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What’s the Best Toothpaste: There’s no such thing as simply selecting a tube of toothpaste. There are dozens of choices on the shelves of your local retail stores. Should you purchase the one with baking soda? What about the brand with whitening power? Or perhaps tartar control would be best? It doesn’t help that you’re bombarded with advertisements online, on television and in magazines. Some of these claims are motivated by marketing departments and not professional dentists. Don’t worry! We’re here to take a lot of the mystery and confusion out of choosing a good toothpaste. We’ve provided three things to consider before your next shopping trip.

Check for the seal of approval

It’s very important to make sure you’re selecting a toothpaste with the seal of approval from the American Dental Association. This means that the product meets the requirement of having certain ingredients and having those ingredients accurately listed on the product. The ADA seal also means the product is created in a supervised, laboratory-controlled environment. This ensures you’re getting a quality product with no additives.

Be wary of “toothpaste promises”

We’ll whiten your teeth! We’ll restore your enamel! Toothpastes make a lot of promises. Ad slogans are splattered all over magazine pages and television. But do these promises really hold up? Let’s look at a few of them:

• Tooth-whitening: Yes, those toothpastes will work—but the results aren’t nearly as good or as long-lasting as what you’ll get in our office with professional teeth whitening.
• Restoring enamel: This may be possible, but it depends heavily upon what shape your teeth are in to begin with. If your enamel is breaking down, it’s more important to speak to us so we can help you restore your teeth properly. This will be more effective than any toothpaste.

Personal preference

We confess: we all have our favorite toothpaste flavors. That’s one reason why we offer a variety of them in our office. As long as the toothpaste carries the American Dental Association seal of approval, you’re limited only by personal preference. Favorite flavors can also help encourage children to brush their teeth regularly.

The bottom line? Ask us!

We’re dedicated to caring for your entire family. We want to provide you with timely, accurate information. There isn’t just one toothpaste that is right for everyone. Our dentists will help you determine what toothpaste will meet your needs. We can even provide prescription toothpastes that you’ll only find through our dental offices. Remember, we don’t only want to see you when you have cavities. We want to help you care for your teeth throughout your life. We’d love to treat your whole family and help them stay on track for a lifetime of good oral health. ___ Dental Express offers dental care for the entire family, including SmileCorrect, implants, emergency dental care and maintenance services. With four convenient locations in San Diego, our practice features compassionate care coupled with state-of-the-art technology. Contact us to schedule an appointment today. ___

Sources:

The American Dental Association. “The ADA Seal of Approval: Product Acceptance. “ Online. The Cleveland Clinic. “How to Choose the Best Toothpaste for You.” Online.

If you enjoy surfing along the California coast, don’t be surprised to see our own Dr. Marty Weinstein catching a few waves. He’s surfed just about every spot along the Pacific Coast Highway. His love of the ocean boils down to his three-word personal mantra: Surfing is life. In 2009, Dr. Marty was the National Collegiate Surfing Champion, and he served as captain of the UCSD surfing team. We’re thrilled to now have Dr. Marty “on board” as a member of our Dental Express family. Of course, there’s much more to Dr. Marty than his surfing expertise (though we admit, we’re somewhat jealous of that). Originally from Santa Ana, Dr. Marty has a special heart for those less fortunate, and he is always striving to make the world a better place through his many volunteer activities. While earning his bachelor’s degree in biology from UCSD, he managed a mobile dental clinic that provided free dental care to the homeless and underserved populations of San Diego County.

