Stop Bad Breath

Chronic bad breath is a problem for millions of Americans.  The American Dental Association recently did a survey that showed that over 90% of dentists see patients with bad breath.

Is there really a solution?  Not when people use mouthwashes and mints to mask the odor.  Many mouthwashes contain alcohol which worsens the condition by drying the mouth and mints are candy which promote tooth decay.  To provide a real solution, one must investigate the causes of bad breath and eliminate them.  At Adult Dentistry of Rochester, Dr. Dulski provides bad breath diagnosis and treatment in a comprehensive way.  While transient bad breath caused by garlic, foods or burping is mainly a social problem, chronic bad breath can be an indicator of a health problem.

Anatomically speaking, the mouth is the dominant source of chronic bad breath, followed by the sinuses, lungs and in very rare cases, the stomach.  Chronic bad breath is primarily caused by dying bacteria in the mouth and gums that give off sulfur based gases called Volatile Sulfur Compounds.  The higher the number of bacteria present, the more dying bacteria there are  generating these gases.

People try all kinds of breath tests to learn if they have this embarrassing condition.  You may have tried to sniff a puff of your breath in your hand, or risked asking family or friends.  However, the best test is asking your dentist.

Today, we know more about diagnosing and treating bad breath than ever before.  Our professional dental team is equipped with the knowledge and equipment to provide you with effective programs to help you restore your sparkling fresh breath.  We can determine the source of odor in the oral cavity by determining the health of the gums.  Gum disease, or gingivitis is caused by the same bacteria that can cause bad breath.  Another major source is the tongue which collects a coating on its surface that harbors bacteria.  We can prescribe specialized aids that help in removing bacteria along the gums and on the tongue, as well as a  mouth rinse that chemically neutralizes the odor in the mouth.

Got bad breath?  Don't be the last to find out!  You either have bad breath and don't know it, suspect you have bad breath, or want assurance that your breath will always be fresh and clean.  Visit Adult Dentistry of Rochester to take the steps necessary fora sparkling fresh breath every day..

Tags: Bad Breath, Fresh Breath, Gum Disease, Gingivitis

What Every Person Needs to Know About Dental Care

Teeth are meant to last a lifetime.  Dentures are not a replacement for missing teeth in fit, comfort and appearance.

Fillings, veneers, crowns do not replace lost enamel.  Enamel, in a healthy mouth, can last the life of the individual.  Restorations, at best, are a short term substitute for lost enamel, needing to be replaced many times over a lifetime.  The average life of a restoration is 8 to 10 years.

Advanced, tooth colored materials not only look better and feel better, they last longer.  Newer composites and porcelains better mimic the expansion and contraction of the tooth due to hot and cold.  The result is a restoration that does not shrink away from the tooth to create a gap or split the tooth.

Remember, enamel in a healthy mouth can last a lifetime.  And, consider that without gaps or cracks, a better fitting restoration makes for a healthy mouth.  Therefore, advanced restorations can last longer because they make for a healthier mouth.

The healthier the mouth, the longer lasting the natural and restored tooth.  You can't reduce the cost of dental restorations, but you can reduce the cost of dental care to keep teeth for a lifetime by reducing the need for restorations and making restorations last longer.

Now, gums reflect the health of the mouth.  Healthy gums are not red, tender or swollen.  By measuring and scoring the health of gums, the effectiveness of teeth cleaning can be reported to optimize the result.  Optimal teeth cleaning means a healthier mouth and longer lasting restorations.

Straight teeth are easier to clean and therefore cleaner.  Crooked teeth are crowded or have gaps which are hard to clean areas.  Straight teeth are healthier teeth and therefore last longer.

Straight, natural teeth are healthier than crooked teeth which are healthier than missing teeth.  Straight, clean (white) teeth are a sign of healthy teeth which is physically attractive.  Visit Adult Dentistry of Rochester for advanced dental care which conserves natural teeth in a straight, healthy environment for a lifetime of health and beauty.

Tags: Dentures, Fillings, Veneers, Crowns, Straight Teeth, Teeth Cleaning

Are You Neglecting Your Teeth?

Fear, expense and inconvenience are the three dragons that keep half of the population from  seeking more that emergency dental care until the pain of an emergency is unbearable.  Afraid of the dentist?  It's normal!  At Adult Dentistry of Rochester we can help!  We're absolutely dedicated to providing your family's dental care as comfortably as is modernly possible.  We welcome cowards.  Besides explaining the procedures before performing them and using a very gentle touch, we have nitrous oxide sedation available.  Or if you prefer, we can write a prescription for a sedative or tranquilizer for you to take one hour before your appointment.

Nitrous oxide is a sedative gas that you breathe through a small mask over your nose.  The relaxed and dissociated feeling disappears soon after the gas is turned off.  You can drive back to your home or office responsibilities right away.  However, if you prefer a deeper level of sedation, conscious oral sedation administers oral medication along with nitrous oxide.  You must know that the effects of this combination lasts longer than nitrous oxide alone, so someone must drive you home.

