Dentist Jefferson City Blog

Jun 20 2021

Enamel Erosion From Acid Reflux Disease Damages Your Smile

LOOKING INSIDE SOMEONE’S MOUTH, members of my Jefferson City dental team can learn a lot! We can get clues about your diet, how sound you sleep, and perhaps whether or not you struggle with acid reflux.

Acid Reflux Disease Is Very Common Today
Acid reflux disease is quite common in adults over the age of 20. This is a condition where stomach acid leaks up into the esophagus creating heartburn or regurgitation. Often, the symptoms are not severe so it can go unnoticed or ignored.

Most People Don’t Realize The Potential Effects On Teeth
If you suffer from acid reflux it’s possible that there’s more damage going on than you realize. Frequent and/or severe reflux can cause those powerful acids to reach your mouth—and your teeth, which can lead to enamel erosion. Although the following symptoms can be caused by a number of conditions, acid reflux is certainly one of them. Are you experiencing…

sensitivity to certain foods?
unexplained pain or irritation in your mouth?
noticeable thinning or shortening of teeth?
darkening of your teeth?

5 Things You Can Do To Help Protect Your Smile
If you struggle with acid reflux, here are five things you can do to protect your smile from enamel erosion:

1. Treat your acid reflux disease!
Take this condition seriously. If you’re not yet being treated, see your doctor for recommendations and/or medications that help keep your acid reflux under control.

2. Make simple dietary changes.
Limit acidic foods and drinks like sodas, citrus fruits and juices, tomato products, milk, caffeine, chocolate, spicy & fried foods, fatty meats or anything acidic in nature.

3. Rinse your mouth with water after reflux episodes.
Don’t let the acids sit on your teeth. Rinsing will wash away acids and help prevent further damage.

4. Wait an hour after reflux episodes to brush your teeth.
Exposure to acid can temporarily weaken enamel. Brushing immediately after reflux episodes can be harsh on your teeth and may hurt your enamel more.

5. Keep your mouth moist and fresh.
Chew sugarless gums, lozenges, or candies. If you use antacids, look for sugar-free ones and rinse after consuming.

On The Lighter Side…
Life’s too short, right? Sometimes we have to lighten things up—even when talking about serious subjects!

Talk With Us About Your Acid Reflux
At Stadium Dental Center in Jefferson City, Missouri, we understand how frustrating it can be to live with chronic acid reflux disease. Give us a call if you have concerns. We always enjoy and appreciate visiting with you about your oral health and whole-body health.

As always… Thanks for being our valued patient and friend.

Jun 20 2021

4 Surprising Foods That Can Contribute To Bad Breath

DO YOU HAVE AN IMPORTANT MEETING OR INTERVIEW TODAY? Or perhaps a big date? Worrying about bad breath can mess with your confidence. Don’t mess with your confidence. You know the “usual” foods to avoid like garlic and onions. But there are a few others we don’t often think about… Read on!

Bad-Breath Culprits That May Surprise You

Acidic Foods
Foods containing lots of citric acid, like lemons, pickles, and grapefruit can turn your breath from bad to worse. Citric acid fuels the bacteria in your mouth, increasing sulfuric compound production.

Alcohol & Foods That Dry Your Mouth
Dry mouth is one of the MOST COMMON CAUSES of bad breath. That’s because saliva helps clean our mouths and manage the bacteria. Alcohol is a drying agent. Foods, drinks and mouthwashes that contain alcohol may add to your problem.

High Protein Foods
When protein is metabolized it produces ammonia and ketones—both of which can fuel bad breath. This doesn’t mean cutting out all the protein—just use moderation.

Sugar (Yep!)
Sugar is one of bad-breath-bacteria’s favorite foods! When you eat lots of sugary mints, candies or drinks you can increase the amount of bacteria in your mouth. If you do need a mint or gum, choose sugar-free options. Gum sweetened with xylitol has been found to actually fight plaque and bad breath.

