July 14, 2012

Drowsy Driving Dangers

Drowsy driving is as dangerous as drunk driving. Every year it is estimated that drowsy drivers cause about 100,000 accidents including many which are fatal. Teenagers are at the highest risk for drowsy driving but people who suffer from undiagnosed or untreated obstructive sleep apnea are at risk as well. You can’t always tell just how sleepy you really are […]
July 12, 2012

The End of Cavities?

Imagine no more cavities. The end of tooth decay may be in sight. Scientists from Yale University and the University of Chile have discovered a molecule that kills the bacteria that cause dental cavities. The bacteria called Streptococcus Mutans is common in everyone’s mouth and it turns sugar into an acid that damages tooth enamel. Jose Cordova of Yale and […]
July 3, 2012

Frequent Nightmares And Sleep Apnea

Time magazine just published an article about frequent nightmares. While most of us have experienced occasional nightmares about 5% of adults have them frequently and those people have some things in common like PTSD or a sleep breathing disorder like sleep apnea. According to the article 80% of patients with post-traumatic stress disorder and 75% of patients with sleep disordered […]
July 2, 2012

Improve Your Oral Health IQ

How do you think you would do on a quiz about oral health? Thanks to the American Dental Association (ADA) you have a chance to find out. 90% of American adults have cavities in their teeth and almost half of all children under the age of 11 suffer from dental decay. Reducing those numbers by educating the public about prevention […]
June 29, 2012

Women and Snoring

Snoring is common and it is not restricted to just men. Women snore even though most don’t like to admit it. Snoring is easily treatable but because it can be a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea you should be screened for this serious sleep breathing disorder before seeking snoring treatment. WebMD has a video called Women Who Snore that is […]
June 28, 2012

Sour Or Sweet – Which Is Worse For Teeth?

If you ask most people what they should avoid eating to prevent tooth decay they will answer “sugar”. Candy and sugary drinks are not the worst thing you can consume when it comes to your smile – sour flavored candy and drinks are even worse. These acidic foods erode tooth enamel and soften teeth. “Citric acid is the worst acid […]
June 21, 2012

Diabetes, Your Dentist and Sleep Apnea

Dentists and diabetes patients have an important relationship because of the link between oral health and blood sugar control. A new link discovered between obstructive sleep apnea and diabetic neuropathy will have us working even closer with our diabetic patients to maintain their overall health. A British study reported that patients with obstructive sleep apnea and diabetes were much more […]
June 15, 2012

Can Your Dentist Improve Your Sex Life?

No, this isn’t the opening line of a new joke or the start of a story about Jennifer Aniston’s character in Horrible Bosses. New research from Taiwan shows that men with severe gum disease are at higher risk for impotence. The risk is higher in younger men and the elderly. The study found that gum disease was much more prevalent […]
June 13, 2012

Treat Your Sleep Apnea – Improve Your Sex Life

Treating your sleep apnea can reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke, give you more energy and new research shows it can improve your sex life. No, it wasn’t just because the snoring stopped! Men who have sleep apnea often complain of erectile dysfunction as well. Researchers at the Walter Reed Medical Center followed a group of men who […]
June 12, 2012

Does Sleep Apnea Put You At Higher Risk For Cancer?

Two new studies have discovered that sleep apnea patients have a higher risk of cancer. These are the first studies to show a link between the sleep breathing disorder and cancer in humans. Sleep apnea is a fairly common disorder that causes snoring and lapses in breathing during sleep. It is these stoppages of breathing during sleep that worry doctors […]
June 4, 2012

Lacking Energy? Check For Sleep Apnea

If you find yourself lacking energy to get through your day or if you experience daytime sleepiness you need to schedule an appointment to get checked for obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is a common sleep breathing disorder but the vast majority of sufferers have not been diagnosed. Obstructive sleep apnea has been linked to heart disease and stroke. […]
May 22, 2012

Bad Breath Triggers and Tips

Almost everyone has bad breath from time to time. It is embarrassing and can be a “deal breaker” in both business and social situations. Avoiding bad breath triggers and tips for dealing with them can make the problem less likely to happen to you. Food Triggers – Onions, garlic, coffee, and sugary drinks cause bad breath but even sulfurous vegetables […]
May 15, 2012

Sleepwalking More Common Than You Think

Sleepwalking is usually portrayed as a rare occurrence but a study published in Neurology suggests that it is more common than we think. According to researchers 8.5 million American adults have experienced sleepwalking. People who suffer from sleep apnea, depression or obsessive compulsive disorders are at higher than average risk. Some medications, including over-the-counter sleeping pills and antidepressants can also […]
May 11, 2012

Why Skipping Dental Appointments Can Affect Your Health

Skipping out on making that appointment for your dental hygiene visit? If you think that the worst that will happen is fuzzy teeth then you need to continue reading. There are several health benefits that go along with your regular dental visit that might surprise you. Most of us go to the dentist at least once a year. A survey […]
May 9, 2012

Sleep Necessary Part of Controlling Your Weight

French scientists have shown that problems with a gene responsible for our internal body clocks can lead to poor weight control. Watching your sleep rhythms may be just as important for weight loss as watching your calorie intake according to Dr. Etienne Challet. “It is now clear that impairment of daily rhythms such as shift-work, exposure to artificial lighting or […]
May 1, 2012

Treating High Blood Pressure And Sleep Apnea

Have you been diagnosed with high blood pressure (hypertension) but treatments just don’t seem to be working? You might want to get checked for obstructive sleep apnea. It is estimated that 40% of people with untreated sleep apnea will develop high blood pressure and 30% of people who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure have sleep apnea but most […]
April 26, 2012

Cancer Causing Chemical Discovered in Smokeless Tobacco

Smoking is bad for you. We’ve known for a long time that smoking cigarettes causes cancer and other health problems. The use of  smokeless tobacco is no safer — using chewing tobacco or snuff also causes cancer. The big news is that scientists have isolated a chemical from smokeless tobacco that caused oral and esophageal tumors in every animal exposed […]
April 19, 2012

What's Lurking On Your Toothbrush?

Researchers in once recent study found 100 million bacteria on one uncovered toothbrush. With all those bacteria lurking on your brush should you be worried? Relax, we’ve got tons of bacteria living in our mouths every day. We brush and floss to keep the numbers under control. Some of these bacteria are good guys and some are bad and cause […]
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 […]