November 22nd, 2011 amogell
Once you pass your 50th birthday you begin to notice some changes in your body. Your metabolism runs a little slower so you can’t eat like you used to. Body parts that you never thought much about start to twinge or ache. This is also a time where we notice some oral health changes. If you have been brushing, flossing and seeing your dentist regularly your teeth are probably still very healthy. Things to keep an eye on when you’ve past your 50th birthday include: dry mouth, weakened bones, crowding of teeth, burning mouth syndrome and suspicious sores. 
Dry mouth is usually a side effect to medication. Hundreds of prescription and over the counter medications ranging from antidepressants to antihistamines can cause saliva production to slow. Dry mouth is not only uncomfortable it can lead to tooth decay. Our saliva is constantly bathing our teeth and washing away the bacteria that cause tooth decay. If your saliva production has slowed it is important to keep your mouth moist. Sip water often, chew sugarless gum to promote saliva production or suck on sugarless candy. Ask your dentist about artificial saliva substitutes if your dry mouth is severe. Sjogren’s Syndrome can also be a reason for dry mouth.
As we age our bones may weaken due to osteoporosis. Because our teeth are anchored into our jaw bone this weakened state can affect your smile as well. The National Institutes of Health found that older women with osteoporosis are more likely to lose teeth. Dental implants can be used to replace missing teeth and can even help keep your jawbone healthy. Even people with healthy bones can develop crowded teeth as they get older. That once straight, beautiful smile can become jumbled, leaving teeth that are difficult to clean. Dental veneers and crowns can be used to create “instant orthodontics” giving you back your perfect smile.
Any sore in your mouth that doesn’t go away in two weeks should be considered suspicious. Oral cancers affect over 30,000 Americans each year and the numbers are increasing. Oral cancers used to be seen mostly in smokers or people who smoked and drank alcohol, today that statistic is changing. An oral cancer screening is an important part of your dental examination.
Burning mouth syndrome may affect women during menopause. The condition which makes the inside of your mouth feel like it is on fire may be caused by a drop in estrogen. Your physician and your dentist can work together to put out the fire.
Please contact StoneRidge Dental Care today at 614-476-6696 today to schedule your next appointment. We’ll help keep your teeth healthy for your next 50 years!
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November 17th, 2011 amogell
Researchers from Taiwan reported this week that people who had their teeth professionally cleaned at least twice a year had a 24% lower risk of heart attack and a 13% lower risk of stroke compared to those who did not visit the dentist. Drs. Emily Chen and Hsin-Bang Leu reviewed medical data on over 51,000 adults who had their teeth professionally cleaned and compared them to people who had never had their teeth cleaned. “Protection from heart disease and stroke was more pronounced in participants who got tooth scaling at least once a year” said Dr. Chen. She suggested that having a dental cleaning removes inflammation-causing bacteria that can lead to heart disease.
The bacteria associated with gum disease has previously been linked to heart problems and this study confirms the importance of good oral health for overall health Keeping your smile healthy requires good home care, brushing and flossing, plus it requires regular visits to your dental hygienist. Home care cannot remove all of the bacteria that lurks below the gum line so a visit every six months is needed for those with healthy gums. If you have experienced gum disease then your recall visits will be scheduled more often. If you have been avoiding the dentist because of anxiety or fear ask about sedation dentistry.
Appointments are filling fast since we are quickly approaching the end of the year. Contact StoneRidge Dental Care serving the Columbus, OH area at 614-476-6696 today to schedule your next visit.
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November 15th, 2011 amogell
Researchers have found that eating a Mediterranean diet and exercising can improve some sleep apnea symptoms. The study published in European Respiratory Journal looked at the impact of the Mediterranean diet on obese sleep apnea patients as compared to patients on a prudent diet.
Obstructive sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep breathing disorders and becomes more prevalent as weight increases. Approximately 20-40% of obese patients suffer from obstructive sleep apnea and weight loss is an essential part of the treatment. Obstructive sleep apnea causes frequent stoppages of breathing during sleep. Sleep is fragmented causing excessive daytime drowsiness and other health complications.
Researchers in Greece studied 40 obese sleep apnea patients. 20 were placed on the Mediterranean diet and the other 20 were given a prudent weight-loss diet. Both groups were encouraged to walk at least 30 minutes each day. Both groups also received CPAP therapy.
The results showed that the group following the Mediterranean diet had a reduced number of apnoeas during REM stage sleep and were more likely to adhere to the lower calorie diet. While the study showed an improvement for this one stage of sleep it did not show an overall improvement in the severity of the condition. The authors feel that further studies with more patients are needed.
If you experience daytime sleepiness, weight gain and have been told you snore loudly you may suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. For more information about this disorder, diagnosis and treatment in the Columbus, OH area please contact StoneRidge Dental Care at 614-476-6696. Oral appliance therapy is a highly effective method of treating mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea.
