Before those lazy days of summer come to an end it’s a good idea to get your dental needs met and schedule your cleanings or follow up appointments now while we have some openings. Don’t forget the kids, school will be starting back soon so get them scheduled so they don’t have to miss classes. Once these lazy days are over we will all be back to our busy schedules so call today.

 Nubia is out of the office for Maternity leave, Jodi is filling in while she is out. As soon as we hear from Nubia we will post the good news for her new baby.

We also have Kristen E., assistant, filling in for us and Natalie will be back in the office July 21 from her leave of absence. We look forward to helping you anyway we can and seeing you soon!!

 Have a great day!

 The last reason a power brush is better than a regular brush is for the recession or wear of gums. When we brush some of us are concerned what type of softness to use weither it be hard, med or soft. All of the power toothbrush heads are the same softness so it takes all the guess work out of it. Also the majority of power toothbrushes have a built in feature that will make it impossible to be brushing too hard by lowering the power or stopping the brush altogether. This is exceptional important in the aspect that a lot of people “scrub” their teeth meaning very hard brushes. In the long term this is very bad for the gums you can actually be causing more harm than good in doing this. Hard brushers can actually brush their gums away causing recession in where the gums start to get lower and lower in turn can lead to root exposure, sensitivity and periodontal issues.
As a conclusion the power toothbrush is much better in removing plaque, keeping you brushing for the right amount of time and saving your gums and teeth from from disease, sensitivity, and recession. Yes the power toothbrushes are much more expensive but in the long run if it will save you from just one cavity or getting infection is that not worth it.

 On your way out the door or you slam a glass of orange juice, apple juice or a “fruit juice” or a piece of fruit to eat on the road or later. That’s a good thing right? The other scenario is we run out of the house, jump in the car and head down the road to our destination and most likely running late. We know in whatever direction we head where every fast food, doughnut, and Coffee shop are and the best one to not lose any more time than we already have. We order that Mega coffee, Jumbo Juice or Giant soda or diet soda with something that looks like a decent meal and head back out into the traveling nightmare. Not so good but I don’t do that all the time, right?

 Well, this article is not to belittle anyone’s eating habits, I’m as guilty as most people. Breakfast of champions for me sometimes would make most diabetics cringe, a 16 oz soda and chocolate cup cakes or a very large caramel mocha latte with a scone or whatever looks good while waiting to place my order. Not so good huh! Yes that’s right, not so good if you do that every day. The foods we consume can be a time bomb for our Dental health; corn syrups, sugars, artificial sweeteners and the forgotten and less talked about ACID’s. Acids in fruits, sodas, Diet sodas, sports drinks, juice drinks, lemonade and coffee are brutal on your teeth. I have seen here in the Southwest a favorite “treat” is saladitos and lemons or limes, two fruits that are high in acid.

 Acids erode or demineralize the tooth structure, opening the door to abrasion (wear) discoloration, texture, structure, form and cavities. Also all of this can lead to sensitivity and reduced hygiene care, hurts to brush with or without tooth paste and hot or cold drinks or foods cause an “icecream headache”.  That makes my teeth hurt just thinking about it.

 We create a chemical nightmare with the foods we consume, a cocktail of disaster if you will. But, with proper hygiene, regular checkups and moderation of these types of foods and beverages, we can cut the risk. Everyone is different; we either have a natural high or low occurring Ph level. If a person has a lowh Ph level ( a high acid level), they must be diligent in their Hygiene care and consume those types of foods in moderation. If you’re concerned about your risk for decay, ask Dr.Huckabee on your dental visit and she will be glad to help you determine your risk.  And better yet she’ll give you some pointers on how to lower your risk. Remember that good hygiene habits help in prevention so you can have Healthy Teeth And Gums For Life.

Donations

Donations

I’m a couple of days late with the drawing we had for the survey we sent out to our Valued patients. As the saying goes, Better Late than Never. So the winners are as follows;

1st place L. Ryburn .. $50.00 Dinner gift card

2nd place Fr.John Erickson.. $25.00 Trei White Take Home Bleaching Kit

3rd place M. Marin.. $10.00 Gift card

We appreciate all who participated and and gave testimonials, the information you provided will help us improve our service to you. Thank you from the entire Tucson Mountain Dental Team.

Our Coat and Blanket drive is really going well, below are some of the donations dropped off at the office. Casa De Los Ninos really appreciates all that have donated and continue to support the community. (note – Pictures will be posted this weekend)

When teeth and gums are neglected it opens the door for all kinds of problems and issues. The gums swell and become irritated, eventually shrinking along with melting of the bone. These cause teeth to become unstable, weak and open to cavities and eventually need to be removed if no other option is available. As a person looses teeth, the structure of their mouths change, eating habits change and bone loss takes place.  But, if treated early and with regularly prescribed visits to the dentist office, these problems can be corrected in most cases.

Dr. Huckabee and our Hygienist have the knowledge to treat these conditions. Our goal is for you to have Healthy Teeth and Gums for a Lifetime, the ability to eat with your teeth, to receive quality care, alleviating pain and sensitivity, and a gentle touch when possible.  We care about you and your teeth and gums; together we can keep them healthy.

Starting at upper left, steps for sealants.

