To Chew or Not to Chew!

Clinical studies have shown that chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes following meals can help prevent tooth decay.

The chewing of sugarless gum increases the flow of saliva, which washes away food and other debris, neutralizes acids produced by bacteria in the mouth and provides disease-fighting substances throughout the mouth. Increased saliva flow also carries with it more calcium and phosphate to help strengthen tooth enamel.

The only varieties of gum with the ADA Seal are sugarless. They are sweetened by non-cavity causing sweeteners such as aspartame, xylitol, sorbitol or mannitol. Of course, chewing sugar-containing gum increases saliva flow too, but it also contains sugar which is used by plaque bacteria to produce decay-causing acids. Further research needs to be done to determine the effects of chewing sugar-containing gum on tooth decay.

Don’t let chewing sugarless gum replace brushing and flossing. It’s not a substitute. The ADA still recommends brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and cleaning plaque from between your teeth once a day with dental floss or other interdental cleaners.

Look for chewing gum that carries the ADA Seal. The ADA Seal is your assurance that the sugar-free chewing gum has met the ADA criteria for safety and effectiveness. You can trust that claims made on packaging and labeling for ADA-accepted products are true, because companies must verify all of the information to the ADA. Products with the ADA Seal say what they do and do what they say.


View article for this post:  http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/c/chewing-gum.aspx

Vision Therapy

Does your child get headaches, reverse letters/numbers, skip lines when reading or have a short attention span? Studies show that 1 out of 5 school age children have an undiagnosed visual issue that affects learning. As many as 70% of learning disabled and remedial reading students have a significant visual component to their learning problems.

If your child is struggling in school, Vision Therapy at Optometric Physician of Middle Tennessee can help.

Vision Therapy is an individualized, supervised treatment program designed to correct visual-motor and/or perceptual deficiencies. The goal of VT is to train the brain to use the eyes to receive information effectively, comprehend it quickly and react appropriately. Vision Therapy will enhance eye teaming, focusing, convergence skills, perceptual skills and more.

Vision Therapy can help with a variety of behaviors or disorders. Here are a few examples:

• Lazy eye, crossed-eyes, or wandering eyes

• Squinting or covering one eye to see

• Short attention span (diagnosed with ADHD or ADD)

• Poor visual/motor skills (hand-eye coordination)

• Frequently loses place while reading

• Complains of double vision

For success stories please visit: www.rdeyes.com/success-stories/


Richard Durocher, O.D
Kate Nelson, Vision Therapist

Optometric Physicians of Middle Tennessee
4322 Harding Pike, Suite 214
Nashville, TN 37205
615-386-3036


Website: www.rdeyes.com
Blog: www.nashvillevisiontherapy.blogspot.com/
vt@rdeyes.com

Upcoming Holidays & Candy!!

Teach Me How To Brushy!

Check out this fantastic video! It is a clever integration of music and a lesson on brushing.

'Keep 32' - Is it really the answer?

We have recently came across an article that supposedly will make teeth "cavity proof". The article is very interesting and it would be great to have a 'cure all' available for everyone with dental problems. However, there are many different cases and issues when it comes to dental needs that eliminating a dentist is not necessarily the appropriate thing to do. We must also keep in mind that when fluoride was first introduced, its intention was to 'stop cavities'. While it plays an important role in dental care, fluoride is not a panacea for cavities. This product could prove to be another great dental tool in prevention as well, however, it may be a bit far fetched to say that it will cure cavitites.


Article:

New chemical makes teeth 'cavity proof' - and could do away with dentist visits forever

• Chemical could be added to toothpastes in year's time
• Kills bacteria that erode teeth
• Single dose protects mouth for hours
• 'Keep 32' chemical could even be added to foods

A new chemical could make human teeth 'cavity proof' - and do away with the need for visits to the dentists forever.

The molecule has been called 'Keep 32' - after the 32 teeth in a human mouth.

The chemical was designed by dentists in Chile, and wipes out all the bacteria that cause cavities in just 60 seconds in tests.

The chemical could be added to any current dental care product, turning toothpaste, mouthwash and chewing gum into 'super cleansers' that could get rid of the underlying cause of tooth decay.

The chemical targets 'streptococcus mutans', the bacteria that turns the sugar in your mouth into lactic acid which erodes tooth enamel.

By exterminating the bacteria, 'Keep 32' prevents the damage to teeth before it happens.

Using a product containing the chemical keeps your teeth 'cavity proof' for several hours.

The product has been under test for seven years, and is now going into human trials.

It could be on the market in 14 to 18 months, say researchers José Córdoba from Yale University and Erich Astudillo from the University of Chile.

Father's Day Drawing!!!

Register to win a Lowe's gift card for your Dad for Father's Day!!!

One entry per family!

Drawing will be Wednesday,

June 13th @ 12:00

Good Luck!!! Hope you win!!!

Thank you to our Nurses!

Saturday May 12th

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Congratulations to our moms Christi Brown and Susan Hasley!!

They won the drawing for the Mother's Day Mani/Pedi!!

Relay for Life T-Shirts for sale!!!

Purchase your Brushing Away Cancer

T-Shirts for Relay for Life

Price: $15

Blue Shirt Front

Pink Shirt Back

All proceeds go to the American Cancer Society

Join Brushing Away Cancer Team in

helping with the fight against cancer!!

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

              Our team will be holding a 

Bake Sale & Car Wash

 May 19th & June 2nd

Located at Dickson Pediatric Dentistry parking lot.

All donations will go to Dickson County’s Relay for Life
The relay will be held at Dickson County Senior High on June 8th - 9th from 5pm to 5am.
Join us there for fun, food, and activities with your community in the fight against cancer.

We will also have the Luminarias available to you with a $5 donation. You may decorate or write the name of the person/loved one that you would like to dedicate it to and it will be lit during the Luminaria Ceremony

Mother's Day drawing!!

