How Teledentistry Will Change Dental Care

There’s been a steady change in the nature of medical care over the past decade. This change has only accelerated with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic. Doctors from every industry have been looking for ways to better serve their patients and to provide service to underserved areas. Dentistry has seen the addition of new treatments and better payment models. Most significantly, however, has been the embracing of new technologies that have ushered teledentistry into it a new era.

Teledentistry Will Change The Face of Dental Care

Teledentistry is a term that describes the use of remote technology to help improve access to dental care. With the growing prevalence of high-speed internet, personal devices, and video calling, teledental practices have been more practical than ever. This approach to care has helped protect patients from spreading the COVID infection while saving them both time and money. These tools allow for consultations from remote specialists, follow-ups that don’t require an office visit, and even orthodontic care by mail.

We would be remiss not to focus on how teledentistry took off during the pandemic. Through the efforts of a dedicated, diverse, and creative dental workforce, new programs were created to make teledentistry more available and effective. Private practices, health centers, community programs, and health systems all took steps to integrate teledentistry into their practices. Consider the following examples:

Oregon dentists instituted a rural teledentistry program that made it possible for dental hygienists to perform visual inspections of schoolchildren’s oral health. They were able to take pictures, x-rays, chart tooth decay, and then transmit this information to remote dentists. These professionals would process the data collected and create an effective treatment plan for the child.

California developed a Virtual Dental Home model to a similar effect. This program took steps to train dental assistants and hygienists to collect dental records and deliver preventative care at schools around the state. This allowed a system of preventative care to be more available than ever. All of the information handled was transmitted through a secure telehealth system to qualified dental offices to reach a diagnosis and create a treatment plan.

Another example can be found in Missouri, where public health dentists, dental hygienists, and private practices coordinated to extend available office hours and create satellite dental offices to provide coverage. Hygienists would use systems such as asynchronous teledentistry to collect the necessary diagnostic information for new patients.

The Future of Dentistry Is Teledentistry

What all of this means is that teledentistry is no longer a fall-back plan for dental practices. Instead, it has started to become a mainstream method of delivering dental care. There are countless people who will be able to benefit from this trend. Those with a busy lifestyle that doesn’t make room for a traditional office visit are among them. Also included are patients that live in remote areas of the country that may be underserved, those who have difficulty moving, and those without the necessary transportation. When your dental care is just a phone call away, there’s no reason not to get the treatment you need.

Your teeth play an important role in more than just eating properly. They change the shape of your face, affect how you speak and can change other people’s perception of you. Maintaining proper oral hygiene practices is essential to preserving good oral health. Failing oral health can lead to a host of other health problems, even increasing the risk of stroke and heart disease. Keeping up with an effective oral health routine that includes bi-annual visits to the dentist is an excellent start. Your dentist uses numerous forms of technology to provide you with the best smile they can. Today we’re going to touch on some of the tools they use to keep your smile looking sharp.

The Tools Your Dentist Uses To Care For Your Teeth

Your dentist has a broad range of tools and technologies that play an important role in your care. Each of these tools helps them address specific dental concerns and develop an effective treatment plan. These treatment plans help maintain or restore a healthy smile with beautiful teeth. Some of the most prominently used tools include:

Digital scanner – Being able to determine the current health of your smile requires getting accurate information about them. Intraoral scanners are used to take thousands of pictures that are stitched together using special software to create a 3D image. This image can be displayed on a screen or used to print a physical model of your oral cavity.
Zoom! Bleaching – Many clinics are taking advantage of this tooth whitening technology to provide better care for their patients. It combines LED light and a specialized whitening gel to brighten the patient’s teeth by several shades. With consistent oral hygiene, the shade change can last for months or years.
Digital Smile Design (DSD) – Helping a patient decide which treatment course is right for them is easier when the results can be seen first. Digital Smile Design is a system that was designed to make this possible. It creates a virtual visualization of the potential results of a course of treatment.
Laser Dentistry – The high-pitched whine of traditional dental drills is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Laser dentistry first made an appearance in 1989, but ongoing development has made it become a prominent part of modern dentistry. It has been instrumental in creating a noise-free, pain-free dental experience with shorter recovery times.
Digital X-Rays – X-rays have been an essential imaging tool in dentistry for well over a century. Recent innovations have reduced the already safe levels of radiation patients are exposed to down to nearly negligible levels. They accomplished this while improving the accuracy and clarity of the images and rendering them in a 3D digital format. Physical films are a thing of the past, as is losing the films in transit to another specialist.

