Archive for the ‘Exams’ Category
Oral Health Review
- Maintenance – Brushing your teeth at least twice a day and flossing once daily are not the only forms of tooth maintenance. Seeing your dentist twice a year is also a good routine to avoid costly repairs.
- Children – Children need to also be maintained to avoid oral problems and to encourage proper brushing and flossing. They should see the dentist by age one. Parents should brush their child’s teeth until they are coordinated enough to do that themselves. A good rule of thumb is they are unable to brush their own teeth properly until they can tie their shoes themselves. They are usually not coordinated enough to floss properly until about age nine.
- Soda/Pop – Phosphoric acid, citric acid, and carbonic acid provide the tart taste in sodas. The fizzy taste in these drinks may be enjoyable but can soften tooth enamel and make one much more susceptible to tooth decay. An occasional soda won’t hurt but daily intake of soda is destructive for teeth. Switch to water, no calories, no cavities!
- Sugar – Sugar is the major cause of tooth decay. It feeds bacteria which causes plaque. Plaque is bacteria and all its waste products – acid. The acid eats away at your enamel and gums. Each time you create a sugar-fest for plaque you create about twenty minutes of acid production. To avoid tooth decay cut down on sugar and brush and floss frequently.
- Nicotine – Nicotine not only has major health risks including increased chance to develop oral cancer, but negatively affects your teeth. The nicotine and tar in cigarettes can stain your teeth and cause gum loss. Smoking also creates an environment for bacteria and plaque to cause damage especially right at the gum line. Damage occurs not just to teeth but bone and gums as well, leading to tooth loss.
- Toothbrush and Brushing Technique – Change your toothbrush at least every 3 months or as soon as you notice bent bristles. Use only soft bristled toothbrushes and use the right brushing technique. Aim the bristles of your brush at a 45 degree angle to the teeth and gums and brush in tiny circular motions. Be sure every surface of every tooth is brushed. Develop a standard sequence and brush in that sequence at every brushing session. Each tooth should have ten to fifteen passes on the brush or about two minutes total brushing time.
- Floss – Floss is important for healthy teeth and gums. Many people have up to forty percent of the surfaces of their teeth between the teeth where a brush cannot reach. To properly remove plaque in these areas, floss is the best method to break up plaque and leave your teeth and gums in good shape. Take about eighteen inches of floss and wrap the floss around the index fingers of both hands with about two inches between to work with. Unroll fresh floss for each new tooth flossed. In a designated sequence, proceed until the front and back of each tooth is flossed.
As with many things, maintenance will extend the life of whatever we take care of. Teeth and oral health will not only extend the life of our teeth and gums, but reduction in the inflammation in our mouth will reduce the incidence of heart disease and stroke, and reduce the effects of diabetes and other autoimmune diseases.
Keep Brushing,
Dr. James G. Hood
Please join us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/drjameshood and
visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/drjameshood
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Dental Care Associates of Spokane Valley, P.S.
Family and Cosmetic Dentistry Welcomes Patients from Age 2 to 102!
James G. Hood, D.D.S., M.A.
507 North Sullivan Road, Suite A-1,Spokane Valley,WA99037-8576 USA
Phone: (509) 928-9100 | Fax: (509) 928-0414
Email: drhood@drhood.com | Blogs: www.drjamesghoodblog.com www.dentalcareassociatesofspokanevalleyblog.com www.dentalnutritionblog.com www.jamesandkarenhoodfoundationblog.com www.sjogrensblog.com
Websites: www.drhood.com, www.dentalcareassociatesofspokanevalley.com, www.dentalhealthandnutritionstore.com
Autoimmune Disease and Dental Health
Dr. James G. Hood and his partners at Dental Care Associates of Spokane Valley, P.S. provide dental care treatment to patients with autoimmune diseases. James G. Hood, D.D.S. has a special and personal interest in dental health and wellness for people with autoimmune diseases since he, his family members, and friends have been afflicted with various autoimmune diseases. Please call our office at 509-928-9100 if we can be of any assistance.
Dental Health and Nutrition Store provides home health care products, information books, and nutritional supplies for people that have autoimmune diseases. We will be adding more products in the future so bookmark our site and come back often.
