Parents Need to be Careful with their Children's Pacifiers

 

Parents need to be careful with their children’s pacifiers. If not, dental decay could be the result.

Numerous studies show that dental decay can be transmitted to a child when an adult sucks on the pacifier to clean it.

A recent study in the journal Pediatrics goes into detail about this issue. There are few, if any, immunizing effects from adult saliva. Therefore, licking or sucking something to clean it off does nothing to get rid of germs.

It’s also important that parents don’t drip pacifiers in honey, juice, sweetened drinks or any kind of sugar. When exposed to those substances or anything with sugar, the result is often cavities or tooth decay.

The best way to clean a pacifier is to use something that is proven to be a disinfectant.

dentistrytoday.com

Results from large international clinical trials provide dentists and patients with a new level of confidence in dental implant

Results from two of the largest international clinical studies performed to date with dental implants have just been published and demonstrate excellent clinical performance. Together, the studies have evaluated more than one thousand Straumann Bone Level implants in Europe, the US and Australia. The scope of these studies is particularly remarkable in view of the fact that most dental implant companies do not conduct clinical trials because they want to cut costs and do not have the capabilities.

 The studies are also remarkable in that they both reported very high implant survival rates of more than 98% with practically no bone loss around the implants. The findings are considerably better than values reported in a comprehensive review of previously published studies with other implants[1]. The new studies add to the wealth of strong clinical evidence backing the Straumann dental implant system and thus provide very good reasons for patients and dentists to insist on Straumann implants rather than undocumented alternatives.

 

The benchmark in clinical research

The first study was a randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT) at 11 clinical centers in Europe, USA and Australia[2]. RCTs are the benchmark in clinical research because they offer the highest level of clinical evidence. However, few are performed with dental implants and very rarely on such a large scale.

 This RCT has evaluated 106 patients each treated with one implant and followed for three years. The investigators compared the outcomes of two different approaches - the first involving two surgical steps, in which the implant is covered with gum tissue ('submerged') during healing, and the second involving just a single step, in which part of the implant is left exposed ('transmucosal') thus saving a second surgical operation. The most impressive highlight reported was the fact that only a single implant was lost, yielding 3-year implant-survival rates of 98.1% and 100% for the transmucosal and submerged groups respectively.

 Because bone loss around implants has been documented as a common undesirable effect of implant treatment[3], this study looked carefully at bone level changes. It showed that bone level was impressively stable over 3 years after implant placement, with mean decreases of less than 0.7 mm and 0.6 mm in the submerged and transmucosal groups respectively. These values are well below the data presented in previous studies with other implants. An analysis of published data showed that only three implant systems achieved mean marginal bone loss below 1 mm over a period of 5 years[1].

 

Excellent results also achieved in everyday practice

While RCTs demonstrate that products or treatments work well, they are usually conducted by specialists in selected and strictly controlled populations. This study was performed by dental practices and University clinics that are highly specialized in dental implantology, which raises the question of whether its excellent results can be reproduced in daily dental practice. To answer this, a large study using the same implant was conducted in Europe and the US, in which the dentists had to follow the product guidelines but were able to use the implant as they would in normal daily practice. The strength of this type of investigation, which is known as 'non-interventional study' (NIS), is that it documents real-life situations, in which indications, patients and conditions all vary widely.

 In this study[4], a total of 908 implants were evaluated in 538 patients at more than a hundred dental practices in six countries, revealing an implant survival rate of 98.5% after one year (the risk of failure is highest in the first year after implant placement5). Besides the very high survival rates, the bone level remained very stable in the majority of cases. The investigators therefore concluded that treatment with Straumann Bone Level Implants yielded very successful outcomes in 'real life' conditions.

 

Results impress further when viewed in the context of other published data

The survival rates reported in both studies are higher than those documented in the literature. The most recent analysis of published data on other implants showed an overall implant survival rate of 95.5% one year after implant placement[5], in contrast to the 98.5% achieved in this NIS in daily dental practice conditions.

 

Medicalnewstoday.com

GLO: The ZERO Sensitivity Whitening System

Dr. Brian Williams is now offering the revolutionary new whitening system, GLO!  This new product offers absolutely ZERO sensitivity.  So, if you have sensitive teeth and have always wanted to whiten, this is the product for you!

Call our office today at (480) 889-1800 to schedule your complimentary consultation.

Can a sinus infection cause a toothache?

 

 

Yes, a sinus infection (sinusitis) or inflammation can cause a toothache — especially in the upper rear teeth, which are close to the sinuses. In fact, pain in the upper teeth is a fairly common symptom with sinus conditions.

If you have a persistent toothache, first consult your dentist for an exam. He or she will consider possible dental causes for the toothache, such as periodontal disease, tooth grinding, cavities or dental abscesses.

