American Dental Associates

DNA TESTS NOW AVAILABLE TO COMBAT GUM DISEASE

2011-04-28T07:43:00.000-07:00

American Dental Is Now Offering Two Salivary DNA Tests to Fight Gum Disease!

Using DNA for healthy smiles…

One of the most significant advances in dental medicine, a simple DNA test, can now determine the specific type and quantity of disease-causing bacteria in your mouth! These bacteria, if left untreated, can cause periodontal disease, tooth loss, and also affect your risk for developing other systemic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes (among others).

This exciting new test is for anyone with symptoms of gingivitis or periodontal disease. These symptoms include: bleeding gums, bad breath, red or inflamed gums or loss of bone around your teeth. Other indications for this test would be prior to extensive dental procedures and in some cases, surgical clearance (such as heart surgery or joint replacements).

This gentle oral rinse procedure is performed by swishing a small amount of sterile saline throughout the mouth and can be done in about 30 seconds. The sample is then sent to OralDNA Labs, Inc. (www.OralDNA.com) for processing.

The lab report that we get back will identify the bacteria associated with the gum infection and allow us to develop a far more powerful and effective treatment plan. Through this state-of-the-art technology, we are now able treat the cause of the infection and not just the symptoms. The goal of therapy then becomes to reduce your overall bacterial risk for disease progression. As with most diseases, earlier treatment and targeted treatment can help stop periodontal disease before irreversible damage occurs.

In addition to this bacterial DNA test, we can also offer you a genetic susceptibility test that will tell us if your genetic makeup puts you at greater risk for developing gum tissue infections (due to an exaggerated immune response). This will further enable us to optimize your therapy and recare program.

If you or a loved one is in need of either of these tests, please call for more information.

It is our mission to offer you the most cutting edge, comprehensive oral-systemic healthcare available.

Dr.Steve Pleickhardt

Danger At The Mall- Why The Dental Office Is The Only Place To Whiten Teeth

2011-03-31T10:37:00.000-07:00

Recently there has been a great deal of controversy revolving around the delivery of whitening services in shopping plazas; malls and in suntan shops (to name just a few). Adding to the confusion is the availability of Internet and television ads for whitening products many of which, just don’t work.

There are a plethora of options for people seeking to whiten their teeth trying to avoid the higher cost of doing it in a dental office. What people often fail to realize is that there are dangers to letting laypeople perform these procedures outside the controlled environment of a professional office.

There are four major areas of concern when it comes to “Shopping Mall Whitening”:

1. Infection Control: This is the biggest concern. The operations that I have witnessed were in the middle of shopping malls with no sanitation whatsoever. Not even to wash ones hands. The patients were salivating over the chairs and on the floor. The risk for infection from other people is very high. Poor hygiene has the potential to transmit many diseases including Hepatitis, Herpes, H1N1, and even the possibility of HIV (should the last whitening customer have bleeding gums).

2.Burns and Pain From Bleaching. There are times when people can have an adverse reaction to the bleaching process. There can be significant burns with swelling of the lips and tongue. Only a dental office has the knowledge and ability to prescribe treatment /medications to alleviate pain and manage the soft tissue damage. Diabetics can have serious complications from trauma in their mouths are well as people with compromised immune systems “Shopping Mall Whitening” technicians never take a health history- so the potential problems are overlooked. The consequences can be severe.

3.Poor Color Results: Since the majority of Mall Whitening Kiosks are run by non –dental staff they are usually unable to discern if teeth have fillings/veneers/crowns .and as a result the natural teeth will whiten leaving while the other teeth remain dark- this could be a very expensive problem to fix since the bleaching is irreversible. There are several dental-medical conditions that limit the success of the whitening process- a layperson will not be able to give this information to the typical whitening client.

4.More Expensive Than A Dental Office: A survey of dental whitening kiosks reveal that the cost is sometimes MORE than you would be charged at a dental office. While it seems like a

good deal lets say at $125 to bleach your teeth. They don’t mention that it takes four sessions to get the color you are seeking (actual cost $500 or more). In my office we offer our patients a significant discount on whitening which is normally significantly less than these businesses offer.

