How to save time and money with an “instant” crown

Posted on September 6, 2010 by Simon Wenley

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Cerec Crowns are made by utilizing the latest computer technology. Ever wondered how all the movies have these amazing special effects and new fantastic characters? In the Lord of the Rings, Golem was awesome. He was so life like, and moved with a fluid motion of real humans. Well it’s done using Computer Aided design (Cad/Cam). Computers are used to create images that are so life like, giving you something awe inspiring and wonderful. Remember the battle scenes in Lord of the Rings, all were computer generated using computer-aided design.

Now this technology is in dentistry! The dentists have a machine that will create life like restorations for you instantly. It uses Cad/Cam; the dentist will prepare your tooth for an optical image. This is taken using a special camera. The image then appears on a special computer and is projected in virtual 3-d. The image can then be manipulated in any way to create you a restoration that is customized personally to your tooth. This information is then beamed to a special robotic machine on site and is milled out of a block of porcelain, which can then be placed in your tooth. It gives you something as close to your natural tooth as our current technology will allow.

What does Cerec do?
It enables the dentists to make any kind of porcelain restoration whether it is from crowns to veneers to inlays in one appointment! That’s right you walk out with your finished restoration on the same day! A traditional crown involves at least two dental visits – the first to prepare the tooth, make an impression to send off to a dental technician and to make a temporary crown; the second visit to remove the temporary crown and fit the new permanent crown – the time in between can vary from one to two weeks.
No longer is dentistry looked on as archaic. The days of drilling are numbered. Computers have and will continue to revolutionize the way we treat our patients. Dentists can now offer treatment that is comfortable, predictable and affordable.

Cerec crowns can be stronger than dental fillings
Another advantage is the dentist can be a lot more conservative on the tooth structure when preparing the tooth for strengthening. A tooth needs strengthening when it has large fillings in them. A dental filling just covers a hole in the tooth, but doesn’t help it structurally. So now it has a high chance of breaking. Traditionally to strengthen the tooth we use a crown. This restoration encases the tooth and binds it together. When we crown a tooth we have to be quite aggressive in removing tooth structure so that the crown can fit in our patients bite. A lot of the time healthy tooth tissue is needed to be removed to achieve this. Using Cerec (TM) Cad/Cam all we need to do is remove the old amalgam or composite, and any fractured tooth. We leave all the rest of the tooth alone. We then scan the image of this into our computer, and let it do its magic. It comes up with a suggested shape for the restoration in minutes! And then makes it.

Conventional crowns are made by layering porcelain and on occasion can get delamination of these layers leading to crown fracture. A restoration from Cerec(TM) uses porcelain from one solid block. It is stronger with no chance of delamination.
Because they are made out of porcelain they are beautiful and look natural.

For people who want to replace their mercury amalgam fillings, Cerec crowns are an ideal solution.

Making a cerec crown in just over one hour!

Click here to learn more cadcam cerec

Instant digital X-rays that are low in radiation
Dentists can now take digitally enhanced x-rays that immediately come up on computer screens. No waiting around for them. The panoramic, digitally enhanced X-ray has the ability to take x-rays that scan your whole face and jaws. These accurately help diagnose wisdom tooth pain, sinus trouble, and any jaw pathology. I can’t remember the amount of times we’ve taken these x-rays as a routine and found cysts and cancers which were symptom less! All are instant and very importantly low in radiation up to 90% less than conventional dental x-rays.

The days of drilling and filling are numbered. Computers have and will continue to revolutionize the way we treat our precious patients. We can now offer treatment that is comfortable predictable and affordable and in the same stroke we can have fun.

So how do you avoid paying the high cost of dental crowns? Don’t put off your dental visit – regular check-ups save you money and needless pain. Find a mercury free dentist who uses intra-oral cameras, digital x-rays and cad/cam systems so that you can become involved with your oral health.

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Dental fillings without drilling

Posted on August 15, 2010 by Simon Wenley

The majority of people do not like going to visit their dentist, let alone like getting dental fillings.

