Thursday, May 26, 2016

‘Smart Toothbrush’ Wins Reality Show

            In the past ten years there have been some incredible advancements in technology. These changes have completely revolutionized the way we live our day to day lives. Fitness trackers help us work out more efficiently and nutrition apps help us eat better. So why not use a toothbrush that will help us take better care of our teeth? Someone with that idea just won a contest on a reality show for creating their ‘smart toothbrush,’ called Grush Brush.
            So what does Grush Brush do? The brush aims to better address the problem of tooth decay by encouraging kids to more effectively brush their teeth. It also provides data to the parents and the dentist on the brushing habits of each kid. This allows us to identify where the deficiencies are and develop a plan to improve their oral health. As you can imagine, most kids and teenagers give a version of the truth when it comes to their brushing habits. Having actual data can really help in their long term dental health.
            The developer of the Grush Brush is a pediatric dentist. This gives them an intimate knowledge of the normal habits of children and teenagers. So it has been developed specifically to help in that area. But as we all know, even adults can be less than perfect when it comes to their dental homecare. I hope that this can be used as a starting point to develop similar technology to address the issues that adults face. Different medications and medical treatments can dramatically affect your oral health. And having the technology to better address your individual needs can bring long term physical and financial benefits.
            We are really excited that these dental advancements are being covered in the media. And hopefully more and more people will use this technology and benefit from it.

For more information, visit www.dentistwestchester.com.

Lee T. Brown, DDS

Brown and Kupper, DDS Inc.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Does grinding your teeth contribute to fatigue?

            There are many people that wake up feeling tired no matter when they went to bed. Many people clench and grind their teeth at night (whether they know it or not). We used to think that these were two separate issues that should be treated differently. But recent research has shown that these two may be connected.
            During our exams, we routinely check for different signs of wear on the teeth. Sometimes it is easy to detect on visual examination and other times we check the progression using photographs. If we find you are grinding your teeth (bruxism), we would traditionally recommend a night guard to protect your teeth and jaw joint. But what is causing you to grind the teeth? Does it stem from brain function or does it result from you trying to open your airway to breathe better?
            When someone is constantly plagued by fatigue, we discuss the possibility of sleep apnea. You are referred to your doctor or sleep specialist and they perform a sleep study to determine if you suffer from sleep apnea. If a sleep apnea diagnosis is confirmed, recommendations are made that range from using a CPAP to weight management.
            Newer studies are showing that treating sleep apnea has helped treat teeth grinding. This gives us a new outlook on treating bruxism. We need to look at the possibility that these two conditions are related. And by treating your sleep apnea you can actually treat bruxism. This doesn’t work in every case, but it is an exciting development because dentists can potentially help identify cases or sleep apnea. I am not suggesting we are the ones to treat the apnea first, but since you typically see the dentist every 6 months we may be able to identify some issues in their earlier stages.

For more information, visit www.dentistwestchester.com.

Lee T. Brown, DDS

Brown and Kupper, DDS Inc. 

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

New E-Cigarette rules and how do they affect oral health?

            The FDA recently announced that it will regulate electronic cigarettes and their sales in a way that is similar to other tobacco products. USA Today reported this past week that the “FDA would have to approve all tobacco products not currently regulated that hit stores after February 2007.” Even though it has taken the FDA a little longer to get involved, it is important that everyone be aware of the potential risks (known and unknown) of electronic cigarettes.
            Many people assume that because e-cigarettes do not smell as strongly as traditional cigarettes, they are much healthier. The FDA is now requiring that all of the ingredients are reported and listed as harmful or potentially harmful if their long term affects are unknown. There is definitely some debate among experts on the harmful affects of e-cigarettes. But until we know more about the long term ramifications, many physicians will likely warn about their harmful potential.
            We know from years of clinical research that smoking or smokeless tobacco can negatively affect the health of your gums and contribute to irreversible gum disease. We also know that they increase your risk of oral cancer. However, we don’t know as much about how electronic cigarettes can or will affect your teeth or oral cavity. But I would definitely recommend reducing or eliminating your use of electronic cigarettes until more research is finalized. This is the same advice we would give to anyone using more traditional tobacco products.
            Finally, there is a debate to whether the e-cigarette can be an effective tool to help with smoking cessation. This may be true, but there is also an argument that these devices can be a gateway to the traditional tar-laden and chemical filled cigarettes. Is it possible both sides are correct? I’m sure we will learn more as time goes on.

For more information, visit www.dentistwestchester.com.

Lee T. Brown, DDS

Brown and Kupper, DDS Inc.

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Tobacco Use Among Teenagers:

            Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in America and usually begins during the adolescent years. During this time it is important to discuss some of the dangers of tobacco to make sure they don’t begin smoking cigarettes or other tobacco related products.

What is the prevalence of use?
            It is estimated that almost 25% of high school students and 8% of middle school students have tried some type of tobacco. The products they have used include cigarettes, e-cigarettes, hookahs, and smokeless tobacco. Even though the use of traditional cigarettes has declined among U.S. adolescents, the use of e-cigarettes and hookah has increase according to the CDC.

What factors increase the risk of tobacco use?
·        Studies have shown that teens are more likely to use tobacco products if they have parents, siblings or friends using tobacco.
·        Easy access to tobacco products.
·        They watch movies or shows that feature prominent characters smoking.
·        They are exposed to tobacco advertisements.
·        Advent of e-cigarettes and flavored products appeal to a younger demographic.

How is tobacco use harmful?
·        Increases the risk of asthma, cancer, heart disease, and respiratory disease.
·        Higher risk of oral conditions:
o       Gum disease, bad breath (halitosis), stained or darkened teeth, or even tooth loss.
·        It increases the risk of oral cancer, which is the 6th most common form of cancer. Over a half million people are estimated to have oral and oropharyngeal cancer each year. Approximately 150,000 are expected to die each year from this type of cancer.

Tip for talking to teens about the harms for tobacco use:
·        Try to create an environment in which you can talk openly.
·        Explain how tobacco products can be harmful to overall and oral health.
·        Talk about a plan that could help them say no to peer pressure.
·        It is also important to establish rules so your teens understand tobacco use will not be tolerated, and follow those rules.
·        Important for adults to avoid using tobacco to help set a positive example.
·        The only bad way to talk to your kids about tobacco is to not talk about it at all.


For more information, visit www.dentistwestchester.com