Oh, the dreaded, very important, Medical History Update form!

Medical History updates are critical to patient care. We know this is not a favorite task to do, so let’s discuss the importance of patients updating their medical history.  A lot can change in 12 months, and sometimes we don’t realize what has changed until we are asked to write it down. Vital information such as new medications, new medical diagnoses, pre-existing medical conditions, a change of name, address or phone number, change of primary care physician, and new emergency contacts, are all important to add to your medical history update.

Joint replacements can require medical clearance and an antibiotic before dental treatment. Certain medications, including prescription and over the counter medications can affect oral health. For example, if you take a blood thinner, it is important to let your dentist know as blood thinners can cause abnormal bleeding and reduce blood clotting. Medications such as painkillers, antihistamines, and blood pressure medication can cause dry mouth. A decrease of saliva in the mouth can cause the tissues to become irritated, increasing the chance of tooth decay and infection. Reporting a new medication or change in a medication is important to tell your dentist.

If you have a change in address or phone number, please update those on your form. We need a correct address to mail requested records to, and a correct phone number to reach you.

We like to make this easier for our patients by emailing a blank fillable PDF form that the patient can fill out and send back to us. Thank you again, for filling out your medical history forms!

Wisdom teeth are the molars in the very back of your mouth and are the last adult teeth to develop in the mouth. Most people have four wisdom teeth – two at the top and two at the bottom. If these teeth become trapped in your gums or jawbone, impacted wisdom teeth are the result.

Symptoms:

Sometimes impacted wisdom teeth don’t always cause symptoms. However, when the impacted teeth become infected, damage other teeth, or cause other problems, you may start developing symptoms such as:

• Red or swollen gums
• Jaw pain
• Difficulty opening your mouth
• Bad Breath
• Tender or bleeding gums
• Unpleasant taste in your mouth

Causes:

Impacted wisdom teeth could be dangerous because they can cause pain, damage to other teeth, and other dental problems. Wisdom teeth usually emerge between ages 17 and 25. In many cases, people have wisdom teeth that emerge without any problems and line up with the other teeth behind the second molars. However, if the mouth is too crowded for third molars to develop normally, these crowded third molars eventually can become impacted.
You can’t keep impacted teeth from occurring, but keeping regular dental appointments for cleaning and checkups here at Smile Sarasota enables Dr. Still to monitor the growth and emergence of your wisdom teeth.

So, if you have a dental emergency, and need emergency dental care near Sarasota, FL, call Smile Sarasota at (941) 957-3311.

Dental health is an essential aspect of overall health.

Self Esteem

Aging teeth can become stained, broken and missing leading to a less than attractive smile. If you are insecure about your teeth, you may be less willing to smile and show your teeth. Being insecure about your teeth often leads to a decrease in your self-esteem.

The Ability to Chew and Swallow

Chewing and swallowing can be difficult for older patients for many reasons such as tooth decay, side effects from medication or cancer treatment, weakness following a stroke, decreased saliva with age and other health conditions. Those challenges can increase choking risk, cause nutrient deficiencies and weight loss which can impact overall health and quality of life. Luckily, there are many nourishing foods that are naturally soft and can be easily incorporated into everyday eating.

Some ideas include: oatmeal, applesauce, bananas, berries, avocado, cottage cheese, yogurt, cooked beans, and eggs.

Pain

Untreated dental problems can lead to severe pain and discomfort. In many cases, the pain can be so intense that it can affect other parts of the body. There are several reasons why dental pain may occur. Some common causes of tooth pain are cavities, gum disease, and tooth decay. If left untreated, these conditions can lead to more severe problems such as abscesses and infections. It’s very important to seek treatment for dental issues as soon as possible to avoid complications. If you’re experiencing dental pain, it’s best to have a consultation at Dr Still’s office for professional advice and treatment options.

What is an Inlay?

An inlay is used when a cavity is too large for simple filling. The inlay is fabricated as a simple solid piece to fit the specific
shape and size of the cavity. The inlay is then cemented in place, otherwise, food and bacteria will re-enter the space, resulting in further decay.

3d render of teeth with dental onlay filling

What is an Onlay?

An onlay is more than just an inlay, but it not exactly a crown. This restoration is characterized by the fact that it covers the
cusp of the tooth and is fabricated as a single, solid piece. The cavity is still drilled from the tooth by the dentist, and an onlay
is fabricated to the exact size and shape of the space.

How long do Onlays and Inlays last?

Dental inlays or onlays usually last for many years with proper care. However, Inlays or onlays may not last as long in a
person’s mouth if they grind their teeth, develop cavities easily, and/or take certain medical conditions.

How do you make an Inlay or Onlay ?

Porcelain and composite inlays or onlays can now be made at our office with CAD/CAM technology and milling machines like the
CEREC. Dr. Still uses this same technology to make “same-day” dental crowns. The tooth is first prepared for restoration. Then, Dr. Still uses the CAD/CAM technology to design a model of the restoration. Finally, a restoration is milled out from a ceramic block and bonded to your tooth. All in the same visit!

To see if an inlay or onlay crown is right for you, Call Dr. Still at (941) 957-3311.

Most people experience some level of anxiety at some point in their lives. It can be brought on by a test in school you have coming up, anxiously waiting on an event, or even brought on from an upcoming doctor’s appointment.  However, when a person feels a disproportionate level of anxiety, it might become a medical disorder. Anxiety is defined as an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, having worried thoughts and physical changes that increase blood pressure. Daily stress and anxiety can manifest itself in teeth during the day, but mostly at night through clenching or grinding. Both ways can be very damaging to the teeth.

Symptoms of anxiety:

Anxiety can present itself differently from person to person. Some common symptoms include:

• Fatigue
• Lack of attention or concentration
• Increased heart rate
• A feeling of lightheadedness or dizziness
• Nervousness
• Impatience
• Insomnia

Which often lead to:

• Pain in the jaw or teeth
• Grinding the teeth when awake or asleep
• Clenching the teeth without knowing
• Holding the jaw forward or to the side in support
• Biting objects for extended periods of time or chewing due to bad habits

There are many ways to help manage anxiety, especially when it comes to the dental office. First, it is always important to let the doctor know if you are experiencing any levels of anxiety. This will help the dental staff accommodate your needs. If you were to delay, or just don’t go, you are putting yourself at higher risk of developing dental problems that could possibly make the future dental visits much worse. Seeing your dentist on a regular basis can prevent major dental issues from happening. Here are a couple strategies for your next visit to keep in mind if you are experiencing some anxiety:

Speak up: -Telling the doctor and staff up front what you are nervous about, will better help prepare the staff as well as making the best accommodations for your needs.
-Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Sometimes knowing and having a better understanding of what is going to happen helps to ease any unwanted feelings.

Distract yourself: -Taking your mind off the appointment when work is being done, might seem like an impossible task, however distracting yourself is also helpful.
-Wear headphones. The sound of your own music can not only help tone out the noise of the drilling but can also help you relax and concentrate on the lyrics and sound of the music playing.
-Occupy your hands. Bring something small to hold onto during the appointment like a stress ball to hold or play with.

Mindfulness techniques: Relaxing the mind is best during appointments
-Count your breaths. Inhale and exhale slowly, counting while doing so. This helps to relax and distract your mind.

Managing your dental anxiety will take several self-help techniques to better your experience in the dental chair. Talking to your dentist and explaining what makes you nervous and what works best for you as an individual will help better set up your future dental appointments with ease and relaxation. Your doctor will do a thorough review of your medical history along with any changes and new medications to make safe recommendations. Always remember to maintain regular dental visits, even if not in pain, to keep track of your oral health and help prevent any major dental issues from happening.

Healthy gums should be firm and pink. Receding and inflamed gums are a sign your gums are in the beginning stages of gum disease. Gum recession will occur when the gums pull away from the tooth and recede causing root exposure. Health care professionals refer to this process as gingival recession which can also be called periodontal disease. Unfortunately, gum recession is irreversible, however, there are many at home treatments patients can take to improve their oral health.

Common factors that cause gum recession:

Teeth grinding/clenching:

Many people who grind their teeth are not even aware they are doing so. The motion of grinding puts intense pressure on the gums which will cause them to recede over time. Teeth grinding can also lead to teeth becoming loose in their sockets. Loose sockets will allow for bacteria to become trapped causing inflammation that can make gum recession worse.

Aging:

Unfortunately, aging is inevitable, and the aging process can cause receding gum lines. Over time, the alveolar bone (the jawbone that houses the teeth) and the soft tissue (gums) of the mouth will experience damage due to repeated exposure to rough brushing, bacteria and acidic foods and drinks.

Injury:

Direct trauma to a specific area of the mouth can lead to gum recession. Such injuries include a fall, being hit in the face, very harsh brushing, or other such accidents to the face or mouth.

Forceful brushing:

This is a common mistake when it comes to daily brushing. The gingival margin, which is the area of the mouth where the gums contact the crown of the tooth, is where we tell patients to focus on the removal of bacteria from the mouth. However, brushing incorrectly or too hard can cause severe damage to the gums. Factors that can lead to gum recession include applying too hard of force, using a medium or hard bristled toothbrush, and brushing the teeth in a rough and horizontal motion.

Can gums grow back?

The simple answer to this question is, no. Gum cannot grow back naturally, however, further recession of gums is preventable, and when necessary, surgery can restore some gum tissue. The treatment for receding gums depends on what the underlying issue is which may or may not require surgery.

Proper Dental Care:

Examine your home dental care if recession is occurring. Some tips to consider are:
Changing your toothbrush regularly – make sure to use soft bristled and keep a gentle brush stroke.
New toothpaste – avoid abrasive toothpaste that can cause harm to the gums.
Maintain regular dental cleanings – see your dentist regularly for recommended preventative care.

Gum recession can be diagnosed at your regular scheduled visits at Smile Sarasota. Dr. Still and the hygienists keep records of your gums through yearly measurements. Proper dental care will keep you on track to maintaining a healthy and happy smile!

Protecting your teeth should be at the top of your priorities when it comes to your overall health. You might be surprised to learn that some common habits are putting your teeth at major risk. If you find yourself doing any of these habits, it’s time to change your ways for better oral health.

Teeth Grinding/ Clenching:

Teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, is a side-to-side movement of the teeth, whereas clenching is holding your teeth in one position against each other. Grinding or clenching your teeth during the day is generally caused by anxiety. Others grind/clench at night, not even knowing they are aware of it. Waking up with a headache or sore jaw muscles are possible signs of grinding. Grinding/clenching puts extra stress on the teeth and can wear down the outer layer of your teeth known as enamel. This can change the appearance of your teeth, causing sensitivity and if left untreated, fracture them.

Chewing Ice:

Chewing ice can seem completely innocent, but the seemingly harmless habit isn’t so harmless after all. Ice can be harder than your natural tooth structure, leading to chips or fractures. Extreme temperature change can lead to nerve inflammation causing temperature sensitivity. To break the ice-chewing habit, try cooling your liquids in the fridge or freezer or drink from a straw.

Opening Items with Your Teeth:

Bags of chips, packages and the always cringe worthy beer bottle top can always be the ultimate tooth breaker in dentistry. Your teeth are not tools! These bad habits will definitely lead to broken teeth. If the break is severe enough, start saving for implants as those are the next step to fixing the problem! Take the extra steps to find a bottle opener, scissors, or the proper tools to help you along the way.

Thumb Sucking:

Thumb sucking is considered normal until age 3. Around or after that time, this habit needs to be broken as soon as possible. If not stopped early in development, thumb sucking can lead to permanent changes in the teeth and jaw. Thumb sucking can cause the teeth to protrude too far forward on the top jaw (also known as overjet) or misalignment of the teeth causing an open bite (top and bottom teeth do not come together or bite in the correct position). Formation of the upper palate of the mouth can also be altered, which can lead to speech problems. Thumb sucking also allows for bad germs and bacteria in the mouth. If your child is currently or still thumb sucking, speak to your pediatrician or child’s dentist for the best approach to nipping it in the bud.

Constant Snacking:

You may want to rethink your habit if you’re constantly snacking or consuming sugar-based drinks throughout the day. Snacking allows for sugar to accumulate on your teeth. This habit puts you at higher risk for cavities. Cavity-causing bacteria loves to feast on leftover food particles, creating an acid that feeds on the enamel of teeth. Better strategy: aim for more balanced meals to help keep you fuller for longer. Focus on low-sugar and low-fat meals and snacks. Drink water after eating to help wash away the sugars if brushing isn’t possible at the time.

Brushing too Hard:

Believe it or not, there’s a right way and a wrong way to brush your teeth. Aggressive brushing can wear away the outer layer of your teeth called enamel and can also weaken your gums, providing less support to hold your teeth in place. To avoid harmful brushing, always use a soft-bristled toothbrush. Hard-bristled is way too damaging to all surfaces inside the mouth. The best and most ideal brush is an electric toothbrush. Electric brushes use soft-bristled removable heads, vibrate to help getting further into cracks and crevices between the teeth and are created with a built in two-minute time for full effective brushing time.

Wearing a Mouth Guard:

Wearing a mouth guard during physical contact sports is an absolute must! Not wearing one can lead to devastating tooth/teeth loss. Even wearing a mouth guard during practice is essential. Emphasize the importance to kids and teammates about the importance of sporting a mouth guard.

Nail Biting:

Yikes! Best to stop now! Nail biting can damage the roots and supportive gums holding your teeth in the bone. Here’s some tips on how to cut the habit:
-apply hand sanitizer or lotion to your fingers giving them a bad taste to help remind you not to bite your nails.
-wear thin gloves or a mask until the habit is broken.
-cut your nails short and keep them clean.
-occupy your hands; such as twiddling your thumbs or playing with a small object.

Smoking:

This comes as no surprise that smoking is an overall bad habit. Smoking can be very damaging to your gums and teeth. Smoking leads to bad breath, staining on your teeth, a weakened immune system (leads to increased risk of gum disease, and leads to increased risk of oral cancer).  Speak to your general physician and dentist about the best ways to break the habit of smoking.

