Dental X-Rays: Are They Safe and Necessary? Gordon Dental Kansas City

Dental X-Rays: Are They Safe and Necessary?

"Do you have any questions for me today?" Each time you visit your dentist, you're likely to hear this familiar refrain. By asking, your dentist is able to address any concerns you may have about your teeth, a procedure, or just share information that helps you remain informed. Perhaps one of the more common question dentists and hygienists are asked surrounds the safety and necessity of X-rays. This is a great question - with answers that differ from patient to patient. So let's examine it a bit further. We believe you'll be surprised to learn just how safe today's X-rays are, and which audience asks this question even more so than patients.

X-ray Safety Is Always Being Tested

So, who asks this question more often than patients?  Would you believe, dentists? That's right. Together with the FDA (Food & Drug Administration), the American Dental Association (ADA) routinely asks this question, and revises its guidelines when advances in science and technology provide new methods to reduce exposure. In fact, the X-ray of today is far superior to those of even just a decade ago, thanks to faster film speeds, digital X-rays, and the use of protective aprons and thyroid collars.

Below are the general guidelines the ADA and FDA recommend for adults. It's important to remember that because all dental care is patient-specific, these guidelines are to be used as an adjunct to the professional opinion of your dentist. Only your dentist has knowledge of your health history and vulnerability to oral disease, and is in the best position to make such recommendations.

• New Patients:
  Full X-rays are generally suggested for new patients to provide your dentist with a full history of your prior oral care and current needs.
• Continuing Care Patient with, or at increased risk for cavities:
  One set of X-rays every 6-18 months.
• Continuing Care Patient with no clinical cavities and not at increased risk for cavities:
  One set of X-rays every 24-36 months.
• Continuing Care Patient with periodontal disease:
  Dependent upon the professional judgment of your dentist.
• New and Continuing Care Patients being monitored for dental/skeletal relationships:
  Dependent upon the professional judgement of your dentist.
• Patients with, but not limited to, proposed or existing implants and root canals:
  Dependent upon the professional judgement of your dentist.

Call 913-649-5017 or visit www.kcgordondental.com for more information

Dental Sealants: Gordon Dental Kansas City

Dental Sealants: What They Are and How They Work

Every dentist wants to ensure children’s teeth are as healthy as possible, and one of the first preventive measures they will usually recommend is dental sealants.  In fact, The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends placing dental sealants on the first and second set of permanent molars, which generally come in at 6 and 12 years of age. But what are dental sealants, how do they work, and why should you choose them for your child?

Dental sealants are hardened plastic shields, placed on the chewing, or occlusal, surface of molars and pre-molars, which seal the surface of the tooth. Sealants work by keeping food and other bacteria-causing material from getting trapped in the tooth and causing decay -- which can ultimately lead to cavities. In one study, kids who got sealant treatment had half the tooth decay of children who brushed regularly but didn’t get sealants. 

The cost for dental sealants is modest, roughly $30 to $40 per tooth, which is usually covered by dental insurance, and the sealants can last anywhere from 5 to 10 years. Dental sealants were first given approval by the ADA in 1976, and while in the past there had been questions about the use of sealants and if they can be used safely, a new study concludes that sealants are safe if dentists make sure to rinse or wipe away residue after treatment. The journal Pediatrics states that the benefits sealants provide in preventing cavities outweigh any possible risks.  

Sealants can help prevent food from getting into the places where a child might have difficulty brushing. Without a sealant, it is more likely that your child could develop a cavity in an otherwise unprotected tooth. Cavities require fillings, which run the risk of failure over time.  If you want to give your child’s molars the best protection against potential cavities, dental sealants are a great place to start. Ask your child’s dentist about the possibility of sealants for your child. 

Call 913-649-5017 to get an appointment at Gordon Dental

Or visit www.kcgordondental.com

Bad Breath / Halitosis Treatment: Gordon Dental Kansas City

Bad Breath / Halitosis Treatment

Bad breath, also called halitosis, can be an embarrassing problem. It is one of those things even your best friends won’t mention. So unfortunately, many people walk around with bad breath without even knowing it. Or if they do suspect it, they try temporary cover-ups, like breath mints or alcohol-based mouthwashes that dry out your mouth and increase your susceptibility to bad breath. What are some of the causes of bad breath?
There are many things that can cause bad breath, including the following:

• Diet
• Dry mouth caused by decreased flow of saliva, which is a vital part of removing odor-causing particles in the mouth
• Bacteria which produces Volatile Sulfuric Compounds (VSCs) which can smell like rotten eggs or sweaty socks
• Tobacco products
• Certain medical conditions which originate from nasal or throat area, lungs, digestive tract, etc

What can be done?
Maintaining proper oral health can help reduce or eliminate bad breath, but specific treatment to cure bad breath depends upon the cause.

