Dental Did You Know: Spending on Hair Care Products vs. Dental Care Products for Americans

Americans spend $100 billion annually on hair care products and only $2 billion on dental care products

Source: Wilson C, Get Up, Dress Up, Show Up, Never Give Up (Editorial), Oral Hygiene, November 2013, pg 5.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (519) 998-7153

Dental Did You Know: Rate of Anaphylactic Response to Penicillin

Anaphylactic responses to Penicillin occur once every 10 000 courses administered.

Source:  Bronstein D and Suzuki J, How to Utilize Microbiology in the Treatment of Periodontitis, Oral Health, December 2013, Vol 103, No 12, pg 43-51.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (519) 998-7153

Dental Did You Know: How to (Self) Check for Bad Breath

How do you check for bad breath? Lick your wrist, let it dry for 10 seconds and then smell it.

Source: Wilson C, Get Up, Dress Up, Show Up, Never Give Up (Editorial), Oral Hygiene, November 2013, pg 5.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (519) 998-7153

Dental Did You Know: Total Length of Floss You Should Use in a Year.

If done properly and daily, the length of floss used in a year should be 122 yards. Only 18 yards are sold per person.

Source: Wilson C, Get Up, Dress Up, Show Up, Never Give Up (Editorial), Oral Hygiene, November 2013, pg 5.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (519) 998-7153

Reminder: Insurance year is almost up!

Just a reminder that for most people their insurance year is almost up. Call Jodie to schedule your hygiene or restorative appointment before your benefit year runs out! (905) 273-7100. As always, evenings and weekend appointments are available.

Take care,

Hans

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: Hereditary Gingival Fibromatosis

"Hereditary Gingival Fibromatosis (HGF) is a rare benign, slowly progressive inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia of the maxillary and mandibular gingiva"

Essentially, it's a genetically related puffiness/hyper-growth of the gums. (An image search for Hereditary Gingival Fibromatosis on Google will provide a number of images)

Source: Philips E, Functional and Aesthetic Rehabilitation of a Patient with Hereditary Gingival Fibromatosis, Oral Health Labs, pg 14-15, Fall/Winter 2013. 


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: CDA Position on Breast Feeding and Early Childhood Caries.

The quote below is now the position of the Canadian Dental Association as of June 2013:

The Canadian Dental Association supports breastfeeding as it provides nutritional benefits to the infant and is recognized as an effective preventive health measure.

In the absence of daily oral hygiene care, breastfeeding is one of the many risk factors that may contribute to the development of dental caries. Therefore, it is vital that mouth cleaning or tooth brushing be part of the daily routine for all infants, including those who are breastfed.

CDA Board of Directors - Approved June 2013

Source: CDA Board of Directors, Does Breastfeeding Increase Risk of Early Childhood Caries, JCDA, June 2013, Vol 79, No 5, pg 280-281.

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: Gingival Recession (Gum Loss) Rates in the General Population

It's been estimated that at least 20% of the population presents with one or more teeth that has gingival recession (gum loss) with possible root sensitivity as a consequence.

Source: Kryshtalskyj et al., Clincial Application of the Mucogingival Subepithelial Connective Tissue Graft, Oral Health, Oct 2013, Vol 103, No 10, pg 18-30.

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 Media: Brushy Brush Video From Sesame Street

Although not two minutes in length, I've found this video entertaining for me and hopefully other young toddlers/children. The best take home point for the kids is getting familiar with how long a (close to) 2 minute clean up actually is. (Ok, Elmo is cool and the tune is quite nice too ;)

Here's the link: Sesame Street Brushy Brush PSA

Source: Youtube, Sesame Street: Healthy Teeth, Healthy Me: Brushy Brush PSA, seen on Nov 11, 2013, http://youtu.be/wxMrtK-kYnE


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: Rubbing in Bonding Improves Bond Strengths

Vigorous rubbing of the bonding agent during placement of composite (white) fillings had a higher two year retention rate of 92.5% vs. 82.5% for the no rubbing/slight rubbing groups.

Source: Sevels I, Clinical Abstracts, Managing Xerostomia, Ontario Dentist, Oct 2013, vol 90, no 8, 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

Practice Management: New Hours for the Dental Office

Hi everyone, in reaction to patient feedback and workflow, we have rearranged our office hours:

Tuesday 2-7pm
Wednesday 2-7pm
Thursday: 10am-7pm
Friday: 10am-7pm
Saturday: 9am-4pm
Sunday and Monday: Closed

These hours are effective immediately. We are looking at implementing very early hours on Wednesday to accommodate our health workers at Trillium Hospital. Stay tuned for more info and trial hours.

Take care,

Hans

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: Survival Rate of Zirconia Crowns

In a recent study, the cumulative 5 year survival rate of zirconia crowns was 88.3%.