Keeping up with good oral hygiene such as brushing, flossing, and seeing your dentist on a regular basis can help keep your teeth healthy for a lifetime. Bad habits can also impact long-term dental health. Make sure to keep up with your regular scheduled treatment and cleanings here at Smile Sarasota and we will help you keep a lovely smile for years to come.

Case Presentation

Patient info: Female, mid 70’s, non-smoker and no history of dental disease.

Chief Complaint: Fix and lighten look of her teeth.

Expectation of dental treatment: Patient wanted the cosmetic appearance of her teeth changed without having to commit to orthodontic treatment. 

Clinical Examination: The patient’s cosmetic desires were discussed. The patient wanted to straighten her teeth as much as possible and wanted to make them lighter in color. The patient stated she was not willing to go through orthodontic treatment due to her age and the long-term commitment involved. Tooth shade options were reviewed with the patient to select her desired color. 

Top View:

Impressions of both the upper and lower arch were taken to make a wax up. A wax up is a dental diagnostic procedure in which planned restorations are developed in wax, on a cast, to determine the optimal clinical and laboratory procedures necessary and capable to achieve the desired esthetics and function. The patient would like to restore her upper and lower front teeth. 

Treatment plan with options: The wax up was reviewed with patient and the patient was very happy with the aesthetics. The patient was advised that not all of the lower crowding would be able to be fixed without orthodontic treatment. 

Front View:

The patient was incredibly pleased with the entire case as completed. Most of the tooth crowding has been fixed and the patient was very pleased with color and shape of crowns. The patient was advised to protect these teeth, a custom bite guard should be made to protect the crowns.

Brushing your teeth everyday is the simplest way to keep your mouth feeling clean, not to mention your whole body too! Brushing your teeth is something that comes natural to you; however, you might be surprised at some common misconceptions on how to properly brush. Some patients may have been taught incorrectly at a younger age or could have developed incorrect habits over the years. Whatever the case may be, making sure how to properly brush your teeth is incredibly important.

Here are some proper steps to keep in mind when brushing

• Using the correct toothbrush:
  Soft-bristled toothbrushes are always going to be the safest choice. Vigorously brushing your teeth too hard with a medium and hard bristled toothbrush could severely damage the gums, root surface and the protective enamel.
• Making sure to brush twice daily:
  Brushing twice a day OR after every meal is incredibly essential for maintaining good oral health. If food sits on the tooth, it forms into plaque, and if left long enough over time, tarter will form which is very difficult to remove without the help of a hygienist.
• Replacing old toothbrushes through the year:
  Regularly used toothbrushes don’t stay great for long. Generally, a toothbrush will need to be thrown out a couple months after using. Keep an eye on your brush for torn or frayed bristles. That’s your sign to get a new brush!
• Choose the right toothpaste:
  Fluorinated toothpaste is the best option for your teeth. Fluoride removes plaque and helps to strengthen the tooth enamel. There are plenty of makes, models, and sizes on the market. Choose the best option to fit your lifestyle.
• Applying the correct technique:
  When ready to brush, instead of brushing your teeth side to side, concentrate on making small round circles. Keep your brush at a 45-degree angle while brushing. Move the brush around without forgetting to also brush the gumline where plaque hides out. Remember to be gentle!
• Time spent brushing:
  Brushing too fast is the most common mistake made in technique. When brushing, work your way around your mouth. We like to tell our patients to break your mouth up into four sections (upper right, upper left, lower right, and lower left) spending 30 seconds in each section. Two minutes total brushing time is recommended.
• Don’t forget to floss:
  Flossing is just as important as brushing, so it is best to not leave it out of the process. Small pieces of food have the possibility of being left behind, and flossing is the only way to remove it.

The best place to start is here a Smile Sarasota! You will be scheduled with one of our licensed registered hygienists who can help guide you in the path to proper oral health. Call the office to schedule and appointment and get your teeth shining bright!

Here at Smile Sarasota, we are often asked by patients if they can have all their dental treatment done under one roof. We are, of course, happy to see our patients for general routine exams, cleanings, and restorative dental treatment such as fillings or crowns. However, sometimes our smiles need more than your general standard care. There are several types of dental specialists Smile Sarasota refers to, each with a different role to treat your specific dental needs.

Endodontist: Root Canal Specialist

Endodontists are dentists who specialize in tooth pain, disease, and infection. If the tooth’s pulp becomes infected or the interior of your tooth becomes damaged or diseased, your general dentist will refer you to an endodontist for a root canal. Inside our teeth, there are canals that contain sensitive pulp, blood vessels and nerves. When infected, the endodontist will remove the damaged/infected nerve, seal the canals, and send you back to your general dentist to have a crown placed onto the tooth. The tooth will be good as new from that point on! Endodontists attend 4 years of undergraduate education, 4 years of dental school, and complete 2-3 years of a post-graduate residency program. They then take an exam to become certified by the American Board of Endodontics.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon: O.S.

This specialty treats problems related to the hard and soft tissue of your face, mouth, and jaw. Oral surgeons handle procedures such as tooth extractions, dental implants, orthognathic surgery (corrective jaw surgery), treat facial trauma, alleviate problems associated with TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint), remove complex tumors (Oncologic surgery) and facial reconstructive surgery. Oral surgeons attend 4 years of undergraduate education, 4 years of dental school, and then complete 4-6 years in a hospital-based residency program. Oral surgeons then take an exam to become certified by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Periodontist: Gum Specialist

Known as “The gum disease experts of dentistry”, a periodontist is a dentist that specializes in the focus of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the gums, the structure that supports the teeth. Periodontists diagnose and treat the many stages of gum disease. Their main goal is to catch periodontal disease before it gets out of hand. They perform surgeries ranging from minor surgeries like gum grafts and pocket reduction procedures to major surgeries such as resolving severe gum disease. They also perform cosmetic surgeries such as crown lengthening that can improve the appearance of your smile. Periodontists attend 4 years of undergraduate education, 4 years dental school, and then complete 3 years in a residency program. They then take an exam to become certified by the American Board of Periodontology.

At Smile Sarasota, we refer our patients to the absolute best specialists in town! Our dental specialists will communicate with Dr. Still along the way to ensure your dental treatment is seamless. Our patients are always incredibly pleased with the work completed by our specialists. Working together on all different levels of dental care offers the best outcome for beautiful smiles.

“Is seeing the doctor and getting x-rays really necessary just to get my teeth cleaned?”, is a common question asked when new patients call to schedule an appointment here at Smile Sarasota. Most patients are generally looking to have a cleaning appointment with one of our hygienists hoping to bypass the x-rays and exam. The initial exam with the doctor allows us to carefully examine your medical and dental history to better help us put you on the correct route of dental treatment.

According to the ADA – American Dental Association,

“The accurate health/dental history may provide important and valuable information for the dentist prior to the beginning treatment. All dentists should take health histories initially and update the same periodically as necessary. A health history form can address:

-Health conditions or illnesses that may affect or be affected by dental treatment.

-Medications that a patient is currently taking that will have a potential drug interaction with the local anesthetic or other drugs the dentist may prescribe that may affect dental treatment or a patient’s other health condition(s); and

-Reason a patient is seeking care.”

Our new patient exams are jam packed with valuable information to better assess your health care needs. The doctor will have a full mouth set of current x-rays, check for any TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint) dysfunctions/clicking in your jaw, perform an oral cancer screening exam and carefully perio probe (an instrument used to establish the state of health of the periodontium/gums). At that point, Dr. Still will recommend the correct course of treatment for a healthy dental future.

If you are new to the Sarasota area or consider yourself a “snowbird” looking for a southern dentist during your winter stay in Florida, contact us here at Smile Sarasota. We will get you on track for a happy and healthy smiling future.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary ‘middle age’ is defined as between about 45 and 65. The median age in Sarasota is 47, which is actually lower than past demographic studies, but as we know, much of our population leans more toward retirement-aged residents. About 30% of the people in Sarasota County are at least 65 years old, making up the largest age group. This is the demographic where Smile Sarasota sees the most dental problems cropping up. And research suggests that middle-aged people who have lost two or more teeth in the recent past could be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease.

Here are some of the findings:

• Studies have shown that dental health problems, such as periodontal disease and tooth loss, are related to inflammation, diabetes, smoking and consuming less healthy diets.
• In addition, dental health issues are associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Tooth loss in middle age is likely related to inflammation.
• Among adults with 25 to 32 natural teeth at the beginning of the study, those who lost two or more teeth during follow-up had a 23 percent increased risk of coronary heart disease compared with those who didn’t lose any teeth. This was true after adjusting for diet quality, physical activity, body weight, hypertension and other cardiovascular risk factors.
• People with fewer teeth were also more likely to have diabetes, with the risk increasing 11 percent for every significant decrease in the number of teeth, the investigators found.
• Being a current or former smoker was also linked to tooth loss, according to the study at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology (ACC), in San Francisco in March of 2019.
• For every decrease in the number of teeth, there was an increase in the levels of a harmful enzyme that promotes inflammation and hardening of the arteries.
• The study authors also noted that along with fewer teeth came increases in other heart disease risk markers, including “bad” LDL cholesterol levels and higher blood sugar, blood pressure and waist size.

This is a challenging issue for us. Smile Sarasota is constantly educating our patients about practicing good home care and coming to see us regularly so that tooth loss can hopefully be prevented. The leading cause of tooth loss is gum disease. This is why we are always nagging our patients about proper brushing, flossing and if needed, being treated for periodontal disease no matter what your age is. It all comes down to not just treating your teeth…we believe in whole body health and the study outlined here is a perfect illustration of why we care! Periodontal disease can be  treated. Lost teeth can be replaced with implants. But the best answer is to prevent tooth loss and we are here to help you keep healthy teeth and gums for life…and it seems that this can prevent heart disease as well. If you are overdue for your dental checkup, call Smile Sarasota now!

Sources and Credits: Reuters Health, American Heart Association/Epidemiology and Prevention, HealthDay News, WebMD

water flosser

In a recent Smile Sarasota Blog, we discussed cleaning between your teeth using a jet of water vs. string dental floss. In this discussion, we will compare floss vs. water vs. AIR! Yes…Air!

If you compare air flossing vs. water flossing, you’ll find that both of these tools are flossers and both clean around and between teeth and prevent gum disease, but they are different in their methods. Water flossers such as the Water Pik and Sonicare AirFloss are two popular models of electric flossing tools used to promote healthy oral and dental hygiene. The WaterPik and other water flossers use a stream of water. Air flossers use a stream of air, and small ‘micro droplets’ of water. While the air flossers do use some droplets of water, most of the power is from small, bursts of air, while the water flossers use a continuous stream of water. Surprisingly, air flossers use just one teaspoon of water! While both types of flossers are liked by patients, each has advantages and disadvantages. So what are the differences and which one is better?

Air Flosser Advantages

• Less Mess – Some patients like the air flosser because it’s less messy than water flossers, which can leak and spray water all over the place if not held correctly or not properly fitted.
• Extremely Easy to Use – While water flossers aren’t hard to use, air flosers are very simple. The tip of the air flosser is designed with a guide that directs you along to the spaced between your teeth. Then you just click for the blast of air to do its work and remove the plaque and can clean your whole mouth in just half a minute.
• No Tubing – For patients who don’t like the water flossers water hose, the air flosser has no tube or hose.
• It’s Cordless! Like so many products these days, the air flosser is cordless and uses rechargeable batteries, which can be a huge benefit for those who want a portable system.
• It Takes Up Less Space. The air flosser is about the size of an electric toothbrush and can easily be stored and it takes up a lot less space on bathroom bathroom vanity than the water flossers.

Water Flosser Advantages

According to Life Health HQ, the Advantages of the WaterPik include:

• Extra Tips For Family Members – The WaterPik version of the water flosser comes with various colored tips which can be attached and detached, allowing the whole family to have their own tip so everyone can use the WaterPik . The air flosser is intended for a single user.
• Dislodges More Food Particles – Many users have noted that the water flosser dislodges more large food particles than the AirFloss.
• Less Expensive. Since air flossers are newer products, water flossers tend to be much less expensive (water flossers go for between $40-$80 while air flossers are generally +$100)
• More Effective. Studies have shown water flossers to be more effective at removing plaque (details below).

So which one is better?

Both the water and air flossers are great tools for promoting healthy gums. But which is the best choice? In a study published in 2012 in the Journal of Clinical Dentistry, clinicians found that that the water flosser reduced significantly more plaque from tooth surfaces than the air flosser. The study was conducted over a four week period, comparing two groups who used either a Sonicare AirFloss or a WaterPik, in addition to regular brushing. The study found that:

• The water flosser was 80% more effective for gingivitis reduction than air floss.
• The water flosser was 70% more effective for plaque reduction.
• The water flosser was 2X as effective for plaque removal from lingual surfaces and 3X as effective at the gingival margin than air floss.
• The findings show the WaterPik removes more plaque than the AirFloss.

So which flosser should you choose?

The studies we have at the moment indicate that the water flosser is the better option, but ultimately, the best flossing tool will be the one you will actually use on a daily basis. That has always been the issue with normal string flossing. Many patients wonder if an air flosser or water flosser can replace manual string flossing. Regular string flossing is still valued by most dentists and dental hygienists and ideally should be performed even when using an air flosser or water flosser. String floss physically scrapes the tooth to remove plaque, and no other technology can quite beat that scraping motion. However,  patients with braces or fixed bridges probably prefer a water flosser or air flosser since those tools will help dislodge particles that string floss cannot easily reach. It’s also important to remember that water and air flossers are great for preventing gum disease by cleaning gum pockets that floss doesn’t reach. They definitely serve a need specifically for gum health that traditional floss does not fulfill. Always fee free to ask questions when you come in to Smile Sarasota for your visits with Claire, Ann or Dr. Still and they can help you decide which choice is right for you!

