Before 2007 if you had decay, dentists and hygienists were limited in what they could offer to prevent tooth decay: improve your cleaning skills – Brush, Floss, Rinse, Fluoride, etc.

Landmark research, published in 2007 (Journal, CDA, October, November) marked a turning point in fighting tooth decay. No longer must we solely focus on one’s cleaning skills to predict effectiveness in battling caries. Today, in less than one minute, our office can perform a remarkably simple test that will determine caries risk by assessing the type of bacteria on your teeth. Since we know that specific bacteria cause tooth decay, if you have a high proportion of these bacteria, there is a higher risk of decay. Fortunately, we can change the “bad” bacteria and reduce caries risk.

Schedule an evaluation visit, or ask Dr. Nelson at your next appointment about how you can progress towards a healthier smile!

Children have their own language. So do dentists! Wiggle and sun shine, sleepy juice, Mr. Slurpee, Mr. Bumpy, wind, water, and many more. So why is a special language important? And what does it mean to have a tooth wiggled and have the sun shine? Well, read on…

Pain is the main motivator for many people visiting the dentist. No one wants to hurt, and everyone wants to feel better; fear is a close second, but pain typically tops the list. And pain is not simple.

When a child THINKS he is going to have pain, going to the dentist to treat a tooth becomes difficult; especially when the tooth is going to need an EXTRACTION! And you know what happens when a tooth needs an extraction? A SHOT! Add that all up and what you get is pain, pain, pain!

Connotation is how a word is perceived or how someone feels when a word is used. Although the term “extraction” is not too scary when used in casual conversations, the word can cause stress and fear when used to describe a dental procedure. The same goes for the word “shot.”

To combat the connotation attached to these scary words, dentistry uses terms like wiggle and sun shine to describe an extraction, and sleepy juice for an injection. Parents can use the same terms as well to make children feel more at ease with the dentist. After all, Mr. Slurpee (the suction), and Mr. Bumpy (a slow speed handpiece) are great people, and with the help of wind and water (air / water syringe) every dental visit should begin and end with a smile!

Erupting with a slowly moving and ever progressing momentum, at around age six, the first molars emerge. Usually, a dull tooth pain is the first sign of what is to come. Later, a bulge of the gums, and finally the point of a tooth proclaims its presence.

With the new “six year molars” comes new responsibility. Yet, at six years old, a child may have adult teeth, but is still very much a child.

So when does a child become able to care for his or her own teeth? Well, as you might expect, the answer is complicated!

Most parents share a common goal: the desire to keep their kid’s teeth free of decay. But asking a child, even a teenager, to “Go brush your teeth!” may not be enough. Children lack the manual dexterity (fine motor skills) to clean teeth. In other words, mom can not just instruct the kids to brush unsupervised. Rather, mom needs to play a more active role in the cleaning process. And for many children that “more active role” means mom will need to sit down and physically brush her child’s teeth. The same logic applies to flossing. Children don’t have the ability to floss properly until rather late in life. It is the responsibility of the parents to make sure flossing happens properly.

So back to the question, when does a child become able to care for his or her own teeth?

The answer is simple! Check with your child’s dentist. Take your child in and have the dentist perform an examination to see how things are going. Your doctor will help you decide what kind of supervision is best. Hopefully, everything will look great, and the exam will be a wonderful opportunity to hang out with the dentist. And if you are lucky, maybe he will even juggle for you!

Dental floss. Whoever invented it is both a genius and a common frustration.

Although there are many ways to clean between teeth, floss is the most common tool promoted by dentists. Yet, how many people actually floss every day?

In college at UC Davis, I spent one year in the dorms, as most freshman do. The guys and girls each had separate common bathrooms in my dormitory. As a result, I got to see first hand the oral hygiene habits of many male college guys, and one thing was obvious: male college freshman don’t floss. To be more specific, I never ever observed one of my classmates flossing in the bathroom. Tooth brushing, yes; flossing, no. Yuck!