• Tongue cleaning is the very most important aspect when treating 'genuine halitosis'. The tongue harbors bacteria that produce the VSCs mentioned above. When asked, most people say that the tongue has a light color - yet actually, a tongue has a dark rose color to it when cleaned properly. Although a toothbrush is most commonly used to clean the tongue, there are devices specifically designed for this purpose. These devices do a better job of getting to the back of the tongue without triggering the gag reflex as well as 'scrape' the tongue clean. To best achieve getting to the back of the tongue, a person should stick the tongue out as far as possible and hold their breath to minimize gagging.
• Mouth rinses are most often only effective for a short time in reducing malodors. Most often they only mask the odor and do not effectively deal with the VSCs that cause them. There are mouth rinses containing zinc and chlorine compounds that can significantly reduce the VSCs present in the mouth.
• Proper attention to home oral hygiene helps maintain the overall cleanliness of the mouth and slow the spread of small-causing bacteria
• Regular thorough professional cleaning appointments are also a great aid in treating halitosis.

call 913-649-5017 or visit www.kcgordondental.com for a Dental Appointment

7 Oral Health Concerns for Those Over 50: Gordon Dental Kansas City

7 Oral Health Concerns for Those Over 50

When they say “age is all in your head,” they’re probably right. But then, your teeth ARE in your head -- so you likely can’t escape having to pay a little more attention to them after 50. Although some oral health concerns are fairly common at that age, if you adopt a proactive mindset and educate yourself, these concerns do not have to be common for you. Anticipating and recognizing changes in your mouth can help you be on top of your health in this area -- so let’s take a look at the main ones you have to watch out for.

1. Dry Mouth: The most common oral health concern you’re likely to experience as you age is dry mouth. In the medical world, dry mouth goes by the name Xerostomia, and can be brought on by a number of contributing factors, including the over-consumption of drying beverages like coffee and alcohol, as well as the frequent consumption of salty foods. Another big offender is the medication we take over a lifetime to treat various illness. And the list isn’t a short one – there are at least 400 medications that can contribute to Xerostomia, including medications for high blood pressure and depression.
2. Ill-fitting Dentures: First off, it’s important to note that the need for dentures is not a must as we age. Today, healthier living and better access to dental care has reduced the percentage of seniors wearing dentures to 27% from nearly 50% just a few decades ago. That said, should dentures be a part of your life, or that of a loved one, wearing properly-fitting dentures is critical. Dentures that cause pain or shift in the mouth tend to alter a person’s eating habits, which can lead to nutrition deficits if healthy, but hard to chew, foods are avoided. Ill-fitting dentures can also cause thrush.
3. Physical Obstacles to Good Oral Care: As we age, we sometimes find ourselves having to contend with physical ailments that limit our desire to maintain good oral care. Arthritis, vision loss, or injuries are a few of the most common. To combat these concerns, using a floss pick to get between teeth can be helpful, and the regular use of oral rinses can assist in dislodging difficult to remove food debris, while adding to the overall health of one’s mouth and gum tissue. Here’s how to choose the best rinse for your needs!
4. Naturally Receding Gums: The old expression “long in the tooth” isn’t just a quaint idiom about how one accumulates wisdom with age – it also refers to how our teeth appear to “lengthen” as we age. In other words, it’s a fancy way of saying our gums are receding. While some degree of gum recession is normal, this predisposes us to cavities along the root structure of the tooth where enamel doesn’t exist. So, as one ages, flossing, brushing and rinses are more important than ever.
5. Gum Disease: Natural gum recession is one thing, and a part of “growing up,” if you will. Gum Disease, however, is preventable. Each of the above items in this list can contribute to gum disease, and good oral care can prevent it. Failing to do so can lead to a need for dentures at its most extreme, and pain and swollen gums at its least. We’d prefer you experienced neither concern!
6. Tooth Loss: If a tooth is lost due to trauma or decay, and not replaced with a dental implant or other prosthetic, it can have serious complications for the health of the jawbone. Teeth can shift out of place and fall out, and bone tissue can be resorbed back into the body. Not a good thing.
7. Loss of Insurance Coverage: Retirees without dental coverage can sometimes cover the expenses of dental care on their own; sometimes they cannot. But a lack of funds to take care of one’s teeth can be devastating to the health of our mouths, and our overall health. So we need to plan for two things: a care routine that allows us to take care of our teeth as much as humanly possible and some sort of financial backup plan for when problems do arise.

Call 913-649-5017 or visit www.kcgordondental.com for more information.

What Is Dry Socket? And, How You Can Avoid It? Gordon Dental Kansas City

What Is Dry Socket? And, How You Can Avoid It.

