Dental Did You Know: Fluoride Concentration

The level of fluoride in the water supply is approximately the equivalent of filling a bathtub to the rim and adding a drop of fluoride.

Source: Mancuso A, Fluoridation Misinformation (Letter to the Editor), The Journal of the Academy of General Dentistry, Sept 2007, pg 6.

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: Pica

Pica is typically defined as an eating disorder that involves the persistent eating of non-nutritive substances for at least one month. Some examples are clay, dirt, sand, stones, hair, lead, vinyl gloves, paper, paint chips, coal, and matches to name a few.

Source: Johnson et al, An unusal case of tooth loss, abrasion and erosion associated with a culturally accepted habit, General Dentistry, Sept/Oct 2007, Vol 55, No 5, pg 445-448.

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 Number One Killer of Dentists

Stress-related cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of dentists. (More motivation for me to eat healthier!) :)

Source: Land R, Stress in Dentistry-It Could Kill You, Oral Health, Sept 2007, Vol 97, No 9, pg 3-6, 95.

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 Number of Swallows per Day

According to Dr. Brock Rondeau, it is approximately 1000 times a day.

Source: Rondeau B, The Importance of Diagnosis and Treatment of Patients with TM Dysfunction, The Journal of the Academy of General Dentistry, Sept 2007, pg 8-13.

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

Take More Vitamin D Mothers Told

Saw this article this morning, about new recommendations from the Canadian Pediatric Society on pregnant and nursing women to significantly increase their intake of vitamin D to reduce the incidence of a number of diseases. Here are the teaser quotes:

Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should consider increasing their vitamin D intake to 2,000 international units a day to reduce the chances their children will develop such ailments as multiple sclerosis, diabetes and cancer later in life, the Canadian Pediatric Society says.

That amount of vitamin D is 10 times higher than what is currently recommended by Health Canada for women in their childbearing years, and the advice is believed to be the first time a medical group has called for healthy people to take such elevated amounts of the sunshine vitamin.

...The advice was based on the growing body of evidence that increased exposure to vitamin D during key points of fetal and infant development may offer protection against many dangerous diseases, including asthma, osteoporosis, dental cavities and inflammatory bowel disease, among others

You can read the entire article here: Take More Vitamin D Mothers Told

Source: Globe and Mail Online, Sept 24/07,
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070924.wvitamind24/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/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

London tap water missing fluoride: C-Health Article

Saw this article in C-health. The fluoridation of London's water supply was quietly shut down September 3rd after the commercial distributor in Canada had run out. What is a bit disturbing to me is the lack of communication from the municipal department to the public regarding the change in their water.

Here's the teaser quote:

For weeks most Londoners have been drinking tap water without fluoride, the result of a continental shortage of the substance that's added to water to prevent tooth decay.

It took a plebiscite in the city 41 years ago to give the go-ahead for fluoridated water, but the equipment to add it was quietly shut down Sept. 3 for the larger of London's two water supply lines.

Asked last night whether Londoners should have been told their water composition had changed, at least one city council member was unprepared to take a position.

You can read the rest of the story here: London Tap Water Missing Fluoride

Source: C-Health, September 22, 2007 http://chealth.canoe.ca/channel_health_news_details.asp?channel_id=131&relation_id=1883&news_channel_id=131&news_id=22801

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

Starting up a Podcast: The Dental Factoid

Yes, it's true. I believe I have enough dental facts on file to start a podcast on iTunes. Testing the software/back end servers/microphones as we speak. It'll be a semi-random audio blurb on some interesting (to me and hopefully to you) facts about oral health. I'll keep everyone updated as I go.

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

Pain Ratings Fail Sufferers

As a classically trained dentist, one of the first things I ask a patient in discomfort is to describe the quality and amount of pain. I often get answers like "sharp", "throbbing", and "dull" describing the character of pain they are experiencing. As a follow-up, I often ask: "on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the worst, how is the pain?"

