Nutrition Archives - Dr. Maria Chartz - Cosmetic Dentistry

What does a dentist see in terms of dental care! A Prosthodontist’s perspective!

greg — Sun, 07 Apr 2024 18:53:00 +0000

So many of you may be wondering or are possibly scared of what a dentist is looking for when you come in for your initial visit or on your general recall visit. What does a prosthodontist see that may be different from a general dentist or do I really need to see a Prosthodontist? Well, let me explain a little bit. For starters, you all need to know what the specialty of Prosthodontics is. The ADA (American Dental Association) has defined prosthodontics as “the dental specialty pertaining to the diagnosis, treatment planning, rehabilitation, and maintenance of oral function, comfort, appearance, and health of patients with clinical conditions associated with missing teeth or deficient teeth and/or oral maxillofacial tissues using biocompatible substitutes.”

I am a general practitioner, but I am also a specialist in Prosthodontics. So yes, I do General dentistry as well. I had three years of extended training in several areas of restorative dentistry, including dental implants, crowns, bridges, partial dentures, complete dentures, esthetics, occlusion (how your bite comes together and functions), and facial and dental birth developmental defects. My training also consisted of training me more on the technical and technological aspects of laboratory fabrication of complex dental prosthetics and complex restoration of dental and facial esthetics.

What does this all mean when I first examine a patient? Well put I am looking at the whole picture. When I am examining a patient of course I am looking to see if you have cavities or other oral disease, but I am also looking to see what the cause is outside of the normal too much sugar is in your diet. Many of you may believe that cavities are based on only the foods you consume, but that is not necessarily true. There are many factors, for example, your home care, medications, position of teeth etc. Many of you may also believe that cavities are the measure of a healthy mouth as well, and believe me, it is not only about cavities. My job is to ensure you know all these factors that affect you as an individual, as we are all different. And that you are taking the proper measures to mitigate gum disease, cavities and even loss of teeth.

How many factors are there? Well for the sake of this blog I will not go into all of them as there are many, but enough for you all to understand the importance of seeing a dentist regularly. Some factors that can cause harm are:

Improper home care (Are you flossing and brushing properly multiple times a day)
Diet (what types of foods and drinks are you consuming daily)
Do you have any parafunctional habits like grinding or clenching
Many more contributing factors

Our standard of care at our practice is to inform you and help you reach your maximum oral health. Many of you may also be wondering how much your teeth affect your overall health. As medicine has come a long way over the years, the best way I can help a patient understand is this: “It all starts with your mouth”. Your mouth has the second largest bacteria flora after your gut. So, how you treat your mouth is extremely important to your overall health. We are a health-focused practice. Our goal is to reduce oral disease so that your overall health is not affected but also to keep your beautiful smiles.

When you visit a Prosthodontist, you’re not just seeing a dentist. You’re seeing a professional who is trained to view your oral health from a uniquely detailed perspective.

The post What does a dentist see in terms of dental care! A Prosthodontist’s perspective! appeared first on Dr. Maria Chartz - Cosmetic Dentistry.

Can Periodontal Disease be causing Alzheimer’s

greg — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 21:05:38 +0000

The one very difficult thing for most of us to accept is when our loved ones cannot remember who we are. Watching them get to a point of not being able to do normal everyday things like put themselves a plate of food to eat or even just walk to the bathroom of the home they have lived in for most of their lives. Alzheimer’s affects more than 6 million Americans of all ages. An estimated 6.7 million Americans over the age of 65 years and older are living with Alzheimer’s in 2023. Now why am talking about periodontal disease and Alzheimer’s.

Let me explain. For many years now the biggest issue we as dentists have; is trying to explain to our patients is that their mouth and teeth are not a separate entity from their body. It all starts in your mouth. The mouth can contain over 700 species of bacteria that can cause gingivitis and lead to periodontal disease. Now what is the difference between the two. Gingivitis is when you have inflammation of your gums. Periodontal disease is when not only your gums are inflamed, but when you start having deterioration of the bone around your teeth. So, you may not have a cavity or a broken tooth, but you can still lose teeth when you have periodontal disease. So why should you care about your gum health. Simply put because this does not only affect your teeth, but it also affects your overall health. Constant inflammation of your gums has been proven over the years to be linked to many medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, colorectal cancer, lung and even breast cancer.

Now let’s discuss bacteria that have been found in periodontal disease. The two main ones of concern are Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum.

Porphylomonas gingivalis and its toxins have now been detected in autopsy brain tissues from patients with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Fusobacterium nucleatum results in abnormal proliferation of microglial cells, which are immune cells in the brain that normally remove damaged neurons and infections and help maintain the overall health of the central nervous system. This over-supply of microglial cells also created an increased inflammatory response, the researchers found. Chronic inflammation or infection is believed to be a key determinant in the cognitive decline that occurs as Alzheimer’s disease progresses.

So now you know some facts about these bacteria. But what does it all mean? Well now more than ever your regular home care and seeing the dentist for dental cleanings is even more important than ever before.

The conditions of periodontal disease (bacterial infection and chronic inflammation) weaken the blood-brain barrier and pose a risk for cerebrovascular disease. The conditions also cause inflammation in the brain. Therefore, periodontal care is essential for Alzheimer’s and Dementia control. Although it is important to treat periodontitis for the prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease, it is also necessary to take measures against bacteremia by invasive treatment such as scaling and root planning in the future. And this is all assessed when you see your dentist for routine check-ups and if recommended 3 months dental cleaning regularly.