The two main reasons are:

1) they are usually in pain and are expecting more pain from filling and drilling, and

2) they are worried about how much money it is going to cost them.

Can you imagine how a dentist feels; most people do not like going to see them!

What is microdentistry?
So can microdentistry using dental lasers (also known as Minimally Invasive Dentistry – MID for short) help?  Yes, it can with a proviso – that people make regular visits to the dental office every 6 to 12 months.  Many people are not aware that dental decay does not cause pain until the final stages.  Just like the advice given for cancer early detection is the best protection  so it is for dental decay.

Microdentistry treats decay early (when it is very tiny) before it becomes painful and causes major tooth damage resulting in very tiny dental fillings.  This is low-cost cosmetic dentistry!

My job as a dentist is to give you an oral assessment (digital x-rays, laser diagnostics and physical oral examination) to determine whether microdentistry or traditional dentistry will be required for your oral health.

Traditional (macro) dentistry means those high pitched whining drills and face numbing anaesthetic.  Although many people cannot avoid traditional dentistry, most can benefit from microdentistry procedures that make your dental experience more pleasurable than you may have ever experienced in the past.

Microdentistry is the practise of early detection and early treatment with minimally invasive revolutionary methods.

Pain Free Waterlase Dentistry – 1 minute video

Lasers are in dentistry!

You see them everywhere else. In movies like Star Wars, James Bond, and in the surgery – corrective eye surgery and for treating skin disorders to name a couple. The reason they are used is that they are pinpoint accurate and offer the best healing. And now they are in dentistry. To get corrective eye surgery would you go to an eye surgeon who will cut with a scalpel blade or who will treat with a laser?

What is it? Laser stands for light amplification and it enables us to focus light energy to use as a tool for cutting. Because we can focus light to any size we can ensure unparallel accuracy.

The Kavo Diagnodent (TM) is a hand held low power laser. It is used to pick up hidden decay. This hides deep in the enclosed fissures in your tooth. The Diagnodent shines in the tooth and illuminates it. It gets a refection of the light and gives the dentist a reading between 1 and 100. The dentist can then advise you on how bad the decay is in your tooth and what to do about it. It reads a number of things in your tooth. Two important parameters it reads are amount of tooth destruction, and amount the activity of the bacteria, which causes the decay. It is extremely accurate. Trials have shown it to be 99% accurate. In the same trials the traditional way of picking up decay on your tooth by picking at your teeth with the probe (that instrument the dentists love to use to poke and prod your tooth!) is about 25% accurate. So you might as well toss a coin because this will give you a 50% chance of getting it right!

Laser diagnostic equipment enables us to find cavities and even potential cavities, that traditional manual dental probes and X-rays would often miss. This means early treatment and repair before the pain sets in and before major repair work would be required. Regular dental visits involving our diagnostic laser equipment will ensure healthier teeth and in many cases – pain free fillings! You will save time, money AND pain! Everyone benefits from early detection oral assessments.

This technology has enabled me to become a “mercury amalgam free” dentist.

Please note: Microdentistry cannot be used to remove old amalgam, porcelain or metal fillings. Traditional macro dentistry applies in these cases. And it is important that safe amalgam removal procedures are provided.

Water laser offers a gentle alternative to a wide variety of dental treatments. Fillings last longer and tooth structure is preserved, extending the life of your teeth. Most of all it is a generally pain free treatment.

Water laser uses a Hydrokinetic (TM) process to energise water which then gently and precisely washes away decay in both tooth enamel and gum tissue. Fast, efficient, no drilling and sometimes no more numbing injections!

The Biolase (TM) Water Laser is a high power laser used for all aspects of dental surgery. It is a laser that utilises water to perform cutting procedures. What happens is laser energy is passed through a mist of water spray. As the water particles are energised by the laser energy they shoot forward and hit the target tissue. Since the majority of mouth tissue cells are made up of water they make a perfect target. The water particles hit the cells and evaporate the cells water contents and the cells collapse. Sounds very gentle eh? It is! Consider the alternative. Picture in your mind what a scalpel blade or a drill will do to the same cells- pure destruction!
So what can this wonderful tool be used for? “It can be used in every aspect of dentistry”. We can now do fillings without much fuss. There is no vibration or heat caused in the tooth. This is a major advantage over the drill. When a drill hits a tooth it causes fracture lines on entry point through the enamel. Over times these fracture lines propagate (like cracks in your windshield) and cause the tooth or fillings to break – sound familiar? Also the high speed drill causes heat. This coupled with the vibration causes a lot of the pain you feel when going to the dentist. The laser has none of this! That is why a lot of dental fillings can now be prepared without the need for Local Anaesthetic!

