Tag Archives: Teeth

What’s the deal with Oral Cancer?

Posted on by
Reply

Since April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month, I wanted to dedicate this blog post to oral cancer. Let’s start with some dreadful statistics. Last year, 42,000 people in the United States were diagnosed with oral cancer; and just over half (57%) have a 5 year survival rate. To put that in prospective, thyroid, cervical, testicular, skin and lymphoma cancers all have higher long term survival rate than oral cancer.

Peter Franta 004So, how do you know that you have oral cancer? Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing that you have oral cancer by appearance. The only definitive way to find out is through biopsying an area deemed suspicious by a medical professional. Dentist and medical doctors looks for a variety of lesion on your tongue and in your mouth. We are looking for lesions or wounds that do not heal within two weeks. We look for lumps and bumps in your mouth. We look for white, blue or red patches. We even ask patients if they have difficulty swallowing; that is a sign of a growth on the base of your tongue and throat.

What causes oral cancer? Oral cancer is caused by repeated irritation to the soft tissue or the oral mucosa. The number one irritant is tobacco. In fact, 75% of people who have been diagnosed with oral cancer have used tobacco in some form. Another irritant that causes oral cancer is heavy alcohol use.

Historically, the stigma attached to oral cancer patients has always been that they were older heavy drinkers and smokers. Recent studies have turned the stereotype 180 degrees. Research is now showing the fastest growing segment of oral cancer patient are young, non-tobacco users. The cause of this trend is the human papillomavirus (HPV). This is the same virus that causes cervical cancer. HPV oral cancers usually appear on the tonsils or base of the tongue. Fortunately, the survival rates are much higher than oral cancers caused by heavy tobacco and alcohol use.

The key to successful treatment is catching the oral cancer early. Every dental exam should consist of a quick and painless oral cancer exam, and if anything suspicious turns up, a quick biopsy to rule out oral cancer. As Benjamin Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

As always, feel free to contact us with any questions that you may have through our website, www.FordDentalGroup.com or call us at 714-842-7431. Dentist Huntington Beach 16511 Goldenwest St. Huntington Beach, CA 92647

A Child’s First Dental Visit Part II: How should you talk to your child about the dentist?

Posted on by
Reply

jonathanbaseball.jpegNow that a child’s first visit has been described in the previous post, let’s review the do’s and don’t of preparing the child for his or her first dental visit. The most important thing to remember is that a child has never been to a dentist before, so they have no idea what to expect. Parents are usually surprised that children have fun at their first visit. The dental chair goes up and down, just like a roller coaster. The instruments spray water, just like water guns. The toothbrush makes fun noises and tickles their teeth. Parents- it is essential that you keep your own feelings about a dentist in check (especially, if they are negative). Avoid words like shots and drills because they won’t even come up during the first visit; and hopefully, for several subsequent visits. Also, please do not threaten your children with visits to the dentist, it only makes the visits harder on the child and dentist. The most important thing is to remember that children have never been to a dentist before. So, if the first visit creates a positive, upbeat, painless atmosphere, it makes a trip to the dentist much easier for everyone in the future.

Here are some other suggestions that make the first trip more enjoyable. There are lots of children’s books available that discuss brushing your teeth, taking care of your mouth and going to the dentist. Reading any of these books introduces the dental world to children and makes it real to them. Dora the explorer has a book on going to the dentist (link to it here) or I remember a book with  the Berenstain Bears (link to it here) that I grew up with.

Another suggestion would be to work on brushing the child’s teeth at home. Getting the child used to something in their mouth is extremely important. The earlier that you can do this, the easier it is for the parent and dentist to brush the child’s teeth.

Lastly, telling the child what to expect is a big help. Describing the dental chair, the mouth mirror and that the dentist cleans their teeth helps tremendously in preparing the child. The more a child knows about the dentist, the easier it will be.

