New Guidelines for the prevention of Infective Endocarditis were recently released jointly, by both the American Heart Association and the American Dental Association, which both recommend that fewer patients with heart disease may need to receive Antibiotic Prophylaxis before enduring dental procedures, to prevent a common heart infection, called “Infective Endocarditis (IE)”.

Antibiotic Prophylaxis is described as the prevention of infection using specific antibiotic treatment protocols.

After previous reviews of relevant medical literature, dating backward from 2006 through 1950, U.S. scientific community members have come to the decision that bacteremia resulting from daily activities is far more likely to produce IE, than any bacteremia resulting from a dental procedure.

Based upon these NEW conclusions, it is now recommended that the antibiotic prophylaxis be used as treatment for heart patients with underlying cardiac conditions, that are most associated with the highest risk of adverse outcomes from IE; such as patients with artificial heart valves, patients with a history of Endocarditis, patients with serious congenital heart conditions, or those heart transplant patients who have developed a problem with the heart valve.

For patients who may have received the prophylactic antibiotics routinely, prior to this new guideline, but is recommended that they may no longer undergo this treatment, could include the following:

People with * Mitral Valve Prolapsed, * Rheumatic Heart Disease, * Bicuspid Valve Disease, * Calcified Aortic Stenosis, and * other conditions that are listed in the www.ADA.org

Any patients that decide to stop taking blood thinners, without first consulting their Medical Doctor and their Los Angeles Dentist, should immediately notify the Dentists – prior to performing any dental procedure.

Not discussing all your medications and medical conditions can do much more harm and place you at a much higher risk, for experiencing a medical problem during a dental procedure, than not taking the medication at all.  In fact, in most cases, the patient is at a greater risk for simply stopping the medication, than not telling the Dentist, you are taking certain medications and performing the dental treatment.

MEDICAL ALERT TO REMEMBER:  Notify your Medical Doctor, if you are planning a visit to the Dentist.  Notify the Dentist, of all medications you are taking and don’t stop taking any of your prescribed medications, until either the Dentist, or the Medical Doctor tells you to do so.

While Diabetes is chronicled at affecting more than 23 million Americans, only 18 million Americans actually end up, being diagnosed properly with either Type I, or Type II Diabetes.

More importantly, not many Diabetics with Vision issues are told of the following statistics:

1)      Diabetes is the LEADING CAUSE of LEGAL BLINDNESS for all Type I and II patients, between the ages of 20 and 74 years.

2)      Currently being reported, of the 18 million Diabetics, approximately 28.5% already have some form of diabetic retinopathy.

What is Diabetic Retinopathy?

Diabetic Retinopathy is the most common of all diabetes-related eye diseases, and leads to severe loss of vision, or even complete blindness!

And, of all the Vision Patients, who also happen to be Diabetic – those African American and Latino populations carry the highest risk of eye disease complications, leading to legal blindness, than any other population type.

This startling increase in eye disease complications is so disturbing that it is vital for all Diabetic populations, currently with or without vision problems to become learned in understanding common Diabetic-related Eye Diseases and the symptoms – so that all our vision patients in San Francisco, California will become 1^st responders in self- recognizing specific symptoms, which should be immediately reported to their Eye Doctor, and their Medical Doctor.

For example, CATARACTS, a common vision problem that affects Diabetics has early symptoms which appear as a “cloudy formation” occurring in otherwise normal, clear vision.  If left untreated, this begins to decrease areas of normal vision, over-time becoming more frequent, sometimes requiring laser treatments and eye surgeries to correct, if caught early enough.

Another common eye disease condition, VISION FLUCTUATION occurs whenever the patient’s blood sugar level rise, the eye’s lens absorbs additional sugar and fluids, causing swelling.  The symptoms appear as a lessening in distance vision, that returns to normal vision, as the blood sugar levels are brought under control.  This is a first indicator that you are already experiencing very common eye disease conditions and need to be monitored very closely.

RETINOPATHY – Affects the patient in a quiet, stealthy manner and is hardly detectable.  The only sure way to measure eye pressure (what is going on behind the eye pupil, iris and cornea) is with regular vision appointments; most diabetic patients should be seen every 6 months, if they have problems maintaining great (below 120) blood sugar levels.