Autoimmune diseases arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. In other words, the body attacks its own cells. The immune system mistakes some part of the body as a pathogen and attacks it. This may be restricted to certain organs (e.g. as in chagas disease) or involve a particular tissue in different places (e.g. Goodpasture’s disease which may affect the basement membrane in both the lung and the kidney). The treatment of autoimmune diseases is typically with immunosuppression—medication which decreases the immune response.
There is an on-going discussion about when a disease should be considered autoimmune, leading to different criteria such as Witebsky’s postulates. According to T. Colin Campbell in his book The China Study, Chapter 9, one of the main causes for autoimmune diseases exists in our diet: molecular mimicry between some animal and human proteins may cause the immune system (the white blood cells) to attack our own cells. In particular, Campbell mentions the inability of some persons’ digestive system to fully break down cow’s milk into amino acids. Other researches cite many other specific foods or food groups that may trigger autoimmune reactions. The remnants of these proteins are treated as foreign invader antigens by the immune system, which may then turn against other forms of closely similar proteins in our body.
In both autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, the condition arises through aberrant reactions of the human adaptive or innate immune systems. In autoimmunity, the patient’s immune system is activated against the body’s own proteins. In inflammatory diseases, it is the overreaction of the immune system, and its subsequent downstream signaling (TNF, IFN, etc), which causes problems.
A substantial minority of the population suffers from these diseases, which are often chronic, debilitating, and life-threatening. There are more than eighty illnesses caused by autoimmunity. It has been estimated that autoimmune diseases are among the ten leading causes of death among women in all age groups up to 65 years.
Currently, a considerable amount of research is being conducted into treatment of these conditions. According to a report from Frost & Sullivan, the total payouts by an alliance of leading pharmaceutical companies for drug discovery contract research in the autoimmune/inflammation segment from 1997 to 2002 totaled $489.8 million, where Eli Lilly, Suntory, Procter & Gamble, Encysive, and Novartis together account for 98.6 percent of payouts by that alliance.
Symptoms of Autoimmune Diseases: The symptoms of autoimmune diseases vary depending on the disease as well as the person’s immune system. Common symptoms include: inflammation, fatigue, dizziness, malaise, elevated fever and high body temperature, extreme sensitivity to cold in the hands and feet, weakness and stiffness in muscles and joints, weight changes, digestive or gastrointestinal problems, low or high blood pressure, irritability, anxiety, or depression, infertility or reduced sex drive (low libido), blood sugar changes. Depending on the type of autoimmune disease, an increase in the size of an organ or tissue or the destruction of an organ or tissue can result.
Dr. Hood’s wife, Karen Jean Matsko Hood, has suffered with Achalasia, an autoimmune disease, and thus, he is keenly aware of the symptoms and progress and wanted to offer helpful aids and products on this site.
Achalasia, also known as esophageal achalasia, achalasia cardiae, cardiospasm, and esophageal aperistalsis, is an esophageal motility disorder involving the smooth muscle layer of the esophagus and the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). It is characterized by incomplete LES relaxation, increased LES tone, and aperistalsis of the esophagus (inability of smooth muscle to move food down the esophagus) in the absence of other explanations like cancer or fibrosis.
Achalasia is characterized by difficulty swallowing, regurgitation, and sometimes chest pain. Diagnosis is reached with esophageal manometry and barium swallow radiographic studies. Various treatments are available, although none cure the condition. Certain medications or Botox may be used in some cases, but more permanent relief is brought by esophageal dilatation and surgical cleaving of the muscle (Heller myotomy).
The most common form is primary achalasia, which has no known underlying cause. It is due to the failure of distal esophageal inhibitory neurons. However, a small proportion occurs secondary to other conditions, such as esophageal cancer or Chagas disease (an infectious disease common in South America). Achalasia affects about one person in 100,000 per year.
Please visit our Achalasia Blog.
Dr. James G. Hood himself has Sjögren’s Syndrome.
