Day: June 19, 2013

Dentist Buckhead: Sleep Apnea Treatment

by Drs. Novy and ZoAnna Bock and Hanna Orland, posted in Cosmetic Dentistry, Dentist, health, Oral health, Uncategorized

sleep apneaSleep apnea is a disorder characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing or instances of abnormally low breathing, during sleep. If you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, you know it’s more than your sleep that is affected by your snoring.

Disruptions in sleep can be caused by a variety of issues, from teeth grinding (bruxism) to night terrors. When a person suffers from difficulty in sleeping with no obvious cause, it is referred to as insomnia.[1]  Additional health issues may also include:

 

  • Heart problems
  • Strokes
  • High blood pressure
  • Diabetes

 

While you sleep, your throat relaxes. This relaxation allows the tongue and soft palate to collapse and block your airway. Eventually, your airflow stops. When your oxygen level drops, your brain moves out of deep sleep and signals you to wake up. The airway contracts, opens and the obstruction in your throat clears. Airflow starts again, usually with a loud gasp. You fall back into a deep sleep and the process starts all over again.

It’s the combination of low oxygen levels and interrupted sleep that is the major contributor to most of the problems associated with sleep apnea.  Estimates are if left untreated sleep apnea can shorten the average life span by 5 to 10 years.

Treatments for sleep disorders generally can be grouped into four categories:

 

  • behavioral/ psychotherapeutic treatments
  • rehabilitation/management
  • medications
  • other somatic treatments

 

Many people who suffer from sleep apnea will be told to wear a CPAP (continuing positive airway pressure) machine, designed to create a continuum of positive airway pressure while you sleep. Unfortunately, the CPAP mask is uncomfortable which often results in discontinued use.

SO, WHAT’S THE ALTERNATIVE?

To help those with sleep apnea we recommend a snore appliance (oral appliance therapy). The oral appliance is a custom-made mouthpiece that shifts the lower jaw forward, opening up the airway. OAT is usually successful in patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea.[2]   Professionally fitted, it prevents the tongue, soft palate and the jaw from blocking your airway while you sleep, thus reducing snoring and the dangerous effects of sleep apnea.

If you or someone you know is having issues with snoring and most likely sleep apnea please make an appointment with our office for help.  We’ve been successfully helping patients for years.

 

Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC

290 Carpenter Drive, 200A

Atlanta (Sandy Springs), GA 30328

404-256-3620

info@rightsmilecenter.com

www.rightsmilecenter.com

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[1] Hirshkowitz, Max (2004). “Chapter 10, Neuropsychiatric Aspects of Sleep and Sleep Disorders (pp 315-340)”. In Stuart C. Yudofsky and Robert E. Hales, editors (Google Books preview includes entire chapter 10). Essentials of neuropsychiatry and clinical neurosciences (4 ed.). Arlington, Virginia, USA: American Psychiatric Publishing. Retrieved 2009-12-06. “…insomnia is a symptom. It is neither a disease nor a specific condition. (from p. 322)”

[2] Machado MA, Juliano L, Taga M, de Carvalho LB, do Prado LB, do Prado GF (December 2007). “Titratable mandibular repositioner appliances for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: are they an option?”. Sleep & Breathing 11 (4): 225–31.

Dentist Buckhead: FDA moves to Deter Smoking

by Drs. Novy and ZoAnna Bock and Hanna Orland, posted in Cosmetic Dentistry, Dentist, health, Oral health, Uncategorized

Michael_Douglas_The rate of smoking in America has been cut roughly in half, to about 19 percent, from 42 percent in 1965.  Yet smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death, killing 443,000 Americans a year, according to the CDC located here in Atlanta, GA.  According to the government, an estimated 4,000 youths try their first cigarette every day, and 1,000 a day become regular smokers.

Most likely emboldened by a case the government won last year in a federal court in Kentucky on its overall ability to require larger warning labels with images, Federal health officials released on Tuesday their final selection of nine graphic warning labels to cover the top half of cigarette packages beginning next year, over the opposition of tobacco manufacturers.

The government won and the specific images released Tuesday are likely to stir further legal action.  The Kentucky case is before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, R.J. Reynolds, Lorillard and Commonwealth Brands, the second, third and fourth largest United States cigarette makers, said in a submission to the F.D.A., the “nonfactual and controversial images” were “intended to elicit loathing, disgust and repulsion” about a legal product.