Sources and Credits: , WaterPik, Phillips Sonicare, American Dental Association, Self.com, Mouthhealthy.org, Verywellhealth.com

In Part I of our Smile Sarasota Blog on this topic, we discussed that it can be difficult to tell when you have oral health problems – not everything hurts. Smile Sarasota knows you want to be healthy in every way and your mouth will eventually ‘talk back to you’ if you aren’t paying attention! Your teeth may not be as healthy as you think they are. Part II talks about things to pay attention to rather than ignore.

• Are your teeth getting darker? – Sometimes dental problems can be seen rather than felt. When one tooth starts to look darker than the surrounding teeth, it could indicate a problem with the nerve inside the tooth. If a tooth is struck, often a sports injury, the nerve inside the tooth cannot sustain the trauma and often occurs in front teeth. If you see one tooth darkening, you should definitely consult Dr. Still…even if there is no discomfort. If you don’t pay attention to this, it can result in the loss of the tooth.
• Do you have mouth pain that lingers? If your teeth are healthy, you should not have discomfort when brushing, flossing, or chewing. Pain when biting or chewing can indicate you’ve sustained a temporary tooth injury or more serious damage. Sometimes you can have a ‘bruised tooth.’ For example, if you bite into something hard unexpectedly, the tooth can become tender for a few days. Like any bruise in your body, usually this eventually heals. Any tooth pain that does not go away after a week could be a sign of a serious issue, such as a cracked tooth, which might require further care.
• Are your teeth sensitive to hot and cold? Sensitivity to hot or cold foods and beverages can be a sign that a cavity is brewing in your teeth. Healthy teeth usually aren’t too sensitive to extreme temperatures, but ailing teeth might hurt or ache after you take a sip of a hot drink or enjoy a bowl of ice cream. Often, the length of time the teeth hurt are an indication of how severe the problem may be. Do not be alarmed if it hurts just for a second – this is common because sometimes cold drinks tend to trigger a bit of sensitivity for just a brief second. You know you may be having a problem if the sensitivity to cold or hot lasts longer and longer. Talk to Dr. Still about any sensitivity you might be experiencing.
• You notice you have a tense jaw when you wake up – If you frequently wake up with a sore jaw or a slight headache, jaw clenching or tooth grinding might be the culprit. Many people grind their teeth at night or clench their jaw during stressful moments. Tooth grinding or clenching can cause teeth to become sensitive to hot, cold, or even just pressure. Often patients are very aware that they have this problem because they catch themselves clenching or grinding during stressful situations. Sometimes grinding or clenching can translate into temporomandibular joint dysfunction or TMJ. This condition can have lasting consequences for your jaw.
• Your teeth seem to be getting longer or bigger – Teeth can sometimes appear to grow longer or wider and this is often a sign of gum disease or damage. Your gums may be gradually receding due to gum disease, but as this is a progressive disease, you might not notice at first. As your tooth roots become more exposed, you not only get that ‘long in the tooth’ look but start to feel sensitivity and pain. Another culprit is toothbrush abrasion. Heavy-handed use of a hard toothbrush can cause the gums to recede over time.

Call Smile Sarasota today if you have any of the issues discussed here and we will do our best to help you have healthy teeth and gums for life!

Sources and Credits: modernmindandbody.com, webmd, everydayhealth.com

Recently, Dr. Adam Still was interviewed by SNN’s Nancy O’Neil on her show Aging Gracefully on Suncoast FYI. This topic of this interview is Preventative dentistry and we know you will find it informative!

‘Preventative dentistry’ is defined as measures that dental professionals take to prevent the development or progression of dental disease. The key is that you want to catch something early before it progresses into something far more difficult to treat and therefore more expensive to treat. We have a saying that “dentistry isn’t anywhere near as expensive as negligence is”. It means you want to take care of things early and not get into a situation where you have a major issue going on. There is another old dental saying that says “only floss the teeth you want to keep“.

What preventative measures can we as individuals take? From the patient’s perspective it really comes down to home care. It’s all about making sure you are brushing and flossing with the proper technique, the proper duration and also making sure that you are being productive and that you’re doing it correctly rather than doing it the wrong way. You have to make sure you get all the bacteria out. That’s the key to all of this… To make sure you’re removing all the bacteria before you let the disease process take over your teeth and gums. So what is brushing ‘properly’? The key is a two-minute tooth brushing. We really recommend electric/ultrasonic toothbrushing. For the most part the reason is because they have a timer on them to let you know how long two minutes really is. We tend to spend only about 30 seconds and think we’re done, but it’s nice to actually have that running clock to let you know. Also, make sure you are flossing in a way that the floss fully reaches all the surfaces between your teeth. Just doing home care isn’t good enough – you have to make sure you are doing it correctly. It’s good to have a dentist or dental hygienist to advise you how to go about that.

What do we typically see when somebody comes in who needs treatment? There are quite a few things. The most obvious is tooth decay. When a tooth first starts to decay, the very first part of that process is that the minerals are pulled out of the outer surface, the enamel. When the minerals are pulled out, that leaves room for the bacteria to take over and start actually eating into the tooth. If we catch it in that early phase where it’s just de-mineralizing, we can add minerals back into the tooth and reverse the process. If we don’t catch it that fast and it starts eating into the tooth, the next step would be to do a filling. So we remove the decay, fill the cavity and we should be done. But in a case where the decay is more extreme and even further into the tooth, towards the center of the nerve and the blood supply the tooth now has become infected, it now involves a root canal and then restorative work on top of that. So you can see that this progresses from something very easy to fix to something that is difficult to fix.

Another example of that would be cracks, which is a similar process where you get a little stress fracture on the side of the tooth. If it’s not caught early enough, it turns into a deeper crack which will eventually cause the tooth to fracture. Sometimes it’s just a piece of the tooth and other times it will crack all the way through and the tooth may not be salvageable at that point. Or it may just crack into the nerve canal and you’re back into a similar situation with the need for a root canal and more restorative treatment.

One of the real big issues is gum disease and the challenge with that as a patient, is you don’t necessarily feel it. It is very common. What happens with gum disease is the bacteria will collect along the gumline and if it’s not caught early enough, it will get underneath the gums. Then it starts causing the tissue to detach off the root and you start losing bone. If we catch that in time, it’s just a matter of removing the bacteria before it’s done any damage. But once it’s done the damage, it can involve surgical intervention. Again, another case if we catch it early enough, it’s easy to treat. Nobody wants to go to surgical road unless they absolutely have to.

The hard part about preventive dentistry is we’re treating the patient before they are aware of problems coming on. When you’re doing that you’re forced to educate someone. You have to go through the process, take photos to demonstrate what’s going on so the patient can see the process developing and then they can make an educated decision about how they want to handle it. We’re talking about proactive dentistry versus reactive dentistry. With proactive dentistry we’re heading things off before they get there. With reactive dentistry, we are waiting until the tooth cracks or the patient is in pain and that’s almost easier dentistry to do because the patient can feel it or see it themselves. They are coming in and saying “tell me what can I do about this”. With preventative dentistry we take that extra time to walk them through the process. With reactive dentistry, you don’t feel as good about because you know you could’ve headed it off. Smile Sarasota is all about preventative dentistry – we don’t want to see you in pain or in an emergency situation that could have been prevented. This is way we recommend coming in for your checkups and cleanings at least two or three times per years. Early intervention is so important because losing teeth has a lot of implications on a person’s overall well-being that continues throughout their life.

Call Smile Sarasota today and learn how to keep healthy teeth and gums for life!

Many thanks to SNN and Nancy O’Neil!

You know the signs. The tingling starts and then the burning. We are not talking about falling in love! Oh no! It’s a cold sore on your lip. Also known as fever blisters, they are uncomfortable and they can really ruin your smile…and you can forget about being kissed! When you feel one coming on, you want to get rid of it ASAP.

Studies tell us that 90% of Americans will suffer from at least one cold sore in their lifetime. Cold sores are painful, unsightly and infectious. Unfortunately, cold sores are a fact of life for many. While those who suffer multiple and chronic outbreaks will need to come in and see Dr. Still, we have found some at-home treatments that may decrease healing time. They may not eliminate cold sores completely, but these methods can make an outbreak much more comfortable and dramatically decrease healing time.

• Pure vanilla extract has anti-inflammatory properties that can aid in the healing of a cold sore. When you feel a cold sore coming on, soak a cotton ball in vanilla extract. Then, hold the cotton ball to the area of concern for two minutes four times a day until the cold sore disappears.
• Wear a lip product with SPF – Direct sunlight can trigger an outbreak of cold sores, so make sure you’re always wearing sunscreen for your skin and lips and keep in it your purse, desk or pocket.
• Use a Topical L-Lysine Product – This is an amino acid that can be taken orally or applied directly to the skin in order to decrease the occurrence, control the severity and accelerate the healing process of cold sores.
• Propolis, also known as synthetic beeswax, is available as a 3% ointment. When applied early and often, it may shorten the duration of the breakout.
• Rhubarb and sage – A cream combining rhubarb and sage may be about as effective as acyclovir (Zovirax) cream.
• Try to reduce stress – If your cold sores are triggered by stress, you might want to try relaxation techniques, such as deep-breathing exercises and meditation.
• Ice the cold sore with an ice pack or ice cube – We know that ice controls pain and inflammation, especially when dealing with sports injuries. However, the age-old technique can also be effective for cold sore relief. The cold works to slow down blood flow to the cold sore area, therefore reducing pain and swelling.
• Replace your toothbrush – Toothbrushes can retain traces of the virus that causes cold sores. This means that if you don’t replace your toothbrush after a cold sore pops up, your current cold sore will likely last longer and you are at risk of more frequent outbreaks in the future. For that reason, Smile Sarasota recommends the Philips Sonicare Ultrasonic Toothbrush thanks to its easy-to-change heads. As an added benefit, the electric toothbrush removes up to two times more plaque than a manual version.

Cold sores generally clear up without treatment in two to four weeks. If yours does not, Dr. Still can recommend several types of prescription antiviral drugs may speed the healing process. These medications include: Acyclovir (Xerese, Zovirax), Valacyclovir (Valtrex), Famciclovir (Famvir) Penciclovir (Denavir). Some of these products are packaged as pills to be swallowed and others are creams to be applied to the sores several times a day. In general, the pills work better than the creams.

If you have any questions about cold sores or any other oral discomfort, call Smile Sarasota and we will always be glad to help! We want your smile to be beautiful and…kissable!

Sources and Credits: Mayo Clinic, Webmd

Dr. Still’s goal for our patients at Smile Sarasota is healthy teeth and gums for life. And we also like to keep you informed about the best ways to stay healthy and not just your teeth and gums, but your whole body. So here’s a wake-up call. There are some really icky facts that you need to know and we’re sorry if we gross you out, but some things just need to be said!

• Ninety percent of bad breath comes from bacteria living on the tongue. So don’t forget to clean your tongue next time you’re brushing your teeth.
• You will produce approximately 20,000 liters (5,283 gallons) of saliva in your lifetime. Probably more if you drool in your sleep.
• It’s pretty easy for an infectious pathogen to transfer to your mouth when you’re simply handling everyday household items and then touching your lips. Everything you can physically touch is basically covered in disease.
• Look around you. If you see 10 people, one of them might use their own hair to floss (7% of Americans do this, apparently). A pack of floss costs, like, what? $3, tops?
• At any given time, 10–50 billion bacteria are in your mouth. That’s about up to seven times Earth’s population..
• If you kiss your sweetie for 10 seconds, you’re exchanging up to 80 million bacteria. That’s why dental hygiene should super important!
• When you flush the toilet, (Warning: you may not want to watch the linked video!) it can create an aerosol plume that shoots waste into the air up to 15 feet. In other words, move your toothbrush or cover it…but wait:
• Toothbrush holders get so gross that scientists have literally found a new kind of bacterium related to E. coli inside them. Maybe throw that bad boy in the dishwasher regularly.

Your mouth is basically designed to be disgusting, and brushing alone won’t solve it. While your toothbrush only reaches 25%, you need to floss, scrape your tongue. And be sure come in regularly for your checkups at Smile Sarasota!

Sources and Credits:  Listerine.com, Webmd

If you are having major restorative dentistry at Smile Sarasota such as multiple crowns or are having implants, oral surgery or periodontal surgery in conjunction with restorative dentistry, it’s a good idea to give your teeth a bit of a break while you are healing. For this reason, cold soups, smoothies, jello/puddings, and cold drinks should be your main dietary intake. You will receive detailed instructions directly from the Oral Surgeon or the Periodontal Surgeon, so be sure to follow them! The good news it that this healing period is temporary!

After undergoing dental surgery or during major dental restoration, some of our Smile Sarasota patients may find it difficult to eat or enjoy their food during the healing period. This reluctance to sit down at meal times, plus an inability to consume normal, solid food, is especially true after dental surgery such as extractions and implants. It’s not difficult to see why: too much chewing, slurping or sucking can aggravate the treated area, resulting in discomfort and even pain. It also can potentially re-open the area, causing bleeding or infection that will delay healing or cause problems with the surgery if the area is disturbed too much. However, despite any fears or lack of appetite, it’s vital that you continue to eat, as nutrients provide energy and facilitate your healing process on the road to recovery.

Many patients ask Dr. Still, “What types of food are best?” “What sort of foods should be avoided?” In general, the rule of thumb is: no spicy foods, chips, popcorn, sticky food or candy, acidic juices, or carbonated drinks. But on a positive note, we thought it would be helpful to provide a series of menu suggestions that are tasty and nutritious!

