ADA does special video on Dental Anxiety

Recently the American Dental Association (ADA) produced a special online video regarding dental anxiety.  The video is an excellent resource for patients nervous about up upcoming dental visit.

In the video, Dr. Sahota and Dr. Groves talk about using an audio player and doing relaxation techniques to help deal with fear during dental procedures.  b-Calm was designed to serve both of these functions and can be a great tool for dealing with anxiety.

Less Noise = Less Stress

We talk alot on this website about the adverse effects of noises in the dental office.  What many people don’t realize is that noise takes a physical and mental toll on us even when it is just in the background. The reason is, noise can act as a stimulant that kicks our body into stress mode; hormones are released, heart rate changes, etc. What’s more, even if an individual is able to mentally “tune out” the noise, their body may still be reacting and putting itself in this heightened state. Over time, this heightened stressful state takes a toll on the body. Academic studies have born this out with observations of irritable people in noisy factories, or low test scores from children in schools situated close to busy airports.

I just wanted to encourage everyone to take a minute and listen to the noise around them and consider how it might be affecting them. This is especially important for those with ASD and heightened sensativities to certain sounds. The good news is there’s simple things you can do to help the situation:

1.) Seal the Door

Even when a door is closed, noise and sound will find it’s way through the cracks. In fact, the biggest culprit to sound getting through the door is often the crack at the bottom between the door and the floor. Some simple weather stripping from the local hardware store, or even a rolled up towel laid at the bottom of the door will make a big difference.

2.) Soft Walls will Help

When sound bounces around a room (reverberation), the room will sound louder. If you spend time in a room with a cement floor, bare walls, and hard ceiling, noise will be a bigger problem. Acoustics engineer using fix this by adding something soft or plush to the room. A large rug on the floor, thick curtains on the walls, or cheap ceiling tiles can make a big difference.

3.) Ear Protection Works

They may not win any fashion awards, but a pair of earplugs or earmuffs will go along way to protecting your hearing and your sanity if you have to venture into any loud environment. They don’t have to be fancy or expensive. Those cheap foam earplugs from your big-box store of choice will do wonders. Here’s the quick test: if you can’t sleep at the end of a day because of the ringing in your ears, then you’ve done damage to your hearing and should wear hearing protection next time.

4.) Some Noise is Good

Not everyone likes dead quiet. There are sounds that help us relax and focus. Waves on the beach or the sound of a gentle rain are sounds that people find enjoyable. Even more, these sounds can be used to block out the stuff that is irritating (what audio engineers call “masking”). Sometimes, a simple fan blowing air in the corner is enough, if not there are a variety of sound machines, noise maskers, and CDs to choose from. b-Calm has developed technologies that work to bring a robust version of noise masking, called AudioSedation, to individuals with ADD and ADHD.

5.) Think of Noise Like Pollution

Just as we look to avoid dirty air and polluted water, we need to look out for noise pollution. If you’re looking for a new home or apartment take a minute to walk around and listen for noises that you may not want to listen too every day. It’s easy to dismiss these things, but you may reget it later when the distant rumble of a nearby intersection keeps you awake at night. When possible, get out into the country and get away from the background roar of the city. An hour or two at your favorite state park will do wonders for your whole body.

Hopefully these ideas will help make your world a little quieter. It doesn’t take much to give your ears a break, and your mind and body will thank you.

Curtis Carroll
Engineer
b-Calm llc.

Dental Crowns Pt. 2

Have you ever wondered what steps are involved in getting a dental crown? From the patient’s point of view a crown is not much different than a filling, but they do take longer. They are not painful or scary. Following is the basic procedure for a crown.

Getting a crown usually takes two visits. The first visit involves shaping the tooth and putting on a temporary crown. You are being numbed up, because the crown has to be a certain thickness to maintain its durability, the tooth material is removed to make room for the required thickness of the crown. The tooth is shaped so the crown will fit properly over the top of it. If the tooth is missing a portion of the crown a post may be added for stability.

Next, an impression of the tooth is made and sent to an outside laboratory that will manufacture the crown, which can take up to three weeks. In the meantime, the dentist places a temporary crown, which is usually made out of plastic or metal, over the tooth to protect it while waiting for the permanent crown to arrive. The temporary crown is cemented in place.

