With the vigor of the new year long past, the reality of expectations and responsibilities has hit. Most often in the flurry of activity, making time for our health gets lost in the shuffle. Really, who has time when your boss is breathing down your back to get that project done, you need to get to that volunteer meeting, or are finally sitting down to file the taxes you have procrastinated on for the past few months?

In the United States, and other western countries we tend to take a reactive method when it comes to our health. The phrase “if it is not broke, don’t fix it” often comes to mind. When we are feeling great no one takes a minute to think about the doctor’s appointment that was just cancelled or the burger grabbed from the drive-thru. However, it is when we feel that pain we realize we let a small thing out of proportion.

It is so easy to get swept up into our lives and to forget the small things like a check up or even let a small pain go with the hope that it will simply disappear, but when we take that small moment out of our day we can take small step to avoiding that debilitating regret and frustration afterwards. Yes, it is hard to take that hour, but in the end you are making time for you. And, that is the best thing you could do.

Recently The Dr. Oz show ran a program on the increase in thyroid cancer and how the increase in thyroid cancer has increased as we have increased our radiation exposure.

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/increase-thyroid-cancer?page=5#copy

Dental x-rays are radiation exposure. As in all dental recommendations at Cliff Lake Dental Care, Dr. Rauchwarter and his staff look at your individual needs for dental x-rays. We do not use dental x-rays unless we feel that the benefits of taking them for cavity detection, gum disease detection, cyst detection, abscess detection, sinus and jaw joint issues outweigh the risks of not having x-rays. The following is a list of reasons we do take x-rays:

-Show areas of decay that the doctor may not be able to see with just a visual examination, such as areas of decay that might occur between teeth

-Find decay that is developing underneath an existing filling

-Find cracks or other damage in an existing filling

-Detect possible bone loss associated with periodontal (gum) disease

-Reveal problems in the root canal, such as infection or death of the nerve

-Help your doctor plan: partial implants, orthodontic treatments, dentures, or other dental work

-Reveal abnormalities such as cysts, cancer and changes associated with metabolic and systemic diseases (such as Paget’s disease and lymphoma)

-For children, radiographs are used to watch for cavities and to monitor tooth growth and development. The doctor will use periodic X-rays to see whether a space in the mouth to fit all the new teeth, whether primary teeth are being lost quickly enough to allow permanent teeth to erupt properly, whether extra (supernumerary) teeth are developing or whether any teeth are impacted (unable to emerge through the gums). Often, major problems can be prevented by catching small developmental problems early and then making accommodations.

So what are the risks? As Dr. Oz mentioned, increasing our radiation exposure could be leading to an increase in thyroid and other cancers. However, dental x-rays pose very low exposure to radiation in comparison to other types of radiation that we are exposed to everyday. The following chart shows amounts and comparisons of radiation exposure.

The table below compares our estimated exposure to radiation from dental x-ray with other various sources. A millisievert (mSv) is a unit of measure that allows for some comparison between radiation sources that expose the entire body (such as natural background radiation) and those that only expose a portion of the body (such as x-rays).

Source: Adapted from Frederiksen NL. X-Rays: What is the Risk? Texas Dental Journal. 1995;112(2):68-72.

As you can see, dental x-rays expose you to much less radiation than natural sources. Also, at Cliff Lake Dental Care we use digital x-ray technology. Digital dental x-rays have been shown to produce up to 80% less radiation then the traditional type of dental x-rays. We have been using digital x-rays since 2007! Since 2007 he have not been routinely using lead shield aprons during the taking of digital images due to the minimal exposure. Although this type of protection was very important in the old days of high-scatter x-ray machines, today the lead aprons offer more peace of mind than actual protection because stray radiation from modern dental x-ray machines is almost nonexistent. However, we do have lead aprons available if you would like us to use them for you, please ask!

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Toothache

Prevent Toothaches with Regular Checkups at Cliff Lake Dental Care

Sugar causes cavities. Yes, a candy bar or a regular soda is what we at Cliff Lake Dental Care have for years warned would cause cavities. Stay away from sugar if you don’t want cavities is what we have been teaching for years.

How about artificial sweeteners? They must be better, right? Well no. Let us explain.

Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin and sucralose – sold under the brands Splenda, Sweet’N Low, NutraSweet, etc. act like sugar when our saliva breaks them down. These artificial sweeteners breakdown into a sugar alcohol that our bodies and mouth metabolize just like sugar. Therefore cavity formation is just as likely with aspartame and saccharin! Yes that is right they can cause cavities!!

Diet sodas, “sugar-free” gums and other drinks such as Crystal Light are prevalent in our society today, and we must realize that these items can cause cavities just like sugar.

At our dental office, Dr. Rauchwarter and our staff recommend reading labels. There are other sugar substitutes that do not promote cavities. These are sorbitol, xylitol, malitol and mannitol – sold as Stevia or found on labels as sorbitol, xylitol, malitol and mannitol. As of now these seem to be harder to find, but it can be done.

