Dental Prevention and Maintenance

Many people believe that much of what dentists do is fix broken teeth, fill cavities and treat dental infections.   And this is very true… we do spend a lot of our time addressing these kinds of problems.

Dentistry has changed exponentially over the last decade and continues to change at a rapid pace.  We have seen the introduction many digital technologies that have improved accuracy and success in all aspects of dental treatment.  Materials are stronger and our ability to achieve natural esthetics is truly impressive.  Many procedures are much more comfortable both during and after treatment.

We have also learned how to prevent many dental problems from occurring in the first place.  Products are now available, many of them over-the-counter, that can repair teeth in the early stages of cavity formation and even stop a significant cavity in certain circumstances.   Our understanding of how to keep gums healthy for a life-time has never been better, and we know how to protect teeth from excessive pressure and wear!

At Forman Dental Care we have designed our examination and dental hygiene appointments with a focus on prevention.  Our goal is to make sure each and every one of our patients have the opportunity take advantage of the most advanced preventative products and home-care strategies and to maintain their natural teeth with a minimal of intervention.  We feel it is a true team approach to your care that allows you to benefit the most.

Dental Occlusion and "Occlusal Disease"

Dental occlusion is the coming together of teeth ̶ a meeting of two surfaces made of the hardest stuff in your body and the movement of those surfaces against each other. You likely haven’t dedicated a lot of thinking to the act of moving teeth, because for the majority of us, it just happens. Fortunately, the brain is capable of coordinating 32 teeth and several dozen muscles, letting them move harmoniously even though you aren’t giving the movements any thought. When you’re out for dinner with a friend, this is great. If you are unconsciously grinding your teeth together, though, it’s not so great. Teeth are supposed to last for your entire life, but there are factors that can interfere with the longevity of your teeth.

There are three types of diseases that harm your teeth: decay (cavities), periodontal disease (gum disease), and occlusal disease (destruction of teeth). Many of us are aware – and have firsthand experience - with the treatments, symptoms, and causes of the first two categories. Occlusal disease, however, the aforementioned unconscious and pathological pushing together (or grinding) of the teeth, does not have the same level of awareness. This suggests an underlying issue, because the slow rate of tooth destruction means the signs of damage are usually perceived as nothing out of the ordinary.

In dental school, every dentist is trained to identify and treat decay and periodontal disease types. Dentists are encouraged to “look into the future”, and use their training to suggest pre-emptive solutions and treatments to those disease types, helping reduce negative effects before they escalate. Unfortunately, however, the number of dentists who are trained to “look into the future” for occlusal disease is far fewer in comparison.

Effects of occlusal disease

The following symptoms are linked to occlusal disease: wear, sensitivity, cracks, loose teeth, breaking teeth, sore muscles, painful jaw joints, headaches, acid reflux, breathing disorders, and sleep apnea. Injuries, like chipped teeth, frequently overshadow the actual issue of occlusal disease.

Dr. Forman has dedicated significant resources towards the investing, recognizing, treating, and reversing the negative effects of occlusal disease. If occlusal disease is detected early, your chances of keeping healthy, young teeth in your elderly years increases significantly.

In years past, a majority of seniors used dentures or partials. Now, the number of seniors who use dentures and partials has fallen. Considering that less people are experiencing teeth loss, occlusal disease is becoming more prominent in adult demographics. Many common treatments that adults undergo today could have easily been avoided if occlusal disease was detected and addressed at an earlier point in time.

Silent signs of occlusal disease
As mentioned, occlusal disease can lead to painful, immediate symptoms, but the most severe dangers are the hidden effects that you cannot easily detect. Regardless of whether or not your case of occlusal disease leads to pain, the progressive destruction of your teeth will lead to more serious injury if unaddressed. The body will not always alert you to progress damage, instead, it adapts and normalizes the process of tooth destruction, so it’s not easy to bring a case of neglected occlusal disease back to health.

Dr. Forman often includes an occlusal disease evolution in all of his periodic examinations that commence under his care. Dr. Forman is aware that “looking to the future” means considering the problems that won’t arise for years down the road, and how those problems can be addressed.

Maintaining maximum comfort, function, and esthetics for the lifespan of your teeth requires us to work together and address the diseases that interfere with your life-long, healthy smile. Forgetting to consider those diseases can have a profound negative effect on the big-picture of your dental health, and life. With our cooperation, we can form an unbreakable alliance that will leave occlusion for you, not against you. So get out there and enjoy a relaxing dinner with your friend.

Link Between Oral Health and Heart Health

Oral health is important for your overall health! Many people are living with gum disease and don't even know it! Often patients feel fine as gum disease is not painful and they avoid going to the dentist.

Today, I am going to discuss how your oral health can affect your heart health.

Studies have found people with gum disease in moderate to advanced stages are at a greater risk for heart disease than someone with healthy gums. The spread of bacteria is what links oral health and heart disease. The bacteria in your mouth travels from your mouth to other parts of your body through the blood stream. When the bacteria from your mouth travels through the blood stream it attaches to areas of the heart causing inflammation. Endocarditis is an infection of the inner lining of the heart, this can occur from the bacteria in your mouth traveling to the heart.

People with chronic gingivitis and periodontal disease (gum disease) have a high risk for heart disease caused from poor oral health. Especially if the oral health condition is unmanaged.

What to look for in your mouth to help determine if you have gum disease:

Dental Health for Seniors

Today, life expectancy is longer than ever before.  Many of us can expect to live active and vibrant lives well into our golden years.  Through exercise and healthy living our bodies are able to help us continue to enjoy many of the activities that we love; although maybe at a slower pace!

As part of your health care team, we at Forman Dental do our best to make sure your teeth and mouth can keep pace with your active lifestyle and not slow you down or get in the way. 

By far, the most successful approach to ensure your teeth and mouth can keep up with your active lifestyle as you get older is 1) great home care with brushing and flossing  2) Maintain you professional hygiene appointments - 3 to 4 month intervals is ideal 3) Use a grinding appliance if recommended 4) Be aware of how your medications can affect your mouth – individual recommendations will be helpful in many cases.

Many of our patients avoid having dental work done while they are younger for reasons of cost and time or are not motivated because many significant changes occur slowly over time and do not hurt, only to find that problems become magnified with age.  Often at an older age it
is difficult medically to have certain treatments or physically it is tough to be in the dental chair for extended time periods.  Some patients will even reason that “I am too old to spend the money because I won’t be around long enough”.  As a result, rather than being active and vibrant many patients suffer quietly and don’t enjoy life the way they could.  Proper oral function including chewing, talking and smiling are vital for overall health and well-being.  Without good nutrition it is easy to decline at an older age.

Our philosophy at Forman Dental is to encourage our patients to work to make their mouth stable by the time they are 65yrs old.  Our definition of stable is “to require very little dental work, if at all, other than maintenance “.  This is entirely possible but does require some effort and planning.   

If you think it is time to do some long term planning for your mouth please give us a call.  Please also remember if you have an aging parent, sibling or other friend or relative that they may be great at getting to medical appointments while dental care is often forgotten. A great question to ask is when they last had their teeth and gums checked?