Desert Ridge Smiles Blog

Speech Therapy vs Laser Frenectomy for Tongue-Tied Dental Patient

Posted on: May 7th, 2013 by DesertRidgeSmiles No Comments

Tongue tied dental patient before Frenectomy

Tongue Tied Dental Patient 1 week after Frenectomy

Ankyloglossia or Tongue-Tied is a condition that is present in some newborns, where the frenum, a thickened band of tissue under the tongue, is shortened and attached to the end of the tongue. This can cause decreased mobility in the tongue, and can affect feeding, speech and oral hygiene.

The sounds that are most commonly affected due to ankyloglossia are “D”, “L”, “R”, “S”, “T”, “Th”, and “Z”. Most often, these children see a speech pathologist when they are tongue-tied, to help them learn to enunciate these sounds better.

A frenectomy can be performed very easily with the use of topical anesthesia and a soft tissue laser, which frees up the tongue and allows for better movement. These photos were from a 12 year old boy who had the procedure done in our office. Followup picture was one week after surgery was done. When asked if the surgery was worth it, the young patient said, “Absolutely!”. He had been seeing a speech therapist his whole life, prior to the frenectomy.

To see if this procedure is right for you or your kids, contact your dentist for an oral examination.

We welcome your comments and suggestions!

Dr. Elizabeth J Fleming and the Staff at Desert Ridge Smiles.

Tags: Caring for your teeth, children, Dental treatments, Dentist, Health, Teeth, Wellness
Posted in Better Health, Children's Dental Health, Dentist, Soft Tissue Laser, Teeth | No Comments »

Dental Dilemmas: Dry Mouth (Xerostomia)

Posted on: March 21st, 2013 by DesertRidgeSmiles No Comments

Does your mouth feel drier than the Arizona Desert? There are different things that may be contributing to this problem:

* Medications, such as those used to treat anxiety or depression, pain medications, antihistamines, decongestants, and those used to treat incontinence or Parkinson’s disease.

* Damage to the salivary glands due to radiation or chemotherapy treatments.

* Certain conditions or diseases such as Sjogren’s, Alzheimer’s or Stroke.

Saliva is used as a natural digestive aid, and helps with chewing and swallowing. With a decrease in salivary output, tooth decay and gum disease are more likely to occur. In cases of dry mouth, you need to practice exceptional oral hygiene techniques to cut down on the risk of dental problems:

Brush your teeth at least two times/day, but preferably after every meal and before bedtime.
Floss daily.
Use fluoride containing toothpaste.
Visit your dentist regularly for checkups (at least 2x/year). Extra prescription fluoride may be helpful to decrease the harmful effects of dry mouth. Discuss this with your dentist.

There are over the counter artificial saliva products available that may help with minor decreases in salivary function. Prescription medication may be needed in more severe cases of xerostomia to increase the production of saliva.

If your symptoms of dry mouth are less severe, here are some recommendations to help:

Breathe through your nose
Follow a low carbohydrate diet
Sip water frequently
Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco
Chew sugar-free gum
Use xylitol products
Keep up with oral hygiene at home
Get regular examinations at your dental office

For these and any other dental problems, visit us online:

www.DesertRidgeSmiles.com We welcome your questions and comments!

Elizabeth J Fleming and staff at Desert Ridge Smiles 20950 N Tatum Blvd Ste 280 Phoenix, AZ 85050 480-860-4300

Tags: alcohol, brushing, Caring for your teeth, Dental treatments, Dentist, Diet, Exercise, fluoride, Habits, Health, Inflammation, Oral/systemic link, Periodontal disease, smoking, Stress, Teeth, Wellness
Posted in Beauty, Better Health, Dentist, Diet, Inflammation, Periodontal Disease, Stress, Teeth | No Comments »

Periodontal Basics (or why Brushing and Flossing are so important!)

Posted on: January 11th, 2013 by DesertRidgeSmiles No Comments

So your dentist tells you that you have gingivitis, or worse yet, that you have bleeding pockets. What does that mean and what can you do about it?

Bleeding or inflammation in any part of your body is not good. Your goal for your mouth would be to step up your brushing and flossing techniques to eliminate the bacteria and plaque that cause these problems. The response in your mouth to the bacteria and plaque is for the gums to become inflamed. This residual plaque, which is a sticky film of bacteria, is the root of many dental problems. It produces acid on your teeth, causes decay, and should be removed at least every 24 hours.

