BACK TO SCHOOL!

It's almost that time! Back to school! As you are hurrying to the the doctor, the optometrist, etc...to get those last minute appointments out of the way before another school year, you may also want to check with your dentist to make sure that your child is eating and speaking properly and that they are not bothered by a minor mouth muscle called a frenum. A frenum is the muscle that attaches either to your upper lip and gum between the two front teeth, or the bottom lip and gum between the two bottom front teeth. Sometimes this frenum can be attached to close to the teeth causing either recession of the gums or spaces between teeth. Sometimes this is referred to as being "tongue-tied".

Dr. Sutor performs a simple in office procedure called a frenectomy. A frenectomy is often performed with a laser, where with part or all of the frenum in question is removed in order to return a healthy balance to the mouth. Your child should plan on spending about 30 minutes in our office the day of the procedure. The treatment itself only takes about 10-15 minutes, but we allow plenty of time to get your child comfortable and then review post-operative instructions with you following the procedure. Your child can expect mild soreness in the area later that day, most of the time an over the counter pain reliever such as Tylenol or Motrin works well to handle any discomfort. You will also want to have them rest and avoid sports or other strenuous activities the day/evening of your procedure. They should be able to resume activities the day after the procedure. It is so exciting to immediately see the successful results such as listening to your child's speech improve and watch them lick an ice cream cone.

Call us today for an appointment! We are always accepting new patients!

Top Ten Tips for Denture Care Maintenance

1) Daily removal of bacterial biofilm in the mouth and on complete denture surfaces is critically important to minimizing denture stomatitis and contributing to good oral and general health.

2) In an effort to reduce or minimize denture stomatitis, dentures should not be worn continuously (24 hours per day) – leave them out at night. Removing your dentures at night will slow down the bone loss that occurs from the pressure caused by wearing dentures. Soft tissues should be massaged twice daily with a moistened washcloth to clean the gums and minimize infection.

3) To reduce levels of biofilm and harmful fungi, denture wearers using cleansers should:
• Clean dentures by daily soaking and brushing with an effective, nonabrasive denture cleanser
• Only use denture cleansers outside of the mouth
• Thoroughly rinse dentures after soaking and brushing with denture cleansers prior to placing dentures into the mouth
• Always follow denture cleanser instructions

4) Dentures should be cleaned annually by a dental professional using ultrasonic cleaners to minimize biofilm accumulation over time.

5) Dentures should never be placed in boiling water.

6) Sodium hypochlorite bleach is a superior denture cleanser; however dentures should not be soaked in sodium hypochlorite bleach, or in products containing sodium hypochlorite, for periods that exceed 10 minutes to avoid damage to them.

7) Denture adhesives can improve the retention and stability of dentures and help seal out the accumulation of food particles beneath them.

8) Denture wearers should be checked annually by a dental professional for maintenance of optimum denture fit and function, and for evaluation for oral disease, bone loss, and oral health status.

9) If increasing amounts of adhesives are required to achieve the same level of denture retention, you should see a dental professional to evaluate the fit and stability of the dentures.
(Dental Implant Consultations with Dr. Sutor’s office are ALWAYS complimentary)

10) Dentures should be stored immersed in water after cleaning, when not replaced in the mouth, to avoid warping. The water should be changed daily and the container cleaned.

Complete article can be found in the Dear Doctor Patient Education Magazine. www.deardoctor.com

Tragedy of an Infection

We read a sad article this week. We at Dr. Sutor's office hope by using the lab testing technologies available to us now, specifically the Oral DNA lab testing, www.oraldna.com, we can redirect the way a patient thinks about and deals with their periodontal disease.

STORY: The tragedy at our local elementary school this spring happened to the husband of one of the third grade teachers, who cut his finger at work one day. He washed it and put a small bandage on it. In fact, he washed it every day. It did not seem to be getting much better, but because it did not hurt, he just kept cleaning it until his wife, the teacher, insisted he go and have it checked out. By the time the lab results came back showing him positive for a staph infection, it had spread throughout his entire body, and he ultimately passed away.

If only the wound had been checked out earlier and the lab test done, he could have been treated for the staph infection in a timely manner and his life would have been saved.

The way this man tried to treat his wound is similar to how many patients and, frankly, many dental practices, treat periodontal disease. “Just clean it.” Unfortunately, just trying keeping the “wound” clean won’t take care of the
ultimate problem.

How we think about periodontal disease and how it is treated have changed. It is no longer just a site-specific problem. It is a systemic problem. Grasping the concept and emotionally embracing it is as big of a problem for some practitioners as it is for patients.

Dr. Sutor approaches and treats periodontal disease in his practice using a company called Oral DNA to assist him with the following...

Totally understanding the true nature of periodontal disease and its systemic and total health consequences, having the right diagnostics in place, that will identify the type and severity of the systemic problem, new treatment modules that address the “whole” problem, not just the localized problem, presentation and verbal skills that help patients make the shift and embrace the problem and what it will take on their part to treat it.

(Story from OralDNA Labs)