Any Diabetic patient that experiences vision loss, or visual decrease of any kind, should immediately make an appointment with a licensed Eye Doctor and begin to keep a Medical Log of all vision-related symptoms.

This is just as important to your health, as recording your blood sugar levels, if you expect to maintain your vision, all throughout your life.  It is evidenced that the longer an individual lives with diabetes, the more likely that individual will develop eye disease complications, secondary to the Diabetes.

Your vision insurance provider, will cover all required exam appointments mandated by your San Francisco, California Optometrists; so, call one of our Eye Doctors and schedule your vision care check-up today.

Today’s Dentistry Practitioners have a variety of NEW dental techniques, and instruments, that work faster and more efficiently to Close those GAPS Between Teeth, especially affecting the Front Tooth Gaps, that so affect every young girl or boy’s appearance and smile.

The truth is that most people don’t exactly enjoy visiting the Dentist for a dental procedure involving braces, needles or shots; so some fabulous dental manufacturers came up with a NEW dental tool called, generically “dental bands”; these bands are similar in usage to rubber bands, however these bands are not made with latex and are completely tasteless, using elastic polymers to more effectively mimic orthodontic braces, that when applied, will efficiently and quickly close the gaps between teeth!

THINK ABOUT IT, these bands are disposable, only used at nights, are easy and simple to apply, re-position and remove each morning, without any of the pain or discomfort of braces, (beyond initially feeling a few days of pressure); what teen-ager over the age of 13 years isn’t going to love this alternative process?

These dental bands are even considered by many Dentists to be a more cost effective choice with most dental insurance providers, (example: Blue Cross/Blue Shield Dental PPO Plans) and work much faster than traditional orthodontic braces.

Widely used in Cosmetic Dentistry offices, since its FDA release, these bands are applied each night (not too closely to the gum-line) and removed in the morning; for closing small gaps (less than 2.7mm) these bands typically take 5 to 20 days; for closing larger gaps (between 2.7 and 3.5mm), these bands typically take 21 to 60 days.  The treatment can be repeated if, in the next 30 days the teeth begin to re-shift, and most of our San Diego Dentists recommend that to

avoid teeth re-shifting, simply continue usage for an additional 30 days – ergo, no need for repeat treatment.

Of course, all other orthodontic issues will still require the use of orthodontic braces, but if the most important issue is a noticeable front tooth gap, this is an easy process to ease a teen-ager into, at the Orthodontist’s office.

Most dental insurance plans, offer some form of coverage, with all licensed San Diego Dentists; so, call one of our Dentists and schedule a dental check-up visit today.

If you happen to be employed to a large Fortune 500 company and living inside the State of California, your Employer may be offering a Benefits Package that contains four or five different insurance providers & their several medical, dental, or vision insurance plans.

Insurance Providers package their individual programs, or what we think of as insurance options, by analyzing the types of employees and their typical coverage needs to predicate what will be the best purchasing decisions different types of employees.

For example, Company XYZ is a large toy production business with 100 employees;

* 45% of the employees earn between 21k & 39k annually, between the ages of 20 & 40 years, families with more than 2 children under the age of 12 years – we can think of this as Group 1 Insurance Buyers;

* then, Company XYZ also has 35% of the employees, or Group 2 Insurance Buyers, who are typically middle managers, or supervisory, earning  between 45k & 65k, with ages ranging 40 to 60 years and families with more than 3 children under ages of 21 years

*Company XYZ has 15% of the employees with jobs in Sales and Commission driven, earning 80K to 100k, with ages between 30 and 55 years and all over the board of singles, divorced, families, etc. makes up Group 3

* Finally Company XYZ has 5% of the employees who are senior leaders and executives within the organization, earning above 150k ages above 60 years and families with more than 4 family members that desire coverage – this is Group 4

Each of the employees within these different Buyer groups, have different criteria they consider important when they make purchasing decisions.  It’s easy to say that it’s all about the money, but that is over-simplifying the buyer’s decision-making interests; individual family members may have unique health needs and each family member is a vital part of the employee’s purchasing decision.  The Insurance Provider knows the implications that health needs can have on an employee’s paycheck, so each Insurance company manages the packaging of unique plans with different coverage options and premiums, using risk analysis to ensure that the company can maintain afloat and provide as much coverage as it can sustain, at the most affordable dollar.

