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June 29, 2017 by VA Dentist Leave a Comment

Sleep Apnea Q&A

Did you know that dentists can help sleep physicians treat sleep apnea? Read on for a quick sleep apnea Q&A with Virginia Family Dentistry’s Dr. Pete Appleby.

What is sleep apena?

Sleep apnea is basically prolonged pauses in breathing during sleep. Depending on the severity, this can contribute to many different health issues such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and depression.

What are the signs of sleep apnea?

Snoring is a good indicator someone may suffer from apnea, but doesn’t necessarily mean someone has sleep apnea. The only way to know if you have the condition is to be evaluated by a sleep physician via a sleep study. Breathing and other vital signs are monitored while asleep during the study. If a patient is diagnosed with sleep apnea, they will typically be prescribed with a C-PAP machine or an oral appliance.

Who is a candidate for oral appliances?

It’s important to be screened by a dentist for issues with your teeth, gums, or TMJ. All need to be healthy before starting oral-appliance therapy. From a dental standpoint though, a dentist should be able to fit an oral appliance on just about any patient who’s been diagnosed with sleep apnea by a sleep physician. Even patients with no teeth can be fit with an oral appliance.

How does an oral appliance work?

Deep relaxation and sleep can cause the airway to become partially or fully obstructed. Oral Sleep appliances fit by a dentist enable the teeth and jaw to comfortably support the airway during sleep; keeping the airway open. Just about everyone has heard someone snoring. This is the sound of partial obstruction. In some people it’s harmless, unless of course you have to be in the same room sleeping with them!

Why did you start treating sleep apnea?

The medical and dental field is finally realizing the impact this condition has on our patient’s health. It’s satisfying to help patients get off their C-PAP or just to simply get a better night’s sleep; that alone can change someone’s life!

Peter B. Appleby, DDS
General Dentist at Virginia Family Dentistry Ironbridge
6441 Ironbridge Road
(804) 743-8166

March 14, 2017 by VA Dentist Leave a Comment

Fear of the Dentist

“No offense, but I really don’t like the dentist.”

As a general dentist, I hear that one a lot.

dental fear — Your next trip to the dentist doesn’t have to be like this.

The state of your mouth is not only important to your health but affects confidence as well. An unhealthy mouth can lead to pain, tooth loss, decreased ability to eat, and a lack of confidence in one’s smile. The effects can be far reaching and at times overwhelming for many patients.

There are many reasons why people avoid going to the dentist.

It may be due to dental anxiety stemming from a previous unpleasant experience or a bad memory from childhood visits to the dentist. It may be that there is a feeling that their dental problems are just too bad to be fixed. It may be that the potential costs involved are too frightening. Whatever the reason, there are options available to ease the process and achieve a healthy and beautiful smile.

On a daily basis we work with patients with dental anxiety. The use of laughing gas or various levels of sedation allow for dental procedures to be accomplished in a comfortable manner. These modalities work for patients who would otherwise not tolerate treatment.
Often I hear from patients that they feel their mouths are too far gone, its hopeless, and they even may feel embarrassed by having anyone see their mouth. Patients will ask “Is this the worst you’ve seen?” Well guess what, I’ve seen worse. But if you are sitting in my chair then you are in the right place to do something about it and make a positive change in your health and appearance of your smile.
Sometimes the thought of the costs involved with dental treatment will prevent a patient from ever coming into the dental office. There are often multiple options for treating dental problems. The vast array of options have a spectrum of costs associated. By discussing the options with a dentist, patients can evaluate what will work best with their budget and their lifestyle.

Oral health is something that is important yet often neglected. The appearance of your smile can affect the way you present yourself to the world around you. Our entire dental team has the goal to help patients overcome impediments to seeking dental treatment.