All soft tissues (surgical) procedures can be carried out. The greatest advantage is the faster healing time after the procedures. A lot of the time there is no pain or even trace of trauma after surgical procedures. A good example is gum re-contouring. Traditionally a scalpel blade and stiches are used. You have the stiches in for 1 week and have to allow for complete healing in about 3 weeks. The laser requires no stiches and in some cases healing is on the day!

Cold sore and ulcers can now be ‘lased’ closed. This has immediate relief and also gives a faster healing time. The dental water laser treatment can help with gum disease by cleaning the infection under the gums.

Air abrasion technology uses compressed air to remove decay with a high speed stream of microscopic particles. Like the water laser treatment, this process does not usually require an anaesthetic.

Microdentistry does not weaken the structure of the tooth as can often occur with traditional (macro) drilling, because less of the tooth needs to be removed. The dentist wears magnifying glasses to work at the micro levels.

What about gum disease and microdentistry?

Four out of five adults have gum disease. Not only does this initially result in bleeding gums and bad breath but eventually will result in bone deterioration and loss of teeth. Now with water laser treatment we can at last treat gum disease effectively and with regular treatment, bone regeneration can sometimes result.

Microdentristry is great for children

The best investment you can make in your children and young people’s oral health is to ensure microdentistry is part of their regular checkups.
Many people benefit from microdentistry. Plus if you combine microdentistry with decay prevention procedures you can be confident about your oral health. You no longer have to fear going to the dentist.

Don’t put off your dental visit – regular check-ups save you money and needless pain.  Find a mercury free dentist who uses intra-oral cameras and digital x-rays so that you can become involved with your oral health.

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Safe mercury amalgam removal

Posted on August 15, 2010 by Simon Wenley

Does your dentist still place mercury amalgam fillings? I am a dentist who is passionate about helping people have healthy and attractive teeth and gums.

One way of making teeth attractive is the safe removal of old and ugly mercury amalgam fillings. But did you know that there are protocols to follow to remove amalgam safely? Not only is it important to be mercury free, but also to remove mercury amalgam safely.

View the Safe Amalgam Removal Protocols that I use here

The safe mercury amalgam removal protocols I follow include IV Vitamin C, rubber dam and a separate oxygen source. I have been doing these procedures for over 5 years, resulting in many happy patients.  To support your immune system,  I recommend advanced quality broad-spectrum nutritional supplements  that contain  the full spectrum of vitamins, chelated minerals, antioxidants including Vitamin D3.

I also recommend a follow-up appointment with a natural therapist for an Hg Detox program following safe amalgam removal.

No matter which way you look at it,  Mercury amalgam fillings are not attractive.

Now there are better alternatives on the market and different options to suit your budget.

I stopped placing amalgam fillings in 1995 and I remove amalgam fillings using safe protocols. I am a mercury free dentist.

The Dangers of Dental Amalgam (Mercury poisoning, Silver fillings)

The Beautiful Truth Part 4

And yes, there is still controversy surrounding the toxic nature of mercury being placed in our teeth.  Hal Huggins has been a person who has campaigned against the use of mercury as a dental filling material.

Tom McGuire has set up an educational website to inform the public on dental health issues.

Mercury Madness - a website to help inform people about the menace of mercury.

In New Zealand Juliet Pratt has been campaigning to the Government to ban mercury amalgam dental fillings.

One of the issues that doesn’t get discussed so much is the failure of amalgam fillings. They may last a long time but in the process, I have found that due to the expansion and contraction of the metal that has been placed in heavily carved out teeth, the tooth structure cracks and breaks after a period of time. By that stage, it is best to repair with an “instant” porcelain crown rather than another filling.