It is up to you, the employee (who is also an Insurance Buyer) to compare, to select, and to keep-up-to-date, your current insurance plans; plus whenever your purchasing decisions change, you need to shop for the most affordable package that also has the perfect amount of

coverage you will need to keep you and/or your family’s teeth in great health – and of course, the same information goes for your medical insurance and your vision insurance!

I happened to be in the market looking for a new dental insurance plan just this past year, when I entered into early retirement with my employer, and without realizing the consequences of early retirement, I ended up losing my employment-based, health, dental and vision insurance coverage.  I was forced to go shopping for new insurance plans; but since I ended up saving money in the long-run, I’m sure glad I took the time to go through the process.

If you are turning 50 years old this year, like me you may want to change, your insurance coverage – not because you are retiring, but maybe because the home situation may be different than 15 years ago.

I was looking for a dental insurance plan, which would provide me with maximum coverage for some dental bridge work that I had not followed up on, (my shameful excuse was that I was too busy taking care of the rest of the family’s dental issues, work, home-life, church duties, dogs,. . .  etc. etc. etc.

I knew that my retirement benefits would enable me to enroll in an optional insurance plan, but it was still up to me to do my homework and compare the coverage, with the unique features of each plan and their monthly premiums, & co-pays I would be financially responsible for.

After reviewing five different insurance providers and more than 38 separate types of dental, and medical + dental plan options, I ended up selecting Aetna Medical Insurance, which also happens to be one of the larger Medical Insurance Providers throughout southern California.

Finding an Insurance Provider with sufficient membership and participating medical locations also ended up becoming a big factor when price comparing, as I felt a provider with a lot of consumers would be able to negotiate bigger discounts– and as it happened, I found a great insurance PPO plan for decent price savings, meeting practically all of my criteria.

I thought trying to compare several different plan options; measuring each cost against each service, against each of my dental needs – would become a huge headache – so I developed a simple 4-point checklist to compare each of the surprisingly many different insurance plans, per insurance provider

One of the attractive features about the Dental Insurance I chose was the varied options I could select without constantly adding additional costs, per featured plan.   When you are on a tight budget, price comparison shopping for good insurance coverage is a must!

Most often our Wisdom Teeth become a PAIN in the Mouth, because they are usually the last teeth we can expect to grow, from inside our gums, upwards till we see four (4) large jaw-teeth we commonly call our third set of MOLARS, found in the very back of the mouth, on both sides of the upper and lower sets of teeth – where there is often little room left for these monsters to fit comfortably, without causing significant pain!

These four molars do not typically decide to get into the teething game, until you are between the ages of 17 and 21 years old.  If your teeth already appear crowded, you are 16 or older, and you are experiencing pain in the jawbone and the teeth are sensitive to touch near the back of the mouth, either on the upper or lower jaw-line, you need to schedule an appointment with your Family Dentist.

If you are living on your own, you need to find a Dentist that has good qualifications, has a good work background near your work or home location and schedule an appointment – there are online dental search services that will schedule your appointment for you, once you select a Dentist that you have reviewed, and a few even offer discounts of up to 50% OFF your first dental visit.

During your initial check-up, your dentist may take an Orthopantomogram X-ray to diagnose whether or not, all or some of the wisdom teeth should be removed.

This type of x-ray gives the dentist a clear view of the area around the wisdom teeth, so that they can determine the type of extraction necessary for one or more of the wisdom teeth.

WHY Should Wisdom Teeth Be Removed?

Not all Wisdom Teeth have to be removed from every person’s mouth; only if one or more of the wisdom teeth have broken the surface of the gum, in a twisted, sideways, or tilted manner.

Some people grow up and never have a single problem with their wisdom teeth.  I was not that lucky, and I had a big mouth!

Every once in a while, one or more of your wisdom teeth may develop an infection from trapped food or plaque; especially if the soon-to-be dental patient has not properly brushed the back teeth in the upper and lower molar areas.

