Dental Info

Saliva . Just the word can conjure an array of images in your imagination. From salivating at a delicious meal to studying Pavlov’s dogs to watching a baseball player spit, life is full of saliva! And that’s a good thing because saliva is very important for oral and overall health. Problems with saliva can lead to dry mouth, cavities, and bad breath. Read more below from Atlanta dentist, Dr. Ceneviz to learn more about your saliva. Composition of Saliva Saliva is 98% water. It also contains electrolytes, mucus, enzymes, hormones, and antibodies. Saliva travels to all parts of your mouth via “saliva ducts.” Saliva is made in your salivary glands and the contents come from your blood. Ancient doctors believed saliva and blood were “brothers” when it comes to a person’s wellness.  Because saliva is so similar to blood, research is growing on how to use saliva samples to test for diseases. Saliva samples are already used to test for HIV, but studies are finding you can also detect b...

Thumb sucking is normal behavior for babies and young children. But just how normal? More than 75% of little ones suck their thumbs, fingers, hands, pacifiers, or other items such as the corner of a blanket during these early years. Most kids stop this behavior on their own between the ages of three and six. But how long is too long, and can it be problematic? Chamblee Orthodontics would like to share more information about this common childhood habit. Why Do Babies Suck Their Thumbs? Human babies come into the world hungry, and with hunger in mammals comes an instinct to suck. This urge usually becomes less intense naturally, beginning to taper off when babies reach about six months of age. However, many babies take a liking to the practice, continuing to suck their thumbs to self-soothe when hungry, anxious, sick, bored, tired, or just trying to adjust to changes in their environment. Thumb sucking may also help them fall asleep or lull themselves back to sleep. Since it is an age...

Understanding any type of medical or dental insurance can be a challenge, especially for uninsured folks trying to find a plan on their own. According to the National Association of Dental Plans , about 74 million Americans had no dental insurance coverage at the end of 2016. One possible solution is dental savings plans (also called dental discount plans).  Dr. Case would like to talk about plans like these and their potential to reduce out-of-pocket dental costs for patients (who doesn’t like to save money?). How Do Dental Savings Plans Work? With a dental discount plan, the consumer pays an annual fee, just as they would pay for a buyer’s club membership to Costco or Sam’s Club or for emergency roadside assistance insurance like AAA. In return, they get access to a dental network that offers special savings to plan members, usually in the form of percentage-off discounts. For example, if a participating provider offers a 40% discount on crowns , that crown will cost $600 rat...

Dentistry is serious medicine, and daily oral hygiene is a top priority. But teeth can be pretty fun, too—not to mention fascinating. For starters, have you ever seen the full sets of baby teeth and adult teeth present in a child’s head x-ray? Go ahead, look it up. There are tons of interesting dental facts out there!  Chamblee Orthodontics in Atlanta treats our patients professionally and joyfully—our team thinks teeth are cool. Take Dr. Ceneviz’s word for it, there’s much to learn and admire about even the most average set of teeth. Facts About People & Teeth According to a survey by Time magazine, 59% of people would rather visit the dentist than listen to one end of a cell-phone conversation. By age 17, 78% of Americans have had at least 1 cavity. Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss for people over the age of 35. Tooth prints are as unique as fingerprints. About 2 million teeth per year fall out due to sports-related accidents. Babies hav...

Can you imagine a 2-liter bottle of your favorite soda? Now imagine that same bottle filled with spit. That’s approximately how much saliva the average adult produces in their mouth every day! It may be gross, but it’s definitely important. Saliva is a normal body fluid that’s crucial for oral health and overall wellness.  If you struggle to make enough saliva, your mouth will feel very dry and you will have trouble with daily activities like speaking, eating, and swallowing. This condition is commonly known as dry mouth , but the clinical name is xerostomia. A chronically dry mouth is uncomfortable and unhealthy.  You have three salivary glands in different parts of your jaw that make and secrete saliva. Saliva is mostly made of water, but it also contains important molecules called enzymes that help keep your mouth clean and fight infection. Dry mouth is common and can usually be fixed with the help of your Portland dentist and primary care doctor. Dr. Case shares more ...

