Diaries of a Dentist

Video Has Come to Dentistry

And you’ll be starring in one of our upcoming productions!

Our new high definition intra-oral camera gives us a new “edge” and ability to more effectively diagnose dental problems.  In the past we could only rely on visual observation, x-rays and instruments to fee our way into nooks and crannies. 

Now we can use a compact, brilliantly lit, high definition camera to explore with more precision. You, as the patient, gain a perfect understanding of our findings as you can see what we see. It also allows us to catch small problems before they become big problems! 

Another tremendous benefit is the ability to convey to your insurance provider the magnitude of the damage to the teeth requiring treatment. This helps assure more appropriate insurance coverage!

For more information call our Houston dental office at 713-266-2244.

Dental Insurance What is Usual and Customary?

The term “usual and customary” is thrown out there a lot when it comes to dental insurance.  You have probably seen the term before. “Usual and Customary” refers to a type of payment given to a dentist by your dental insurance company.  

Historically, the “customary” fee has been arrived at through the use of surveys.  The Insurance company contract would then specify, for example, that they would reimburse at the “80^th percentile” level. 

Unfortunately, with the competition between insurance companies and the pressure put on them by employers to hold down costs of policies, most insurance companies have modified the definition of the “customary” fee. 

The concept of taking a survey was removed and the insurance companies are making the “customary” fee whatever they want it to be.  This means that they set their own price that they will allow for every dental procedure that they cover.  This is not based on what a dentist actually charges, but what the dental insurance company wishes to cover. 

What is the bottom line for you as a patient?  You should just be aware of some of the games that may be going on.  If your dental insurance company tries to accuse your dentist of charging fees that are too high, they are being unethical.  

An honest response when their reimbursement doesn’t cover the entire fee is a simple statement to the effect: “This fee is beyond the level of the allowed benefit.” 

 Any accusatory statements by dental insurance companies are often an attempt to cover for a plan with limited benefits that was sold to your employer as a “cost cutting” plan.

Find out more about our Houston Dental practice, at www.bridgerdds.com

 

Your Smile Speaks to the World!

 

 

 

 

 

Have you spent years hiding your smile?  
Are your teeth uneven, chipped or crooked?
Are your teeth discolored or stained?
Do your teeth have gaps between them?
Do you have a “gummy” smile?
Have you thought about braces for that perfect smile?

Perhaps it’s time to consider a smile design imaging!  Dr. Bridger can give you a complimentary imaging presentation so you can actually SEE what you have been missing, what is actually possible for you!

Call today! 713-266-2244

Are Oral Bacteria Serious?

Oral bacterial causing infections in gum tissue may threaten more than your teeth and gums.  Research has established associations between oral bacteria and systemic diseases including:

1. Heart Disease
2. Type 2 Diabetes
3. Blood Clots
4. Strokes
5. Preterm and Low Birthrate Babies
6. Respiratory Disease

The theories linking oral bacteria to other diseases explain that the mouth may be a portal for bacteria to spread to the rest of your body.

    

What can you do?  There is a relatively new approach to treating the oral bacteria that cause gum and bone disease.  It is called the “Perio Tray” System, in conjunction with scaling and root planing and the placement of time released antibiotics.  

With the Perio Tray Method, you can place prescribed solutions into periodontal pockets with an appropriately formed, customized dental tray to be used between office visits to help manage the bacterial growth. Although a dentist must choose the most appropriate medications for individual patients, the most commonly prescribed solution with the Method has oxidizing and oxygenating agents along with a broad spectrum antibiotic. Oxidizing agents debride (chemically remove) the slimy protective coating of the biofilm and its underlying layers and also cleanse the oral wounds.   

Ask about this new treatment at your next dental visit in our Houston dentist office!

 

Understanding your real dental needs?

Has this happened to you?

True all too often! 

Every patient deserves a complete and thorough understanding of their dental needs.  However, many patients have not seen a dentist in many years due to many circumstances, one of which being severe anxiety!  As a result of a patient’s anxiety, many dentists are apprehensive about thoroughly diagnosing all of the patient’s problems.  They don’t want to scare them and they want the patient to “like” them.  They usually do not offer sedation dentistry. 

“I went to my old dentist of many years, on a regular basis.  He apparently was not diagnosing all of the work that really needed to be done.  There were a few more problems than I thought.  When I started having problems I made an appointment for a second opinion.  It turned out that I actually had a great deal of work to be done!  I needed a root canal, a crown and several fillings.  

This patient was anxious and nervous about the number of appointments she thought she would need to get all of her work done.  Dr. Bridger suggested conscience sedation. 