“Be sure not to use a straw while drinking anything over the next few days, okay?” Huh? What? Reading this, you might think this is the strangest bit of advice a dentist could ever offer. Don’t drink from a straw? But, why?  Because after a tooth extraction, drinking from a straw can lead to a painful, albeit temporary condition, termed “dry socket.” So, what is dry socket exactly, and other than staying away from your friendly fast-food soda fountain, what can you do to avoid it?

What Is Dry Socket?

Dry Socket arises either when a blood clot doesn't form at the site of a tooth extraction, or when it is accidentally removed because of certain factors that take place after surgery. The absence of the clot causes the nerves and bone in your mouth to be exposed to air and food, and can lead to severe pain and infection that can last up to a week.

But, I Thought Blood Clots Were Bad?

While it’s true some types of blood clots can dislodge and create a threat to one’s health, clots that form after extractions are essential to the healing process.

This is how they work:

When a tooth is extracted, blood vessels in the tissue surrounding the tooth are traumatized, causing bleeding at the extraction site. The body is, of course, equipped to stop the bleeding, and in doing so, three things happen:

1. First, the vessels constrict to reduce the volume of blood flowing through the area.
2. Then, within seconds, blood platelets begin to adhere to the interior surface of the blood vessel in order to form what is known as a platelet plug. Blood proteins stick to this plug and form an even stronger mesh-like layer called fibrin.
3. Lastly, the blood begins to coagulate around this mesh, thickening into a gel, forcing blood cells and platelets to remain in the wound and promote healing.

If you think of the process a painter uses to spackle a hole in the wall, you’ll have a pretty good visual representation of what happens when a clot forms!

How Can I Prevent Dry Socket?

Since the formation of a clot is one of the most important aspects of healing when it comes to tooth extraction, you’ll want to protect the integrity of the clot by helping it stay in place. Here’s how you can do it:

• Skip the straw: Using a straw creates a tremendous amount of negative pressure in your mouth (a vacuum of sorts), which can disrupt the integrity of the blood clot, and possibly cause it to become dislodged.
• Don’t swoosh too harshly: While a swirling vortex of water might help you dislodge food particles stuck between your teeth on a good day, doing so when you’re chaperoning a blood clot isn’t the best of ideas, so hold off on vigorous rinsing until your doctor says it’s okay.
• Don’t smoke:  smokers are more prone to a dry socket in general, so smoking after an extraction is a definite no-no.
• A few other baddies: Forceful spitting, and cleaning the teeth next to the extraction site can also be problematic.

As you can see, avoiding dry socket really isn’t that difficult. Understanding what a blood clot is, why you need it, and how not to disturb it is all you need for a healthy, happy, full recovery!

Call 913-649-5017 or visit www.kcgordondental.com for more information

Topical Application of Fluoride After a Cleaning

The topical application of Fluoride is a generally recommended treatment for maintaining gingival and tooth health for at-risk adults, and can be performed in a number of ways at your dental office.

Fluoride is an element that helps slow the progress of tooth decay by increasing the rate of enamel mineralization, and decreasing its demineralization. Mineralization refers to the process whereby essential minerals that support a hardened, healthy enamel, are resupplied to the tooth after loss caused by acid erosion. Acids from direct food consumption, and those created as a by-product of Streptococcus mutans feeding on carbohydrates in our mouths contribute to this erosion.

When the demineralization of teeth progresses without regular remineralization, the pores within the tooth enamel become larger, allowing more acids to penetrate the surface, and allowing further decay.  Topical fluoride treatments help arrest this decay cycle by proactively remineralizing the enamel.

Most of us have had a topical fluoride treatment at some point in our lives. Generally speaking, the process involves either the application of fluoride via a foam or gel that placed in a disposable tray and kept in the mouth for a specific period of time, or via a varnish applied directly to the teeth. While many of us have experienced fluoride treatments as children, after the age of eighteen, treatments can continue based upon a person's general oral health and the recommendations of a dentist. Adults continue to have fluoride treatments for this very reason.

Call 913-649-5017 for more information or visit www.kcgordondental.com

Tooth Extraction and Pulling a Tooth: Gordon Dental Kansas City, Overland Park, Leawood Kansas

Tooth Extraction

A tooth extraction may be recommended by your dentist for several reasons in order to maintain the overall health of your mouth.

Some of these reasons may be:

• A crowded mouth – Teeth may need to be extracted in order to prepare the mouth for braces or to make room for teeth that are trying to break through the gums.
• Infection – A tooth may need to be extracted if tooth decay has reached to the pulp, which is the center of the tooth that contains the nerves and blood vessels. Extraction will help prevent the further spread of tooth decay.
• Risk of infection – Finally, a tooth may need to be extracted if you have a low immune system from chemotherapy or an organ transplant. The risk of infection may be worth extracting the tooth in order to prevent it from spreading.

Your dentist will numb the area where your tooth is in order to lessen the discomfort from the extraction. You will need to rinse your mouth gently for several days after the extraction and apply ice to areas that are affected by swelling.