Here are some ideas about what to eat to help you get through this healing period:

Vegetables:

• Soups (smooth rather than chunky) – virtually any combination of vegetables can be made into a soup, or buy ready made ones!
• Mashed avocado/guacamole
• Fresh spinach, kale or other greens, cooked very soft
• Sweet potatoes, baked until very soft
• Soft-cooked or mashed carrots, squash, pumpkin
• Cauliflower and broccoli, cooked very soft
• Vegetable curry, cooked very soft (serve with boiled rice)
• Vegetable juice (such as tomato juice)

Fruits:

• Fruit juice
• Fruit smoothies
• Mashed bananas
• Baked apples
• Baked bananas
• Applesauce

Meat, fish, eggs, beans and other protein foods:

• Soup with soft meats
• Moist, tender meat or poultry that is ground, shredded, finely chopped or blended with vegetables or potatoes, using a food processor
• Soft-cooked fish
• Fisherman’s pie
• Shepherd’s pie
• Chili
• Dhal or well-cooked lentils
• Crab cakes
• Scrambled egg or poached egg
• Beans (mashed if necessary)
• Baked Beans
• Tofu or Minced tofu

Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta:

• Mashed potatoes
• Pasta or noodles (not al dente!)
• Cooked rice, risotto
• Cooked cereal, porridge (with or without mashed fruit)
• Cold cereal which has been left to soak in milk or soy milk until soft
• Bread that has been softened in soup
• Soft bread rolls
• Muffins, pancakes, waffles

Milk and dairy foods:

• Milkshakes, milk drinks
• Yogurt
• Yogurt drinks
• Yogurt with soft fruits
• Ice cream! (without crunchy bits)
• Cottage cheese, ricotta cheese
• Cheese in sauces or melted in other dishes

Desserts and sweets:

• Custard
• More Ice cream!!
• Soft moist cake or pie – moisten in milk, coffee or other liquid if necessary
• Jelly

If you have any questions about what is involved with any dental procedure, Smile Sarasota is here to answer them!

Sources and Credits: The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), dentalfearcentral.org

Smile Sarasota treats dental patients in Sarasota of most any age- we have patients who range in age from about 10 to over 100. While most of our demographic is young adult to seniors, it’s important to have good dental care right from the beginning. Here are some eye-opening facts and tips about dental health at every age:

Babies and Toddlers

• 62% of children will have cavities by age 5
• 40% of children have tooth decay by kindergarten

This age group should see a Pedodontist (children’s dentist) by age 2 and have checkups every 6 months

Children and Teenagers

• 78% of Americans have had at least one cavity by age 17
• 16% of children ages  6-19 have untreated cavities
• 27% of children and adolescents have at least one dental sealant

Children and teenagers should see a dentist regularly and receive supplemental fluoride to strengthen teeth and have dental sealants. applied to deep groves to help prevent decay. Cutting soda from once a day to once a week eventually can cut 35 lbs of sugar per year!

Adults

• 25% of adults say their smile is the one facial feature they would change  to boost their self-esteem
• 78% of adults perceive people with yellow teeth or crooked teeth  to be unsuccessful

Ask us about tooth whitening, orthodontics and cosmetic dentistry – you will be surprised at the difference this can make!

Seniors

• Nearly 33% of seniors have not been to the dentist for 5 years or more and have untreated tooth decay and gum disease which can lead to severe health conditions.
• The average age of most people diagnosed with mouth cancers is 62.

Regardless of your age, schedule regular visits with Dr. still and be sure to brush and floss every day! For more information about proper dental health, visit SmileSarasota.com today!

Dr. Still often has to prescribe medication for our Smile Sarasota patients for pain and infections, as well as antibiotic pre-medication for those who have artificial heart valves or artificial joints.. It’s important to know about the effectiveness of these drugs if they are close to expiration or have expired. To do that, our patients need to know what ‘expired’ really means.

Drug manufacturers are required to stamp an expiration date on their products. On over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, the expiration date is often printed on the label or carton under “EXP” or stamped without ink into the bottom of a bottle, carton, or the crimp of a tube. But what does the expiration date mean? Is a medicine still safe to take after its expiration date? Will it cause harm or just not work after its expiration date? Neither fully explains what the expiration date means. Actually, it’s the date up until which the drug manufacturer can guarantee that the medicine is fully potent and safe to take based on scientifically-sound product testing. It is usually expressed by month and year. The product can legally be used or dispensed until the last day of the stated month and year.

How the product is stored is important. As you might expect, temperature, humidity, proper sealing can all affect the stability of products. Expiration date testing by manufacturers is done under prescribed conditions. Expiration dates are typically conservative to make sure you get what you paid for—a fully potent and safe medicine.

For prescription medicines there is another date to be aware of, called the “beyond use date.” This is the date that pharmacists are required to place on prescription container labels when dispensing medications. This is different from the expiration date the manufacturer must use. Beyond-use dates are shorter because the manufacturer’s original container has been opened in the repackaging process and it’s often packaged in other than the original container, exposing the medicine to ambient atmospheric conditions. The beyond use date is not later than the expiration date on the manufacturer’s container or one year from the date the drug is dispensed, whichever is earlier.

The effectiveness of a medicine may decrease over time, but studies have shown for most medications that much of the original potency still remains years after the expiration date. Excluding certain prescription medicines such as nitroglycerin, insulin, and liquid antibiotics, most medicines stored under reasonable conditions retain at least 70% to 80% of their original potency for at least 1 to 2 years after the expiration date, even after the container has been opened. So, if you have a headache one night, and you reach for your bottle of ibuprofen and find that it expired last year, chances are high that the medicine still has retained most of its potency.

It is still advisable though to replace medicines that have expired or reached their beyond use date to be sure you are using the most up-to-date product, with proper potency, and with the most up-to-date instructions for use. Since you last purchased the product, new dosing instructions or warnings may have been advised by FDA, the strength may have changed to reduce the risk of errors, a new dosing device may be available to help measure doses more accurately, the product may be packaged in a new container more child-resistant than an older version of the drug, and so on.

So, clean out your medicine supplies regularly, and replace any medicines that are more than a year or two beyond its expiration date. But…before you toss them, read our Blog about HOW to dispose of medications!

Sources and Credits: FDA.gov, drugs.com

At Smile Sarasota, we are dedicated to providing comprehensive and long-lasting treatment. Whether you are coming in for general care or a cosmetic dental treatment, following these oral hygiene tips from our experts will help you maintain a healthy smile:

Brushing: Brushing your teeth regularly is the best way to upkeep oral hygiene. In order to avoid accumulation of plaque, our Sarasota dentists recommend brushing four times a day:

• In the morning after breakfast
• After lunch or right after school
• After dinner
• At bedtime

For optimal hygiene, make sure to follow these brushing techniques:

• Use a toothbrush with soft bristles
• Brush in small circular motions while holding the brush at an angle
• Brush upward on lower teeth and downward on upper teeth
• Don’t forget to brush your tongue and the roof of your mouth!
• Always rinse your mouth thoroughly after brushing, and replace your toothbrush when it starts to fray. Remind your children to avoid swallowing toothpaste.

Smile Sarasota highly recommends the Sonicare electric toothbrush by Phillips Sonicare. It does a superior job of cleansing teeth without abrasion to sensitive gum tissue.

Flossing: Flossing daily, in addition to brushing, is important for maintaining oral hygiene. Flossing allows you to target the area between your teeth that your toothbrush can’t reach. All you have to do is follow these easy steps:

• Use about an 18″ length of floss
• Tightly wrap the ends of the floss around your middle fingers
• Slide the floss between all teeth to the gum line
• Unwrap a clean new portion of the floss to use as you move down your teeth.
• ​Floss at the end of the day before you go to bed. It is common for your gums to bleed slightly when you first start flossing. If the bleeding persists, make sure to let your dentist know on your next appointment.

We often recommend using Soft-Picks® by GUM® in addition to flossing to cleanse between the teeth and stimulate the gum tissue.

Dental Hygiene & Preventative Dentistry: Tooth decay develops progressively as sugars from our everyday diet interact with the naturally occurring bacteria in teeth. Good oral hygiene, regular checkups and preventative dentistry measures can help you avoid unhealthy teeth and costly treatments. Sealants and fluoride are two easy treatments.

• Dental Sealants -Sealants are a resin material that shields areas of your teeth that are most susceptible to tooth decay. They are typically applied to back teeth, molars and premolars, and last for several years. Applying sealants is a quick and easy procedure. Ask our friendly staff members about them on your next visit.
• Fluoride – Fluoride is a substance that keeps teeth strong and resistant to decay. Daily consumption of fluoride treated water can help lower the risk of cavities. Our dentists can help evaluate the level of fluoride in your drinking water and recommend fluoride supplements that fit your needs.

Contact Us With Any Questions! Our Smile Sarasota dental experts are always happy to answer any questions you may have regarding oral hygiene and the preventative dental procedures we have available. Don’t hesitate to contact us today! We look forward to helping you work towards a cleaner, brighter smile.

In summary:

• Oral complications are common in cancer patients, especially those with head and neck cancer.
• Preventing and controlling oral complications can help you continue cancer treatment and have a better quality of life.
• Patients receiving treatments that affect the head and neck should have their care planned by a team of doctors and specialists.

If you have any questions about the effects of chemotherapy on your oral health, call Smile Sarasota and ​schedule an appointment with Dr. Still so that he can guide you through the best treatment to keep your teeth and gums as healthy as possible during your treatment.

May 31st  is WORLD “NO TOBACCO DAY”

If you use tobacco, there are many reasons to try to quit today. Not only does smoking cause multiple forms of cancer, it can also cause bad breath, discolored teeth, increase plaque and tartar buildup on teeth, and raise the risk of gum disease, tooth loss, and oral cancer. World No Tobacco Day, created by the World Health Organization, is held every May 31st. In support of World No Tobacco Day, Smile Sarasota is offering a few tips for people thinking about quitting.

• Ask for support: Tell friends and family that you’re trying to quit and ask them to give you encouragement, especially when you have the urge to light up. Joining a support group or talking to a counselor or therapist can also help.
• Find new ways to relax: People often use tobacco as a way to relieve stress and relax. When you’re trying to quit, make sure to find new ways to unwind, like exercising, getting a massage, taking a bubble bath, picking up a hobby, or meditating.
• Avoid your tobacco triggers: Tobacco use can become a part of your daily routine, which can be hard to break. If you smoke when you drink alcohol, avoid drinking when you’re trying to quit. Similarly, if you smoke with your morning coffee, try switching to tea.
• Clear tobacco out of your life: Once you’ve decided to quit, deep clean your house, car, clothes, and anything that could retain the smell of smoke. Also, throw away lighters, ashtrays, and any other memorabilia of your smoking past.

Quitting tobacco can be a daunting task, but the right support and plan can make it that much more manageable.

Sources: WebMD, who.int, CDC.gov

There have been many times that patients new to Smile Sarasota were surprised when we asked them to extend their arms so we could take their blood pressure. Surprised looks were then followed with questions such as “Why is this necessary?” or “I’ve been going to the dentist at least every six months since I was a child and have never had my blood pressure taken in a dental office.”

So, why does Smile Sarasota take your blood pressure? We are a dental office not a medical office. The reason we take your blood pressure is simple – it’s because blood pressure is related to your health and we are health professionals. Your mouth is not a separate entity! Your oral health is directly related to your overall health and we have an obligation as part of your healthcare team to do our best for you. There are many reasons why Dr. Still and our staff take blood pressure readings of most of our adult patients at every appointment. Here are the main reasons:

• Your blood pressure reading tells us a lot about your overall health.
• Taking a blood pressure reading at your first visit, which is most often a complete exam gives us a base line of your blood pressure.
• If you already have cardiovascular disease and taking medications, the readings lets us know how controlled your condition is, how it is affected during different times of day, and how our office and our dental procedures affect your blood pressure.
• There are some medications we may prescribe or give you that may affect your blood pressure. This is one of the reasons we update your medical history yearly.
• Some patients visit us more often than their medical doctor. Taking your blood pressure can help diagnose an unknown hypertension or cardiovascular condition. Often, Dr. Still will communicate this information to your family doctor, to help with your overall health.

Your blood pressure measurement provides important information to Dr. Still, your physician and you. In addition, any situation that causes stress can increase blood pressure — even undergoing dental work. If your blood pressure is already high, it could result in a dangerous situation, and in a worst-case scenario, prompt a heart attack or stroke. Even if you are taking medication for hypertension, your blood pressure should be monitored. If your blood pressure reading is higher than normal, Dr. Still will likely refer you to a physician for further testing. A diabetes screening may also be recommended if your blood pressure is high. If it’s extremely high, we will postpone your dental treatment until you have seen your physician..

Sources and Credits: RDH Magazine, DearDoctor.com, heart.org  

Smile Sarasota and Dr. Adam Still have always been there for you for your general dental needs such as teeth cleaning, crowns, cosmetic dentistry, etc., but is he always the best one to turn to? Would you know if you should be seeing a specialist? Don’t worry…Dr. Still will know!

Most of you are used to being referred to medical specialists by your primary care doctor, so what is a dental specialist?. All dentists in the United States are doctors and go through a lengthy education and degree program in order to become a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Medical Dentistry (DMD). (Dr. Still is a DMD) These degrees are essentially the same, but universities vary the title. Doctors who decide to focus their skills in a particular area and obtain additional certifications after they become a DDS or DMD are known as specialists. At the present time, the American Dental Association (ADA) recognizes a number of specialties such as:

• Endodontics
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
• Pediatric Dentistry
• Periodontics
• Prosthodontics

Why might you need a dental specialist? Dr. Still often refers our patients to specialists when they need a level of care that can’t be provided in our office. For example, children who aren’t prepared to sit still in the chair will often be referred to a pediatric dentist. We will also send patients to an endodontist (root canal specialist) for treatment of teeth because they have infection (abscess) of the nerve of the tooth or the tooth is broken at the gumline and the nerve is exposed. In general, there are three huge benefits to seeing specialists for treatment.

• The Specialist has Additional Training: Specialists have to go through additional schooling, which generally amounts to a two-year residency program. On top of this, all dentists have continuing education requirements. This means that they have to keep taking classes for as long as they’re licensed, in order to remain in good standing. Because general dentists work in all aspects of dentistry, they can go their whole lives without ever refining their skills in a specialty area.
• The specialist performs the same treatments all day, every day. It probably goes without saying, but the more often a person does something, the better he is at doing it. Perhaps the most compelling research in this area involves dental implants. While there is no specialty dedicated to dental implants, it’s far more common for prosthodontists, oral surgeons, and periodontists to handle dental implant cases, especially the more complex ones.
• The specialist invests in procedure-specific materials and equipment. For example, the endodontist we refer to has an operating microscope to perform root canal procedures and the oral surgeons we refer to have CT scanning equipment used when placing implants and other procedures. The same is true across all specialties and it makes a difference in the quality of care provided.

