundation for your child’s oral health. That means you need to find a pediatric dentist in Waverly to provide the type of care that will be just right for your little one. This is easier said than done, so it helps to have some simple guidelines to follow when looking for the right dentist

A Patient Dentist

It’s normal for children to be busy and active, so one of the most important traits for a pediatric dentist to possess is patience. Therefore, your children will feel safe and comfortable about visiting for care.

A Highly-Trained Dentist

Before trusting your child’s dental care to a dentist, you should make sure he or she has been properly trained from a reputable institution. You should be able to easily find this information on the professional’s website in the bio section

An Inviting Office Environment

It never hurts to take an unofficial visit to the dentist’s office to allow your child to get a feel for the facility. If the space is clean and the staff is friendly, then it’s a good start to building a lasting and beneficial relationship

A Dentist Who Offers Comprehensive Care

If you’re like most parents, then you’re constantly on the go, so your time is limited. The last thing you want to do, then, is to have to take your child to multiple professionals for the dental care he or she needs.

Your First Visit to a Pain Clinic

What Is a Pain Physician?

Pain physicians, or pain specialists, are experts in the prevention, assessment, and treatment of pain. “Pain physicians come from many different educational backgrounds,” says Dmitry M. Arbuck, MD, president and medical director of the Indiana Polyclinic in Indianapolis, a pain management clinic. Dr. Arbuck is certified by the American Academy of Pain Management and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. “Any doctor from any specialty—for instance, emergency medicine, family practice, neurology—may be a pain physician.

The pain physician you see will depend on your symptoms, diagnosis, and needs. “Chronic pain is an especially wide field,” Dr. Arbuck explains. “The doctors within a pain management clinic or practice might specialize in rheumatology, orthopedics, gastroenterology, psychiatry,” or other areas, for example.

ain physicians have earned the title of MD (Doctor of Medicine) or DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine). Some pain physicians are fellowship-trained, meaning they received post-residency training in this sub-specialty. Pain fellowships often emphasize interventional pain treatments, which typically involve injections (eg, nerve blocks), spinal cord stimulation through an implanted device, or insertion of a morphine pump in to the intrathecal space of the spine. (Read more about interventional pain approaches.)

Pain physicians who have met certain qualifications—including completing a residency or fellowship and passing a written exam—are considered to be board-certified. Many pain doctors are dual-board certified in, for instance, anesthesiology and palliative medicine. However, not all pain physicians are board-certified or have formal training in pain medicine, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consult them, says Dr. Arbuck: “Some of these doctors are really good!”

What Is a Pain Clinic?

The term “clinic” often refers to an outpatient medical facility staffed by multiple doctors and other health professionals.

Ways to Get a Doctor to Take You (Very, Very) Seriously When You’re in Pain

How we see the world shapes who we choose to be — and sharing compelling experiences can frame the way we treat each other, for the better. This is a powerful perspective

Let’s say you’ve been suffering from pain for a while, perhaps years. Thinking, ever so naively, that being in constant pain for months on end isn’t normal, you go to your doctor. He orders blood work and maybe an X-ray or a sonogram. All results come back normal, so your doctor dismisses your concerns.

Say “I am in pain.” Be ignored or dismissed, because it can’t be that bad. Leave with your tail between your legs, you wascally wabbit

Say “I am in severe pain.” This time your doctor will respond! With an eye roll. Followed by a reminder that all your blood work is negative and you don’t “look sick.” Leave the doctor’s office, you dramatic exaggerator, you

Wear a button that says, “Friendly reminder: I Am in Pain.” Pin it to your shirt that says, “REAL BAD PAIN, DOC.” Make sure he looks at your throat so when you stick your tongue out and say “ah,” he’ll see your new tongue tattoo that says: “YOU TOOK AN OATH.”

How can I find a good pain-management doctor?

What is Pain Management?

Pain Management NYC Specialists is a group of physicians and staff devoted to helping patients accurately identify and manage chronic pain. By combining traditional, advanced and regenerative pain-management techniques, and by delivering quality, comprehensive healthcare to patients, CPS endeavors to provide efficient, effective and compassionate pain management for a broad range of ailments and pain syndromes.