If your dentist rules out a dental cause for the toothache, consult your doctor. He or she will consider whether a sinus condition or other underlying medical problem is contributing to the toothache.

from Alan Carr, D.M.D., mayoclinic.com

Brian H. Williams, D.D.S., F.A.G.D., Ltd. - Preventive & Reconstructive Dentistry

Dr. Brian H. Williams has been practicing dentistry for over 25 years. Dr. Williams not only provides family, cosmetic and preventive dentistry in his Scottsdale, Arizona practice, he also provides maxillofacial prosthodontics and reconstructive dentistry.  He has been providing maxillofacial prosthetics to patients for over 15 years.

Below are a few of the maxillofacial prosthetic treatment options he offers. 

Maxillofacial Extra oral Prostheses

·        Ocular Prosthesis

·        Orbital Prosthesis

·        Auricular Prosthesis

·        Nasal Prosthesis

·        Midfacial Prosthesis

·        Somatic Prosthesis

·        Radiation Shield

Maxillofacial Intra oral Prostheses

·        Surgical Obturator Prosthesis

·        Interim and Definitive Obturator

·        Palatal Lift Prosthesis ( Speech Prothetics )

·        Palatal Augmentation (Drop) Prosthesis

·        Mandibular Resection Prosthesis

·        Fluoride Carrier

Other Specialty Services Offered:

·        Oral Appliance Therapy for Snoring/Sleep Apnea

·        In-Office IV Sedation

·        Hospital Dentistry for Medically Compromised patients or “ Dental Phobics”.

Peri-implant Diseases

Peri-implant diseases are inflammatory conditions affecting the soft and hard gum tissues around dental implants. Similar to a natural tooth, bacteria can build up on the base of the implant, below the gum line. Over time, the bacteria irritate the gum tissue, causing it to become inflamed, damaging the tissue and if not caught early, causing the bone structure below the implant to deteriorate. Peri-implant diseases are classified into two categories.
In peri-implant mucositis, gum inflammation is found only around the soft tissues of the dental implant, with no signs of bone loss. Generally peri-implant mucositis is a precursor to peri-implantitis. Evidence suggests that peri-implant mucositis may be successfully treated and is reversible if caught early
In peri-implantitis, gum inflammation is found around the soft tissue and there is deterioration in the bone supporting the dental implant. Peri-implantitis usually requires surgical treatment.	Peri-implant mucositis
	Peri-implantitis
Signs of peri-implant diseases are similar to symptoms of gum disease: red or tender gums around the implants, or bleeding when brushing. And just like your natural teeth, implants require regular tooth brushing and flossing and regular check-ups from a dental professional. Other risks factors for developing peri-implant disease include previous periodontal disease diagnosis, poor plaque control, smoking, and diabetes. It is essential to routinely monitor dental implants as part of a comprehensive periodontal evaluation.  The up side to dental implants is they function just like your natural tooth. The down side is, they are capable of becoming diseased just like a natural tooth. With a proper oral health routine, your dental implant can last a lifetime. perio.org

NEW RESEARCH SUPPORTS ASSESSING RISK, PREVENTIVE TREATMENT FOR PERIODONTAL DISEASE

The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) supports new research published online in the Journal of Dental Research confirming the need for careful risk assessment to determine which patients may benefit from additional treatment to prevent periodontal disease. Periodontal disease impacts over half of the U.S. adult population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The AAP recommends that all patients receive a comprehensive periodontal evaluation once a year to effectively screen and assess risk for disease, and to guide preventive care.

Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the gum tissue and bone supporting the teeth. If left untreated, periodontal disease can lead to tooth loss. Common risk factors for periodontal disease include the presence of other chronic inflammatory diseases, such as diabetes, poor oral hygiene, smoking, age, and genetics.

In the study titled “Patient Stratification for Preventive Care in Dentistry,”researchers assessed a patient’s risk for periodontal disease to determine if visiting the dentist once or twice a year helped prevent long-term consequences of periodontal disease. Patients were classified as high-risk for periodontal disease if they had one or more of three commonly observed risk factors: smoking, diabetes or the interleukin-1 genotype. Patients were considered low-risk if they did not possess any of the three risk factors. Loss of teeth was assessed as the consequence of moderate to severe periodontal disease. Over 5,100 patients were evaluated over 16 years.

The findings indicate that individuals at a low risk for periodontal disease experience no significant difference in tooth loss rates whether they received one preventive dental visit or two. However, high-risk individuals saw better periodontal health outcomes when they visited the dentist twice a year, and the data suggest that those high risk individuals with more than a single risk factor may need more than twice yearly preventive visits. 

According to Nancy L. Newhouse, DDS, MS, President of the American Academy of Periodontology and a practicing periodontist in Independence, Missouri, the results underscore the importance of regular, preventive care. “An annual comprehensive periodontal evaluation includes a thorough assessment of periodontal health, including a detailed inventory of any risk factors for disease. A dental professional should examine your mouth once a year to identify existing periodontal disease as well as assess risk for future disease. For some patients, this once-a-year visit is sufficient. However, according to the study patients with increased risk for periodontal disease warrant additional preventive visits.” 

Dr. Newhouse believes that these findings may also help dental professionals provide smarter, more efficient care. “Given the prevalence of periodontal disease in this country, the findings support patients receiving personalized periodontal care catered to their specific risk profile or diagnosis.”

perio.org