Do your gums bleed?

One of the major signs of gum disease is bleeding gum tissue. Often times people think that bleeding gums are something you don't need to worry about. The following information may change your mind:

• Gum disease increases the risk of head and neck cancer ~American Academy of Oral Systemic Health


• Tooth loss and gum disease increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease~ Mayo clinic


• Cavities are caused by a germ that spreads while kissing and sharing food~AAOSH


• Gum disease increases pancreatic and kidney cancer risk by 62%~Harvard


• Bacteria in your mouth travel to other parts of your body in your bloodstream~AAOSH


• Diabetes and bleeding gums increases your risk of premature death by 400-700 percent~AAOSH


• 93% of people with gum disease are at risk for diabetes~AAOSH


• Pregnant women with gum disease have only a 1 in 7 chance of giving birth to a healthy child of normal size~AAOSH


• Research has found an association between gum disease and rheumatoid arthritis~American Academy of Family Physicians


• People with gum disease are twice as likely to die from heart disease and three times as likely to die from a stroke~ Mayo Clinic


• The Surgeon General reports that at least 80% of American adults have gum disease~AAOSH

For additional information or treatment options please contact Rochester Advanced Dentistry 248.656.2020

Best and Worst Candy for Teeth

Halloween candies divided into five distinct types and rated, on a scale from 1-10 (1 being good for your teeth, 10 being the absolute worst cavity-causers)
Taffy and hard candy are the two worst offenders. Use this Halloween guide to safeguarding your children's teeth, as always, be wary of excess consumption of any trickery treat.

Taffy
Fear Factor Score: 9 out of 10
Traditionally, dentists have always known that the longer a food sticks to the teeth the longer bacteria has to feed on it to produce cavity-causing acid.One of the best ways to avoid cavities during Halloween is to avoid the sticky candy that can plaster your teeth and wedge itself into the nooks and crannies of your mouth.

Hard Candy
Fear Factor Score: 8.5 out of 10
Although hard candies like Jaw Breakers and Everlasting Gobstoppers don't have that stick factor, they hurt your mouth from the amount of time they take to dissolve,The longer food sits in your mouth, the more acidic the environment becomes.

"People naturally assume that if they can't feel the candy sticking to their mouths, they are okay, but that isn't true. If you leave a hard candy in your mouth for a lengthy period of time, this can be even worse than a sticky candy."

Peanut Butter Cups
Fear Factor Score: 6.5 out of 10
Safer than candies like taffy, the ever-present peanut butter cup is still a hazard to your mouth. Studies have indicated that chocolate is especially good at creating acid buildup in your mouth and the stickiness of peanut butter doesn't help.

Candy-Covered Chocolate
Fear Factor Score: 6 out of 10
Most people assume that when chocolate lacks the sticky peanut butter, it has to be better for their teeth. Again, while it lacks that attribute, it suffers from the time factor. Candy-covered chocolate is typically consumed in a bag where the consumer is continually chewing on the candy. While a peanut butter cup is typically consumed in one or two bites, a bag of M&M’s can last for minutes. This extra time gives the bacteria plenty of time to generate cavity causing acid.

Sugar Sticks
Fear Factor Score: 5 out of 10
Most parents automatically toss out their kids' Pixie Stix with the assumption that a little bag of sugar must be awful for teeth. Contrary to popular belief, these little sacks of sugar are some of the safest Halloween treats out there.

Pixie Stix are typically poured directly onto the tongue, avoiding chewing and your teeth altogether. They are then quickly consumed and out of the mouth before any major damage can been done. So while it may not make sense, those sacks of sugar may be the best candy for your teeth.

Read this entire article

Dry Mouth

Lack of saliva is a common problem that may seem little more than a nuisance, but a dry mouth can affect both your enjoyment of food and the health of your teeth. The medical term for dry mouth is xerostomia (zeer-o-STO-me-uh).

Dry mouth can cause problems because saliva helps prevent tooth decay by limiting bacterial growth and washing away food and plaque. Saliva enhances your ability to taste and makes it easier to swallow. In addition, enzymes in saliva aid in digestion.

Although the treatment depends on the cause, dry mouth is often a side effect of medication. Dry mouth may improve with an adjusted dosage or a new prescription.

If you suspect that your medications may be contributing to your dry mouth additional information is available at: http://pdrhealth.com/home/home.aspx

Contact Rochester Advanced Dentistry 248.56.2020

Are your teeth giving you a headache?

Do you suffer from headaches? Have you been diagnosed with migraines? Many people live their daily lives with severe headaches or facial pain without any relief. Other symptoms common to headache sufferers are ear pain and congestion, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), dizziness, and even neck tension or pain. Unfortunately, many people have been treated by numerous physicians throughout their lives without any improvement in their symptoms. The last person most people would turn to for a cure would be their dentist; however your bite could be the cause of your chronic headaches!