By: Colleen E. Nash, DDS
General Dentist
Virginia Family Dentistry Atlee-Ashland

March 2, 2017 by VA Dentist Leave a Comment

5 Foods That Are Surprisingly Great For Your SMILE

March is National Nutrition Month. As we hit the stride of the New Year, here are a few foods to help you smile a little brighter and healthier.

Carrots

Often when people think of carrots and health they jump straight to the idea that carrots help your eye-sight. Although not as widely known, carrots also help your “eye-teeth”. The carrot has crunch and texture helping act as nature’s toothbrush wiping away plaque that sticks to our teeth and gums. Crunchy vegetables like carrots also help produce significant amounts of saliva which bring in healthy enzymes and minerals to help protect our teeth.

Cheese

Researchers have recently shown that among dairy products, cheese may be the best for your choppers. In a study comparing milk, yogurt, and a control test group, cheese came through as the winner in effectively lowering pH in the mouth after consumption at various time intervals. A lower pH means lower acid content which can be protective of our tooth enamel.

Turmeric

While more of a spice than a food, Turmeric has been shown to combat dental plaque, gum inflammation, and microbial colonies. Several studies have also linked turmeric to reductions in oral cancer cells. While I would not jump to trading in your traditional over the counter homecare products for turmeric toothpaste, there is certainly a place for this golden spice as an additive to prepared dishes or even in a healthy smoothies.

Salmon

If you don’t live in a sunny area, most adults are fairly deficient in vitamin D. Fatty fish like salmon contain high amounts of vitamin D without the negative side effects of the sun’s rays. Vitamin D is critical for helping your body absorb calcium from your diet. Vitamin D and calcium go hand in hand to contribute to healthy mineralization of your teeth.

Green Tea

Want fresh breath – try green tea. Polyphenols found in green tea have been shown to kill bacteria and suppress their byproducts leading to improved breath freshness. One study has shown that green tea had a better effect on breath freshness than mints or gum. Green tea also contains a host of other antioxidants which help reduce inflammation and promote healthy gums. Use fluoridated water to steep your next green tea for an added healthy tooth bonus!

By: Louis N. Formica, DDS, MS
General Dentist
Virginia Family Dentistry Tri-Cities

February 14, 2017 by VA Dentist Leave a Comment

How Your Oral Health May be Affecting Your Overall Systemic Health

This past September, the Journal of the American Dental Association featured an article explaining the new definition of oral health approved by the FDA World Dental Federation General Assembly. It was decided that a common definition could bring people together to help advocate for the importance of oral health. It moves the field of dentistry from not only focusing on treating disease, but also to providing long-term care and support for oral health and well-being.

Here is the official definition of oral health:

Oral health is multifaceted and includes the ability to speak, smile, smell, taste, touch, chew, swallow, and convey a range of emotions through facial expressions with confidence and without pain, discomfort, and disease of the craniofacial complex. (Download the PDF of the full definition here)

This definition helps raise awareness across all fields that oral health does not occur in isolation, but is part of overall systemic or bodily health.

Gum Disease and Oral Health

On the opposite end of the spectrum from oral health is gum disease. Gum disease ranges in severity from gingivitis (bleeding or inflamed, “puffy” gums) to its more serious counterpart, periodontitis. Periodontitis itself can range from mild, moderate to severe case types. Typically mild cases have slight tartar or hardened deposits of bacteria built up right at, and/or slightly under the junction between the gums and teeth. Many times a deep cleaning or scaling and root planing procedure is needed to remove this bacteria and regain your oral health. In the more moderate to severe cases, not only do the gums bleed, but the gums and bone begin to erode away exposing root surfaces which can lead to sensitivity, tooth loosening and many times tooth loss. Other, often more extensive procedures are needed to help improve oral health.