Register to win a manicure and pedicure for your mother for Mother's Day!

One entry per family

Drawing will be held Wednesday, May 9th @ 12:00

We will contact the winners by phone.

GOOD LUCK!!!

Sealants

Dental sealants act as a barrier, protecting the teeth against decay-causing bacteria. The sealants are usually applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth (premolars and molars) where decay occurs most often.

A sealant is a plastic material that is usually applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth—premolars and molars. This plastic resin bonds into the depressions and grooves (pits and fissures) of the chewing surfaces of back teeth. The sealant acts as a barrier, protecting enamel from plaque and acids.











Thorough brushing and flossing help remove food particles and plaque from smooth surfaces of teeth. But toothbrush bristles cannot reach all the way into the depressions and grooves to extract food and plaque. Sealants protect these vulnerable areas by "sealing out" plaque and food.

Sealants are easy for your dentist to apply, and it takes only a few minutes to seal each tooth. The teeth that will be sealed are cleaned. Then the chewing surfaces are roughened with an acid solution to help the sealant adhere to the tooth. The sealant is then 'painted' onto the tooth enamel, where it bonds directly to the tooth and hardens. Sometimes a special curing light is used to help the sealant harden.

As long as the sealant remains intact, the tooth surface will be protected from decay. Sealants hold up well under the force of normal chewing and usually last several years before a reapplication is needed. During your regular dental visits, your dentist will check the condition of the sealants and reapply them when necessary.


View article for this post at: http://www.ada.org/

Congratulations!!

Congratulations to our Easter Basket winners!!



Our Boy Winner!
Cannon















Our Girl Winner!
Hope

Easter Basket Give Away!!

One entry per patient
We will give 2 baskets away: one for a boy and one for a girl.
Drawing will be Wednesday, April 4th @ 12:00 pm.

GOOD LUCK!!!

Elmo and Abby Cadabby Teach Kids that Oral Health Counts

From the AAPD:

Dental caries (tooth decay) is one of the most common health problems impacting young children’s primary teeth.[1] In fact, nearly 40-to-50 percent of children will be affected by tooth decay by age five [2] and according to the latest Surgeon General’s report, Oral Health in America, more than 51 million school hours are lost each year to dental-related conditions.[3] In response to these facts, Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, in partnership with Sam’s Club Giving Program and MetLife Foundation, has developed Healthy Teeth, Healthy Me, a bilingual (English/Spanish), multimedia outreach initiative motivating children 2 to 5 years of age, their parents, and caregivers to care for children’s dental health. The 350,000 free outreach kits are being distributed nationwide and are also available at www.sesamestreet.org/teeth. Healthy Teeth, Healthy Me features brand new songs, animated segments and celebrity guests Bruno Mars, David Hyde Pierce, Nicole Kidman, Amy Ryan, Wendy Williams, Jay Sean, Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber.

Please visit the website below to read the full article provided by AAPD.

Article retrieved from: http://www.aapd.org/hottopics/news.asp?NEWS_ID=1439
Picture retrieved from: http://www.sesamestreet.org/parents/topicsandactivities/toolkits/teeth

MSNBC on Cavities

Last night MSNBC spoke of how cavities are on the rise. Healthy choices in our daily lives play a key role in cavity prevention. Sugary drinks & snacks may be more convenient, however, they cause many dental problems for children and it starts at a very young age. Sedation dentistry is being used due to the extensive amount of problems that children incur. Please check out the link below.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/46651756#46651756

Dickson Academy Scavenger Hunt

Group 2

Dickson Academy Scavenger Hunt

Dickson Academy visited our office today for their academic scavenger hunt.



Group 1

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss

Parental WARNING for Children's Spinbrush

This article was sent to us through AAPD E-News letter:

AAPD E- News provides the latest information about AAPD's continuing education, new products/services and other news related to the AAPD and Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children: The Foundation of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry activities.

FDA Warns Spinbrushes Are Potential Choking Hazard
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning to parents, caregivers, consumers, and dental care professionals about reports of serious injuries and potential hazards associated with the use of all models of the Spinbrush -- specifically the Arm & Hammer or Crest Spinbrush. Reports warned that while turned on, the brush head has either "popped off" or broken off in the user's mouth or near the face, causing cuts to the mouth and gums, chipped or broken teeth, swallowing and choking on the broken pieces, and injuries to the face and eyes.

The manufacturers of the Spinbrush have added a safety warning to the packaging and taken other steps to lessen the risk since the FDA began investigating complaints about the toothbrushes last year, a news release stated.

Advice to Parents, Caregivers and Consumers
• Before using the Spinbrush, inspect it for any damage or loose brush bristles. If you find any, do not use the brush. Report it to Church & Dwight, which can be reached toll-free at (800) 352-3384 or (800) 561-0752.
• Make sure the brush head is connected tightly to the brush handle, and test the brush outside of your mouth before using. If the connection feels loose or the brush head easily detaches from the handle, do not use the brush. Report it to Church & Dwight.
• Use care not to bite down on the brush head while brushing.
• To prevent injuries, always supervise children and adults who may need assistance when using the Spinbrush.
• Follow the instructions and recommended replacement guidelines included with the Spinbrush.
• Report injuries or problems with the Spinbrush to MedWatch-FDA's Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program -- either online (http://www.fda.gov/MedWatch), by regular mail, by fax or by phone.
• Regular Mail: Use postage-paid, pre-addressed FDA form 3500 (http://www.fda.gov/MedWatch)
• Fax: (800) FDA-0178
• Phone: (800) 332-1088
For more information on the risks and how to avoid them, read the FDA Consumer Fact Sheet at: http://www.fda.gov/downloads/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/UCM291863.pdf