Summer Fun!

Dental Health Benefits of Caffeine

Caffeinated drinks are not created equally and each one will have a different impact on a person’s teeth.

• Coffee: Drinking a steaming cup of Joe is a common ritual many Americans follow daily as a way to jump start the day and the great news is, the beverage has been scientifically proven to reduce the odds of developing cavities. That level of protection comes from one of coffee's main ingredients called Trigonelline. Trigonelline is an alkaloid that can negate the effects of acid that is produced as a byproduct of bacteria during their consumption of simple sugars. Consuming black coffee can neutralize the acids and reduce harmful levels of dental plaque.

• Black Tea: Throughout the world, the most popular caffeinated beverage is black tea and the drink is known for having naturally high levels of fluoride

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• Green Tea: Green tea is rich with antioxidants, polyphenols and catechins. The beverage has been proven to fight cancer, prevent heart disease and can improve oral health by fighting gum disease Japanese research has indicated that every one cup of unsweetened green tea consumed can naturally boost the body's response to periodontal bacteria inflammation.

"Drinking caffeinated beverages without any additives such as sugar, artificial sweetener or milk is the key component of reaping the dental benefits. Adding those ingredients may not only negate any health perks, but will contribute to dental disease." adds Dr. Cherukuri from her Chino California dental practice.

A Toothpaste for your PET

PASSING THE WORD ALONG-------

Dental Awareness

Happy Independence day

Tooth Relationships

Chairside Medical Screenings

Screening for diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol in the dental office could save the health care system up to 102.6 million each year, according to ADA health policy resources center.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 7.8% of the US population has undiagnosed hypertension, 2.7 percent has undiagnosed diabetes and 8.2% has undiagnosed high cholesterol. Leaving conditions undiagnosed and untreated typically leads to more expensive procedures down the road.  If dentists can help catch some of these predisposing  and chronic conditions earlier, we are helping  the individual patient as well as the over all health care system... 

Based on a Gallup survey, chronic diseases cost  the country 153 billion annually in lost productivity.

As many as 27 million visit the dentist but not a physician  in a given year.  This presents  an opportunity for dentists to be part of an integrated health care team working to combat chronic illnesses and improve oral and overall health.

For more information on the mouth- body connection, visit http://www.chinosmiles.com/our-practice/procedures/mouth-body-connection/

"My three decades of dental experience has reaffirmed that 'The Mouth is the Mirror to the Body'" says Dr. Cherukuri, from her Chino, California dental practice. Chronic and  some terminal conditions have been diagnosed in our office through dental exams resulting in timely intervention and lives saved.

Dry Mouth

Dry mouth, also called xerostomia is the condition of not having enough saliva, or spit, to keep the mouth wet.  Dry mouth can happen to anyone occasionally—for example, when nervous or stressed.  However, when dry mouth persists, it can make chewing, eating, swallowing and even talking difficult.  Dry mouth also increases the risk for tooth decay because saliva helps keep harmful germs that cause cavities and other oral infections in check.

Causes

Dry mouth occurs when the salivary glands that make saliva don't work properly.  Many over-the-counter and prescription medicines, as well as diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's disease and Sjogren's syndrome, can reduce saliva formation. .  Other causes of dry mouth include certain cancer treatments and damage to the glands' nerve system.  It's important to see your dentist or physician to find out why your mouth is dry.

Treatment

Depending on the cause of your dry mouth, your health care provider can recommend appropriate treatment. There are also self-care steps you can take to help ease dry mouth, such as drinking plenty of water, chewing sugarless gum, and avoiding tobacco and alcohol.  Good oral care at home and regular dental check-ups will help keep your mouth healthy.

“Frequent use of moistening rinses along with topical fluoride applications and increasing dental recare visits are preventative measures that greatly enhance oral health” says Dr. Cherukuri from her Chino, California  dentalpractice

Mouth- Body Conection

Oncology Pocket Guide to Oral Health- Part 2

Chemotherapy

The oral complications of chemotherapy depend on the drugs selected, dosages, the degree of dental disease, and use of radiation. Chemoradiation therapy carries a significant risk for mucositis.
Before Chemotherapy

• Refer patients to a dentist for a pretreatment oral health examination, 1 month, if possible, before cancer treatment begins.
• Tell the dentist the treatment plan and timetable.
• Advise the dentist if radiation therapy is also planned.
  
• Allow at least 7 to 10 days of healing from oral surgical procedures before the patient begins myelosuppressive therapy.
  
• Check for immunosuppression or thrombocytopenia before any oral procedures in patients with hematologic cancers.

During Chemotherapy

• Consult with the oral health team to schedule dental treatment.
  
• Conduct blood work 24 hours before any dental procedure. Postpone if
  • platelet count is less than 75,000/mm³, or abnormal clotting factors are present.
  • neutrophil count is less than 1,000/mm³.
• Determine if there is a need for antibiotic prophylaxis before any dental procedures in patients with central venous catheters.
  
• Consult the dentist to explore a possible oral source of infection when fever is of unknown origin.
  
• Ask patients frequently about their oral health.

After Chemotherapy

• Resume a regular dental recall schedule when chemotherapy is completed and all side effects, including immunosuppression, have resolved. 

Visit www.chinosmiles.com for more information.

Neglect is expensive!

How often Should I Change My Toothbrush

The simple practice of changing your toothbrush regularly improves oral health and significantly reduces dental care costs.

Adults and children should change their toothbrush every 3 months because of the wear of bristles.  Electric toothbrushes usually have good brush heads and may only need to be changed every 6 months.

In patients with gum or periodontal disease, toothbrush must be changed every 4 to 6 weeks because bacteria can harbor in the bristles.. Always rinse the toothbrush in hot water after each use and change it after you have been sick.