These represent some of the most common and popular tools in use in dental offices all over the world.

Talk To Your Dentist About Their Equipment

Ask your dentist about the equipment they use at their practice during your next visit. You may discover other types of technology that are in use as part of your care.

The dental industry is filled with many economic costs, and one of those costs is where dentists go once they finish going to college. Many dentists are often encouraged to develop their own practices and manage their careers full-time. In other cases, however, many dentists often join themselves with group practices or practices run by several doctors. Both solo practices and group practices offer their benefits and disadvantages, and while a heated debate by many dentists in the community, patients wondering what these terms mean can often wonder what impact these practices will have on their care.

To further dive into this topic, we’re going to explain some of the ins and outs of these types of practices, what ultimately shapes them, and which type of practice is better for patient care.

The Two Forms of Practice in Dentistry

When dentists talk about their practices, they’re often referring to business strategies to help maintain their careers. Our practices represent the name we put out to the world to define who we are, and for dentists who’ve recently graduated, there’s a huge amount of pressure placed on them to determine where they’ll find their place within the industry. On the other hand, many dentists who have run 10 to 20 years in the industry are often facing significant economic struggles that lead them to sell off their solo practices and join in with group practices to mitigate costs and bring better security.

The choice between a solo practice or a group practice all depends on the individual’s circumstances, but what do these types of practices actually entail? Here’s a short summary of both:

Solo Practices: Solo practices are practices owned and operated by a single dentist. Most dentists often go this route despite economic concerns and tend to operate on specific criteria. PPO plans are more often accepted by solo practices, often catering to higher-income patients, and more often than not perform more restorative treatments such as crowns, composite resin restorations, and fixed prosthetics. While more restorative treatments tend to be the major driving force for solo practices, solo practices tend to have more responsibility for their decisions, and depending on how finances are handled, solo practices can run successfully and provide a more personalized experience for the patient.
Group Practices: These practices, which work to consolidate dentists and their teams into multi-branch organizations, come with their own benefits and disadvantages. Group practices tend to accept HMO plans to be able to receive patients, which tend to be carried by lower-income patients. These practices often work with treatments such as direct restorations, amalgams, dentures, and fillings. Group practices have become an ever-growing trend due to economic disparity and have increased efficiency with their finances, thus providing more security for those in the dental industry.

How Dental Insurance Influences Your Care

Both of these types of practices have their own systemic problems when it comes to their care, but one important factor to pay attention to when looking for a dentist is how your insurance influences your treatment. Because of this, we highly suggest contacting your dental insurance company to talk about your treatments to learn which dentists accept your insurance in your area.

Toothpaste is such a common part of our oral healthcare routine that we rarely think of what’s in it. Most of us know to check and be certain that we’re using toothpaste with fluoride. Beyond that, it’s rare for any of us to read the label too closely. It’s hard to counter the idea that we should know what we’re putting in and using on our bodies. Below we’re exploring some of the more common ingredients in toothpaste and what role they play.

What Ingredients Can Be Found In Toothpaste?

The majority of ingredients on most toothpaste can be hard to pronounce. Regardless, each of them has a role to play in the protection of our teeth. Some toothpaste brands will have additional ingredients that will help them whiten our teeth or make them gentler on sensitive teeth. Together, the ingredients in your toothpaste can:

Prevent decay and development of plaque
Eliminate particles of food from our teeth
Enhance taste and texture of the toothpaste
Help the toothpaste penetrate difficult areas
Fight halitosis
Fight dental staining
Ease dental sensitivity

With the abundant types of toothpaste available at your local pharmacy, it’s no wonder it’s difficult to make a choice. Further, it can be difficult to understand the full impact of the ingredients in the toothpaste on your overall health.

