Its my healthy baby boy Reed! Things have been great, though hectic ;) Anyways, this is going to a shorter post, but I wanted to share a link to an interview I did with the North Branford Patch. Enjoy!
-DRS
www.northfordfamilydental.com
Monday, September 12, 2011
My North Branford Patch Interview
Hello again ever present, ever ready internet audience. I know you've been salivating for another blog post this millennium, and I know so far I've let you down immensely, but I'm back and ready to go. Here's the reason I've been neglecting my blogging duties:
-DRS
www.northfordfamilydental.com
-DRS
www.northfordfamilydental.com
Monday, May 16, 2011
The Power of Pen to Paper
"All right class, it's time to practice our penmanship," Mrs. Clark tells her second graders in a cheerful voice. "Everyone get out your pen and paper."
Mrs. Clark's second graders respond with befuddled faces.
"I'm just kidding! Everyone grab your iPad 20 and lets get started!"
The children groan as they pull out their transparent screens. Mrs. Clark continues, "Since we're going to be writing a letter to a family member today, we will be using SpaceSerif font. This font will give your letters a personal touch..."
The students' fingertips fly across their LCD screens as digitized type emerges at a quickening pace.
"...and our goal is 400 words per minute." she continues. "And be sure those auto-spell-correctors are turned on." Satisfied, Mrs. Clark takes a seat and begins grading the class's last e-assignment on her iPad 20 Teacher's Edition.
Is this scenario realistic in the not-to-distant future? Personally, I think it's inevitable. We voraciously gobble up the latest digital trends and beam with pride as we show them off to our friends. The old ways of doing things are dying at an exponential rate. Children scoff at the idea of going to a library. Google it! They listen in wonder to tales of our ancient "Pen Pals," "YellowBook Pages," and "Rand McNally Maps." They shudder at the idea of a world without cell phones
I'm not trying to sound like an antiquated old goat. I have a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science and run our practice's web page, Facebook page, Twitter account, Google listings, Space Station, E-mail/Text Reminder Service, Blog, Teleportation Device, and e-newsletter (only two of those are fictional). Furthermore, my handwriting looks like footwriting. I welcome the digital age.
Last week, however, I recieved these via snail-mail:
These letters touched a neglected part of my heart that has grown dusty in the recent years. Upon receiving these hand-written letters, I realized the power of pen strokes on paper. There is something conveyed via a hand-written note that ASCII characters on a screen cannot capture. Each wobbly letter made me feel plugged-in and connected -- phrases we usually reserve for some i-gadget.
I'll admit, I was surprised that a hand-written letter, something commonplace not that long ago, could move me so much. Dagnabbit it did, though, and now I wonder if we're going to lose this personal connection to one another as our lives become further and further digitized. I hope not. But then again, what do I know? I am writing all of this on a digital blog, after all.
Maybe I'm just set in my ways, as people often are. A dentist in the past probably complained about the loss of the singing telegram. A future dentist will probably lament about how the kids' new i-holograms (only $30,000) will never beat the personal touch of a Facebook post. Maybe the manner of building community is different for every generation, and this post just shows my lack of understanding of where we're headed. Maybe we're doomed. Maybe nirvana is right around the corner. Maybe I'm digressing. No, I'm definitely digressing, and I'm pretty sure I've just reached my official pontification limit for a single post.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to e-mail, text message, Facebook message, or Twitter me. Or, just write :)
-DRS
www.northfordfamilydental.com
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Periodontitits: A Dangerous Disease You Don't Know About.
Hi everyone. Today's post is going to deal with periodontitis, a very prevalent yet often overlooked disease. In fact, studies indicate periodontitis afflicts 1 in 4 people in the U.S., and new research shows it effects not only our teeth but our entire body. So what is periodontitis? Well, its a bacterial infection of the gums and jawbone. Plain and simple. I could go on to talk about specific bacteria species, colonization factors, the chemical mediators of infection and inflammation, etc., but unless you're a biologist or have a curiosity streak that leans towards the nature of oral bacterial flora, I'll skip that level of sciencey talk in this post. All you need to know is that malicious bacteria in your mouth colonize the area between your gums and teeth, and due to inflammation (your body's natural response to this or any infection) the bone and tissue that actually attaches your teeth to your body melts away. Sometimes this bone/tissue loss occurs over the course of a year or two, but more often than not its a slow and insidious process that silently takes place over the course of many years. Furthermore, often the only sign its even there is bleeding, slightly swollen gums. Its only when your teeth literally become loose that you realize something is wrong. By then, its often too late and the affected teeth will fall out on their own.