So not only do the amalgam fillings look ugly, they may cause damage to our teeth.

Safely removing amalgam fillings can be a time consuming job depending on the number of amalgam filled teeth and where they are positioned.

When patients can give me 30 minutes of their time, I take photos of the mouth using a digital camera – then I discuss and create a treatment plan.

To discuss safe amalgam removal contact the dental office now for an appointment.

Don’t put off your dental visit – regular check-ups save you money and needless pain.  Find a mercury free dentist who uses intra-oral cameras and digital x-rays so that you can become involved with your oral health.

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How to reduce your dental expenses

Posted on July 26, 2010 by Simon Wenley

One of the biggest excuses that we have for not attending dental check-ups is “it’s too expensive”.

We also have the perception that if there is no pain, then everything is OK.  However, dental disease is like cancer – it is totally painless in its early stages.

I am about to tell you what you can do to avoid paying for the high cost of dental treatment.

In New Zealand when we own a car that is over 3 years old, we have to take it for 6 monthly WOF check-ups.  Now we might not use a car every day, but we do use our mouth every day – for talking and for chewing our food.  That’s a lot of mileage going on in our mouths. So it would be reasonable to take our mouths along to our dentist for a regular six and in most cases, twelve month check-up.  Right?

Here is a list of things that your dentist will check with you while you are lying back in the dental chair:

  1. Ask you a few questions to determine how happy you are with the state of your mouth
  2. Examine your teeth with a hand mirror
  3. Take a digital X-ray that can then be displayed on a computer screen so that you and the dentist can discuss any problems that may be apparent.  The dentist may also use an intra-oral camera to display your mouth onto a computer screen. This way, you can see what the dentist sees which gives you a greater understanding of any problems that may be there.
  4. If the problem is small, fix it straight away.  For instance:
  • if decay is found while it is micro – the dentist can remove the decay with air abrasion or dental water laser and then fill using a tooth-coloured composite filling material (this has enabled me to make my office mercury-free)
  • if a tooth is broken or a mercury-amalgam filling has failed and cannot be fixed with filling material, then an “instant” porcelain crown can be made and placed within one appointment
  • if there is evidence of gum disease and/or tooth decay, then “bad” bacteria levels can be checked and a program put into place to reduce the “bad” bacteria

5.  If the problem is big, then a treatment plan can take into account your financial situation as well as your dental health priorities.

6.   And you may have no problems, in which case you may just opt for a clean and polish!

Unfortunately, I am seeing quite a few young people who are in their late 20’s, and early 30’s who have not been coming in for regular dental check-ups.  They seem to think that once they finish high school, they no longer need dental check-ups!  This is a disaster.  Instead of the dentist finding and treating any problems while they are small or the dentist advising on home oral care, the young people end up having big and expensive problems that could have been avoided.  No wonder people think dental visits are expensive!

So how do you avoid paying the high cost of dental treatment? Don’t put off your dental visit – regular check-ups save you money and needless pain.  Find a mercury free dentist who uses intra-oral cameras and digital x-rays so that you can become involved with your oral health.

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Amalgam Alternatives

Posted on July 25, 2010 by Simon Wenley

AMALGAM ALTERNATIVES  and HIGH TECH DENTISTRY  for YOU

At “The Dentists” in Hillsborough I believe in advanced dental technologies and thinking to achieve great results for the convenience and comfort for you, our client.

Amalgam has been the cornerstone of dentistry for over 150 years and is still widely used.  I firmly believe that Mercury Amalgam fillings should be avoided and provide the safe removal of mercury amalgam fillings,  if you are concerned about your general well being.

Safe removal of mercury amalgam fillings

I have a special interest in the safe removal of amalgam fillings, and the placement of biologically compatible, durable, tooth coloured restorations. Safe protocols are followed in accordance with IAOMT* protocol including Mandatory rubber dam, alternative oxygen supply available,  sequential removal and referral sources for additional detox.  Intravenous Vitamin C  during amalgam removal is also an option.