The first point to know is that the ingredients in your toothpaste can penetrate your oral membranes. This includes your cheeks, gums, and other soft tissues in the mouth. These tissues are responsible for helping sense temperature, taste flavors, and keep your mouth properly moistened. They also have an important part in fighting toxins and bacteria.

Common Ingredients In Toothpaste And What They Do

The most well-known ingredient in toothpaste is fluoride. This mineral occurs naturally throughout the world and has been found to be beneficial in battling tooth decay. So prominently so, in fact, that it is often included in city water, toothpaste, and mouthwash. On your toothpaste label, it may be called stannous fluoride, sodium fluoride, or monofluorophosphate. Other ingredients include:

Triclosan – Included for its antibacterial properties and ability to help battle gum disease.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) – Helps your toothpaste to foam and thus makes it easier to move around your mouth. It also has the ability to dissolve grease and dirt in the mouth.
Abrasives – In order to remove plaque and tartar effectively, your toothpaste needs to be slightly abrasive. Calcium carbonate, hydrated silica, aluminum hydroxide, activated charcoal, and mica are just a few abrasives that may be found in your toothpaste.

If you want to educate yourself further about the ingredients in your toothpaste and the role they play in protecting your teeth, speak to your dentist. They’ll have a comprehensive understanding of the products you use and how the ingredients play a role in oral health. Remember, learning about the contents of your toothpaste is a way of empowering yourself and taking an active role in your dental care. Bring your favorite toothpaste to your next dental visit for more information.

Maintaining our teeth with oral hygiene is an important part of maintaining a lasting smile. We all want to be able to flash our pearly whites with pride. How often do you take steps to reduce the environmental impact of keeping them looking great? You’ll have a hard time finding an individual, let alone a family, who doesn’t live a life that thrives on the convenience of plastic. Unfortunately, convenience comes with a cost down the road.

The High Cost of Dental Hygiene Generated Plastic Waste

Every tube of toothpaste, skein of floss, and bottle of mouthwash must eventually reach the end of its usefulness. When they do, they often find their way into the garbage bin and, ultimately, into a landfill. Toothbrushes alone account for well over 50 million pounds of plastic waste alone each year. This is all the result of a set of guidelines for caring for our teeth written by the American Dental Association decades ago. Every piece of advice offered in those guidelines is excellent for caring for your teeth. Unfortunately, they don’t address the environmental impact of doing so. Consider the following:

Toothbrushes – Each toothbrush is responsible for about 4-6 ounces of plastic waste from packaging to disposal. The ADA says to dispose of your toothbrush every six months, causing up to 12 ounces of waste by doing so. Across billions of people, this adds up fast.
Mouthwash – One person using an average-sized bottle of mouthwash twice a day will go through two bottles a month.
Floss – The floss itself is made from Nylon, a plastic fabric. The container is made from plastic as well. A family of three will go through a little over a pack of floss a month with regular use.

While there’s little doubt our daily oral hygiene practice produces a significant amount of waste, it’s also effective at protecting our teeth. Thankfully, there are numerous choices available to keep our teeth healthy while also taking steps to keep our planet healthy as well. Recycling your dental products is a great first step. Recycling your plastic toothbrush may be better for the environment than switching to one made of natural products like bamboo.

Mouthwash is available in pill form and comes in a small metal plastic container you can refill. This saves water and plastic alike. A similar option exists for floss. There are brands of floss made from mulberry silk that will decompose naturally once it enters a landfill. Even the container it is stored in is biodegradable.

Speak To Your Dentist For Further Advice

Are you dedicated to a low-impact oral hygiene routine that still keeps your teeth looking great? Get your dentist involved. They’ll often have good advice about products that are safe, effective, and have a lower impact on the environment. They can also serve as an effective source of alternative methods of caring for your teeth that are just as effective. Consider the use of charcoal toothpaste for whitening, for instance. You can also ask your dentist about the steps they take to protect the environment as part of their practice. Call for your appointment today!

