Are second opinions a good idea?
I remember the first time a patient told me she wanted to get a second opinion. I had told her she needed to have four teeth removed in order to correct her malocclusion. I was offended that she did not trust my judgment, but I bit my tongue and told her a second opinion was an excellent idea. She came back after having my treatment plan confirmed, and we successfully treated her. She was kind enough to allow me to show her records to other patients and at seminars. After that incident, I always encouraged a patient who had questions to get a second opinion. In fact, I told them that if a second opinion differed, they needed to get a third opinion. If you ever have a question about your treatment or care (dental or medical) get a second opinion. If your doctor gets upset because you are concerned, you know you made a good decision.
Oral Piercing and Dentistry
Did you know that administering anesthesia for tongue piercing is not in the scope of practice for a dentist? So, if the pride of your life comes to you and wants his/her tongue pierced, you can tell them they are going to have to grin and bear it. Their dentist will not/should not help out. A recent dental article pointed out that individuals wearing a metal "dumbbell" in their tongue will chip their teeth significantly if it is worn for a few years. In cases like this, you can see why they named these things "dumbbell".
Is poor oral health related to cardiovascular disease?
Here is a quick definition of poor oral health for the layperson. If you have a lot of plaque built up, stains on your teeth, or swollen gums that bleed easily when brushing, you definitely have poor oral health. In order to save you from falling asleep reading a bunch of statistics, the Journal of Periodontology concluded that subjects (I would have called them patients) with poor oral health appear to be at risk of death from cardiovascular disease. The relationship is particularly strong in combination with smoking. This does not mean you are going to die if you do not have good tooth brushing habits. It does mean that over a long period of time a greater number of people with poor oral health died of cardiovascular disease earlier than those people who had good oral health. Bacterial endocarditis is much more prevalent in people with poor oral health.
Grapefruit juice and its interaction with medications
According to the Mayo Clinic, grapefruit juice can interact with a number of medications. One fifth of all Americans drink grapefruit juice for breakfast-a time when medications are commonly taken. Grapefruit juice interferes with the absorption of some commonly taken medications (i.e., blood thinning, cholesterol lowering). The results can be unsafe levels of those drugs in the blood. Therefore, if you take your medication at the same time of day that you drink grapefruit juice, it would be a good idea to check with your physician.
Does it matter what kind of toothbrush you use?
There are so many toothbrushes on the shelves and everybody is saying their product is the best because of the shape or arrangement of the bristles, the shape of the handle, the angle of the head, etc. The Journal of Periodontology printed an article about the efficiency of various toothbrushes. They used an intraoral camera (a camera that takes pictures inside the mouth) and did a pre-brushing and post-brushing analysis of plaque on the lingual (tongue) surface of the lower bicuspids and molars. To sum up a long article, the camera found no significant difference in the plaque removing ability of the different toothbrushes. The clinical significance of this is that no matter what toothbrush you use, there is no substitute for a good brushing technique. Most people will make a pass at their teeth for about 30 seconds, and then they are done. If you do not spend at least two minutes conscientiously brushing your teeth, you are really short changing yourself. Electric toothbrushes are another story! In my opinion, Sonicare is hands down, the best. I began recommending Sonicare after the first time I used it years ago. I loved it! Now that I am involved with LitenBrite tooth whitening, I still highly recommend it. I recently checked out electric toothbrushes in Consumer Reports online. Unfortunately, they do not review Sonicare. This is because it is not in the same price category as the ones they did review. However, it is 2-3 times more effective than the others. This I know from personal experience.
Dental questions can be directed to Dr. Mott at info@litenbrite.com. Dr. Mott is a retired Orthodontist living in Pinehurst, N.C. After he retired, he founded LitenBrite, a tooth whitening company. The process he uses is identical to that used in dental offices today, but at a much lower cost. Go to the website: www.litenbrite.com. Check out the products and sign up for the free LitenBrite dental newsletter.