The majority of the tooth surface can be cleaned by using a toothbrush. Use either a soft bristle manual toothbrush using a circular motion for 2 minutes throughout your mouth or a good electric toothbrush with a small bristle head for 2 minutes. My favorite electrics are Rotadent or Sonicare.

If you only use your toothbrush and don’t floss at least once/day, you will miss about 35% of the tooth surfaces and could end up with “flossing cavities” between the teeth, in addition to bleeding gums, which can lead into deepening pockets and more periodontal disease.

An added benefit of daily flossing would be in reducing bad breath! Getting rid of the plaque and bacteria from between your teeth, keeps the acid production down, and reduces your chance of getting cavities. Once the flossing removes the decomposing food, normally broken down by bacteria which produce acid, your rate of decay will be less and so will the bad breath! But it must be done every 24 hours, or the plaque solidifies on the teeth, and then can only be removed by the dental office at your next cleaning. We call solidified plaque tartar or calculus.

When calculus is present on your teeth, it is a major cause of gum inflammation and bleeding. The longer it is present, the more likely the bone may become involved. This is when the pocket depths increase as the bone is shrinking away from the calculus, and the gums are becoming more inflamed due to the calculus. The biggest problem: gum inflammation can be reversible with good brushing and flossing, but once the bone becomes involved, it is not reversible and it is called periodontal disease. With a diagnosis of periodontal disease, your cleanings would be done at 3-4 month intervals, since periodontal disease is not curable. The goal would be to keep the plaque and inflammation under control to maintain the current level of bone. The best way to do this is with proper homecare: Brushing 2x/day and Flossing once/day, in addition to having regular cleanings at your dental office.

Remember: Daily plaque removal is good smile insurance!

Tags: brushing, Caring for your teeth, Dental treatments, Dentist, Habits, Health, Inflammation, Periodontal disease, Teeth, Wellness
Posted in Better Health, Dentist, Inflammation, Periodontal Disease, Teeth | No Comments »

Why Diabetics Need Good Oral Health: Desert Ridge Smiles

Posted on: September 17th, 2012 by DesertRidgeSmiles No Comments

Diabetes is a metabolic disease in which insulin is not regulating glucose properly. It is one of the most common chronic illnesses, according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), and as of January 2011, 26 million Americans have diabetes and 79 million are considered pre-diabetic.

Glucose is what all cells use for energy production, including cells in the brain. When insulin action is a problem, it triggers inflammation. In the dental world, we see this as periodontal disease. By controlling periodontal disease, a diabetic’s blood sugar control is also enhanced.

Diabetics are more prone to infections due to a weaker immune system. Some ways to help repair the immune system include:

quitting smoking
eating a proper, well-balanced diet
brushing 2x/day, flossing 1x/day
exercising
weight loss

We monitor a patient’s risk for developing periodontal disease by reviewing peridontal probe scores, bleeding or inflammation points and medications at every hygiene maintenance visit. Our goal is to keep inflammatory processes in the mouth to a minimum, by continually improving our patient’s oral health.

Complications of diabetes include: fatigue, dehydration, infection, eye disease, hearing loss, kidney disease, nerve damage in the hands and feet, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and gum and periodontal disease.

Diabetes can be managed by proper education-changing diet and nutrition, monitoring blood sugar regularly, exercising to lose weight, becoming healthier by quitting smoking, and monitoring your periodontal health at your dentist. Remember: Good Oral Health Leads to Good Overall Health!

Elizabeth Fleming, DDS and Staff at Desert Ridge Smiles

20950 N Tatum Blvd Ste 280 Phx, AZ 85050 480-860-4300

Tags: brushing, Caring for your teeth, children, Dental treatments, Dentist, Diet, Exercise, goals, Habits, Health, Heart Disease, Inflammation, Oral/systemic link, Periodontal disease, smoking, Stress, Teeth, Wellness
Posted in Beauty, Better Health, Children's Dental Health, Dentist, Diet, Exercise, Heart Disease, Inflammation, Periodontal Disease, Stress, Teeth | No Comments »

City of Phoenix Water Fluoridation: Good or Bad?

Posted on: July 30th, 2012 by DesertRidgeSmiles No Comments

In Arizona, many cities have been adding fluoride to the water supply for years, resulting in a marked decrease in children with decayed teeth. Coming in September 2012, the Phoenix City Council will reassess fluoridation in the water system.