All these things mean that the specialist is primed to not only do a better job, but also to do it more efficiently, so Dr. Still may refer you elsewhere when he knows your needs are beyond his skills. All dentists, whether generalists or specialists, have a primary responsibility to hold their patients’ best interests at heart, which means treating to the standard of care set by the profession. General dentists such as Dr. Still are the primary oral health ‘gatekeepers’. They generally see people first, evaluate their oral and dental health needs, and then treat or refer for specialty care depending on the conditions they assess and diagnose. We have great relationships and work very closely with the specialists we refer to. We receive constant updates and reports on your care. We have confidence, trust, and feel comfortable referring tour patients to them for treatment.

Seeing a dental specialist does not mean that you have a new dentist…most of your work will still be done by Dr. Still. If you are looking for the best general dentist in Sarasota, please give our office a call to schedule an appointment.

Many people suffer with headaches for years without getting to the root cause of their problem. Up to 1 in 4 people may have some symptoms. Both men and women are equally affected, although women tend to ask for treatment more often than men. If you find yourself constantly popping painkillers to get through the day, it might be worth a trip to see a medical professional – but it may not be the person you think. Did you know that in many cases, frequent, or even constant headache pain can be treated more effectively by your dentist, instead of by your GP? Headaches are strange beasts. Their cause is often elusive, and they can range from mildly irritating to unrelentingly painful. Since frequent headaches can interfere with your quality of life, if you experience pain that remains after treatment from a physician, you might wish to see your dentist. After all, you may be suffering from what is called a “dental headache.”

Talking with Dr. Still, along with your family physician can be a great start when dealing with chronic headaches, because dental issues frequently contribute to head pain. In fact, the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain estimates that 80% of headaches are caused by muscle tension, which often originates in the jaws.

So what do tension headaches feel like? A tension headache can originate on one side of your head or can pervade your entire skull. Typically, tension headaches feel like a dull, throbbing ache inside your head. Some patients at our Smile Sarasota office report that they feel as though a metal band has been wrapped around their head and is causing significant pressure. Several common symptoms suggest that tension headaches may be caused by dental issues:

• Feeling as though your head or scalp is painful to the merest touch
• Experiencing a dull or throbbing pain behind the eyes
• Clicking or popping sounds in your jaw joints
• Grinding teeth or clenching the jaws, particularly in times of anxiety or during the night
• Feeling as though your jaw muscles are sore when you wake up from sleep

What are the origins of headaches? Several dozen muscles control your facial expressions, jaw movements, and motions such as swallowing. When these muscles are contracted for long periods of time, tension builds up within the muscle and can lead to headaches. This may happen if you clench or grind your teeth at night, your bite is misaligned, or you have muscle imbalances in the jaw or neck.

Fortunately, a visit to Smile Sarasota can be a way to alleviate your headaches, including a nightguard, also called a biteguard, which resemble a sports mouthguard, may also be helpful if you frequently grind your teeth or clench your jaws during sleep. Nightguards distribute the tension from your clenched jaws and reduce the possibility of dental damage.

Physical therapy and relaxation. Correcting the posture of your shoulders, neck, and head may alleviate muscle tension associated with headaches

Sources and Credits: American Academy of Craniofacial Pain, Patient Connect 365, Dentalhealth.org

Choosing the right toothpaste can be a bit of a challenging task, especially if you’re unsure of what to look for. When strolling down the aisles of your local pharmacy or grocery store, you’ll be overwhelmed with the enormous variety of toothpaste options available. From whitening to anti-cavity to tartar control and everything in between, it all probably sounds great. But which type of toothpaste is right for you? The fact of the matter is this: Everyone’s teeth are different and thus require varying forms of dental care. Rather than making a blind guess as to which toothpaste is the best for you, Smile Sarasota is here to help you find the right toothpaste for your unique needs to ensure your mouth stays as healthy as possible.

First, a little bit about toothpaste: Toothpaste’s main function is to provide abrasive agents that remove food and bacteria from your teeth. Calcium carbonate is the most common abrasive ingredient in toothpaste, though some brands may use a different ingredient in its place. Most toothpastes include flavoring. Some brands add saccharin (sugar) to make toothpaste taste better. Available flavors vary widely and include mint (most common), cinnamon, citrus and even bubblegum. Toothpaste is also available without added flavoring or with natural flavoring for those who want to avoid artificial additives. Detergents are added to many brands of toothpaste to create cleaning foam. Sodium lauryl sulfate is a common detergent found in toothpaste. Fluoride is added to most toothpastes. It’s a mineral that prevents tooth decay by making tooth enamel stronger and provides minerals to parts of teeth that have started to decay. Moisturizers and thickeners. Toothpaste must be thick enough to spread on your toothbrush and must be kept moist inside the tube. So how do you decide? Here are a few guidelines:

Dentist Recommended Toothpaste: When shopping for toothpaste, Dr. Still recommends finding a brand that contains fluoride to fight cavities, as well as triclosan to kill bacteria if you frequently face gum issues or bad breath. You may also want to avoid artificial colors or flavors, and if you suffer from canker sores, avoid SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate).

Whitening Toothpaste: Although plenty of toothpastes on the market tout their whitening abilities, labeling can be somewhat deceptive. Most toothpastes aren’t strong enough to whiten. For those seeking a more reliable method for whitening teeth, Smile Sarasota offers Opalescence take home gel and custom trays, and Sinsational Smile in-office whitening treatment.

Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth: Tooth sensitivity is a fairly common problem amongst adults — in fact, roughly 40 million Americans experience the condition at some point in their lives. That being said, if this is an issue you regularly face, it’s important to find a toothpaste for sensitive teeth that won’t further irritate your teeth or gums. Dr. Still recommends Sensodyne Pronamel for those with sensitive teeth.

Otherwise, as long as you choose a toothpaste that has been approved by the ADA (American Dental Association), you can’t go wrong. Smile Sarasota almost always has samples at the front desk of the toothpastes we recommend. And of course feel free to call us or ask one of our fabulous hygienists!

Sources and Credits: American Dental Association, Colgate, WebMD

We are all aware of the infamous, “Got Milk?” campaign, but have you ever really wondered why the big push to drink milk? Most of us grew up having milk with meals, but for some reason many people stop drinking milk as adults and this is just wrong, especially from a dental health standpoint! Calcium is a key component for building strong bones, as you probably know, and milk products are loaded with it. In fact, just 1 cup of milk provides almost 300 milligrams of calcium. But that’s not all; dairy products keep your teeth as healthy as your bones throughout your life. So, is milk good for your teeth? The answer is a resounding yes, and here’s why.

Your teeth and bones store 99 percent of your body’s calcium, according to the National Institutes of Health. Because a baby’s teeth begin forming long before birth, expecting mothers should consume their “Recommended Dietary Allowance” of it: between 1000 and 1300 mg per day. This ensures the unborn baby receives enough calcium, phosphorus and other nutrients necessary for the proper development of their teeth and bones. From infancy through the teen years, however, milk and dairy products continue to be important for growth and development. And as you age, calcium is a vital mineral in preventing osteoporosis.

“Milk is one of the main sources of sugars in the diet,” says Ellie Phillips, DDS, a founding member of the nonprofit American Academy for Oral Systemic Health and author of Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye. Drinking milk can actually promote healthy teeth and bones. “The sugar in milk is lactose, which is the least damaging to teeth,” explains Dr. Phillips, and the calcium found in the beverage helps kids develop strong baby and adult teeth. In addition, Phillips says, studies have shown that when cavity-causing foods are eaten along with milk (cookies, anyone?), the milk can actually help protect teeth from damage. If you don’t drink milk, ask Dr. Still or our Claire and Ann, our hygienists, about toothpastes that can remineralize your teeth.

To prevent cavities and maintain good oral health, your diet — what you eat and how often you eat — are important factors. Changes in your mouth start the minute you eat certain foods. Bacteria in the mouth convert sugars and carbohydrates from the foods you eat to acids, and it’s the acids that begin to attack the enamel on teeth, starting the decay process. The more often you eat and snack, the more frequently you are exposing your teeth to the cycle of decay.

The best food choices for the health of your teeth include cheeses, chicken or other meats, nuts, and milk. These foods are thought to protect tooth enamel by providing the calcium and phosphorus needed to remineralize teeth (a natural process by which minerals are redeposited in tooth enamel after being removed by acids).

Other food choices include firm/crunchy fruits (for example, apples and pears) and vegetables. These foods have a high water content, which dilutes the effects of the sugars they contain, and stimulate the flow of saliva (which helps protect against decay by washing away food particles and buffering acid). Acidic foods, such as citrus fruits, tomatoes, and lemons, should be eaten as part of a larger meal to minimize the acid from them.

Other good beverage choices for dental health besides milk include water (especially fluoridated water) and unsweetened tea. Dr. Still recommends limiting your consumption of sugar-containing drinks, including soft drinks, lemonade, and coffee or tea with added sugar. Also, avoid day-long sipping of sugar-containing drinks — day-long sipping exposes your teeth to constant sugar and, in turn, constant decay-causing acids.

Sources: WebMD, Colgate, National Institute of Health

At Smile Sarasota, we utilize the most advanced dental technology and procedures in the industry to ensure that you and your family receive the quality dental care that you deserve. As a part of our comprehensive general and cosmetic dental services, we proudly offer dental implants to the families of Downtown Sarasota, The Rosemary District, St. Armand’s Circle, Longboat Key, and the surrounding areas.

What Are Dental Implants? Dental Implants are a natural looking, long lasting, comfortable and safe alternative to bridgework or dentures for those who have lost a tooth or even multiple teeth. The implant is attached to the bone of your jaw, functioning as an artificial “root” and allowing Dr. Still to secure a customized crown in place of the lost tooth.  The crown is made to look and feel like your original teeth, and it will feel completely natural when eating, talking, etc.  Thanks to the artificial root, you don’t have to worry about implants coming loose and becoming uncomfortable; you won’t have to take them out to soak; and you won’t worry about losing them, either.

Should You Get Dental Implants? If you’re missing teeth and you’re embarrassed to show your smile, dental implants can help make your smile complete again, giving you the boost in self confidence that you need!  Additionally, replacing missing back teeth restores proper chewing function. Since the implants are made to look and feel like your real teeth, no one will be able to notice, so it’ll be like you never lost teeth in the first place!

Not everyone is a candidate for dental implants, since factors such as pre-existing disease and bone loss can affect a patient’s ability to receive implants. Once you come in for your appointment with Dr. Still, he’ll be able to determine if you have good enough oral health to be eligible for implants. We also work closely with oral surgeons and periodontists to assist with our implant cases to give you the best possible results.

Stop hiding your smile when the perfect solution is out there. Dr. Still and his experienced dental team are ready to help you get your confident and radiant smile back!  Schedule your appointment with us to come in, meet our team, and work with us to create a personalized treatment plan just for you.  If you have any questions about dental implants or any of our other dental services, just give us a call at 941-957-3311 and we’ll happily provide you with all of the information you need.  We look forward you joining our family of happy, smiling patients!

Veneers, sometimes called porcelain veneers, are custom-made thin, semi-translucent “shells” bonded to your teeth. Veneers are customized from porcelain material and permanently bonded to your teeth. Veneers are a great alternative to otherwise more invasive dental procedures to improve the appearance of your smile.

Common problems that veneers are used for:

• Spaces between the teeth
• Broken or chipped teeth
• Unsightly, stained or discolored teeth
• Crooked or misshapen teeth

Porcelain veneers are a great aesthetic solution to your smile that may even help you avoid orthodontic treatment. Subtle changes to your smile can be achieved with veneers, and in most cases, veneer application is completed in only two office visits. Veneers can also be an excellent alternative to crowns in many situations. They provide a much more conservative approach to changing a tooth’s color, size or shape. Veneers can mask undesirable defects, such as teeth stained by tetracycline and damage due to an injury or as a result of a root-canal procedure. They are ideal for masking discolored fillings in front teeth. Patients with gaps between their front teeth or teeth that are chipped or worn may consider veneers.

Patients will need two or three appointments for the entire procedure: diagnosis and treatment planning, preparation and bonding. When you are ready to go, Dr. Still prepares the teeth for the veneers. The teeth are lightly buffed to allow for the small added thickness of the veneer. Usually, about half a millimeter of the tooth is removed.  A mold is taken of the teeth, which is sent to our laboratory technician for the fabrication of the veneers.

When your  veneers are ready, the Dr. Still places each veneer on the teeth to check their fit and get a sense of the shade or color. While the veneers are resting on your teeth, view the results, and pay particular attention to the color. At this point, the color of the veneers can still be adjusted with the shade of the cement to be used. The color cannot be altered after veneers are cemented. To apply the veneer, the tooth is cleansed with specific chemicals to achieve a bond. A special cement is sandwiched between the veneer and tooth and a light beam hardens the cement.

In some cases, Dr. Still can do a veneer chairside, using our CEREC CAD/CAM technology and can fabricate the veneer in one visit.

For about a week or two, you will go through a period of adjustment as you get used to your “new” teeth. Brush and floss as usual every day and enjoy your beautiful, new smile! Call Smile Sarasota today at 941-957-3311 for a consultation to see if you are a candidate for veneers!

Sources: knowyourteeth.com, webmd.com

Needless to say, as a healthcare provider, Dr. Still encourages you not to smoke. If you have ever known anyone or seen anyone who has suffered with oral cancer, you will understand. And now there’s a new concern: E-Cigs. Chances are good that you’ve seen people “smoking” e-cigarettes: inhaling from cigarette-shaped devices, then puffing out clouds of odorless fog. E-cigarettes, also known as e-cigs or electronic nicotine delivery systems, have been on the market for about a decade and are surging in popularity.