Sjögren’s Syndrome (also known as “Mikulicz disease” and “Sicca syndrome”) is an autoimmune disorder in which immune cells attack and destroy the exocrine glands that produce tears and saliva. It is named after Swedish ophthalmologist Henrik Sjögren (1899–1986) who first described it.
Nine out of ten Sjögren’s patients are women and the average age of onset is late 40s, although Sjögren’s occurs in all age groups in both women and men. It is estimated to strike as many as 4 million people in the United States alone making it the second most common autoimmune rheumatic disease.
Sjögren’s Syndrome can exist as a disorder in its own right (Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome) or it may develop years after the onset of an associated rheumatic disorder such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, primary biliary cirrhosis etc. (Secondary Sjögren’s Syndrome).
An autoantigen is alpha-Fodrin.
It should not be confused with the Sjögren–Larsson syndrome, also denoted T. Sjögren Syndrome in early studies. Dr. James G. Hood has helped patients with symptoms of Sjögren’s Syndrome.
Signs and Symptoms
The hallmark symptoms of the disorder are dry mouth and dry eyes (part of what are known as sicca symptoms). In addition, Sjögren’s Syndrome may cause skin, nose, and vaginal dryness, and may affect other organs of the body, including the kidneys, blood vessels, lungs, liver, pancreas, peripheral nervous system (distal axonal sensorimotor neuropathy) and brain.
Sjögren’s Syndrome causes increased levels of IL-1RA in CSF suggesting increased activity in the interleukin 1 system and that this is associated with increased fatigue through cytokine induced sickness behavior. Patients with secondary Sjögren’s Syndrome also have signs and symptoms associated with rheumatic disorder. Many patients also have IBS symptoms due to slow gastric transit.
Diagnosis of Sjögren’s Syndrome
Diagnosing Sjögren’s Syndrome is complicated by the range of symptoms a patient may manifest, and the similarity between symptoms from Sjögren’s Syndrome and those caused by other conditions. Nevertheless, the combination of several tests can lead to a diagnosis of Sjögren’s Syndrome.
Blood tests can be done to determine if a patient has high levels of antibodies that are indicative of the condition, such as anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) and rheumatoid factor (because SS frequently occurs secondary to rheumatoid arthritis), which are associated with autoimmune diseases. Typical Sjögren’s Syndrome ANA patterns are SSA/Ro and SSB/La, of which SSB/La is far more specific; SSA/Ro is associated with numerous other autoimmune conditions but are often present in Sjögren’s. Please visit our Sjögren’s Syndrome Blog.
Dental care
Preventive dental treatment is also necessary (and often overlooked by the patient), as the lack of saliva associated with xerostomia (dry mouth) creates an ideal environment for the proliferation of bacteria that cause dental caries (cavities). Treatments include at-home topical fluoride application to strengthen tooth enamel and frequent teeth cleanings by a dental hygienist. Existing cavities must also be treated, as cavities that extend into the tooth cannot be effectively treated through teeth cleaning alone, and are at a high risk of spreading into the pulp of the tooth, leading to the loss of vitality and need for extraction or root canal therapy. This treatment regimen is the same as that used for all xerostomia patients, such as those undergoing head and neck radiation therapy which often damages the salivary glands, as they are more susceptible to radiation than other body tissues.
Dental Health and Nutrition FAQ And Glossary
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What does the dental health and nutrition store carry?
A. Dental Health and Nutrition Store is an online store offering dental health products as well as products for nutrition and health information. We will be adding more and more products as we expand our site, so come back and visit often. Check out our store category list to select the current products.
Q. Do you provide shipping?
A. Yes, Dental Health and Nutrition Store ships worldwide, and we use all the major shipping services such as UPS, USPS, and FedEx. We can ship using the most economical method, and overnight shipping is available.
Q. How often should I visit the dentist?
A. The American Dental Association (ADA) guidelines recommend visiting a dentist at least every six months for a checkup and professional cleaning. Although bi-annual dental examinations are recommended, the frequency of routine dental visits should be based on individual need – some people will need to see the dentist more often than others. More frequent visits may be necessary for persons at increased risk for oral diseases due to age, pregnancy, tobacco and alcohol use, periodontal diseases, oral hygiene, and health conditions (e.g., diabetes, dry mouth, HIV infection). Your dentist or dental hygienist can help you determine how often you should have your teeth cleaned.