I hope this helps and can alleviate some of the stresses involved in a child’s first dental visit. Please email me at drjonathan@forddentalgroup.com or call us if you have any questions.

 

 

Ford Dental Group Huntington Beach Dentist 

www.FordDentalGroup.com 16511 Goldenwest St Huntington Beach, CA

A Child’s First Dental Visit

Posted on by
Reply

A guide on what to expect and how to prepare your child for his or her first visit

The first visit’s goal is to introduce the child to a dental environment. It is more of a meet and greet for the child and the dentist. If the child is able to sit in the dental chair by him or herself, that’s fantastic; however, most of the time, a parent will sit with the child, while the dentist describes what each tool is used for. Simple things like a dental mirror, air/water spray and suction are completely foreign to a child. So it is important that each instrument is shown to a child so they become comfortable with them and the surrounding environment.This guy look familiar?

The next step in the visit is a bonus during a young child’s first visit. A dentist will “count” the child’s teeth to see how many teeth have erupted. The primary purpose for counting a child’s teeth is to check for any cavities. It is extremely important to catch decay in children’s teeth early. Children’s teeth are much smaller than adult teeth and the outer layer of a child’s tooth is much thinner. These reasons make children’s teeth more susceptible to decay.

The last step during a child’s visit is to clean their teeth. This can be done several different ways. In my office, I prefer to have the child sit in a parents lap facing the parent, and have the child lean back with their head in my lap. The dentist can then go around with a toothbrush and fluoridated toothpaste and really clean the child’s teeth. It also allows for an opportunity to teach the parent and child the proper brushing techniques. If this goes well, a dentist can eventually start using some of the dental instruments on the child and get him or her acclimated to the dental environment. Lastly, if the child is older than 2, a dentist will apply a fluoride gel to the child’s teeth. The gel is painted on the child’s teeth and is very well tolerated. The fluoride helps prevent cavities from forming.

In most cases, young children do not need x-rays. They are not needed due to the fact that most children naturally have spaces between their teeth. The spaces allow the dentist to view the entire tooth. In adults, there are not spaces between teeth; the only way to check for decay between someone’s teeth is through x-rays.

The next blog post will be on how parents can help make their child’s first visit a little bit easier.

As always, feel free to contact us with any questions that you may have through our website, www.FordDentalGroup.com or call us at 714-842-7431. Here is another great resource for question about children and their teeth, http://www.aapd.org/.

Dentist Huntington Beach 16511 Goldenwest St. Huntington Beach, CA 92647

What’s the deal with fluoride?

Posted on by
Reply

Every quarter we send out a digital newsletter. Here is this quarters’.

Flouride: Why is it important?

What is fluoride, how does it protect my teeth and where can I find it? These are the three most common questions I get regarding fluoride. However, I also get questions about why fluoride is so controversial. I will address all of these questions in this quarter’s newsletter.

First, Fluoride is an element found in the earth’s atmosphere and is listed in the periodic table of elements.  It is a building block that forms many salts and crystals. It is so common that it probably sits on your kitchen table. Fluoride can be found in many types of table salt.  It can also be manufactured by pharmaceutical companies and put in many common dental products.

Fluoride can help prevent cavities from forming in several different ways. The first way that fluoride protects your teeth is by acting on the bacteria found in your mouth. The bacteria in your mouth break down sugar into acid. The acid then demineralizes your tooth and creates a cavity. Fluoride prevents the bacteria from digesting the sugars in your mouth. If the bacteria cannot process the sugar, it cannot create the acidic byproducts that cause cavities.

The second way fluoride works is by protecting your teeth directly. When fluoride is applied to your teeth, it alters the chemical composition. The tooth structure becomes stronger and more resistant to acid; preventing cavities from forming.  Therefore, fluoride is an essential tool in cavity prevention. Now, that you know how fluoride works; where can you find fluoride?