Bacteria can develop fairly quickly and unless you build a habit of brushing your teeth twice daily, molar surfaces can trap particles of food easily.  Once you get a wisdom tooth with tooth decay, it is not long before you may require a root canal.

Sometimes, a person’s bite can change, causing teeth misalignment in the upper and/or lower jaws.  This could cause the molars to come in and change their position, due to the poor alignment of teeth.

Once in a great while, your Dentist may decide to refer you to an Oral Surgeon to remove the wisdom teeth; this would probably happen because the wisdom teeth are going to be quite difficult to extract, due to their current position.

Quite frankly, I prefer it when I get to go to the Oral Surgeon, because I can ask to go to sleep and wake up sore, but at least not be awake through the procedure.

My sister had her wisdom teeth removed just three weeks after me, her dentist performed the removal of all 4 molars and she felt sore afterwards, but not as whiny as me.  I think it’s just because she has a bigger mouth!

Have you ever heard of the term, “Malocclusions”?  Malocclusions are structural bone related problems with the mouth that cause the teeth to be misaligned in one way or another.

In addition to the deformity causing an unattractive appearance for the face & skin, stretched across the facial bone structures, malocclusions can impair your child’s proper chewing functions, bite placement, and make it more difficult to clean the teeth.

As a result, children with malocclusions are more prone to developing cavities and other oral health problems, which require special appliances, dental tools, and numbing treatments for affected patients with tooth decay issues.

There are actually, quite a few of common medical conditions that your child may experience, requiring the need to schedule regular visits with a Dentist; who begins and chronicles a medical/dental history of how your child’s teeth, bite impressions, and jaw grows.

Perhaps you have heard of the medical condition called “Pierre Robin Syndrome”?

This is a type of bone deformity, diagnosed at birth, for babies whose lower jaw-bone is substantially smaller than normal and the tongue has a tendency to flop around or fall backwards in the mouth.

The specific causes for most of these abnormalities may remain unknown and Dentists collectively study trends to keep alert for changing medical practices which can create breakthrough opportunities to better serve these types of patients.

Which is also why every parent should find a Dentist who bonds and understands the medical condition of their child;  a Dentist who cares enough about your child’s deformity will research to understand the complexities of your child’s disease, to know how to better provide treatment for his/her patient.

Even such common conditions such as Asthma can cause Tooth Issues

A Queensland, Australia dental researcher has linked asthma medications to tooth erosion in children.

The medications reduce the production of saliva, which protects the teeth against acids in the diet.

An easy solution that Dentists generally recommend for all their patients is to brush the teeth, regularly after every meal, plus once in the morning and once in the evening; for asthma patients, additional brushings should be added after the use of any inhalers, for added protection against any extra loss of saliva production.

Be sure to counsel with your Medical Doctor, when you are prescribed any medication, just as you do with your Dentist – and you will keep all your medical professionals up-to-date on all your personal medical records.

To treat any cavity, your Los Angeles Dentist can now offer you a wide variety of choices in the latest dental fillings – for use when sealing a tooth that has had the decayed portion removed and the inner chamber of the tooth scrubbed clean.

Choices in Tooth Sealant mixtures, called “Fillings” ranges from silver to gold in metal selections, and onward to natural tooth colored sealant mixtures, called “Composites”.

Dental composites are types of synthetic resins that are used as sticky adhesive substances which harden as it dries and seals the tooth from any access to food or bacteria agents.

Metal based Types of Filling Material

Dental amalgam in SILVER is the most commonly used dental restorative material used for dental fillings.

Silver Amalgam as filling material was first introduced in France in the early 19th century, since it contained a mixture of mercury with at least one other metal, usually silver, but also tin, copper, gold, etc can be used in the dental mixture to effective acts as an adhesive and sealant against bacteria and food, or other particulate contaminants.

Amalgam using Silver as the other metal of choice has been the restorative method for many years due to its low cost, ease of application, strength, durability, and ability to deflect bacteria from settling onto the filling material.

Certain factors lately have led to recent decline in patients selecting silver amalgam as the filling materials, primarily because the dark silver color stands out against the other more natural selections of filling material choices and due to the amount of mercury included in the filling material, there are lingering concerns about detrimental health effects and environmental pollution.