In summary, your best option is always the professional dental office when it comes to whitening your teeth. There are many safeguards to your health which are standard at a dental office that the whitening kiosks overlook. Don’t take unnecessary risks with your health thinking you will save money. And as always, ask your dentist which whitening system is right for you…

Dr. Steve Pleickhardt

SPORT DRINKS DESTROY TEETH

2011-03-29T03:38:00.000-07:00

Posted by Dr. Todd Welch on Mar 11, 2011 in Featured, Oral Hygiene

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Gatorade

The finding that the effects of Gatorade on teeth are worse than Coke and Red Bull doesn’t mean that Gatorade and other sports drinks are necessarily harder on your teeth than are Coke and other soft drinks. But it may be a surprise that they aren’t any better.
I don’t think everybody realizes how erosive these things are, especially Gatorade and Red Bull. People need to be aware that all sorts of beverages can be causing dental erosion. More and more dentists now think sugary drinks are the major culprit in tooth decay, says Brian Burt, PhD, professor emeritus of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
“There is pretty good evidence now that this is not just sports drinks, but soft drinks and juices in general,” said Burt. “They have become the main source of sugars in the diet. It comes down to the more sugar in the drink, the more risk of [cavities] to the person drinking it.”

Effects Of Gatorade On Teeth

The University of Iowa researchers covered extracted teeth with nail polish. They left bare two patches on each tooth, one on the enamel and one on the root. Then they dunked the teeth in test tubes filled with regular Coke, Diet Coke, Gatorade, Red Bull, or 100 percent apple juice.
Every five hours, the researchers refreshed the beverages. After 25 hours, they examined the teeth with a microscope. All of the beverages eroded the bare spots on the teeth. But different beverages had significantly different effects. On the enamel, Gatorade was significantly more corrosive than Red Bull and Coke. Red Bull and Coke, in turn, were significantly more corrosive than Diet Coke and apple juice.
On the roots of the teeth, Gatorade was more corrosive than Red Bull. Coke, apple juice, and Diet Coke followed in that order. The difference in the effect isn’t simply due to their sugar content. Gatorade is 6 percent carbohydrates, mostly sugars. Coke is about 10% sugar. Both are acidic beverages.
University of Michigan pediatric dental researcher Michael Ignelzi, DDS, PhD, has recently reviewed new research on the effects of beverages on children’s teeth. But he says there’s no evidence showing that sports drinks are any worse than other soft drinks . “I know of no data that sports drinks are more harmful than other drinks,” said Ignelzi.

Tooth Erosion
Sports Drinks and Cavities

Because of their acidity and sugar content, researchers have studied the role of sports drinks in the development of cavities. Most of the studies, however, exonerate the sports drinks.
Craig Horswill, PhD, senior research fellow at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, in 2005 reported a study of saliva flow in endurance athletes who drank Gatorade, diluted orange juice, a homemade sports drink, or water. The study showed that if the sports drinks had any effect, it was to decrease dehydration and increase saliva flow, which reduces cavity formation.
More to the point, a 2002 Ohio State University study of 304 athletes found no link between sports-drink use and dental erosion. The study was sponsored by Quaker Oats, which makes Gatorade. “Dental erosion among users of sports drinks in the Ohio State study was the same as it was in nonusers,” said Hoswill. “And they averaged 10 years of sports drink use.” Ignelzi says that what matters most isn’t which beverage people drink. It’s how and when they drink it.
“A lot of things can cause cavities, including sugared drinks. It is the way they are taken that is most important,” he says. “The frequency of exposure is key. If you sip a Pepsi all day, that is very harmful. But if you are taking any sweet or carb — cheese puffs, bread, raisins — if you take it during meals, it is a good thing. Because the saliva stimulated by your chewing buffers the acid. But if you are constantly snacking on sweets or sipping a sweet beverage, your teeth are exposed to acid all day long.”

Dental Visits Decrease Chance of Cavities in Baby Teeth

2011-03-03T04:05:00.000-08:00

Dental Care for Kids Needs to Begin With Baby Teeth, Study Shows
by Tom Henderson (Subscribe to Tom Henderson's posts)
Mar 2nd 2011 4:30PM0COMMENTS

Filed under: Research Reveals: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Health
Open wide, little one! Credit: Getty It may seem painfully obvious, but a new study shows preventative dental care for kids and regular brushing can reduce the risk of cavities.

What makes this study out of the University of North Carolina "new" is that it looks at dental hygiene among poor kids. Turns out, brushing, flossing and seeing the dentist could really help them reduce cavities.

