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Dentistry StoriesToday's Featured Doctor |
Miracle of Laser Dentistry
Ah, the delights of the dentist's office! First you come in and are forced to lie supine on a reclining chair, as if on a surgeon's operating table. Then the needle filled with numbing agent appears and descends, like some evil wasp. The high-speed drill begins to whine, ominous as some merciless mosquito about to pounce. Grinder bits are added to the drill, which, when applied to the tooth, make the head vibrate as though it's in a blender. And all of the other associated sights, noises and tastes combine to create such an unforgettable experience!
But with the increasingly popular and available laser dentistry, help is on the way.
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Dental Screening Can Be a Lifesaver
Bleeding gums can be a key early-warning sign for over 20 serious medical disorders, including diabetes, heart disease, pre-diabetes, Hodgkin's lymphoma and cancers of the colon and other organs. And which doctor is best positioned to notice bleeding gums? The dental doctor, of course!
In addition, according to Dr. Ronald Schefdore, a Chicago dentist with over 25 years of experience, people usually visit their dentist more often than their doctor.
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Fear of Dentists Can Hurt Health
Those Americans who avoid going to the dentist for years due to their extreme dental phobia may be setting themselves up for potentially life-threatening health problems.
As dental decay advances and gums deteriorate unchecked, bacteria may start to proliferate and get into the bloodstream, eventually causing damage to the heart and other areas of the body, doctors say.
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Kids' Halloween Candy Haul: Not to Worry
A Temple University pediatric dentist says kids who binge on their Halloween candy spoils - but who don't consume them piecemeal throughout the day - may actually be doing their teeth a favor.
The key challenge, though, is limiting their fling to just a few days, and then drastically tapering off on candy consumption for the rest of the year. Or letting kids eat candy and other carbohydrate sweets just for dessert, not popping them every hour or so.
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A Beauty Spa in Your Refrigerator
You just might discover the best cosmetic medicine not at your local plastic surgeon or spa but at your local grocery store.
Experts have identified an increasing number of "beauty foods" that act to add youthful qualities to skin, hair and teeth. For example, salmon and other omega-3-fatty-acid-rich foods help smooth wrinkles. Cranberries help whiten teeth. And spinach, broccoli and Swiss chard help produce glossy, well-conditioned hair.
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As Goes Oral Health, So Goes General Health
Many studies are showing a persistent connection between gum disease and other ailments that afflict corners of the body far afield from the teeth.
Specifically, when gingivitis (early-stage gum disease) or full-blown periodontal disease is present, it's often the case that doctors find that a patient has diabetes, kidney disorders, preterm labor, certain types of cancer, osteoporosis or even Alzheimer's disease.
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Dentistry Goes Digital
Gone are the days (or soon will be) when dentists had to ladle quantities of goo into patients' mouths to take impressions for the construction of crowns, bridges and implants.
Instead, exciting new high technology has been developed that will do a two-minute digital scan of a patient's entire set of teeth. Once the information is captured by an electronic wand the dentist passes around the teeth, it's delivered to a dental lab where milling machines hooked up to CNC (computer numerical control) devices are used to craft the artificial dentition, most of which is now made from zirconium dioxide. In the past, gold and platinum had been the materials of choice.
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Energy Drink Consumption Can Lead to Tooth Erosion
Energy drinks in the U.S. have been on the rise for more than 10 years, promising consumers a boost to their day. It's estimated that the energy drink market will be $10 billion by 2010. This is good news for beverage companies, but it could have oral health implications for consumers who rely on these drinks, sometimes daily, for that boost. Previous research findings have warned consumers that the pH levels in beverages such as soda could lead to tooth erosion. The studies revealed that, whether diet or regular, iced tea or root beer, the acidity level in popular beverages that consumers drink every day contributes to the erosion of tooth enamel.
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Gumming up Heart Health
General recommendations for heart health are: get about 40 minutes of exercise at least 3 times a week, cut dietary fat and salt intake, pay attention to your blood pressure and cholesterol. But can taking care of your gums help your heart?
It turns out, that treating periodontal disease reduces plaque build up in the coronary arteries and makes the vessels more flexible.
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Healthwrap Oral Health
A new review suggests dentists need to spend more time, using psychology to convince people to do a better job at improving their oral health.
The fact is, tooth brushing and flossing remain the keys to oral health.
They are the most important steps in helping to keep a person's teeth for a lifetime.
Still, brushing and flossing are not as popular as dentists would like.
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