There has been growing scientific evidence that poor oral hygiene boosts the risks of heart attacks and strokes. New studies link bacteria and bacterial infections as independent risk factors for heart disease.

How does this happen? If you have gum disease (and 90% of the population has some form of it), an open blood vessel from bleeding gums will give bacteria a portal to gain entry to your bloodstream. Once inside the bloodstream, certain bacteria stick onto cells called platelets, causing them to clot and decreasing blood flow to the heart.

So, while smoking, obesity and high cholesterol are the most common causes of heart disease, the importance of oral hygiene as a risk factor for heart disease cannot be overlooked.

We suggest that if you are concerned about your general health, then it is imperative to have superlative oral hygiene. This includes brushing, flossing and using a waterpik. The spray from the waterpik used with an appropriate antibacterial agent will oxidize a lot of the harmful bacteria that reside in the gums. There are up to 700 different bacteria in the human mouth. Poor oral hygiene will cause these germs to flourish.

Also, many people would benefit from more frequent dental cleanings. Many of our patients have their teeth cleaned every 3 to 4 months. As with anything in medicine, prevention is the best defense to avoid disease.

I have always wanted braces. From the time I was little. I'm not sure why, because this was before I had my adult teeth. Actually, I thought braces were a cool thing to have. I can recall watching reruns of "The Partridge Family" back in the late 70's and admiring Laurie Partridge's metal braces. You might think I was a whackadoodle, but I used to take paper clips and bend them so that they would stretch across my teeth. But I digress. That was a long time ago. I had contemplated getting metal braces when I got a full time job out of college but something held me back. My teeth always bothered me, but I think spending several years of my twenties or thirties with ugly metal across my mouth bothered me more.

The first time I met Dr. Katz was last summer during my interview for my current job. After winning him over with my stellar wit and charm he turned to me and said, "I hope I'm not going to offend you with my next question." Oh cripes, I thought, what horrible thing could he possibly have to say to me? "You're not going to tell me I'm ugly, are you?" was my retort (half joking and half not). He reassured me he wasn't and asked me, "Have you ever considered getting braces?" WOW, I have never been asked that in an interview, that was definitely a first. Were my teeth SO BAD that he noticed how crooked they were in the span of an hour? Was everyone else lying to me when they told me they weren't that crooked all these years? But then I thought this guy is a pro, of course he's going to notice crooked teeth. "Well, actually yes, I have thought about getting braces." I didn't mention my past with the paper clips for fear of losing the chance at the job. Then he mentioned Invisalign. Now, I knew all about Invisalign. I had seen commercials and articles in magazines. It looked like the perfect way to straighten your teeth without looking like a geriatric teenager. The braces are invisible, what a brilliant idea! I was totally down with it!

After I nailed the interview and ultimately got the job, I soon found myself in the chair at Emerson Dental Arts, getting the impressions done for my case. It wasn't a big deal. They put a little gummy substance in a plastic tray that you bite down on until it hardens. A couple of photos were taken plus a panoramic x-ray of my whole mouth. I then had to wait six weeks for my fifteen sets of trays to come in. Every two weeks I would switch out the current trays for the new set. I was so excited to get that first pair. I could not wait to start the process. They finally came in. I snapped them in and looked in the mirror. Amazingly, I really couldn't tell I was wearing braces. You can definitely feel them working the first few nights a new set goes in, but within a day or two they're pretty comfortable. I can't tell you how many times I've been out, and I mention to someone something about my braces and they look at me and say "what braces?" They truly have no idea I'm wearing anything. I don't think I even sound like I'm wearing anything when I speak. Another great thing about Invisalign, is that you have to take your braces out to eat. So if you want to drop those ten pounds you've been griping about, you just eat, brush and pop them back in. You can't eat once you have them in. I've lost a couple of pounds since I've been wearing them. It takes care of that pesky midnight snacking problem I've always had. Also, soda or anything sugary is forbidden when you're wearing them, so if you need to kick a soda habit, this is perfect.

