What happens if you don't remove all the plaque and have regular examinations

Yesterday I received a phone call from a patient saying that she bit into something soft and her upper left "eye tooth" broke off at the gum-line. There was no pain, but she was embarrassed to smile and was worried about what would have to be done to give her a tooth so that she could smile and function in a social setting. Why did this happen? She had gotten busy and neglected to appear for a hygiene visit for about 4 years. During that time (a stressful time for her) she developed extensive tooth decay on about 6 teeth. A few of these will need to have root canal treatment because the decay has eaten it's way into the nerves of those teeth. The tooth that I looked at today may not need the root canal treatment. ... but the decay was so extensive, it had eaten into the tooth like a beaver chews into a tree, that the tooth could no longer support itself and it fractured. It was very tricky to restore, and it challenged me and forced me to be creative, but after about 1 1/2 hours I was finished repairing the tooth. This was a temporary repair and the options for final treatment are rather complex. This patient will need extraction and implant replacement of the tooth, extraction and a bridge, or root canal treatment followed by gum surgery and a crown. Had she been more consistent with her dental hygiene appointments I would have been able to catch the decay sooner and avoid this unfortunate situation. It seems from my experience that if we go longer than 2 years between x-rays that it is possible for tooth decay that may have been too small to be detected at first, to grow into a full blown area of tooth decay on the tooth. It's good to have x-rays taken at least every 2 years to catch decay before root canal treatment is needed. Dr. Marty Frankel 416-770-8526 drmartyfrankel@rogers.com

Dental Tips

Greetings from Toronto. Today I am resuming my blog posts. I will be posting to this space approximately once a week and will be talking about topics of dental interest. I will also submit information that is currently available from other sources on dentistry and related topics. Today I would like to talk about a few things related to cleaning teeth. I had a patient who came into the office last week for a hygiene visit. It had been a little over a year since she had last had her teeth cleaned. Although she has excellent homecare, she brushes and flosses regularly, she was surprised to find that she had a lot of build up of bacteria and debris under the gum line. She didn't realize how important her office visits were. Cleaning of teeth is a job that is best shared. There are things that we can do in the dental office and things that people must do at home. Plaque, which is basically bacteria, builds up around the teeth. It is soft and can be removed at home with a tooth brush and floss. It only takes 24 hours to build up on the tooth surface. If it's not removed at home daily, it can grow down around the tooth and get under the gum where it can destroy the bone that supports the tooth roots, and it can also enter the blood stream where it can cause or contribute to health problems such as heart issues, stroke, diabetes, respiratory issues, and the list goes on. Over time that bacteria along with mineral deposits on the teeth, (know as calculus or tartar) can adhere to the tooth. These deposits are hard, and must be removed professionally. Different people will build up deposits at different rates. This is what we do at the office, we remove the hard deposits, and help to set up an appropriate interval for maintenance visits. Look out for more "Dental Tips" as we move forward over the next while. Sincerely, Dr. Marty Frankel 5775 Yonge Street, Suite 1000 Toronto, Ontario, M4M 2J1 416-770-8526

While building and transitioning into my new practice, I am practicing a few days a week at my friend Dr. Alex Koranyi's office in North York. The address is 5775 Yonge Street, suite 1000. To make an appointment please call Arlene at 416-770-8526. We can still be reached at 416-224-8087, and drmartyfrankel@rogers.com

I am very pleased to announce that I will be opening my new office in North York Ontario in the very near future. When that occurs I will resume my blog on a more regular basis and provide you with interesting information in the world of dentistry, physiology, and the neuromuscular approach. For the time being, if anyone cares to contact me I provide the following contact information: Web page: www.drmartyfrankel.com Phone #: 416-224-8087 email: drmartyfrankel@rogers.com Please stay tuned ... Sincerely, Dr. Marty Frankel

To 2010 and a bright future

With the Holidays upon us I have been reflecting on my life and what it means to me to be a dentist. What is it that is so special about my profession? Some see dentistry as a boring profession where people burnout due to the daily repetition of tasks. Many have commented to me that they have heard that dentists have the highest suicide rate of all the professions.

Dentistry to me however is a very noble profession. How many people get to help others every day of their life doing something that is very creative and challenging? Dentistry is no longer just drill, fill, and pull. With the advances in technology over the last 15 or so years, dentistry has become a fascinating endeavour. It is no longer a mundane boring repetitive job. People, thanks to modern research efforts, are now realizing the links that exist between oral health and overall health of the body. Periodontal disease in particular has been shown to have a very strong link to Diabetes and the ability of an individual to control their Diabetes as well their susceptibility to Diabetes. Other links exist between Periodontal Disease and Heart Disease, Stroke, low birth-weight babies, and respiratory illnesses.

Adhesive dentistry (bonding to tooth structure) allows us to be very conservative with our tooth preparations when treating cavities. The surgical paradigm of cutting away parts of the body to heal it continue to evolve into an additive philosophy where we retain as much of the healthy tissue as possible and add to it to restore to the original shape, function, and beauty. This and the neuromuscular appoach to dentistry are my real passion.

Neuromuscular dentistry can help people in so many ways. Not only can it relieve the pain associated with headaches, neckaches, upper back and shoulder, it can improve the entire physiology of the body by bringing structures into better alignment which can allow for a more optimum flow of blood, lymph, and nerve transmission through out the body.

