Quitting Smoking Decreases Your Risk of Implant Failure

By Drs Lawitts and Yeates

June 27, 2016

Tags: dental implants

QuittingSmokingDecreasesYourRiskofImplantFailure

If you’re considering a dental implant as a replacement for a lost tooth, you’re looking at a restoration method with an amazing 95% success rate after ten years. But that being said there’s still a risk, albeit quite low, the implant might fail.

And if you smoke, the risk is slightly higher. In a recent study of implant patients, twice as many of the failures occurred in smokers compared to non-smokers. If you’re a smoker, you can increase your chances of a successful outcome if you quit the habit.

Nicotine, a chemical within tobacco, is the primary cause for this higher risk. Besides its effect on the pleasure centers of the brain, nicotine also restricts smaller blood vessels that are abundant in the mouth and skin, causing less blood flow. As a result, the mouth doesn’t have as many antibodies and other substances available to fight infection and help traumatized tissues heal.

Because of this, as well as reduced saliva flow due to the habit, smokers have an increased risk of dental disease and are slower to respond to treatment. This can be especially problematic if the gum tissues around an implant become infected, which could lead to a catastrophic failure. Slower healing also impacts the post-surgery period when bone cells in the jaw are growing and adhering to the implant surface, forming a stronger bond.

To avoid these potential risks you should stop smoking before you undergo implant surgery. If you can’t completely kick the habit, you should at least stop a week before surgery and for two weeks after. It’s also critical that you practice good oral hygiene — both brushing and flossing — to minimize the occurrence of dental disease and see us for regular checkups and maintenance appointments.

Taking these steps will greatly increase your chances of being in the vast majority of people who continue to enjoy success with their implants for many years.

If you would like more information on the impact of smoking on dental health, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Dental Implants & Smoking.”

0 Comment(s) Permalink

Keeping Gum Disease at Bay Could Help Your Overall Health

By Drs Lawitts and Yeates

June 26, 2016

Category: Oral Health

Tags: gum disease

KeepingGumDiseaseatBayCouldHelpYourOverallHealth

It’s bad enough the diseases caused by poor dental hygiene or lack of dental checkups could be leaving your teeth and gums more at risk. But current scientific research seems to indicate those same dental diseases may also cause you problems in other parts of your body.

The connection is especially pronounced with periodontal (gum) disease, a family of disorders that can eventually lead to tooth loss. Gum disease is caused by plaque, a thin film of bacteria and food particles that builds up on tooth surfaces due to a lack of daily brushing and flossing. Even skipping one day of hygiene increases the level of oral bacteria that cause these infections.

As it spreads, the infection causes the gum tissues to become inflamed and ulcerated. The gums weaken to the point where they easily bleed even when mildly brushed. This allows access for bacteria and other toxins to enter the bloodstream where they may eventually affect other organ systems. We’re now finding that conditions as varied as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis (which all share a common thread with inflammation) may be affected by gum disease — and vice-versa.

If you have any of these or similar conditions, it’s important for you to stay vigilant in maintaining healthy teeth and gums. It's necessary to brush and floss daily to remove plaque buildup as well as dental checkups at least twice a year. You should also keep a close eye out for early signs of gum disease, like bleeding, swollen or reddened gums. If so, call us for an appointment as soon as possible.

Keeping your teeth and gums disease-free and healthy could have a positive impact on your treatment for other health conditions. You’ll be doing your mouth and the rest of your health a favor.

If you would like more information on how periodontal (gum) disease affects the body, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Good Oral Health Leads to Better Health Overall.”

0 Comment(s) Permalink

Not all Crowns are Alike - or Cost the Same

By Drs Lawitts and Yeates

June 18, 2016

Category: Dental Procedures

Tags: crowns

All crowns are designed to restore functionality to a damaged tooth. But crowns can differ from one another in their appearance, in the material they’re made from, and how they blend with other teeth.

A crown is a metal or porcelain artifice that’s bonded permanently over a decayed or damaged tooth. Every crown process begins with preparation of the tooth so the crown will fit over it. Afterward, we make an impression of the prepared tooth digitally or with an elastic material that most often is sent to a dental laboratory to create the new crown.

It’s at this point where crown composition and design can diverge. Most of the first known crowns were made of metal (usually gold or silver), which is still a component in some crowns today. A few decades ago dental porcelain, a form of ceramic that could provide a tooth-like appearance, began to emerge as a crown material. The first types of porcelain could match a real tooth’s color or texture, but were brittle and didn’t hold up well to biting forces. Dentists developed a crown with a metal interior for strength and a fused outside layer of porcelain for appearance.

This hybrid became the crown design of choice up until the last decade. It is being overtaken, though, by all-ceramic crowns made with new forms of more durable porcelain, some strengthened with a material known as Lucite. Today, only about 40% of crowns installed annually are the metal-porcelain hybrid, while all-porcelain crowns are growing in popularity.

Of course, these newer porcelain crowns and the attention to the artistic detail they require are often more expensive than more traditional crowns. If you depend on dental insurance to help with your dental care costs, you may find your policy maximum benefit for these newer type crowns won’t cover the costs.