When the permanent crown arrives a second visit is scheduled.  If you are very sensitive you may be numbed up, but this is not always needed. The temporary crown is removed and the permanent crown fitted.  Your bite will be checked to make sure the crown fits properly. Once you and the dentist feel it fits right, then it is cemented in place and the procedure is done.

There is a new type of crown called Cerec.  Cerac eliminates a few of those steps, the best of which is that two to three week waiting period! Cerec (Chaiside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics),a company specializing in ceramic restorations, has a system called “Computer-assisted-design-Computer-assisted-manufactured” or CAD-CAM that makes it possible for the Cerec dentist to make the crown right there in his office in about 20 minutes, so it completely does away with the need for that second visit.

As far as cost, there is really not much difference between a Cerec crown and a traditionally made crown, but a Cerec crown does have a few advantages over a porcelain covered metal crown. First, and probably the biggest advantage is the time it takes to manufacture the crown, which allows it to be completed all in one visit. Second, because it is manufactured out of a single block of ceramic, it is very durable and long-lasting. Third, because of the precision of digital measurements, more of the natural tooth is maintained. Fourth, the look of ceramic is cosmetically more natural-looking. The disadvantages of a ceramic crown is that it takes specialized training on the part of the dentist and not all are experts in this field, so finding a highly skilled Cerec dentist may not be easy at this time, depending on where you live.

Dental Crowns Pt. 1

Dental crowns are a popular and effective method for restoring teeth that might have been lost.

Dental crowns are commonly fitted over the remaining part of your original tooth. They are used as a type of dental restoration. These crowns can also be used as a cap for your dental implants. Dental crowns are generally made of a number of materials including porcelain, ceramic, gold alloy and porcelain bonded to metal. These dental accessories made of porcelain are used for front teeth. They are very natural looking. However, these are not as strong as the bonded crowns. The ceramic ones usually have the strength of bonded crowns and appearance of porcelain. They are suitable enough for almost any position in the mouth. Those made of gold alloy are very hard. They are available in white or gold color.

Dental crowns are used when you have decay, broken teeth or excessively worn teeth. They are molded in the dental laboratory and act as strengtheners for the leftover of your original teeth. After the completion of this procedure your teeth not only become stronger, it also become more attractive. In fact, these crowns are so designed that they look very natural and can enhance the overall appearance of your tooth. You must also refrain from certain damaging habits such as ice chewing, teeth grinding and fingernail biting.

You can experience hot and cold sensitivity when your crowned tooth. Such sensitivity is especially experienced between the edge of the gum line and crown. However, you can minimize this tendency by using toothpaste that is designed for sensitive teeth. In case your crown is set too high on your tooth, you may suffer from pain while biting something. In such cases, see your dentist immediately to fix the problem.

Apart from the sensitivity issues, dental crown comes with some other drawbacks. Your crown is fitted with cement. When it washes out from under your crown, it becomes loose and bacteria can easily leak in and cause tooth decay. They can also fall off at times. This usually happens due to lack of cement or improper fit. In such cases, immediately clean the crown and replace it temporarily by any temporary tooth cement or dental adhesive. Also, contact you doctor as soon as possible.

However, you can conveniently avoid these damages if you stay away from biting ice and other hard objects, and chewing hard food. As said earlier, you must also avoid teeth grinding. In addition, visit the dentist at a regular interval and brush your teeth twice daily.

Gingivitis – An Introduction

Simply put gingivitis is inflammation of the gums. Gingiva in dental terms are the gums of the mouth. “itis” is a suffix and when added to a name of a body part means inflammation of, for example, appendicitis which is inflammation of the appendix or tonsillitis which is inflammation of the tonsils.

In this case gingivitis is inflammation of the gums, this inflammation is caused by the body’s response to bacteria which is in the mouth. The mouth naturally has millions of bacteria present and most of the time the bacteria can live in a symbiotic nature within the oral cavity. The problem starts most of the time when overgrowth of bacteria starts to occur due to inadequate oral hygiene but other factors can come into play which may allow a person to develop gingivitis even though their oral hygiene is good.

