Tuesday, October 28, 2014

The Importance of Oral Hygiene – Dentist Sandy Springs

Good oral hygiene is important towards maintaining one's overall health.   It is generally appreciated within the dental and medical community that poor oral health can be linked to heart and lung disease, diabetes, stroke, extremely high-birth weight, and premature births. The presence of oral problems is usually the first warning sign of some of these general health issues.  This consensus among the various healthcare providers has risen to level that the U.S. Surgeon General has issued policy statements on oral health as a strong indicator of overall health and well-being (CDC, 2006).

Brushing and flossing have risen in importance as your key ‘between visits’ maintenance tools.  In addition, the use of the proper products for home care, such as an electric toothbrush, ADA approved toothpastes and washes are equally important.  Without consistent care, several general as well as oral health problems may result or be exacerbated.  For all ages, if your water is not fluoridated or the majority of your water consumption is through bottled water you should consult with your dental care provider about using supplemental fluoride.  In areas without fluoride in the water the rate of tooth decay and other health issues is much higher.

While practicing good oral hygiene is vital to your health, there is only so much that brushing and flossing can do.  Your average patient can easily overlook conditions that could greatly complicate or even end one's life.  So, visiting your dentist for regular checkups is a vital part of your overall health care.  "Routine dental exams uncover problems that can be easily treated in the early stages, when damage is minimal" (American Dental Association [ADA], 2008).  Since gum disease is acknowledged as a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and certain forms of cancer, regular visits to your dentist can help prevent and treat these potential diseases.  By treating conditions early and learning from your dentist how to prevent oral health issues, you can achieve better overall health and ultimately better the quality of your life.

Your dental care is so important to your general health care; you need to make sure you find a dentist that is right for you and your family.  This can be a difficult process.  Look for someone who’s competent and you feel comfortable with, one you can have a collaborative relationship with. This is important because there are conditions and problems that were not discussed in this article that the dentist will need to pay attention to during your regular checkups. Hopefully after reading this article, you will have a heightened understanding of the basic need for good oral health.  If you have additional questions or concerns feel free to contact us.

Dr. Scheinfeld is an Emory University School of Dentistry trained prosthodontist treating patients in the Sandy Springs, East Cobb, Dunwoody, Roswell, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Vinings and Buckhead areas of Metro Atlanta.  Of the 170,000 dentists in the U.S., less than 2% are prosthodontist.

Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC
290 Carpenter Drive, 200A
Atlanta (Sandy Springs), GA 30328
404-256-3620

Resource information provided by:

The American Dental Association http://www.ada.org/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2006, December). Oral Health for Adults. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Division of Oral Health. Retrieved February 6, 2009 from http://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/publications/factsheets/adult.htm
Oral health in America: Summary of the surgeon general's report. (2006, April 16). Retrieved February 7, 2009, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site: http://www.cdc.gov/Oralhealth/publications/factsheets/sgr2000_05.htm

Related articles

A Beautiful Smile “by a Prosthodontist” Is Priceless – Sandy Springs

Did you know that the shape, shade, length and spacing of your teeth could significantly affect your smile? And our smiles can greatly affect our self-esteem and confidence. Common conditions that impact negatively on your smile include broken, cracked or worn teeth, discolored teeth, missing teeth, crooked teeth, decayed teeth, gaps between your teeth and/or "gummy smiles." The good news is that with modern technology and improved materials, these situations can be dramatically changed to create natural looking and long-lasting beautiful smiles.

Each patient and each specific circumstance must be evaluated on its own merits. Factors such as occlusion [bite], oral habits, available space, health of the gum tissue, severity of the problem and patient expectation are taken into consideration when planning your cosmetic makeover.

Depending on your individual characteristics, there are a variety of choices that all result in excellent esthetic outcomes.  For whiter natural teeth, in-office or at-home bleaching [whitening] techniques are wonderful game changers when it comes to your self-esteem and confidence. Repairing teeth or closing spaces may be accomplished with tooth-colored composite resin bonding, porcelain veneers or porcelain crowns.

If you're not satisfied with your smile or want to learn if you're a good candidate for any of these remarkable techniques, call our Atlanta (Sandy Springs) office for a complimentary cosmetic consultation.

Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC                          
290 Carpenter Drive, 200A
Atlanta (Sandy Springs), GA 30328
(404) 256-3620
info@rightsmilecenter.com

Related articles

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Dr. Novy Scheinfeld, Emory University Trained Prosthodontist – Sandy Springs

It seems prevalent these days that most dentists are calling themselves cosmetic dentists, but there is no cosmetic specialty in dentistry.   In fact, all dentistry is or should be cosmetic.   I don’t know anyone who took the ‘ugly’ teeth class in dental school, because it wasn’t offered in the curriculum.  Regardless, the fact remains that the vast majority of dentist are general dentist, nothing more, nothing less.  They just decide to call themselves ‘cosmetic dentists’.   They all have undergraduate degrees and at least four years of dental school with either a DDS or a DMD as the result.  But not one of them has a ‘cosmetic specialty’ in dentistry.   Those dentists who choose to make the claim do so by virtue of deciding to focus on cosmetics in their general practices.   The American Dental Association (ADA) only has nine recognized post dental degree dental specialties and cosmetic dentistry is not one of them.  These specialties range in one to six years of advance training beyond dental school.  At the end of their post doctorate degree, these dentists receive additional certifications in their respective specialties, thus becoming experts within their field of dentistry.  These ADA specialties are:
Dental Public Heath, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Radiology and Surgery, Orthodontics, Endodontics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontics, and the least known, Prosthodontics.
Prosthodontics: (crown, bridge, and implants) According the Forbes Magazine, a prosthodontist is the rarest specialty in the field of dentistry.  A prosthodontist has a specialty license pertaining to the diagnosis, treatment planning, rehabilitation and maintenance of the oral function, comfort, appearance and health of patients with clinical conditions associated with missing or deficient teeth and/or oral and maxillofacial tissues using biocompatible substitutes. Most dentists they take short continuing education courses and utilize trial and error experience to be able to understand how size, shape, color and symmetry all work together to create what a prosthodontists is trained in their post graduate work.   On the other hand, the prosthodontist is trained at a university to create the smile that implements the use of veneers, crowns, bridges and the increasingly common procedure of dental implants to ensure that the right smile is achieved, both functionally and aesthetically beautiful.  If anyone has the right to claim a specialty in cosmetic dentistry, it would be the prosthodontist.  So when you are seriously looking for a cosmetic dentist, look for a prosthodontist.
Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC
Emory Trained Prosthodontist
290 Carpenter Drive, 200A
Atlanta (Sandy Springs), GA 30328
404-256-3620
www.rightsmilecenter.com

Related articles

Monday, October 13, 2014

Wisdom Teeth Removal – Dentist Sandy Springs

An oral surgeon or a general dentist can extract your wisdom tooth[1].  Ninety-nine percent of the time we refer out to one of our participating referrals.  The procedure can be done in the dentist’s office and most of the time that is the case.  However, it is possible that you could have the surgery in the hospital, if you are having all your wisdom teeth pulled.  If the latter is the case, you may be at a higher risk for complications.[2]   Patients with infections, their surgery will be delayed in order to avoid other health related complications.[3]  Wisdom teeth are usually the last teeth to erupt in your mouth and can cause crowding or food pockets which lead to undesired gum infections.   It is often recommended that people from the ages 17-25 will need to have this extraction, but we judge each patient on a case by case basis.  If your wisdom teeth are not causing any noticeable problems, then it may be difficult to determine whether to have them removed to prevent future problems.  It is quite possible that you may never have any problems.

As a part of the procedure, the tooth and the surrounding tissue are numbed with a local anesthetic prior to having the extraction.  Some people prefer to use nitrous oxide (otherwise known as “laughing gas”).  In some cases, there is the use of a mild sedation, where the patient is still conscious but truly unaware of the procedure.  It is even possible that you receive general anesthesia.  If you decide to use the nitrous or sedation dentistry then you will need someone drive you home from the procedure.  The recovery time is usually 12 to 24 hours of rest, but usually no more than 48 hours.
One of the more interesting or notable post procedure recommendations is not to use a straw to drink.  The sucking through the straw may dislodge the blood clot in the socket area and delay the healing process.

If you feel you are a candidate for wisdom teeth removal, or we can be of service, please feel free to contact us for a complimentary consultation.

Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC
290 Carpenter Drive, 200A
Atlanta (Sandy Springs), GA 30328
404-256-3620



[1] Also known as ‘third molars’.
[2] So in the oral surgeon’s judgment, the use of a hospital is for precautionary measures.
[3] There is empirical evidence of the link to periodontal disease and heart related issues.  Dental surgery may cause the periodontal bacteria in the mouth to enter the bloodstream and cause infections in other parts of your body.  Usually this can be cleared up by the prescription of antibiotics before and after surgery.