As an example Crystal Light does make a variety that is sweetened with Stevia and a small amount of sugar. It does have 30 calories, but may be a good alterative to soda.

As we are sure you have heard before – everything in moderation! For us at Cliff Lake Dental Care, we know that you will have sugary snacks and artificial sweeteners, but using them in moderation and keeping the frequency of your eating and drinking to a minimum (meaning have your soda or snack all at once, don’t keep snacking all day) will help prevent cavities. Use this tip along with brushing, flossing and regular dental check ups.

Check out the following article for more information on sweeteners http://www.womentowomen.com/healthyweight/splenda.aspx

GIVING OUR PATIENTS SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT

When most people think of dentistry, they naturally think teeth. Technical excellence however, is only a small part of dentistry. When my staff and I think of dentistry, we think people. I am the luckiest dentist in MN to have the team I do. The teamwork of helping each other, contribution of ideas at staff meetings, willingness to go the extra mile for the patient or a coworker are just natural consequences of their dedication to patient first.

So, what is the people side of dentistry?  It’s identifying what is important to each person, meeting each person at their point of need, determining problems and solutions, and delivering treatment comfortably, efficiently and economically. I would like to touch on the people side of dentistry by starting to look at the three biggest factors that keep people from having their best possible dental health and smile.  In order they are …..

1. Fear of the dentist

2. Perceived lack of value

3. Money

1. FEAR OF THE DENTIST.  In order for us to help someone have ultimate dental health and their best possible smile, they have to walk in the front door.  Fear of the dentist is usually not fear of the doctor, but rather fear of pain, fear of the unknown, fear associated with previous bad experience, fear due to lack of control, or fear of embarrassment due to previous neglect.

FEAR OF PAIN – A local anesthetic will take care of any pain during procedures and we at Cliff Lake Dental are constantly complimented on how we administer it.  What we have found is that some new patients will request an anesthetic and once they experience our novocaine administration technique and our pleasant staff, they no longer request it.  Cleanings are done with care and compassion. For those who prefer a distraction from the noise of dental instruments we offer movies with headphones, stereo headsets and amusing conversation.

FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN- What is going to happen to me and how much is it going to cost?  Our ideal situation is for a new patient to come to us on a non-emergency basis.  This allows us to do a comprehensive exam to determine the person’s needs and desires.  In this case, we do our work, present the facts; discuss the options and present estimated costs.  In this way, the patient is ideally informed and has lots of opportunity for questions, dispelling fear of the unknown.  In an emergency or problem focused situation, we do the same things, however without the benefit of the big picture of what that person needs for optimum health and appearance.

FEAR ASSOCIATED WITH PREVIOUS BAD EXPERIENCE- Because we all have different temperaments, different needs and desires, and different past experiences, each person comes with unique expectations and concerns.  Our comprehensive exam patients are interviewed to help us discover their expectations and concerns. These things are then addressed in a caring way.  We find that as people have good experiences with us, a lot of their fear associated with previous experiences tends to melt away.

FEAR DUE TO LACK OF CONTROL- Many people perceive dentistry as something being done to them.  We see ourselves as your vehicle toward health and a better smile.  We don’t do things to you, we do things FOR you and you choose what we do for you.  When someone initially comes into our office, they are hiring us to evaluate and give a recommendation.  Choices are given where there are choices available.  If you agree with the recommendation, we do the technical dentistry for you.  You determine the pace of treatment and the amount of treatment.  If you want something different from my recommendation, as long as it is a reasonable choice, I’ll do it your way.

FEAR OF EMBARRASSMENT DUE TO PREVIOUS NEGLECT – It kills me that people feel guilty about previous neglect.  Worse yet is if you have been shamed by some dental professional.  Now, not only is your mouth (in your mind) “BAD”, but now you feel bad too.  During our exams we are objective in our findings. How we handle the objective findings can be different for different people.  Our rule is to meet the person at their point of need.  Our job is to help you achieve the best possible health and appearance that you want, regardless of where we start. We work to find out where you are and help you the best we can.

1. PERCIEVED LACK OF VALUE. The second factor that keeps people from having their best dental health and appearance is that it is not important to them. About the only thing I can do on this issue of value, is challenge my patients to say something good about what dentistry has to offer to someone you know who is not currently getting the care they need.  New patients are welcome at Cliff Lake Dental Care.

3. MONEY. The third factor that keeps people from having their best dental health and appearance is money.  We realize that not everyone can afford to do all treatments in a short amount of time. Consequently, we have a few options available for financing your dental treatments.

1. CARE CREDIT – a line of credit that you qualify for that spreads payments over 6 to 12 months interest free.
2. PERSONAL CREDIT CARD – we do not encourage large credit card debt.  Some people use it as a convenience for short term financing.
3. PHASED TREATMENT – do treatment in phases over time.