Sleep Apnea is a potentially life-threatening condition that causes you to literally STOP BREATHING in your sleep. This can happen at least several times a night. Excess weight, natural aging, menopause, lifestyle, health history and genetics can put you at a greater risk for this condition.
When you fall asleep, your muscles relax and your lower jaw may drop back. When this happens the soft tissues in your throat and mouth can relax so much that it blocks your airway. Since you can’t breath, your brain starts losing oxygen and releases stress hormones that can be very harmful to your health over time.
These episodes can last 10 to 20 seconds each and occur hundreds of times throughout the night, every night. Sometimes you may not even be aware of what is happening since you are partially asleep you just wake up feeling exhausted.
Chronic sleep deprivation results in slow reflexes, poor concentration and an increased risk of you falling asleep at the wheel.
There are appliances that can be used to treat sleep apnea. They resemble a mouth guard or precision orthodontic retainer. These dental appliances are custom molded to fit your mouth comfortably. These appliances simply hold your tongue and jaw comfortably in the correct position as you sleep to make sure your airway stays clear. With uninterrupted sleep you will wake up refreshed and stay alert all day.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
The Omega 3 fatty acids, DHA in particular, found in fish oil may be linked to a lower risk of gum disease. This research has been reported in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Harvard Medical School’s Dr. Kenneth Mukamal and his colleages studied the diets of more than 9,000 adults between 1999 and 2004. They found that patients who consumed the most DHA were 22% less likely to develop periodontitis (a moderate form of gum disease) than those who consumed the least. Although further studies need to be done, Mukamal supports the American Heart Association recommendation of two meals per day of fatty fish for a wide variety of potentially beneficial effects on many organs. The benefits to gum health may be one of the benefits that has not been appreciated.
Research has determined that pregnant women with healthy gums have a considerably less likelihood of an early premature delivery. So if you are pregnant, see your dentist regularly for teeth cleaning.
Chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes after meals can prevent tooth decay. Chewing gum stimulates salivary flow which adds calcium and phosphate on your teeth. The calcium and phosphate act together to help strengthen tooth enamel.
You bet it is! Studies have shown that 90% of people believe an attractive smile is an assets to one’s career. 58% report they are more likely to trust someone that has a attractive smile than some one that doesn’t. 87% said they would be more likely to fall in love with someone who has an attractive smile than someone that doesn’t.
The first American toothpaste sold in a tube was packaged in 1892 by Dr. Washington Sheffeld, a dentist in New England, Connecticut.
People with periodontal disease and a severe form of rheumatoid arthritis experienced reduced arthritic pain and a reduced number of swollen joints and degree of morning stiffness when their dental problems were resolved, according to a study published in the April issue of Journal of Periodontology. Patients who received periodontal treatment experienced improvement in rheumatoid arthritis symptoms once the infection and inflammation in the gums was eliminated. Rheumatologists should encourage their patients to be aware of the link between periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Bacteria in your mouth can effect other areas of your body.
Yes, it is sometimes true under ideal conditions. Although, there are risk, such as increase rate of failure and increase bone loss around the implants. The safest way is to place the implant first , wait 3 months, then place the teeth.
In ACT fluoride rinse, the amount of fluoride is not strong enough to be very effective. And with a rinse, the exposure time to fluoride is not long enough for teeth to absorb the benefits of fluoride. So what do I recommend……stay tuned for future blogs!!
Jaw clicking and/or popping when opening or closing is not normal. Even though you may not have pain now, this condition could worsen to a point where pain starts or you could develop an arthritic condition in the jaw joint. As this process worsens you will not be able to bite into that big sandwich again. If you have clicking or popping in the jaw joint, you should this condition evaluated by an experienced dentist who treats TMJ.
0 Comments