Dental News - Prescott Dentistry

Quarterly Newsletter - July 2014
PRESCOTT DENTISTRY
M i n i m a l l y
Inside this issue:
I n v a s i v e
D e n t i s t r y
i n
a
C a r i n g
E n v i r o n m e n t
A n Oun c e o f P re ven t io n
Summer Smile Makeover
1
Invisalign - Tips from Toddie
2
411 on Dental 911
2
A Closer Look at Tooth
Enamel
2
Community Outreach
3
Dental Funnies
3
Dental News : Diabetes
3
A few things to know:
 We offer INVISALIGN! Call or
come by the office to schedule a no cost consultation
with Dr. Thompson.
 To better accommodate our
patients needs, we are now
open Fridays!
 Check out our complimentary
“Comfort Menu” and coffee
bar at your next appointment.
 Stop by the front desk to see
our new disposable whitening trays! Great for a
“touch-up” for you or someone you know!
 Want to know more about the
Biomimetic Dentistry that
we do? Our dentists will be
hosting Educational Dental
Seminars at our office
throughout the year - ask for
a flyer to find out more!
Last month we had the privilege of
hosting an open house and educational seminar in our dental practice. In
addition to inviting folks from the community in to see our beautiful facility,
we wanted to provide some information on what is unique about what
we do here at Prescott Dentistry. Part
of what we focused on was the idea of
preventative treatments in Dentistry.
Everybody understands the role that
exercise and good diet play in staying
physically healthy and avoiding doctor
visits. In the same way there are preventative things that we can incorporate into our routine in order to not get
too familiar with your dentist. In order
to effectively talk about preventive
dentistry, we have to understand the
following diagram:
There are three components to dental
disease, and all three have to be
present in order for disease to be
present. FIRST, there has to be some
tissue or body part involved. For dental
purposes this tissue is either our tooth
enamel or our gum tissue. Think of it
this way, if we didn’t have any teeth,
we would never get any cavities!
SECOND, there have to be bacteria
present. Remember, almost all dental
disease is a bacterial infection. The
bacteria produce the acids that dissolve our teeth and cause decay, or
produce the toxins as by-products that
cause inflammation and breakdown of
the gums. If we effectively eliminate
the presence of bacteria in the mouth,
we can eliminate most all dental disease.
THIRD, there has to be some energy
source for the bacteria to thrive on.
The favorite diet of oral bacteria is
simple carbohydrates or sugars which
they can reduce to acid which breaks
down enamel. What this tells us is that
changes in our diet can disrupt the
bacterial colonies in our mouth. If we
can disrupt or remove any of these
three contributing factors in our mouth,
we can effectively reduce or eliminate
P
rescott Dentistry and its team are blessed to
be a part of your lives, your stories. It is
what we love most about our jobs. With every
crown we design and biomimetic filling we place we
are able to perform mini smile makeovers on our
patients every day. It is the greatest feeling in the
world - watching our patients leave our office with a
beautiful, confident smile lets us know we have
fulfilled our promise to you. This summer you, our
incredible patients, have a rare opportunity to see
how changing someone’s smile can also change
their life.
It has long been a dream of Dr. Montes’
to do a smile makeover on an underserved member
of our community - someone who otherwise would
never be able to have the smile that they have
always dreamed of. Starting in June we took applications for our “Summer Smile Makeover” contest,
in July we will select our winner and in August the
transformation will begin! You can watch the entire
Dr. Sergio Montes, Owner/Dentist
dental disease. So now that we know
what factors contribute to disease, we
can understand why the dentist may
make certain recommendations or
modifications to our routine.
In our next installment, Dr. Montes
will discuss some specific recommendations to address each of these
three factors. For a preview you can
visit our blog via our website:
www.prescottdentistry.com
life-changing process unfold by “liking” us on Facebook or by going to our website:
www.prescottdentistry.com and clicking on the link.
We are so excited for you to take this journey with us
- it will be an incredible experience and a story none
of us will soon forget!
Page 2
A C LO S E R L O O K AT TOO TH ENA M E L
other part of your body is… it
does not need a blood supply, nerves, or any of the
“normal” biological innervations the rest of our body’s
parts can’t do without. This
very unique feature allows
the tooth to function as no
other part of the body
can. Truly it is unique in both
form and function
Dr. Nathan R. Thompson
Your tooth is protected by an
armored layer of extremely
hard tissue called enamel;
this protective layer covers
and protects the tooth and
allows us to chew and otherwise function without pain or
sensitively. It is the most
unique of all the tissues of
the body as it is 96% inorganic (hydroxyapatite). That
is to say, the outer layer of
your tooth is more like a rock
or a precious gem than any
Our teeth are capable of taking a lot of abuse… we chew
with them, bathe them in acids (think of a fruit smoothie
or coffee with sugar for example), and even open bags and
bottle tops (that we all know
we shouldn’t) with them. This
daily use and abuse can be
very
damaging
to
our
teeth. Because the enamel
of the tooth is so unique, it is
capable of a limited amount
of repair referred to as remineralization – meaning to that
the process of loosing calci-
um and essential minerals
(demineralization) can be
reversed! This ability to have
minerals be “pushed” back
into the tooth is remarkable
and unique to the enamel of
the tooth. It should be noted
that this “rebuilding” of the
tooth can only happen on a
micro level; once the tooth
has hole you can see with the
naked eye, it is too late and
remineralization can no longer
occur. It is at this point that
your
dental
professional
needs to intervene and correct the issue.