Huntington Beach Pier

Well, if you live in Huntington Beach or the surrounding areas of Southern California, you don’t have look for it, it comes to you. Fluoride is found in our tap water. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California regularly monitors the level of fluoride in the water to make sure it’s at the optimal level to help prevent tooth decay. However, in most patients an additional source of fluoride is needed to prevent tooth decay.  It can be found in almost any type of over the counter toothpaste. It can also be found in certain mouthwashes like Act.  Fluoride can be found in an array of dental products, and in whichever form you use, it prevents tooth decay.

So, why does fluoride create such controversy when the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) list water fluoridation as one of the top ten public health achievements of the 20th Century? People against water fluoridation often site research that relates the consumption of fluoride to cancer and broken bones. Well, these papers are correct when the dosage levels of fluoride are 10 to 100 levels higher than the recommended doses.  Before you freak out and tell people your dentist in Huntington Beach is poisoning you, let me put this in prospective. If you eat one bag of skittles, it will have virtually no affect on you. If you eat 100 bags of skittles every day, you will start to develop diabetes and become obese. For those patients on Coumadin or blood thinners, your medication is closely monitored. If the dose is too high, you will bleed to death, but at the correct dosage levels, it will protect you and allow you to live a longer, better life. Whether it is sugar, medication or fluoride, the dosage is key and at the dosage levels in our public water supply, fluoride will aid in cavity prevention and have no adverse health affects.

Hope this newsletter gives you insight into the importance of fluoride on your dental health. As always, feel free to email or call us with any questions you have. You can always check out our blog, www.FordDentalGroup.com/blog, for updates or even friend us on www.Facebook.com/forddentalgroup.

Lastly, the biggest compliment our office can receive from you is the referral of a friend or family member. If you want to go one step further, you can also give us a great review on google, http://goo.gl/6iBx4 or yelp, goo.gl/Yp24n. We look forward to seeing you soon.
With your dental health in mind,

Ford Dental Group

16511 Goldenwest St

Huntington Beach, Ca 92647

 

What is gum disease and do I have it?

Posted on by
Reply

Gum disease (periodontal disease) is a slow progressing, chronic disease that infects your gums and the bone surrounding your teeth. If it becomes severe, it will ultimately lead to the loss of your teeth. If your gums become inflamed, irritated, infected or bleed easily, you have the beginning stages of gum disease.

perio xray

Gum disease is caused by bacteria. The bacteria feed off the food that we eat and break it down to form plaque. Plaque is a film that forms on our teeth and is composed of food, bacteria and bacteria waste products. Our body’s immune system is unable to fight the infection by itself. By removing the plaque through brushing and flossing and routine dental cleanings (prophy), we maintain healthy gums and help our bodies flight off the residual infection. If the plaque stays on your teeth for more than a couple of days, it begins to calcify and become calculus or tartar. The x-ray is an example of active periodontal disease.  Once calculus develops, it becomes visible on an x-ray (see red circles) and the only way to remove it is through a dental cleaning. Additionally, this x-ray shows how the bone level changes and gets lower in periodontal disease (see blue arrow).

Just like the bacteria that cause common cold, the bacteria that cause gum disease can be transferred between people. Kissing, drinking out of the same glass or sharing the same utensils are all ways periodontal pathogens can be transferred between people.

100_0046

So, how do you know if you have gum disease if it does not hurt?  Most patients who have gum disease have teeth that look longer than normal and/or have big spaces between their teeth. This occurs because the gums and bone have receded leaving more tooth showing. The picture shows a perfect example of this. This patient has teeth that look longer, which is shown by the blue lines.  The yellow boxes help display the bigger spaces between your teeth.  Another sign that you have gum disease is if you have teeth that are loose or mobile. If your gums bleed while you brush or floss them, you can also have the beginning stages of gum disease.

Lastly, gum disease is a chronic infection that affects the rest of your body as well. There is an abundance of scientific research relating gum disease to premature/low birth weight babies, diabetes, and heart disease. A healthy body means a healthy mouth as well.