But there’s widespread disagreement about their safety or any benefits they may have. Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigs, have been on the market in the U.S. since 2008 and have gained wider use in recent years. Now, evidence is beginning to emerge on e-cigs’ short-term effects, and their positive and negative impact on people’s health.  E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that heat a liquid — usually containing nicotine mixed with the chemicals, and often flavorings ranging from bubble gum to watermelon — into a vapor that users can inhale. They deliver nicotine, a highly addictive drug, to the body without producing any smoke.

Because e-cigs are relatively new nicotine-delivery products, there are many unanswered questions about their safety and health impacts, including questions about their long-term use and effectiveness in helping traditional smokers to quit. What, exactly, is in an e-cigarette, and how do these chemicals affect the heart and lungs as well as a person’s overall health?

But what is known about E-Cigs? “There is no question that a puff on an e-cigarette is less dangerous than a puff on a conventional cigarette,” said Stanton Glantz, a professor of medicine and the director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, San Francisco. Because e-cigarettes create a vapor rather than produce a tobacco smoke, they generally deliver less nicotine to users than cigarettes do, Glantz said. However, this doesn’t mean the devices always represent a safer step down from cigarettes. In fact, one of the most dangerous things about e-cigarettes is that they may keep people smoking conventional cigarettes longer, rather than encourage them to attempt to quit, he said. Although estimates vary, anywhere from 70 to 90 percent of e-cigarette users are “dual users,” meaning they continue to smoke regular cigarettes after they begin vaping, Glantz said.

Regardless of how the nicotine is delivered — whether through e-cigs or conventional cigarettes — it still has effects on the body. The drug is a cardiovascular stimulant, and can potentially worsen heart disease in people who already have severe heart conditions. However, it’s not known whether nicotine alone can cause heart disease in people who don’t have heart problems, said Dr. Michael Siegel, a tobacco researcher and professor of community health sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health. But there’s some evidence that e-cigarettes can have a substantial effect on blood vessels, and may increase people’s heart attack risk in that way, Glantz said. Nicotine also has effects on reproductive health, and exposure to nicotine during pregnancy, regardless of its delivery method, can harm the developing fetus and lead to babies born with low birth weights, he said.

In addition to the nicotine, e-cigs’ other chemicals may also affect health. Research on the vapors emitted and inhaled from e-cigarettes has shown they deliver particles small enough to reach deep into the lungs and that they are not the “harmless water vapor” that marketers may claim, Glantz told Live Science. Some of the chemicals found in e-liquids, can irritate the eyes and airways and are considered carcinogens, although it’s not yet clear how repeated exposure to them may cause cancer, he said.

But all in all, even if e-cigarettes involve some health risks, they are not more toxic than smoking cigarettes, and so anything that can get people away from tobacco is moving them in the right direction, Siegel said. He believes that vaping gives people a safer alternative because although users are still getting nicotine, they are getting lower levels of some of the toxic substances and carcinogens found in cigarette smoke, he said. Eventually, the goal is to get people off vaping and to quit completely, but people have to start somewhere, Siegel said.

What are the unknowns about E-cigs? Studies evaluating whether e-cigarettes are less harmful than cigarettes have been inconclusive, according to a review of studies published in the journal Tobacco Control in May 2014. Moreover, the long-term health effects in people who get nicotine in a vaporized form over time are not known and because e-cigarettes have been on the market for only about 10 years, there have been no long-term studies of people who have used them for 30 to 40 years. Therefore, the full extent of e-cigs’ effects on heart and lung health, as well as their cancer-causing potential, over time is not known.

What are the potential oral health side effects? The potential oral health effects of e-cigarettes has received very little attention, which is surprising considering the intimate relationship of tobacco smoke with several pathogenic processes in the oral cavity and also, the fact that e-cigarette aerosols will contact the oral tissues first when they are at their hottest and most concentrated. There are multiple user questionnaires/surveys that repeatedly detailed ‘mouth and throat dryness and irritation’ as one of the most common reported side effects of e-cigarette use.

With so many controversies and a lack of long-term studies, it is not surprising that as health care professionals, we are naturally cautious and that no definitive guidelines exist. More work needs to be done to understand the dynamics between smoking traditional cigarettes and also using e-cigarettes in people who are dual users. Future research also needs to look at whether using both traditional cigarettes and e-cigs interferes with the desire to quit, and whether using e-cigarettes is an effective strategy for quitting smoking compared with other methods, such as the nicotine patch and behavioral counseling. According to the American Lung Association, some manufacturers and retailers of e-cigarettes claim these products are healthier than normal cigarettes and can help you quit smoking. However, in the absence of scientific evidence to support those contentions, it’s best to avoid e-cigarettes until more research has been done. The FDA has not approved e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid. It’s too soon to know what the long-term effects of inhaling the vapor may be. The bottom line from Smile Sarasota: Don’t smoke! And don’t chew tobacco!

Credits: Dentistry IQ, LiveScience.com, The Washington Post, Consumer Reports, Professor Stanton Glantz, OralHealth.com,  Dr. Michael Siegel-Boston University

SHOULD YOU FLOSS?? Smile Sarasota is very aware of the recent article published that discussed the recommendations regarding flossing, as well as the commentary in the Sarasota Herald Tribune. As with any topic, you need to make an informed decision and you may decide you don’t want to floss anymore.

But…at the very least, think about this: What about the food between your teeth? Those of us who have worked in a dental office for decades know that flossing DOES help get rid of food AND films of bacteria (biofilm) that gunk up the space between teeth, causing infections and, potentially, contributing to bigger health problems. Biofilms are live. If you look at it under a microscope, you have swimmers. ICK!! You have different types of bacteria that form, and the longer they stay, the more virulent they become. And that does not bode well for a person’s overall health. It may be that studies on flossing just haven’t followed subjects for long enough to notice long-term benefits.

Also not discussed is the fact that there are other ways to clean between your teeth, such as SoftPicks. Our advice: It’s insufficient evidence, not proof of ineffectiveness so…Keep Flossing, and…inform yourself! Below an article that may help put things in perspective:

Read Huffington Post Article

NEED- something you must have

WANT – something you would like to have

Over the past decade, Gallup polls have tracked Americans’ access to “basic necessities,” such as food, shelter, clean water, and healthcare. Gallup’s list of basic necessities includes 13 items, which can be grouped into three broad categories:

• Food
• Housing
• HEALTH

Unless it’s a cosmetic situation, no one ever ‘wants’ dental treatment – no one ‘wants’ to come to the dentist (except maybe to our office because we are so great). Our job at here at Smile Sarasota is to assess your dental situation and tell you what you ‘need’ to achieve optimum dental health. So why do we put off NEEDED dentistry? Sometimes it’s a matter of finances, fear of dental treatment, or…it’s just not viewed as a priority. The first two we understand and can easily address if we know the situation. With regard to prioritizing, patients tend to want to separate their mouth from the rest of the body and this is just wrong! Here’s why:

Like many areas of the body, your mouth is teeming with bacteria — most of them harmless. Normally the body’s natural defenses and good oral health care, such as daily brushing and flossing, can keep these bacteria under control. However, without proper oral hygiene, bacteria can reach levels that might lead to oral infections, such as tooth decay and gum disease.

In addition, certain medications — such as decongestants, antihistamines, painkillers, diuretics and antidepressants — can reduce saliva flow. Saliva washes away food and neutralizes acids produced by bacteria in the mouth, helping to protect you from microbial invasion or overgrowth that might lead to disease.

Studies also suggest that oral bacteria and the inflammation associated with periodontitis — a severe form of gum disease — might play a role in some diseases. In addition, certain diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and HIV/AIDS, can lower the body’s resistance to infection, making oral health problems more severe.

If you have questions about treatment that has been recommended by Dr. Still, he is glad to see you for a no-charge consultation or speak with you over the phone. So don’t put off needed dentistry – it’s a matter of achieving and keeping maximum oral health and that is something you NEED to do!

Credit: Mayo Clinic

Welcome to the sizzling dog days of Florida summer! Smile Sarasota is all about health – yours, your pets and that of our fragile environment. Here are some easy tips to both stay cool and save on electric bills!

• Use Fans: Moving air accelerates sweat evaporation. A fan on a low setting that can keep a light breeze blowing across your room can work wonders. Make sure your ceiling fans are spinning in the right direction to move air around the room. Most fans are reversible: One direction pushes air down, creating a nice summer breeze; the other direction sucks air up, helping you distribute heat in winter. There’s normally a switch on the motor to change the fan’s direction. Is your fan turning in the right direction for summer. Stand beneath the running fan, and if you feel a cooling breeze, it’s turning correctly. If not, change directions, usually by flicking a switch on the fan’s base. Typically, it’s counterclockwise or left for summer and clockwise for winter, but the best method is to follow the steps above.  Note: Fans stop being effective when the heat index—the “feels like” temperature—reaches 99°F.
• Use cooler light bulbs: An incandescent bulb is a “little heater,” radiating 90% of its energy as heat, says Maria Tikoff Vargas, brand manager for the Energy Star program at the EPA. “Since most homes have 30 to 35 light fixtures, your cooling system expends a lot of energy counteracting their effects,” she says. Replace them with Energy Star-qualified compact fluorescent bulbs, which emit 75% less heat. Also, realize that dishwashers, TVs, computers, and other appliances generate heat, says Vargas, so whenever possible, limit their use, and switch electronics like computers to sleep mode.
• Turn on the tap! Speaking of water, it almost goes without saying to drink plenty of it. Hydration helps your body move blood to the surface more efficiently, and it allows you to sweat
• Shield your windows. About 40% of your home’s heat comes in through windows, especially those facing east and west. To block it, curtains, shades, and blinds should closely fit windows and be a light, reflective color, While you could install Energy Star windows with a low-E coating, which deflects heat, an easier move is to buy a clear, heat-control window film from a home-improvement store and apply it to your standard windows.

And what about your pets?

Now is the time to also be concerned about keeping our PETS cool in this heat.

Here are some tips from the Humane Society on how to keep Fluffy cool:

• Watch the humidity-“It’s important to remember that it’s not just the ambient temperature but also the humidity.  Animals pant to evaporate moisture from their lungs, which takes heat away from their body. If the humidity is too high, they are unable to cool themselves, and their temperature will skyrocket to dangerous levels—very quickly.”
• Limit exercise on hot days-Take care when exercising your pet. Adjust intensity and duration of exercise in accordance with the temperature. On very hot days, limit exercise to early morning or evening hours, and be especially careful with pets with white-colored ears, who are more susceptible to skin cancer, and short-nosed pets, who typically have difficulty breathing. Asphalt gets very hot and can burn your pet’s paws, so walk your dog on the grass if possible. Always carry water with you to keep your dog from dehydrating
• Provide ample shade and water-Any time your pet is outside, make sure he or she has protection from heat and sun and plenty of fresh, cold water. In heat waves, add ice to water when possible. Tree shade and tarps are ideal because they don’t obstruct air flow. A doghouse does not provide relief from heat—in fact, it makes it worse.
• Watch for signs of heatstroke-Some signs of heatstroke are heavy panting, glazed eyes, a rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, excessive thirst, lethargy, fever, dizziness, lack of coordination, profuse salivation, vomiting, a deep red or purple tongue, seizure, and unconsciousness. How to treat a pet suffering from heatstroke: Move your pet into the shade or an air-conditioned area. Apply ice packs or cold towels to her head, neck, and chest or run cool (not cold) water over her. Let her drink small amounts of cool water or lick ice cubes. Take her directly to a veterinarian.

We say these words almost every day. Our team here at Smile Sarasota is responsible for reminding our patients to take their premedication antibiotic or asking them at the appointment if they remembered to take it. So who needs to it? And why is this important? Infective (Bacterial) Endocarditis.

Infective endocarditis is a scary sounding condition. It happens when bacteria get into the bloodstream and end up infecting the lining of the heart, a heart valve or even a blood vessel. It’s a very uncommon infection. People who have certain heart conditions are clearly at greater risk than the rest of the population. But the one thing everyone seems to know is that dental treatment is almost always the cause. We know this because the mouth is full of bacteria, and dentists and hygienists cause bleeding with their treatment. So bacteria is definitely going to enter the bloodstream if you have dental treatment and if you are at greater risk for infective endocarditis, you better be careful.

So what have we done for dental patients with these heart conditions or those who have artificial joints? We preventively treat them with antibiotics. A LOT of antibiotics. We used to give them doses of antibiotics days before and after dental treatment. But then later the guidelines dictated dropping the dosage down to an hour before and several hours after. And now, we just give it an hour before. The American Heart Association has continued to change its guidelines for premedication to the point where we only rarely premedicate patients with certain very serious heart conditions. For instance, we premedicate people who have had a previous case of infective endocarditis. Also folks with prosthetic heart valves and a few other rare congenital heart problems.

But the American Heart Association continued to evaluate the evidence for taking a large dose of antibiotics prior to dental treatment and found little to no proof that the antibiotics prevented infective endocarditis. The AHA did what so many doctors, dentists and patients are unwilling or unable to do. They evaluated the evidence and changed their recommendations! At Smile Sarasota, we follow the 2007 AHA guidelines for the patients that require premedication for a heart condition or a joint replacement. A few patients who have been premedicating for a long time, find the change disconcerting. They assume that what they’ve been doing all along was correct and that the new recommendations are putting them at risk. However, most of these patients are tickled at the idea of not dealing with this premedication regimen. We usually receive and confirm the premedication recommendation from the patient’s medical doctor. So if you have been taking antibiotics before all of your dental appointments, and have questions, check with your cardiologist or your orthopedic professional to see if there has been a change in your particular case. Dr. Still goes by the recommendations of your MD.

Patients come to our downtown Sarasota office every week and we listen to their stories. Often, dental insurance coverage, or lack thereof, is part of the story. But there are many things that prevent patients from seeking dental care:

• Lack of money
• Lack of time.
• No awareness that there is a problem or a solution
• Fear of the dentist.

