YOUR CHILD'S BABY TOOTH MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE!

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!

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 From my view- it appeared that the profit motive of this Whitening kiosk superseded the safety of its clients-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

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!

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

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

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

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...