Reasons People Don't go to the Dentist

The reasons people gave on why they haven't been to a Dentist in over three years:

1. Didn't think it was necessary ~35%
2. Cost ~18%
3. Haven't gotten around to it ~11%
4. Fear ~7%

(values are my approximation of the chart data)

Source: Papadopoulos C, The Latest on Dental Consultations in Canada, JCDA June 2007, Vol 73, No 5, p 391.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental Health Group in Mississauga
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada
(1/2 km north of the QEW in the Dome Building)
(905) 273-7100

Dental Did You Know: Contact Rate with Dental Professionals

The contact rate with dental professionals (once in a 12 month period) for all Canadians 12 years and older was 63.7% in 2005. The 12-19 year old age group had the highest dental consultation rate at 78.6%, while the lowest was the 75 year and older group (40.8%). People from Ontario see their dentist the most frequently at an 85% rate.

Source: Papadopoulos C, The Latest on Dental Consultations in Canada, JCDA June 2007, Vol 73, No 5, p 391.


Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental Health Group in Mississauga
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada
(1/2 km north of the QEW in the Dome Building)
(905) 273-7100

Counterfeit Toothpaste: Read the Label

In the category of "always read the label". There has been an epidemic of fake toothpaste around the world containing harmful chemicals. As a rule, always try to buy from a reputable supplier or major chain and look at the packaging. Virtually all major brands of toothpaste sold in Canada are made here or the US and are packaged with english and french labels (without spelling errors on the package i.e. Colgate becomes Coigate).

The Globe and Mail had an excellent article on this, here's the teaser quote:

Health Canada is investigating suspected counterfeit toothpaste found in Southern Ontario that is similar to a product at the centre of a health recall throughout the United States because of fears it contains an ingredient used in antifreeze.

Steve Janke, 40, bought a tube of what purports to be Colgate brand toothpaste labelled as being manufactured in South Africa from a dollar store in Guelph, Ont.

The packaging was missing the French translation found on most Canadian products and the 100-millilitre tube was labelled as being manufactured by Colgate-Palmolive (PTY) Ltd. [CL-N] in South Africa.

You can read the rest of the article here: Tainted toothpaste sparks probe

Source: Globe and Mail Online, June 19, 2007
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070619.wcolgate19/BNStory/National/home

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental Health Group in Mississauga
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada
(1/2 km north of the QEW in the Dome Building)
(905) 273-7100

The Tavistock Dental Health Group

Just wanted to throw a few pics online of the practice where I started working at after I graduated in 2002 (and the model of dental care that I use for my own practice in Mississauga.) The first pic is of the building and the second are the two great dental assistants that work with me: Megan and Sue.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental Health Group in Mississauga
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada
(1/2 km north of the QEW in the Dome Building)
(905) 273-7100

Dental Did You Know: Second-Hand Smoking and Death

In Canada, more than 1000 non-smokers die from as a result of second-hand smoke.

Source: CTI Update, Ontario Dentist, June 2007, Vol 84, No 5, pg 36.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental Health Group in Mississauga
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada
(1/2 km north of the QEW in the Dome Building)
(905) 273-7100

Dental Did You Know: Red Wine and Healthier Gums

Compounds in red wine called polyphenols which possess anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties, may also have an effect on inflammatory periodontal (gum) disease. They work in part by scavenging free-radicals produced by immune cells in response to bacteria.

Source: Sevels I, Ontario Dentist, June 2007, Vol 84, No 5, pg 18-19.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental Health Group in Mississauga
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada
(1/2 km north of the QEW in the Dome Building)
(905) 273-7100

Dental did you know: Milk and Teeth

Enhancing milk with fluoride reduced the number of decayed, missing or filled teeth in a 21 month long study. Milk itself contributes to enamel remineralization (healing), prevents bacteria from attaching to teeth and forming biofilms.

Source: Sevels I, Ontario Dentist, June 2007, Vol 84, No 5, pg 18-19.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental Health Group in Mississauga
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada
(1/2 km north of the QEW in the Dome Building)
(905) 273-7100

The Do it Yourself Dentist

Found this nice article on some of the ways you can deal with a few common problems in the mouth. However, you should always contact your dentist for further advice. Here's the teaser quote: 7 maladies of the mouth and how to treat them — yourself.


Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental Health Group in Mississauga
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada
(1/2 km north of the QEW in the Dome Building)
(905) 273-7100

UWO Dental School Receives 1.2 million from the Ontario Government

It's always good to see a news story about the government funding our dental schools. Dentistry is one of the most expensive professions for a university to fund and teach due to the massive infrastructure needed for dental operatories.

Source: Western News, University of Western Ontario

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental Health Group in Mississauga
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada
(1/2 km north of the QEW in the Dome Building)
(905) 273-7100

Nice Dental Article: Getting Young Kids to Brush

I found a nice article online on getting young kids to brush their teeth from www.canadianparents.ca. Here's the teaser quote:

Dear Mr. Dad: Our five-year old refuses to brush his teeth-almost every night my wife and I end up screaming at him (and each other) and he ends up in tears. We're thinking about bagging the whole idea. Does he really need to be brushing his teeth at this age? If so, what can we do to make the process a little less miserable for all of us (and our neighbors, who probably think we're torturing our son)?

You can read the rest of the article here: Getting Your Kids to Brush Their Teeth

Source: http://www.canadianparents.ca/CPO/SchoolAged/HealthWellness/2007/05/24/4205089.html

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental Health Group in Mississauga
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada
(1/2 km north of the QEW in the Dome Building)
(905) 273-7100