“I was worried about going under at first! However, you are not completely under, more dreamlike.  They were very good at preparing me for the sedation dentistry and explained how it works.  I was carefully monitored during the entire procedure.”  “I was really pleased with the amount of dental work I was able to have done in just one appointment.  The staff was very kind and gentle.  It was such a relaxing way to get my dental work done.  I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is fearful or needs a lot of work!” 

Every patient deserves to know their true needs and all of their options, whether they are prepared to treat them or not. Obviously, not everyone can proceed as quickly as they would like to so, with our patient’s input, we can also “prioritize” and “phase” treatment.  Sedation Dentistry is only a zzzzzzzzzzzz away! 

 

The Science is Clear, the Results are Unmistakable

 If we are all eating healthier, why are Americans stricken with heart disease and Type II Diabetes more that we were 30 years ago?  Even as the “low carbohydrate” craze sweeps the nation, two-thirds of adults and children are considered obese.

 

In 2005 a research book called “The China Study” came out examining the link between the consumption of animal based diets and many chronic diseases.  This China “project” was a survey of death rates for twelve different kinds of cancer.  The following is a partial list of diseases linked to diet: cancers of the breast, prostate and large bowel, diabetes, coronary heart disease, obesity, autoimmune disease, osteoporosis, degenerative brain disease, and macular degeneration.  The study examined the relationship between mortality rates and different dietary, lifestyle and environmental characteristics in 65 rural counties in China. 

Drawing on the project findings in rural China, but going far beyond those findings, The China Study also examined the source of a lot of “nutritional confusion” created by powerful lobbies, government entities and opportunistic scientists.  The New York Times has recognized the study as the “Grand Prix” of epidemiology and the most comprehensive large study undertaken of the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease. 

The authors recommended people eat a “whole” plant-based diet and avoid consuming beef, poultry, eggs, fish and milk as a means to minimize and or reverse the development of chronic diseases.  Also recommended was adequate intake of sunshine in order to maintain sufficient levels of vitamin D and consider taking the supplement Vit.B12 in cases of complete avoidance of meats.  Their opinion is that there are virtually no nutrients in animal based foods that are not better provided by plants.   

What about our genes? Don’t they play a role? Genes do not determine disease on their own; they must be “activated”.  Nutrition plays a critical role in determining which genes, good and bad, are activated.   

We are all aware that consuming animal based protein increases blood cholesterol levels.  In contrast, plant based foods contain no cholesterol and in many instances actually help to decrease the amount of cholesterol made by the body. 

The China Study is not a diet book.  We are bombarded with conflicting messages regarding health and nutrition.  The market is flooded with popular titles like “Adkins” and “South Beach”.  The China Study challenges the validity of these low carbohydrate fad diets.  The China Study presents “The Principles of Food and Health”:

• Nutrition represents the combined activities of countless foods.
• Vitamin supplements are not a panacea for good health.
• Virtually no animal based nutrients are better than plant based.
• Nutrition can substantially control the adverse effects of chemicals.
• Nutrition that prevents disease in its early stages can also halt or reverse it in its later stages.
• Nutrition that is beneficial for a particular disease will also support good health across the board.
• Good nutrition creates health in all areas of our existence. 

Is Snoring Killing You?

Is Snoring Killing You?

  

Just about everyone snores every now and then, even a baby or your dog.  But snoring can dramatically affect the quality of your life.  If your snoring is so loud that your bed partner can’t sleep, you may end up banished from the bedroom. Snoring can lead to relationship stress, poor sleep, daytime fatigue, irritability and increased health problems.  Snoring can also indicate a more serious condition known as sleep apnea, a potentially life threatening condition that usually requires medical attention. 

 

What are the most common causes of snoring?

1.  Age: As you reach middle age and beyond your throat narrows and the muscle tone in your throat decreases.

2.  The way you’re built: Men are more likely to snore due to a more narrow air passage. Other factors are enlarged adenoids, cleft palate, and other physical attributes that can be hereditary.

3.  Nasal and Sinus Problems: Blocked airways make breathing difficult and create a vacuum in the throat leading to snoring.

4.  Being overweight: Fatty tissue and poor muscle tone contribute to snoring.

5.  Alcohol, smoking and medications:  Alcohol intake, smoking and certain medications can increase muscle relaxation leading to snoring.

6.  Sleep Posture: Sleeping flat on you back causes the soft palate in your throat to relax and block the airway.

 

Is snoring the same as Sleep Apnea?

No, snoring is simply a loud sound that you make during breathing while asleep if there is any obstruction in your airway.  However, people with sleep apnea are deprived of oxygen due to a complete blockage of the airway which can have a major impact on health. 

 

Medical Remedies for snoring

1.  Surgery: Tissue can surgically be removed to widen the airway and plastic implants are inserted into the soft palate.  Scar tissue grows around these implants stiffening the soft palate

 

2.  Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP): A machine at your bedside blows pressurized air into a mask that you wear over you face.  