This scenario is all too common and the possibility of losing your teeth is enough to have a dentist intervene and eliminate this infection. However, recent studies have revealed concrete evidence this chronic infection in your mouth has a very negative effect on the rest of your body. Below are some facts about how periodontitis DEFINITELY effects the rest of your body:
So if your gums bleed when your floss, if your teeth are loose, or if it your teeth look longer because your gums have receded, come see us and find out if you have periodontitis. Its important for more than just your teeth.
Have a great day, guys! And lets all collectively pray his warm weather is here to stay!
-DRS
Northford Family Dental
- You have a 20% higher risk for a cardiovascular event (such as a heart attack) if your have periodontits. That's a huge risk increase.
- Expectant mothers with periodontitis have a higher risk for having a low birthweight baby or a preterm delivery.
- Diabetes and periodontitis are intimately linked. Diabetes will make your periodontal infection worse, and your periodontitis will make your diabetes worse.
So if your gums bleed when your floss, if your teeth are loose, or if it your teeth look longer because your gums have receded, come see us and find out if you have periodontitis. Its important for more than just your teeth.
Have a great day, guys! And lets all collectively pray his warm weather is here to stay!
-DRS
Northford Family Dental
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Why the Six Month Checkup is Your Friend (and other news)
I'm back to blogging! Its been a very busy past few months for me with a lot of twists and turns. I'm engaged to be married AND...drum-roll please:
My fiance is pregnant! We are so excited and can't wait to be parents! We are currently debating about whether or not to find out the sex, so if you have an opinion feel free to weigh in on our facebook page.
Since there's really no dental segue I can make here, I'll just jump right in to one important point I've been meaning to make on this blog. Namely, your 6 month hygiene exam (we in the biz don't like to call it a cleaning) is very, VERY important. What are the benefits, you may ask? Well, preventing periodontitis and checking for cancerous lesions aside, this exam will absolutely prevent time in the dentist chair, money out of your pocketbook, and pain.
As you know from my previous posts, there are various treatments for any given cavity. Small one gets your standard filling -- a thirty minute appointment and you're out the door. However, larger ones (the kind that may cause a lot of pain) will lead to a root canal, filling, and some sort of crown or onlay. This fix requires a minimum of three appointments. Now here's the kicker. Look at the rough difference in fees between the two scenarios:
Small filling: 100 to 300 dollars or so
Root canal, filling, crown: 2000 to 2500 dollars or so
Though these fees don't take into account insurance, the difference is still substantial. For most of us, that amount of money makes a difference in our lives and we'd all like to hold on to it...especially in these tough economic times. But here's the point I want to stress. There's no middle treatment. In other words, scenario one can change to scenario two overnight and treatment that could have been short and sweet has become long and tough on the pocketbook. This is why I can't stress enough the importance of going to your dentist every six months and letting him/her check your teeth as well as take appropriate X-rays. We can often catch these cavities when they are small and easy to deal with. This is the reason insurance companies often cover hygiene appointments and X-rays so well. They know these appointments prevent the expensive work and promote good health practices so they try to entice you to see your dentist regularly by optimally reimbursing for these visits.
Moreover, those without dental insurance have all the more reason to see us regularly if only to avoid the fees associated with fixing a longstanding cavity. So come to the dentist! Let us catch these cavities when they are small!
My next post will discuss periodontitis and how to prevent it.
-DRS
My fiance is pregnant! We are so excited and can't wait to be parents! We are currently debating about whether or not to find out the sex, so if you have an opinion feel free to weigh in on our facebook page.
Since there's really no dental segue I can make here, I'll just jump right in to one important point I've been meaning to make on this blog. Namely, your 6 month hygiene exam (we in the biz don't like to call it a cleaning) is very, VERY important. What are the benefits, you may ask? Well, preventing periodontitis and checking for cancerous lesions aside, this exam will absolutely prevent time in the dentist chair, money out of your pocketbook, and pain.