Dangers of Mercury Based Amalgam Fillings and How to Remove Them – 3 minute video

Mercury Madness - a website to help inform people about the menace of mercury.

Ceramic restorations (Porcelain) are often used to restore broken and heavily filled teeth. These beautiful tooth coloured restorations are very biological compatible and can be completed in one visit, using advanced high tech  computer/cad systems to design and mill the restoration which could be a crown or inlay filling.   This is High technology at its best. It offers convenience and is quicker and cheaper than using a dental lab. This is win-win technology. (Conventional ceramic restorations require two appointments usually two weeks apart which often involves an extra unplanned appointment to have the temporary filling put back.)

Laser therapy is technology that has many beneficial applications. Although it cannot remove amalgam it can be used to remove early decay, generally in a painless non invasive manner that is kind to teeth. The laser greatly reduces the risk of later tooth fracture as opposed to conventional methods of decay removal, which can cause micro fractures in teeth that can result in tooth breaking later in life .

My motto is: “Find it Early (Tooth Decay) treat it small”. Break the cycle of large fillings that result in a lifetime of ongoing treatment.

Are you a “DENTAL PHOBIC”? 1 in 10 people are so you are not alone. Dental phobia can be a very cruel condition as it often results in people not seeking dental help at the earliest stages of need. This can have some very dior consequences not just for teeth but also for general health. Emotion can have a greater control over logic. When something breaks it should be seen before it hurts. Let logic prevail with the knowledge that help is available by way of intravenous sedation with years of experience I can offer Intravenous sedation to carry out the dentistry you need. Don’t let fear get in the way.

Don’t put off your dental visit – regular check-ups save you money and needless pain.  Find a mercury free dentist who uses intra-oral cameras and digital x-rays so that you can become involved with your oral health.

* International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology.

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How to recognize, treat and prevent Gum Disease

Posted on July 25, 2010 by Simon Wenley

Gum disease is a disease of inflammation. It is probably along with tooth decay, the most common infectious disease inflicting humans’ worldwide. Four out of five people have gum disease! If your gums bleed when you brush your teeth or even eat crunchy foods then you have gum disease.

In this photo you can see calculus behind the lower front teeth – resulting in inflammation of the gums, forcing gum recession, bone loss, loose teeth and contributing to toxic load to the body.

What is gum disease?

Gum disease is:

1.      Painless

2.      Can affect your general health

3.      Can result in losing your teeth from loss of bone  (Periodontal Disease)

4.      Can contribute to the overall toxic load to the body from the toxins of inflammation leading to early death most commonly from heart disease and stroke.

What causes gum disease?  It is simply caused by bacteria that build up on the teeth around the gum line. This bacterium is called plaque. Often this plaque absorbs calcium and phosphate “salts” dissolved in the saliva. This then forms a hard deposit called ‘calculus’ also known as ‘Tarter’.

Gums that bleed are not normal

As a dentist I see this sort of picture nearly every day. Most people know they have this build up but think it is normal. They also know they have bleeding gums and because it is painless and occurs the entire time, think it is normal and healthy. IT IS NOT ONLY NOT NORMAL BUT VERY UNHEALTHY.

Teeth need to be brushed thoroughly

The crazy thing is plaque can be kept under control. Most of us are poor at brushing our teeth well. We go into automatic mode, walk around; some even brush their teeth in the shower to save time. Even if you think you are doing a good job by brushing twice a day, you may not being doing a thorough job. Very few clean in-between their teeth on a daily basis with dental floss or special interdental spiral brushes or even dental wood sticks. If the plaque can be controlled then the ‘tarter’ will not form.

A good dentist is one who talks to his clients. Our job is to educate and inform. Doing a good job of keeping teeth clean requires “Coaching”. We are creatures of habit when we brush we will miss in the same places every time, probably use the same number of brush strokes every time, spend the same amount of time every time. The fact is a dentist can get a bird’s eye view of your teeth and see all the areas that are not cleaned. Let’s change our view of how you regard your dentist. A good dentist is a “COACH” – a tooth coach.