Reuters news service reports that 11 percent of American 2-year-olds and 44 percent of 5-year-olds have cavities. The majority of these kids come from low-income families who can't afford regular dental care.

And regular dental care helps prevent cavities.

The findings, published in the journal Pediatrics, cite a program called "Into the Mouths of Babes." For the past 11 years, pediatricians and family doctors in North Carolina have given fluoride and dental exams to babies and toddlers covered by Medicaid.

Looking at results from between 2000 and 2006, Reuters reports, researchers estimate children covered by Medicaid who had at least four dental exams were 17 percent less likely to have cavities than kids who had no care at all.

"This speaks to the fact that prevention does work," Dr. Mary J. Hayes, a pediatric dentist in Chicago and spokeswoman for the American Dental Association, tells the news service.

Apparently, this has been the source of some controversy. Hayes tells Reuters some people think kids don't need to see a dentist until they are 3. But tooth decay can begin as soon as there are teeth, she says.

And the sins of the baby teeth are visited upon the permanent ones, she adds.

"Now we know that prevention needs to begin when the first teeth come in," Hayes tells Reuters.

Reuters reports it's a good idea to take children to see a dentist before their first birthdays. Good luck with that. The news service also reports that pediatric dentists are scarce, and few general dentists are trained to treat very young children.

And trying to find any dentist that accepts Medicaid is a toothache. In North Carolina, according to Reuters, only a fourth of dentists accept Medicaid.

Hayes tells Reuters that's why pediatricians and family doctors are important.

"We should involve the medical community," she tells the news service. "It makes sense that pediatricians be trained to look at the teeth.

What To Do When You Have A Dental Emergency??!!!

2011-02-10T04:49:00.000-08:00

What To Do When Dental Emergencies Strike!

"It happens all too often- a dental emergency in the middle of the night or while on vacation or travel. Severe pain, swelling and inconvenience all wrapped into one. What to do next?"
The best advice is prevention and that means keeping current with your dental visits to make sure there aren't hidden problems ( decay/abscesses/cracked fillings or teeth) that can arise at the most inopportune moments such as a special vacation or a critical business meeting. However, even healthy teeth can do some fairly unexpected things.
Here's some sound advice when dental emergencies impact your life:
Knocked Out Tooth From Trauma: The most important thing to remember is to quickly find the tooth and keep it moist. Place the tooth in a small container of milk or in the mouth( careful not to swallow it!). Contact our office ( or nearest dentist when traveling) to have the tooth re implanted and stabilized. The longer you wait to do this- the greater the chance that you will lose the tooth. If you play sports- you can avoid this problem by wearing an appropriate mouth guard. Our office can custom make one for your specific needs. Children who lose baby teeth rarely need to re implant them. Call the office if you have any questions-
Broken Tooth/ Lost Filling: Travel with or have on hand temporary filling material that you can purchase at most pharmacies. Place the material on the affected tooth and schedule
an immediate visit with our office or the nearest dental office if you are away. Sharp edges that scrape the tongue need immediate attention and should not wait. Dental wax can be used to cover the exposed areas. Pain can usually be managed with over the counter medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen.
Pain From Abscessed Teeth/Fractured Teeth: Abscesses are caused when the nerve of a tooth dies due to trauma or under a crown or filling. Typically over the counter medications
have very little effect on the pain and you will most likely need an antibiotic (such as amoxicillin) and a narcotic (codeine) to bring this under control until care can be given. If traveling internationally, I suggest purchasing these medications in advance to have available if you are in a region that doesn't have good or adequate health care facilities. Hospital emergency rooms can provide this basic care until a dental visit is arranged.
Gum Pain/ Canker Sores: If food becomes trapped between the teeth - it can cause gum pain and sometimes swelling. Try to floss the area clean and take aspirin/ ibuprofen for the
pain until you can see our office or a dental office when out of the area. Canker Sores ( apthous ulcers) can be temporarily treated with over the counter medications at drug stores until
you can be seen for definitive diagnosis and a prescription medication given.
You can visit our website for more information including animated videos:www.AmericanDental-Va.com
As always, where ever you are- you can email us for advice to help you in the event that a dental emergency arises: info@americandental-va.com.
Prepare now to have a safe and pain free 2011!

