Osteoporosis Affects Your Dental Health

A current complex dental issue is the concern about osteoporosis medications causing healthy bone to die.

There are studies indicating the bisphosphonates in osteoporosis medications can cause a serious dental condition called “osteonecrosis,” a rare condition in which healthy jawbone dies.

Early research shows that certain cancer patients who take an intravenous bisphosphonate are more likely to develop osteonecrosis than other patients.

Here is what is important for you to know if you are taking a bisphosphonate.

Tell us if you take an osteoporosis medication. Having your current medical history is critical when we plan your dental treatments.

You need regular check-ups, especially if you will undergo cancer treatments. Regular exams will help us to identify any unusual oral changes while they are in their early and most treatable stage.

Before you begin any medical treatment, tell your physician and oncologist about dental issues. This will help your medical team plan your treatments and monitor any effects from dental procedures we perform.

Tell us and your doctors if anything out of the ordinary occurs in your mouth. This includes bleeding gums, pain, an infection or an unusual sensation in your mouth.

Update your dental and medical history with me and your medical team. When your medical and dental teams have the same information, we will all be aware of anything that could affect your dental and overall health.

Provide phone numbers. Your physician, oncologist and I may need to confer about your health or care and coordinate our treatment plans.

Because we know so little about the bisphosphonate effect on the body, we should proceed with caution, for today is not as simple as we wish it were.

As always, please call our office if you notice anything out of the ordinary in your mouth. We can examine you and intercede early.

Tooth Fairy is BIG Business

Childhood is a time for believing in imaginary friends and fantastic beings such as the tooth fairy. Soon, children begin a phase in which they trade some childhood magic for something real as a signal that they are growing up. In many cultures this trade is a rite of passage that happens when a child loses a baby tooth. Believe it or not, the tooth fairy became associated with that rite of passage.

There is not much reference to the magical connection between losing a tooth and a mystical being until about the eighteenth century. Then, in the late nineteenth century, the king of Spain asked a priest to write a story for the king’s young son who had just lost a tooth. Thus, was born Ratoncito Pérez, the Spanish version of a tooth mouse that had magical powers. [Read more]

Baby Teeth Dance

Dancing is about rhythm. One steps and moves and the partner smoothly follows. The process of getting and losing a tooth is like a carefully choreographed dance. [Read more]

You Can Have a Hollywood Smile

These are exciting times for anyone who has considered improving their smile. Yesterday, many people thought that only Hollywood movie stars could get dazzling smiles, but today people know that anyone can enhance the smile that Mother Nature gave them. [Read more]

Don’t Forget to Floss Your Arteries

Scary things like Diabetes, Stroke, Heart Disease, and Pancreatic Cancer can result from a lack of Brushing & Flossing

Article Provided by Dr. Chris Kammer

MADISON, WI- Can a toothbrush help clean out your heart? Surprisingly, yes. Brushing your teeth has been shown to be the first step in preventing periodontal disease that can lead to heart disease, stroke, and diabetes complications.

Dr. Chris Kammer of the Center for Cosmetic Dentistry says that 80% of adults have periodontal disease and most cases go undetected. The disease raises the level of harmful bacteria in the mouth, which travels through the bloodstream to other organs in the body, and can lead to a plaque buildup in arteries surrounding the heart. [Read more]

April May Bring June Bride

Ah, spring. A time when a young woman’s heart turns to—ohmigosh, I’m getting married soon! You’ve planned well to have a perfect wedding day.

You’ve picked the perfect man, an excellent caterer is hired; the best photographer is scheduled; the most gorgeous gown is ready, and on and on. The list is complete—maybe. Did you overlook something as equally important as the perfectly white pearls on your gown? [Read more]

If a Little is Good

That title might be true if you were donating to your favorite charity. It is not true when it is about your teeth and gums.

We always encourage our patients to regularly brush and floss, which are definitely good for your oral health. However, if you brush your teeth too hard, you might be doing them harm. [Read more]

It’s About Presentation

Have you noticed that food seems to look more pleasing in the restaurant than it does when you prepare the same meal at home? Any chef will tell you, it’s all in the presentation.

How well-received you are by a stranger is also about presentation. And the foremost facial element of your presentation is your smile. Studies show that numerous, snap judgments are made about you based on your smile. Are you successful? Interesting? Wealthy? [Read more]

The First Time

Life is full of firsts: the first day of school, the first kiss, the first child. “Firsts” come with their own set of anxieties. And so it likely will be the first time your child comes into the office.

Schedule your child’s first dental visit when your child is 6 months to 1-year old. It is extremely important to check those erupting teeth. They are prey for decay as soon as they pop through the gums. [Read more]

Epidemic in Our Lives

We like to keep our patients up-to-date about dental procedures, new technologies, and dental health. Patients who are knowledgeable about their dental health are more likely to have healthy teeth.

Once in a while one of the topics we have put into our newsletter has set our reader’s nerves on edge, but, we feel the information is too important not to keep our readers informed. Such is the situation with a topic that is at the forefront of many evening news stories we hear and read. [Read more]

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