November Newsletter Nov 10, 2009

Transcription

1 November Newsletter Nov 10, 2009 In this Newsletter: How Safe Are Dental X-Rays? When X-rays are passed through your mouth, more X-rays are absorbed by the denser parts of your mouth, such as teeth and bone, than by soft tissues. The X-rays strike the film that is behind your tooth, and this creates an image on the film. Tooth decay, infections, gum disease and other signs of dental change in your mouth appear darker because of more X-ray penetration. Dentists consider X-rays one of the most useful tools in helping patients maintain good oral health. X-rays help dentists diagnose relatively common disorders such as cavities, periodontal disease and infections, and some of the more uncommon problems, such as cysts, abscesses and tumors. X-rays can also allow your dentist to determine whether a child's permanent teeth are erupting properly and with correct spacing. In general, children need X-rays more often than adults because their mouths grow and change rapidly, and they are more susceptible to tooth decay than adults. In today's digital age, dentistry is making great advances in lowering the radiation dose administered during a dental X-ray. In the 1930s and 1940s, the cone used for x-rays covered most of the head and neck. Today, the cone is very small, so radiation is only pointed at the small spot where the X-ray film is located. Many of the critical organs that might show radiation effects are not in the path of radiation, and the use of lead-lined, full-body aprons protects your body from stray radiation. While your dentist takes this precaution to protect your, stray radiation is almost nonexistent with the modern dental X-ray machines. (By law all X-ray machines in the U.S. are checked for accuracy and safety at least every two years, in some states, more often.) Also, advancements in X-ray film mean that the film requires less radiation to develop the same quality picture. An even newer advance is digital X-rays Side Note Diet The primary cause of cavities, gingivitis and periodontal disease is accumulation of plaque and tartar on your teeth. The bacteria normally present in your mouth converts the food you eat into acid, which in turn combines with bacteria and leftover food... (Full Article Below)

2 using sensors that feed the images to a computer. The digital X-ray system is more sensitive than dental X-ray film systems, so exposure to X-rays is cut by as much as 90 percent. You are exposed to many sources of radiation every day, from the sun, minerals in the soil, your home appliances. Radiation can damage the body s tissues and cells and can lead to the development of cancer, but fortunately, the radiation to which you are exposed during the taking of dental X-rays is extremely small. Without the ability to see inside a tooth and beneath the gums, more disease would go unchecked and more teeth would be lost because proper treatment wasn't started in time. If dental problems are found and treated early, dental care is more comfortable and affordable. Dental x-rays are not without risk, but the risk is minuscule compared with the huge diagnostic benefit of keeping your natural teeth healthy and disease free. Holiday Contests By Stephanie Troiani The Thursday before Halloween was so much fun with all of our staff dressing up in costume. We had Halloween music and ghost stories playing on the radio and our Halloween contests were a great success!! Thank you to all the contestants who sent us their artwork! Everyone did a wonderful job, as we really enjoyed receiving all the great pictures that you colored, but we did have to choose. We had three winners for our coloring contest. Jessica Vanwhy, Alyssa Camps, Lucas Macias. All the winners art work is displayed right behind the front desk on the cupboards where Debi and Kathy sit, so don't forget to take a peak the next time you are in the office. Our "Candy Corn Guess" winner is Azad Ebrahimi! The correct number of Candy Corns was 443 and Azad's guess was 440! Congratulations!! Well done!! We are going to have a coloring contest for November and December as well, so when you are in the office, pick up a holiday picture to color and either drop it back off the next time you are in or send it to us. The deadline for the holiday coloring contest is December 15 so get coloring! Since Azad came so close to the number of candy corns in his guess, we thought it might have been a little too easy. We decided to make it a little bit more challenging. This time you have to guess how many pieces of reindeer food are in the jar! When you see the jar we think you might be stumped!! December 15 is also the deadline for this contest, good luck!

3 Importance of Elastic Wear By Stephanie Troiani Rubber bands or elastics, as we call them, are a very important part of orthodontic treatment. They supply the pressure needed to move teeth and jaws into their correct position. Elastics are usually given to the patient towards the end of treatment after all crowding and rotations are worked out with the last arch wires in place. They may assist in space closure, but spaces are usually closed as well. Cooperation is very important to achieving the desired results to finish treatment. At this stage in the treatment, we have done our job, now you have to do your job in wearing the elastics to finish, we cannot do it for you. Here are a few tips for wearing elastics. Elastics need to be worn at least 22 hours a day, unless otherwise directed by the Doctor. The only time you should not have them in is when you are eating or brushing. You should have them in all other times, even when you are sleeping at night time. Elastics do need to be changed a few times a day. The elasticity does wear out, so changing them after brushing and meals is a good idea. Always carry an extra bag with you. Sometimes the elastics break, that way you will be able to replace it right away. If you run out of elastics before your next appointment, please stop in to get a couple bags or give us a call we will be happy to send you more in the mail. Elastics tend to make your teeth sore, at first! This is because they are working and your teeth are moving! Don't stop wearing them now!-this discomfort will pass in a few days and Tylenol will definitely help in the meantime. Wear the elastics as directed by the Doctor, if you forget how to put them on, please call us so we can review it with you, otherwise, the time you did not wear them until your next appointment, you will have wasted, and no progress will have been made! We want to take your braces off as much as you want them off!! So the next time you don't put your elastics in thinking to yourself, "I don't need to wear these" -think again- Are you extending your treatment time?? Orthodontic Treatment for Children For children who need orthodontic treatment, there is a best time to begin treatment in order to achieve the best results. For this reason, the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that all children be examined by an orthodontist by age seven, or earlier if there are indications of a problem. Why age seven? By age seven, most children have a mix of primary (baby) teeth and permanent teeth, and your orthodontist will