In our next issue, we will explore more about remineralization and how your choices
of foods influence the health
of your teeth. Until then, be
kind to your teeth and remember that our bodies (teeth
included) are an amazing
series of miracles that are to
be studied and admired.
Mark your calendars! These are our office closures for the remainder of the year:
May 26th, July 3rd– 4th, September 1st, November 26th—28th, December 22nd—January 2nd
Toddie has decided to chronicle her journey for our
patients. We will have updates here, in our Newsletter as well as on our Facebook page and Blog.
So, without further ado… Here it is… Toddies
journey to a better smile… Enjoy!
Five months ago Toddie, one of our amazing
Dental Assistants, embarked on a journey that she
had long desired. Toddie has always had a lovely
smile - afterall, she does work for the best dentists
in town! But there was something about her
mouth that bothered her; a tooth misaligned here,
a bite not quite right there - her lower teeth were
moving and she wanted to stop it before it caused
her a problem. Every one of us will experience this
same “movement” of our teeth. It’s called the
“mesial drift” and as we age it is a natural occurrence that changes the way our smile looks and
our teeth function. Thanks to the vast knowledge
and training Dr. Thompson possesses in the specialty of Orthodontia, and his training and accreditation with Invisalign - Toddie has been able to
start on the path to the smile she always wanted!
Hi all! Toddie here. I am 5 months into Invisalign
retainers and love the results. I have never had any
real issues with my teeth, but always wanted them
to be straight. After all, I am a dental assistant and
want my smile to be the best it can be, right? Here
are some tips I have learned so far that I thought
might be helpful to anyone using or interested in
Invisalign:
Put your new trays in at night – they are way less
uncomfortable when you wake up. If you change
them in the day, you have to endure all that pressure and discomfort all day, and take lots of Ibuprofen. Ask me how I know!
The dreaded “buttons” (or attachments, as some
call them) - When my buttons were placed it was
no big deal. The hardest part of that appointment
was keeping my mouth open for so long. Having
the buttons on does make taking the trays off a
little harder; it becomes more of a peeling off process. I have noticed that I bite my lip once in a
while because of the size of the button on the upper, but since I am aware of it I try to think about
4 1 1 ON D ENTA L 9 1 1
If you have ever had a ”problem tooth” you
know that there is almost nothing worse than
a nagging, throbbing, wakes you up in the
middle of the night, hurts when you breathe,
toothache. We hope that you will never
experience a dental emergency, but given the
slight chance that you might someday, we
want you to know that we are always available to help you and provide you with the
highest quality of care. With two full-time
dentists on staff we are available in any
emergency situation. If an emergency should
occur during office hours, please call us
immediately at 445-1660 so that we may
schedule the best available time for you. We
will do everything possible to treat the tooth
that is causing the problem. Should an
emergency occur after office hours, the
phone number for our on-call dentist will be
given out on our answering machine. When
you call this number, our on-call dentist will
be happy to take your call and answer your
questions. If necessary, we can arrange for
immediate help. In most cases, a Limited
Exam by the dentist and an individual x-ray
will give us all the information that we need
to be able to diagnose why you are having
dental pain.
moving my lip out of the way when eating.
Cleaning - I’ve read blogs online abut soaking the
trays in hydrogen peroxide, bleach water (gasp!)
and Listerine. My routine: get up in the morning,
drink water, brush my teeth with toothpaste with
the liners in place, remove the liners and brush the
inside of each one, brush my teeth and then rinse
all. After my meal, I floss and brush and rinse with
a whitening mouthwash (I use Crest 3D White)
then put the liners back in. I don’t drink anything
with my liners in other than water. Period. I have
had no staining, no odor, no tearing of the liners
thus far.
Commitment - Sometimes it is tempting to just
leave them out for a while, or drink that soda
(“just this one time”) with them in. But I don’t,
because this is something that I really want to have
come out right. And, after your teeth begin to
move; your bite doesn’t line up when you take the
liners out anyway, so you really feel more comfortable with the liners in place. I have about another 5
months to go with treatment.
