DesertSmiles

An increasing number of U.S. children are overweight, but a new study suggests it’s not because they are pigging out on cookies and candy.

Being overweight is linked to a slew of health problems in kids, ranging from type 2 diabietes to sleep apnea to behavioral problems.  But apparently, tooth decay is not one of them.  Overweight children and teens ages 6 through 18 actually had less tooth decay than normal weight kids, according to a study in the April 2008 issue of Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology.  University of Rochester researchers analyzed data from nearly 18,000 kids who participated in a nationwide health and nutrition survey.

The American Dental Association (www.ada.org) has more information about kids’ and teens’ dental health.

For more information about restorative and cosmetic dentistry in the Phoenix and Glendale, Arizona area go to www.DesertSmiles.com.

A case was reported recently by the American Dental Association (www.ada.org) in Ohio where eight crowns were tested by an analytic complany that had been outsourced to a lab in China.  One crown tested positive for lead at 210 parts per million (ppm).  The story also included news of a woman whose bridge tested positive for lead at 160 ppm.

What is the safe limit of lead?  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a level of 40 ppm as the maximum that should be allowed in children’s products.  And apparently, a level of 600 ppm would trigger a federal recall of lead paint.  Yes, that is lead paint that has too much lead.

The American Dental Association has asked the Food and Drug Administration and Center for Disease Control to investigate.  The ADA reported it is estimated up to 15 to 20 percent of prostheses used in the USA originate in foreign labs, although the percent from China is presumably lower.

The ADA has encouraged patients to ask the following questions of their dentists:

1. Do you fashion your own crowns, bridges and other dental materials in the office or purchase them from a dental laboratory?

2. Where is the dental lab located?

3.  Does the lab outsource crowns or bridges to a foreign country?

We use the cerec system to mill all porcelain crowns within the office.  These are purchased from the Ivoclar company and contain no lead.  We also use Microdental Laboratory in Dublin, CA., to make our traditional porcelain veneers (Macveneers).  Our Durathin veneers (no prep alternative to Lumineers) are fabricated by Experience Dental Lab in Provo, Utah.  Neither lab outsources any work to a foreign country.

One of the reason we do not use the Lumineer product is their restorations are fabricated in China.

For more information about restorative and cosmetic dentistry in the Phoenix and Glendale, Arizona areas go to www.desertsmiles.com.

Dr. Wilcox spent two days last week at the Academy of Comprehensive Esthetics in Austin, Texas. This is a group of elite dentists from across the U. S. who specialize their practices in providing the finest in cosmetic dentistry, as we do for patients in Glendale, Phoenix and other sections of Arizona. For more information visit our website www.DesertSmiles.com or call 602-978-1790. Whether you are interested in Lumineers, porcelain veneers and crowns, dental bleaching or other restorative dental procedures you will find valuable information.

Porcelain veneers such as Mac Veneers used in this case can transform a worn smile back to its original youthful appearance. As we strive to provide the best in cosmetic dental restorations to Glendale and Phoenix patients, restoring worn teeth takes years off of one’s smile. We have more examples in our smile gallery at www.DesertSmiles.com of cosmetic dental makeovers of all different conditions. For more information about cosmetic dentistry in Phoenix and Glendale, Arizona, call 602-978-1790 for a complimentary consultation.

This lovely lady had always been self-conscious of her misaligned teeth and was not excited about the prospect of wearing braces and the length of time involved. Porcelain veneers in three weeks gave her the beautiful smile she had always dreamed of. She received instant orthodontics but with prettier teeth than she had naturally. A cosmetic gum lift helped show less gum and a more pleasing smile. As we strive to provide the finest in Glendale and Phoenix cosmetic dentistry, allowing patients to smile freely and receive compliments of how great a smile they have provides great satisfaction. To see more results see our Smile Gallery at www.DesertSmiles.com. If you have questions about cosmetic or restorative dentistry in Glendale, Phoenix, or any part of Arizona call us at 602-978-1790.

December 3, 2007 is now a watershed moment in the history of fluoridation in the United States.  At that moment, California’s largest water agency completed its efforts to fluoridate the water that reaches some 18 million residents in southern California - the single largest expansion of fluoridation in the U. S.

The California Dental Associaiton Foundaton worked with the California Fluoridation Workgroup - a broad coalition of experts and stakeholders - to bring the issue to the MWD board of directors.  They provided scientific, educational and financial support to assist the water agency in approving tnd implmenting the plan.

Nearly one in five adults or more than 40 million Americans say they do not have adequate access to the health care they need because they can’t afford it.  This is according to the Health, United States, 2007 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The report indicates that nearly 20% of adults said they needed but could not afford one or more medical, oral health, prescription medicine, mental health or vision services.

Dental data cited in the report:

Sixty one percent of adults in 2001 had dental coverage compared with 86% of adults with medical insurance.

On average Americans paid out-of-pocket for about half of the costs of their dental care in 2003.

About one-quarter of persons aged 65 and older were edentulous in 2005.

Porcelain veneers, in this case MacVeneers, provided not only a fantastic smile makeover but added strenth to teeth weakened from decay and decalcification. The decreased sensitivity is an added benefit to the change in confidence and self-image for years to come.

As we strive to provide the finest in Phoenix cosmetic dentistry here in our Glendale dental office, results like these happen every week and change the lives of our patients and all of us here at our cosmetic dental office.  See more results in our Smile Gallary at www.DesertSmiles.com.  

This is a recent smile makeover accomplished with the blending of several cosmetic procedures. Not only is it a beautiful result of which the patient is extremely pleased, almost no tooth preparation was required. Two porcelain veneers were placed on the upper arch with the remaining teeth being bonded. The lower arch was restored with a non prep bonded bridge and bonding of the remaining teeth. This case could have been done with all porcelain veneers but the combination of including bonding made it more affordable and fit within the patient’s budget. As we strive to provide the finest in Glendale cosmetic dentistry we always try to find out the patients goals and budget concerns and give the best possible result that fits into these parameters.

According to an artilcle on the website of the American Dental Association www.ADA.org, Norway has acted to discontinue the use of dental amalgam.  The action was part of a sweeping effort to restrict the use of mercury and was done so largely for environmental reasons.  Sweeden evidently may have taken similar action.

At DesertSmiles we discontinued the use of dental amalgam over ten years ago over similar concerns for our patients.  As we strive to provide the finest in Glendale restorative and cosmetic dentistry, we feel composite and porcelain restorations are not only more aesthetic in appearance but are more biocompatible.  With their bonded placement to tooth structure we also feel they add more strength to our patients teeth.