Is water fluoridation a good thing or a bad thing? Let’s look at the facts:

* Fluoride is a mineral, not a medication, and is added at a therapeutic level depending on the natural content of fluoride in the water. Phoenix has added .7 to 1.2 mg/L to the city water.

* The CDC (Center for Disease Control & Prevention) recognizes community water fluoridation as one of ten great health achievements of the 20th century, by protecting teeth from decay.

* Reports in 2011 found Fluoride did not cause bone cancer, and was not found to be carcinogenic by the California Office of Environmental Health Assessment’s Cancer Identification Committee.

* Reputable organizations such as the American Dental Association, The World Health Organization, American Medical Association and many others recognize the health benefits of preventing decay by community water fluoridation.

* According to the April 2000 Journal of Dental Research, half of children between the ages of 5 and 17 have not had a cavity in their permanent teeth, due to the use of fluoride.

As a practicing dentist, I have seen children with the ill effects of being raised in non-fluoridated communities and have also seen young adults with NO decay, as a result of fluoride exposure. The only people I have seen with fluorosis due to too much fluoride exposure were kids from Mexico where many things are unregulated, and who lived in rural areas where well water with high fluoride content was the main water source.

I believe that taking fluoride out of the city water would be a mistake, especially for the children, who need extra fluoride protection during the formative years. Water fluoridation has been effective at reducing cavities in both children and adults. We have come this far in cavity prevention. Why reverse this now? Show your support to the Phoenix City Council for keeping water fluoridation in the City of Phoenix water, on September 11, 2012.

Elizabeth Fleming, DDS and the staff at Desert Ridge Smiles

20950 N Tatum Blvd Ste 280 Phoenix, AZ 85050 480-860-4300

Tags: 2012, brushing, Caring for your teeth, children, Dental treatments, Dentist, Diet, Exercise, fluoride, Habits, Health, Oral/systemic link, Periodontal disease, Teeth, Wellness
Posted in Beauty, Better Health, Children's Dental Health, Dentist, Diet, Local Community, Periodontal Disease, Teeth | No Comments »

Is Sugar A Toxin?

Posted on: June 10th, 2012 by DesertRidgeSmiles No Comments

As a dentist, I have always been concerned about the consumption of sugar, and the correlation to the amount of decay present in my patients.

With the recent proposal of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to ban sodas and sweetened beverages over 16 ounces, do you wonder if that is a smart measure, or do you feel it is extreme?

In relation to health, over consumption of sugar leads to obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. An obese citizen’s health care costs are 40% higher than a normal weight citizen’s. Let’s work at reducing the amount of sugar eaten.

In sodas and other sports drinks, there is a type of sugar called High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). It provides calories, but they are empty calories, meaning no nutritional value. This HFCS also sends your blood sugar spiking because it is quickly absorbed, and then your body is looking for another energy source quickly. This fluctuation of energy highs and lows can create insulin resistance as your body works to keep blood sugars in balance. Insulin resistance can lead to diseases such as heart disease, stroke, dementia, cancer and others. Give your body the fuel it needs, rather than the empty calories from soda.

Processed foods, such as sugar, fat and salt-laden foods, are also addictive. You can binge on an entire bag of chips, or a quart of ice cream, but can’t see your self eating a bag of baby carrots. Sugars stimulate the brain’s pleasure center, just like addictive drugs, and people can develop a tolerance which requires more and more to feel satisfied…just like a drug addict.

Liquid sugar calories like those in soda are the most addictive “food” in our diet, and account for up to 10-15% of daily calories consumed by the average teenager. The American Medical Association has recommended less than 6 tsp sugar/day. Soda has 10 tsp in one can! Teens consume 34 tsp/day, so you can imagine the health and dental consequences these teens will have as they become adults, if they do not get educated on the deleterious effects of their sugar consumption.

Are diet sodas better, you ask? Diet drinks have artificial sweeteners which disrupt the normal signals that control the hunger and “feeling full” mechanisms in your body. This will slow down your metabolism and not allow you to lose weight. It is counterproductive to have a “diet” soda if it slows down your metabolism!

The sugars and acid in sodas can erode the enamel on your teeth. An occassional soda is fine, but drinking 50 gallons of soda/year over many years is a problem! (Sarah Weir, author of Health Risks of Soda: Is it really so bad?)