Well, new research described in this Globe and Mail Article has shown that this one value approach may be missing up to 1/3 of patients with enough pain to affect their daily lives. The better approach is to rate their current pain, their highest and lowest levels of pain over the previous week, and the level of pain they endure most of the time. After reading this article, I've changed my methodology and will encourage my collegues to do the same.

Here's a teaser quote from the article:
It may be a painful truth, but a new study suggests that attempting to measure pain on a scale of 0 to 10 may not help doctors effectively treat the suffering.

The findings, published in the October issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine, claim the commonly used numeric rating system failed nearly a third of the time to identify patients whose pain was serious enough to impair their day-to-day functioning.

Researchers attributed the results to the subjective nature of pain, the reluctance of some people to admit their suffering, the propensity of others to exaggerate, and limiting the scale to measuring patients' current pain level.

Source: Globe and Mail Online Edition Sept 18/07; Pain ratings fail sufferers
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070918.wlpain18/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/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

New Blogging Tool: Microsoft Live Writer

I've been using some new software in the hope that it would make the process of updating the blog easier and faster. To that end, I have to say that Microsoft's Live Writer (Beta) is absolutely fantastic. It gives you a MS Word like layout mode to make it easier to typeset and insert video/pictures/etc. In fact, this entry is using the new software.

I'll have to credit the windows weekly podcast for the link to the software. If you would like to try it out just go the Windows Live Page.

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

Toronto Maple Leafs Team Dentist

Found this little tidbit in the Toronto Star's Sports section, it shows the Leafs team dentists: Dr. Marvin Lean and Dr. Charles Goldberg.

Source: The Toronto Star Online Sept 14/07
http://www.thestar.com/Sports/NHL/article/256597


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

Soda/Pop Consumption in Teens

I saw this in the latest email from the Academy of General Dentistry:


In 1977, 12 to 19-year-olds drank 16 ounces of soda a day. In 1996, this same age group consumed an average of 28 ounces a day. Not only is sugar harmful to teeth, acidic flavor additives can also erode and damage tooth enamel.

Source: Academy of Dentistry email (Sept 13/07). TeenFS.pdf

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

Toronto Star Article on the Denticare Movement

The Toronto Star keeps producing great articles on dental care in Ontario. Here's the latest teaser quote:

Denticare is back on Ontario's political agenda. Since George Drew's Conservatives promised it in 1942, various politicians have pledged to introduce some form of universal dental care. So far, none has been forced to deliver. That may be changing(...)

Logically, dentists should be covered by medicare. That's what Justice Emmett Hall, whose 1964 royal commission set the stage for Canada's national public health insurance scheme, recommended. He understood that tooth disease is no less painful than bone disease and that oral infections can be as dangerous as any other.

You can read the rest of the article here: Denticare Movement has Teeth

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

Proposed New Dental Funding for Lower Income People in Ontario

Hi everyone,

It seems when an election is close, we can almost expect new funding announcements. I'm pleased to see that the Liberals and NDP have announced funding for emergency and preventive dental care of 45 million and 100 million dollars respectively. Today's article in the Toronto Star (click the link below) provides a neat summary of the Liberal announcement and its effect on 500 000 people in Ontario.

Source: Toronto Star Online, Sept 5, 2007: Dental plan could aid 500,000

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

Recalled Toothpaste: Neem Toothpaste from India

I got this CDA alert via email:


(With regards to) Health Canada's recall of Neem Active Toothpaste with Calcium, manufactured by Calcutta Chemical Co. Ltd. in India, further testing by Health Canada has found the product to contain high levels of harmful bacteria in addition to the initial discovery of unacceptable levels of diethylene glycol (DEG).

You can read the rest of Health Canada alert here:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/2007/2007_108_e.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

Reminder for Corsair Public School Students and Parents

Hi Parents,

Just a reminder before school starts in a few days to get your kids in for a dental checkup and cleaning. A healthy body sets up a healthy mind for learning. All kids are given a properly sized toothbrush and at least 2 sample tubes of toothpaste and instructions on how to use them.