Dr. Steve Pleickhardt

When That Smile Is Too Perfect

2011-01-28T04:44:00.000-08:00

When That Smile Is Too Perfect by Neil Gershman,

From the NY Times

IN this age of advanced aesthetic enhancement, subtlety is prized. The discerning get just enough Botox to unfurrow their brows, lest they become expressionless clones. Women dissatisfied with their breast size may get a surgical boost, but few aim to be as conspicuously colossal as Heidi Montag. And now dental patients are pursuing perfectly imperfect teeth.

It used to be the only sought-after veneers - fingernail-thin cosmetic moldings that cover the fronts of teeth - were big, gleaming, flawlessly lined-up white squares. Nicknamed Chiclets, they have become near-ubiquitous in Hollywood.

But these days, there's a growing demand for painstakingly customized, natural-looking veneers created by professional dental ceramists, offering a balance of lifelike translucency and opaque whiteness. The lifelike "flaws" requested by patients include rotating the teeth next to the center pair so they overlap a little; subtly discoloring veneers toward the gumline so it looks between-cleaning realistic; and adding grooves so the porcelain isn't oddly smooth.

"There's a desire for imperfection in veneers," said Dr. Marc Lowenberg, a cosmetic dentist in Manhattan. Last week, Dr. Lowenberg said, a Texan woman told him: "I don't want my teeth to look like somebody else's teeth in my mouth. I want them to look like I've had them all my life."

Of course, patients aren't paying $1,600 to $2,500 per customized veneer (standard-issue ones start at $700) for an actual replica of their time-worn chompers. Rather, they want a subtle forgery that looks inconspicuously better than the real thing.

Alexa Vega, a 22-year-old actress who has starred in the "Spy Kids" movies, visited Vincent Devaud, a ceramist in Pasadena, Calif., whose Web site touts a "couture designer smile," after hearing of his expertise in natural-looking veneers. Using 18 shades of porcelain, he texturized her top-row veneers to resemble her real bottom row. Near the gum is "slightly darker, and at the end of the tooth, less dark," Ms. Vega said approvingly of the results, but with "such a good flow to it."

Mr. Devaud, a guest instructor for the UCLA Center for Esthetic Dentistry, who is given to artistic-sounding pronouncements like "I will not accept mediocrity in a patient's mouth," said he has many other celebrity clients, all of whom get a personalized look. "It's not in my fiber to do a white and perfect-looking smile," he said.

"What makes a person desirable and attractive?" Mr. Devaud added. "It's not the symmetry; it's perfect imperfections."

Couture veneers are partly a response to the mass-marketing of perfect teeth, which includes widely available over-the-counter bleaching strips. Nearly 600,000 people had veneers in 2006, an increase of 15 percent over 2004, according to the latest statistics available from the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Many of these, in their generic perfection, were obviously fake. "The owners of the Chiclets are walking around as proud as peacocks," said Dr. Lowenberg, the Manhattan dentist, "and their family and friends are walking around behind their back saying, 'What did she do to her teeth?

"The white standard got too white," he added. "The perfection standard got too perfect."

To be sure, plenty of people still want polished piano-key teeth that scream, "I paid for these!" Others settle for such a look because they can't afford to pay more for customization, or don't know that it's an option.

But for those with the means and awareness, the discreet look is in. Lawyers, doctors and other professionals "are not interested in people noticing their smile," said Dr. Thomas Connelly, another cosmetic dentist in Manhattan. "They just want to have a nice smile. They don't want to be known for their smile."

Especially men. "Guys all say, 'They have to look real, bud, or I'm not doing it,' " said Dr. Connelly, who works with ceramists like Mr. Devaud to "rough up" the porcelain on certain veneers. "Human enamel is not perfectly smooth," he said. "We put texture - actual little grooves - to scatter reflecting light."

Patients ask for "white and natural," said Jason J. Kim, a ceramist in Manhattan who crafts veneers that have a realistic translucency instead of being what he calls "toilet-bowl opaque." Mr. Kim, who self-published a book, "The Master Ceramist," to showcase his work, carefully matches clients' veneers to their natural teeth, so the forgeries don't stand out among the van Goghs.

"A lot of people who did white teeth, they are all coming back," said Mr. Kim, whose mentor was Willi Geller, a Zurich-based ceramist who is known for his natural-looking veneers. "It's very noticeable, and that's not good."