You will find links below showing multiple studies of these findings.

Take care of your Oral health to keep a healthy mind for yourself and your loved ones.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7335281/

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/2018/01/more-evidence-of-link-between-severe-gum-disease-and-cancer-risk#:~:text=They%20found%20a%2024%20percent,cancer%2C%20followed%20by%20colorectal%20cancer.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S277255962200027X#:~:text=The%20Bidirectional%20Relationship%20Between%20Periodontitis,must%20break%20through%20the%20BBB.

https://now.tufts.edu/2022/07/11/studying-link-between-gum-disease-and-alzheimers-disease

https://www.alz.org/co/news/oral-health-and-alzheimers-risk#:~:text=Gum%20disease%20(gingivitis)%20has%20been,be%20connected%20to%20Alzheimer’s%20disease.

The post Can Periodontal Disease be causing Alzheimer’s appeared first on Dr. Maria Chartz - Cosmetic Dentistry.

Stages of Tooth Decay

greg — Thu, 18 May 2023 02:57:20 +0000

You’ve probably heard it all your life: Eating sweets will rot your teeth. But while a diet high in sugar certainly promotes the formation of cavities (as well as other medical problems, such as obesity), sugar itself isn’t the real culprit behind tooth decay.

Dental cavities — also known as caries, are formed when bacteria living in the mouth digest carbohydrate debris left on the teeth after you eat. Such debris might include the refined sugars found in cookies, candy and other treats, but can also come from healthy foods like whole grains, vegetables and fruits.

When digesting these carbohydrates, bacteria in your mouth produce an acid that combines with saliva to form that nasty stuff your dentist warned you about: plaque.

It’s plaque — not sugar — that leads to tooth decay. Plaque starts building up after every meal, and if it isn’t brushed away frequently, it can erode the hard, outer enamel of a tooth, resulting in tiny holes in the tooth’s surface. These holes mark the first stage of cavity formation.

And those tiny holes can do a lot of damage if left untreated. Eventually, the acid and bacteria in plaque can eat through the other layers of your teeth, as well — from the softer layer of teeth under the enamel, known as dentin, to the third layer (the pulp), which contains your teeth’s blood vessels and nerves. Cavities affecting the pulp of a tooth, as well as the bone supporting the tooth, can cause severe toothaches, sensitivity, pain when eating and abscesses in the mouth.

Ultimately, sugar is just one of many carbs that can land you in the dentist’s chair, but that doesn’t mean you should trade in your apples for candy corn just yet. In addition to the many health benefits of a plant-heavy diet, the kinds of foods you eat are important to oral health.

Some foods — like hard candy, breath mints, raisins and dry cereal — can get stuck in the grooves and crevices of your teeth, where they could cause decay. Fruit and yogurt, on the other hand, wash away easily with saliva and are, therefore, less likely to cause plaque buildup.

And the way you consume food is just as important as the kinds of food you eat. For example, chugging a can of soda actually does less damage to your teeth than sipping on a soda throughout the day, because the acid created by mouth bacteria sticks around for 30 minutes after you eat or drink. So every time you munch another chip or take a sip of soda, you restart the plaque-production clock and increase your risk of developing cavities.

Carbonated soft drinks also contain phosphoric and citric acids that have been shown to erode tooth enamel. Eating or drinking highly acidic foods — even healthy foods, like citrus fruits — can lead to tooth decay if oral hygiene is not properly maintained.

Meats and Fatty Fish

Most meats offer some of the most important nutrients mentioned above, and chewing meat produces saliva. And more saliva is good, because it decreases acidity in your mouth and washes away particles of food that lead to decay. Red meat and even organ meats are especially beneficial.

Fatty fish (like salmon), and tofu are loaded with phosphorus, an important mineral for protecting tooth enamel.

Tea and Coffee

Heard of polyphenols? Polyphenols are a category of chemicals that naturally occur in many of the foods and drinks we consume, including teas and coffee. They offer several health benefits, including their role as antioxidants, which can combat cell damage, as well as their effects on reducing inflammation and helping to fight cancer. Green and black teas are rich in polyphenols and offers a number of other health benefits. But remember adding sugar to your coffee or tea can have a negative affect as well.

The post Stages of Tooth Decay appeared first on Dr. Maria Chartz - Cosmetic Dentistry.

Acidic Drinks: Why is the PH of your water important?

greg — Tue, 09 May 2023 02:47:00 +0000

Why is the PH of your water important? Any pH level below 7.0 is considered acidic, and the lower the number, the more harmful to your teeth.. Enamel is the strong outer layer that protects your teeth. Acidic drinks can wear enamel down, weakening it and causing long-term tooth erosion and decay (cavity). It’s essential to care for your teeth because tooth erosion is permanent and decay can lead to needing root canals and further treatment on the tooth, sometimes even tooth loss. Enamel isn’t a living cell and doesn’t naturally repair itself as your skin does.

Some Popular Brands of Water and where they stand as far as PH. You want to lean more towards a PH that is higher than 7. Especially for those of you who have had a lot of dental work over the years.

The post Acidic Drinks: Why is the PH of your water important? appeared first on Dr. Maria Chartz - Cosmetic Dentistry.