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November 12th, 2011 amogell
Looking forward to celebrating your 40th birthday? During our 40′s we start to experience some changes in our bodies but the good news is, if you have been taking care of your teeth (brushing, flossing, etc.) your dental health should continue to be terrific.
There are a few things to keep an eye on when when you hit your 40′s:
Replacing old fillings - Many of those old mercury amalgam fillings are probably beginning to break down and should be replaced. Old fillings form cracks or become loose which can allow bacteria underneath creating more decay. Without removing the decay and replacing the filling you can risk a future root canal or even loss of the tooth. Old bridges and crowns may also need to be replaced.
Periodontal disease – Healthy gums are important. Gum disease has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and even preterm birth A recent study in the Journal of Periodontology reported that over 23% of women aged 30-54 have gum disease. If your gums are red, sore or if they bleed when you brush or floss you need to see your dentist. The health of your smile and your long term overall health depends upon healing this chronic infection.
Cosmetics – Decades of coffee, red wine and sodas have probably robbed you of the shiny bright smile you remember from your 20′s. The easiest solution is one hour whitening with ZOOM! If you’ve never been happy with your smile you are not alone. Many patients in their 40′s decide that they aren’t happy with the smile they were born with and would like to change their crooked, misshapen teeth. Cosmetic dentistry techniques allow us to change the shape and color of your teeth, even change the contours of your gum line, giving you the smile you’ve always dreamed of.
StoneRidge Dental Care serves the Columbus, OH area. Please contact us at 614-476-6696 today to schedule your appointment.
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November 8th, 2011 amogell
The symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea can sometimes mimic those of mental illness – lethargy, irritability, forgetfulness. When those suffering from depression or another form of mental illness also have obstructive sleep apnea it can make the mental illness worse and possibly contribute to manic episodes. Unfortunately, screening for sleep disorders in psychiatric patients is rarely done.
A new study from the University of Utah suggests that using a simple questionnaire to screen patients may be helpful. “Sleep problems are so integral to psychiatric problems, we wanted to make sure that along with psychiatric disorders we were treating obstructive sleep apnea too,” said Dr. Vanita Jain. Because many medications used in treating psychiatric conditions are also respiratory depressants it is especially important for these patients to be screened.
The questions asked included: Do you snore loudly? Do you often feel tired, fatigued or sleepy during the day? Has anyone observed you stop breathing during your sleep? Do you have high blood pressure? Are you over 50 years of age? Are you male? Other questions include a large neck circumference and high body mass index (BMI).
If you answer yes to several of these questions you may be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea or another sleep breathing disorder. To schedule your consultation please contact StoneRidge Dental Care in Gahanna, OH today at 614-476-6696. We will discuss testing for a correct diagnosis and treatment options available.
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November 4th, 2011 amogell
Sleep disordered breathing such as sleep apnea has been shown to increase the risk of heart arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation (afib). A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology showed that the risk of having an abnormal heartbeat were 18 times higher immediately after an apnea episode compared to during normal sleep breathing.
The apnea did not have to be severe to raise the risk of afib. “Our focus was on individuals with mild to moderate apnea since it is those people we could compare periods of sleep where there were no apneas to periods where apneas occurred,” said coauthor Dr. Susan Redline of Case Western Reserve University. This work “underscores the tight link between heart disease and sleep apnea dn the need to further evaluate the impact of sleep apnea treatment on reducing heart disease burden.”
Sleep apnea treatment is vital for maintaining a healthy heart. The gold standard for treating the disease is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), however studies show that about half of patients discontinue CPAP within one year and those that do continue average only about 3 hours per night. Another treatment that has been declared effective by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine is oral appliance therapy available from a dentist who is trained in dental sleep medicine. An oral appliance is a small mouthpiece that is worn while sleeping and it works by gently placing your lower jaw in a position that keeps the airway open during sleep. No more blocked airway – no more apnea events.
To find out more about oral appliance therapy to treat your sleep apnea please contact StoneRidge Dental Care of Columbus, OH at 614-476-6696 today.
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November 1st, 2011 amogell
A Swedish study has proven that the size of our jaws decrease with age causing crowded teeth in older adults. The study began in 1949 with plaster molds of the jaws of dental students, ten years later this was repeated. Molds were again created forty years after the first round and “We found that over these forty years there was less and less room for teeth in the jaw” said researcher Lars Bondemark.
The crowded teeth come from the shrinking of the jaw, mainly the lower jaw, and although it is a small amount it is enough to crowd the front teeth. Why the jaw changes throughout life is not known but the amount of change may be related to heredity and the health of the patients bite.