Pain management,

also called pain medicine, is a type of specialized medical care. It is designed to minimize the impact of surgical pain or chronic pain. Chronic pain, in particular, can be difficult to control. It can sometimes be impossible to cure. Pain management treatment can help reduce pain. It can help patients enjoy a better quality of life.

Pain is an unpleasant sensation in humans, Decrease your pain and improve your overall physical function with Pain Management Treatment in NYC. Make your health your top priority. you can’t buy your health or life back after years of neglecting it while you earn your living. Professional Pain Management NYC offers the best medication in New York

step Approach to Chronic Pain Management

Understand your pain problem

Try to separate hurt from harm. The pain you experience is real, but the cause may be a heightened sensitivity of the nervous system and not increasing damage to some part of your body (even though it feels that way).

Maintain a cooperative but not dependent relationship with your doctors

Doctors have a difficult time treating chronic pain and may feel frustrated as well. Be honest and assertive with your doctors, but also let them know you understand they cannot perform miracles and that chronic pain management is a team effort

Don’t be afraid to acknowledge your emotional response to pain, be it fear, anger, or depression

Seek out psychological help if needed. Remember that the best chronic pain treatment should include both mental and physical elements.

Seek support when needed but stay in control

Family, friends, and health care professionals are all important resources for you, but often they are not sure how best to help. Let all the important people in your life know that you appreciate their support and that you will ask them directly when you need their help or just someone to talk to.

Remember that new knowledge and treatments are coming so stay in touch

Pain is a rapidly expanding area of research. New technologies in functional brain imaging and molecular biology are generating, for the first time, detailed portraits of our brains in action and the biochemistry of pain transmission. There is no doubt that improved pain treatments will not be far behind.

Tips to control patient pain

A number of studies and surveys on pain management have all come to the same conclusion: Despite strides in therapies to ease pain, too many inpatients experience significant levels of continuous pain during the course of their treatment. A recent report from the World Health Organization, for example, found that at least 25% of all cancer patients who die in a hospital die without adequate pain relief

The good news is that several other studies have shown that physicians can manage pain effectively in most patients by using some relatively simple strategies. Of particular interest to inpatient physicians, researchers say that pain management plays a critical role in the recovery process.

Assessing pain

At the Heart Hospital of New Mexico in Albuquerque, hospitalists follow an institution-wide pain management model that relies on two basic elements: regular assessments of patient pain and ongoing adjustments to reflect patient input

A tiered approach

While you have many options to manage patient pain, experts say that opioids typically offer the best approach to short-term pain management in an inpatient setting. Many physicians, however, avoid opioids because of side effects, the potential for addiction, tolerance and possible respiratory failure

Many experts say these concerns are exaggerated and should not keep you from prescribing opioids to patients who are in pain. “When properly used and monitored, opioids offer the most effective pain relief available with limited risk to patients,” says Eugenie Obbens, MD, associate attending neurologist at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York

The Medications And Therapy Used In A Pain Management Clinic

Pain Clinics – What Are They & What Do They Do?

Typically, a pain clinic is a location where doctors offer solutions to intractable pain. Conditions that generally respond well to pain clinic services are arthritis, back pain, and cancer. In addition, migraine headaches, shingles pain, and carpal tunnel syndrome pain frequently respond favorably to pain clinic treatments. Many primary care doctors refer their patients to pain clinics when they have exhausted other methods of pain relief.

Generally, pain management that is offered at a pain clinic include a combination of therapies. These treatments include medications, physical therapy, and nerve blocks. In addition, massage therapy is often an effective treatment for pain relief, swelling and stress. Not only does the pain clinic treat acute pain, it also performs diagnostic services to determine where the pain is originating.

There are two main types of pain clinics. 

Interdisciplinary Clinics: Are one-stop shops where a team of health professionals works together to help patients by using a variety of evidence-based approaches. Programs that utilize an interdisciplinary approach are best, says Clauw, and may include physical and occupational therapists, psychologists, dietitians, nurses, doctors and other healthcare providers.