If you have any questions about gum disease or would like to start treatment for it, please contact us through our website, www.FordDentalGroup.com or call us at 714-842-7431. We are a family dental practice located in Huntington Beach, CA. 

 

Dentist Huntington Beach

How much sugar do you consume daily?

Posted on by
Reply

Whenever I look at the nutritional labels on food, it looks like a foreign language. It is in grams and grams are a unit of measurement that I don’t relate to; so I turned to the dictionary for the definition of a gram? According to the dictionary, a gram is a metric unit of mass or weight equal to 15.432 grains. Well, that doesn’t help me much, since I don’t know what a grain is.

Over the weekend, a light bulb went off when I learned about an easy conversion that helped me demystify the nutritional tables. Here it is: 4 grams of sugar equals 1 teaspoon of sugar. Teaspoons are something I can relate to, since I use one every day. With this tidbit of knowledge, I went to nutritionaldata.com and reviewed nutritional values of common foods. The results were pretty astounding.

The next time you sit down and have a refreshing Coca Cola Classic look at the nutritional information on the side. In one standard 12 ounce can of Coke, there are 30 grams of sugar or 7.5 teaspoons of sugar. I knew sodas were going to contain a significant amount of sugar, but juices contain just as much. Apple juice contains 28 grams of sugar in one cup or 7 teaspoons of sugar. Things that we think are healthy and nutritious are often not. Let’s take a look at breakfast cereals. 

 First, a serving of cereal is one cup…one cup! I know I don’t have just one cup of cereal in the morning. One cereal that I thought would contain a lot of sugar is Fruit Loops. In that one serving, there is 25 grams of carbohydates or an equivalent to 6.25 teaspoons of sugar. However, Fruit Loops wasn’t even close to being the worst one.

The one that absolutely amazed me was Raisin Bran. It’s the one that adults choose because we think it is healthy. In a one cup serving of Raisin Bran, there are 45 grams of carbohydrates or 11.25 teaspoons of sugar.

If my assumption is correct, most people also add milk to their cereal. So, we need to look at the nutritional facts for milk. One cup of Skim Milk has 12 grams of carbohydrates or 3 teaspoons of sugar. Now, the main difference between whole and skim milk is the fat content, but whole milk did have a little bit more sugar with 13 grams or 3.25 teaspoons of sugar.

So, if we eat one cup of Raisin Bran with one cup of whole milk for breakfast, we are consuming 14.5 teaspoons of sugar to start off our day. That’s the equivalent of two cans of coke.

It is also important to remember that the serving sizes on the packages are significantly smaller than the amounts one normally consumes. The amount of sugar that we consume not only affects our overall health (ex. Diabetes, obesity). It also affects our oral health. I hope this information allows you to evaluate the sugar content of different types of foods and helps you suppress those sugar cravings during the holiday season.

Additionally, the holiday season and the end of the year are quickly approaching. This also means that your dental benefits will be expiring as well. So, if you have been postponing some dental work or have not been in for awhile, now is a great time to schedule an appointment before your dental benefits expire.

As always, feel free to email or call us with any questions you have. You can always check out our web site for updates on our office or for new insights into the field of dentistry. The web address is www.FordDentalGroup.com.

Lastly, the biggest compliment our office can receive from you is the referral of a friend or family member. If you want to go one step further, you can also give us a great review on google, http://goo.gl/6iBx4 or yelp, goo.gl/Yp24n. We look forward to seeing you soon.

With your dental health in mind,

Ford Dental Group

Dentist Huntington Beach,

16511 Goldenwest St

Huntington Beach, Ca 92647

Update- How often do you change your toothbrush? Dentist Huntington Beach

Posted on by
2

UPDATED from last blog post. We ask patients if they would like to have a new toothbrush after each dental cleaning. Most people say yes; however, there are some that decline. Recently, I started to ask patients who did not want a toothbrush why they did not need one. Some say they have a mechanical one; others say that their toothbrush looks fine, so they don’t need a new one.