I guess I shouldn’t complain. As a profession, dentists are kept in business by this behavior. Typically, a person who does not floss will develop cavities between his teeth by the time he is a teenager. At that time, a dentist will place a few fillings, then the young adult is typically ok for a few more years. By the time he makes it to college, he’s already had six or seven fillings, and is well on his way to a mouth full of fillings. Unfortunately, our culture views this as normal. “I just have soft teeth.” Or more commonly, “My parents have dentures, so I will too.”

And yet, it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, if a person begins flossing on a daily basis (yes every day), that person will likely never develop a new cavity… ever! Sure, he or she may need to have old fillings replaced, but no new cavities are going to develop.

If you need more convincing, let’s look at the benefit of flossing from a financial perspective. One or two fillings every year for ten years might add up to a down payment on a new car!

And how about little kids? Do they need to floss, too? The answer is simple: yes! If your child has teeth that are touching, those teeth need to be flossed. But here’s the tricky part: kids, even older kids, may have difficulty flossing on their own. So as a parent, you may need to help your child clean his or her teeth with floss for several years, or longer.

So in conclusion, floss!

It is a common misconception that children don’t like dentists. The truth is that kids love dentists! Don’t believe me?

Dentists are a lot like police officers. No one wants to be in a police officer’s chair. Whenever you see a cop, someone is in trouble. And unless you really need an officer, you’re pretty happy to keep your distance.

So how can we expect children to like dentists when going to a dental visit might as well be a trip to the county jail? Well, the secret is rather simple… Make it fun! As you know, kids like to have fun; and when a dental visit becomes, say, a trip to the “space man’s chair” where a drill is “Mr. Whistler” and loose baby teeth are given “sunshine” not EXTRACTED how can the trip NOT be fun?

Entertainment helps, too. Music players, games, books, you name it, it helps. Distraction, distraction, distraction! Whether it’s supplied by your dentist… I mean, your “space captain” … or whether you bring the distraction device yourself, everything helps.

Finally, let’s not forget the power of suggestion! How a parent talks to her child about dentistry does more to influence a his behavior than anything! Never say pain, shot, hurt, cut, yank, or extract. And the worst of them all: “if you’re bad, the dentist is going to give you a shot!” Really?

It also helps if your dentist acts silly, rides a unicycle, and happily juggles knives, pins, and plungers! Because in the end, kids like fun. Keepin’ it fun will keep your child smiling for years!

Imagine a world free of tooth pain. No cavities, no fillings, no crowns, no root canals; just big beautiful beaming smiles! Around the world, productivity would improve, as people in pain would feel well. Children would smile from ear-to-ear, staying in school more days a year, sharing their pearly-whites for all those near. And visits to the dentist would be positive, and playful; never a needle to be found! Sugar bugs would be frustrated indeed.

They grow with a force nearly unimaginable. Starting as a collection or club, they settle and expand. Small town, to city, city to metropolis, metropolis to urban agglomeration, and beyond. And yet, smaller than the head of a pin, sugar bugs influence our lives more than is imaginable.

Xylitol sugar may be the solution.

Yes, sugar may be the solution! Xylitol is a non-cariogenic sugar alcohol. Like sorbitol and manitol, xylitol is advertised as a “sugar-free” sweetener. Similarly, xylitol is naturally occurring and can be found in the fibers of many things, including birch, berries, and even corn.

Yikes! But fear not, because how it works is simple: sugar bugs get frustrated; really, really frustrated. You see, sugar bugs like eating sugar, and they can not eat xylitol! In fact, they get so frustrated they starve and start to die. Meanwhile the good bugs start to take over!

And that’s not all. If consumed in the correct quantities (5 to 10 grams a day), xylitol can even change family life. Infants, for example, acquire their bacteria from caregivers and parents through kissing, sharing food, and normal hand-to-mouth behavior. So, if mom has developed good bugs from consuming xylitol sugar, her children are more likely to also have healthier bacteria. And we all know kissing transmits lots of bacteria so the same logic can be applied.

