Diabetes and Dental Health

People with diabetes are more prone to periodontal disease and likely to suffer from severe cases of this destroyer of dental health. Gum disease is the most common cause of tooth loss because it destroys the jawbone that supports teeth, and may ultimately loosen the teeth.
Blood-glucose levels in a diabetic are strongly connected to the patients likelihood of suffering from complications of periodontal disease. The mouth of a diabetic will be a more conducive environment to the bacteria that cause gum disease, and diabetics are more susceptible to infection. Likewise, the presence of an infection will make blood-glucose levels more difficult to control.
Diabetics tend to have a reduced salivary flow. Because saliva plays an important role in washing away food debris and bacteria in the mouth, a lack of saliva can contribute to tooth decay and periodontal disease.
Keeping bacteria at bay in the mouth of a diabetic requires a coordinated effort between the patient and his or her dentist. Controlling blood-glucose levels and careful home care, including brushing after each meal and flossing daily, are things the patient can do to help. Often, a special appointment schedule is necessary to help keep the dental health of a diabetic patient the best it can be.
Most adult patients should see the dentist 3 to 4 times a year. Every 6 months just doesn't to the job. So keep your self healthy see the dentist on a regular basis. The more often the better.

Sugar and Summer Foods

Watermelon, apple pies, lemonade, soft drinks and rich foods. They are all part of a normal summer for most. So, how has your summer diet been? Most of us have been enjoying the summer with family and friend, vacations and special times with the young ones, which can mean a lot of sweet and rich foods. There is nothing wrong with indulging in fun foods now and then. And, when you do so, you should take a little extra care of your teeth and gums.

Extra soft drinks and sweet treats means more sugar. And, if you do not brush following eating or drinking high sugar and high carbohydrate foods, you are inviting trouble. Brushing cleans away any remaining sugars left deposited on your teeth. And flossing daily keeps these remnants from building up between your teeth. Bacteria in your mouth will consume these sugars, creating an acid that can weaken and erode your teeth.

So, what easy rules should you follow? Brush following every meal and snack. Floss daily as well. And, watch out for some foods and treats that can fly under the radar. Mints such as tic-tacs and fruits are often refreshing for your palate and they taste good but both are high in sugars and can undermine your dental health plan.

So, have fun the rest of the summer and keep brushing.

What do you see in Facebook conversations?

Remember, one power of social networking is to help people by sharing your knowledge, experience and advice. On Facebook and on Twitter, it is not unusual for some one to complain or ask questions about a symptom. For instance, recently a friend told me about how one of his Facebook friends went in for an inconclusive MRI because of persistent headaches. The friend’s doctor has suggested it as a diagnostic measure because the headaches had been unexplainable.

My friend posted on their wall the question: “Do you also have jaw pain or grinding teeth at night?” My friend was wondering if the cause of her headaches may have been neuromuscular, a TMJ joint disorder. They knew about it from knowing a neuromuscular dentist… me.

This is why I think it is important to reach out to everyone I know and remind them of some important points. They are:

1) TMJ is hard to diagnose, especially for general practitioners. It is easy to prescribe pain pills for pain with diagnosis or order expensive testing which, as in this case, was inconclusive.

2) TMJ is a jaw joint disorder and pain is common in that area, but symptoms can range from migraine headaches, to shoulder pain, to back pain and more. If a head, neck or upper back pain cannot be identified, it very well might be linked to TMJ.

3) Neuromuscular dentists treat TMJ non-invasively.

4) Ask a friend who is showing symptoms to consider a visit me for an TMJ consultation. Worst case, we rule it out!

So, I encourage you to listen to what your friends are saying on social media and know the symptoms of TMJ. If you see someone suffering and frustrated because their doctors can’t figure it out or they are struggling with unnecessary pain medications, please refer them to me. At the very least, we can rule out TMJ for them.

Welcome to our Team Dr Hunt!

We would like to Welcome Dr Dennis Hunt to our team. He is a highly trained periodontist, graduated from UCLA in 1994. He was the periodontist for the "Swan Show" on the Fox network. Dr. Hunt has been in private practice since 1997 and has been treating a majority of his periodontal affected patients since 2000 with soft tissue management systems in large volume practices. Dr Hunt is also very experienced in placing titanium dental implants and bone graphs. He has published many articles in the area of bone regeneration for dental implants. His current work involves the use of stem cells to rapidly regenerate bone. We are very glad he's joined our team. We've had many patients opting for dental implants instead of bridge work. Its a great option in replacing a missing tooth. Though,there are a few options a dental implant is always the best option (if you are a candidate). Dr.Rose has added him to our team to make it convenient for his patients to have there implants placed here at our practice. Dr Rose has always had a highly trained team and his practice is equipped with the best technology, giving his patients multiple options to have there dentistry done. This is one more way to help our patients get the smile they deserve. So for more information on implants, and replacing a missing tooth give us a call 866-76-SMILE. Lets set up a visit with Dr Hunt.

Healthy Snack under 200 Calories!

Staying healthy is very important, and sometimes are snacks aren't so healthy. Here's a few ideas of some healthy snacks you can try at home, at work or on the go.

* 2oz Applegate honey and maple turkey wrapped around 2 bread and butter pickles (80 cals)
* 1 Laughing Cow light swiss, 3 pieces Kavli crispy thins (85 cals)
* 50 Eden's vegetable chips (130 cals)
* 1/4 cups Trader Joes chili con queso, 18 baked tortilla chips (140 cals)
* 1 Subway turkey breast wrap (190 cals)
* 1 bag Cheetos mini bites (100 cals)
* 1/4 cup hummus, 3 carrot sticks (80 cals)
* 1 pack Back to Nature honey graham sticks (120 cals)
* 2 tbsp peanut butter, 4 stalks celery (124 cals)
* 1 McDonalds fruit n yogurt parfait (160 cals)
Well these are a few tasty snacks, What are your favorites under 200 calories? Facebook or Tweet your ideas, we would love to add to the list.