Q. What should I expect during my appointment?
A. One of our staff members will compile your medical and dental history during your first visit. We will then examine your teeth and gums, screen you for oral cancer and periodontal disease, make X-rays of your teeth as needed and complete a TMJ (temporomandibular or jaw joint) exam. After we review your dental profile, we will discuss a diagnosis with you. If treatment such as a root canal (endodontics), braces (orthodontics), or oral surgery is needed, we will plan to treat you in our office or refer you to a specialist. We will discuss your options for treatment and fee payment and help you determine the best plan to fit your needs.
During regular follow-up visits, we will examine your teeth and gums and periodontal tissue, screen you for oral cancer, clean your teeth, and make plans for treatment, as needed. We will discuss any pain or problems you may be experiencing and answer any questions you may have.
Q. How old should a child be for their first dental visit?
“First visit by first birthday” sums it up. Your child should visit a pediatric or family dentist when the first tooth comes in, usually between 6 and 12 months of age. This visit will establish a dental home for your child. Early examination and preventive care will protect your child’s smile now and in the future.
Dr. James G. Hood generally recommends that an infant be seen by a dentist by the age of 1 or within 6 months after his or her first tooth comes in. Do not wait for the child to be in pain to bring him or her to the dentist. Most procedures are pain free, and your child should know that a trip to the dentist can be a comfortable and fun experience.
Regular brushing should become a part of a child’s daily routine as soon as he or she can hold a brush. Parents should also swab infant’s gums to prevent plaque buildup. Children’s teeth should be brushed and flossed as soon as they break through the gums.
Although the enamel of a child’s tooth is stronger than that of an adult, it is also thinner, so cavities develop more quickly. Children’s primary teeth require as much care as their permanent teeth. Untreated cavities in primary teeth can adversely affect the development of permanent teeth. Such cavities result in a roughening of adult teeth, or may result in primary teeth that develop cavities.
Q. What does “painless dentistry” mean?
A. Painless dentistry is a means of ensuring your total experience in our office is as stress-free and pain-free as possible. We will discuss treatment options that may require no local anesthetic and whenever possible, alleviate pain by the means most comfortable to you.
Q. What if I have an emergency?
A. Please call our office at (509) 928-9100 as soon as you determine that you have a dental emergency. We will be glad to work you in to our schedule if you have a dental emergency during regular business hours. For an emergency after hours, over the weekend, and during holidays, please call our office for the doctor’s emergency contact number.
Q. Are payment plans available for my dental treatment?
A. Yes, we accept all major types of dental insurance and will process your claim for you upon receipt of your co-payment. We offer a low interest rate payment plan and also accept most major credit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.
Q. Can the dentist whiten my teeth?
A. There are several methods available for bleaching the teeth: in office, overnight or daily. Brite Smile bleaching is done in our office. One session generally lasts one and a half to two hours, and you can read or relax during the treatment. For overnight bleaching, we make an impression of your teeth and create a mouth guard that fits your bite. Each day you fill the mouth guard with a small amount of bleaching gel and wear it overnight or for a few hours during the day. The overnight bleaching process takes approximately two weeks.
Other over-the-counter daily bleaching products are available, but it is important to use any bleaching product only under the supervision of a dentist. To achieve the whitening results you desire, the ADA recommends that you seek the professional advice of a dentist, including examination and diagnosis of the cause of tooth discoloration, before you begin any bleaching program.
Q. What if I have a gap in my teeth, a chipped tooth, or teeth that do not respond to normal bleaching methods?
A. Porcelain veneers are designed to look like your natural teeth and are individually and permanently attached to the fronts of your existing teeth. Bonding utilizes a composite material made of acrylic to fill in areas of your teeth and correct chipping and shape problems. Both porcelain veneers and bonding are color-matched and color-stable to the rest of your teeth.
Q. What is tooth decay?
A. In short, tooth decay is a location on a tooth where so much of the tooth’s mineral content as been dissolved away that a defect (a hole or a “cavity”) has developed.
