Don't Ignore Your Dental Health

If we haven't seen you for quite some time, this could mean serious consequences for your teeth and gums, such as eventual tooth loss or worse, major gum surgery.  Many types of dental problems require continuing care; the kind of care you can only get from your dentist.  Without this continuing care, the problems can progress and worsen, and this can have dangerous effects on your dental health.

                                                           Gum disease, not one is immune.

For example, did you know that gum disease is blamed for approximately 50% of all missing teeth?  Did you also know that some form of gum disease affects 87% of the population?  And, did you know that gum disease can be prevented with proper care?

                                                      Know the warning signs of gum disease.

Healthy gums are firm and resilient.  And, even though gum disease sometimes progresses without symptoms, there are some symptoms that almost always mean a problem with gum disease.

Warning sign checklist:

*  Gums that bleed when you brush or floss
*  Swollen, red and tender gums
*  Gums that have separated from the teeth
*  Loose teeth or teeth that look long because of receding gums
*  Changes in the way teeth or partial dentures fit together
*  Persistent bad taste or bad breath

If you're experiencing any of these symptoms, it's important that you come in right away. 
when we catch it in its early stages, gum disease can often be treated non-surgically.  Remember too, that gum disease doesn't always display symptoms.  If you haven't been checked in awhile, it's important that you come in so we can find any problems in their early stages.

                                                   Don't wait until you have a problem to call.

Tartar that forms on the base of your teeth and under your gums can, and will, actually pull your gums away from your teeth.  This process causes pockets in the fums where diseases flourish - and become harder to get to.  Your teeth will become loose, and you may eventually lose them.  We use the best gum care available.  It's called soft tissue management, and it's a non-surgical approach that is less costly and far less painful than having gum surgery.  Gum disease doesn't have to be a fact of life.  And that's the message we want to get across to you.  When we're able to detect gum disease early, you won't have to suffer painful surgery or the expense of replacing lost teeth.  Remember, only the trained eye of your dentist can spot problems like these in their earliest stages, and prevent pain and discomfort later.

                                                Why you should replace those missing teeth. 

If you're missing one or more permanent teeth, those empty spaces can lead to serious problems affecting your entire mouth.  A lot of people think, "If it doesn't show, it doesn't matter."  This is not true, however, because teeth are designed to support each other.   When a tooth is missing, adjoining teeth tend to move toward the open space to fill it in.  In addition to serious bite problems, this tooth movement can contribute to cavities and gum diseases, and often results in even more teeth being lost.  While our main goal is to prevent the loss of teeth, there are things we can do to replace them and prevent further problems.  But, we can't help if you don't come in.

                                                               Now you can see what I see

Thanks to revolutionary advances in dentistry, new technology has made it possible for you to see the same things that I see when you come in for a check-up.  We offer intra-oral  video imaging.  It looks like a wand with a light tip.  That light is a video camera that magnifies the inside of your mouth and projects the image on a monitor.  But what does all this mean to you?  It means that when I talk about plaque and gum disease, you'll be able to see it.  That may sound a little gruesome, but it will help you understand how important good dental hygiene and regular cleanings are to your teeth and gums.

                                                       Please call us for an all important exam.

Don't rely on your own eyes to spot problems.  Or on  your own judgement to diagnose conditions.  Again, it takes training to spot most tooth and gum problems in their earliest stages.  Remember:  Only a dental professional can see many  problems and know how to treat them.  Before you have a problem that needs extensive care, visit the professionals at Adult Dentistry of Rochester.  Preventive care is your best defense against tooth and gum decay,  not to mention possible surgery.

Tags: Gum Disease, Tooth Decay, Intra-Oral Camera

Why Be Concerned About High Blood Pressure?

Blood pressure is the amount of force that the blood exerts on the walls of the blood vessels as it passes through smaller and smaller branches to all parts of the body.  The branches of the circulatory system eventually reach the organs where abnormally high blood pressure can harm the smaller branches of the circulatory tree.  The body structures that chronically high blood pressure (hypertension) affects the most include the heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes.  The diseases resulting from blood vessel damage in these organs are congestive heart failure, stroke, blindness, heart attack, and kidney failure.

For example, high blood pressure is a factor in 2/3rds of strokes, 2/3rds of heart attack, 3/4ths of heart failure, and 1/4th of kidney failure.  High  blood pressure is also a factor in Alzheimer's Disease.  Many people do not have symptoms of high blood pressure until blood vessel damage in these organs causes disease, so the conditions in the early stages when these diseases could be prevented are ignored because there is no discomfort.  Getting high blood pressure under control at an early stage can add years to a person's life.  At Adult Dentistry of Rochester, we routinely check your blood pressure.  Visit us to learn your blood pressure, what it means to your health, and what life style changes can improve your blood pressure and quality of life.

Tags: High Blood Pressure, Hypertension, High Blood Pressure

Esthetic Management of Extractions

Tooth extraction typically leads to loss of tooth-bone width and height leading to a less than attractive tooth replacement with a dental implant.  Studies show that tooth-bone preservation using Freeze Dried Bone Allograft (FDBA) and a collagen membrane improves tooth-bone height and width dimensions when compared to extractions alone.  These dimensions retain the normal architecture of the tooth-bone for a more natural-appearing implant placement, especially in the smile zone.

These techniques improve both the quality and quantity of bone available to support the implant increasing the chance of implant success.  Tooth implants are the most natural way to replace a lost tooth.    For a free consultation to learn how these restorative procedures can restore your smile to its natural beauty, visit Adult Dentistry of Rochester.

Tags: Tooth Extraction, Dental Implants

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