Another popular type of filling material is the Cast Gold Filling material.  Gold has a color preference is certainly more pleasing to the eye of many patients; however it can cost up to 10 times more money than the simple silver amalgam filling material.

The only downside to using cast gold fillings, besides the expense is a medical condition called “Galvanic Shock” which can happen when a Cast Gold Filling exists in a tooth, which is next to a tooth with a Silver Amalgam Filling; there is a sharp stabbing pain, when biting into certain organic or non-organic things.

Natural Looking Resin Materials

Today’s Composite materials are much better bonding materials than those tested and created prior to the year 1990.  Composite materials bond well as an adhesive inside the tooth, are natural looking and hard to tell that dental repair has been completed on the tooth; however they do not last quite as long as the metal types of fillings.

Composite materials range from Ceramics, to Glass, to Porcelain, and each are slightly different in the natural looking effect on the fixed tooth, but they do happen to be substantially more expensive than Silver amalgam materials.

Most dental insurances plans, such as the Delta Dental Traditional Plan, offers a variety of filling selections for dental patients with the following caveat:  whatever extra costs are involved with the preparation and expense of any materials – over the generally accepted costs of silver amalgam preparation, are costs to be borne by the patient.  In effect, the patient pays for the difference in upgrading tooth filling materials from silver amalgam to any other selection.

When you schedule your next visit to your Los Angeles Dentist, be sure to ask him/her about other filling materials available and their additional, if any, cost factors, before you select whether or not to use the silver amalgam, or go for another type of dental filling!

Also, GUM DISEASE – regular dental cleanings are the best preventative measure for keeping the rate of infection down in the gum tissues. Getting an infection that is left un-treated is the leading cause of adult tooth loss.

The best way to prevent dental problems early enough to successfully treat is to schedule and keep regular dentist visits.

In fact, most dental insurance plans, like MetLife Dental, promotes dental cleanings as a method of detecting and fixing minor teeth repairs, before they become major teeth issues, requiring costly procedures to correct.

And most importantly, developing a strong habit through practicing great dental habits are the best way to ensure a dazzling smile.

Finally, keeping your dentist visits and completing regular dental cleanings is the best procedure to remove tobacco, coffee, wine, and tea stains to maintain that dazzling smile!

Prior to performing a Root Canal Procedure, the patient is usually explained to by their favorite San Francisco Dentist, “What is involved in performing a Root Canal Procedure”?

After all, the Root Canal has gotten a bad reputation over the years, primarily due to the fear of the unknown and all good Dentists understand that by spending a few minutes explaining the anatomy of the Root Canal Procedure; they can calm the patient’s fear of the unknown.

In preparation of a Root Canal, the patient is given one (1) or more shots of local anesthesia in the general region where the decayed tooth and the main nerve roots are located. There are typically between 2 to 5 nerves per each tooth’s root and depending upon whether the toot is a molar or an incisor, one shot or four shots of anesthesia may be required to completely numb the area, so that the patient has no feeling, other than pressure when the Dentist touches the tooth with a dental pick instrument.

After the general region is completely numbed; if there is enough of the decayed tooth’s crown (top of the tooth) left – a tiny clamp is placed around the tooth with a small piece of rubber sheeting, which has a small hole cut out in the center for the exposed tooth to be viewed by the Dentist.  This marks the area for the drill to perform its job without causing any filings or particulates from the drill-in-operation, to get all over the other teeth.

A tiny hole is drilled into the top of the numbed tooth, down into the tooth’s inner pulpy chamber, where the individual tooth’s nerves and roots reside.

Once the drill has opened and completed accessed the inner chamber of the infected tooth, extra fine, thin wires, called “Files” are used to scrub the interior of the tooth, until all the infection is gone, the small individual nerves and roots are removed from the tooth and all the inner chambers of the previously infected tooth are now clean and smooth.

All throughout this entire procedure, the tooth is continually rinsed, and cleaned with a diluted bleach solution, which doesn’t harm the patient.

After all of the nerves have been removed from the tooth’s entire root canal system, wherever the empty root canals are, tiny rubber cones are placed inside to give better support to the remaining tooth’s structure.