If you notice that you have even a little area of bleeding in your mouth or blood in your saliva prompted either by brushing, flossing, eating or a routine dental cleaning, this bleeding is caused by inflammation as a response to a bacterial infection in your gums. Gum disease happens because of the inflammatory response which occurs because of the bacterial infection. Gum diseases can influence other diseases via a specific inflammatory protein known as CRP. Bacteremia occurs when bacteria that break off from the tartar build up on teeth/roots get into the bloodstream. This bacteremia is the initial factor that leads to the production of CRP which can ultimately influence the occurrence of negative vascular events such as heart attack and stroke.

Gum Disease and Systemic Health

Many years ago, researchers Kimmo Mattila and coworkers reported that individuals admitted to the emergency room with a myocardial infarction or heart attack were overwhelmingly likely to have periodontal disease. This made them wonder if periodontal disease might be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Since then, a significant amount of research has been done to enhance our understanding of how periodontal disease might affect distant sites and organs of our body, and thus its effect on overall health.

For example, diabetes has been shown to have a “2 way relationship” with gum disease. It has been found that periodontal treatment can significantly reduce the “A1c” level (up to almost 0.5%) that is commonly tracked for diabetic patients. Similarly, periodontal disease increases a person’s risk for diabetes type 2 development and progression by more than 50%.

The American Academy of Periodontology is committed to raising awareness and evidence of the connective relationship between inflammatory disease states, including periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It is and will continue to be important for dentists, dental specialists such as periodontists, and other health care providers to partner together to provide the upmost health care for our patients.

By: Stephanie C. Voth, DDS, MSD
Periodontist
Virginia Family Dentistry Midlothian/288
Virginia Family Dentistry Staples Mill

February 1, 2017 by VA Dentist Leave a Comment

Children’s Dental Health Month: Caries (and Cavities) in Kids

Post by Pediatric Dentist Dr. Jeff Laughlin

When it comes to your child’s teeth, you may have heard of the term “caries”, which is not well known or often understood. Caries is simply the disease process that often results in a cavity (or hole in the tooth)…so these terms as they relate to your child’s teeth are technically not the same! Much like coronary artery disease is the disease process that results in a heart attack. Yet, like many diseases, caries is chronic, infectious, and complex!

Understanding the components leading to a cavity is critical to maintaining the health of your child’s teeth. There are 3 major players in the caries process that are absolutely required to interact to form a cavity:

Bacteria in the mouth, known as Strep mutans
Sugars in the diet
The tooth itself

The interaction of bacteria and sugars on the tooth surface leads to the acidic breakdown of the tooth, eventually leading to a CAVITY. I say “eventually” because the caries process can be present in the mouth even before the cavity develops. For example, chalky white spots on the enamel, especially around the gum line, are an early sign that the caries process is at work.

Pediatric Caries — This picture is a good example of the caries process from the early “white spots” on the top teeth to the more progressed cavities (or “yellow holes”).

In regards to these 3 important players, caries is PREVENTABLE in some of the following ways:

Decrease your child’s sugar intake by limiting sugary snacks and juices. Replace them with healthy fruits and vegetables, along with milk and water.
Limit the exposure your infant will have to caries-causing bacteria. You may not realize this but you can transfer bacteria from your mouth to your infant’s mouth and put them at greater risk for developing caries. Therefore, take extra caution to not clean the pacifier, bottle nipple, or spoon in your mouth and then put it into your infant’s mouth.
Keep the surfaces of your child’s teeth clean. By brushing your child’s teeth 2 times a day with a fluoridated toothpaste, and flossing them once a day when the teeth are touching, you are improving their chances of not developing a cavity from caries. Brushing your infant’s teeth with a toothbrush should begin as soon as those teeth come into the mouth.

If you are concerned that the caries process has begun or you are worried that your child is exhibiting signs of cavities, please bring your child in for an examination. I would be happy to take a look and discuss with you my findings and practical solutions. It is important to maintain the health of those baby teeth so that your child does not exhibit pain, infection, or swelling. And even if you are not concerned about your child’s teeth, I recommend bringing your child into see me as early as age 1. The best way to prevent cavities is to address it before it begins!