Previously, your comfort during dental treatment was limited to local anesthesia and nitrous oxide.  Now, we use vibratory anesthesia to assist your comfort during the injection process.

Afraid of the cost?  Postponing needed dental care can result in more extensive and expensive procedures during a time that is most inconvenient to you.  If you are postponing needed dental care because of finances, flexible payment plans, including interest free financing for 12 months will take the fear out of dental expense.

Afraid to take the time?  The total cost of dental care is the fee plus the cost of your time away from home or office.  To minimize the real cost of dental care, the flexible hours of early morning and evening hours minimize interference with your busy schedule.  Visit Adult Dentistry of Rochester to learn how we tame these three dragons to help you receive the dental care you deserve.

Tags:  Nitrous Oxide Sedation, Conscious Oral Sedation, Flexible Payment Plans, Flexible Hours

Infection Control in the Dental Office

In this era of public concern and media coverage about infectious diseases, such as hepatitis B and acquired immuno-deficiency syndrome (AIDS), you should be aware that at Adult Dentistry of Rochester, we use numerous infection control procedures to prevent transmission of infectious diseases in our dental office.

Universal Precautions

You may be surprised to learn that the most frequently performed procedures in our office are not six month check-ups or even filling cavities,  the most common procedures are designed to accomplish good infection control with every patient.  This is called applying "universal precautions,"  infection control measures that are the same for every patient.  These include: wearing gloves;, changing gloves and washing hands between patients; using instruments and other items that can be thrown out after use; and sterilizing equipment that can be reused.

What We Do

Before you enter the treatment room, the dental unit and chair are cleaned and disinfected with antimicrobial chemicals.  All dental instruments are either sterilized or disinfected, as appropriate for the type of material.  Most instruments can stand high heat.  These are first ultrasonically cleaned and then sterilized by steam heat in an autoclave.  Those few instruments that cannot be heat sterilized or disposed of after use are first cleaned and then disinfected with special high level chemical sterilizers.  Both methods are approved by the Center for Disease Control and the American Dental Association (ADA).

Sterilization of Dental Hand-Pieces

For years, the ADA has recommended the heat sterilization of dental hand-pieces (dental drills) for equipment that can withstand repeated heat cycles.  Modern technology has now made it possible to sterilize all re-usable hand-pieces.  At Adult Dentistry of Rochester, all of our dental instruments and hand-pieces are cleaned, lubricated, and heat sterilized between each patient use.

Check-List for Patients

We care about the health and well-being of all of our patients and employees.  To prove this for yourself, use the following check-list the next time you visit Adult Dentistry of Rochester and note how we perform each item:
*  washing hands and changing gloves
*  appropriate disinfection of surfaces and sterilization of equipment
*  keeping office spotlessly clean
*  using disposable items
*  wearing protective clothing
*  providing wrapped, sterile instrument for surgical procedures
*  properly cleaning and sterilizing dental hand-pieces
*  proper disposal of infectious waste

Safety is our concern.  We take the responsibility of treating you and your family seriously.  If you have any question, please do not hesitate to talk with Dr. Dulski or any member of the staff at your next visit or contact us at Adult Dentistry of Rochester.

Tags: Infection Control, Sterilizing Dental Hand-Pieces, Universal Precautions
 

Optimizing Your Dental Insurance Benefits

Now is the time to plan for the completion of your dental treatment before the end of the year.  All insurance plans have a yearly maximum.  If you do not use this maximum amount, the remainder is lost.

If you have already met your deductible, and you have treatment to be completed, or to be started, then take advantage of your benefits this year. If necessary, we can use the maximum allowed this year, and complete the treatment next year with next year's allowance.

Good planning will allow you to take advantage of the full benefit of your policy.  Please do not wait until the last few days of the year, when scheduling will make it difficult to appoint a convenient time for you.

At Adult Dentistry of Rochester, our goal is to provide you with quality dental services.  If we can help you maximize your dental insurance coverage in the process, we will be very pleased.  Visit Adult Dentistry of Rochester or give us a call at 585-442-1230 to schedule an appointment today!

Tags:  Dental Insurance

Effective Pain Control

At Adult Dentistry of Rochester, effective pain control is one of the most important aspects of patient care.  Researching the dental history of new patients, Dr. Dulski asks the question, "Have you ever had a bad experience in a dental office?"  He found the most common response is difficulty getting numb.  The failure to completely numb a tooth prior to a dental procedure is the most serious difficulty facing patients in the dental office and is the patient's greatest fear.

This is a particular problem when teeth are abscessed and the lower molar is involved.  The reason for this is the change in tissue chemistry caused by the infection making the anesthesia less effective on the nerve fiber and the increased density of the bone in the lower jaw making the penetration of the anesthetic solution through tissue to the underlying nerve more difficult.  Numbing an upper tooth by depositing solution in the tissues next to the root of the tooth is sufficient to allow the solution to infiltrate to the nerve to stop the transmission of pain signals effectively numbing the tooth.  Because of the thicker bone in the lower jaw preventing this infiltration, an injection is given more deeply in the tissue before the nerve enters the bone.  And here is where the difficulty arises.  Failure rates for this type of block injection versus an infiltration injection are caused by the absence of landmarks to help a dentist locate the proper site to deposit the anesthetic solution deeply in tissue.  It is many times more difficult to deposit solution next to an elusive nerve in the back of the mouth than next to the roots of a visible tooth, thus, the higher failure rates for consistently completely numbing a lower tooth.