To binky or not to binky? Pacifier use for infants has been a subject of debate as long as they’ve been around. Dr. Ceneviz shares some pros and cons below. Pros Pacifiers can soothe a fussy baby. Whether your child has a strong sucking reflex or has difficulty falling asleep, a pacifier can be an effective step towards entering Dreamland. (Unfortunately, sleeping through the night is not affected by pacifier use.) Pacifiers are distracting. If baby has to have a shot, a binky can help to forget the poke. Pacifiers can reduce SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) risk at naptime and bedtime. If breastfeeding, wait until baby is 3-4 weeks old and you’ve got a regular nursing routine. Cons Pacifiers may increase ear-infection risk. However, babies 0-6 months old are at the highest risk of SIDS and the lowest risk of ear infection, which is the age babies usually want a binky most. Prolonged pacifier use can lead to dental problems. Chamblee Orthodontics  wants you...

The upper teeth formed along the maxillary jawbone are called “ maxillary teeth ” and include the top incisors, molars, premolars, and canines. Dr. Ceneviz shares more information about maxillary teeth below. Understanding the role of the upper teeth and caring for them properly is important in the fight against bacteria and infection in gum tissues and upper sinus cavities. Most maxillary teeth play specific roles in eating and digesting food, functioning as a set of silverware to break it down.  Because maxillary teeth are so close to maxillary sinus cavities, it is easy to confuse a sinus infection with an infected tooth. If you visit Chamblee Orthodontics complaining of pain, they will determine which infection is present and either provide treatment or send you to your general physician. If you have more questions about your child’s maxillary teeth—or ANY of their teeth— get in touch with us today ! The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professio...

Today’s dental implants boast a long-term success rate of near 97%. Because implants support surrounding teeth, encourage new tissue growth and continued bone formation, and give patients back full chewing ability and a complete smile, they have become the industry standard for tooth replacement.  Today, your Portland dentist, Dr. Case, would like to share some interesting history about dental implants and how we got to where we are today. History of Dental Implants 4,000 Years Ago : The first record of temporary dental implants were bamboo pegs used to replace missing teeth in China. 3,000 Years Ago : The first recorded case of a metal replacement tooth (a copper peg) fixed to a jawbone occurred in the mouth of an Egyptian king. Experts believe it may have been placed after death due to how painful placement would have been to a living person. There is also evidence that the Egyptians tried to stabilize teeth with ligature gold wire around this same era. 2,300 Years Ag...

If your child’s permanent adult teeth haven’t emerged in a timely manner, you may wonder if there is a reason to worry. Chamblee Orthodontics would like to share a few possible reasons permanent adult teeth can be delayed . Is There Enough Space for the New Teeth to Grow? The most common reason for permanent teeth to appear late a simple one: there is just not enough space for them. Adult teeth tend to be larger than the primary baby teeth they replace, and at times, a surrounding tooth (or teeth) may require removal to create extra space. Occasionally, braces also become necessary to facilitate this process. Are Permanent Teeth Facing the Right Direction? Sometimes permanent teeth come through the gums facing the wrong way. This is most common with upper canines and bicuspids. The primary teeth around the affected area may require removal to allow repositioning of teeth that are out of place, and braces are usually required for a permanent solution. Gender There are wide variat...

Dr. Ceneviz can diagnose and screen for a host of maladies thanks to sophisticated imaging technology . X-rays are now so frequently used and so effective that most of us take their capabilities for granted—but it was not so long ago a tumor or damaged bone couldn’t be found without the patient actually being cut open! The discovery of x-rays was a happy accident. A physics professor named Wilhelm Roentgen was testing whether cathode rays could pass through glass and observed a mysterious light that would pass through human tissue and to reveal details of the bones and tissue underneath. Because Roentgen didn’t know what the rays were, he called them “x”, meaning “unknown”. The medical community and the public alike were very excited about x-rays, and as their use became commonplace, the potential side effects of radiation exposure were ignored at first. Scientists like Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla sounded the alarm about the dangers of radiation, but x-rays were still used for en...