These finding reflect what I hear from my patients. From middle age onward, patients complain about their teeth looking crowded or that their smile doesn’t look “the same”. Fortunately the crowded appearance can be corrected and you don’t have to visit an orthodontist for a full set of metal braces.
Cosmetic dentistry gives an alternative for those seeking instant gratification and a beautiful smile. Using dental veneers and/or crowns the crowded appearance of your teeth can be changed in just a couple of visits. Dental veneers can also give you a brighter, whiter smile and change the appearance of misshapen teeth removing years from your appearance.
For more information about your options for changing a crowded smile please contact StoneRidge Dental Care in Gahanna, OH at 614-476-6696 today.
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October 27th, 2011 amogell
Former Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell talked to Sports Illustrated about the twists and turns his career has taken. One important item that came out of the discussion – Russell suffers from obstructive sleep apnea.
“In the NFL, my first year, I had to be there at 6:30 before practice and be on the treadmill for an hour. Then meetings come, I sit down, eat my fruit. We watch a film and maybe I got tired. Coach Flip (quarterback coach John DeFillippo) pulled me aside and said, ‘What are you doing for nightlife?’ I said, ‘Coach, I’m just chilling.’ He said, ‘I need to get you checked out.’ I did the sleep test and they said I had apnea.”
Sleep apnea causes extreme daytime fatigue and sleepiness which can cause anyone’s work performance to suffer — not only the performance of world class athletes. Decision making abilities and physical coordination are adversely affected by this disease in which the sleeper stops breathing during sleep. Breathing stops because the soft tissues of the mouth and throat relax and block the airway. This can occur dozens of times each night and each episode causes the sleeper to briefly waken, gasp for breath and return to sleep. The following day they are exhausted but have no recollection of the breathing problems of the night before.
Mr. Russell is not the first NFL player to be diagnosed with sleep apnea, nor will he be the last. What is so surprising – these athletes are constantly supervised by physicians and these sleep disorders are usually not diagnosed for quite some time.
Most of us don’t have physically demanding jobs, nor do we have a medical staff on call. What we do have is our sense of well-being. If you have been feeling unusually sleepy during the day, if you no longer have the energy that you used to, if you are gaining weight and especially if you have been told you snore, you may suffer from sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea has been linked to heart disease, stroke, increased risk of accidents and obesity. Diagnosis and treatment are readily available including treatment using an oral appliance. Please contact StoneRidge Dental Care to arrange your sleep apnea consultation today. Conveniently located to serve the Columbus, OH area we can be reached at 614-476-6696.
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October 25th, 2011 amogell
The risks of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are greater for female patients who are pregnant with multiple babies. The research conducted at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, NY showed a higher prevalence of rapid eye movement related OSA in women who were pregnant with twins, triplets or more babies than in women who were not pregnant or carrying only one child.
The researchers attributed the differences to functional changes in the upper airway induced by repetitive exposure to pregnancy hormones. They felt that identifying women who might carry multiple babies would allow for an earlier diagnosis and treatment of the OSA. Unfortunately, no large scale studies measuring the effects of pregnancy on breathing during sleep. Hopefully this data will be available soon.
OSA, obstructive sleep apnea, occurs when the sleeper stops breathing during sleep. This can occur many times each hour and the stoppages can last from a few seconds or longer. Treatment for obstructive sleep apnea may include CPAP or an oral appliance. Oral appliance therapy is highly effective and avoids the problems associated with the masks and hoses associated with CPAP.
For more information about oral appliance therapy or the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea please contact Dr. Mark Levy at StoneRidge Dental Care in Gahanna, OH at 614-476-6696 today.
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October 20th, 2011 amogell
OSA stands for obstructive sleep apnea which is a condition associated with snoring and daytime sleepiness. OSA sufferers stop breathing many times each night because their airways collapse and stop the passage of air. It is estimated that almost 90% of people who suffer from this disease have not been diagnosed.
A group of researchers in India found that OSA patients were three times more likely to suffer from obesity, hypertension, diabetes and a condition called hyperlipidemia. People who hae hyperlipidemia have high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The results of the study strongly suggest that sleep disordered breathing such as OSA is strongly associated with metabolic syndrome.
Weight loss has been shown to lessen the severity of OSA but we all know how difficult it is and how long it takes. When OSA is diagnosed the first therapy offered to patients is typically CPAP. Many patients find sleeping with the device difficult and abandon the machine and treatment of their OSA. Another highly effective treatment is oral appliance therapy from a dentist who is specially trained in Dental Sleep Medicine. An oral appliance is a small mouthpiece worn during sleep that allows the airway to remain open. Oral appliances reduce or eliminate snoring and apnea events.
To schedule your consultation please contact Dr. Mark Levy in Gahanna, OH at 614-476-6696 today. Your health depends on getting a good night’s sleep.
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