Enjoy the exciting school year!

Take care

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

Post Operatory Instructions after a Tooth Extraction

I thought this would be great list to put online, based on patient requests. As always, your dentist may modify or change these instructions to suit your specific circumstances. These are the general instructions that I give:

1. After the extraction, bite on the gauze given to you for at least 20 minutes until the bleeding for the most part stops. You may have to change the gauze if it gets soaked.
2. Start taking your pain killers/antibiotics right away. The usual course is Motrin 600mg 4 times a day for 5-7 days then continue if you have pain.
3. Be gentle, there is a blood clot that forms in the area that is crucial for proper healing, so ingest only soft foods for the first week to 10 days (soups, yogurt, soft pasta, rice etc.), no peanuts or anything hard as I am usually the one who has to fish it out if it gets stuck in there.
4. Brush up to the extraction area, but not on the site for 7-10 days. You may gently swish with salt water to clean the area. Be careful to spit very gently as you may spit out the blood clot needed for proper healing
5. Swelling usually reaches its peak about 2-3 days afterwards. Use a cold pack or ice cubes in a freezer bag to apply to the cheeks and jaw for about a minute, then allow a minute to rest, followed by a minute on again. Repeat as much as you can tolerate.
6. Any fluids ingested should be around room temperature and definitely avoid the use of a straw as this again can disturb the clot
7. Don't smoke or drink during the healing period
8. We've always told our patients that it's a wise idea to put an old sheet over your pillow case the first night as the combination of residual anaesthetic, salivation, and a bit of oozing from the area sometimes makes a bit of a mess on good sheets/pillow covers
9. If after 2-3 days the pain really increases, then the likely cause is the loss of the blood clot and exposure of bone (often called dry socket). Call immediately for an emergency appointment. We will likely restart the bleeding and pack the area
10. If you have sutures, most likely they are resorbable and will fall out within about 2-3 days.
11. If there is residual numbness in the area, call us for quick assessment, the overwhelming majority of these cases resolve themselves in a couple of weeks to a month, but some can take as long as a year.

Whew, I hope I've covered most of the usual questions. Like I said, these are the usual instructions given to our patients, but each case is different, consult your local dentist.

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: Diagnosis of Oral Cancer

Unfortunately, 83% of oral cancers are diagnosed by non-dental personnel, at a stage where the mortality rate is high. (Just goes to show you how important early detection and diagnosis is.)


Source: Newton A, AGD Impact: The War Against Oral Cancer, Vol 35, No 8, Aug 2007, pg 40-46.

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: Incidence of Oral Cancer

The American Cancer Society has projected that more than 34 000 people in the US will be diagnosed with oral cancer (cancer of the mouth, lip, tongue, salivary glands and oropharynx) in 2007 up 11% from the year before.

Risk factors include: smoking, alcohol, UV radiation, diet, and human papillomaviruses (HPV)

Source: Newton A, AGD Impact: The War Against Oral Cancer, Vol 35, No 8, Aug 2007, pg 40-46.


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

Humourous Quote: Bank Accounts and Toothpaste

Heard this from my assistant at the Tavistock location:

Money in a bank account is like a tube of toothpaste...easy to get out but hard to put back in. :)

(Groan)

Take care all.

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: Toothpaste Chemistry

Two of the components of the new Crest Pro-Health toothpastes are:

1. Stabilized Stannous Fluoride: which fights plaque, has a prolonged antibacterial action, protects against sensitivity, makes teeth more resistant to cavities and freshens breath
2. Sodium Hexametaphosphate: which inhibits calculus, helps remove intrinsic stains and prevents stains.

Source: Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry (Suppl 1) Sept 2005, Vol 26, Num 9. (Coverpage)


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