In simple bacteria-related gingivitis buildup of gingivitis causing bacteria accumulate above and below the gumline. The bacteria are attached to a tooth via what is called ” dental plaque.” Plaque simply put is a matrix of food, bacteria and other particles which adhere to the tooth structure. When plaque is not cleaned away both above and below the gumline it starts to “irritate” the gum which in turn signals the body to initiate an inflammatory response to prevent disease. The body puts up a fight against the bacteria to try and win the war, this is turn is when you see bleeding and redness as a main indicator of gingivitis. The body attempts to bring blood cells to the site of the inflammation to help heal what it perceives as bacterial invasion, in this case bacterial within the plaque is the invader. In this case bleeding should not be perceived as something to be afraid of, it is simply the body’s way of telling the person something is wrong and to do something about it. This is when you should floss and brush more, not less.

In other cases of gingivitis the body can play a role in how it responds to dental plaque. Sometimes due to hormonal fluctuations in women, whether it be during pregnancy, cyclical changes during the menstrual cycle or peri-menopause, a woman’s mouth can be very sensitive to the dental plaque that is present and can develop hormone-induced gingivitis very easily. As well, people who are diabetic (type 1 and/or 2), have other systemic illness and take medications can be at higher risk for developing gingivitis.

Overall, the most important thing you can do at home for preventing and help treat gingivitis at home is;

-Brush 3 times a day for 2 minutes with sonic electric toothbrush.
-Floss 1 time a day making sure to clean well below the gumline.
-Mouth rinses such as Biotene which can help kill the bacteria that cause gingivitis or a salt water rinse. The dentist may also prescribe a mouthwash designed to help fight gum disease.
-In between meals if you are not able to brush, drink water or chew sugar-free gum for a few minutes to help loosen food and wash it away.

Most adults are aware of the old adage to see your dentist every 6 months for a cleaning and check-up. This may not be true for many of us who have had gingivitis in the past. Research has shown us that it takes about 3 months for bacterial plaque to mature, this is called biofilm and we all have some of this on our teeth, usually below the gumline. For some people who have very healthy mouths that biofilm will cause no harm, but for a large part of the population who have gingivitis, i.e. gums that bleed, a 6 month interval between cleanings may be too much and damage to the gums and underlying structures may occur. Talk with your dentist about what is best for you.

5 Steps to Dental Health

Ask almost any dentist and they will tell you that good oral health takes more than just good brushing. You may know the dos and don’ts of brushing by heart, but there are other steps you can take to keep your teeth for a lifetime. After all, oral hygiene is not only about the teeth. It includes the whole mouth as well.

5 Steps to Follow to Maintain Good Dental Health

Healthy teeth translate to good overall well being. So, to boost your appearance and self-esteem, invest in your oral health. Here are steps for you to follow towards maintaining good dental health.

1. Visit your dentist  regularly. When it comes to oral hygiene, your dentist has the expertise to meet all your oral health care needs. Discuss with him/her the frequency of your visits. Unlike others who visit their dentist at least twice a year, you may need to see yours more frequently.

2. Eat well. A well-balanced diet is important to good oral health. People say that you are what you eat. Well, it’s pretty much the same with your teeth. They depend much on what you put inside your mouth. It’s best to avoid alcoholic drinks and food with too much sugar and starches. They will only accelerate the breakdown of the enamel in the teeth.

3. Regularly check your mouth. Aside from your dentist, you are in the best position to notice changes in your mouth. From time to time, examine your mouth and see if there are changes that might need attention. These can include sore or sensitive gums, discolored teeth, and chipped teeth. If you see any of these signs, report it to your dentist right away.

4. Quit using Tobacco. Smoking tobacco is not only a danger to your overall health, but to your oral health as well. Continuous use of tobacco, either smoking or chewing, often leads to gum disease, bad breath, stains on the teeth, or worse oral cancer.

5. Floss every time you brush your teeth. Flossing is important to overall dental health.

Oral Health and Overall Health

Experts believe that problems in the mouth are often linked to health problems to the rest of the body. When the teeth are healthy, bacteria in the mouth don’t go to the bloodstream. With regular brushing and flossing, these bacteria are kept under control. However, when you neglect your teeth, it can lead to gum disease that can pose a great health risk to you.