In most treatment cases, it isn’t necessary to have any advance work done prior to having a dental procedure performed. Some of the more advanced procedures, however, may require that the area be prepared. In the simplest cases, any presence of gum disease needs to be eliminated to make the procedure safe to perform. In other cases, such as implants, it may be necessary to perform a bone graft to ensure there’s sufficient material to hold the restoration. If you’ve discovered that you’re going to need a bone graft, this guide will let you know what to expect.

What Is a Bone Graft? Why One Be Needed?

A bone graft procedure helps to supplement existing bone by adding extra material. This is generally necessary when an area of the mouth has lost material from degeneration or disease. In some cases, there may simply have never been enough bone structure in the area, to begin with. Bone grafts require surgery and are performed under anesthesia by a qualified dental surgeon.

The most common reason a bone graft is needed is for a dental implant. When a tooth is lost, the hosting jaw bone begins to degrade from a lack of stimulation. This results in the jaw shrinking and losing strength as a lack of stimulation prevents nutrients and blood from moving to the area. Inserting healthy tissue into the location helps create an environment suitable for placing an implant.

There are four common sources for bone graft material:

Autograft – This describes bone taken from the patient’s own body. This is done in the majority of cases where a bone graft is needed. It eliminates the risk of rejection and aids in healing.
Allograft – This describes bone material received from a donor. In this case, the source is specifically bone from a cadaver that’s been thoroughly sanitized.
Allopast – When synthetic bone material is used in the procedure, the material is known as alloplast.
Xenograft – This describes the placement of bone material from a non-human source, typically a cow. This is incredibly successful when significant amounts of material are needed.

Your dentist will thoroughly discuss which of these options will be used in your procedure.

What to Expect From the Bone Graft Procedure

In most cases, the bone graft procedure will be performed in your dentist’s office. The procedure will take place under local anesthesia and sedation if possible. In some cases, it becomes necessary to use general anesthesia, which will render you unconscious. Before the procedure, your dentist will walk you through the whole procedure, including what to expect from the healing process. You typically will have to wait to have your implant placed until the graft heals, but this isn’t always the case.

If you’re seeking to learn more about bone grafts, call your dentist. They’ll go over all the particulars of your case, the materials used, what the procedure will look like, and what to expect from recovery. Bone grafts are an effective way of making sure your dentist can rebuild your smile and produce fantastic results.

A commitment to maintaining good oral hygiene care is essential to lifelong dental health. As time goes by, the foundation of our oral health will remain regular dental visits. Aging brings with it many challenges, including health conditions that impact our ability to maintain a routine. These concerns can involve loss of cognition, impaired m muscular control, and impacted range of motion. Alzheimer’s is a common concern faced by many as they get older. Recently, rates of diagnosis have been on the rise. Many dental health practitioners have started focusing on providing specialized care for these patients.

How Alzheimer’s Can Add Difficulty To Maintaining Good Oral Care

These increasing diagnosis rates have resulted in Alzheimer’s being ranked as the sixth highest killer of aging Americans. Along the way, it also causes serious impacts on oral hygiene among the elderly. As the condition advances, it impairs their ability to keep schedules, plans and stick to routines. Their oral health is one area impacted by these difficulties.

The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health demonstrates that patients who experience conditions such as Alzheimer’s can fail to track their oral hygiene care. This concern extends to all patients who experience conditions that involve dementia-like symptoms. Dementia has been seeing an increase of ten million diagnosed cases a year worldwide. Nearly half of these patients are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Each year the number of diagnosed patients seems to increase. The root cause is extended lifespans resulting from improved medical care. The search for a cause, however, is still ongoing. What is indisputable, however, is the need for proper oral health care for dementia patients.