As you know from my previous posts, there are various treatments for any given cavity. Small one gets your standard filling -- a thirty minute appointment and you're out the door. However, larger ones (the kind that may cause a lot of pain) will lead to a root canal, filling, and some sort of crown or onlay. This fix requires a minimum of three appointments. Now here's the kicker. Look at the rough difference in fees between the two scenarios:
Small filling: 100 to 300 dollars or so
Root canal, filling, crown: 2000 to 2500 dollars or so
Though these fees don't take into account insurance, the difference is still substantial. For most of us, that amount of money makes a difference in our lives and we'd all like to hold on to it...especially in these tough economic times. But here's the point I want to stress. There's no middle treatment. In other words, scenario one can change to scenario two overnight and treatment that could have been short and sweet has become long and tough on the pocketbook. This is why I can't stress enough the importance of going to your dentist every six months and letting him/her check your teeth as well as take appropriate X-rays. We can often catch these cavities when they are small and easy to deal with. This is the reason insurance companies often cover hygiene appointments and X-rays so well. They know these appointments prevent the expensive work and promote good health practices so they try to entice you to see your dentist regularly by optimally reimbursing for these visits.
Moreover, those without dental insurance have all the more reason to see us regularly if only to avoid the fees associated with fixing a longstanding cavity. So come to the dentist! Let us catch these cavities when they are small!
My next post will discuss periodontitis and how to prevent it.
-DRS
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Is Your Dentist Actually DOING Anything When He Checks Your Teeth?
Dentistry, like many other professions, has an information gap between the consumer and provider. When you get maintenance on your car and the mechanic looks you in the eye and says you need a new fan belt/transmission/Johnson Rod (Seinfeld anyone?) , you have to trust both his knowledge and his ethics inherently. The same trust is needed with your doctor or dentist. Our patients must believe we have their best interests in mind because it is difficult to completely convey our comprehensive oral health knowledge to the average person. That does not mean we shouldn't always try, though. Hence the information I provide in my blog posts, website, facebook page, and with each consult appointment I have with patients to discuss treatment options.
There is a critical time, however, when dentists often don't have adequate time to bridge this information gap with our patients -- this is when we give exams during your routine cleaning appointments. The purpose of these exams often baffles patients, as our visit is usually short, and some patients even go as far as declining the dental exam because they just don't see any value in it. For that reason, I have decided to reveal exactly what your dentist is doing during that three minute exam and why it is important.
You may not realize this, but often your dental exam begins before the dentist even sees you. When your hygienist has completed your cleaning and comes to get me in my office, I will receive an overview of your oral health condition. I will review your digital x-rays on my computer and evaluate them for any decay, periodontal disease, compromised crowns or fillings, and other pathology. After I have completed this review, I will then walk over to greet you in the hygiene room (and am often greeted with an anxious expression from someone uncomfortably reclined in the dental chair). I realize this reclining position is an odd way to greet someone, so I always try my best to put you at ease.
I'll then proceed to examine your entire mouth visually with my instruments and explorer. The explorer is the "Captain Hook" instrument which basically allows me to feel for any decay in the various crevices of your teeth. Specifically, I'm looking for areas of new decay on the tops and sides of your teeth, as well as checking the integrity of any fillings/crowns you have by feeling how they integrate with your tooth. If a gap has appeared between a filling/crown and your tooth, there's probably decay there.
Next, I'll examine any problem area of your gums and determine if additional periodontal treatment is necessary. I'll then compare my findings to x-rays to validate what I see in your mouth. I'll also use this time to reinforce any instruction concerning diet or oral hygiene the hygienist may have shared with you.
At this point I should have a pretty good determination of what, if anything, needs to be done and will discuss the options with you. The hygienist will then schedule any follow-up appointments. Sometimes the necessary work is extensive enough that I don't have adequate time to discuss everything with you during this cleaning appointment. If that is the case, we will schedule a consultation appointment for a later date to discuss the necessary treatment in detail. During this consultation appointment I will make sure you have all the information you need and all your questions are answered to your satisfaction.
While this entire dental examination process only takes a few minutes and can feel like just a bunch of poking and prodding, a lot of things are actually happening. It is important to keep in mind that dentists are trained to find, diagnose, and treat all the ailments of the mouth. Though skilled hygienists can spot many of these issues too, they will be the first to tell you a dentist needs to examine your mouth to catch all the areas of concern.
Whenever a patient refuses the dentist's exam, we make it a point to note his/her chart that the suggestion for this exam was made but declined by the patient. Why do we do this? If, down the road, this same patient comes in with a dental problem and asks why it was not caught sooner, we will be able to respectfully discuss his/her decision to forgo the dental exam during previous cleaning appointments.