This difficulty in providing consistently reliable numbness for a lower tooth can be frustrating for most dentists.  The term "mandibular slump" accurately describes the problem faced by dentists, when for no apparent reason, they endure periods of almost absolute failure when performing a mandibular block injection.  Patients whose dentist were able to successfully numb their  lower teeth now have to undergo multiple injection or suffer through incomplete numbness.  The problem soon may become psychological, leading the dentist to doubt his abilities.

At Adult Dentistry of Rochester, we specialize in completely numbing patients who have had difficulty in the past and manage the associated anxiety of dental care with sedation.  Dr. Dulski uses alternative injection techniques and devices to the traditional mandibular block injection should that prove necessary to completely numb lower teeth prior to dental procedures.  Visit Adult Dentistry of Rochester to learn how we focus exclusively on your comfort, and assure that you are fully relaxed and anxiety-free.  Dr. Dulski is committed to not even attempting a procedure unless you are 100% comfortably numb while in his care.

Tags: Pain Control, Mandibular Block Injection

The Problem With Dentures

Some people believe that their dental problems will be solved if they have their teeth removed and get dentures.  However, as many denture wearers have found, this is just the beginning of a new set of problems.  Some of these problems include difficulty eating and tasting food, gagging, sore spots, loss of jaw bone,  the need for ongoing denture adjustments and fabrication of new dentures to replace worn dentures, and changes in facial appearance.

Eating takes longer with dentures because you can only apply a fraction of the biting pressure that you can apply with natural teeth.  This makes many foods more difficult to eat, particular high fiber foods like fruits and vegetables which are essential for good nutrition.  Tasting foods is also a problem, particularly with upper dentures which cover the taste buds on the palate.  Gagging is also a problem because many people gag when the back of the palate is touched making the upper denture difficult to wear.

Sore spots occur from the transmission of biting pressure from the denture to the tender gum tissue pinched between the base of the denture and the bone beneath the denture.  Gum tissue was never meant to assume the role of chewing that the hard tissue of the teeth was designed to support.  The most serious problem is the loss of jaw bone from the pressure of the denture on tissue.  Natural teeth are suspended in a ligament that applies tension to bone during chewing to stimulate the growth of bone.  Without teeth, the direct pressure applied to bone by a denture causes the recession of bone.  After many months of denture wear and bone recession, the denture will need to be relined.  After many years of wear and refitting, the dentures will need to be replaced with a new set.

Bone recession and ill-fitting dentures is a particular problem with the lower denture.  The rim of bone supporting the lower denture is narrower to begin with.  The lower jaw moves during chewing and speaking and the tongue moves through the middle of the denture.

The loss of jaw bone also changes your appearance.  Your nose gets closer to your chin and your lips lose support of the teeth and gums and collapse.   This causes wrinkles and makes you look older.  When you  add up all the costs, dentures can be more expensive than the cost of treatment to save your natural teeth.  The cost of dentures include removing your teeth, making the dentures and the periodic relines and cost of new dentures every 8 - 10 years.

For all these reasons, Dr. Dulski recommends that you choose treatment to keep all of your natural teeth.  You will look better, feel better and be more confident.  Visit Adult Dentistry of Rochester to learn how we can help you keep your natural smile.

Tags: Dentures, Preventive Dentistry, Restorative Dentistry

Controlling Chronic Inflammation

Inflammation is from the Latin, inflammare, which means to set on fire and is part of the bodies response to disease causing bacteria and toxins.  The body initiates healing from an injury like a cut with a reaction that produces red, tender and swollen tissue.  This reaction allows healing cells from the blood stream to infiltrate the injured tissue to kill bacteria, remove damaged cells and grow new tissue.   The inflammation of the typical healing process is temporary.

It is when inflammation is not quickly resolved with healing that local inflammatory factors can spread throughout the whole body.  Inflammation can then become a wildfire that spreads out of control causing tissue destruction distant to the site of the original infection.  This chronic inflammation can result in atherosclerosis, the blood vessel disease of heart attacks and stokes.  Evidence of chronic inflammation in the mouth is the red, tender and swollen gums of periodontal disease.  The earliest and easiest stage of periodontal disease to treat is gingivitis.

That's why your routine dental check-ups and cleanings are so important - not just for the health of your teeth and gums, but for your general health.  Visit Adult Dentistry of Rochester for your next periodic dental check-up and cleaning where we check the health of the gums with a complete periodontal exam at every visit and thoroughly remove the deposits of bacterial plaque which fuel the fire of gingival inflamation.

Tags: Periodontal Disease, Gingivitis, Periodontal Exam