4 be able to spot even subtle problems with jaw growth and emerging teeth. Whether your child has an inherited predisposition to a "bad bite," such as crowded teeth or unequal jaw growth, or an acquired orthodontic problem, such as from thumb sucking or an accident, the advantage of early diagnosis and treatment is that some orthodontic problems are easier to correct if they are found and treated early, during the years that the treatment may work in conjunction with your child's natural growth spurts. Waiting until your child's permanent teeth have come in or until her/his facial growth is nearly complete may make correction of some problems more difficult. If an orthodontist recommends that your child needs treatment now, then s/he should be able to answer these questions for you: If we begin treatment now, will we avoid extracting permanent teeth? Will beginning now simplify the treatment that will be needed later? Will my child have to wear braces, and if yes, will treatment now reduce the time in braces later? Will beginning now influence the growth of my child's jaws in a positive manner? Will treating now eliminate a problem that could do damage if it's not treated? If the answer is yes to most of these questions, there are the three types of treatment that your orthodontist may recommend Preventive - Intended to keep a bad bite or crooked teeth from developing in an otherwise normal mouth and to provide adequate space for permanent teeth to come in. Interceptive - For problems that, left untreated, could lead to the development of more serious dental problems over time. This could include correction of thumb- and fingersucking habits, tooth removal or resizing to guide permanent teeth into correct positions, or using a space maintainer to hold space for permanent teeth. Comprehensive - Involves problems with the alignment of your child's teeth, how his/her jaws function and how her/his top and bottom teeth fit together. The goal is to correct the identified problem and restore your child's bite to its optimum condition. A check-up may reveal that your child's bite

5 is fine and that he or she doesn't require treatment. In many cases, your orthodontist may simply want to watch your child and his/her orthodontic condition, doing periodic examinations to "keep an eye" on development. Any of these diagnoses ultimately will give you the peace of mind of knowing that you're doing the best for your child. Diet The primary cause of cavities, gingivitis and periodontal disease is accumulation of plaque and tartar on your teeth. The bacteria normally present in your mouth converts the food you eat into acid, which in turn combines with bacteria and leftover food to form a sticky substance called plaque. Plaque accumulation can begin on your teeth in as little as 20 minutes after you've eaten. If not removed, the acid in the plaque dissolves tooth enamel and creates a cavity. The way you eat and the things you eat will either aid your body in fighting cavities and gum disease, or make you more likely to develop them. While your grandmother would have probably told you that eating candy was bad for your teeth, today's dental nutritionists know that she was only partly right. Yes, sugary snacks are one of the culprits that set up the right conditions for development of plaque, but did you know that carbohydrates, such as bread or potatoes, are just as bad for your teeth as a candy bar? And did you know you can combat these conditions by eating your food in the right combinations? The two main factors that make a food a bad snack is the amount of sugar in the food and the length of time the food stays in your mouth. Strangely enough, the sugar and chocolate in a candy bar will actually be washed out of your mouth faster than the sugars from some fruits or the bread from your pizza. So it's the frequency of meals and snacks and the way foods are combined that increase the risk for cavities. Any food or beverage, even a healthy one, will be converted into acid if it stays in your mouth long enough. When eaten with a healthy meal, sugary or starchy foods will be washed away by the protein and fat in the meal, leaving your teeth cleaner and healthier. Here are a few suggestions that will help you eat healthy for your teeth... Eat a moderate, balanced diet using the Food Guide Pyramid

6 Combine sweet or starchy foods with protein rich foods, so that the sweets and starches will have less chance of sticking around Chewing sugarless gum after meals and snacks can help the ph (acidity/alkalinity) balance in your mouth and also increases the production of saliva, which helps wash food off your teeth Only drink sweet or acidic beverages with meals and snacks to buffer their effect on your teeth When planning your diet, choose foods and meal patterns that give you the energy you need to get through the day, provide the nutrients your body needs, and promote oral and general health Remember that your teeth are essential, not just for smiling, but for biting and chewing food. They're a very important part of physical growth and health. Brush and floss every day, and eat a diet that keeps your body functioning properly and keeps your teeth and gums their healthiest. Contact: info@poconoorthodontics.com Tel: (570) Website: You have received this newsletter because your address is registered with Kilareski Orthodontics