Today, he continues to work with the same program by volunteering as a clinical faculty instructor. Dr. Marty also loves caring for the brave men and women who have served our country. After he earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of California-San Francisco (UCSF), he spent an extra year in graduate school training with the VA. This additional training gives him special expertise in helping U.S. veterans suffering from depression, severe dental anxiety, PTSD and other medical conditions. Although Dr. Marty spends a lot of his free time surfing, lately, he’s been making waves on an extensive research study involving tacos and donuts. You read that right: tacos and donuts. Dr. Marty is engaged to Morgan, a kindergarten teacher here in San Diego. They’re busy planning their July 2018 wedding, which will take place in Julian, CA. The food for the reception was an obvious choice; you can’t go wrong with tacos and donuts! Of course, this reception planning requires a lot of “research and development” on the weekends to find the ideal combination. Donuts and tacos — it’s no wonder Morgan said yes!

Want to know more? You can learn more about Dr. Marty and our other Dental Express care providers.

___ Dental Express offers dental care for the entire family, including SmileCorrect, implants, emergency dental care and maintenance services. With four convenient locations in San Diego, our practice features compassionate care coupled with state-of-the-art technology. Contact us to schedule an appointment today. ___

4 Ways 3D Printers Give You the Best Smile Possible: Your smile is one of the first things people notice about you. What message is your smile sending? Crooked, misshapen or missing teeth are a blow to your self-esteem. Studies indicate that those with straight, white teeth are 38 percent more likely to be perceived as smart.

Dentistry and 3D Printing

It’s hard to believe that 3D printing was invented almost 30 years ago; yet it has only been in the last four or five years that the technology has been refined. Slowly and steadily, 3D printing innovations are transforming all industries, and dentistry is no exception. Digital 3D printers are becoming more affordable. Previously, medical 3D printers were so expensive, their use was restricted to large hospitals, major dental labs or university dental schools. Now that has changed. Think of it as similar to the way large, flat screen TVs and smart phones have steadily become more affordable. Over the years, the technology has improved and refined, making it easier to create more and more complicated objects. Today, they can reproduce everything from house keys to organ tissue. 3D printing works by taking a scan of what you want to reproduce, sending the scan to the printer, and then using specialized, biocompatible material to print it. While a regular printer produces an image by using a back-and-forth motion, 3D printers utilize a much wider range of motion—side-to-side, front-to-back, and up-and-down. The material is placed layer by layer, creating a product made to exact specifications.

Advantages of 3D Printing

What does this mean for you? It means you can take advantage of the several benefits 3D printing offers:

1. 3D printers enable dental work to be completed on-site without having to send a mold to a lab.

We’ll just come out and say it: Molds are yucky. Taking an impression is time-consuming and uncomfortable. Up until now, that was the best way that a dentist could get an accurate guide. Now, the mouth is simply scanned using a specialized “wand.” The information is fed directly into a computer, which creates a 3D image. This enables the dentist to carefully examine each minute detail, ensuring there are no gaps or inaccuracies.

2. They are much faster –no “goop required!

No one likes to fill their mouths with the sticky goop that typically accompanies creating dental molds. Dental Express uses intra-oral scanning to get a concise view of your mouth. That information is used to create the clear trays that will straighten your teeth. The bottom line is you spend less time in the dental chair and more time showing off your new smile.

3. Incredible detail—3D printers can create accurate replicas down to 6 microns.

How small is that? Well, for comparison, there are roughly 25,400 microns in an inch. A grain of sand from Coronado Beach is somewhere between 100 to 2,000 microns. Pretty amazing, isn’t it? Now imagine how this attention-to-detail can help your smile!

4. Precise retainers and invisible braces

If you have a teenager, chances are braces are in his or her future. The number of North American teens who need some type of orthodontic treatment has nearly doubled to 80 percent. Not only do 3D printers provide the needed trays in record time, but they are also easily replaced if they’re lost.

A new smile is now more affordable than ever!

Now, Dental Express makes it easier and more affordable than ever to get a straight, star-quality smile with SmileCorrect: a clear align therapy where our dentists print trays onsite, tailored to your specifications. This reduces what was once a $5,000 to $8,000 treatment to a total cost of $3,600—requiring only $200 a month for 18 months. Our SmileCorrect treatment has no credit check, charges no interest, and because all trays are 3D printed in house, it’s easier to replace missing or damaged trays. The dentists and health care professionals at Dental Express would love to start you on your journey to a straighter smile! Contact us today!