Following these simple guidelines can lead to a lifetime of good dental health.

Problems with Teeth Grinding?

Many people experiencing pain in neck, jaw and shoulders are diagnosed with TMD. This prompts the question, “What is TMD?”

TMD is Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction .  It is caused by one of a combination of factors can lead to chronic pain in the area of the Tempromandibular joint and can even lead to neck and head pain, difficulty eating and even pain in the shoulders.

The Temporomandibular Joint is one of the most complex set of joints in the body. Unlike the finger or toes, each TMJ actually has two joints, which allow it to rotate and to slide. With use, it is common to see wear of both the bone and cartilage components of it. Clicking is common, as are popping motions and changes in the movements of the joint. It is considered a TMJ disorder when pain is involved.

In a healthy joint, the surfaces in contact with one another (bone and cartilage) do not have any receptors to transmit the feeling of pain. The pain therefore originates from one of the surrounding soft tissues. When receptors from one of these areas are triggered, the pain causes a reflex to limit the mandible’s movement. Furthermore, inflammation of the joints can cause constant pain, even without movement of the jaw.

Causes  can include problem in the alignment of the joint itself, pain caused by overexertion of the muscles that move the joint such as that caused by grinding the teeth, and destruction of the joint caused by a disease such as arthritis.

The first treatment of Temporomandibular joint syndrome pain may include NSAIDS (medications like Ibuprofen) , muscle relaxants, and warming of the jaw muscles. Your doctor may recommend that you eat soft foods, don’t grind your teeth or clench your jaw, and don’t chew gum to decrease stress placed on the Temporomandibular joint. You might also be fitted with a mouth guard to wear at night to prevent jaw clenching and tooth grinding.  If this does not help with your pain, then injections of anesthetics or steroids may also be tried. Reducing your daily psychological stress may also help a patient to decrease TMJ joint pain.

If this conservative treatment does not provide sufficient relief, then you doctor may refer you to a surgeon who has experience with TMJ surgeries. A variety of surgical procedures exist which may involve removing material from the joint space, to trying to reconstruct the joint. Surgery should only be considered as a last option after conservative treatment has failed because the joint surgery may fail to provide relief or cause serious complications.

In addition to traditional medicine many TMJ sufferers find relief through a combination of massage, physical therapy, and exercises designed to strengthen the jaw and the surrounding joints and muscles. Many times relief can be found through these alternative treatments which can eliminate the cost and risk of drugs, surgeries, or other conventional treatments

Teeth Grinding

Have you ever been told that you grind your teeth while sleeping? This condition is called Bruxism.  Bruxism is the dental term for tooth grinding. A lot of people grind, clench or tap their teeth together especially while asleep. Facial and jaw soreness, headache, pain, fractured teeth and abrasion can result from this habit.

What causes teeth grinding? According to many dental experts, bruxism is an unconscious way of relieving stress. Studies show that ninety-eight percent of adults clench their teeth together as a reaction to their emotional distress. Women are four times more prone to exhibit symptoms of bruxism than men.

Bruxism does not occur entirely as a result of some emotional disturbance, occasionally it may be caused by dental malocclusion. Malocclusion is a dental term that refers to teeth that do not fit together or are improperly positioned. In response to this abnormality, the body tries to grind the teeth into proper occlusion. However, tooth grinding can also cause malocclusion. Jaw muscles are very powerful. The Masseter muscle is one of the muscles in the body. It is said that we exert 25 to 50 pounds of force when we bite or chew our food. While grinding or clenching one’s teeth, a person can exert as much as 500 pounds of force. This is the reason why bruxism can cause so much harm to our oral health.

Here are some helpful questions to check if you are unconsciously practicing bruxism. If you answer yes to most of these questions then there is a big probability that you are a tooth grinder.