Coinciding the change of the toothbrush with your scheduled dental recare visits establishes a pattern that is relatively easy to follow through. "A New Year is a great time to assess the 'old' and make room for the 'new'., including your tooth brush" adds Dr. Cherukuri from her Chino, California dental practice.

New Year Fitness

Dry Mouth

In recent years, prescribed and over-the-counter medications have emerged as the most common cause of dry mouth. Suspect medications include antihistamines, decongestants, painkillers, diuretics, antihypertensive medications and antidepressants. In fact, dry mouth is listed as a potential side effect of more than 400 medications. Be sure to read the literature that accompanies your medications and, if you think a medication is causing dry mouth, tell your dentist or physician. In some cases, substituting medications may alleviate the problem.
 

What is dry mouth?

Dry mouth is caused by a decrease in the amount of saliva in the mouth when the salivary glands do not work properly. The salivary glands help keep your mouth moist, which helps prevent tooth decay and other oral health problems. The medical name of the condition is xerostomia.

Although a common cause of dry mouth these days is medication, the condition may occur when a person experiences stress, or it may even be a sign of a serious health problem, such as AIDS, diabetes or Sjogren’s Syndrome (an autoimmune disease). Other possible causes include aging, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. People with Alzheimer’s disease or who suffer a stroke have been known to experience dry mouth.

How to relieve dry mouth

Your dentist or physician may recommend using artificial saliva — available at local pharmacies — to keep oral tissues lubricated. But the solution may be as simple as increasing your water intake. Other tips on how to ease dry mouth include:

• Brush and floss twice a day
• Chew sugarless gum
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine, carbonated beverages and smoking
• Avoid certain juices (orange, grapefruit and tomato)
• Avoid dry foods, such as toast or crackers
• Avoid overly salty foods
• Use alcohol-free oral rinses 
• Topical fluoride applications

 Visit your dentist regularly. Ask your dentist for advice specific to your situation. 

“Sipping on water throughout the day not only hydrates the mouth but the body as well” adds Dr. Cherukuri from her Chino, California dental practice. ‘It is an easy fix to offset rampant decay and other related dental issues”

How to Manage Dental Costs With or Without Insurance

Many employer-sponsored health care plans do not include dental insurance, and those that do will typically offer only limited benefits. Individual private insurance is often too costly to be feasible. And Medicaid and Medicare offer only limited safety nets.

For most people, a toothache that turns into an expensive procedure like a crown or implant means thousands of dollars out of pocket while routine checkups, cleanings and fillings cost only a smalll fraction of it.

Even if you’re fortunate enough to have some kind of coverage, you have probably discovered just how little it pays if you have big problems. Most dental policies pay for preventive care like twice-a-year checkups, but cover only a fraction of higher-cost procedures like root canals. Even fillings can get short-changed, if the insurer decides the tooth-colored filler the dentist used was too “cosmetic” for the pothole being patched.

At the same time, dental care costs are rising faster than inflation, just as the evidence mounts that taking care of your mouth can be a critical gateway to good overall health.

The health care bills circulating in the House and Senate include dental care provisions for children, which is good. But it also means that for most of us relief from dental bills is not likely to come soon. That leaves it up to consumers to find smart ways to reduce their dental care costs without sacrificing their oral health. So we asked experts and patients for advice.

PREVENTION

Taking care of small problems keeps them from becoming big ones. Enough cannot be said about prevention, according to Dr. Matthew Messina, consumer advisor for the American Dental Association and a dentist in Cleveland.
Left unchecked, a small cavity that would cost about $100 to fill can easily turn into a $1,000 root canal. Skip those $80 cleanings each year, and you may be looking at $2,000 worth of gum disease treatments. An abscess that lands you in the emergency room will set you back hundreds of dollars for the visit, “and you’ll still have to go see a dentist, because emergency rooms don’t handle dental work,” said Dr. Messina.

Finally, your dentist also routinely looks for more serious problems, like oral cancer. More than 35,000 cases are diagnosed each year, according to the American Cancer Society. Early detection, usually during a dental checkup, is critical to successful treatment.

"Patients who stay on top of  their dental maintenance schedule enjoy the best of oral and overall health and end up saving themselves from unnecessary pain and expense" says Dr. Cherukuri from her Chino, California Dental Practice.

Flossing!

Why Do Dentists Check Blood Pressure

Dentists  have for decades seen the value of preventative maintenance,  a concept that other health care specialists are currently catching on.  It is for this reason that dentists are more likely to see their patients more regularly than a medical practitioner. Early symptoms of chronic diseases and conditions manifest in the mouth and dentists have the unique advantage for early detection and recommending avenues and resources for early intervention.

Dentists are no longer “tooth mechanics”  Oral health care is an integral part of  total patient health just as the mouth is an integral part of the whole body. What happens in the mouth impacts the body and vice versa.

Monitoring blood pressure and performing minor diagnostic procedures are fairly routine in most dental offices.

Blood pressure readings play a significant role in dental  treatment planning. 

High blood pressure increases the risk of bleeding during dental procedures. Taking the blood pressure in the dental office, ahead of the procedure: helps  determine the kind of anesthetic to be used. Dental visits have been known to increase anxiety for some patients which could give elevated readings in the office.  In such cases,  anxiety management with patient education and /or medication  is usually sufficient. In some instances, the patient may be rescheduled and referred to a physician for appropriate care and follow up.

Dentists, as part of the health care team;  manage more than ”just your teeth”- says Dr Cherukuri from her Chino, California dental practice. 

 Please visit our website www.chinosmiles .com  for more information.