Sources: Lee, Dan P. “Metal Mouths.” New York Magazine. Online. National Association of Dental Laboratories. “Digital Dentistry: Is 3D Printing Revolutionizing Restorations? Online. Woo, Hee-Sun and Seok-Hun Kim. “A Study on Applying a 3D Printer to Healthcare; Dentistry Area.” Indian Journal of Science and Technology.

The 5 Riskiest Sports for Your Teeth: Every sports fan has seen a favorite athlete take a serious tumble, receive an elbow in the face or get smacked with a baseball. While it’s one thing to see these unfortunate incidents play out on ESPN, it’s a different matter when you, your son or your daughter is the one facing an injury. While mouthguards remain one of the best ways to reduce the risk of sport-related dental injuries, they are worthless if not used. In one survey conducted by the American Association of Orthodontists, a staggering 67 percent of parents admitted that their child didn’t always wear a mouthguard when playing sports. If that isn’t alarming enough, how about this: Out of the 7 million recreation-related injuries each year, more than half are sustained by children as young as five.

When should you wear a mouthguard?

Granted, each sport has its risks and rewards, and if you’re not wearing a mouthguard–or using one ineffectively–any activity can pose a greater risk to your teeth. You should always wear a mouthguard for the following sports:

• Basketball
• Boxing
• Equestrian sports
• Track and field events
• Field hockey
• Football
• Gymnastics
• Handball
• Ice hockey
• Inline skating
• Lacrosse
• Martial arts
• Racquetball
• Rugby
• Soccer
• Softball
• Squash
• Volleyball
• Water polo
• Wrestling
• Any extreme sport

Sound like a lot? It is. But remember that the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation estimates that in any given year, 3 million teeth are knocked out during organized sporting events.

The 5 Most Dangerous Sports for Your Teeth

However, out of the list above, there are several “repeat offenders: — the sports most likely to result in a dental injury. We count down the top five, and number one may surprise you.

5. Skateboarding and Other “Thrill Seeking” Sports

This category includes snowboarding and skiing. While these do not involve any contact with opponents, a carelessly planned maneuver can result in contact with the pavement.

4. Boxing, Wrestling, and Marital Arts

It makes sense that if your opponent is throwing a punch at your face, he or she may take out a few incisors with it. Some studies show that more than 50 percent of wrestlers interviewed reported some type of dental injury. Because many of these sports, including martial arts, require the use of mouthguards, dental injuries are not as common as they could be.

3. “Ball and Stick” Games

These include baseball, hockey, lacrosse, and any game involving striking a ball with a stick or bat. While these games may actually account for a larger number of injuries, these injuries are generally not as severe because many of them, such as hockey and lacrosse, require players to wear mouthguards and other protective gear.

2. Football

You’re surprised it isn’t number one, aren’t you? At some point, it probably was. In the 1950s, prior to widespread mouthguard use, 54 percent of football injuries involved teeth. Fast forward 60 years, and the dental injury rate is around 2.8 percent.

1. Basketball

If you’ve ever played a pickup game at Ward Canyon Park or watched the San Diego State Aztecs face an opponent, you understand that basketball is a “no-contact sport” in name only. In one study, men’s basketball counted for roughly 10.6 injuries per 100 athletes—more than three times the amount by football. Women’s basketball also had an exponentially higher rate of injury at 5 incidents per 100 athletes. Next time you watch a professional or college game, take a look at how many athletes are wearing mouthguards. They aren’t used as often as they are in football. In fact, an alarming number of collegiate basketball players have unprotected teeth!

Be prepared for dental emergencies.

