SDC Diva Update 2011

This is an update on one of SDC's 2011 Divas. Our Diva Barbara has made great progress. Barbara is a diabetic so we had to be careful with how we approached her treatment.We were concerned with how high Barbara's blood sugar levels were. We started by removing badly decayed teeth and treating her periodontal disease. We were concerned that we may not be able to do the implants to replace her missing teeth because her blood sugar levels were so high and we may have to do removable partials instead. We waited to get the okay from her MD. before proceeding .To our amazement Barbara's sugar levels dropped greatly since we treated the infections going on in her mouth. We were able to place the implants and are waiting on healing. We can't wait to see the finished results!

Professional Implant Maintenance

Professional Implant Maintenance can reduce the potential for ensuing attachment loss. The goal is to remove plaque and calculus from the clinical crown surface as well as the surface of tooth structure adjacent to the sulcus or pocket.

The recommended instrumentation technique to debride the artificial anatomy, however, is quite different from periodontal instrumentation. Instruments used to remove plaque and calculus are often made of plastic or titanium. The purpose of using these plastic or titanium materials is to prevent or reduce scratching of the abutment or the inplant surface, which may increase the potential for increased plaque retention. A probing depth of greater than 3 mm in a periodontal pocket may hinder the patient's ability to adequately clean the area. Therefore, frequent periodontal maintenance appointments may be needed to maintain periodontal health.

Periodontal Risk Assessment

Periodontal Risk Assessment is a necessary part of the periodontal paradigm. The American Academy of Periodontology, AAR) asserts that risk assessment should be a part of every comprehensive dental and periodontal examination. Risk assessment goes beyond identification of the existence of disease and severity, and considers factors that may influence future disease progression. These risk factors include:

*Cigarette smoking,

*Diabetes,

*Poor oral hygiene,

*Periodontal pockets,

*Vertical bone loss,

*Furcation involvement,

*Subgingival calculus

*Restorations with subgingival margins

The Link bewteen Oral Inflammation and Systemic Health

The role that oral inflammation plays as a pathway to the rest of the body is becoming much better understood, making the control and prevention of gingivitis and periodontitis a critical part of optimal patient care.

The oral cavity is the portal to the rest of the body. Within the past decade, an emerging body of evidence has linked oral infections, primarily chronic inflammatory periodontitis to systemic conditions including atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, Alzheimer's disease, kidney disease, bacterial pneumonia and obesity. All of these systemic issues may have an inflammatory, infectious, and/or bacterial component in common with periodontitis.

The dental hygienist plays an important role in the total systemic health treatment of patients with periodontal infections. A complete evaluation can assess the patient's risk of the future development, progression or recurrence of inflammatory periodontal diseases. This is especially important if the patient has one or more systemic risk factors, such as smoking, hyperglycemia, high cholesterol, or a familial history of hyperlipidemia. Genetic factors may play a significant role in 50% of patients with periodontal diseases.

Instead of merely treating the patient to stop the initiation of progression of periodontitis, today we want to control periodontal infection and inflammation that may affect other regions of the body. The focus of periodontal treatment is to attack the chronic inflammation. Essentially, periodontal disease should be treated as oral inflammation that must be controlled for better oral and overall health. Dealing with the inflammatory response to the bacteria is a main paradigm shift in the treatment of the periodontal patient.

Main Causes of Bad Breath

Bad Breath, Halitosis, is a common dental and social problem affecting millions of people worldwide. Many studies have shwn that bad breath does affect a person's self-esteem and can damage career prospects.

Bad breath is mainly caused by volatile sulphur compound (hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, dimethyl sulfide, and dimethyl disulfide) that are produced by the metabolism of a group of oral bacteria.

These bacteria habitat in:

* between teeth and gums

* dental cavities

* food traps

* defective dental fillings or crowns, bridges and dentures

Other causes of bad breath are:

* gum disease

* oral infection

* social habits, like smoking

* food intake

Oral Cancer Screening

The statistics tell the story~ 34,000 people a year are diagnosed with oral cancer, and 7,500 die from it. Just half of those diagnosed survive five years, according to the American Cancer Society.

A typical oral cancer is life-threatening, largely because it's detected too late. Many consumers are not aware of oral cancer, even though it causes twice as many deaths as cervical cancer.

The American Dental Association is urging peope to seek screening for oral cancer.

The cornerstone of oral-cancer detection isn't a device, it's a 5 minute exam that can be done during your regular dental checkup.

*Look and feel inside the lips and the front of the gums

*Tilt the head back to inspect and feel the roof of the mouth.

*Pull the cheeks out to see inside surfaces and back of the gums.

*Feel for lumps and enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, including under the lower jaw.

Every dentist should do this on every patient every 6 months. About 10% of the patients have spots that need further investigation, but most turn out to not be cancer.

Oral cancers are strongly linked to smoking. People who smoke and drink heavily are at the highest risk. Chewing tobacco also may increase the risks. But about 25% of those diagnosed wih oral cancer don't use tobacco.

NuCalm~ Relaxation during Dental Treatment

NuCalm is a revolutionary technology proven to naturally relax the body without drugs. The NuCalm system causes effective, safe anxiolysis where a deep relaxed state is induced and maintained for the entire experience.

The benefits of NuCalm for dental treatment include:

*Significantly reduces patient's motor responses:

-reduced salivary flow

-reduced gag reflex

-reduced white knuckling

-reduced jerking, or startled responses

-reduced muscle tension in the head and neck

*The anxious patient is manageable without being rendering chemically unconscious

*No narcotics or controlled substances are used

*The patient can come and go on their own with no recovery time or supervision required

*The patient's post treatment experience is a feeling of relaxation and rejuvenation