A sealant is basically a material that is placed on teeth that have deep grooves to fill in those grooves.  Sealants can be done by the dentist, hygienist or the assistant.  The procedure is very simple and anesthesia is not needed.  First the tooth is etched, than rinsed off, next a sealant material is placed onto the tooth surface that has the deep grooves, and the material is cured by an ultra violet light that hardens the material.  After the sealant is placed the patient is able to eat drink right away.  Now that the grooves are filled the patient is able to keep them clean with brushing and not have to worry about not getting into the grooves.

Dentist around the country are having a Halloween candy buy back. Office’s are buying by the pound, giving kids the cash to buy something  they would like  to have rather than eating a lot of candy which sends them into Hyper drive, creates unhealthy oral bacteria, and other health issues like diabetes and weight problems.  Frequently eating chocolates, candy, and other sweets can create an ideal environment for decay causing bacteria and lead to toothaches, sensitivity, and cavities.  Plaque is a sticky substance that is made of bacteria that thrive on sugars and carbohydrates that are left in the mouth and produce harmful acid that attack your teeth. “This attack by bacterial acid, lasting 20 minutes or more, can lead to a loss of tooth mineral and, eventually, to cavities,” according to the American Dental Association. Candy that is sticky or hard tend to remain in the mouth for a longer period of time and can be more harmful then softer candy such as chocolate which washes away easier with saliva. Choosing treats that are sugar free or non-candy treats such as stickers and toys can help reduce the amount of harmful bacteria. Also certain cheeses and the calcium from dairy can help to increase salivary production and help to neutralize acids and wash away any remaining sugars.

Sticky and hard candy can actually cause damage to dental work, braces and retainers. Hard candy sugars are harmful due to the length of time they remain in the mouth and biting into a hard candy can chip, break or fracture teeth. Softer candy in moderation such as chocolates and sugar free gum can be a safer alternative

What do we do with the treats? Dental office’s have packaged all of the treats and sent them to US troops overseas. Believe me, it’s a great moral booster and the Soldiers love it. I know I was one of those soldiers who received a package like that. Plus it’s great support for those parents who can’t go with their children on Halloween. Keep us in mind the Halloween if you want to do something different, remember that the kids will be out on the streets so drive safely. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!

Many people are very confused in the difference between different types of cleanings at the dentist office.  So what is the difference?  Well there are basically three different types of cleanings that we perform here; one is called a prophy, another is called root planing and scaling, more commonly known as a deep cleaning, and the third is called periodontal maintenance.  The only way to really know what type of cleaning you need is to have a full exam done.  This includes xrays and periodontal probing around all the teeth.  Probing is where the doctor or hygienist will be taking measurements of your gums.  This is done by placing a measuring instrument between the tooth and gum to measure how deep pockets are. 

   Deep infected pockets are where the perio probe goes into the gums four or more millimeters. The doctor or dental hygienist will diagnose whether the gums are fairly healthy or whether there is gingivitis (infection in the gums) or periodontitis (more advanced infection of the gums with bone loss and deep pockets).

               The first type of cleaning is called a dental prophylaxis or prophy- what patients usually want when they want “just a regular cleaning”.   A prophy is a procedure which is performed on patients who have fairly healthy gums without the presence of infection, bone loss, bleeding, deep pockets, and pus coming from the gums- or at most some slight gingivitis.. A prophy is done to prevent periodontal disease and gingivitis.   This procedure is done in one visit. With a prophy, a powered instrument that sprays water called an ultra sonic scalar is used to remove tarter and plaque that is attached to the tooth surface.  After this is done, the hygienist will go back through and do a polishing taking off stains on the tooth surface from food and beverages or other oral habits. It is recommended to get this done every six months to prevent gingivitis and periodontal disease or gum infection.

            But when patients have periodontal disease, we are beyond the point of preventing it with a prophy and have to actually treat the gum disease and gum infection with the other type of cleaning. The other type of cleaning is called root planing and scaling, or for short,  a deep cleaning. This is done in a couple visits.  This is the type of cleaning that is used to treat the gums when there is infection in the gums that includes some or all of the following: deep pockets, bleeding, pus, bone loss, swollen red gums.  Rarely will you have pain associated with disease of the gums, so many people have gum infection and are not even aware of it.  During this procedure a patient will get numbed up using anesthetic- both a topical and injections administered by the doctor or the hygienist.  Once the patient is numb the hygienist will use an ultrasonic instrument and/or hand instruments, like in a regular cleaning, but will be going down underneath the gums cleaning out the infection below the gums where you can not see.  Once the hygienist has cleaned all the infection out of your mouth you will return in about a month to re evaluate your gums and will do a polishing at this visit.  After the deep cleaning is done the hygienist will have you coming in every three and four months for your periodontal maintenance (the 3^rd type of cleaning).  3-4 months is about how long it takes for the periodontal bacteria to reinfect the pockets. So once you have had a deep cleaning, it is imperative to continue with your hygiene visits.

            Periodontal maintenance is the upkeep to keep your mouth free from disease once a deep cleaning is performed- in other words to prevent the recurrence or advancement of the periodontal infection and bone loss. An ultrasonic scaler may be used like in a prophy, but will be going much deeper where the infection can build up and start to return.  Periodontal maintenance is required to keep you free from the recurrence and advancement or periodontal disease and the possible risk of losing teeth and/or the need for periodontal surgery.