So - that's whats going on in that whirlwind of an encounter you sometimes have with your dentist during a cleaning appointment. Now you know -- and you can consider that dental information gap just a little smaller!
Next blog topic: Six month checkups: Why they can save you considerable pain and money in the long-run.
Have a good one!
-DRS
There is a critical time, however, when dentists often don't have adequate time to bridge this information gap with our patients -- this is when we give exams during your routine cleaning appointments. The purpose of these exams often baffles patients, as our visit is usually short, and some patients even go as far as declining the dental exam because they just don't see any value in it. For that reason, I have decided to reveal exactly what your dentist is doing during that three minute exam and why it is important.
You may not realize this, but often your dental exam begins before the dentist even sees you. When your hygienist has completed your cleaning and comes to get me in my office, I will receive an overview of your oral health condition. I will review your digital x-rays on my computer and evaluate them for any decay, periodontal disease, compromised crowns or fillings, and other pathology. After I have completed this review, I will then walk over to greet you in the hygiene room (and am often greeted with an anxious expression from someone uncomfortably reclined in the dental chair). I realize this reclining position is an odd way to greet someone, so I always try my best to put you at ease.
I'll then proceed to examine your entire mouth visually with my instruments and explorer. The explorer is the "Captain Hook" instrument which basically allows me to feel for any decay in the various crevices of your teeth. Specifically, I'm looking for areas of new decay on the tops and sides of your teeth, as well as checking the integrity of any fillings/crowns you have by feeling how they integrate with your tooth. If a gap has appeared between a filling/crown and your tooth, there's probably decay there.
Next, I'll examine any problem area of your gums and determine if additional periodontal treatment is necessary. I'll then compare my findings to x-rays to validate what I see in your mouth. I'll also use this time to reinforce any instruction concerning diet or oral hygiene the hygienist may have shared with you.
At this point I should have a pretty good determination of what, if anything, needs to be done and will discuss the options with you. The hygienist will then schedule any follow-up appointments. Sometimes the necessary work is extensive enough that I don't have adequate time to discuss everything with you during this cleaning appointment. If that is the case, we will schedule a consultation appointment for a later date to discuss the necessary treatment in detail. During this consultation appointment I will make sure you have all the information you need and all your questions are answered to your satisfaction.
While this entire dental examination process only takes a few minutes and can feel like just a bunch of poking and prodding, a lot of things are actually happening. It is important to keep in mind that dentists are trained to find, diagnose, and treat all the ailments of the mouth. Though skilled hygienists can spot many of these issues too, they will be the first to tell you a dentist needs to examine your mouth to catch all the areas of concern.
Whenever a patient refuses the dentist's exam, we make it a point to note his/her chart that the suggestion for this exam was made but declined by the patient. Why do we do this? If, down the road, this same patient comes in with a dental problem and asks why it was not caught sooner, we will be able to respectfully discuss his/her decision to forgo the dental exam during previous cleaning appointments.
So - that's whats going on in that whirlwind of an encounter you sometimes have with your dentist during a cleaning appointment. Now you know -- and you can consider that dental information gap just a little smaller!
Next blog topic: Six month checkups: Why they can save you considerable pain and money in the long-run.
Have a good one!
-DRS
Sunday, August 22, 2010
My Interview with Bizymoms.com
Hey guys, today's post involves a little self-promotion (I hope you don't mind). I was recently interviewd by Bizymoms.com for their local dentist section concerning root canal treatment. My answers are pretty much a summary of my the various root canal treatmen blog posts, but for those of you who missed them and want to know the straight-skinny on what a root canal really is, check it out:
Root Canal Interview
-DRS
Root Canal Interview
-DRS
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Do I Need to Floss? Really? I mean REALLY??
Hey readers! I apologize for the long lag between posts. I'm finding out that planning a wedding is an all consuming affair. I have a slow morning today patient-wise, though, so between looking for wedding venues, planning the guest list, and about a million other things, I've decided to tackle a truly interesting, cutting-edge, sexy dental topic...Flossing!
I know, I know, there's nothing cool about flossing. Or so you think.
Crazy stuff! Now that I've got you interested in this fascinating spool of dental thread let me tell you why you should use it...
Wait...
I can just feel you nodding off at the thought of that...
Quick fact: The second best selling game of all time is Jenga. Jenga is a Swahili word, meaning "to build."
