Dental Blog

April 16, 2012

Are You Losing Sleep Because of a Snoring Spouse?

A snoring spouse is no joke. Losing sleep because of a bed-partner that snores actually has been given a name by sleep researchers – SAS or Spousal Arousal Syndrome. The health consequences of Spousal Arousal Syndrome can be significant. Spouses lose an average of two hours of sleep per night because of the snoring partner and what sleep they do […]
April 13, 2012

News About Dental X-Ray and Cancer Link

News stories in newspapers and on TV were talking about a study published by the American Cancer Society this week. The study linked frequent dental x-rays with a certain type of non-cancerous brain tumor called a meningioma. This type of tumor occurs in about 8 of every 100,000 people which makes it a rare disease although it is the most […]
April 11, 2012

How To Choose A Cosmetic Dentist

Cosmetic dentistry is not a board certified “specialty” and any dentist can call themselves a “cosmetic dentist”. So how do you choose a cosmetic dentist and how do you make sure you have chosen someone with the training and experience needed to create your dream smile? You’ve got to ask a lot of questions. Where did the dentist receive his […]
April 4, 2012

Truckers Asleep At The Wheel

If the thought of the trucker driving that 18-wheeler coming up behind you on the highway suddenly falling asleep frightens you – it should. A Texas woman just won a $3.25 million lawsuit against a trucking company because one of their drivers fell asleep at the wheel and rear ended a stopped car at 65 mph – the woman’s husband […]
March 29, 2012

The Link We Don't Think About

We know they are linked but we don’t usually think about it, I mean the connection between oral health and colon health. Research from England has shown that the oral bacteria responsible for gum disease can also play a role in the development of colon cancer. More work is needed to confirm the link but it seems that the bacteria […]
March 27, 2012

Are Canker Sores Dangerous?

Canker sores are annoying and painful but not dangerous to your dental health. Some people get canker sores often, some every once in a while. Only about 20% of us get canker sores and scientists still don’t really understand what causes them. The theory is that we get canker sores because of a problem with our immune system. These sores […]
March 22, 2012

Silent Stroke and Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea has long been linked to stroke risk but it is surprisingly common among silent stroke sufferers. A silent stroke is one that has no visible or outward symptoms and most people don’t even realize they have experienced a stroke. These strokes are typically discovered during a brain scan but are a serious risk. Silent strokes can cause […]
March 17, 2012

How Do You Know You Have Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

Did you wake up feeling exhausted? Have you ever fallen asleep during a meeting, watching TV, or at a stop light? Has anyone told you that you snore really loudly during sleep? If you answered yes to any of these questions you may have a sleep disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA causes people to stop breathing during […]
March 15, 2012

Treating Sleep Apnea May Prevent Heart Failure

Moderate to severe sleep apnea has been associated with possible heart failure because of structural and functional changes in the heart. Treating obstructive sleep apnea may help reverse this damage according to a study reported in the online journal Circulation:Heart Failure. The study looked at 40 patients who were in good health but had a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea […]
March 9, 2012

Change Your Clocks March 11th

March 11th is the day we change our clocks for Daylight Savings Time – and lose an hour of sleep. Every year when we “Spring forward” it seems to take a couple of weeks to shake off the effects of losing that one hour of sleep. Sleep is considered one of the three pillars of good health. The two others, […]
March 7, 2012

How Sleep Apnea Affects Your Health

Obstructive sleep apnea is a disease that is both under-diagnosed and under-treated. Untreated obstructive sleep apnea has many effects on your health and quality of life. Which of these common effects are you experiencing? Headaches Depression Weight gain Inflammation and chronic pain Nighttime bathroom visits Heart palpitations and arrhythmias Poor memory and decision making Diabetes Heart disease and stroke Erectile […]
March 3, 2012

Fearless Dentistry

Can you learn to be fearless about dental appointments? About 5% of adults in the U.S. suffer from severe fear of the dentist and countless others experience mild to moderate anxiety before their appointments. Swedish researchers have found that optimism on the part of the patient and humorous interactions with the dentist and dental office staff are an important part […]
March 1, 2012

Sleeping Pill Use Increases Risk of Death

Using sleeping pills to get a good night’s sleep may be hazardous to your health. We are learning just how important sleep is for our overall health and well-being and our lifestyles are making getting that sleep harder and harder. More and more people are relying on sleeping pills to get to sleep or to stay asleep – about $2 […]
February 25, 2012

Can't Lose Weight? Sleep More

Having trouble losing weight? Getting too little sleep makes you more hungry than normal according to a small study from Uppsala University in Sweden. The researchers used functional MRI to look at the brains of 12 normal sized men while they looked at pictures of food. They completed the functional MRI twice, one after the men had a full night […]
February 23, 2012

Rasberries May Treat Pre-Cancerous Oral Lesions

Oral lesions may or may not become cancerous but most are removed surgically before they become a problem. Even with surgical removal almost one-third of patients with cancerous oral lesions will have them recur. Scientists have been looking for new drugs that could make sure that the precancerous lesions don’t become malignant and hopefully avoid repeat removals of these types […]
February 16, 2012

Better Sleep May Reduce Risk of Alzheimer's

As a dentist treating sleep apnea patients in Columbus I hear stories about disrupted sleep every day. New research appears to link sleep disruption with an increased risk for memory problems and even Alzheimer’s disease. According to study author Dr. Yo-El Ju “Disrupted sleep appears to be associated with the build up of amyloid plaques, a hallmark marker of Alzheimer’s […]
February 14, 2012

What To Expect (About Your Smile) When You're Expecting

Expecting a child? Thinking about it? Pregnancy causes lots of changes, including a shift in your oral health. Healthy teeth and gums are essential for both mother and baby and you should start by visiting your dentist as soon as you start planning your family. Starting out with healthy gums protects you and your baby. The hormonal changes that occur […]
February 10, 2012

5 Choices That May Hurt Your Smile

We hear lots of advice every day about what to eat and drink in order to be more healthy. It turns out that some of the choices we make that we think are good for us could be causing damage to our teeth. Here are a few that you might not be aware of: Sports drinks have become extremely popular […]
February 7, 2012

Sleep Problems Affect Prostate Cancer Risks

Can sleep problems really be linked to prostate cancer risk? According to a study done in Iceland, men with the most trouble sleeping were twice as likely to develop prostate cancer as those without any sleep disruptions. The study primarily dealt with severe insomnia. This is not the first study to look at the relationship between sleep disruption and cancer. […]
February 3, 2012

What To Do When You Lose A Tooth

People seem to think that losing a tooth is unusual but it’s not. Dentists fight to save teeth every day but sometimes we just can’t win the battle. Almost 70% of adults between the ages of 35 and 44 have lost at least one permanent tooth and even more surprising, at age 74 more than a quarter of the people […]