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

Periodontal Maintenance

A routine oral prophylaxis (routine teeth cleaning) includes scaling or polishing procedures to remove plaque, calculus and stains from the crowns of teeth.  A routine cleaning is performed on healthy tissue or in the presence of inflammation, gingivitis, the response of healthy tissue to the toxic deposits of bacterial plaque and calculus.  A routine cleaning is performed every 3,4 or 6 months to maintain healthy gums or reverse a gingivitis to return the mouth to health.

Periodontal maintenance is initiated following the treatment of periodontal disease, the loss of tooth support to gum and bone decay resulting in unsupported and exposed root surfaces.  Periodontal maintenance includes the removal of bacterial plaque and calculus from the crowns and exposed root surfaces of teeth above the gum-line and deposits on the root surfaces of teeth below the gum-line.  Periodontal maintenance is performed every 3 months to prevent the progression of periodontal disease.

Once tooth support has been lost, it cannot be restored.  Tooth loss in periodontal patients has been shown in studies to be inversely proportional to the frequency of periodontal maintenance.  Ten years following completion of periodontal therapy, patients who had received periodontal maintenance had significantly less progressive gum and bone decay and reduced tooth loss compared to patients who had not received periodontal maintenance.  In fact, numerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of periodontal maintenance and have shown that progressive periodontitis can be prevented or limited by optimal personal oral hygiene and thorough periodontal maintenance.  Since patients are rarely completely effective in removing plaque at home, 3 month periodontal maintenance eliminates or reduces the toxic effects of bacterial plaque on teeth and supporting tissues.

Patients with a history of periodontitis require continuing periodontal maintenance since brushing and flossing alone has not been shown to control the progression of attachment loss.  Occasionally, despite the best efforts of the dentist and hygienist, some patients may suffer tooth loss despite continuous periodontal maintenance.  Additional diagnostic information, such as microbial and genetic testing, as well as antimicrobial therapy and periodontal surgery my be required for these patients.  For a free periodontal exam which includes an update of your medical and dental histories, extra-oral and intra-oral soft tissue examination, dental examination, periodontal evaluation, implant evaluation, and radiographic review, visit Adult Dentistry of Rochester.

Tags: Oral Prophylaxis, Periodontal Maintenance, Teeth Cleaning, Periodontal Disease, Gingivitis, Gum Disease

Are You At Risk For Periodontal Disease?

There are several factors that increase the risk of periodontal disease, an infection that causes decay in the gum and bone supporting teeth.  These risk factors are:

Smoking or chewing tobacco - not only is periodontal disease more prevalent in smokers, periodontal treatment is less successful in those individuals who smoke.

Diseases that affect the whole body - such as diabetes, blood cell disorders, and, HIV-AIDS are among the diseases that can lower resistance to infection, making periodontal disease more likely and severe.

Medications - steroids, anti-seizure drugs, cancer therapy drugs, blood pressure drugs and birth control pills - can affect the gums.  Some of these medications have the side effect of reducing salivary flow which lowers the cleansing and buffering effect of saliva resulting in increased plaque accumulation and acid attack which causes tooth decay and gum disease.

Teens, pregnant women, and those taking birth control pills face changes in the body's hormone levels which can cause the gum tissue to be more inflamed by the toxins in bacterial plaque.

Genes play a role.  Some patients may have a gene that causes the gums to become more inflamed in response to bacterial plaque.  The result is more severe and rapid progression of periodontal disease.  If your parents wear dentures or you have a family history of tooth loss due to gum disease, then you may carry this gene.

The specific types of bacteria that cause periodontal disease are passed from mother to children due to the intimate physical contact of child rearing, or between partners through the saliva.  You help your children avoid gum disease by taking care of your own oral health.  Some parents mistakenly think that they are caring for their children by neglecting their own health.  For a free periodontal exam and consultation with Dr. Dulski to assess your risk for periodontal disease, visit Adult Dentistry of Rochester.

Tags: Periodontal Disease, Gum Disease

Dental Care For Senior Adults

As we age, we notice graying hair, more frequent aches and pains and wrinkles.  Our teeth and mouths are also affected by aging.

Dental cavities are not just for kids.  As we age, receding gums can expose the unprotected root surfaces of teeth resulting in root cavities.  Many seniors also have a number of old fillings.  On average, fillings last 8 - 10 years.  As fillings age, leakage and decay is a common problem.

Gum disease is the major reason for tooth loss in adults of all ages.  Infected gums if left untreated slowly detach from the teeth.  Deepening infection can involve the underlying bone resulting in bone decay.  Eventually the teeth loosen and are lost.  Some medical diseases, certain medications, dentures and bridges that don't fit properly, poor diets and poor oral hygiene can increase the severity of gum disease.

Dr. Dulski believes that every tooth in your mouth plays an important role in speaking, chewing and maintaining proper alignment of other teeth.  Tooth loss is not an inevitable result of aging, but if you do lose teeth, they should be replaced for your mouth the function properly.

If most of the teeth are missing, a partial denture or complete denture can restore the mouth to function and improve appearance and restore personal self-esteem.  A more natural option to replacing lost teeth in terms of fit, comfort and appearance is dental implants.  Dental implants attach directly to the jawbone.  Not everyone is a candidate for dental implants because the patient must be in good general and oral health and have adequate jawbone remaining to secure the dental implant.  Dr. Dulski will advise you if this is an option for you.

What can you do to prevent dental problems?  Sugars and starches are changed by bacteria in plaque to acids which attack tooth enamel.  Limiting the number of times you snack along with brushing and flossing daily can help save your teeth from tooth decay.  Studies show that fluoride is just as effective in preventing tooth cavities in adult as it is in children.  Toothpastes containing fluoride can help reduce tooth decay even more that brushing and flossing alone.

Regular dental check-ups are important for seniors, whether or not they have their natural teeth.  Besides evaluating and treating existing dental problems, Dr. Dulski also looks for more serious health problems such as oral cancer.  The majority of oral cancers occur in people older than 45 years of age.  Symptoms of oral cancer include sores, swelling or discoloration of the tongue, lips, cheek, throat, jawbone or salivary glands.  If you notice any of these symptoms, call Dr. Dulski immediately for a examination.

Aging also yellows teeth.   A number of cosmetic dental procedures can improve your smile.  Bleaching can whiten stained teeth, bonding and porcelain veneers can cover stains, restore chipped teeth, close gaps or reshape malformed teeth.  Visit Adult Dentistry of Rochester to learn how Dr. Dulski can keep you smiling for years to come.

Tags: Dental Cavities, Gum Disease, Partial Dentures, Complete Dentures, Dental Implants, Oral Cancer, Porcelain Veneers