Generations Dental Care Blog

I’m sure most everyone reading this blog has heard of stem cells and the potential they may have for healing diseased tissue and/or curing disease. What most people don’t know is that we all have these cells within the dental pulp tissue of our teeth. The youngest amongst us have the most of these cells, and they decline in number as we age. Research is being done on these cells, and they have the potential to offer therapies and possibly cures to many common diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig disease), heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, Diabetes, liver disease and Multiple Sclerosis. They are also showing promise in the treatment of stroke, spinal cord injury, muscular dystrophy and bone regeneration.
 

There are companies that are now available to freeze and store extracted teeth for future possible use. The ideal situations are in primary (baby) teeth that are slightly loose, teeth removed for braces, wisdom teeth and some adult teeth. Stem cells harvested from these teeth are a perfect genetic match for you or your children. They are stored in a lab and available in the event that they are needed, and that current science is able to utilize them in a particular therapy.

Although this is very exciting news, and there are many families now choosing to harvest and store their children’s teeth to potentially help them in the future, I’d like to stress the word POTENTIAL. This is still a developing science, and it is unknown what use, if any, these stem cells will provide.

The opportunity is now here, however, to store these cells in the event that you or your children will ever need them. For about $10 a month you can have the peace of mind that you did all you could to take advantage of this beginning science.

If you are interested or would like more information, please contact the office and one of our doctors would be happy to discuss it with you.

1)  If you don’t floss, you miss cleaning 35% of your tooth surfaces.

2)  Regular dental cleanings can help prevent heart attacks.

3)  90% of systemic diseases have oral manifestations.

4)  A sneeze zooms out of your mouth at over 600 mph! So make sure to cover your mouth.

5)  Most children are brought to the dentist for their visit at the age of three

6)  Not only is tooth decay the most common and widespread disease of humankind, it is the oldest. Skulls of pre-historic humans have been examined and tooth decay has been found.

7)  George Washington was the most famous dental patient of Dr. Greenwood. He had several sets of dentures that were made out of ivory. His teeth were not made out of wood!

8)  The average human produces 25,000 quarts of saliva (spit) in a lifetime. That is enough saliva to fill 2 swimming pools!

9)  Over 40% of North Americans have at least one tooth that could benefit from some type of treatment.

10)  Most tooth loss in people under 35 years of age is caused by athletic trauma, fights or accidents. The causes of most tooth loss in people over 35 is periodontal disease.

But remember, you MUST come in for your regularly scheduled cleanings, exams and x-rays in order for the warranty to remain valid.

Dentists are a funny group. Like many other professionals in the medical field, we are constantly trying to eliminate that which keeps us in business. Unfortunately, the incidence of dental caries (cavities) is on the rise, especially in children.

The best advice that I can offer to prevent decay and therefore costly dental work is:

Get a Sonicare Toothbrush!

Many of our patients have tried the Sonicare toothbrush, and upon asking how they like it, I always get the same responses. “I love this thing!”  “My teeth have never felt cleaner!” As well as “Why did I wait so long to get one!” are just a few of the more common things I hear.

Think you can do just as well with a manual toothbrush?  Just have a brief conversation with any one of our hygienists.  They will tell you that they consistently see healthier teeth and gums in patients who are using a Sonicare.

We are so sure that the Sonicare toothbrush will give you better results that we offer them to our patients at our cost.  That’s right- we do not make a profit off the Sonicare or any other product that we sell.  We are more interested in you getting the best products at the lowest prices because we want you to use them.  Perhaps we will be putting ourselves out of business by doing this, but there will definitely be more beautiful smiles around because of it!

P.S.  There is a new Children’s Sonicare toothbrush available.  Each of my kids have one, and they love it!

I didn’t until just a few months ago. Thinking it was just for teenagers, I avoided it for years until too many of my friends and colleagues asked me a similar question.

“Aren’t you on Facebook yet?”

So I finally broke down and started an account. And boy am I glad I did! I have made connections with people that I haven’t talked to in years, and I keep in touch with my family better than ever before.

After seeing how great Facebook really was, I decided to create a Facebook site for Generations Dental Care.

Our Facebook page will be the place to go to find information on special events. Also, look for interesting updates on the people who you have come to know and trust at Generations Dental Care.

Right now, you can check out pictures of our Open House with Bruins Legends Terry O’Reilly and Rick Middleton

I welcome you to check out our Facebook page and click on the “like” button at the top. By doing so, you will have access to specials that won’t be offered to the general public!

Daily brushing and flossing helps to prevent the buildup of food particles, plaque and bacteria in your mouth. Food particles left in the mouth deteriorate and cause bad breath. While certain foods, such as garlic or anchovies, may create temporary bad breath, consistent bad breath may be a sign of gum disease or another dental problem.