Robert Saporiti, an actor in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has four veneers composed of layers of JKBlend, Mr. Kim's signature porcelain mix, customized to match Mr. Saporiti's real teeth. His front-four veneers are so lifelike, he said, that they fooled his girlfriend of more than two years. "She didn't know I had veneers on my teeth till I told her," he said proudly.

As with hair color, communication is key during the creation of couture teeth, since the idea of "natural" varies widely.

Pinhas Adar, an Atlanta ceramist who tends to both subtlety seekers and perfection seekers, said that the latter don't realize that the brightness and whiteness of their idols' teeth are enhanced by the flashbulbs of the paparazzi. "They think they want to look like that," said Mr. Adar, who like Mr. Kim, is a disciple of Mr. Geller's, "but once it's in the mouth, it looks horrible, and they say, 'Oh my God.' "

To avoid such mishaps, he and others create a few trial veneers - some translucent, some opaque - so the patient can decide. "I don't tell them what I did," he said, "I ask, 'Do you see any difference?' "

The trend may have started with European dentists and ceramists, who long eschewed too-perfect teeth. "If you were 50 years old, they put a veneer on the tooth" with a "brown stain on it," said Dr. Brian LeSage, a cosmetic dentist in Beverly Hills, Calif., and part of the faculty at the UCLA Center for Esthetic Dentistry. "Really ugly," he called the look.

But Dr. LeSage, who recently spoke at the international meeting for the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry in London, reported that his European colleagues are now showing more interest in noticeably gorgeous, white teeth, just as some Americans are disdaining them. There's been, he said, "a meeting in the middle."

Dental Emergency During Pregnancy

2011-01-14T03:48:00.000-08:00

Dental x-ray during pregnancy?

I am 36 weeks pregnant and started to have a horrible toothache. I tried to make a dental appointment but they said that they will have to do x-rays to determine what's wrong. I read mixed facts about x-rays during pregnancy, so i'm not sure. I called my OB to ask her if I can have a dental x-ray but she's not in until later this afternoon. I guess I rather go for a month with a toothache than harming my baby, but at the same time, I want this tooth taken care of asap. Does anyone have any experience with this?
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I had to have a tooth extracted when I was pregnant and they done an x-ray first but they put a lead cover over my belly to protect the baby from the rays so I think you should be ok, I was in my early weeks of pregnancy and they told me that the lead would stop any of the rays hurting my baby. I was in real agony and I was so nervous when I was getting the tooth out because I was pregnant but my baby boy was born absolutely perfect and healthy. I'm sure that it will be ok to get the tooth seen to. Good Luck :0)
Source

1 comments:

American Dental said...: At 36 weeks you are usually safe to have an X-ray taken ( make sure the office you go to does digital x-rays which emit lower levels of radiation). However,my office always gets the approval of the OBGYN plus we double shield the baby with 2 lead aprons. The tooth infection is more of a risk for the baby than the actual dental procedures rendered. Your dentist should inquire about anesthetic to be used in addition to a follow-up antibiotic and pain medication preference. Contact your dentist ASAP to treat your dental problem. Hope you feel better soon!Dr. Steve Pleickhardt, Gainesville,Virginia

Life Changing Dentistry- Snap On Smile

2010-11-16T03:10:00.000-08:00

Our office is pleased to announce our participation in the exciting dental makeover program from DENMAT called "SNAP ON SMILE"- Patients with discolored or badly positioned/ missing teeth can get a "Hollywood Smile" in about an hour! Impressions are taken in our office and processed by DENMAT in California. Special plastic veneers are fabricated at a fraction of the cost of major dental restorations. Patients will have the opportunity to see first hand what cosmetic dentistry can do for them-
Contact our office for a free consultation: 703-753-6695
Or visit: http://www.snaponsmile.com

Bisphenol A and Dental Sealants- CNN's Misguided Warning from their upcoming show "Toxic America"

2010-06-04T11:23:00.001-07:00

CNN is planning to run a special report called: "Toxic America" where Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports that dental sealants contain Bisphenol A and suggests this may harm the health of dental patients ( particularly children who receive the bulk of dental sealant care).
The ADA Council of Science Affairs posted back in 2008 a position statement: "According to the CDC, dental caries remains the most common chronic disease of children aged 5 to 17 years-5 times more common than asthma (59% versus 11%).4 Untreated cavities can cause pain, dysfunction, absence from school, and poor appearance-problems that can greatly affect a child's quality of life. The utility of composite resin materials for both restoring dental health and preventing caries is well established, while any health risks from their use are not. The ADA fully supports continued research into the safety of BPA; but, based on current evidence, the ADA does not believe there is a basis for health concerns relative to BPA exposure from any dental material."

