“I love my teeth and my smile. The work was done very softly and pleasant, and Dr. Gross and his team really cared and even worked on “odd” hours as I was a bit pushed for time leaving USA for Europe. Thank you Dr. Gross – Thank you Renee and the rest of the team – You are great!”

- Pernilla

One of the most agonizing and debilitating symptoms of TMD is migraine headache. Many physicians, including neurologists, have not received the dental training required to diagnose Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) problems and how they relate to migraines. Neuromuscular dentistry is the branch of dentistry that helps people correct jaw problems that cause migraines and other discomfort.

TMD causes migraines due to the trigeminal nerve. One of the most powerful and complex nerves in the human body, this nerve is wholly responsible for the temporomandibular joint and tooth functions, and accounts for over 40% of the brain’s processing. The trigeminal nerve has three branches, each affecting various parts of the face, head, shoulders and arms. The muscle tightness and pain associated with TMD can even affect your hands and fingers.

Patients complaining of TMD-related migraines are often prescribed medications to treat the pain of the migraine. Little is done, however, to treat what is actually causing the headaches. Neuromuscular dentistry is the specialized area of dentistry that treats the cause, not just the symptoms, of the painful headaches associated with TMD.

There are a number of different treatment approaches for TMD. They may include any combination of heat, ice, a soft diet, anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy, stress management, occlusal therapy (“bite therapy”), correction of bite abnormalities, and, in some cases, surgery.

If you live in the Fort Lauderdale, Miami, or Boca Raton area of Florida and suffer from TMD-related migraines or other TMD-related discomforts, please contact a SmilePerfect office today.

Recent studies have established a number of links between your oral health and your general health. Many medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and pregnancy complications have direct associations with oral health. Practicing good oral hygiene by brushing and flossing regularly, and visiting a dentist at least once a year are a few simple ways to ensure that you stay healthy.

For example, diseases of the mouth can affect your ability to eat, and therefore get proper nutrition. On the other hand, if your nutritional intake is compromised, this may negatively impact your oral health. It may also impact the severity of oral diseases and the rate of recovery. Periodontal infections can eventually enter the bloodstream, travel to major organs and start new infections.

Studies continue to show a link between heart disease and tooth loss. A definite link between the two conditions exists even in the non-smoking population.

Poorly managed diabetes results in high blood sugar levels and increased amounts of sugar in saliva. This can lead to xerostomia (dry mouth), periodontal disease, dental caries, gingivitis, infections, candidiasis, and burning mouth syndrome.

The outcome of pregnancy may also be affected by periodontal disease. Toxins produced by periodontal bacteria in the mother's oral cavity can affect the fetus. Part of the mother's immune response to the oral infection may potentially affect the growth of the fetus and delivery.

If you live in the Fort Lauderdale, Miami, or Boca Raton area of Florida, and have any further questions or concerns about the links between oral health and general health, please contact a SmilePerfect office today.

Here is some interesting science behind what makes a beautiful smile. 

There are guidelines that most dentist use to evaluate and design smiles.

 

Tooth Display:  The mouth at rest or in general conversation will display about 2-4mm of tooth.  As a patient ages the tooth display becomes less because the lip looses some of it's mobility.

 

Gum Display:  When someone smiles you should only display the gum between the teeth.  The gums above the teeth are typically not seen and if they are it is generally regarded as a gummy smile.  There are surgical procedures to correct this appearance.  Some doctors have the training to administer Botox so that the upper lip is not as hyper mobile and this loss of muscle contraction helps hide a gummy smile.

 

White and Bright:  White bright smiles are a sign of youth and beauty.  As we age our teeth naturally become duller with increasing colors of yellow, brown and grey.  Many patients will whiten their teeth with in office procedures such as Zoom and other patients try at home products such as Crest White Strips.  Both have their pros and cons but the bottom line is that whiter brighter teeth make you look younger.

 

Proportions:  Teeth have a height and width ratio.  Short, squat teeth look square.  Long narrow teeth look skinny.  The shapes of teeth can be altered with porcelain veneers.  The results can be predicted by computer modeling or a mock-up in the patients mouth or on plaster (stone) models.

 

Arch form:  Crooked teeth are difficult to clean and look bad.  There are many options such as traditional braces or Invisilign.  In any event, get your crooked teeth fixed for two main reasons: The are easier to maintain and they will make your smile look great.

 

Conclusion:  Your smile defines the initial introduction when meeting someone for the very first time.  Make a good first and lasting impression:  Smile with a bright beautiful white smile.  It is welcoming and will send a friendly warm aura.

The only way to avoid developing oral cancer is to avoid known risk factors so that the chance of developing cancer decreases. Anything that increases a person's chance of developing cancer or any other disease is called a risk factor. Some risk factors can be avoided, but many cannot. For example, you can choose to quit using tobacco. However, you cannot choose which genes you have inherited.