Q. What is gum disease?
A. Periodontal (gum) diseases, including gingivitis and periodontitis, are serious infections that, left untreated, can lead to tooth loss. The word periodontal literally means “around the tooth.” Periodontal disease is a chronic bacterial infection that affects the gums and bone supporting the teeth.
Q. Is teeth whitening safe?
A. Most studies confirm that teeth whitening is safe and effective. Whitening gels that contain 10 percent carbamide peroxide (equivalent to 3.6 percent hydrogen peroxide) have not been shown to cause any damage to the enamel of the tooth. Higher concentrations of carbamide and hydrogen peroxide available from the dentist may weaken the enamel, but most of these formulas also contain fluoride offsetting this potential side effect.
Q. Why does my child need fluoride?
A. The tooth is made more resistant to decay by the use of fluoride. Fluoride is a mineral, like calcium or sodium, that when used on a tooth makes the enamel more decay resistant. The best way to do this is by fluoridating the drinking water.
Q. Why are baby teeth so important?
A. Often parents do not think primary (baby) teeth are important since they are lost anyway. Primary teeth need the same care as permanent teeth. Your child needs healthy primary teeth for chewing, for good speech habits, appearance, and to preserve space for the permanent teeth.
Q. What is DOCS?
A. Dr. James G. Hood is a member of DOCS Education. As a leading provider of sedation training to dentists in North America, DOCS Education firmly supports the use of all the tried-and-true dental sedation modalities. Oral sedation dentistry, intravenous sedation, and general anesthesia are safe – and in many cases, the medically appropriate option – in the hands of a properly trained dentist. In fact, DOCS Education provides courses in both oral and IV sedation so that dentists can offer these choices to their high-fear patients. DOCS Education founding members and faculty are still practicing dentists and hygienists. Every day they put what is taught in these courses to use.
Glossary of Dental Terms
Breath Treatment: This treatment is necessary for people with halitosis or offensive breath. The majority of cases of bad breath come from inside the mouth and can be cured by restoring infected, decayed or broken teeth, and/or through the regular use of mouth rinses. Some odor may originate from the esophagus or stomach and may require more individualized treatment.
Cosmetic Dentistry: Any operation performed on teeth or other oral tissues to improve the appearance of the patient.
Dentin: The calcified tissue which forms the major part of a tooth. Dentin provides the color for the tooth. Dentin is covered by enamel over the crown of a tooth and covered by cementum over the roots and itself surrounds the pulp chamber and root canals.
Dentistry: The art and science of the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases of the teeth and adjacent tissues, and the restoration of missing teeth and oral structures.
Enamel: The pearly white hard (hardest substance in human body) calcified substance that covers the crown of a tooth.
Floss: Floss is the thread, string or tape used to mechanically remove plaque from between teeth (some say up to 40% of tooth surface) which the toothbrush is unable to reach.
Fluoride: Fluoride is an inorganic chemical element (13th most common element in the earth’s crust) naturally occurring in most foods and water supplies, as well as a natural component of tooth enamel and bone. The body uses fluoride in two ways, systemically (ingested) and topically (gels, solutions, and pastes) and at optimal levels helps teeth to be more resistant to tooth decay.
Health: The state of dynamic equilibrium between the organism and its environment, which maintains the structural and functional characteristics of the organism within the normal limits for a particular form of life (race, genus, species) and the particular phases of its life cycle.
Holistic Health: A concept in medical practice upholding that all aspects of people’s needs, psychological, physical, and social, should be taken into account and seen as a whole. As defined above, the holistic view on treatment is widely accepted in medicine.
Hypnosis: a mental state (state theory) or imaginative role-enactment (non-state theory) usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary instructions and suggestions. Hypnotic suggestions may be delivered by a hypnotist in the presence of the subject, or may be self-administered (“self-suggestion” or “autosuggestion”). The use of hypnotism for therapeutic purposes is referred to as “hypnotherapy.”
Minerals: An organic chemical compound found in nature, especially one that is solid.
Mouth Rinse: Any oral rinse used to kill bacteria, freshen breath, chemically treat oral tissues, or any combination of these functions.