Since Americans find it difficult to self regulate, maybe government taxation would help. A soda tax would reduce soda consumption by 23%/year and save in healthcare costs $50 billion in 10 years according to Mark Hyman, MD, the author of The Blood Sugar Solution.

Is NY Mayor Bloomberg out of line for restricting the size of sodas in his city? Not in my mind, if you look at the deleterious health effects of the overconsumption of sugar on a person’s body! What do you think?

Dr. Elizabeth Fleming & The Staff at Desert Ridge Smiles 20950 N Tatum Blvd Ste 280 Phoenix, AZ 85050 480-860-4300 www.DesertRidgeSmiles.com

Tags: Caring for your teeth, children, Dental treatments, Dentist, Diet, Exercise, goals, Habits, Health, Heart Disease, Inflammation, Oral/systemic link, Periodontal disease, Snacks, Teeth, Wellness
Posted in Beauty, Better Health, Children's Dental Health, Dentist, Diet, Heart Disease, Inflammation, Local Community, Stress, Teeth | No Comments »

Is Cosmetic Dentistry What You Need?

Posted on: May 28th, 2012 by DesertRidgeSmiles No Comments

: Actual Patient Before

: Actual Patient After

: Entire Mouth Restorative Before

: Entire Mouth Restorative After

What is it about your teeth, that you would like to change?

Color
Crowding
Length of front teeth due to wear
All of the above

If the color of your teeth is your chief concern, then all you may need to do is to have bleaching done. Approximate time for treatment: 2 weeks.

Crowding can be helped with braces: 2 years; or 6 month smiles: (cosmetic fix only) 6-9 months.

But if your answer is “All of the Above”, you may be a candidate for cosmetic dentistry such as veneers or crowns to get the smile you’ve always wanted.

In our office, cosmetic dentistry requires planning to come up with specific treatment that addresses your desires, and assures an optimal outcome. We plan the case in wax first, then modify the wax until it meets your expectations. We may need to have a specialist perform root canal work or gum surgery, prior to doing the restorative work. We can modify the color of the crowns or veneers to achieve a lighter shade than what we could achieve by bleaching the natural teeth alone. Time commitment for a restorative case: 3-6 months.

Watch this video of an actual patient that had cosmetic dentistry done in our office:

http://youtu.be/h7FuwtDLVl4

The Staff at Desert Ridge Smiles 20950 N Tatum Blvd Ste 280 Phx, AZ 85050 480-860-4300

Tags: Bleaching, Caring for your teeth, Crown, Dental treatments, Dentist, goals, Habits, Health, Teeth, Veneers, Wellness, Whitening
Posted in Beauty, Better Health, Dentist, Teeth | No Comments »

Are Dental X-rays Safe?

Posted on: April 11th, 2012 by DesertRidgeSmiles No Comments

You may have read the report linking dental x-rays to brain tumors, and may be concerned about your exposure to x-rays in the dental office. We understand your concerns at Desert Ridge Smiles, and want to decipher this study for you.

Dental x-rays are used in the diagnosis and treatment of dental conditions. We use them to evaluate and monitor problems such as decay and periodontal disease. Without x-rays, we are unable to see the full seriousness of the problem. In our office, we have upgraded our x-ray system to take digital x-rays, which have 80% less radiation than the traditional x-ray films used in the past.

The study linking brain tumors to dental x-rays is flawed in a few respects:

1) No scientific study. In this study, patients were asked to recall their history of x-rays, but their answers were not verified by their dental records. In my office, new patients do not always remember correctly when their last dental visit was, or how recent their x-rays were. We verify the actual dates from the previous dentist, and then take x-rays according to the recommended ADA guidelines. Patients are seldom accurate in their estimations of previous x-ray dates!

2) This study discusses exposure with film x-rays which were used predominately in the past. Digital x-rays are used in many offices today, and they reduce radiation exposure by 80%. Desert Ridge Smiles uses digital radiographs for all x-rays.

3) The study found a link with 4 bitewing x-rays, but no link with the 18 film full mouth series. If 4 x-rays show a link to meningiomas, logically, wouldn’t 18 x-rays show a much greater link? Researchers found no link to meningiomas for those who had taken full mouth series of x-rays. Interesting!

Dr. Otis Brawley, scientific director of the American Cancer Society said, “the strongest thing you can say about this study is that there is a suggestion of a link between dental x-rays and meningioma.”