It’s also important to know exactly what to do in case of an injured tooth or dental emergency. Of course, before you or your child begins any sport, talk to your dentist about the importance of mouthguards. While they are easily available, the most effective ones will be customized to fit the exact shape of your mouth. Whether you’re a point guard on the varsity team or you’re a weekend warrior, speak to your family dentist about what type of mouthguard would be right for you. Dental Express offers dental care for the entire family, including SmileCorrect, teeth implants san diego, emergency dental care and maintenance services. Our practice features compassionate care coupled with state-of-the-art dentistry at four convenient locations in San Diego: Downtown, Point Loma, Clairemont and Santee. Contact us to schedule an appointment today.

Sources: American Dental Association. “Mouthguards.” Online. American Dental Association. “Play It Safe: Prevent Facial Injuries with Simple Sports Safety Precautions.” Online. American Dental Association. “Do You Need a Mouthguard?” Online. Incident Journal of the American Dental Association. Online. Knowlton, Rick, DMD, MAGD, et. al. “Sports-Related Dental Injuries and Sports Dentistry.” Online. Petruska, Susan, DMD, AACD and Jesisca Forestier. “Dental Injfuires from Sports Trauma: Review and Case Study.” Journal of Cosmetic Dentistry.” Schonbrun, Zach. “N.C.A.A. Players Ignore Advice on Mouth Guards, Often at Their Own Peril.” New York Times. Online.

You’ve had a rough week and want to order take-out. You call the restaurant and clearly ask for a side order of steamed dumplings. The order arrives and you pay the delivery man (or you may have already paid on line through a credit card). You sit down to enjoy your meal after a crazy week at work. What? No dumplings. You’re not only disappointed, but you’re miffed because you’ve PAID for those dumplings. You call the restaurant to be sure they make this right. If you’re that upset over paying for food you didn’t receive, why aren’t you worried over using dental benefits you’ve paid for but not used? Not using your dental insurance is throwing your money away. While there is a lot of deviation among plans, most will pay for two cleanings per year. These cleanings are vital because your dental hygienist can clean your teeth in hard- reach places that your toothbrush and floss can’t go. It’s understandable that it can be difficult to navigate the maze of dental insurance. You may wish to take a look at some of the more common terms used in insurance. We also like to let our patients know that their benefits for the calendar year are about to expire. Remember, if you haven’t used your two cleanings by Dec. 31, you lose them for that year.

Americans with Dental Benefits

Most Americans –roughly 92 percent– get their dental benefits through an employer or groups such as AARP. Many others get dental insurance through other programs such as Medicaid. While more Americans have dental coverage than they did in the past, many do not take advantage of it. Studies reveal that Americans with dental insurance are more likely to go to the dentist, and to take their children to the dentist. The result is not only good dental health, but freedom from a variety of other health problems that are related to poor oral hygiene. But despite these obvious benefits, Americans are still skipping annual dental appointments. And children have a better track record of have regular checkups than adults.

According to the Centers for Disease Control:

• 83 percent of children aged 2-17 have received a dental visit in the last year.
• Of those age 18-34, just a little more than half (62 percent) have seen the dentist in the last year.
• Of those over 65, 62.4 percent have seen a dentist in the last year.

Clearly, there is some room for improvement.

Remember: Dental health impacts regular health.

You may be surprised to learn that unhealthy teeth can contribute to disease such as heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and infection of the heart lining. Sleep apnea, a condition where you stop breathing repeatedly during the night, increases your risk of stroke, high blood pressure and heart disease. One of the most confusing aspects of dental benefit plans is the vocabulary. If you don’t understand the language, you can’t understand your benefits.

Here are some commonly used terms:

Contract term: The length of time for your insurance–usually 12 months. Deductible: The amount you have to pay before your insurance will pay for services. For example, if you have a $50 deductible, it means you will have to pay $50 out-of-pocket before your insurance will pay their part. Coinsurance: This is what you have to pay after you reach your deductible. For example, suppose Cindy has a $50 deductible and 20% coinsurance. This means that after she pays $50 for dental services, her insurance policy will pay 80% for services. After she reaches her deductible, she is responsible for paying 20% of her bill. Yearly maximum: Unlike most health insurance plans, a dental insurance yearly maximum refers to the maximum amount of money the dental insurance policy will pay during the benefit year, not the maximum out of pocket to be paid by the patient. Exclusions: Services that are not covered. Still confused? Don’t worry. Our professionals are happy to help you navigate through the sometimes confusing maze of dental insurance. Schedule an appointment today.