Gum disease is the main cause of tooth loss. (4 minute video)

Dental coaching can resolve gum disease

I have been coaching a lovely Dutch lady for the past 4 years. At her first visit her gums were in a very sorry state with lots of bleeding, recession and “Tarter”. My initial feeling was she was going to lose all her teeth as there was considerable loss of bony support and gum recession. I told her with my help (initially with the dental water laser to treat the infections under the gums) and her hard work paying attention to detail, we could turn this problem. I said don’t regard me as just your dentist, but as your tooth coach. I have been seeing her on a 3 monthly basis for the last 3-4 years.

When she comes in she has a big smile and says “Hallo Coach, what mark will you score me out of 10 today?” It has taken nearly 3 years but her last visit I scored her 9.98. She was over the moon. No longer does she have any bleeding gums. Her teeth have stopped being mobile and the gums are nice and pink and not red and angry looking. There is no reason for her to lose her teeth from “gum disease”. And who knows, her life expectancy has probably also been extended.

The good news for many is that once the symptoms of gum disease (and tooth decay) are treated then the cause of the disease can be treated (Bad Bugs). There is a lot of current research being carried out in this field and a group of researchers from America have developed a program of mouth washes to shift the balance from the bad Bacteria to the good Bacteria. These mouth rinses are only available at dental surgeries. We now assess patients’ risk factors. The risk groups are simply low, medium, high and extreme.

What are the major factors that cause gum disease?

It is established that plaque and tarter are the sole cause of Gum Disease. This is mainly due to poor dental hygiene i.e. not brushing and flossing teeth thoroughly. Sometimes using an electric tooth brush can change bad brushing habits. Or changing the brand of toothpaste – whatever it takes to clean teeth thoroughly will help to resolve gum disease.

There are however contributing co-factors that can make the disease process worse. Here is a list in no particular order:

1. Poor Nutritional status as in a heavy loading of refined carbohydrate and high GI foods e.g. sugary foods and foods made from refined white flour, processed foods and take-aways, sugary drinks and energy drinks.

2. Lack of some vitamins especially Vitamin D.  Gums seem to be worse in the winter months when we don’t get as much sunlight. Sunlight stimulates Vitamin D production.  I recommend (and use myself) advanced quality broad-spectrum nutritional supplements to support your immune system and that contain  the full spectrum of vitamins, chelated minerals, antioxidants including Vitamin D3.

3. Depression.

4. Diabetes both Type 1 and Type 2

5. Some medically prescribed drugs that can dry up saliva e.g some of the blood pressure tablets and anti-psychotic drugs as well as recreational drugs

6. Smoking – This is a big one

In conclusion gum disease is destructive and very unhealthy and can contribute to premature death. On a brighter note it is controllable with good home care and regular dental visits to a caring dentist to get re-motivated to start flossing again (that you gave up, after running out of dental floss, after you were fired up after your previous dental visit).

Go see your Dental Coach regularly.  Don’t put off your dental visit – regular check-ups save you money and needless pain.  Find a mercury-free, mercury-safe dentist who uses intra-oral cameras and digital x-rays so that you can become involved with your oral health. I recommend getting gum disease resolved before considering cosmetic dentistry.

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How good Oral Health promotes longevity

Posted on July 25, 2010 by Simon Wenley

Does the state of our oral health determine how long we live?

Is longevity important to you? How does oral health fit in with longevity? Ok, not all of us want to live to a ripe old age. For those of us who do, we know what to do, don’t we?   We know there is not just one strategy or magic bullet.  We also know that even though people are living longer, we are not necessarily healthy and we are being propped up by the medical industry.

It is recognised that most people enjoying good health, live longer and have a better quality of life than those who don’t, often attributing their well-being to a balanced lifestyle and good nutrition.

What are the guidelines for a long and healthy life?

I would assume the guidelines would include meditating/resting, no smoking, no recreational drugs and no or very little alcohol. Believe it or not, we can still have fun and have a healthy lifestyle! But one factor frequently overlooked by many people is the importance of our oral health and dental hygiene: if the symptoms of dental disease are undiagnosed or ignored, this can have a detrimental effect on overall health.