Should you avoid dental x-rays? No, this would not allow your dentist to accurately diagnose and treat your dental problems. If you are concerned due to this recent report on dental x-rays, be sure you speak to your dentist. We at Desert Ridge Smiles are seeking for you to obtain optimum dental health as well as overall health. We most certainly would not want to contribute to any medical problems, and our use of proper guidelines ensures you are taken care of dentally, and medically at the same time!

The Staff at Desert Ridge Smiles 20950 N Tatum Blvd Ste 280 Phoenix, AZ 85050 480-860-4300

Tags: Caring for your teeth, children, Dental treatments, Dentist, Health, history, Oral/systemic link, Periodontal disease, Teeth, Wellness
Posted in Better Health, Children's Dental Health, Dentist, Mental/Spiritual Health, Periodontal Disease, Teeth | No Comments »

What is a Dental Emergency?

Posted on: March 19th, 2012 by DesertRidgeSmiles No Comments

What would prompt you to call a dental office for an emergency visit? There are a number of indications where a call to the dentist would be recommended:

Fracture of a tooth or crown
Crown loose or off completely
Pain and swelling with wisdom teeth
Sore areas involving dentures
Toothache
Cosmetic problem involving a front tooth
Swellings and sores in mouth

In order to determine what type of appointment to schedule you for when you call, be ready to answer a few questions, such as:

1) Location and duration of pain

2) Any medications taken to relieve pain

3) Is the tooth sensitive to hot, cold, or pressure?

4) Is there any drainage?

5) If a crown came off, is there anything inside of the crown?

At our office for patients of record, we try to get you in for an evaluation of your dental emergency within 24 hours, when possible. When this is not possible, we will refer you to appropriate specialists or refer you to urgent care for immediate evaluation of your dental emergency.

Dr. Elizabeth Fleming and The Staff at Desert Ridge Smiles 480-860-4300

Tags: Caring for your teeth, Crown, Dentist, Health, Inflammation, oral cancer, Oral/systemic link, Pain, Periodontal disease, Teeth, Toothache, Wellness
Posted in Better Health, Children's Dental Health, Dentist, Inflammation, Oral Cancer, Teeth | No Comments »

Dentistry & Oral Cancer

Posted on: February 9th, 2012 by DesertRidgeSmiles No Comments

With 35,000+ new cases of oral cancer diagnosed in the US every year, mostly in stage 3 or 4, dentists will be the key to earlier evaluation and treatment of oral lesions. Earlier diagnosis could increase the current survival rate of 50% fatality within the first 5 years of diagnosis. Having a celebrity spokesperson like Michael Douglas, who was diagnosed with stage 4 throat cancer, will certainly make people more aware of the problem of oral cancer.

Though there are common risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol usage, prolonged exposure to the sun, and a diet low in fruits and vegetables, the current findings are also linking Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which is a sexually transmitted virus, in up to 50% of oral cancers. These behaviors can increase your risk of oral cancer, but even if you are not in a high risk category, you should consider getting an oral cancer exam by your dentist regularly. We would prefer to get a diagnosis at an earlier, more treatable stage, than the more commonly diagnosed stages of 3 or 4. We recommend an oral cancer screening exam once/year, for all patients over age 18.

The oral cancer examination is a simple one. We look for changes or abnormalities in the tissues of the mouth, face and neck. These can be red or white discolorations, sores that do not heal, lumps or bumps, or changes in feeling, such as numbness, pain or tenderness. Frequent oral cancer sites are the tongue, floor of mouth, soft palate, tissues of the lips, gums and back of tongue.

There are adjunctive devices that may also be used in addition to the visual exam, such as Vizilite, Identafi, or Velscope. These use tissue reflectance, autofluorescence or a combination of the two. If we do find a suspicious looking lesion, we will reevaluate the area in 10-14 days, a normal time for trauma and innocuous areas to heal. If it is still present at the reevaluation appointment, we will send you for a biopsy of the lesion.

Dentistry has traditionally been concerned with the treatment of disease. It is now evolving into a profession that is also concerned with a patient’s wellness. There are 150,000 dentists in the US who can screen patients to help with the early detection and improved patient outcomes in the area of oral cancer. Get your oral cancer exam at your dental office today!

http://youtu.be/6mCZhLPYeZY

Elizabeth J Fleming and the staff at Desert Ridge Smiles 480-860-4300