Hesy-Re would be amazed, to say the least. If his name doesn’t ring a bell, it’s because he lived around 2600 BC, and is commonly considered the first dentist. Hesy-Re was an Egyptian scribe. The inscription on his tombstone sang his praises as “the greatest of those who deal with teeth, and of physicians.” Don’t forget the ancient Sumerians–they made contributions to the dental field by documenting some of the first cases of tooth decay … although we have to deduct points because they thought cavities were caused by creatures called “tooth worms.” Could you imagine Hesy-Re or the ancient Sumerians walking into a modern dental office? Even in the last ten years, scientific advancements have taken dentistry to a whole new level. Intraoral scanning allows dentists to configure the exact shape of your teeth and make accurate impressions without the need for “goop.” Three-dimensional printing allows dental trays to be created on site, without the need to send them out to a lab. To truly appreciate what we have, it’s helpful to look at where we’ve been:

Another reason it’s called the “Dark Ages”

Dentists weren’t called dentists in 13th century France. If you wanted to practice your profession, you’d need to head to the Guild of Barbers. There were two types of barbers: surgeons who performed complex operations, and lay barbers who practiced bleeding and painless tooth extractions… and could also give you a shave and a haircut. Toothache pain was relieved by herbal plant products, beer and wine. Monasteries and private gardens were full of various plants that served as remedies, gleaned from knowledge exported from Eastern and Arabic cultures.

“The bridges are coming!”

“Listen my children, and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere…” Longfellow’s poem celebrating this American patriot leaves out some information you may find interesting. In addition to being an excellent silversmith, Revere also offered services as a dentist, as evidenced in a Boston newspaper around 1768. Silversmiths like Revere frequently created bridges and other dental appliances. In addition, you could say Revere was one of the first American “CSI’s.” He identified the body of a friend who died in battle by recognizing the dental bridge he created for him. It’s the first known case of dental forensics.

Other landmark achievements

Pain-free dentistry had its infancy thanks to William Morton, who first successfully used ether anesthesia for surgery in 1846. (We’d have to wait another 59 years for Novocain, invented by German chemist Alfred Einhorn.) The drills used in dental practice were created by James Morrison in 1871. This meant diseased enamel could be easily removed and then filled. The 20th century ushered dentistry into the modern era, including techniques for the osseointegration of dental implants. This is a process by which bone attaches itself to the implant.

That was then, this is now

Perhaps it’s not so much the technological innovations that have made such a difference—after all, our lives are filled with better and faster technology every day—but the speed at which these technologies are utilized by local dentists. In 1950, it may have taken 10 or 20 years for a new technology to take hold and find its roots in your neighborhood dental office. Now, it doesn’t take long for innovations to quickly arrive in the modern dental office. One of the latest milestones is the use of computer-aided manufacturing and design (CAM/CAD). As speed and precision in this technology has advanced over the last two decades, we now have substantial improvements to the point where dentists can make precise, high-quality restorations faster and more accurately. In many instances, this means producing them in-house without needing to send them to the lab. Three – dimensional printing has enabled dentist to offer services for a much lower cost. It’s wonderful that technology has made so much dental advancement possible. Where are we headed next? We can’t wait to find out.

Sources American Dental Association. “History of Dentistry Timeline: Ancient Origins.” Online. Koenigsberg, DDS and Mason Kostinsky. “Tech Revolution in Dentistry – Are You Ready?” Dental Economics. Online. Potincy, Daniel J. et. al. “CAD/CAM In-office Technology.” The Journal of the American Dental Association, Volume 141, 5S – 9S. Wisby, Gary. “Pain and Suffering of Toothache in the Dark Ages of Dentistry.” UIC News Center: University of Illinois. Online.