One of the truly nice things about Invisalign is that you can take the braces out, it's an option you just don't have with metal braces. So if you were going out to dinner on a date, you could remove them and pop them back in at home. Imagine how embarrassing it would be to have half your meal left in your metal braces after you've finish eating it? As an adult, Invisalign is perfect, because you don't need to show the world you're straightening your teeth. It's also great for teens because it actually works in less overall time than metal braces. Of course, every case is different and if you're interested, you should go for a consultation. I highly recommend you look into it. It really changed the way I feel about my smile.

Click image to view our latest newsletter, "Word of Mouth", for July, 2008 (PDF format).

Usually, it's a good idea to start bringing your child for his first dental visit around 3.5 to 4 years of age. A good indicator is if the child is potty trained. That usually means they have some understanding of control and can modify their behavior. A young child will usually develop 20 primary, or "baby teeth". It's important that you teach your child to brush his/her teeth as soon as possible. If they won't do it, help them with brushing, or use a washcloth to clean the teeth.
Diet is very important in avoiding cavities. Try to keep you child (I know this is very hard) away from "sticky" candies like licorice or lollipops. The sugars from these sticky foods attach to the teeth and cause aggressive decay. If your child likes sweets, fruits are a great substitution. Stay away from soda, as the acidity and the carbonation destroy teeth quickly. If you were to leave a tooth in soda overnight, it would dissolve by morning. Plus, soda has zero nutritional value.

If your child has a thumb sucking habit, or needs a pacifier to sleep, try to wean them off these habits.
The constant pressure causes the teeth to move outward, and can necessitate the need for orthodontic treatment later (braces). It can also affect their speech as well.

We recommend sealants for your child's molars. These are plastic coatings that seal the grooves in the teeth and prevent the formation of cavities that usually start in these grooves.
Once your child has been for his/her first dental visit, every 6 months thereafter is probably a good frequency to visit the dentist. The dentist can track the formation and eruption of the teeth, check for cavities, and make sure your child is developing good oral health.

Welcome to the smile file. We'll try to give you pertinent and interesting info about the dental field from the dentist's perspective. So, let's get going!

How do you find a good dentist? Obviously a referral from a family member or friend is probably the best way. But if that is not an option, here are some other ways:
Check the internet, and check websites. Does the website look like the dental office put some thought into it? Does it have before and after photos of that dentist's work?
Call the local Dental Association-for example, here in New Jersey, it's the New Jersey Dental Association base in New Brunswick.
Check the list from Consumers Research Council of America. They pick the top dentists by amount of years in practice, continuing education, and name recognition in the community.

When you find a dentist you might want to visit here are some things to look for:
How does the person answering the phone treat you? Are you just another caller, or do they listen to your concerns and answer your questions? Do they offer to give you a tour of the facility?
Do they offer you a chance to meet the dentist before any treatment is started? How does the facility look? Is it clean, modern, and up-to-date? If it's dirty with furnishings from the 1970's, chances are the dentistry is out of date. The technology has changed so quickly, you want to find an office that is on the cutting edge.

When you meet the dentist, does he let you talk and actually listen to you? Or does he just go into a monolog of what you need, and what services he wants to perform on you? Does he address your concerns and needs? A good dentist will take the time to get to know you and listen to you.
It's probably a good sign if the dentist dresses professionally, and creates a good first impression.
If he takes pride in his/her appearance, chances are he'll take pride in his work.
Ask the dentist about his education and experience. Does he keep up with continuing education? Just because he has a diploma on the wall, it doesn't mean he is current on all the new procedures available in dentistry today. Some things you can ask about are: lasers, bonding, invisalign, lumineers, implants, whitening products and all porcelain restorations. We'll go into some of these things at a later date.

When a treatment plan is given to you, make sure you understand your financial obligations. Are they presented clearly to you?

Remember, you'll get what you pay for. If you go to a dentist looking to spend as little as possible, chances are you'll get inferior service. Like anything else in life, better quality usually means more expense. So you need to determine how important your oral health is to you. We'll also discuss this in a future episode.

Hope some of these ideas help.