Stem cell research has been a hot topic for the past few years. It seems as if every aspect of health care has been exploring the potential for stem cells, and dentistry itself has not been left untouched. So what is the potential for stem cells in dentistry?
Stem cells are cells in the body that have the potential to generate into a variety of different types of cells. They can be found in a variety of areas of the body, you may not have known this, but they are also located in the dental pulp tissues.
The dental pulp or area in the center of the tooth where nerve tissue and blood supply for the tooth is located. Although research up to this point has been limited, it is known, as stated by researcher Pamela Robey, Ph.D., that ” the cells from dental pulp in baby or wisdom teeth have the ability to make dentin and pulp and they might have the ability to make bone but right now that’s all we really know for sure.” Continued research and clinical trials are being completed to learn more about the potential for regeneration of bone as well as to evaluate any regenerative endodontic techniques. There are many companies that have begun capitalizing on stem cell storage which at this stage may be premature due to the lack of research for practical and/or possible applications of these cells. There is definitely a lot of room for research and if you are planning on storing stem cells keep that in mind. In my opinion, it is a topic that is incredibly exciting and worth keeping an eye on.
better options for treats for the holiday. If you are looking to give away sugar-free treats but aren’t too keen on being known as the worst house on the block, there are some great sugarless or sugar-free options out there. Here are some of our favorite ideas for Halloween treats that are dentist recommended!
- One way to avoid the sugar-free candy conundrum completely is by stopping in your local supermarket or party store and picking up some party toys or favors. Our favorite picks are Sticky Hands and Halloween themed blow up balls. If you go the toy route just be sure to pick something that does not have small parts or could be a choking hazard.
- Another great idea is packaged popcorn or pretzels.
- Stickers are always a great non-candy related treat as well.
- Trail-mix or almonds are another healthy choice. However, it may be a good idea to keep a nut-free option as well for children with nut allergies.
- If you are to the crafty side, you can create apple ghosts. Buy small apples from your local grocery store, cover with a white dinner sized paper napkin and twist tie the opening. Using a black magic marker and make a spooky face. What you will have are adorable and healthy treats!
It’s the same scenario, you get to the dentist, sit in the chair and try and remain calm. But, as you look around at the various instruments all you can think is how each of them makes you want to throw up… literally. This brings me to today’s post: Dentistry and Gag Reflex.
In dentistry there are various things that can stimulate a gag response. Most severe gagger’s are swarmed with anxiety before and during their appointment. Some is towards the actual dental procedure but, most is due to the fear that they will start to gag and be unable to control it. As a dentist we try and alleviate those fears and manage the response as best as possible.
Gagging can be defined as a response ” In which the body attempts to eliminate instruments or agents from the oral cavity by muscle contraction at the base or the tongue and the pharyngeal wall”. Various things can cause this response whether it be from physical stimulation or psychological stimulation. With psychological stimulation certain sounds, smells and even thoughts can induce feelings of fear and stress thereby trigger a gag reflex. When I treat a patient with a sensitive gag reflex there are some methods I use to try and manage the symptoms.
- Initially, I focus on methods of desensitization combined with relaxation. To do this a topical anesthetic is placed on the palate and back of the mouth. Then, I have the patient find a focal point, such as a corner or a tile. Once a focal point is found breathing exercises are employed. We focus on keeping a steady pace of deep slow breaths while the procedure is completed.
- If this fails we move to a distraction technique. During the procedure the patient is instructed to lift one leg slowly up and then down. They are told to alternate their legs while focusing on breathing slow deep breaths. As silly as this seems, it tends to work well with a mild gag reflex.
- If coping mechanisms do not work in conjunction with topical anesthetic then, pharmacological techniques will be offered if the patient is a candidate. Nitrous oxide is the first pharmacological intervention that is used. Nitrous is helpful for patients because it tends to distract as well as remove some of the anxiety of the dental procedure and the possibility of gagging. However, If the nitrous oxide is not effective then a different type of pharmacological treatment may be recommended such as Conscious Sedation. Conscious Sedation helps to reduce the anxiety associated with treatment as well as help to eliminate the physical reflex as well.
- Other therapies that are used by some practitioners are: acupressure and acupuncture
Gag Reflex: No More A Gag To A Dentist The Behavioral Techniques, Pharmacological Techniques, Acupressure and Acupuncture in Controlling the Gag Reflex – A Review Shriprasad S1, Shilpashree HS2
The use of relative analgesia in the prosthetic treatment of the ‘gagging’ patient.Packer ME, Joarder C, Lall BA.
Management of Exaggerated Gag Reflex Using Intravenous Sedation in Prosthodontic Treatment Harushi Yoshida1), Terumi Ayuse1), Satoru Ishizaka2), Shingo Ishitobi1), Tomoyuki Nogami1), Kumiko Oi1) 2)
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The other day I was asked a couple of interesting questions. The question was: How crooked is too crooked to straighten? Are my teeth too crooked for Invisalign? And, it made me realize that one thing that is seldom addressed is what makes treatment for braces an easy as opposed to a difficult case to treat. And, what exactly is too difficult to treat or not treatable at all.
instill good oral health habits in your child. So read on for our recommendations on how to help your little one learn how good oral health starts at home!
- Remember the best way for them to learn is to lead by example.