Taking Care Of Your Oral Health Helps Take Care Of Your Breath
Remember that one of the best ways to combat bad breath is to keep up with your daily oral hygiene. Make sure you brush, floss, and schedule regular visits for cleanings and check-ups.

If you are concerned your bad breath may be a result of something more serious, give us a call! We can help.

Thanks for the trust you place in Stadium Dental Center in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Jun 20 2021

Minimal Tooth Invasion For Maximum Preventive Dentistry

You may not have heard the term “minimally invasive dentistry,” but at Stadium Dental Center, we practice it every day. Read below and find out about what minimally invasive dentistry is and how we can use its methods to help preserve your smile.

What is minimally invasive dentistry?

The goal of minimally invasive dentistry, is to conserve healthy tooth structure through preventive dentistry. It focuses on prevention, remineralization (re-hardening), and minimal dentist intervention (drilling!). Using the state of the art techniques, we perform the most conservative amount of work required, never removing more of the tooth structure than necessary to restore teeth to a healthy condition. Minimally invasive dentistry also employs long-lasting materials that conserve as much tooth structure as possible, reducing the potential need for future repairs. For you, minimally invasive dentistry often means less drilling and less pain, and better disease prevention.

How does it work?

First, we’ll evaluate your risk for tooth decay, which is affected by the presence of bacteria in your mouth, the quality and quantity of your saliva, and your diet. If you show signs of decay, we may use special indicator dyes to map the diseased areas of your teeth, allowing us to remove and replace only those areas. In addition to performing minimally invasive techniques, we may recommend strategies to prevent or reduce your tooth decay risk; for example, if you have a high level of oral bacteria, we may advise you to rinse with a special prescription mouthwash, limit your intake of certain carbohydrates, and practice good oral hygiene.

What techniques are involved?

Minimally invasive dentistry techniques include:

• Remineralization: This technique can repair the damage caused by demineralization, a process in which acid exposure weakens the teeth. The use of fluoride and calcium phosphate compounds play an important role in helping to remineralize (re-harden) teeth.

• Sealants: These are used to protect teeth from the bacteria that cause decay. A type of flowable polymer resin, sealants fit into the grooves and depressions of the tooth, protecting it against bacteria and plaque. Sealants do not require any cutting of the tooth and are easily placed.

• Inlays and onlays: These can be used to restore a tooth without removing as much tooth structure as needed for a crown. Typically gold or tooth-colored, inlays are similar to fillings, but they are custom-made to fit your cavity. For more substantial restorations, onlays can be used instead, incorporating a replacement for the pointed tooth cusp and preserving more of your tooth structure.

• Bite guards: These oral appliances can help protect teeth from bruxism, or grinding, which often causes serious damage to the teeth if left unchecked. If you grind your teeth, we can create a bite guard for you to wear at night or during times of stress, when most grinding occurs.

• Air abrasion: This involves a stream of air combined with a super-fine, abrasive powder, which is used to remove decay if a tooth cannot be remineralized. We frequently use this technique instead of a traditional drill as this process may not require anesthesia.

These preventive dentistry techniques, along with proper oral health habits, can help keep your teeth healthy and prevent future dental problems. Ask us if these minimally invasive techniques might be right for you.

Jun 20 2021

Telling The Story About Dental Implants

By the time you read this, you should be able to find a book I’ve participated in writing and publishing. In fact, maybe I’m the only dentist in Jefferson City who’s on the cover of a book about dentistry for consumers. My contribution was about one of my professional passions, dental implant solutions. It’s been a learning experience, and may not be the last of my involvement in such a thing.

Two years ago, I was at a meeting in Colorado with several friends who happen to be dentists from around the Midwest and Rocky Mountain states. Our recurring meetings were where we put our heads together, searched for and shared ideas to help us do a better job for you, our clients. People may not like coming to the dentist, but for some crazy reason or another a lot of you do come, and I’d hate to ever take that for granted. So I try to work on leading my team to improve the experience we provide to you. I hope at least some of the time our efforts make a difference for you.