How Dentists Can Help Provide Proper Care For Dementia Patients

A central objective of all healthcare providers is the accommodation of care for patients with varying health conditions. Alzheimer’s and dementia-related diseases are one such condition that requires specific treatment plans to address. Various treatment modifications and techniques have been created to help dementia patients. These include:

Increased availability of sealants and fluoride for long term defense
Dementia focused dental treatment plans coordinated with medical care
Insurance options aimed at covering alternate treatment plans
Appointment options that accommodate periods of greater focus

The dental industry is dedicated to ensuring that every dental patient has access to dental care that’s effective for them. Steps are being taken to coordinate with family members and caretakers of patients with these conditions. The solutions that are developed take into account the reality of individual patients. Ongoing advancements in medical care provide greater lifespans. Additional steps are needed to maintain their ongoing quality of life for greater periods.

By working with your dentist, you’ll be taking steps to ensure that the care you need is available. Speak to your dental office to determine what accommodations are available for you and your loved ones. The sooner you start, the more effective these options will be. Call your dental provider today to begin planning for a long and healthy future ahead.

Changing your oral hygiene may be your first thought if you have gums that are swollen, sore, and bleeding. While poor practices can contribute to the development of these symptoms, there are other possibilities. Conversations about black mold have been common in the news, and its effects are broad-reaching. One potential consequence of a black mold infestation can be oral health concerns. The development of gingivitis-like symptoms is a common side-effect and one your dentist may miss.

Understanding How Mold Can Affect The Health Of Your Gums

Learning the life cycle of mold is necessary to understanding how mold infestations can impact your oral health. Like all fungi, black mold uses spores to reproduce. However, black mold doesn’t typically spread its spores through the air unless disturbed. Unlike many fungal spores, black mold spores tend to be sticky. They’ll remain in place even if the mold colony has dried. When the surface they’re on is disturbed, they cling to other particles in the air until settling elsewhere.

One place they can settle is in your lungs and on your gums. A condition known as bleeding lung syndrome can occur if it enters your lungs. If these mold spores should land on your gums, they can cause irritation similar to gingivitis. This irritation isn’t the only way they can impact your oral health, however.

Dry Mouth – One symptom of being exposed to mold is congestion. When our nose and sinuses become congested, we may breathe through our mouths. This excess airflow through the mouth can result in dry mouth. Saliva plays a vital role in defending us from tooth decay. When dry mouth occurs, we are deprived of its protective effects. Dry mouth can also aggravate gum disease and cause halitosis.
Amalgams – One little-known fact about molds is that they can consume certain metals. Mercury is one such metal they can consume and is a primary component of amalgam fillings. The dark, warm, moist interior of our mouths thus becomes a perfect breeding ground.
Mycotoxins – In addition to the spores produced by mold, you also have to consider mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are toxic substances that our bodies react to when inhaled. Gum bleeds, nose bleeds, and even bleeding lungs can result from inhaling these substances.

These three points are the primary concerns to consider when dealing with black mold. If you suspect that your home has a black mold infestation, take action. The first step will be removing your family from the home until you can clear it. The second step involves speaking to your health professionals, including your dentist.

Seek Dental Guidance On Mold Related Oral Health Concerns

Alert your dentist as soon as you’re aware of a black mold infestation in your home. They’ll be able to provide appropriate steps to protect your oral health. Among these steps will be taking special care with your oral health routine. Black mold is a serious concern with dangerous health risks related to it. You may need to replace your toothbrushes and thoroughly sterilize any dishes (such as cups) you use as part of your routine.

The study of periodontal disease has been an ongoing project for the dental industry. In addition to studying how to prevent it, these researchers also search for connections. Many of the connections the researchers find are surprising and even worrying. Gum disease has been known to be able to be life-threatening. Pus from abscesses can enter the bloodstream and cause life-threatening consequences. The same bacteria that cause gum periodontitis has been found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. Recently research has revealed that there’s a link between gingivitis and cancer.