A Caring Dentist - This is the most important part
of the process, in my opinion. Thankfully, Dr.
Thompson (our Invisalign “guru”) is willing and
able to answer any questions, reassure me and
give me encouragement.
I would recommend Invisalign to anyone who has
crowding issues like I did!
Page 3
CHECK-OUT OUR
NEW DISPOSABLE
WHITENING TRAYS!
A GREAT GIFT FOR YOU OR
SOMEONE YOU KNOW!
Last year On September 12, 2013 businesses across
the United States joined Freedom Day USA, a national
Thank You Movement for the members of our military
and their immediate families, along with Veterans.
Your Dental Family at Prescott Dentistry was honored
with the opportunity to step up and give back to the
local hero’s in our community giving them a day of
FREE Dentistry.
Our entire team is excited to announce that we have
signed on again to partner with Freedom Day USA for
their 2014 event! This years event will take place on
September 11, 2014. If you know of an active military
member or a veteran who could benefit from our Free
Dental services during Freedom Day USA this September or to find out more about this exciting event
please contact our office at 445-1660.
D e n t al N e ws
The American Diabetes Association
published an article in April 2014 regarding
the connection between Diabetes and Periodontal Disease. Here is an excerpt from that
article:
For the nearly 26 million Americans who
have diabetes, many may be surprised to
learn about an unexpected complication
associated with this condition. Research
shows
that
there
is
an
increased prevalence of gum disease among
those with diabetes, adding serious gum
disease
to
the
list
of
other complications associated with diabetes,
such as heart disease, stroke and kidney
disease.
Emerging research also suggests that the
relationship between serious gum disease
and diabetes is two-way. Not only are people
with diabetes more susceptible to serious
gum disease, but serious gum disease may
have the potential to affect blood
glucose control and contribute to the
progression of diabetes. Research suggests
that people with diabetes are at higher risk
for oral health problems. People with
diabetes are at an increased risk for serious
gum disease because they are generally more
susceptible to bacterial infection, and have a
decreased ability to fight bacteria that invade
the gums.
To help prevent dental problems associated
with Diabetes you need to control
your blood glucose level. Then, take good
care of your teeth and gums, along with
regular checkups every six months. To
control thrush, a fungal infection, maintain
good diabetic control, avoid smoking and, if
you wear them, remove and clean dentures
daily. Good blood glucose control can also
help prevent or relieve dry mouth caused by
diabetes. If your blood glucose levels are
poorly controlled, you are more likely to
develop serious gum disease and lose more
teeth than non-diabetics. Like all infections,
serious gum disease may be a factor in
causing blood sugar to rise and may make
diabetes harder to control.
Other oral
problems associated to diabetes include:
thrush, an infection caused by fungus that
grows in the mouth, and dry mouth which
can cause soreness, ulcers, infections and
cavities.
When you have gum disease, germs work to
destroy your gums (gingiva) and the bone
around your teeth. It starts with plaque.
Plaque is a sticky film of food, saliva, and
germs. Plaque loves to settle at the gum line.
There, germs get busy making your gums
red, tender, and likely to bleed. The goal of
your daily tooth brushing and flossing is to
clean away plaque. When plaque stays put, it
hardens into tartar. Tartar builds up under
the gum line. More plaque forms over the
tartar. Only your dentist or dental hygienist
can get tartar off your teeth.
Often gum disease is painless. You may not
even know you have it until you have some
serious damage. Regular dentist visits are
your best weapon. People with diabetes have
special needs and your dentist and hygienist
are equipped to meet those needs - with your
help. Keep your dentist and hygienist
informed of any changes in your condition
and any medication you might be taking.
Prescott Dentistry
Minimally Invasive Dentistry in a Caring Environment
350 W. Whipple Street
Prescott, Arizona 86301
Phone: 928-445-1660
Fax: 928-771-8169
Email:prescottdentistry@gmail.com
Prescott Dentistry
has been providing
the Prescott area with
minimally invasive
dentistry
in a healing environment
We’re on the web!
for over 30 years.
www.prescottdentistry.com
Meet Our Amazing Team:
Dr. Sergio Montes,
Dr. Nathan Thompson,
Owner/Dentist
Associate Dentist
Whitney Lee,
Val Onken,
Team Leader
Dental Assistant
Brandy Christopherson,
Toddie Hauck,
Scheduling Coordinator
Dental Assistant
Debbie Gordon,
Marti Biel,
Scheduling Coordinator
Dental Assistant
Yvonne Hodgkins,
Leti Montes,
Sterilization Lead/ Head Gopher
Registered Dental Hygienist
Leah Sinisi,
Carrie Miller,
Sterilization Technician
Registered Dental Hygienist
Diane Warner,
Terri Chandler,
Dental Assistant
Registered Dental Hygienist