http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/16/opinion/improving-the-state-of-americas-teeth.html?_r=1

We are constantly doing what we can to promote your overall health but it is what you do, daily, for yourself which has the greatest effect on keeping you healthy!

We are constantly trying to put ourselves out of business by keeping our ‘Dental Family’ as healthy as possible and helping them prevent health problems and maximize their health. This is the most ethical way to practice and we promise to continue focusing on you and your health as our primary concern.

We appreciate it greatly when you refer friends, neighbors and relatives to us so that all of us can stay as healthy as possible in every way.

Our system is a phosphor plate system which uses only one third of the radiation which electronic sensors need to create a good diagnostic image. They are two totally different systems. Many of you have already heard me say that we needed to replace one of our x-ray machines because we couldn’t turn it down low enough to give us a good image when we installed our new dental x-ray system. All of our machines are now set as low as possible to get good quality images.

This morning in the news, there were many stories discussing research indicating a link between dental x-rays and meningioma tumors, most of which are not cancer. The stories are discussing the results of a study done by Elizabeth Claus, MD, PhD, of Yale University School of Medicine.

Otis W. Brawley, M.D., chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society said, “We need more data before we can even begin to state there is a relationship between dental x-rays and these tumors. Until that research is done, the best advice we can give people is to get dental x-rays when they are necessary and only when they are necessary. The dose of radiation given in a bitewing or panoramic x-ray is lower today than it was two decades ago. Nonetheless, x-rays should be done only when necessary. This is true of all x-ray technology, and it’s the same advice experts would have given without this study.”

I promise you, we only take necessary x-rays in my office. You can always refuse them if you wish and we will note this in our records. Our objective is to keep all of our ‘dental family’ as healthy as possible in every way.

There are risks associated with not finding decay and other oral problems as early as possible also. Deep decay and other problems, when not detected early, lead to the need for root canals and larger, more expensive, more involved restorations and longer treatment times.

Today we attended a CPR recertification course which is in good standing with the American Heart Association. We are now good for another 2 years.

The course primarily dealt with CPR but also included a review of rescuing a choking victim via abdominal thrust, use of our new Automatic Electronic Defibrillator [we have the Zoll AED Plus in the office], and rescue breathing.

He and his mother were concerned because his front teeth had been injured in an accident and then been restored with bonding material and metal pins which didn’t look very good. He also had trouble wiht the straightness of his front teeth. Porcelain veneers are the ideal solution for this type of problem and similar problems.

Lucas is smiling much more now and proud of his new attractive smile. We were very happy to be of help to such a wonderful young man!

Other digital dental x-ray systems use 3 times the radiation to get good diagnostic quality x-rays. Most of them also have hard, uncomfortable sensors and cables connecting them to a computer. This is inconvenient for the team member and the patient.

If you have more questions about this please contact us from this website or call our office.

Today all of our Smiles of Skokie team, except Lorraine,  attended a meeting this morning concerned with improving our communication with all of our dental family and among our team. It was quite good and will enable us to serve all of you better.

This afternoon we attended a meeting addressing laser gum disease treatment. We found that our Nd:YAG laser is the best for the treatment of gum disease according to a specialist research periodontist, by the name of Dr. Ray Yukna, from the University of Colorado. He had excellent evidence of the effectiveness of this treatment. We have been using this laser for a number of years now and with this new evidence we will be using it even more effectively and confidently.

Tomorrow I will attend a couple of meetings discussing implant and other major restorative procedures for restoring and replacing teeth. I am excited about this and looking forward to learning more to enable me to be of better service to my team, patients and practice.

Saturday I am a room chairman for a practice management and practice development dentist who is consulting other dentists. He is well respected by many in the dental profession but this will be my first chance to meet him. It will be another good day.

The US military is using and legitimizing the type of oral, sleep apnea appliances we have been using and recommending for years.

My office has been successfully using the Thornton Adjustable Positioner [TAP] type of device with great success.

If you, a loved one, or acquaintance has sleep apnea, have them talk to their physician or we can have a consult with them and then refer them to an excellent physician for proper diagnosis in our area.

We have had enough political infighting. Let’s hope our political leaders will become more like the statesmen we need to help us move forward in a more stable economic environment. They must leave their bickering behind and do what is truly right and good for our country long term.

I believe we have all had enough of partisan politics and we need our political leaders to work together for the overall good of all of us. The American people are a great, hard working and honest people and we need to demand these same qualities from our politicians.

The influence of big money and big corporations has been drowning out the voice of the people for too long. We need to make ourselves heard. It seems to me we need large corporations and campaign financing held in check much better than they are now. After all, our country is supposed to be of, for and by the people.

In my humble opinion, I feel we need to vote out the political elite, who are now in office, and get fresh blood and fresh, common sense perspectives in our governments to serve us the people for the good of all for the long term. When possible we need to vote out incumbents without a vision for the overall good of all of us.

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Catherine A. Counard, MD, MPH
Director of Health
Village of Skokie
5127 Oakton Street
Skokie, Illinois 60077
Phone:             (847) 933-8252      

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Please help all of us in our community by doing what you feel is most appropriate in regard to this.

This survey is not too long and it is structured well. It should be very beneficial to our community.

Toothpaste abrasion and brushing too hard and long have been known to cause gum recession and wear of teeth and exposed roots. There is now better research and greater awareness of this problem than ever before.

Please refer to these links:

http://www.teethwhiteningreviews.com/artman/publish/whitening-toothpastes-exposed.php

http://www.epinions.com/content_3128664196

http://www.saveyoursmile.com/toothpaste/toothpaste-d.html

I definitely recommend using a toothpaste with a very low abrasiveness which also has fluoride and a tartar control formulation.

The manner in which you brush also has a great impact on whether you will have significant gum recession and tooth surface wear. Gum recession eventually leads to exposure of root surfaces which aren’t protected by enamel so they can be sensitive and will wear much faster than the crowns of teeth.

Please brush your natural teeth with a soft or an extra soft toothbrush. All of us should only brush 5 to 10 circular strokes along the cheek and lip sides of the teeth and the tongue sides of the teeth. The chewing surfaces can be brushed more vigorously. This will help avoid gum recession and root surface wear. Brushing harder does NOT replace flossing. All of us need to floss every 36 hours also to prevent plaque from hardening into tartar.

If teeth are brushed the way I recommend, then teeth won’t necessarily feel as “clean” as most of us want them to. Most of us want our teeth to feel slick and very smooth when we brush them. If teeth are brushed hard and long enough to have them feeling slick and smooth then they are almost certainly being brushed hard and long enough to cause long term gum recession and much worse wear of those teeth.

The reason for this is due to the fact that there is a very adherent coating of protein called a, “dental pellicle” which makes the teeth feel somewhat rough. It can be removed with abrasive force and toothpaste but this results in recession and wear of teeth and gums.

Remember you don’t need to brush AND floss all of your teeth every day, only the teeth you want to keep!