 

Even though a toothbrush looks normal, it contains millions of bacteria that are introduced into your mouth each time your brush. With that in mind, here are some suggestions to minimize the bacteria that your toothbrush harbors.

 

1)      Don’t brush where you flush. When you flush your toilet, thousands of bacteria are sprayed into the air. If your toothbrush is nearby, it starts collecting the bacteria that was in your toilet. Isn’t that a stomach-wrenching thought?

2)      Keep your toothbrush dry. Bacteria thrive in warm and moist environments and these conditions allow bacteria to replicate. By keeping your toothbrush dry, you minimize the numbers of bacteria and make your brush more sanitary.

3)      Keep your toothbrush to yourself. The human mouth harbors hundreds of millions of bacteria. By sharing your toothbrush, you introduce new strains to your mouth that can be more aggressive and cause gum disease.  Even keeping your toothbrush in the same cup or container as a family member causes the spread of bacteria.

 

Since toothbrushes can harbor so many bacteria, it is recommended that you change your toothbrush every 3-4 months. Don’t wait until the bristles fray or your brush develops mold!!! Yes…this can happen. Here are also other times when you want to change your toothbrush.

 

1)      When you are finished recovering from a cold. A cold is usually passed from person to person, when people sneeze and spread the bacteria or viruses via saliva droplets. Every time you brush your teeth, a toothbrush is saturated in that same saliva and harbors the cold-causing bacteria or viruses. Therefore, once you recover, it is very important to change your toothbrush and not introduce the bad bacteria back into your system.

2)      When you have your teeth cleaned. The purpose of a dental cleaning is to remove plaque and calculus that you have not been able to remove on your own. It is usually found in hard to reach places and has been in your mouth for a couple of months. These plaques have been able to grow and usually contain a more aggressive type of bacteria. When a dentist or hygienist removes them, your mouth returns to health. If you go home that evening and brush your teeth with your old toothbrush, you are just re-introducing the aggressive types of bacteria back into your mouth. A new toothbrush will help you keep your mouth healthy!

 

As always, feel free to email or call us with any questions you have. You can always check out our blog for updates on our office or for new insights into the field of dentistry. The web address is www.FordDentalGroup.com/blog.

 

Lastly, the biggest compliment our office can receive from you is the referral of a friend or family member. If you want to go one step further, you can also give us a great review on google, http://goo.gl/6iBx4. We look forward to seeing you soon.

 

With your dental health in mind.

Ford Dental Group

How long have you been using your toothbrush?- Dentist Huntington Beach

Posted on by
Reply

We always ask every patient if they would like to have a new toothbrush after each dental cleaning. Most people say yes; however, there are some that delcine. Recently, I started to ask patients who did not want a toothbrush why they did not need one. Some say they have mechanical one (YAY!!!), others say that their toothbrush looks fine, so they don’t need a new one.

Even though a toothbrush looks normal, a toothbrush contains millions of bacteria that are introduced into your mouth each time you brush. So with that in mind, there are certain key times during the year when you want to replace your toothbrush. The easiest one to remember is when you get your teeth cleaned. When you see your dentist and hygienist, they are removing plaque and bacteria from your mouth. By replacing your toothbrush then, you keep your mouth cleaner and don’t reintroduce the bacteria that the dentist or hygienist just removed back into your mouth. Another good time to replace your toothbrush is right after you have been sick. Saliva harbors a lot of bacteria and viruses that cause the cold and flu and by replacing the toothbrush, you don’t introduce those bugs back into your mouth.

Here is a link to an article from U.S. News a couple of years ago that also talked about tips to keep your toothbrush clean. http://www.usnews.com/news/50-ways-to-improve-your-life/articles/2008/12/18/change-your-toothbrush-more-often 

As always, feel free to contact us through our website, www.FordDentalGroup.com, if you have any questions or give us a call at 714-842-7431.