Doctors Gerald and Monica Lewis (Dietary Supplements Creating Expensive Urine or a Key to Modern Medicine?) recommend three simple guidelines for a healthy long life:

1. Do some exercise most days.

2. Eat as well as you can – with as few preservatives and poisons in the food

3. Daily for life, take a good comprehensive multivitamin/multi-mineral table plus omega-3 fish oil.

Further Healthy Aging information – Helen Wenley provides free Healthy Aging resources to women 40+ who want to live life to the full and stay young longer.

Oral health – the missing link

Many people overlook the fact that good oral health is vital for our general body health.

There are many ways in which poor oral health compromises the human body. The two main ones are gum (periodontal) disease and tooth decay. These infections can occur separately or together. Gum disease and tooth decay are caused by poor oral hygiene (dentists recommend brushing teeth at least twice a day and flossing at least once a day) combined with “bad” micro-organisms. These live in dental plaque on the teeth above and below the gum line (hence the advice to brush and the floss!).

Of the two, gum disease (especially advanced-form periodontitis) is much more harmful to overall health than tooth decay.

Bacteria are the main culprits in dental decay and it is now thought that some viruses are also involved in the disease process. These micro-organisms produce acids and toxins causing inflammation in the gums and thus in the body’s circulation system, exposing the body to virulent strains of numerous bacteria.

Poor diet, smoking, vitamin deficiency (Vitamin D deficiency is a known factor in gum disease) and toxic substances such as mercury can further compound dental disease. (I recommend advanced quality broad-spectrum nutritional supplements to support your immune system and that contain  the full spectrum of vitamins, chelated minerals, antioxidants including Vitamin D3.)

Scientific studies links gum diseases to life-threatening diseases

Gum disease is a painless disease which, if left untreated, will persist for many years with possible dire consequences.

Recent findings have shown untreated periodontal (gum) disease:

* Contributes to respiratory disease – the oral cavity can act as a reservoir for respiratory pathogens. These pathogens have been found in plaque in deep periodontal pockets.

* Increases the risk of heart attack by 25% – people with advanced periodontitis had a 25% increased risk of coronary heart disease

* Increases the risk of stroke by a factor of ten – toxins from bacteria can be associated with chronic infections associated with strokes

* Increase severity of diabetes – it has been long known diabetes affects periodontal health, it has now been shown the reverse is also true; periodontal disease can affect diabetes. Severe periodontal disease can increase the risk of poor glycemic control. Within diabetics, it has shown those with good oral hygiene are less likely to suffer stroke, transient ischemic attack and angina or myocardial infarct.

* Reduces life expectancy

* Lowers resistance to other infections

* Contributes to low pre-term birth weights – studies have suggested 18% or all pre-term low birth weight cases may be attributable to periodontal disease.

* Severely stresses the immune system – the more serious the infection, the longer it lasts and the more the immune system is affected. The immune system can be so compromised its ability to fight infection and other degenerative diseases like cancer are seriously diminished.

Dental infections, especially long term periodontal disease and infected tooth roots can have a negative effect on the immune system to such an extent it jeopardises medical treatment.

Regular dental check-ups are good for total body health.

Regular check-ups every 6 to 12 months ensure that the painless oral health diseases are picked up before they become painful and serious.

If your gums bleed when brushing then that is not healthy. Make sure you have a friendly dentist taking care of your health.

Gum disease and tooth decay can be treated using microdentistry – dental water lasers and air abrasion. Dental decay can be prevented.  Don’t put off your dental visit – regular check-ups save you money and needless pain.  Find a mercury free dentist who uses intra-oral cameras and digital x-rays so that you can become involved with your oral health.

Video to watch

In the following 10 minute video, Doctor Gerald Lewis asks “Should we be taking nutritional supplements?”.  I recommend taking advanced quality nutritional supplements to support a healthy immune system.

