April 26, 2012

Floss or Die? Well… Maybe.

Dr. Chilcoat @ 9:52 am

Can a dirty mouth really cause your demise? Some dental experts think it can. Many of us consider our dental health as secondary to our overall health.  When faced with tough financial times, people often avoid needed dental care.  Some of us aren’t very good about keeping our teeth and gums clean at home, either.

While no death certificates have been written out with “rotten teeth” as the cause of death, bad oral hygiene and procrastination when it comes to seeing a dentist can actually lead to some very serious health problems.  Of course, missing a dental appointment or infrequent flossing isn’t going to kill you. Harmful bacteria associated with gum disease and tooth decay can contribute to some serious health conditions you may not be aware of.

Most of us are aware that poor dental hygiene leads to tooth decay, periodontal disease, bad breath and eventually tooth loss. Gum disease and tooth loss is such a serious problem that hundreds of thousands of people undergo a dental implant procedure to replace missing teeth every year.  With a dentist or a dental specialist on almost every city street, it should be easy for people to practice preventive maintenance and avoid serious and expensive problems which require gum surgery or a dental implant procedure.

Most of us are not aware that poor dental hygiene can cause more serious problems than tooth loss. High levels of the dangerous bacteria that cause periodontal (gum) disease can also contribute to or cause atherosclerosis (blockage of carotid artery), heart disease, respiratory problems and diabetes. While missing a dental appointment or not flossing regularly is not going to cause you to have a heart attack, allowing dental problems to go untreated can contribute to serious health problems.  This handy infographic explains it all.
Floss or Die Infographic
Via: YourLocalSecurity.com

 

Lesson Learned:  Brushing your teeth every day and seeing your dentist for preventive treatment every six months will keep your mouth healthy.  Added bonus:  Maybe, just maybe good oral health habits will save your life!

April 4, 2012

Old Time Dentistry: A Little Walk Through Time

Dr. Chilcoat @ 3:06 pm
 

dental history, tooth replacement

Ancient Bridgework secured with brass bands

.

.

Dentistry sure has come a long way since the dark ages!  Back in about 300 B.C. ancient dentists were building dental bridges to replace missing teeth and holding them in place with brass bands.  These days, modern dentistry allows us to replace missing teeth with a simple dental implant procedure.

.

.

.

.

.

.

dental fear

Dark Ages Dentist

The Dark Ages of Dentistry must be where people’s overwhelming fear of the dentist originates.  In this depiction of a dentist extracting a patient’s tooth, we can see that the patient is clearly in distress.  Keep in mind that back then, there was no novocaine, no laughing gas, no anesthesia of any type to alleviate dental pain.  Patient’s will occasionally tell us stories of having a tooth extracted in their past.  “He had his knee up on my chest”, they say.

In all my years’ experience in oral surgery and dental extractions, I have never seen a dentist remove a tooth in that manner.  The patient’s telling us these stories must have seen this picture!  Dentists in the 1700’s recommended using “soot” to clean teeth.

.

.

Dental humor

Laughing Gas

With the invention of nitrous oxide sedation, “laughing gas”, we could finally have dental procedures and tooth extractions without pain.  It didn’t take long for doctors to realize that you had to mix the nitrous oxide with oxygen to prevent serious complications with your patient!  Some patients loved laughing gas so much that they wrote popular songs about it.  Nitrous oxide was invented in 1794 by Thomas Beddoes and James Watt.  It began being used for dentistry in 1844.

.

Fix my teeth

He fixed his teeth, alright!

.

.Dentists and dental products have been popular in advertising for as long as advertising    has existed.  The gentleman in this advertisement for Dr. Shiffman looks really happy to have a big, gaping hole where his tooth use to be.  I guess this dentist didn’t know about implant dentistry!  Dental implants in one form or another have been found throughout ancient history.  Ancient Egyptian mummies have actually been found with functioning dental implants in their jawbones!