Nutrition: The sum of the processes concerned in the growth, maintenance, and repair of the living body, as a whole, or of its constituent parts.
Oral Cancer Screening: When your dentist examines your mouth at your routine check-up appointments, he/ she is also screening you for oral cancer. This process only takes about 90 seconds and consists of a visual examination for any presence of cancer. Visit your dentist every 6 months for regular check-ups.
Preventive Dentistry: Any activity that seeks to prevent oral disease, prolong the life of teeth, and promote the health of all oral tissues.
Pulp Cavity: The space within the central part of a tooth which contains the dental pulp (nerves and blood vessels) and comprises the pulp chamber and root canal for each root.
Relaxation: A quick release of tension, a return to equilibrium.
Sedation Dentistry: The use of pharmacological agents to calm and relax a patient prior to and during a dental appointment. The pharmacological agents usually belong to a class of drugs called sedatives, which exert their action by depressing the central nervous system, specifically those areas concerned with conscious awareness.
Supplements: Anything added to, when considering oral health, it is either an oral addition of vitamins or minerals taken systemically or topically. It may also include more frequent tasks such as additional brushing, flossing, etc.
Teeth Whitening: The process of making teeth whiter. Methods include in-office professional whitening systems (i.e. ZOOM) as well as custom-made plastic trays which deliver bleach solutions to teeth at home. Bleaching is most safe when delivery is overseen by a dentist.
Tongue Scraper: A device used to provide oral health to the tongue by scraping to remove bacteria and plaque from the taste buds on the rough dorsal surface of the tongue.
Toothbrush: A preferably soft bristled brush with rounded edges (best if ADA recommended) is used to mechanically remove plaque and bacteria from the surfaces of the tooth which it contacts. Certain brushing techniques (i.e. Bass technique) are most effective.
Vitamins: Any of a group of organic compounds present in variable, minute quantities in natural foodstuffs, required for normal growth and maintenance of life of animals (including man) which, as a rule, are unable to synthesize those compounds.
Wellness: “Wellness is a multidimensional state of being describing the existence of positive health in an individual as exemplified by quality of life and a sense of well-being.” Charles B. Corbin of Arizona State University
New Patient Exams and Consultation
At Dental Care Associates of Spokane Valley we make every effort to make visiting our office as easy as possible. If you wish to have a complete exam, or merely a consultation and/or second opinion, we are here to serve you.
Our goal is for you to understand the condition of your mouth so that you can make an informed decision about what you wish to do.
You deserve to receive our attention and expertise, whether that be emergency treatment or a complete exam with x-rays, cancer screening, and diagnostic work-up. Dr. James G. Hood and his team will make every effort to insure you are comfortable and well informed about any and all treatment.
Often, treatment can proceed in more than one direction. Should that be the case, Dr. Hood and his team of professionals will explain each treatment plan and the pros and cons of each.
We encourage questions and find that the better informed patients can best care for their oral tissues.
Most of our referrals come from established patients. Dr. Hood has delivered quality dentistry to the people of Spokane and surrounding areas for 30 years. Patients from 1 or 2 to 102 years are welcome and respected. We enjoy all ages.
Call 509-928-9100 or come in today to experience quality dental care in a relaxed atmosphere. Dr. James Hood and his friendly staff look forward to meeting you.
Greetings and Welcome!
Dr. James G. Hood
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Dental Care Associates of Spokane Valley, P.S.
Family and Cosmetic Dentistry Welcomes Patients
from Age 2 to 102!
James G. Hood, D.D.S., M.A.
507 North Sullivan Road, Suite A-1
Spokane Valley, WA 99037-8576 USA
Phone: (509) 928-9100 | Fax: (509) 928-0414
Email: drhood@drhood.com
Websites: www.drhood.com
www.dentalcareassociatesofspokanevalley.com
Blogs: www.drjamesghoodblog.com
www.dentalhealthandnutritionblog.com
www.dentalcareassociatesofspokanevalleyblog.com
www.jamesandkarenhoodfoundationblog.org
www.sjogrensblog.org
Online Store: www.dentalhealthandnutritionstore.com
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