Did George Washington Have Wooden Teeth: We cannot tell a lie— there are a lot of myths and legends celebrating our country’s first president. Even the lovely anecdote about chopping down the cherry tree is of questionable accuracy. One thing is true—18th century dentistry left a lot to be desired. When Washington was president, he had only one natural tooth left and had a set of dentures. These dentures were made of several materials, but wood was not one of them. By taking a look at the fascinating history of dentures, we can appreciate the marvel of modern dental technology.

What were Washington’s teeth made from?

Despite the lack of sophisticated general dentistry, neither Washington nor any others at the time had wooden teeth. Wood was not a practical building material. Dentures at the time were made using a combination of ivory, bone, lead, cow teeth and even human teeth. That may sound bizarre, but it was not unusual at the time for people to buy and sell human teeth. Washington’s teeth were primarily made of ivory. Some historians believe Washington’s fondness for dark wine caused the ivory to heavily stain, giving the impression that the teeth were made of wood. You can even view a picture of them at the Smithsonian website.

Brief history of dentures

As far back as 166 AD, the Etruscans— an ancient civilization in Corsica, Italy–were creating dental gold crowns and bridges as a primitive precursor to dentures. Wooden dentures did exist—they just weren’t worn in Washington’s time. In the 16th century, Japanese craftsmen created wooden dentures that were meticulously carved to match a beeswax impression taken of the patient’s teeth. The first evidence of general dentistry and dentures arose from Frenchman Pierre Fauchard, who wrote a comprehensive book on dental treatment in 1723. It included the first instructions on creating and placing dentures. In 1789, Nicolas Dubois de Chemant of France received the first patent for porcelain teeth. A breakthrough in denture creation arose in 1864 by Charles Goodyear (does that name ring a bell?) Goodyear invented vulcanization, a process that hardens rubber. The resulting material was called vulcanite and could easily be molded into the mouth, creating a more comfortable base for dentures. Vulcanite was affordable and paved the way for future denture development. Today, modern dentures have an acrylic or metal base complemented with acrylic teeth and gum tissue—a far cry from wood, ivory and animal teeth!

Who needs dentures?

Dentures are a good solution for those who have lost several teeth. They do much more than help with eating—they help speech, improve appearance, and support the lips and facial muscles. They also help with speech, appearance and digestive health. Dentures are also a great help for tooth injuries if the emergency has caused several teeth to be knocked out or there was extensive damage.

Common causes of tooth loss include:

• Extensive decay
• Trauma or injury
• Periodontal (gum) disease
• Cracked teeth

There are two main types of dentures.

• A complete denture is a customized, molded mouthpiece that fits the upper and/or lower jaw. These teeth are created to specifically fit comfortably against the gum tissue. They replace all of the teeth.
• A partial denture is used to replace several missing teeth, but not all teeth. They are ideal for patients who may be missing only one type of teeth—such as all the back teeth or all the front teeth.

Your family dentist has the answer

George Washington may not have had much to smile about –at least, when it came to his Perfect Smile Dentures—but today’s dental patient has more options than ever to create comfortable dentures. They can even be adjusted to create the exact shape and shade of the teeth you desire. Your dentist can answer any questions you have and help you evaluate options and even work out a payment plan.

Sources: Academy of Osseointegration. “Common Causes of Tooth Loss.” Online. American Dental Association. “History of Dentistry Timeline.” Online. Moriyama, N., & Hasegawa, M. (1987). “The history of the characteristic Japanese wooden denture”. Bulletin of the History of Dentistry 35 (1): 9–16. Schultz, Colin. Smithsonian Magazine. “George Washington Didn’t Have Wooden Teeth—They were Ivory.” Online.