Unfortunately what the tobacco industry fails to understand is this is a critical moment for the United States to move forward in attempting to utilize enhanced efforts in this area according to the F.D.A. commissioner, Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg. As much as seven years ago smoking leveled off at about the 20 percent level of adult and youth in this country and we need to step up our action to eliminate smoking all together.

According to the CDC, approximately 75% of all oral cavity and pharyngeal cancers—mouth, tongue, lips, throat, nose, and larynx— can be attributed to the use of tobacco related products.  Those who choose to use cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco, or snuff, place themselves at a much higher risk of developing oral cancer and other diseases, such as heart disease, emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

The U.S. Surgeon General agrees that oral health is a strong indicator of one’s overall health and well-being (CDC, 2006).  Often, diseases give their first warning signs in the form of a patient’s oral problems.  Without consistent care and monitoring, several oral health problems can result.  Immediate risks include gingivitis, cavities, tooth decay, and other gum diseases which can eventually result in various types oral cancer.  There is a “silent epidemic” (U.S. Surgeon General) that can be avoided by regular treatment at home and dental visits at least twice each year.  While practicing good oral hygiene at home is vital to your health, there is only so much that personal oral maintenance can do.  A normal person can easily overlook conditions that could greatly complicate or even end one’s life.  Thus, visiting your dentist for regular checkups is vital to a healthier smile.

“Routine dental exams uncover problems that can be easily treated in the early stages, when damage is minimal” (American Dental Association [ADA], 2008).  Now that it is known that gum disease can be a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and certain forms of cancer, regular visits to your dentist can help prevent and treat this disease.  By treating conditions early and learning from your dentist how to prevent oral diseases, you can achieve better health and ultimately better quality years of life.

Your dental care is an important aspect of your general health care.  So you need to make sure you find a dentist that is right for you and your family. This can be a difficult process.  Look for someone who’s competent and you feel comfortable with, one you can have a collaborative relationship with. This is important because there are conditions and problems that were not discussed in this article that the dentist will need to pay attention to during your regular checkups. Hopefully after reading this article, you will have a heightened understanding of the basic need for good oral health.  If you have additional questions or concerns feel free to contact us.

Dr. Scheinfeld is an Emory University School of Dentistry trained prosthodontist treating patients in the Sandy Springs, East Cobb, Dunwoody, Roswell, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Vinings and Buckhead areas of Metro Atlanta.  Of the 170,000 dentists in the U.S., less than 2% are prosthodontist.

Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC

290 Carpenter Drive, 200A

Atlanta (Sandy Springs), GA 30328

404-256-3620

info@rightsmilecenter.com

www.rightsmilecenter.com

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Dentist Buckhead: Don’t Take Chances with Chipped Teeth

by Drs. Novy and ZoAnna Bock and Hanna Orland, posted in Cosmetic Dentistry, Dentist, health, Oral health, Uncategorized

chipped toothIn the movies, a simple pratfall usually gets a big laugh, and a resulting chipped tooth can have the audience rolling in the aisles.  But in real life, a chipped tooth due to trauma is no laughing matter.  Besides possible pain and damage, a chipped tooth can cause a lot of embarrassment.

If you have a chipped tooth, you’re not alone!  In fact, chipped teeth are the most common dental injury today.  While a chipped tooth can range in terms of size and damage, any type of dental trauma deserves immediate attention.  Although a small chip will most likely not cause pain, you should contact a dentist to make sure there is no other damage to the tooth’s structure.  A dentist will be able to rule out accompanying cracks or internal dental problems when examining your chipped tooth.

More significant damage should definitely not be ignored!  A broken tooth may result in an exposed nerve, which can cause a great deal of pain. A completely knocked-out tooth can actually be saved if you act quickly.  Regardless of your dental emergency, contact your dentist right away.

If we can be of service, please do not hesitate to contact our office.  We offer complimentary consultations all our patients, new and old.  We serve Metro Atlanta, including Sandy Springs East Cobb, Buckhead, Roswell, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Dunwoody, Vinings, Acworth, Woodstock and Smyrna.

Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC.

290 Carpenter Drive, 200A

Atlanta (Sandy Springs), GA 30328

404-256-3620

info@rightsmilecenter.com

www.rightsmilecenter.com

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