Source: Sevels I, Clinical Abstracts, Oral Hygiene Damage, Ontario Dentist, Sept 2013, vol 90, no 7, pg 24. 

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: The Rate of Infections at Pediatric Emergency Room Visits

47% of all dental-related attendances at pediatric emergency rooms in the United States were due to dental abscesses.

Source: Jundt J and Gutta R, Characteristics and Cost Impact of Severe Odontogenic Infections, PEAK, Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario, Supplement to May/June issue of Dispatch Magazine.

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: Pedialyte and the Preservation of Knocked Out Teeth

Yes, storing avulsed (knocked out) teeth in Pedialyte solution showed a significantly higher periodontal ligament (PDL) cell survival (p<0.001) versus tap water. It also supported less bacterial growth.

Source: Macway-Gomez S and Lallier TE, Pedialyte Promotes Periodontal Ligament Cell Survival and Motility, J Endod 2013;39: 202-207.

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: Dollars Spent on Tooth Whitening in the US

It was estimated that over 1.4 billion dollars annually was spent on tooth whitening in the United States.

Source: Lowe R, Tooth Whitening: Opening the Gateway to Treatment, Oral Health, April 2013, Vol 103, No 4, pg 42-50.

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: Relative Failure Rates of Dental Implants at Various Locations in the Mouth

Dental implant failure in the maxilla is twice the rate of the mandible while posterior sites have a higher failure rate than anterior sites.

Source: Sevels I, Clinical Abstracts, Ontario Dentist, Vol 90, No 3, April 2013, pg 30.

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: The Protocol When Faced With Bisphosphonate-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw

Bisphosphonate drugs are used commonly in the orthopedic and oncology fields. One of the severe side effects is necrosis of the jaw, a difficult condition to treat. The author of this article recommends that general practitioners:

1. refer to an Oral Surgeon
2. chlorhexidine 0.12% rinses
3. appropriate pain control
4. treatment with antibiotics (Pen VK) due to the presence of Actinomyces (Clindamycin if allergic)
5. minimize any attempt to remove bony spicules
6. no attempt to manipulate soft tissue to cover the exposed bone

Source: Zosky J, Bisphosphonates or Other Drug-Induced Osteonecrosis of the Jaw, Oral Health, Vol 103, No 5, May 2013 pg 63-67.

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: TMD and Digestive Problems

Temporomandibular Disorder (Jaw Joint Disorder) is associated with 112% more digestive complaints on average (in terms of the cost of medical treatment) as compared to a normal group.

Source: Hill L, An Introduction to Mastication Analysis in General Practice, Oral Health, March 2013, Vol 103, No 3, pg 20-26.

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: Using Straws After Oral Surgery

Contrary to what most dentists were taught, the use of straws after third molar extractions did not affect the percentage of patients developing dry socket or alveolar osteitis, a very painful condition. 15% of both the test and control groups having mandibular (lower) wisdom teeth out had this complication. No maxillary (upper) sites were affected in either group.

Source: Sevels I, Clinical Abstracts, Ontario Dentist, March 2013, Vol 90, No 2, pg 20-21.

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

Dentistry in the Media: Dental Questions Answered on NPR

The Science Friday show on National Public Radio in the US had a nice segment on common dental questions. Here's the teaser quote:

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. And, it turns out, the dentist -- because that fibery skin is good for your teeth. Dentists Mark Ryder of the University of California San Francisco and Mark Wolff of New York University answer your toothy questions in this episode of our "Ask an expert" series.

Listen to the podcast here: Ask a Dentist: Facts to Sink Your Teeth Into

Source: National Public Radio (Science Friday) Aired on Feb 22, 2013, viewed on Feb 27, 2013
http://www.sciencefriday.com/segment/02/22/2013/ask-a-dentist-facts-to-sink-your-teeth-into.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

The clinic is on our vacation schedule

The clinic will be on a limited schedule until January 31st as various members of our staff enjoy their vacations. As such, primarily emergencies will be handled currently and messages on our voice mail will be taken care of at the end of the day/evening.

Take care,

Hans

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: The Eruption Time of Permanent First Molars

It takes 12-18 months for permanent molars to erupt to occlusion.

Source: Antonson D, Imagine a World Without Occlusal Caries: Are Glass Ionomer Sealants the Answer, Oral Health, Dec 2012, Vol 102, No 12, pg 31-36.


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: The Eruption Time of Premolars

It takes 3-6 months for permanent premolars to erupt to occlusion.

Source: Antonson D, Imagine a World Without Occlusal Caries: Are Glass Ionomer Sealants the Answer, Oral Health, Dec 2012, Vol 102, No 12, pg 31-36.

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