If you want the most affordable price and are satisfied primarily with restored function, a basic crown is still a viable choice. If, however, you would like a crown that does the most for your smile, you may want to consider one with newer, stronger porcelain and made with greater artistic detail by the dental technician. In either case, the crown you receive will restore lost function and provide some degree of improvement to the appearance of a damaged tooth.

If you would like more information on porcelain crown, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation.

0 Comment(s) Permalink

Be Sure Your Child has Access to Dental-Friendly Snacks at School

By Drs Lawitts and Yeates

June 10, 2016

Category: Oral Health

Tags: nutrition

BeSureYourChildhasAccesstoDental-FriendlySnacksatSchool

While you do all you can to provide your child healthy meals and snacks at home, they still face tempting choices for unhealthy fare when they’re away. Unfortunately, their school campus could be one of those places with food choices that raise their risk for dental disease.

Thankfully, that situation is beginning to change. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued regulations a few years ago tightening minimum health standards for snacks available on school grounds. Called the Smart Snacks in Schools initiative, it promotes whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products, while discouraging snacks with empty calories, fat, sugar and excessive salt. This is good news in particular for preventing tooth decay in children and teenagers.

Unfortunately, the initiative may not go far enough. There are a few “loopholes”: it allows for chocolate milk with added sugar as long as it’s fat-free; high schools can also sell beverages like sports and energy drinks, which are low in sugar but high in enamel-harming acid. So, although the general nutrition of snacks in schools may be improving, you should still remain alert to poor choices that may fall through the cracks.

For one thing, you can advocate for better nutrition policies in your child’s school. The USDA initiative is a minimum standard — schools can exceed them and eliminate borderline snacks allowed under the federal regulations.

You can also provide your child snack alternatives to the school vending machine. A little creativity and fun can go a long way: a dash of cinnamon or parmesan cheese on popcorn instead of butter; finger sandwiches made of real cheese on whole-grain bread (with some whimsical shaping with a cookie-cutter); or bite-sized fruits and vegetables like grapes, baby carrots or nuts. The more healthy (and enjoyable) snacks you can send with them, the less chance they’ll turn to a less nutritious choice in the vending machine.

A healthier approach to snacking depends on setting good examples, providing ample selections and accentuating the positive about healthy foods. Choosing nutritious foods, at home and away, is a key building block for healthy teeth and gums.

If you would like more information on nutrition and dental health, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Snacking at School.”

0 Comment(s) Permalink

That Small Mouth Sore is Likely Nothing - but Still Have it Checked

By Drs Lawitts and Yeates

June 02, 2016

Category: Oral Health

Tags: mouth sores

ThatSmallMouthSoreisLikelyNothing-butStillHaveitChecked

If you notice a small sore or a change in the appearance of the tissues inside your mouth, don’t panic. It’s likely a common, minor ailment that appears on a lot of skin surfaces (like the wrists or legs) besides the cheeks, gums, or tongue.

These small sores or lesions are called lichen planus, named so because their coloration and patterns (white, lacy lines) look a lot like lichen that grow on trees or rocks. They’re only similar in appearance to the algae or fungi growing in the forest — these are lesions thought to be a form of auto-immune disease. Although they can affect anyone, they’re more common in women than men and with middle-aged or older people.

Most people aren’t even aware they have the condition, although some can produce itching or mild discomfort. They’re often discovered during dental checkups, and although they’re usually benign, we’ll often consider a biopsy of them to make sure the lesion isn’t a symptom of something more serious.

There currently isn’t a cure for the condition, but it can be managed to reduce symptoms; for most people, the lesions will go away on their own. You may need to avoid spicy or acidic foods like citrus, tomatoes, hot peppers or caffeinated drinks that tend to worsen the symptoms. If chronic stress is a problem, finding ways to reduce it can also help alleviate symptoms as well as quitting tobacco and reducing your alcohol intake.

Our biggest concern is to first assure the lesion isn’t cancerous. Even after confirming it’s not, we still want to keep a close eye on the lesion, so regular monitoring is a good precaution. Just keep up with the basics — good oral hygiene and regular checkups — to ensure you have the most optimum oral health possible.

If you would like more information on lichen planus lesions, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Lichen Planus: Mouth Lesions that are Usually Benign.”

0 Comment(s) Permalink

	Dr. Karen Lawitts	Dr. Nancy Yeates
	Dr. Lawitts was born and raised in Syracuse, NY. She received her Bachelor of Science and D.D.S degree from Northwestern University in Chicago.	Dr. Nancy Yeates graduated from Canisius College with a B.A. in Biology. She then attended Georgetown University School of Dentistry.

Read more about Dr. Karen Lawitts and Dr. Nancy Yeates

Find Us

My Blog

Archive:

Tags

Categories:

Dentist Blog

Posts for: June, 2016

Quitting Smoking Decreases Your Risk of Implant Failure

Keeping Gum Disease at Bay Could Help Your Overall Health

Not all Crowns are Alike - or Cost the Same

Be Sure Your Child has Access to Dental-Friendly Snacks at School

That Small Mouth Sore is Likely Nothing - but Still Have it Checked

Meet the Doctor

Dr. Karen Lawitts

Dr. Nancy Yeates

Contact Us