Some known risk factors for oral cancer include:

• Tobacco and Alcohol Use - Cigarette, pipe, cigar, and smokeless tobacco use is responsible for most cases of oral cancer. The risk of developing oral cancer is higher in people who use both tobacco and alcohol. It is known that stopping or avoiding tobacco use decreases the risk of oral cancer, though no studies have shown whether abstaining from alcohol decreases the risk of oral cancer.
• Sun and UV Exposure - Sunlight and ultraviolet ray exposure may increase the risk of lip cancer, which occurs most often on the lower lip. Avoiding the sun, tanning beds, and/or using a UV-protective sunscreen, lipstick, or lip gloss on the lips may decrease the risk of developing lip cancer.
• Genetics - A family history of cancer - and not just oral cancer - may put you at a higher risk of developing oral cancer.
• Other Factors - Some studies suggest that being infected with certain types of the human papillomavirus (HPV) may increase the risk of oral cancer.

Another factor that may contribute to developing cancer is age. About 95 percent of all oral cancers occur in persons older than 40, and the average age at the time of diagnosis is about 60.

If you are in the Fort Lauderdale, Miami, or Boca Raton area of Florida and would like to learn more about oral cancer prevention, please contact a SmilePerfect office today.

Please visit our vote for your Presidential Candidate with the best smile page! www.smileperfect.com/forpresident/

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If you are losing your teeth, you might want to start paying closer attention to your cardiovascular health. The latest research continues to support a progressive link between heart disease risk and tooth loss - even among non-smokers.

Dr. Catherine Okoro, an epidemiologist in the Division of Adult and Community Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, led a study that analyzed data from more than 40,000 respondents aged 40-79. This study concluded that heart disease was present in 4.7 percent of respondents with no tooth loss, 5.7 percent of those missing 1-5 teeth, 7.5 percent missing 6-31 teeth and 8.5 percent with total tooth loss.

The study adjusted for sex, race, ethnicity, education level, marital status, diabetes, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and body mass index. A correlation between tooth loss and heart disease remained even with respondents that had never used tobacco.

The results of this study are consistent with those of previous studies linking periodontal disease and tooth loss to an increased risk of atherosclerosis and heart attack.

The authors of the report are careful to point out that the results of this study cannot determine whether people with poor oral health are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease, only that the two conditions are related to one another.

Gum disease is a type of infection caused by your bodies’ reaction to the bacteria on the gums and teeth which have been allowed to multiply. These bacteria digest tiny food particles in the mouth and deposit acidic and toxic excretions on the teeth and gums.

This is known as plaque or biofilm at first, and it can be brushed and flossed away by daily dental hygiene. But if it’s allowed to stay in the mouth, it hardens into tartar, also called calculus, which cannot be brushed or flossed off. It has tiny sharp edges that irritate the gums and harbor bacteria which perpetuates the process. All of this can lead to what is called periodontal disease.

With periodontal disease, the gums become inflamed, swollen, and sore, and start bleeding when you brush. So the bacterial excretions can enter the bloodstream, travel to other parts of the body, and trigger chemical reactions. In the early stage of gum disease, called gingivitis, a good professional cleaning and some special care and monitoring can often take care of the problems. Many patients are under the impression that every six months is the standard of care. It is not the standard of care. Adults should see the hygienists every three months. The biofilm takes three months to form a large enough volume to cause the disease process to start doing damage. Every hygiene visit MUST include the probing and measuring of the gum tissue. This painless procedure will use consistent pressure and computerized technology to accurately and objectively record the health of the gum tissue.

In the later stage of gum disease, periodontitis, more aggressive treatment will be needed. Treatment is difficult then because a vicious cycle has been set up. The bacteria multiply, the gums pull back from enclosing the teeth, leaving little pockets, where more bacteria can live, multiply, and excrete, creating larger pockets, and so on. The disease process can spread beyond the teeth, gums, and even into the bone.

Research has actually proven that gum disease does not only affect the health of the teeth and gums. There are links between periodontal disease and the following very serious medical diseases and conditions, which, of course, affect your overall health and wellbeing:

• Diabetes

• Heart disease

• Cancers

• Alzheimer’s Disease

• Kidney disease

• Stroke

• Respiratory disease

• Pre-term, low birth weight babies


Symptoms of periodontal disease include:

• Red, bleeding gums

• Swollen gums

• Halitosis (bad breath)

• Gingival recession

• Deep pockets between teeth and gums

• Loose teeth

Taking good care of your teeth and gums is absolutely imperative to maintaining overall good general health and working to prevent serious medical conditions such as those listed above. Even if you have beautiful teeth, you can have gum disease, and you may not even be aware of the symptoms.

William L. Balanoff, DDS, MS, FICD