Do I have your interest again? Great. Let's begin. The purpose of floss is to rid the tight spaces between your teeth of plaque. And since plaque is basically a naturally forming slime of hostile bacteria, removing it on a regular basis will improve your oral health immensely in two major ways. First, this plaque can contain the type of bacteria that causes tooth decay, and unless it is cleaned regularly it can and will cause cavities between your teeth. Second, flossing along with proper brushing will prevent gingivitis.
"Hey doc, I've always wondered. What exactly is gingivitis?"
Well, I'm glad you asked! Gingivitis is an inflammation (redness and puffiness) of your gums caused by, you guessed it, dental plaque. On its own gingivitis is not that bad. However, left untreated it greatly increases a person's risk for periodontitis, or the inflammation of the bone beneath your gums. Periodontitis is a much more difficult "itis" to treat, is tougher to reverse, and will cause this tooth-supporting bone to disintegrate over time. If too much of this bone is lost, a person's teeth will get looser and looser until they literally wiggle right out of the mouth. Surprising? Well, it's true and all too common.
"But doc, I never floss and I haven't had cavities in years. I think I'll hedge my bets?"
I understand your reasoning, but as a dentist I can honestly say that cavities often come in bunches. You can go years without one and take your oral hygiene for granted until a dentist tells you eight cavities are brewing between your teeth or worse, these teeth begin to hurt. Furthermore, periodontitis is a slow, silent disease that tends to truly manifest itself in the second half of a person's life. By this point, though, much irreversible damage has already been done. Yet all this damage could have been prevented years earlier by flossing for 20 seconds a day.
So floss everyday! If it hurts your gums to floss and you see bleeding, that's OK. It just means your have some gingivitis. Grit your teeth and get through it. After a week of flossing, lo and behold, the pain and bleeding will be gone. That means you've cured yourself of gingivitis. That means you are a go-getter, a problem solver. I trust fixing the economy, the oil spill, childhood obesity, and pollution should be no sweat for the likes of you. Go get 'em tiger!
-DRS
I know, I know, there's nothing cool about flossing. Or so you think.
- Did you know that floss has been found among the remains of our pre-historic ancestors?
- Did you know the first "modern" floss thread was invented by Levi Spear Parmly (a dentist, naturally) in 1815 and was made of silk?
Crazy stuff! Now that I've got you interested in this fascinating spool of dental thread let me tell you why you should use it...
Wait...
I can just feel you nodding off at the thought of that...
Quick fact: The second best selling game of all time is Jenga. Jenga is a Swahili word, meaning "to build."
Do I have your interest again? Great. Let's begin. The purpose of floss is to rid the tight spaces between your teeth of plaque. And since plaque is basically a naturally forming slime of hostile bacteria, removing it on a regular basis will improve your oral health immensely in two major ways. First, this plaque can contain the type of bacteria that causes tooth decay, and unless it is cleaned regularly it can and will cause cavities between your teeth. Second, flossing along with proper brushing will prevent gingivitis.
"Hey doc, I've always wondered. What exactly is gingivitis?"
Well, I'm glad you asked! Gingivitis is an inflammation (redness and puffiness) of your gums caused by, you guessed it, dental plaque. On its own gingivitis is not that bad. However, left untreated it greatly increases a person's risk for periodontitis, or the inflammation of the bone beneath your gums. Periodontitis is a much more difficult "itis" to treat, is tougher to reverse, and will cause this tooth-supporting bone to disintegrate over time. If too much of this bone is lost, a person's teeth will get looser and looser until they literally wiggle right out of the mouth. Surprising? Well, it's true and all too common.
"But doc, I never floss and I haven't had cavities in years. I think I'll hedge my bets?"
I understand your reasoning, but as a dentist I can honestly say that cavities often come in bunches. You can go years without one and take your oral hygiene for granted until a dentist tells you eight cavities are brewing between your teeth or worse, these teeth begin to hurt. Furthermore, periodontitis is a slow, silent disease that tends to truly manifest itself in the second half of a person's life. By this point, though, much irreversible damage has already been done. Yet all this damage could have been prevented years earlier by flossing for 20 seconds a day.
So floss everyday! If it hurts your gums to floss and you see bleeding, that's OK. It just means your have some gingivitis. Grit your teeth and get through it. After a week of flossing, lo and behold, the pain and bleeding will be gone. That means you've cured yourself of gingivitis. That means you are a go-getter, a problem solver. I trust fixing the economy, the oil spill, childhood obesity, and pollution should be no sweat for the likes of you. Go get 'em tiger!
-DRS
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