How do you feel when you see that little plastic floss container in your medicine cabinet? Eagerness to achieve that clean feeling in your mouth? Or regret over a habit you have trouble keeping? Did you get excited about recent headlines saying flossing isn’t necessary? We’re sorry to break the news, but as your oral health experts, we’re here to tell you floss is still incredibly important. In fact, it’s one of the most important foundations for oral health. Dr. David Case at Family Dental Health shares more below about why you should floss, how to floss, and what to do if flossing causes your gums to bleed. What is Floss? Floss is a simple waxed thread designed specially to clean between your teeth (the hardest spots in your mouth to reach) comfortably and effectively. Floss was invented around 1820 and was first seen on store shelves decades later. There are countless brands and types of floss. It can be thin or thick, flavored or unflavored. Most often, floss is waxed to help i...

If your child loses a tooth too soon or needs a baby tooth extracted due to decay, Dr. Ceneviz may recommend space maintainers to support their dental health. Space maintainers are custom-made acrylic or metal dental appliances that can either be removable or cemented into the mouth. Their purpose is to keep the space open for the future permanent tooth or teeth. Baby teeth are essential to the development of permanent teeth, jawbones and muscles, which guide those adult teeth into the place absent baby teeth once were. If there is no space for permanent teeth to grow, teeth can shift drastically enough for orthodontics to be needed. Not every child with premature baby tooth loss needs space maintainers, but a consultation with Chamblee Orthodontics is advisable to see if a space maintainer is the best solution. Dr. Ceneviz can also advise you about best practices for eating habits and oral hygiene for fixed space maintainers. Your child should be seen regularly by their den...

Acids and bases might sound like something from far back in your memory, like middle-school science class, but the concept is still very applicable to every aspect of life today. The foods and beverages you consume daily have a very big effect on your oral health and overall health, for better or worse. You can protect and support your health by eating the right foods. We know this isn’t news to anyone, but it’s much easier said than done, right? Dr. Ceneviz, Atlanta dentist explains below how an alkaline diet can benefit your oral health and overall health. What is an Alkaline Diet? Everything around us is made of chemicals that are either some level of acidic or basic (alkaline). Chemicals are numbered on the pH scale from 0-6 as acidic, 7 as neutral, and 8-14 as alkaline and more people are talking these days about the negative effects of diets high in acidity. A minimally acidic—or alkaline—diet will contain mostly foods with a pH above 7. Research shows that some chronic dise...

Cracked, broken, and decayed teeth require restoration or they will break down further until they become infected and/or require extraction . At Family Dental Health, our goal is to preserve your natural teeth for as long as possible. Depending on the extent and location of the damage, we will likely recommend an inlay, onlay , or crown . Different levels of the same idea, these restorative dentistry treatments are custom-made to protect your tooth and restore it to its full, healthy, and functioning condition. Another reason you may need an inlay, onlay, or crown is due to extensive tooth decay breaking down your tooth that requires more than a simple filling to fix, or an old filling that needs to be replaced. Here’s how these options compare: Fillings : only fill a small, center portion of the biting surface of your tooth; is not a treatment for extensive damage Inlays : fill a larger portion of the biting surface than a filling contained within the cusp Onlays : fill and cov...

Dr. Ceneviz at Chamblee Orthodontics finds integrative orthodontics for children a fascinating subject that many people may not know about, and today we’d like to give you a brief overview of some of the benefits. We used to have plenty of room for all our teeth, and anthropological evidence shows no genes for crooked teeth. Our bodies have adapted to the changes in our “industrial” environment since the time between Paleo man and Modern man. If we change the environment that teeth grow in—in this case, the environment being the mouth—we can also change the way those teeth grow. This philosophy is the basis of Integrative Orthodontics (IO). What are some of the benefits of IO? Prevention: IO helps to prevent crooked teeth if treatment begins early enough. Facial Growth: IO provides lifetime benefits by guiding the face shape towards health and aesthetics from the beginning, modifying teeth, appearance, and breathing passages positively. Health: IO finds the cause of the problem r...