See the link: http://www.ada.org/1766.aspx

Patients should not be deterred from engaging this disease prevention procedure and should discuss their concerns with their dentist.... Dr. Steve Pleickhardt

Flossing May Add Years To Your Life!

2010-05-06T10:15:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe it, but by flossing your teeth nightly- you can add about six years to your life expectancy! Recent research has linked the microbes that lurk in the deep pockets of your gums to heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and even premature births. Keeping your teeth clean and your gums in tip top shape is the secret to a healthy mouth and body. And of course, visiting the dentist and the hygienist ensures that your mouth will be trouble free for years to come-
See: http://longevity.about.com/od/liveto100/ss/life-expectancy_4.htm

Dr. Pleickhardt, Owner
American Dental Associates, Gainesville, VA

INVISALIGN: 21st Century Computer Assisted Orthodontics

2010-04-13T13:18:00.000-07:00

Gone are the days of metal wires and brackets to move teeth- welcome to the hi-tech world of INVISALIGN orthodontics. The process is relatively simple- the doctor will take several impressions of your teeth along with an x-ray and send them to AlignTech corporation in California. There the models of your teeth are uploaded digitally to a computer and a technician simulates orthodontic tooth movement.

From that point a computer assisted design ( CAD) machine will create clear plastic trays that are changed every two weeks to slowly and gently move your teeth into a brand new smile! In addition to moving your teeth the trays can be used to whiten the teeth by using any number of professionally dispensed bleaching gels ( Zoom!, LumiSmile etc) so you can maximize the beauty of your new smile. Invisalign is true 21st Century dental care- ask your dentist or orthodontist for more information. You are going to enjoy not wearing braces! Find out more: http://www.invisalign.com/

YOUR CHILD'S BABY TOOTH MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE!

2010-02-13T14:31:00.000-08:00

Recently it was discovered at NIH at Bethesda, Maryland that human baby (decideous) teeth and adult teeth contain stem cells that can be used to treat a variety of diseases which may occur amongst family members.
American Dental Associates has recently teamed up with Store-A- Tooth corporation in Lexington, Massachusetts to provide cryogenic preservation of both baby and wisdom teeth for later harvesting of these vital stem cells ( which can be decades in the future). The process is relatively straight forward: teeth are extracted and placed into a preservative solution; ice packed and shipped overnight to Store-A-Tooth for processing. Patients pay a small fee annually to maintain the tissue samples. Ask our staff or call our office at 703-753-6695 for more information or visit: www.Store-A-Tooth.com.

Buyer Beware- Mall Whitening Kiosks May Be Dangerous To Your Health!

2010-01-06T10:27:00.001-08:00

During this holiday season I actually ventured into one of the Nation's most presitgious malls (Tyson's Corner Mall in Vienna Virginia). The shopping center was packed with thousands of people looking for last minute gifts and deals-
On the way out- I was startled to see a kiosk in the center of the mall that was specialing in "Immediate Whitening"-
There was seating for four people and they were biting into plastic trays with a light and whitening gel. This seemed at first, similiar to what dental offices do with Zoom!/ Britesmille or Sapphire in-office tooth whitening.
However- this kiosk did not have any running water and no obvious infection control to protect the health of it's "patients". There was no doctor on duty to supervise the procedure. There wasn't any means to suction the "patient's" saliva during the course of the 20-60 minute process ( which can cost up to $500!).
Without obvious means to control the spread of infection- an unsuspecting client of this whitening kiosk could be at risk for a variety of diseases- including: Hepatitis/ Herpes/ H1N1 or worse.
Then there the safety issues of burning your gums and lips with the peroxide gel used along with sensitivity. All of these issues are dealt with properly in a dental office- Your dentist can give you a better and more predictable experience when you whiten your teeth. There are many State Boards of Dentistry that are clsoing these kiosks down because they are practicing dentistry without a license. From my view- it appeared that the profit motive of this Whitening kiosk superseded the safety of its clients-
Updates to follow...