So where can one find xylitol products?

As time goes by more and more commercially available items will contain the good sugar. Today, finding a xylitol product can be tricky because the sugar costs more than other ingredients; however, several do exist: “Ice-Breaker’s Ice-Cubes” gum and “Tic Tac CHILL” mints. One can even purchase the sugar in granular form for use as a sweetener for coffee or tea, and some people even substitute xylitol for sugar in baked goods.

Someday the reality may be realized. A world free of tooth pain; people sharing beautiful beaming smiles, productivity improving, and positive dental visits! All the while, frustrated sugar bugs bow down to the awesome power of a small yet powerful sugar-alcohol: xylitol.

Take a short drive 7 miles west of Mt. Shasta’s Lake Siskiyou to Castle Lake.

We are blessed to live in a wonderland that has vistas around every corner. Summer or winter, step for step, the views at Castle Lake are breathtaking. Every winter the road above Lake Siskiyou is kept clear and is plowed after every storm. When you have an afternoon free, hop in the car, grab your camera, and head for Castle Lake.

Some will just walk to the lake’s edge for the view and photo opportunity. I like snowshoes because they allow you to explore. Rent them in Redding or at Mt. Shasta’s Fifth Season. Snowshoes will allow those wanting a flat trip to hike out and visit with ice fishermen on the frozen lake. More adventurous souls may venture above Castle Lake to Heart Lake, via the trail on the south side of the lake. Heart Lake, nestled in the high bluffs above Castle Lake will reward you with unbelievable panoramic views of Mt. Shasta.

A camera is a must! Enjoy your afternoon and as you leave, I’m sure you will be planning your return trip. Castle Lake is a destination worth visiting in EVERY season.

Carpe Diem and remember. . .Share Your Smile!

Photo by Chris Nelson

Today begins my adventure into the world of BLOGGING!
What to say, where to begin? How about my favorite subject, your smile and this brings us to the ultimate question: Can you have an Ultra-Bright Smile without the Ultra-Cost? Absolutely! There are a number of dental teeth whitening techniques.

Everyone wants a bright smile. Dentistry has seen the explosion of Cosmetics and Cosmetic Dentistry has become the focus of many practices after the success of programs like “Extreme Makeover”.

Do you need Veneers and Crowns or Cosmetic Bonding to have a bright smile? Not always, and before you EVER choose to whiten your smile with restorations, whiten them the easy way, with the best, easiest, most effective tool at your fingertips, your electric toothbrush and Ultrabrite Toothpaste!

What toothpaste do I recommend? It depends on what the goal is. If your looking for the whitest teeth, you have to have control of the coffee and tea stains. What is the best for these stains? According to Consumer Reports, (July 2006) the best toothpaste for removing stain and maintaining a bright smile is Ultrabrite, manufactured by Colgate.

Pair Ultrabrite with an electric toothbrush and you will be amazed at the teeth whitening change you will see. Want to know the best kitchen knife? Ask a chef. What toothpaste do I, personally, use? Ultrabrite is what I use to brighten my SMILE. It works, it is half the cost of most other pastes, and as you can see in this photo, it will help you tackle those tough stains.

“I didn’t know you could do that!”

New patients are sometimes surprised at the broad variety of services we provide, which range from simple aesthetics (like ZOOM whitening) to the best options in cosmetic dentistry available today, such as porcelain inlays and complex restorations like dental implants. But whatever your age and whether you’re looking for a makeover or are just making up for lost time, advances in modern dentistry now mean that beautiful, healthy smiles – dream smiles – are available to everyone, regardless of age or income bracket. Even time isn’t an issue anymore. Amazing results are often achieved in just one or two visits!

Take a look at the dream smiles we’ve featured on our site to see what we can do for you.

A new bridge was all it took for this patient to have the smile he always wanted. A big smile gives the confidence to say “Hello, glad to meet you!”

Not only that, a great smile provides comfort and confidence in all aspects of your life.