These are all real barriers to dental care that affect millions of Americans. But there is another group of patients that we see, too, who don’t fall into this category.  They have the money and the means to seek care but they simply choose not to see a dentist without the benefit of dental insurance. Even when the dental insurance benefit it relatively negligible, which it often is when a patient has extensive needs, this becomes a barrier for many patients.

READ OUR BLOG FOR MORE ABOUT WHY DENTAL INSURANCE ISN’T REALLY INSURANCE

Here are some examples where this type of thinking results in a less than desirable outcome for the patient:

• Don’t Go To The Dentist At All. Many people won’t go to the dentist if they don’t have insurance. If something breaks or hurts, they see the dentist, but if not, they don’t come. One reason this is dangerous is because typically when something is broken or hurting, the options are usually limited and more costly than preventative or simple dental procedures. A tooth with a big hole in it that needs extensive treatment now might have only needed a simple filling a year or so ago. Ignoring dental problems never makes them go away.
• Don’t Get Their Teeth Cleaned Regularly.Having your teeth cleaned regularly can decrease your chances of getting gum disease or periodontal disease. Periodontal disease usually doesn’t start causing patients pain until teeth are loose and about to fall out. Obviously, at a time like this, preventative treatment is no longer an option.  Gum disease caused from extensive buildup on your teeth can cause foul mouth odors, stained teeth, and sore, bleeding gums and sometimes, serious health problems relating to heart disease and other medical issues. Having your teeth cleaned at least twice a year without dental insurance is not as cost prohibitive as many people think. Dr. Still routinely examines your teeth following your cleaning with our hygienist and can identify problems you may have before they become serious (and expensive).
• Delay Care Until They Are Covered By Insurance. Sometimes patients come in and put off needed care until they obtain insurance. Imagine this situation: A patient just signed up for dental coverage with an employer, and they are in pain. They see a dentist and he gives them a plan, but the treatment coordinator informs them that they aren’t covered by the insurance company until a waiting period passes of 6 months. A surprising number of people will cope with the pain for 6 months! They’ll spend a lot of money on pain pills, topical anesthetic gels, and other useless drugstore dental items. They’ll miss work or not be productive at work because they are in pain. They won’t feel like spending time with family and friends because of the pain. They’ll lose money and time that they can’t get back. And most of the time, the insurance reimbursement is very little compared to the consequences of waiting. Does that make sense? No!
• Shop for the Cheapest Dentist.  This is just stupid. Some patients may go to three or four different dentists looking for the cheapest price. In reality, most dental fees are generally in the same neighborhood for a good dentist in Sarasota. While no one can argue that the fees should be fair, finding a relationship with a dentist you trust and believe in is much more important than a few dollars here and there in the long run. You want to find someone that is going to be honest and take care of you. Would you shop around for the cheapest medical doctor? Probably not, so why look for the cheapest dentist when your oral health is as critical as the health of the rest of your body?
• Accept the Least Expensive Treatment Plan To Save Money.  If a tooth has a major problem, extracting the tooth is always least expensive in the short term. If a patient is missing several teeth, doing nothing about it as opposed to getting implants or a prosthetic is obviously less expensive. But what about long term cost? What happens when you want to go back later and fix problems you once neglected? In the long term, dental problems that are ignored or are treated hastily can come back to haunt you later. Let’s say you have a toothache and you need a root canal. You don’t want to pay for a root canal and crown, so you have the tooth extracted. A few months later, you want to replace the tooth with a dental implant only to find that an implant and crown costs more than a root canal and crown. You decide not to do it. A few years pass, and you decide it’s finally time for the implant.  The only problem is, your teeth have shifted to the point where you’ll need orthodontics first before the implant can be placed. What started as a $300 problem is now a $9000 problem.
• Go to the Emergency Room for Dental Pain.  This probably should have been number one since it costs US taxpayers millions and millions of dollars every year. Patients that don’t have dental insurance go to an emergency room for antibiotics and pain killers for a toothache. They never seek dental care and end up back there a month or so later in the same state or worse. Most emergency room facilities are not equipped for dental care. A physician or nurse cannot extract a tooth, only a dentist can. Because of the staff and facilities, an emergency room visit is much more expensive than a dental visit.  The cost of an emergency room visit can easily exceed two thousand dollars.  A LOT of dental care can be performed for this amount of money!
• Ignore Financing Options.  The great news for many patients is that there are financing options available so that many people can afford the care they need. Smile Sarasota offers CareCredit which allows you to pay over time, (in most cases, interest-free for up to 12 months) and not feel the burden of a bill all at once.
• Travel to Another Country to Save Money on Dentistry.  It goes without saying that there are risks involved in doing something like this. The US has very strict laws and standards governing the practice of dentistry, and they’re all in place for the protection of the patient. Obviously there are very skilled practitioners in other countries, and you may have even seen or heard about a good experience. As with anything, there’s also bad the experiences. Good dentists like Dr. Still stand behind their work. If you have treatment done and have follow up questions, concerns, or needs, you want your dentist nearby to be there to take care of anything that needs to be addressed. This can be impossible if your dentist is in another country. And Dr. Still can site numerous incidences of re-doing very poor dentistry that was done outside the US.
• Perform Dentistry on Themselves. This is probably the worst. Most patients that claim to have pulled their own tooth have usually just pulled off a broken crown and have infected roots right below the surface. We have seen patients who used Superglue to re-cement a crown and invariably, the crown is not seated properly and we have to cut it off, which destroys it! This is never a good thing. Drug stores have filling materials and other short term fixes that aren’t meant to be long term dental solutions. This risk for irreversible trauma and infection is just too great to ever consider performing a dental procedure on yourself.

The moral of the story: Don’t wait to seek good dental care! Call Smile Smile Sarasota today at 941-957-3311.​

APRIL IS ORAL CANCER MONTH 

Oral Cancer collectively kills nearly one person every hour of every day of the year. Of the people newly diagnosed with these cancers, 40 percent will not survive longer than five years. Moreover, many who do survive suffer long-term problems, such as severe facial disfigurement or difficulties with eating and speaking.

The death rate associated with oral and oropharyngeal cancers remains particularly high because the cancers routinely are discovered late in their development. Fortunately, when oral and oropharyngeal cancers are detected and treated early, mortality and treatment-related health problems are reduced.

Smile Sarasota wants to remind everyone that regular oral cancer screenings are the best method to detect oral cancer in its early stages. Dr. Still does this each time you visit our office for a cleaning and exam, and this is one of the biggest reasons we recommend that you come in AT LEAST twice per year for a cleaning and checkup.

Be mindful of symptoms:
Your mouth is one of your body’s most important early warning systems. In between dental visits, it is important for patients to be aware of the following signs and symptoms, and to see Dr. Still if they do not improve or disappear after two-three weeks:
• a sore, or soreness or irritation that doesn’t go away
• red or white patches, or pain, tenderness, or numbness in mouth or lips
• lumps, thickening tissues, rough spots, crusty or eroded areas
• difficulty chewing, swallowing, speaking, or moving your jaw or tongue
• a change in the way your teeth fit together when you close your mouth

When it comes to symptoms, keep this two-three week time period in mind, but always call your dentist right away if you have any immediate concerns.
Oral cancer may present with one or more of the following persistent (longer than two-three weeks) signs and symptoms:
• a painless lump or swelling felt in the neck
• sore throat, difficulty swallowing, or pain when swallowing
• swelling of the tonsillar areas at the back of the mouth

Be aware of the symptoms and risk factors of oral and oropharyngeal cancer. Early detection and treatment may well be the key to a complete recovery.If you have never had an oral cancer examination, there is no better time to schedule one than during Oral Cancer Awareness Month in April. Give Smile Sarasota a call today to schedule your checkup and oral cancer screening today!

Have you ever heard of a tongue scraper?  A tongue scraper  (also called a tongue cleaner or tongue brush) is an oral hygiene device designed to clean off bacteria, food debris, fungi, and dead cells from the surface of your tongue.  The film that develops on your tongue while you sleep is a good indicator of what’s going on inside your body.  It can be clear, thick, white, yellow, brown, or even green.  The bacteria and fungi on the tongue are related to many common oral care and general health problems and can be a leading cause of bad breath for many.

Four Reasons to Scrape Your Tongue Every Day:

1. Improves the breath: Removing the bacteria, food debris, fungi, and dead cells from the tongue significantly reduces the odor from the mouth.  You may have been told to use your toothbrush for this purpose, but brushing the tongue does NOT efficiently remove all of the film that develops on the tongue.  You will be blown away the first time you  do this by the amount of gunk that comes off of the tongue.
2. Improves your ability to taste: Removing build-up from the surface of your tongue will better expose your taste buds.  This will lead to better enjoyment of the flavors of your food.  Ayurveda teaches that the better we enjoy and savor our food, the better our bodies digest and assimilate, leading to better over all health.  Also, Ayurveda teaches that blocked taste buds and tongue receptors interferes with our body’s ability to communicate with our brain about what types of foods we need to maintain our health, leading to false cravings.
3. Avoid toxins being reabsorbed into your body: As you sleep, your body is detoxifying.  Much of the film on your tongue is toxins excreted from your body.  You don’t want to re-ingest that do you?  NO!  Scraping your tongue first thing in the morning will remove this sludge from your tongue and from your body, improving your over all health and improving your immune system.
4. Improves dental health:By removing bacteria and toxins, you are also contributing to better dental health as well, leading to healthier teeth and gums.  The bacteria that you remove from your tongue are responsible for things like periodontal problems, plaque build-up, tooth decay, gum infections, gum recession, and even loss of teeth.

If you would like further information, call Smile Sarasota or ask either of our hygienists the next time you are in for a visit!

It’s easy to improve your breath and keep your teeth and gums healthy at the same time. Try these simple steps to make your mouth feel fresh and clean.

1. Brush and floss more often. 
   Plaque, the sticky buildup on your teeth, collects bacteria that cause bad breath.  Trapped food also adds to the problem. Brush your teeth at least two times each day, and floss at least once. If you’re concerned about your breath, do both a little more often. Don’t overdo things, though. If you brush too hard you can wear down your teeth, making them vulnerable to decay.
2. Rinse your mouth out.
   Besides freshening your breath, a mouthwash adds extra protection by getting rid of bacteria. A fresh minty taste can make you feel good. But be sure the mouthwash you choose kills the germs that cause bad breath. Don’t just cover up the smell. Rinse daily with a good mouthwash and stop bad breath at its source.
   You can also help your breath if you swish your mouth with plain water after you eat. It can get rid of food particles that get stuck in your teeth.
3. Scrape your tongue.
   The coating that normally forms on your tongue can be a host for smelly bacteria. To get rid of them, gently brush your tongue with your toothbrush. If your brush is too big to comfortably reach the back of your tongue, try a scraper. “They’re designed specifically to apply even pressure across the surface of the tongue area. This removes bacteria, food debris, and dead cells that brushing alone can’t  take care of. We have tong scrapers here in the office-ask for one!
4. Avoid foods that sour your breath.
   Onions and garlic are big offenders. But brushing after you eat them doesn’t help.
   The substances that cause their bad smells make their way into your bloodstream and travel to your lungs, where you breathe them out, says dentist Richard Price, DMD, a spokesperson for the American Dental Association.The best way to stop the problem? Don’t eat them, or at least avoid them before you go to work or see friends.
5. Kick the tobacco habit.
   Besides causing cancer, smoking can damage your gums, stain your teeth, and give you bad breath.
   Over-the-counter nicotine patches can help tame the urge. If you need a little help, make an appointment with your doctor to talk about quit-smoking programs or prescription medications that can help you give up tobacco for good.
6. Skip after-dinner mints and chew gum instead.
   The bacteria in your mouth love sugar. They use it to make acid. This wears down your teeth and causes bad breath. Chew sugarless gum instead. Gum stimulates saliva, which is the mouth’s natural defense mechanism against plaque acids, which cause tooth decay and bad breath.
7. Keep your gums healthy.
   Gum disease causes bad breath. Bacteria gather in pockets at the base of teeth, which creates an odor. If you have gum disease, your dentist may suggest you see a periodontist, who specializes in treating it.
8. Moisten your mouth.
   You can get tooth decay and bad breath if you don’t make enough saliva. If your mouth is dry, drink plenty of water during the day. Chew sugarless gum or suck on sugar-free hard candy. Also try a humidifier at night to moisten the air in your house. We can also recommend products especially for extreme dry mouth.
9. Make an appointment with Dr. Still
   If bad breath continues despite your best efforts, make an appointment with Dr. Still. He’ll check to see if your problems are related to a dental or medical condition.

Why do we ask you to do yearly health history updates?

You may have wondered why our office has so many questions on our health history update sheet. And why does the dental staff insist on updating the medical history every time you visit the dental office?

Each of the questions asked on the medical history sheet have specific items that can easily have an effect on the delivery of dental treatment. The body is all connected. That medication you take for some other part of the body can be important for today’s filling or extraction or even cleaning plans.

It may be helpful to briefly discuss some of the more common items that show up on medical history forms.