How Oral Health Concerns Can Increase Risk For Cancer

Research done by the Oral Cancer Foundation has revealed that 54,000 new cases appear each year. Of these cases nearly 20% will die, a rate of about one person each hour, every day. These significant rates of death are often the result of a late diagnosis. This lateness can be the result of a lack of regular dental visits, or mistaken symptoms. Oral cancer appears in multiple forms, with the most prevalent listed below:

Gum Cancer
Lip Cancer
Tongue Cancer
Mouth Cancer

So how are these conditions tied to your oral health? This mechanism isn’t well understood, and research is ongoing. What is known is that half of all adults over 30 experience complications with gum disease. Among these patients those with late-stage periodontal disease have a nearly 20% higher risk of oral cancer. Those without any teeth at all had a risk nearly 30% as high. In addition, men with gum disease were shown to have reduced instances of inflammation in the prostate. This reduction, in turn, reduced their risk of prostate cancer.

An important point to recall in all this is that gum disease has not been shown to cause cancer. Rather, having gum disease increases your risk of developing it. The best method of reducing your risks is a solid oral hygiene routine combined with regular dental visits. If you’re wondering if you’re experiencing periodontal disease, look for the following symptoms:

Tender gums
Blood on your toothbrush
Halitosis or bad breath
Teeth that are loose
Pain while chewing
Gum lines that are receding
Teeth that appear longer than usual
Issues with bite, such as overbite, crossbite, etc

All of these can indicate that you’re harboring a case of periodontitis or gingivitis. Speaking to your dentist is the best way to get help overcoming these afflictions.

Next Steps In Your Oral Health Care Plan

It’s essential to take proper care of your teeth and gums. In addition to keeping your smile looking fantastic, it’s clear it could save your life. Checking your mouth for oral cancer is another reason your dentist sees you regularly. If you haven’t been to yours in a while, it’s time to schedule another visit. As studies continue, the importance of regular oral care is increasingly evident. Don’t let your health be threatened by improper oral hygiene and dental care. See your dentist and get an exam. It’s a sure way to ensure a great smile for years to come.

One of the biggest concerns of patients visiting their dentist is the possibility that new cavities will be discovered. For some, this concept is so stressful that they do the worst thing possible; they avoid seeing their dentist. If you’re one of the 61% of people in the world that experience dental anxiety, this announcement will give you hope for the future. A recent breakthrough has revealed the existence of a molecule that could spell the end of our concerns about cavities and bring about a future where fillings are a thing of the past.

How Two Discoveries Came Together To Create One Potential Breakthrough

Some time ago, a molecule was discovered in our saliva known as peptide histamine 5. This peptide had demonstrated strong antimicrobial properties that specifically targeted problem bacteria in the oral cavity. Another study had revealed that phosphoserine, a chemical compound, was capable of stimulating remineralization in teeth. These two studies resulted in another one that was published in January of 2020, where the effect of combining these two agents was explored. The results of that study were promising and showed that using the combined substances produced the following results:

The created molecule bonded strongly with tooth enamel
Teeth that had bonded with this molecule showed high decay suppression
Reconstruction of enamel that had been damaged by oral bacteria occurred
Plaque buildup was reduced in those subjects using this substance

The process began by combining the two substances, peptide histamine 5 and phosphoserine, into one new peptide. Peptides are similar to proteins, being constructed of numerous amino acids. However, they are generally smaller than proteins and have less well-defined structures. They also tend to serve very different functions.

So how effective was this new molecule? When administered to patients who had plaque and tartar on their teeth, the majority of these substances were destroyed within 24 hours. This effectively removed the ability of harmful bacteria to grow on the teeth and produce the acids that weaken enamel. Further testing is going to be necessary, so we’re actively watching for more studies like these coming out of the ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces journal.

Maintaining Dental Hygiene Continues To Be Necessary

While this new substance promises great things for the future of dentistry, it’s still necessary to maintain a dedicated oral hygiene routine. At present, this is the only way to guarantee protection from gum disease, tooth decay, and other oral health problems. Maintain the following practices to ensure that your smile remains strong and healthy for years to come:

Two minutes of brushing every day
Consistent flossing between all your teeth at each brushing
Using mouthwash at each brushing
Twice yearly visits to your dental care provider

Until further studies are conducted, and the ability of this molecule to change our dental future is confirmed, these steps will protect your smile. You should also make sure to schedule your next regular dental checkup! Your dentist remains your best ally in the fight against oral health concerns. Together you can keep that smile healthy and beautiful!