The Miracle of Dental Implants

2009-11-05T05:30:00.001-08:00

Dental implants were discovered by accident by Dr. Branemark in Sweden over 40 years ago. Tooth implants are made of titanium- the only known metal that bone tissue actually integrates into and becomes part of the body. Today, the trend is to do a procedure known as ? Immediate Tooth Replacement? in which a bad tooth is surgically removed and an implant root is placed immediately into the extraction site. Provided that there is enough bone density- an artificial tooth ( cap or crown) is then placed over the implant root giving the patient an instant new smile with a hi-tech touch-

A great site to visit to see technique and videos:

http://www.dental?health.com/immediateload_implantsprocedure.html

Dr. Steve Pleickhardt,

American Dental Associates, Washington, DC Metro

Happy Birthday American Dental Associates!

2009-10-22T08:00:00.001-07:00

We are proud to serve the Northern Virginia area for two years! Our office has grown over this period- we have added two more state-of-the-art operatories along with a soft tissue laser. American Dental Associates always provides hi-tech/hi-touch dental care. Visit us today: www.AmericanDental-Va.com

Dental Hygiene and Your Health

2009-10-22T05:30:00.000-07:00

How Dental Hygiene Affects Your Health

Good dental health and overall health are linked. There is no two ways about it. If you have an unhealthy mouth, chances are your body is not healthy either. Why? Well, every part of the body is interconnected. So, when you think about your health, don’t just think about blood, heart, lungs, etc. think about your oral health as well.

Dental hygiene affects your health in many ways. Poor dental hygiene often results in poor health, whereas good dental hygiene helps you stay on the road to good health. Let’s look at some examples:

Your mouth has tons of bacteria growing and living in it. This is fact, and can’t be avoided, but it can be better controlled. However, these bacteria are only kept under control by daily hygiene practices. So, how does good dental hygiene’s affect on control of bacteria affect your health? Well, as the plaque and tartar build up, and take over the mouth, they find their way into the blood stream. Your blood travels all throughout your body, so this can be detrimental to a person’s overall health. When infections or bacteria in the mouth enter the blood stream, they can start to attack arteries. In fact, they often attack the heart. It has been shown through many studies that people with poor oral health, and those who practice poor dental hygiene are more at risk for heart disease, stroke, and heart attack than those who take good care of their mouth and practice impeccable dental hygiene.

Dental hygiene does not only affect your health, but if you are pregnant, the dental hygiene your practice can also affect the health of your unborn baby. It is very important for women in childbearing years to be vigilant about keeping good oral health. Many studies have shown that premature birth is often connected to the mother having gum disease. Good dental hygiene almost always eliminates gum disease, and thus greatly reduces your risks of having a baby prematurely. The infection and bacteria caused by poor oral hygiene will lead to gum disease and can end up affecting the development of an unborn child. Although women who are pregnant should not undergo all dental procedures, regular check-ups and cleanings should be maintained, and are important to the health of your fetus.

How else does dental hygiene affect your health? Well, on a more basic level, good oral health means less pain for you to suffer. Pain in your mouth is caused by tooth decay and gum irritation. If you brush and floss properly each day, your gums will be healthy and strong, you will maintain your teeth, and you will have far less decay that leads to cavities. In essence, if you maintain good oral and dental hygiene, you will not have to suffer the pain and stress of trips to the dentist’s office.

Another way good dental hygiene and oral health are connected is in nutrition. Part of keeping a healthy mouth is eating right. Eating the right way means less cavities, it also means your body has the nutrients it needs to fight off infections and disease, including gum disease.

People who develop and maintain good dental hygiene habits are likely to have good overall hygiene habits that affect their general health. If you wash your hands regularly, shower, clean yourself, etc. you are less likely to get sick, and more likely to live a healthy happy life. So, brush, floss, see your dentist regularly, and remember good dental health means more than an attractive smile, it means health and vitality.

(Article courtesy Dr. Joseph Marcius, DDS, who is a leading dentist in Akron, Ohio)

Bottled Water And Cavities

2009-10-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

It appears from reports that there is a sudden increase in cavities within the US population.
Researchers believe that it is due to the fact that many bottled water products do not contain Fluoride- See:http://www2.fluoridealert.org/Alert/United-States/National/Parents-Bottled-Water-Trend-Poses-Threat-to-Dental-Health

H1N1 Vaccination Protocol

2009-10-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

My entire family received the H1N1 vaccine this past weekend in Prince William County- you should too! See:http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-inact-h1n1.pdf

Children will need 2 doses to be protected...