Block Clinics: Offer procedures such as injections and nerve blocks. These procedures are usually performed by an anesthesiologist, most often for specific problems such as low back or neck pain. But unless your doctor refers you to this type of provider, Clauw advises against block clinics.

How is chronic pain treated?

Although no single cure is available for chronic pain, there are many ways to treat and manage it. The first step should be to treat any underlying conditions that may cause pain. These treatment methods will vary according to the specific disease or medical condition. The treatment also will depend on the type of chronic pain involved.

Non-drug treatments for chronic pain

• Exercise: Light to moderate exercise may help improve blood and oxygen flow to muscles and reduce stress. It may be especially helpful for people with low back pain, arthritis, psychogenic pain, and many others.
• Heat and/or cold application: Applying heat and/or cold regularly to a sore area via a safe mechanism (such as hot or cold packs that have temperature limits built in to prevent burning or freezing skin) can be very effective for treating many types of pain.
• Acupuncture: Acupuncture done by a trained therapist can provide relief for all types of chronic pain.
• Massage: Massage therapy has been shown to be effective for muscle and mechanical pain and may be useful for other kinds of chronic pain as well.
• Spinal cord stimulation: Electrodes are placed inside the epidural part of the spinal cord. The patient can send electrical pulses to the spinal cord using an implanted electrical pulse generator. The electrical impulses interrupt the pain signal to the brain providing relief.
• Deep brain stimulation: This technique is only used to treat chronic pain in cases that do not respond to more conservative treatment. It requires surgical stimulation of areas of the brain, usually the motor cortex or thalamus.

IF I AM TAKING NARCOTIC (OPIOID) MEDICATION FOR CHRONIC PAIN, DOES THAT MEAN I AM ADDICTED? 

Taking opioids in the way that they have been prescribed by your doctor for the treatment of chronic pain is associated with a very low risk of becoming addicted to those opioids. There are some predisposing factors to opioid addiction. These include having a history or a family history of substance abuse or of certain psychiatric illnesses. The following are definitions for addiction, tolerance, and physical dependence according to the American Pain Society:

• Addiction has a genetic basis in addition to a psychological aspect to the behavior. Addiction is associated with a craving for the abused substance (such as an opioid), and continued, compulsive use of that substance despite harm to the person using the substance. In addition to having a genetic predisposition, there may be an environmental influence affecting both the development and manifestation of the additive behavior.
• Tolerance occurs after prolonged exposure to a drug. The effects of that drug results in progressive decrease in its effectiveness.
• Physical Dependence is usually seen in the form of drug withdrawal after the drug has been abruptly stopped or rapidly reduced. It can also be seen when an opioid antagonist is given to someone who is taking an opioid. It is a state of adaptation. Withdrawal symptoms last from approximately 6 to a peak of 24 to 72 hours after the drug has been withdrawn. Some of the symptoms include nausea, vomiting, sweating, abdominal pain or diarrhea and can occur after taking the opioid for as short a period as 2 weeks. It is not a sign of addiction.

If you are prescribed opioids by your doctor, you are to take the opioids as they have been prescribed. If your pain continues despite taking the opioid, it is inadvisable to take more opioid than prescribed without first seeking the advice of your doctor. Taking a long-acting opioid a few times per day is less likely to give the sensation of euphoria that may be associated with some short acting opioids. Long-acting opioids are not meant to be taken on an “as needed” basis and should be taken whether or not you have pain and should not be taken more frequently than prescribed by your doctor. Constipation is one of the more frequently seen side effects of chronic opioid use, remedies, such as stool softeners and stimulants, are available.

Reduce stress in your life. Stress intensifies chronic pain.

Negative feelings like depression, anxiety, stress, and anger can increase the body’s sensitivity to pain. By learning to take control of stress, you may find some relief from chronic pain.

Several techniques can help reduce stress and promote relaxation. Listening to soothing, calming music can lift your mood — and make living with chronic pain more bearable. There are even specially designed relaxation tapes or CDs for this. Mental imagery relaxation (also called guided imagery) is a form of mental escape that can help you feel peaceful. It involves creating calming, peaceful images in your mind. Progressive muscle relaxation is another technique that promotes relaxation.