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How to prevent dental tooth decay

Posted on July 25, 2010 by Simon Wenley

Dental tooth decay is a pandemic disease that has been ongoing for at least 300 years. Can it be stopped?

Isn’t it amazing that the disease of dental tooth decay has been recognized for several thousand years and is these days a pandemic disease?  We have all heard the word pandemic in 2009 to describe swine flu (h1N1).

Decay in teeth has been described as being pandemic for at least 3oo years or more. It is a disease that shows no sign of abating let alone being cured. In today’s world it is a disease that seems to be increasing.

All the factors that are increasing the incidence of Type 2 Diabetes are also driving tooth decay. It costs us money and causes considerable misery from the very young to the elderly. And it keeps dentists working! Until tooth decay is under control, proceeding with any cosmetic dentistry may be futile.

So what drives tooth decay and why after thousands of years is there no cure?

Tooth decay is caused by bacteria that live in our mouths and LOVE acid. Many of the foods we eat and drink keep our mouths in an acid state. We do have good bacteria in our mouths, and they like the alkaline environment but they don’t get a chance to be in charge because the bad “bugs “rule.

Yes tooth decay is preventable

But it requires a bit of medicine to prevent tooth decay. Dentists tell our patients to brush and floss for a healthy mouth, but these actions are not enough to prevent cavities. The good news is even people who “always seem to have cavities” can be turned from high or extreme risk to low or even no risk.

Dentistry can now provide a simple test that gives a measure of the bad bacteria we have. This test can be carried out in just a few minutes in the dental surgery from a scraping of plaque from the teeth. A program of special mouthwashes only available from dentists can then be prescribed to change the bacteria from the acid loving “bad bugs” to the alkaline loving “good bugs “. Also cutting down on foods that create acid in our mouth is very important.

More detail about bacteria testing is available here

Getting a tooth decay prevention program into schools

In Australia there have been several programs that have been put into place in some schools with screening to measure the bad bacteria and then the program of mouthwashes, then further screening to measure the level of bad bacteria. The results have been stunning in schools where tooth decay was epidemic to now virtually none. What a pity our New Zealand Government can’t put such a program into our schools here. It is cheaper to prevent the disease than treat the affects of the disease.

Jan’s story

I had a new recent patient named Jan. Jan was in her late 30,s and had not visited a dentist in 4 years. Her dental examination revealed 5 brand new cavities. There was also evidence that Jan was always in trouble with her teeth as she had lots of fillings done over the years due to tooth decay.

In short Jan was upset. She stated that every time she goes to the dentist she needs lots of fillings. She also said she brushed and flossed her teeth regularly and she regarded her diet as being fairly healthy.

She said that her previous dentist had made her feel guilty because she always needed fillings and she felt that the previous dentist was blaming her for the problem. Further questions revealed that Jan’s mother had had terrible problems with her teeth and her brothers and sisters also had ongoing dental problems.

You would not believe the look on her face when I told her that the problem was not her fault.

Bad Bacteria is the cause of dental disease

I explained that tooth decay is not the disease; it is the symptom of the disease. The disease is infectious bad Bacteria. These Bad Bugs get passed on from family member to family member. We all have both good bugs and bad bugs in our mouths. This is called a “Biofilm” and is a massive community of millions of bacteria. It is like a city of good Guys and bad Guys and in Jan’s case the bad guys are winning. We get ongoing tooth decay (Cavities) when the bad bugs take control. Fillings are only treating the symptoms of the disease and do not treat the disease.

The good news for Jan was that once the symptoms of the disease are treated (Cavities) then the cause of the disease can be treated (Bad Bugs). There is a lot of current research being carried out in this field and a group of researchers from America have developed a program of mouth washes to shift the balance from the bad Bacteria to the good Bacteria. These mouth rinses are only available at dental surgeries.

We now assess patients’ risk factors. The risk groups are simply low, medium, high and extreme.

The important factor for good on going dental health is regular dental visits.  Don’t put off your dental visit – regular check-ups save you money and needless pain.  Find a mercury free dentist who uses intra-oral cameras and digital x-rays so that you can become involved with your oral health.

Further Reading about tooth decay

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