Many headaches can be part of undiagnosed Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder or an abnormal bite. 90% of all headaches are considered “muscle tension headaches,” and can be directly related to a person’s unbalanced bite. Many people diagnosed with migraines can actually be suffering from these muscle tension headaches.

This syndrome is the source of chronic pain for many, and can result in severe wear, or fracturing, of your teeth and restorations, leading to tooth loss. This viscous cycle results in an even more unbalanced bite causing a person’s headaches and pain to worsen over time. Most people would never think that their dentist could help with headaches, but we are improving the lives of our patients every day.

CLICK HERE to read the Oakland Press Article

Depending on a dentist’s training and experience in this area, they should be able to determine if a patient has a poor bite through a thorough exam and precise measurements. People are often frustrated because previous forms of treatment have been unsuccessful. Fortunately, we are able to tell if a person is a candidate for this type of therapy before any action begins. This makes people very comfortable with pursuing this treatment when they are confident they will benefit from it.

Dental Tip of the Month
Are you experiencing any of these symptoms on a regular basis? Looking for answers?
Dr. Doolin and Dr. Haddad will be giving a presentation that includes discussing the latest techniques in headache and TMJ treatment at the Women’s Lifestyle’s Extravaganza October 22nd and 23rd at 1:00pm at Macomb CC Sports and Expo Center.
Their presentation:
“”Exploring the Hottest Topics in Dentistry: Cosmetics, TMJ/Headache treatment, and Sleep Apnea,” will be given both days of the event. The doctors will be available throughout the day answering questions and providing additional information for attendees.

New Research on Teething Gels

The FDA has recently advised against teething pain relievers containing benzocaine (the active ingredients in most over-the-counter teething gels.) The FDA says it can cause a rare but serious condition called methemoglobinemia, which reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood stream.

Try these tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the FDA:

• Offer your child a chilled (not frozen) teething ring made of firm rubber
• Gently massage your child's gums with a clean finger
• Should benzocaine use be necessary, use the gel or liquid sparingly- not more then four times a day

Try: Baby Orajel has a new Naturals line that's benzocaine-,alcohol- and dye-free.

For additional information contact Rochester Advanced Dentistry 248.656.2020

Caring for your child's teeth

Healthy teeth are important to your child's overall health. From the time your child is born, there are things you can do to promote healthy teeth. For babies, you should clean teeth with a soft, clean cloth or baby's toothbrush. Avoid putting the baby to bed with a bottle and check teeth regularly for spots or stains.

For all children, you should

* Brush teeth with a fluoride toothpaste

* Provide healthy foods and limit sweet snacks and drinks

* Provide low-fat milk and dairy products high in calcium

* Schedule regular dental check-ups

Forming good habits at a young age can help your child have healthy teeth for life.

For additional information contact Rochester Advanced Dentistry 248.656.2020

Why Your Dentist may be the most important Doctor you see this year…

The days of a dental cleaning consisting of a quick “buff and polish” are over. Today’s dental visit should be more like a physical. Many findings during a dental visit can have a major impact on your overall health.

1. Blood Pressure: At every dental appointment, your blood pressure should be taken. High blood pressure is a sign that your heart is working too hard. If your blood pressure is too high, a visit to your medical doctor is recommended.

2. Oral Cancer Detection: At every dental cleaning, a thorough cancer screening should be conducted. Oral cancers are on the rise and are easier to treat and survive the earlier they are detected.

3. Sleep Apnea Diagnosis: Sleep Apnea is a very serious condition that involves a person stopping breathing several times throughout the night. Small airways, large necks, and snoring are good indicators that sleep apnea is present, or may be present in the future. Some dentists have screening equipment that can actually test you for sleep apnea. At that time, a referral to a sleep physician or a sleep appliance made by the dentist may be recommended.

4. Gum Disease : Bacteria in your mouth leads to bleeding gums and bone loss around your teeth. According to the ADA, 78% of the adult population has some form of periodontal (gum) disease. In addition, periodontal disease is not just an infection that affects your mouth, it affects your entire body. Periodontal disease has been linked to heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and a weakened immune system. Therefore, your dentist should be measuring and monitoring your gums with each cleaning, and when necessary, treating your gum disease accordingly.

Dental Tip of the Month:

Want to live longer…Floss!

In today’s society, we are rushed, stressed, and over committed and it comes as no surprise that we are all looking for ways to save time. Many of my patients feel that they have no time to floss. While this seems like a valid excuse, you may have less time on your hands if you don’t floss.

• If you start flossing today, you could add up to 6 years on to your life!

• 6 years would be an additional 3.1 million minutes.

• Let’s say you are a REALLY slow flosser and it took you 5 minutes per day.

• Let’s say you floss every day of your 100 year life- you would spend 182,500 minutes of your life flossing.

• This would leave you with an additional 5.6 years to do whatever you want!!