One of my dental friends proposed that we collaborate in producing a book we could share with people who want to improve the quality of their lives by enjoying a healthy, strong, confident smile. It’s something we believe in because of how great it feels for us when we can produce a life-changing result for someone who’s suffered poor health and self-confidence because of the poor condition of their mouth.

Not all of my friends were able to participate in writing the book, and some who thought they would found it was more difficult to accomplish than they’d expected. Like any collective effort, it required a lot of coordination and patience to get each participant’s contribution. Most of my part of the book was written soon after we began the project, but the editing process went on for many months afterwards. After many months without any apparent progress, I began to wonder if our book would really be completed and published.

I was chosen to write a chapter on dental implants, while my other friends wrote about things like helping people with dental anxiety, helping diagnose the causes of and restore the damage caused by destructive bite habits, using high-tech solutions such as dental lasers and computer-aided design and machining (CAD/CAM) to treat dental conditions, and even a bit of soul-searching about what draws a person into the dental career field in the first place.

Dental implants are such a rapidly expanding mode of oral treatment worldwide, it’s likely that you or someone you know has either already considered or had one placed in their mouths. They provide satisfying solutions to many of the most challenging and vexing conditions patients and dentists encounter. My training in placing and restoring dental implants began in 1997, while in a two-year dental residency in San Antonio, Texas.

Since then, I’ve attended hundreds of hours of additional training in implant dentistry. At Stadium Dental Center we place and restore damaged smiles with conventional and “mini implants.” From the “All On Four” advanced solution for replacing an entire arch of missing teeth to the natural looking and feeling replacement of individual missing teeth, dental implants have been an exciting alternative to offer many of our clients. I’ll post more on the topic in this blog soon.

Jun 20 2021

Your Smile May Be Your Greatest Job-Hunting Asset

YES, REAL RELATIONSHIPS DEVELOP over time. We all know that. But there are certain situations where an incredible first impression goes a long, long way. One of those times is when you’re advancing your career and interviewing for jobs.

50% Of Interviewers Will Remember Your Smile… 9% Will Remember What You Wore

A recent study by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry suggests that half of adults absolutely remember other people’s smiles after having been introduced to them. That’s far more than the 9% who will remember a new acquaintance’s clothing. Cool, lime green shirt (above)… But your smile will impress even more!

Brighter Smile = Higher Starting Salary?

Your smile can have a direct impact on your career opportunities. A 2007 study simulating job interviews showed that people were more likely to be offered jobs—and offered higher starting salaries—after they had whitened their teeth. Subjects were also perceived to be more professional and more confident after teeth whitening.

What Will People Remember About YOUR Smile?

It may not always seem fair, but people make assumptions based on one’s smile. The beauty is that, armed with knowledge (and an awesome dentist), YOU can take charge of the way people perceive you in professional situations such as interviews.

Make A Good Impression So They’ll Get To Know You On The Inside

Sometimes getting past first impressions with flying colors gives you the chance to let the “real” you come through. After all, that’s the most important part. Here’s some additional job hunting advice:

It’s Not About Perfection. It’s About Confidence.

The most important aspect of a great smile isn’t whether or not you have perfectly straight teeth or a perfect smile. It’s all about the confidence your smile brings. If there’s anything causing you to be self-conscious about your smile, talk with us. We can walk you through some ideas, and create a plan to fix the situation if you’d like. Bringing out the best in our friends, one smile at a time, is what we do!

Thank you so much for trusting Stadium Dental Center in Jefferson City, Missouri with your dental health. Good luck in your pursuit of that new job opportunity!

50% Of Interviewers Will Remember Your Smile… 9% Will Remember What You Wore

Brighter Smile = Higher Starting Salary?

What Will People Remember About YOUR Smile?

Make A Good Impression So They’ll Get To Know You On The Inside

It’s Not About Perfection. It’s About Confidence.

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