- Despite what your child says they need help brushing. You should be helping brush and checking your child’s brushing until they are at least 9 years old. Most kids do not have the manual dexterity to be efficient brushers until they are older. An electric tooth brush can help with a lot of the plaque removal but you should still be checking their teeth and doing a quick brush up of their back teeth as well.
- Get your child a toothbrush timer! Or an electric toothbrush with a timer built in. Even as an adult its hard to judge 2-3 minutes without some sort of timer.
- Once your child starts to get their adult teeth in you should introduce child flossers. I believe that flossing with children should be done by the child. Flossers get the child used to adding flossing to their daily routine and as they grow and develop better manual dexterity they can replace the flossers with regular floss.
- There are a myriad of dental products that are geared to every age group, in a variety of flavors and textures. Find which is your child’s favorite so the taste is not a deterrent.
- And lastly, DO NOT use going to the dentist as a threat, i.e.: ‘if you don’t brush your teeth then you are going to have to go to the dentist’. You want to avoid attaching negative feelings towards going to the dentist or their home care regimen. Also, its hard as a dentist to start a child’s first dental visit with them already hating being there without ever having been. Instead focus on the positives, for example: ‘If you want to have happy, healthy teeth you have to brush them’
Being a dentist a question we get quite frequently is: Is this going to hurt? So that brings me to today’s topic: What to expect from your dental visit.
One thing to mention is that in dentistry each individuals experience is different. Just as every person is different we find that every procedure is different. And, quite simply the only time you can consider a dental procedure as having been routine when you have looked at it retrospectively and decided that it had gone routinely. That being said, following is a list of the average experiences of patients for the most common procedures performed in the dental office.
- Regular Hygiene/ Cleanings : Regular 6 month recall appointments should be pain free during the procedure as well as after. However, you may experience sensitivity during treatment or soreness afterwards if you: normally experience hot or cold sensitivity, have not had a cleaning in a while or have deep or inflamed periodontal pocketing. For many patients who experience the aforementioned things, as practitioners, we may recommend they be numb for their cleaning appointments to avoid discomfort during the cleaning.
- Fillings and Crown/Bridge: During these appointments you should feel little to no pain once sufficiently numb. Local anesthesia will block any hot, cold or pain sensations, however it will not block the feeling of pressure in the area. After your appointment some may experience hot or cold sensitivity, this does not always happen however it is a risk and typically can last for up to a week or two.
- Root Canal Treatment: Your reaction to this procedure is dependent on the status of the nerve prior to treatment. Teeth that are infected or already in the midst of a toothache may have more difficulty achieving profound anesthesia. However, most patients do not have this experience. Once the area is sufficiently numb, similar to a filling, you should just feel pressure. Afterwards the tooth will normally experience a sore almost bruised feeling for about 5-7 days.
- Extractions and Implant Placement: This procedure, once numb, you will feel pressure and an intense squeezing sensation. The pressure usually is felt throughout the whole quadrant of the mouth that is being worked on. However, you should not feel any sharpness or pain. Afterwards, you should feel sore in the area for about 5-10 days.
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fix a cavity or a broken tooth? If you have you probably were thinking to yourself, what the heck is that? Inlays and onlays are usually prescribed when you have a large cavity or are missing a large portion of your tooth and need a more resilient material. In these situations resin or amalgam fillings wouldn’t do the trick because they would not be able to hold up over time against
the force of your bite. Inlays and onlays solve the problem of needing more strength in a restoration without having to take the next step towards a crown.
Inlays and onlays can be performed in one visit with the use of Cerec technology. Cerec allows you to fabricate a custom restoration out of porcelain outside of the mouth. This restoration is then cemented into place. It used to be that in order to do an inlay or onlay you need to prepare the tooth, take an impression, send that to a lab, wait 2-3 weeks with a temporary in your tooth, and THEN come back and cement the permanent restoration into place. With Cerec technology you can leave the office with a custom made restoration permanently cemented into place in one visit. It eliminates the need to deal with impression material, the wait until you get your final restoration, or the worry that you will lose your temporary filling why you are waiting all that time.]]>
completed but some of the great smiles we noticed along the way!
Top 5
#5 Serena Williams, a dominating performance in the women tennis final, and a beautiful smile to go along with it.
#4 Allyson Felix, the long-time star finally reeled the gold in the 200 m. It was nice to see someone with such nice pearly whites beaming from ear to ear.
#3 Dana Vollmer, Wow! Three gold medals and one of the top smiles in the Olympic games.
#2 Gabby Douglas winner of two gold medals, who’s smile is literally contagious.
Our top pick for biggest and brightest smile is winner of Five Olympic medals, four gold and one bronze, Missy Franklin (who recently had her braces removed)
A couple of side notes:
Honorable mentions going to our Olympian braces wearer Lashinda Demus and a nod to Ryan Lochte for his patriotic grill.
Finally, Congrats to Michael Phelps for achieving what no other Olympian has ever done. However, we would love to see him straighten out that well known smile with invisalign or braces one day.
Go USA!]]>
With the increase in painkiller abuse in America there is a lot of speculation as to who is responsible for this epidemic? Is it the patient with the addiction or is it the ease of legal access to these drugs? This has always been a tough subject for health care professionals, especially those in the dental field.