Ford Dental Group- Dentist in Huntington Beach, CA

Do you grind your teeth?

Posted on by
Reply

I was surfing the web this morning and came upon a blog that can be found on cnn.com under their health tab. http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/06/teeth-grinding-could-signal-sleep-problems/?hpt=he_bn1

It is a short article on bruxism or teeth grinding. The constant grinding of your teeth against each other can have a drastic impact on your mouth. Tooth structure begins to wear away, and once tooth structure is removed, nothing can be done to grow tooth structure back. The outer layers of your teeth, enamel, is the hardest structure in your body and the underlying layers, dentin, is really soft. Once, the enamel wears away, grinding your teeth can cause rapid wear and ultimately causes a tooth to break or fracture. Bruxism can not only cause tooth loss, it can cause headaches, muscle spasms and jaw joint pain.

Unfortunately, grinding your teeth is neurological in nature and some people can be completely unaware that they do it. Most times, the person’s partner tells them that they are grinding or a dentists notices wear patterns on a person’s teeth. Since it happens while people are sleeping, it is not something that a person can just stop doing. Dentists can make a mouth piece known as a night guard that can help prevent the teeth from wearing away or breaking. The mouth piece is worn at night and absorbs the pressure people put on their teeth from grinding.

Grinding your teeth can also occur more frequently when you are stressed. It is your bodies’ way of relieving the stress; unfortunately, it causes damage to your teeth.

If you have sore muscles or jaw joints when you wake up in the morning, it is probably a sign that you are grinding your teeth. If you are in the Huntingon Beach area and need a dental evaluation for a bruxism, feel free to schedule an appointment through our website, www.FordDentalGroup.com.

16511 Goldenwest St, Huntington Beach, Ca 92647 714-842-7431

Thoughts on Dentistry and marketing in response to LA Times Article

Posted on by
Reply

I wanted to write a quick response in regards to the article that was on the front page of the LA Times this morning. Here is the link.  I am going to focus on the article itself and not the comments about the article that you can find online. (That can be a blog post by itself…I knew people hate dentists, but the comments are overwhelming.) One of the things that drew me to dentistry over medicine was the opportunity to own and manage my own small business. As dentist, our primary focus should be the patient’s best interest. However, we do need to run our small business and do what’s best for it. Sometimes that does include marketing. I think everything that the dentist in the article is doing is something that every small business in America has to do to stay in business in the modern computing age.

1) You need to have a website. That website needs to be updated regularly, look modern and stand out from your competition. The world is evolving. People used to look things up in the yellow pages or the phone book. Now, people go online and look things up on websites. Google is the new phone book, your website is your advertisement in the phone book.

2) You need to be on Facebook, Twitter or some form of social media platform. Small businesses stay in business because people in local communities visit and use their goods and services. They become popular through word of mouth reviews. People talk about certain places with their friends in person; or people can now tweet and facebook their friends and give reviews through the internet. Most people now stay in touch via Facebook or Twitter rather talking on the phone or having lunch or coffee. By being involved with social media, your practice  can be apart of those digital conversations. My office gets a majority of our new patients from our existing patient base. When patients post that they visited our office, their friends see that. By posting articles or comments on dentistry, it provides awareness to people and educates the public that regular dental check-ups are needed. 

3) You need to take care of your customers. The dentist in the article talks about pampering their patients with warm towels and bottles of water in the waiting room. You don’t necessarily have to do these things; however, you do need to take care of them. Remember, dentistry is a people business. Your patients are your number one priority and you need to treat them well.  If you don’t have patients, you don’t have teeth to work on and your practice won’t survive. 

I think the article is trying to feed off the notion that dentist make a lot of money and are using marketing gimmicks to maintain their plush incomes. I see these gimmicks as something every business in the 21st century must do to survive.

I appreciate your comments and feedbacks. Please let me know if you have any questions by reaching me through my website, www.FordDentalGroup.com.