One of the exciting developments in recent years which I have written about before is the Pure Power Mouthguard. This is a sports mouthguard built to a neuromuscular jaw position which has been shown to allow an athlete to increase strength, range of motion, flexibility, and balance. We believe that it will change the face of sports in the near future. ... Performance enhancing mouthguards ...

As you can see, the future looks bright for us all. Thank-you to my TEAM at Downtown Dental Associates, my patients (who are like my extended dental family), the brilliant research taking place at LVI (more on that in a future blog), and all the people who inspire me daily.

I wish everyone a happy, healthy, and peaceful 2010. May it be your best year ever.

With Love and Gratitude in my heart,

Sincerely,
Marty Frankel DDS

the Makkar Pure Power Mouthguard

This Past Monday on Monday Night Football the sports casters were blown away by the Pure Power Mouthguard. I believe that about 40 members of the New Orleans Saints football team were fitted for this incredible device. The traditional sportsguard offers protection from tooth fracture and concussion. The PPM does this but because of the way it aligns the lower jaw, it creates a total body alignment that helps balance the body's musculature and allows the athlete to tap into better balance, range of motion, flexibility, and strength. The football announcers could not believe the "moves" that they saw by members of the Saints team.

The different designs make the mouthguard adaptable to just about any sport. Many pro football players, hockey players, baseball players, golfers ... yes golfers, boxers, MMA fighters, soccer players, skiers, cyclists, joggers/runners to name a few, are wearing this device and seeing amazing results.

We have talked about how the Neuromuscular approach to dentistry can help eliminate headaches and many other related symptoms, we now see another application for the neuromuscular bite, and that is the Pure Power MOuthguard. This mouthguard was developed by Dr. Anil Makkar in Truro Nova Scotia and is set to turn the sports-world upside down.

For more information you can contact me at Downtown Dental Associates, 416-368-4500. Feel free to visit the PPM web-site at www.makkaradvantage.com

Changing lives ...

In this past 2 weeks I have been emotionally touched by the reactions of two of my patients to cosmetic dental procedures that we have performed.

The first had 8 porcelain veneers placed on her upper front teeth. When she saw the result she cried for joy stating that she "always hated her smile". She finally had the beautiful smile that she had dreamed of having.

The second was about to face a very busy week in important business meetings and had fractured a front tooth almost to the gum line. He was very concerned about how he would be able to greet people and do important presentations looking as he did. Through the miracles of modern dental materials and some artistic input from yours truly, his tooth was rebuilt and he was able to face his week.

Both these encounters were emotional not only for the patients, but also for me. When I saw their reactions to the beautiful dental work, I teared up and had a very emotional response as well. These were two of my most gratifying moments as a dentist. To not only be able to improve the function of a person's dentition, but to be able to create BEAUTIFUL SMILES, and build a person's confidence and self-esteem, .... now that is something wonderful.

We have many people come to our office who have seen shows like EXTREME MAKEOVER and tell us that in their opinion, the single thing that changes a person's appearance and creates a youthful look is when they have the appearance of their teeth improved.

HEADACHES - THE DENTAL CONNECTION

Headache is one of the leading causes of physician visits by patients. Headache accounts for a huge expenditure for pain medications. Although there are many factors and causes for headaches, most people don't realize that there is a very strong dental connection to many headaches. As a result, few people think of consulting their dentist for headache treatment.

What many people don't know is how a poor "bite" can impact a person and be a cause of pain almost anywhere in the head and neck area. Headache is a prime example of this pain. Correcting the bite can often do away with the headaches.

Using state-of-the-art equipment we are able to scientifically rule in or rule out the bite as a possible source of pain.

There are many other signs and symptoms of neuromuscular imbalance in the head and neck area. If a person has any of these signs and symptoms it is in their interest to have an occlusal evaluation (check the bite). These may not be causing any pain currrently, but can lead to problems in the future.

With the popularity of cosmetic dentistry today, it is especially important to be sure that the bite is healthy prior to proceding. A bad bite is often the cause of poor esthetics, and can comprimise the longevity of the cosmetic restorations.

What Is Neuromuscular Dentistry?

Neuromuscular Dentistry is a whole health approach to dental care.

Neuromuscular dentistry is related to the way that the upper and lower teeth come together and function. This is called the 'bite' or 'occlusion'. The occlusion is part of a system that includes teeth, muscles and jaw joints.
If this system is out of balance, it can lead to muscles that are overworked when they should be relaxed. This can predispose one to various conditions or symptoms such as :

• Headaches
• Neck pain or Facial Pain
• Dizziness
• Insomnia
• Ringing in the ears
• Clenching or Grinding
• Jaw Joint Pain or Clicking
• Sensitivity to Hot or Cold
• Postural Problems

Neuromuscular dentistry seeks to establish a balanced position for your jaw based on a harmonious relationship of the three main factors which affect the occlusion, namely: Teeth, Muscles & Jaw Joints. When this position is correct, we find that most if not all of the accompanying symptoms are relieved.

If you're considering major dental procedures such as reconstruction (including cosmetic dentistry), orthodontics, dentures, or if you suffer from head/neck pain or other TMJ – like symptoms, you may want to consider Neuromuscular treatment.

"Life changing dentistry!"

Dr. Frankel and his Neuromuscular approach have been featured on GlobalTV's Evening News "Health Care Hero" segments, and he frequently appears as guest expert on numerous radio programs. To make an appointment or consultation with Dr. Frankel about Neuromuscular options and treatment, contact the office or request an appointment at www.dtdental.com