We know a lot of our friends and neighbors aren’t fans of being asked how often they brush and floss, but at Chamblee Orthodontics, we hope you know it’s because we care and want to help you keep your smile healthy and beautiful for life! Getting to know your habits also helps us personalize your care and offer suggestions such as using a water flosser if the string type floss isn’t your favorite. Our team happens to appreciate the WaterPik® and its comparable effectiveness at removing food debris and getting in those hard-to-reach areas—especially if you’re wearing braces . Floss is Boss Regardless of which flossing tool you prefer, it’s important to remain diligent in the habit. Flossing helps remove plaque, which causes cavities and dangerous gum disease if left to harden and become tartar. If you have any questions about flossing, WaterPiks, or any other dental topic, Dr. Ceneviz would love to hear from you. Contact us today to schedule a visit! The content of this blog is n...

Good News for Grown-Ups “Adulting” can be hard. Between rent, bills, kids, a career, and other responsibilities, it can be tough to make time for yourself. But independence, parenting, fulfilling work, and the wisdom that comes with age can be pretty fantastic, too. So how does your oral healthcare fit into a grown-up lifestyle? Family Dental Health serves adults from all over Portland. Read more for our tips on how to care for your oral health at this particular stage in life. Priorities : You manage a lot on any given day. Brushing your teeth and making a dental appointment may not feel like the most pressing of matters, but you know they are important in the long run—so you do it. Family Life : Many people are more motivated to take care of themselves when good habits easily fit in with family life, and others are looking to you to set a positive example. Whether you are caring for children or aging parents, preventative oral healthcare is more likely to happen when done togeth...

If you’ve tuned in to any crime scene investigation shows, you’ve probably heard of salivary testing, but did you know it’s becoming increasingly common in dental offices? Salivary testing has a bright future in medicine because of how much it can tell us about your state of health—both oral and overall. One of the reasons it’s especially important in the dental office is because we screen for oral cancer , and the number one culprit for diagnoses in recent years is human papillomavirus (HPV), which can be detected through saliva. Should I have my saliva tested? In a word, yes! Frankly, there are many conditions that can lie latent and manifest themselves in dangerous ways (such as heart disease and stroke, which both have links to gum disease ), but if you have your saliva assessed, you can take steps toward decreasing your risk. If you’d like to know more about why we recommend oral DNA testing and salivary diagnostics , we would love to speak with you. If you have questions or w...

Mail-order braces are a controversial dental topic, and Dr. Caroline Ceneviz weighs in today. Direct-to-consumer orthodontics companies make many appealing promises—no dental visits, aligners delivered to your door, and lower costs. But are the risks worth it? Not according to this consumer alert from the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO). As of November 2017, the AAO had filed complaints with 36 State Dental Boards, alleging direct-to-consumer orthodontics can not only cause long-term oral health problems for their users but may be illegal. (These claims are pending investigation.) A licensed doctor is not seen before or during self-managed orthodontic treatment. While direct-to-consumer braces companies base aligner prescriptions on computer-simulated mouth scans as licensed dentists do, teeth movement doesn’t always follow the initial computer assessment—and self-managed orthodontic treatment makes no further adjustments to correct that. In short, wearers get what th...

According to a recent study published in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, teeth were the #1 feature that increased a child’s chances of being bullied . A person’s smile and teeth are often the first things people notice, and kids are no exception. Chamblee Orthodontics in Atlanta would like to share some ideas that can help kids feel better about their teeth—with parents’ help! Explain that baby teeth are not all lost until kids reach their early teens, so their smile will continue to change as they grow—and this will be happening to the kids making fun, too. Google “celebrity teeth before and after” for hundreds of examples showing successful grownups who were once kids that probably didn’t feel so great about their teeth. This reinforces that things will eventually get better. During your child’s first evaluation for orthodontics, ask Dr. Ceneviz to show before and after results to reassure your child they can have a beautiful smile at the end o...