Finally, a creamy white cement mixture is poured into the tooth’s chambers, until the sticky adhesive begins to dry and harden inside the tooth, making the root canal treatment strong and completely sealed from any further bacteria or particulates getting inside the tooth’s enamel, creating more decay.

Approximately 95% to 99% of all root canal procedures performed in the U.S. are a permanent total success; however, rarely a tooth is simply too infected for the tooth to survive the drilling and cleaning operation.  When this happens, though it is rare, it is called a Root Canal Failure.  See this and other articles to read further about how Root Canal Treatments are performed.

If you happen to be a frequent flyer, taking long flights (longer than 2 hours) and have experienced an illness, starting during in-flight, or within 14 days post flight – then you should read this article to better protect your health, prior to your next trip!

It’s called “Airplane Sickness” and today it is increasing in its frequency and duration of length, becoming a real concern for frequent air travelers, and even for first-time flyers who are considered high-risk for certain contagions.   There are three basic types of Airplane Sickness, which can occur to any and all flyers, at one time or another.

Motion Related, Contagions, or Underlying Medical Illnesses

One, Motion sickness happens as a result on an imbalance to your equilibrium from changing air pressures to inner ear disturbances, which can happen to healthy, normal air travelers, often without warning.

However Motion Sickness doesn’t have to happen – if you take the time to consult with a Medical Doctor prior to your next trip; he/she can provide you with several alternate medicines and techniques to avoid experiencing another bout of motion sickness.

Be sure to check with your insurance provider, like Aetna Health Insurance or CIGNA Health Insurance, to find a great Medical Doctor, while you are traveling, just in case you do get sick!

Number Two, Viral and/or Bacterial contagions which may or may not have incubation periods, then erupt into full-blown medical illnesses, either in-flight or within 14 days post flight; this is where the high-risk group of air travelers needs to be prepared prior to air travel.

For example, anyone who has had any of the following conditions, need to consult with their medical doctor to be better prepared for safe air travel: * Asthma Sufferers, * COPD Sufferers, those with * Chronic Bronchial or other * Upper Respiratory Illnesses, * Ear Infection Sufferers, * Allergy Sufferers, etc.

More Than 2 Billion People Fly Every Year in the U.S.

Did you know that more than two billion people board commercial aircraft every year, and while air travel is relatively safe; the cabin’s air quality may not be as safe as you think?

Before fresh air ever enters the airplane’s cabin; it is warmed and compressed, then passes through a catalytic converter to remove ozone from air, then the air passes through a charcoal filter to remove any organic compounds from the air, then a high efficiency particulate filter removes small particulates from the air – so does anyone notice what’s missing from this process?

What is to stop all airborne viral and bacterial air-borne germs from entering the cabin, when the people enter the cabin?  NOTHING!  The entrance of people into the airplane cabin immediately downgrades the air quality.

Then during in-flight most, commercial aircraft only uses a 50/50 mixture of re-cycled air, with fresh air; so people who are sick or are in the incubation period and are contagious and spreading that contagion in a tightly compressed air-space, filled with more than 150 persons.

This makes it doubly important to take the opportunity to visit your Medical Doctor and get some real resources to use during in-flight to fight off viral or bacterial contagions.

Now, for the third type of airplane sickness anomaly that can often happen during in-flight; DVT or Deep Vein Thromboses, and other underlying medical conditions can become exacerbated during in-flight.

All individuals who have under-lying medical conditions which can become serious medical illnesses in-flight should definitely meet with their Medical Doctors and explain their trip schedule; noticing the physician that if something occurs during flight, they may be contacted for medical support.

It is vital that an individual who has an underlying medical condition immediately notify the flight attendant, should they begin feeling ill.  This way, the in-flight staff can immediately notify ground-support, which has an emergency room doctor on call 24/7 and an emergency medical kit on-board.

The information regarding your medical doctor should be made available to in-flight staff, upon boarding the aircraft; this way if anything does happen and you are not conscious, the in-flight staff have a full medical history just a phone-call away.

Even flyers with allergies need to consult with a medical doctor regarding in-flight prevention procedures to avoid any severe allergic reactions.

Remember, the best protection is prevention – an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so be sure to contact a Medical Doctor prior to taking your next long flight, and maybe you will better enjoy your trip, by not getting sick aboard a crowded aircraft!