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From the 2008 Newsletter:
Sleep Apnea
SLEEP APNEA...17% population suffers from sleep apnea. The American Academy
of Sleep Medicine guidelines ranks oral appliance treatment equal to CPAP
machines in both mild and moderate sleep apnea. The guidelines also rank oral
appliances as the first choice in severe apnea if the patient cannot tolerate
the CPAP machine....
...we will make an O2/Oasys orthotic (dental appliance) for you if needed. This
is the only FDA approved breathing and apnea treatment oral devise on the
market. It is custom made for each patient.
...remember ALWAYS; try an oral appliance BEFORE surgery in severe apnea if the
CPAP is not tolerated. Oral appliances can be taken out. Surgery is forever.
FYI:
The AHI (Apnea/Hypopnea Index) is as follows:
AHI of 0-5=normal
AHI of 5-15= mild sleep apnea
AHI of 15-30= moderate sleep apnea
AHI of 30 or more=severe sleep apnea.
KNOW YOUR SCORE WHEN YOU HAVE A SLEEP STUDY...make choices from there.
From the October, 2002
Newsletter: Laser Dentistry is Here!
GREAT NEWS! Laser Dentistry is HERE! ...
I now have a laser to use in dentistry. The Biolase can be used on both hard
(tooth, bone) and soft (gums, cheeks) tissue.
What this means for you: ...
The laser makes the tooth, bone, gums, and oral tissue numb as it goes, so
for most procedures (even gum surgery) there is no need for injections.
The laser will cut tooth structure with no vibration and only a small sound
(like a soft popcorn popper).
The laser can sterilize a gum pocket in seconds.
A crown lengthening procedure can be done on the same day a crown preparation
and impressions are done. (No more 6-8 week waiting, no sutures, no bleeding, no
gum packs.)
No more cold sores; the laser will take the pain away. Healing is reduced to
3-4 days without pain AND a cold sore will never appear again in that spot!
Welcome to the 21st century.
FYI: There are only 25 Biolase
lasers in Massachusetts, 44 in New England (801 in the USA and about 1000
worldwise).
It is my pleasure to offer this new, state of the art, technology to you.
From the
Fall '98 Newsletter: Do You Know Your Cholesterol Levels?
If you worry about cholesterol levels, you should also worry about
periodontal disease.
Several longitudinal studies (studies of the same people over a long period
of time, 20 to 50 years in these cases) have shown that the presence of
periodontal disease is as good an indicator of heart disease and stroke as are
cholesterol levels! The exact mechanisms are yet to be understood. The new
theories are very similar to what happened in dentistry 25 years ago.
Twenty-five years ago in dentistry there was a theory that said that calculus
caused periodontal disease and bone loss. Then researchers like Dr. Keyes and
Dr. Loe found that it was bacteria that invaded the gum tissue and caused the
problem. As the bacteria died, the bacteria turned into calculus. For about ten
years there was a non-specific bacterial plaque theory and now there is the
specific plaque theory... as we know the names of the bacteria that cause
periodontal disease.
Bacteria cause periodontal disease, bacteria cause decay, and
bacteria cause most stomach ulcers. Now, bacteria are being implicated in
cardiovascular disease.
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