• Diabetes has become very common in this community. Diabetes might seem pretty disconnected from the teeth. Although diabetes doesn’t usually affect placing a filling very much, it has some real implications on the gums. People with diabetes are more likely to have periodontal problems. The gums become inflamed easier and stay that way more easily than on people without diabetes. This prompts a referral to a periodontist (bone and gum specialist) when problems might not be as severe as if a person did not have diabetes. If a person is getting a tooth extracted, healing often takes longer on a person with diabetes. This means the extraction should be done with an absolute minimum of time spent during the extraction and bony removal should be similarly minimized. Again, diabetes may signal referral to a specialist (oral surgeon) for a particular tooth that Dr. Still would normally extract himself if the patient did not have diabetes.
• Many people have had a knee or hip replaced with an artificial joint. It is widely thought that entrance into the blood system of certain types of bacteria commonly found in the mouth can put these artificial joints at risk of failure in the first two years after they are placed. Because of this, antibiotics are usually prescribed for use an hour before the patient arrives for most dental procedures or a cleaning. It may seem like the knee is a long way from the teeth so there is no need to tell the dentist or dental hygienist about a new knee. However, the knee or hip came at considerable cost, usually after a rather long wait, and with a fair amount of uncomfortable physiotherapy. It would be an unnecessary shame for a new knee or hip to be lost and have to be replaced because the patient decided to not mention its replacement to the dentist. This can all be avoided by telling the Dr. Still about the new knee or hip on the medical history sheet.
• Artificial Heart Valves can have a similar risk as the hip and knee replacements above, but can be much more serious
• Allergies are always a concern, especially medication allergies. An allergy to aspirin makes a prescription for Naprosyn or Ibuprofen (which are in the same medication group as aspirin) impossible. An allergy to Penicillin makes prescription of a whole list of medications impossible. Metal allergies have to be checked out to see precisely which metals are involved in the allergy. A crown or a partial denture placed when a person has an allergy to one of the metals composing the alloy used will certainly be costly and uncomfortable, and could cause more serious problems.
• Autoimmune problems (like lupus or other problems) can cause some unusual signs and symptoms in the mouth that can look like problems that normally require expensive treatment or a specialist visit. If Dr. Still knows you have an autoimmune disorder, it can change what the course of action is on some problems.

As you can see, treatment is complicated in many ways by a medical history that is not complete or is in some other way not accurate. Not knowing a medical history can cause unnecessary visits to the specialist and/or unnecessary risks to the patient. No one benefits if the dentist does not know the patient’s current medical status or medical history. If Dr. Still has a question on the medical history that seems strange, you might want to ask why an answer to that question is needed. From a professional standpoint, the dentist is regulated strictly by law regarding disclosure of any item on a medical history without your consent. Feel free to ask Dr. Still if you have a question or concern about a medical question he has asked you to answer, and please don’t bite the receptionist who asks that you complete it yearly!

DO YOU GRIND YOUR TEETH? You may not even be aware of it! Here are some of the signs and symptoms:

• Tooth sensitivity as enamel is worn away exposing softer, darker-colored dentin.
• Excess grinding of the back teeth can make teeth appear shorter.
• Upper teeth become more angled, thin and translucent, putting them at risk of chipping.
• Facial muscle pain which is exacerbated by chewing, talking or yawning.

It’s a bad habit that can cause headaches, jaw pain, earache, damage to teeth and in some cases even change the shape of your face. However if you are guilty of teeth grinding or clenching the chances are you won’t even be aware you’re doing it as most of us do it subconsciously during sleep.

Work-related stress is the most common reason, particularly for women. When we sleep any worries or concerns we have – even if only in our subconscious mind – can lead to clenching, nocturnal grinding and in some cases temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction (pain and dysfunction of the jaw muscles).

It can also cause headaches and mean that sleep is not as restful as it should be. This can take a toll on the patient’s health and wellbeing.”
It can also be inherited. Yet most people are not aware they do it until their dentist notices tooth wear or a partner complains about the noise.

Bruxism can be responsible for a whole range of symptoms. It can cause tooth discoloration as enamel wears away and in extreme cases even alter the shape of the face as the teeth get shorter and the nose and chin get closer together. If you have porcelain crowns or veneers, continued grinding can actually fracture them.

Teeth grinding can lead to excessive use of the masseter muscles at the back angle of the lower jaw. Continued clenching can cause these muscles to bulk up which can give the face a wider appearance.

So what can be done about it? If the problem is stress related, relaxation techniques such as yoga or hypnosis can help some patients. Dental treatments include mouth guards or bite guards worn at night. They must be custom made and fitted by a Dr. Still. They will not necessarily eradicate the grinding problem completely, however they can preserve the longevity of the teeth.

You may think that as you get older, you’ll lose some of your teeth. You probably know older people who have bridges, dentures or implants to replace missing teeth. It may seem obvious that tooth loss is just another part of aging. It isn’t…neglect is usually the cause of lost teeth.

So what should you do to prevent lost teeth? Just as taking care of your body can keep you active, taking care of your teeth can ensure that you keep them. If your teeth and gums are healthy, there’s no reason for you to lose your teeth.

One of the keys to keeping teeth for a lifetime is to visit a dentist regularly. But many older people don’t. They grew up during a time when preventative dental care was not emphasized. Some may not realize how important it is. They may believe that toothaches, bleeding gums, loose teeth or mouth pain are just part of getting older. In fact, these can be signs of gum disease, or other problems.

Preventative dentistry – regular dental checkups and professional cleanings are important. During an exam, Dr. Still checks for tooth decay, gum disease and oral cancer. Most of our patients visit Smile Sarasota three or four times per year in order to maintain healthy gums and teeth. A lack of dental visits can result in untreated tooth decay and gum disease. Both of these can lead to lost teeth. Missing teeth, toothache or mouth pain also can change how and what you eat. This means you may not get the nutrients you need to stay healthy.

Visiting the dentist is especially important for older people because they may have other medical conditions. These conditions can create dental problems. Hundreds of medicines can cause side effects in your mouth. Some of these, such as dry mouth, can increase the risk of tooth decay or other oral health problems. Saliva is a natural cavity-fighter. It neutralizes acids produced by bacteria that can cause tooth decay. Saliva helps wash away food and bacteria. It also contains minerals that strengthen teeth. Dry mouth reduces saliva. This makes you more vulnerable to cavities. Dr. Still can treat dry mouth and can prescribe fluoride rinses or gels to help keep teeth strong. Older people are more likely to get cavities for other reasons, too. Receding gums can allow acids to get to the roots of teeth and cause cavities. Older fillings can break down. This leaves teeth susceptible to decay.

So what if you have already lost all your teeth? People who have lost all of their teeth often think they don’t need to visit the dentist anymore. But most people without teeth have dentures. Regular dental visits will help to keep dentures in good condition and fitting properly, as well as checking for oral cancer. The bone under your gums changes over time. Dentures that fit fine at one visit may need to be replaced or altered at the next visit.

Oral cancer also affects older people, whether or not they have teeth. Each year, about 8,000 Americans die of oral cancer. More than half of these deaths are in people 65 or older. Smoking and alcohol use also increase the risk of oral cancer. If oral cancer is detected early, it can be treated successfully. Avoiding the dentist makes early detection less likely.

What Else Can You Do?

Brushing and flossing are as important as ever for older people. To keep teeth and gums healthy, brush at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Floss once a day. Some older people may have trouble handling a toothbrush or floss because of arthritis, a disability or an illness. Special toothbrushes and floss holders are available. They have been adapted to be easier to hold. Electric or sonic toothbrush s help. Just ask Dr. Still or one of our hygienists to help you find alternatives to make the job easier.

Dental Floss…It may look like a simple piece of string, but dental floss is so much more! It’s a proven ally in maintaining healthy teeth and gums and helps give your overall health a boost. Do you floss daily? What techniques help you get the most out of your flossing experience, without injury to your gums? Statistics reveal that only 50.5% of Americans follow the recommendation from the American Dental Association (ADA) to floss every day. Some 31 percent report flossing less than daily, and a whopping 18% say they never floss. Yikes!

Why You Should Floss:
Although brushing is an important part of cleaning your teeth, there are areas between your pearly whites that your toothbrush bristles simply can’t reach. Left to linger in these hidden areas, bacteria can flourish. This leads to the formation of plaque, tooth decay, and gum disease.

That’s why daily flossing is imperative. It does more than just remove food debris stuck between your teeth. It also removes the plaque that brushing left behind. If you really want to do what’s best for your smile, it’s time to put an end to excuses. Floss your teeth every day, not just before you visit Smile Sarasota! At Smile Sarasota, Dr. Still, along with our hygienists, Claire and Ann are glad to answer any questions you may have about flossing.

IT’S SUMMER…and there are many good reasons to use sunscreen on your skin and lips. The BEST reason is that you can stop by our Smile Sarasota office and we will give it to you! FREE! YES! Free sunscreen lotion and lip balm, so come on down and get yours! So…What are some of the reasons everyone should wear sunscreen?

1. The ozone layer is depleting and your body needs shielding from harmful rays.
2. It helps to prevent facial brown spots and skin discolorations.
3. It also helps to reduce the appearance of facial red veins and blotchiness. It slows down the development of wrinkled, premature aging skin.
4. Skin cancer rates are on the rise and sunscreen has been proven to decrease the development of skin cancer.

Lip cancer is the most common malignant lesion of the oral cavity, constituting 25-30% of all oral cavity cancer cases and is the second most common malignancy of the head and neck overall (after cutaneous malignancy). Unlike other sub-sites of the oral cavity, sun exposure is a well established risk factor for development of lip cancer. This helps explain why 90% of lip cancers occur on the lower lip, since it has a higher level of sun exposure compared to the upper lip which is shielded by the nose and is angled slightly downwards. So…PLEASE use sunscreen!

There is no difference whatsoever between dental caps and crowns. At Smile Sarasota, Dr. Still does both laboratory crowns and CEREC “Same Day” crowns, depending on the situation.

A crown is a restoration that covers, or “caps,” a tooth to restore it to its normal shape and size, strengthening and improving the appearance of a tooth. Crowns are necessary when a tooth is generally broken down and fillings won’t solve the problem.

If a tooth is cracked, a crown holds the tooth together to seal the cracks so the damage doesn’t get worse. Crowns are also used to restore a tooth when there isn’t enough of the tooth remaining to provide support for a large filling, attach a bridge, protect weak teeth from fracturing, restore fractured teeth or cover badly shaped or discolored teeth.

So…if you have a broken tooth, a broken cap (OR a broken crown), Dr. Adam Still at Smile Sarasota can help!

Source: The Academy of General Dentistry

Smile Sarasota tip: don’t wait until something hurts to call us!! Preventive dentistry is the practice of caring for one’s teeth to keep them healthy. This helps to avoid cavities, gum disease, oral cancer, enamel wear, and more. There are many forms of preventive dentistry, such as daily brushing and regular dental cleanings.

It is far more economic to prevent the problem and head off broken teeth and root canals! Call Smile Sarasota today to schedule your preventative dental checkup!

Everybody feels stress and knows it intimately, but very few of us think about what stress actually is. Stress is a thought. That’s it. No more, no less. If that’s true, then we have complete control over stress, because it’s not something that happens to us but something that happens in us. And when things get out of control, which they do, simply make a gentle U-turn. It’s like a GPS for your soul. Your GPS doesn’t yell at you and call you stupid or judge you for taking a wrong turn. In the sweetest voice imaginable, the GPS reminds you to take the next possible U-turn. Each of us has to find out how to make our own U-turn. Here’s a few suggestions on making U-turns:

1. Move. The best way to burn off the stress hormones without having to change your thinking is to move and sweat. Run, dance, jump, ride, swim, stretch, or skip—do something vigorous and lively. Yoga is also fabulous, as it combines movement and breathing.

2. Breathe. Most of us hold our breath often or breathe swallow, anxious breaths. Deep, slow, full breaths have a profound affect on resetting the stress response, because the relaxation nerve (or vagus nerve and not the Las Vegas nerve) goes through your diaphragm and is activated with every deep breath. Take five deep breaths now, and observe how differently you feel after.

3. Sleep. Lack of sleep increases stress hormones. Get your eight hours no matter what. Take a nap if you missed your sleep. Prioritize sleep.

4. Think Differently. Practice the art of noticing stress, noticing how your thinking makes you stressed. Practice taking deep breaths and letting go of worry.

A while back, one of our hygienists asked the front desk here at Smile Sarasota to research the differences between several kinds of Crest toothpaste. We were amazed at the all the choices – there are 12, and this was just Crest! Retailers sell about 353 types and sizes of toothpaste. In 2010, 69 new kinds of toothpaste were introduced to consumers. (and this was 4 years ago!) Both of these figures actually represent a decrease from previous years, when more than 400 varieties of toothpaste lined store shelves and over 100 new products came out annually! Consider this list:

• 85 different varieties and brands of crackers.
• 285 varieties of cookies.
• 165 varieties of “juice drinks”
• 75 iced teas
• 95 varieties of snacks (chips, pretzels, etc.)
• 61 varieties of sun tan oil and sunblock
• 80 different pain relievers
• 360 types of shampoo, conditioner, gel, and mousse.
• 90 different cold remedies and decongestants.
• 230 soups, including 29 different chicken soups
• 120 different pasta sauces
• 175 different salad dressings and if none of them suited, 15 extra-virgin olive oils and 42 vinegars and make one’s own.
• 275 varieties of cereal

At the time we were researching the toothpaste choices, we were asked by one of our patients to donate toothpaste and toothbrushes for a mission trip he was taking to Cuba, which we were happy to do. When he returned, he reported about the extreme poverty and the fact that the people of Cuba have no choices. “Grocery stores had a very poor variety and selection of products.” This got us thinking about freedom and about how many choices we have compared to other parts of the world.

In his book, The Paradox of Choice – Why More is Less, Barry Schwartz states that in the United States, we live in a time and a place in which freedom and autonomy are valued above all else and in which expanded opportunities for “self-determination” are regarded as a sign of the psychological well-being of individuals and the moral well-being of the culture. And we take choice as the critical sign that we have freedom and autonomy. But he also states that having too many things to choose from often leads to the consumer feeling bewildered when facing the choice, and less satisfied even after making a decision. He cites studies that indicate people are less likely to buy a product when faced with too many choices. Beyond ‘choice paralysis’ caused by too many choices, an abundance of choice is also likely to produce worse decisions because people attempt to simplify the choice to a point where the simplification impedes their ability to make a good choice. Isn’t it strange that having too many choices can actually impede our freedom? Barry’s suggestion for alleviating the anxiety we feel from choices is to voluntarily limit the number of items you consider. The people in Cuba don’t have to worry about that.

Now for the big question: Which toothpaste should you be using? For what can be a confusing shopping decision, the answer, blessedly, is remarkably simple. Just make sure it has fluoride and has the American Dental Association seal. So long as it meets these criteria (and most toothpastes do), the best advice is to pick a toothpaste with a flavor and taste you like, simply because then you’ll be more likely to brush.

And…be thankful for FREEDOM!