3.   A Dental Appliance, lower jaw-positioner:  An appliance worn at night that advances the lower jaw forward, opening the airway.  This is by far the most non-invasive and most tolerable option.

   
 

*The dental appliance fits inside your mouth much like a mouth guard or retainer.  

Finally, a few “Self Help” tips for snoring

1.    Sleep on your side not on your back.

2.    Lose Weight.

3.    Avoid alcohol, tobacco and certain medications.

4.    Elevate the head of your bed 4-6 inches.

5.    Maintain regular sleep hours.

6.    Keep bedroom air moist.

7.    Avoid large meals prior to bedtime.

The good news is there are many things you can do to help

snoring that are not invasive and relatively inexpensive.

AM I AT RISK FOR DENTAL AND ORAL DISEASES?

Risk Factors You Can Control: 

 

1. Diet:  Foods that are high in sugars and starches, as well as the frequency those food or drinks are consumed, promote tooth decay and gum disease (periodontal disease).
2. Stress:  Grinding and/or clenching your teeth can wear away tooth enamel and actually loosen your teeth. 
3. Children’s Habits:  Thumb sucking, using a pacifier or childhood teeth grinding can affect the development of permanent teeth.
4. Tobacco:  Smoking and the use of chewing tobacco and snuff all are major risk factors for gum and bone disease as well as oral cancer.
5. Drug or alcohol use:  Alcohol and many drugs can cause dry mouth which promotes all dental diseases.  They also contribute to stress, which can lead to teeth grinding and clenching.  In addition, people who abuse drugs and alcohol tend to not practice good oral hygiene.
6. Medical problems:  Diabetes, osteoporosis, inflammatory bowel disease and AIDS are just a few of the medical conditions that make people more susceptible to all dental diseases.  Gum disease makes it more difficult for diabetic to control their blood sugar.  If you are a smoker, have diabetes and are 45 or older, you are 20 times more likely to have severe gum disease.  If you have osteoporosis, the loss of minerals can make the bones supporting the teeth more vulnerable to infection and increases the risk of tooth loss.

Risk Factors You Cannot Control

1. Family history:  Heredity is a risk factor in many patients with periodontal, gum and bone disease.  A defect in the immune system can be inherited which makes it easier to develop gum infections.  Also, the bacteria that cause gum infections are in the saliva and can be passed from one person to another.
2. Drinking water:  What was the quality of drinking water when you were growing up?  Many communities have fluoride added to their drinking water and a lot of well water contains natural fluoride.  Fluoridated water makes teeth stronger and more resistant to tooth decay.
3. Medications:  Drugs such as birth control pills, steroids, blood pressure drugs, anti-seizure drugs, cancer-fighting drugs and heart disease drugs can make you more susceptible to gum disease and tooth decay.  
4. Gender:  Hormonal changes such as puberty, pregnancy, menopause and birth control pills make women more susceptible to gum disease.  The hormone changes make the gums more sensitive to irritants and plaque.
5. Age:  Children and senior citizens have a higher risk of tooth decay.  More than 90% of oral cancers occur in patients over the age of 45.  This risk increases steadily until around age 65, when the rate levels off. 

For more information on healthy living, go to “Hands on Health”.

Preventive Health

 Preventive Health refers to a certain lifestyle and healthcare practices to encourage and enhance your disease free healthy years.  It makes sense to put more energy and effort into preventing disease so less will be required for treating disease.  It is a more “Holistic” approach to health. Holistic health, although sometimes confused with alternative medicine, refers to maintenance of the entire person, physical, mental and emotional.  That is what we try to provide for our patients.  Routine cleanings and screening for dental and periodontal disease, so any problems can be caught early and treated conservatively. And stress free sedation dentistry to address the emotional aspect of any needed treatment.  The dental insurance industry has long been aware of preventive health benefits as they usually provide dental cleanings and screenings twice a year at virtually no cost to the patient.  Make this year your best year for overall wellness!  We look forward to seeing you at your next recall!  

TEN STEPS TO FINER HEALTH

1. Eat wisely for good nutrition, energy and overall health.  
2. Get adequate sleep. Try to stay on a regular sleep cycle sleeping for at least 8 hours a night.
   
3. Exercise daily. Get sunlight daily.
   
4. Use drug free stress reduction methods such as meditation.
   
5. Do not use alcohol, tobacco or other substances.
6. Practice good oral hygiene, regular brushing, flossing and professional cleanings.
7. Minimize your exposure to environmental toxins found in food, water and air as much as possible.
   
8. Maintain a positive attitude, play, laugh, be grateful, and be happy.
   
9. Practice the “Golden Rule”.  
   
10. Seek peace, humility, simplicity and calm in your daily life.