Dental Info

When my cousin came in for a cleaning she told me that she stopped using her electric tooth brush because she was experiencing vertigo. Her husband, a neurologist told her to stop using her electric toothbrush because it might be aggravating her vertigo (BPPV). By the time I saw her for her cleaning she had been using a manual brush for several months and her plaque control and gingivitis was worse than when she had been using her electric brush.  I did a little research on BPPV and one study found that of the patients who had BPPV 12% reported dizzyness after using their electric toothbrushes... Huh? The study did not conclude that people with BPPV should refrain from using electric toothbrushes  since " The results align with some publications demonstrating that vibrations in the head and neck area from the use of an electric toothbrush can initiate dizziness; however, it does not appear that this modality of vibration is significant for inducing recurrent BPPV. " Whi...

 While all dentists strive to do fillings with good interproximal contact areas, it still is not uncommon for fillings to end up with less than ideal contact areas that can allow food to get stuck in between teeth that . While flossing can remove this food, sometimes the food gets lodged in the gingival sulcus that contact a tooth and this can lead to recurrent decay or periodontal bone loss. One of the most frequent complaints I hear from new patients involve food getting stuck between teeth. Sometimes the solution is replacing some of their fillings since redoing them can eliminate this problem. In some situations, where significant tooth structure is missing in the restored tooth, a crown maybe the best solution. Proper contacts are not that difficult to achieve , especially if the dentist uses a contoured metal band in conjunction with a V-3 ring ( a spring that pushes teeth apart and helps adapt the contoured band). Even when using this system, care must be taken to ensur...

  The New York Times has recently published an article titled " On Medicare and Need Dental Work? Beware a Big Bill" . The article pointed out correctly that standard Medicare plans don't cover most dental procedures unless they are related to the treatment of an ongoing medical problem. It also correctly explained that Medicare Advantage policies may cover some dentistry but they max out quickly if the patient the type of significant expenses involved with more extensive treatment plans involving implants.  The truth is that seniors are often on fixed incomes and are loath to spend what savings they have on significant dental plans. I have some personal experience with this subject since a very high percentage of my patients are over 65 and most of those are either retired or planning on retiring in the near future. While I participate in two dental plans ( Cigna PPO & Delta Premier) most seniors who retire are uninsured.  They often complain about the cost of d...

 One hundred years ago the world suffered through a pandemic and WW I at the same time. When they were over, people were ready to celebrate and afterwards the Roaring Twenties ensued. People were in the mood for conspicuous consumption and partying to celebrate.   I t was a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in the United States and Europe, particularly in major cities   ]  M ost of my patients have been vaccinated and have been staring at their teeth during numerous Zoom sessions over the last year and they are often ready to contemplate cosmetic dental procedures when they have returned to my office. Often they are not as concerned over the cost, since many have saved money be cause they haven't been entertaining, traveling or taking vacations during  the last year. Also some patients have delayed needed dental treatments during the pandemic but are ready to get started, now that they are vaccinated and the Pandemic seems to b...