Happy summer!

Happy summertime. Hope everyone is having a happy, healthy, but most of all fun summer. I am happy to inform that the Fourth of July celebration this year in Footbridge Park was a great success. I would like to send out a special thanks to Paul Avery for all his efforts along with a get well wish after his motorcycle mishap.

On a dental note, I want to remind parents that school is approaching quickly which means fall sports. Consider having custom mouthguards made to protect those teeth. A simple impression is all that is needed and your mouthguard will be ready in one week. I make one for my son every year. Enjoy the rest of your summer.

Please visit our link at www.amagaliodds.com and click on links. Visit Get My Smile and click on playsafe sports mouthguards.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year. I hope everyone had a happy and healthy holiday. With the New Year comes some exciting new innovations empowering the dentist to better diagnose and treat the dental patient. Today I would like to discuss CBCT or Cone Beam Computed Tomography. CBCT scans module three dimensional images rather than the two dimensions seen with traditional digital x-rays. This added dimension becomes invaluable in the diagnosis of disease and the planning of tooth replacement and reconstruction. Cone beam scans assist with determining bone structure, tooth orientation, nerve canals and pathology that in some cases may preclude the necessity for a surgical procedure.
I would like to address the issue of radiation exposure. Medical CT scans do expose the patient to relatively large doses of radiation. This is justified due to the inherent value of information obtained. The dental CBCT imaging method allows dentists to obtain vital three dimensional information without exposing patients to high levels of radiation that come from medical CT scans. Dentist ascribe to the ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) protocol concerning radiation levels. This protocol guides practioners to expose patients to the least amount of radiation possible while still gaining the most information. For dentists placing and restoring implants, having this information beforehand is imperative to determining anatomical variations that can affect the procedures success or failure.

Dangers of Soda

This month I would like to talk about the effects of soda on our children’s teeth. The consumption of soda in the United States has increased to alarming proportions. Everybody is drinking more soda and drinking it more frequently. One statistic I have seen states that between 56 percent and 85 percent of school-age children consume at least 1 serving of soda each day. Soda pop is sweetened by adding sucrose or high fructose corn syrup. This yields the equivalent of 10-12 teaspoons of sugar in a 12 oz can of soda. These sugars fuel the bacteria that produce the acids which soften the enamel leading to decay. Exposure to the acids of soda alone contribute to the breakdown as well. A hidden danger with increased soda consumption is that it leads to less milk consumption which indirectly leads to a higher incidence of demineralization and cavities. Milk contains calcium lactate which stimulates remineralization of teeth. The dental team has the training to intervene with diet counseling, home care instruction and professionally applied fluoride.

Fall Cleaning

Fall is here and I just had my teeth cleaned. I generally do a spring and fall cleaning. I know it is not the most comfortable experience but when it is finished my teeth feel great. The importance of having routine cleanings done by a hygienist to prevent gum disease as well as other systemic disease is well documented and should provide enough motivation. But again, I say my mouth feels really clean and fresh. Don’t put it off; get it done and you’ll be happy you did. I know I am.

Extractions

This month I would like to talk about extractions. Don’t turn away. In the past, teeth were removed without regard for the negative impact to the remaining bone structure. Extractions can cause the soft tissues and bone to collapse. Teeth are in sockets which are surrounded and supported by the bone. The dental procedure done to prevent this is called socket preservation. It involves placing a regenerative bone grafting material into the empty tooth socket at the time of extraction. This is done to rebuild the bone where the extraction left an empty weakened area. There are a number of different materials which can be used. There are autogenous bone grafts where the tissue used is from the patient’s own body. There are also allografts where the tissue is used from another human donor. Then there are xenografts and alloplasts. Xenografts are natural tissue from another species while an alloplast is a synthetic bone material. Why is this necessary? It is important in preserving the natural appearance of the front of the mouth. It is also very important in providing appropriate support for dentures or a dental bridge construction. It is also essential in providing sufficient bone to support dental implants.

The Blairstown Spirit of Americana Celebration returned to FootBridge Park this year. It took place right in our backyard. We want to thank the Blairstown Rotary for once again organizing the spectacular fireworks show.

Congratulations to the Classes of 2010. A special acknowledgement goes out to our patients Daniel Greco, Salutatorian at North Warren Regional and Michael Guyer, Valedictorian at East Stroudsburg North High School.

On a dental note, I am seeing some significant changes coming our way. The one I would like to focus on this month is the use of CADCAM technology (computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing) in the production of our restorations. I am experiencing a noticeable improvement in the accuracy and fit of our restorations. This in turn will lead to fewer adjustments in the chair therefore less time in the chair, which I am sure everyone would agree is beneficial. Today we are utilizing the computer design aspect at the dental lab allowing them to scan models produced from an impression taken in our office. We have plans to incorporate a scanner into our office which will eliminate the uncomfortable impression phase of the restorative process. Visit
http://www.cadentinc.com/itero/itero.php?section=patient to see more information on this process.

See you next month.

Hi. Welcome to our first blog - coming to you from beautiful Foot Bridge Park, in Blairstown, New Jersey, on a 90-degree afternoon.

We have been at our present location for over 10 years, and throughout Warren County for over 15 years.

Check back with us monthly as we will update you on the latest dental procedures and info that we find cool.

For now, click on our logo to check out our website or visit our Facebook page.