1. Is your jaw clenched right now? If so, try to relax it and keep your teeth slightly apart.

2. Do you wake up in the morning feeling soreness or tightness in your neck and jaw muscles?

3. Do you clench your jaw when you feel stressed?

4. Do you often find yourself massaging your face and jaw muscles because they feel tight or sore?

5. Are your teeth sensitive to both hot and cold?

6. Do you ever feel that your teeth are loose?

7. Does your jaw ever ache?

You can still help yourself minimize daytime clenching by trying these techniques:

1. Make a conscious effort to relax your face and jaw. If you suddenly feel that you are becoming tense, try to focus on loosening and stretching your facial muscles.

2. Take a walk or breathe deeply. These are some of the stress-relieving techniques that can keep you from clenching or grinding your teeth.

3. Caffeine and decongestants are stimulants that can make your muscles tense. Avoid these as much as possible.

4. Enroll yourself in a stress-reduction technique class so that you will be able to manage your stress effectively.

5. Before going to bed, try taking a hot bath or listen to soothing music so that you will be able to relax. Drinking a glass of warm milk will also be helpful.

Bruxism may not be relieved through self care alone especially if you are a night-time grinder. Professional help is advised especially if your bruxism is related to anxiety, work stress or emotional upset. A dental night guard made especially for you by your dentist will be helpful in protecting the surfaces of your teeth from abrasion caused by the effects of grinding.

Quick help for that nagging toothache

Sharp gnawing pain! – It always comes at the wrong place and wrong time. This hurt can rob your of quality of life faster than almost anything.

Yes, I’m talking about the dreaded toothache. It can be the most excruciating pain and can last so long that it can really drag you down and make you feel positively miserable. Anyone that has ever had one never wants another.

Now, what happens when this occurs when you do not have quick access to a dentist or a store for any over the counter toothache remedies?

The following are emergency measures only and are not a substitute for dental care. These techniques can get you a little bit of relief when you do not have any other alternatives.

These two tips are based on the alternative therapy that is referred to as ‘Acupressure’, which in turn is loosely based on the art of Acupuncture and uses finger pressure instead of needles to stimulate the nerve endings at certain selected pressure points.

One pressure point is located at the webbed portion between the thumb and the index finger, which is easy to access and manipulate. This point is called LI 4. The correct technique to stimulate this point comes from Michael Reed Gach, Ph.D., director of the Acupressure Institute in Berkeley, California, and author of Acupressure’s Potent Points.

LI 4 is located in the webbing between your thumb and index finger, close to the bone at the base of the index finger. The point is on the large intestine meridian, which is a traditional acupressure pathway for relieving toothaches, according to Dr. Gach. He explains that the meridian flows from the hands and up the arms until it reaches the teeth and gums.

Quick Pain Relief Tip #1

To press point LI 4, says Dr. Gach, hold it with your thumb on top of the webbing and your index finger underneath, then squeeze into the webbing, angling the pressure toward the bone that connects the index finger to the hand. He suggests holding the point for one minute as needed to relieve pain. He cautions that pressing this point can cause uterine contractions and is not recommended for pregnant women.

Stimulating this point causes the body to release endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers.

The second tip  is more obvious and not something you would want to do in public but can be extremely effective in relieving toothache pain.

To ease acute toothache pain, you work on the pressure point in the area just under your nose, about halfway between your nose and your top lip, in the groove known as the ‘philtrum’.

Using the tip of the forefinger or the knuckle of the forefinger to press fairly heavily into the point just under your nose. This can feel a little painful at first, but you will soon get used to this pressure and as you continue this treatment, your toothache pain will disappear.

Quick Pain Relief Tip #2

The best way to accomplish a quick pain relief is to press the point of your forefinger or your knuckle into the center point on the ‘philtrum’ with as much pressure as you can manage. – Hold this pressure for 10 seconds and release for 2 or 3 seconds. – Continue in bursts of 10 seconds for 5 minutes or until the pain eases.

These are just a couple of little tips you can use in an emergency situation, where no other home treatment is available. These can help ease the pain until you can get to your dentist, which you should do as soon as possible.

Online Support for Dental Fear

Scared of the dentist?

You’re not alone, in fact, there’s an entire online community of individuals working together to address dental fear and anxiety.  A wealth of information and support is available at your fingertips.

http://www.dentalfearcentral.org/