Fluoride and infant formula

It is a proven fact that fluoride prevents cavities but American Dental Association has just come out with interim guidlines regarding the use of fluoridated water in infant formulas

fluoride intake above the recommended level for a child’s age creates a risk for enamel fluorosis in teeth during their development before eruption through the gums. According to fluoride intake guidelines set by the Institute of Medicine, the amount of fluoride recommended for babies under a year old is less than that for older children and adults. Infants less than one year old may be getting more than the optimal amount of fluoride (which may increase their risk of enamel fluorosis) if their primary source of nutrition is powdered or liquid concentrate infant formula mixed with water containing fluoride.

More information is available at www.ADA.org 

Head Immobilization Impairs Jaw Function

Jaw opening and closing relies both on mandibular and head movements. Jaw and neck muscles are jointly activated in jaw functions. Restricted head-neck mobility can impair jaw function. Recent studies show that head fixation due to neck injury leads to reduced manibular movement and shorter duration of jaw-opening/closing cycles. Considering this relationship it is important that during different cosmetic dental procedures the occlusion or bite be evaluated as well as the position of the neck. Venetian Veneer procedure is a porcelain veneering procedures developed at the International Institute of Cosmetic Dentistry to address the issue of occlusion.

Minocycline

Minocycline, a tetracycline derivative is commonly used to treat acne vulgaris and rosacea. It is also used to the treatment of Mycoplasma, Chlamydia and Treponem infections, chronic respiratory disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Minocycline may cause abnormal pigmentation of the skin , nails , bone  and teeth. The stains are generally Green/grey, blue/grey and mostly happen on the incisal edge and most intensely the middle third of the crown. Staining appears to occur in 3-6% of patients taking long term minocycline at >100 mg daily . The onset of discoloration can occur at any time from 1 month to many years after the initiation of treatment. The resolution is rare in teeth.  The solution might be teeth whitening which helps to a certain extent but since the stain is intrinsic it can not be completely removed although it is usually less sever than Tetracycline staining. Porcelain bonded restorations using Venetian Veneer technique developed and perfected by Dr. Samsavar could generally give patients a desired smile back.

Gum disease can kill your patients

Gum disease and tooth abscess not only can cause the loss of teeth, but we now know that gum disease and chronic tooth abscesses contribute to the death of hundreds of thousand of people each year!

Recent studies have now proven the link between gum disease, tooth abcesses and multiple health problems such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, heart attack and even low birth weight babies. These maladies were the focus of the studies, however it is felt that oral infections have significant effect on many more organ systems.

For example, the recent retrospective studies showed that a person with gum disease or chronic tooth abcesses is more likely to die from natural causes than someone without oral infections. These studies also found that patients with long-term presence of gum diseae have an average life span of ten years less!

The very advances in the battle against gum disease involve a unique combination of no-surgical therapy, ultrasonic root planing and several types of antibiotics developed at International Institute of Cosmetic Dentistry.

You should be most aware of this effect on your patiens that require antibiotic premed before visiting the dentist-patients with certain murmurs, significant mitral valve prolapse, prosthetic heart valves, recent heart surgery, recent prosthetic joints,  or a history of bacterial endocarditis  are at higher risk if they have untreated periodontal disease.

About International Institute of Cosmetic Dentistry:

Dr. Aalam Samsavar is a world renowned, author, speaker and cosmetic dentist with over 20 years of experience with modern techniques of cosmetic dnetistry. He performs close to 2500 smile enhancement procedures per year. Dr. Samsavar’s International Institiute of Cosmetic Dentistry offers a wide variety of cosmetic and rejuvenation procedures.