Posts Tagged ‘silver fillings’

For years we have heard of the ever-growing connections between dentistry and medicine, with articles written in many medical and dental journals. For decades dentists have looked at the increasing body of evidence that what we are doing in the mouth can affect the rest of the body.

The mountain of evidence that supports the oral health-overall health connection has seen incredible growth and advancement over the past few years.  There is no longer a question as to “if” the soft tissues in the mouth are connected to the rest of the body. For example, we can easily find evidence of gum disease-causing bacteria creating challenges in tissues throughout the body. However, the mouth-body connection is not limited to just infections in the soft tissues of the mouth. The impact of the mouth also extends to such monumental things as blood flow to the brain.

Each year we learn more and more about how poor oral health is linked to problems elsewhere in the body.  It has been linked to serious conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s Disease, respiratory diseases, and even increased risks of some cancers.  Today, more than ever, it is vital to make regular trips to the dentist a part of your plan to achieve optimal health and wellness.

At our practice we don’t just look in your mouth, we look past your mouth to see the whole picture of you individually.  Your mouth is the window to your overall health and wellness.  The state of your oral health can offer clues about your overall well-being.  Oral Health and total health and wellness are more connected than you might realize.

As we have learned more about the relationship between oral health and overall health, we have also learned much about how the materials and techniques that we use everyday can affect your overall heath as well, both positively and negatively.

At our practice, we are committed to practicing dentistry with a Biological and Biocompatible philosophy.  In using the terms ‘biological and biocompatible’ we are not attempting to carve out a new specialty in dentistry, but rather to describe an attitude and philosophy that can apply to all facets of dental practice, and to health care in general.

To us, the best way to describe Biological Dentistry is Individualized Dentistry.  It is dentistry that is completely focused on You. Not just who you are in terms of your teeth and oral health, but also who you are as a whole person physiologically, emotionally, and dentally.  Since every person does not react the same way to the same procedures, medications, or materials, why should we treat every person the same way?  We do not just treat teeth and oral disease at our Practice.  We treat People. And in our experience, every person is unique and different in their own ways.

About HPS Advanced Dental Care, PC

Dr. Heather Pranzarone Stratton is a Family and Cosmetic Dentist practicing with a Biological and Biocompatible philosophy in Shelby Township, Michigan. Our practice provides a full range of Family and Cosmetic Dentistry services for your entire family including, professional cleanings and oral cancer screenings, tooth restoration, porcelain veneers, crowns, bridges, root canal therapy, tooth whitening, and dentures.  We are a mercury free and mercury safe dental practice and latex free practice.  HPS Advanced Dental Care, PC easily serves Macomb and Oakland Counties.  We are easily accessible from many metro Detroit cities including: Shelby Township, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Macomb Township, Oakland Township, Washington, Birmingham, Troy, Sterling Heights, Clinton Township, and many more.

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Throughout the years research has shown links between poor oral health and heart disease, stroke and diabetes, as well as Alzheimer’s disease.  Now researchers from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York have found gum disease could also influence brain function through several mechanisms, such as causing inflammation throughout the body, a risk factor for loss of mental function.

 The study, reported in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, included more than 2,350 men and women who were tested for periodontitis (gum disease) and completed a number of different thinking skills tests as part of a national survey.

 What they found was among adults 60 years of age and older, those people with the highest amount of a gum disease causing bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis, were three times more likely to have trouble recalling a three-word sequence after a period of time.  Also, people who had the highest levels of this bacteria present were nearly three times more likely to struggle with verbal memory tests, and twice as likely to fail on both delayed verbal recall and subtraction tests.

 This study is another of many that have shown the importance of maintaining your optimal oral health.  Your mouth and oral health are connected to more than just chewing and eating.  Taking care of the health of your teeth and gums through regular visits for hygiene therapy will not only improve your oral health, but it will affect your overall health and wellness as well.  Call us today to reserve your time to shape up your teeth and gums.

About HPS Advanced Dental Care, PC

Dr. Heather Pranzarone Stratton is a Family and Cosmetic Dentist practicing with a Biological and Biocompatible philosophy in Shelby Township, Michigan. Our practice provides a full range of Family and Cosmetic Dentistry services for your entire family including, professional cleanings and oral cancer screenings, tooth restoration, porcelain veneers, crowns, bridges, root canal therapy, tooth whitening, and dentures.  We are a mercury free and mercury safe dental practice and latex free practice.  HPS Advanced Dental Care, PC easily serves Macomb and Oakland Counties.  We are easily accessible from many metro Detroit cities including: Shelby Township, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Macomb Township, Oakland Township, Washington, Birmingham, Troy, Sterling Heights, Clinton Township, and many more.

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At our Practice we are committed to a practicing dentistry with a biological & biocompatible philosophy.  What does that mean?  A more biocompatible approach is the hallmark of Biological Dentistry. In using that term, we are not attempting to create a new specialty for dentistry, but rather to describe an attitude and philosophy that can apply to all facets of dental practice, and to health care in general: to always seek the least toxic way to accomplish the mission of treatment, to do it while treading as softly as possible on the patient’s biological terrain, and to most importantly, treat our patients as individuals.

Biological and Biocompatible Dentistry, in short, is traditional dentistry enhanced by training in how dental procedures and materials affect the human body over the short and long term. We believe that dentistry should be based on peer-reviewed science – not on history and tradition alone.  As responsible practitioners, we must always remain open to new ideas supported by reliable research. The materials and techniques used should be biologically compatible and support the tenet of the Hippocratic Oath: “first, do no harm.”  We do not accept conventional wisdom or age-old paradigms just because things have always been done that way.  We continuously review current scientific research, explore new information and find new and better solutions to old problems.

To us, the best way to describe Biological Dentistry is Individualized Dentistry.  It is dentistry that is completely focused on You. Not just who you are in terms of your teeth and oral health, but also who you are as a whole person physiologically, emotionally, and dentally.  Since every person does not react the same way to the same procedures, medications, or materials, why should we treat every person the same way?  We do not just treat teeth and oral disease at our Practice.  We treat People. And in our experience, every person is unique and different in their own ways.

About HPS Advanced Dental Care, PC

Dr. Heather Pranzarone Stratton is a Family and Cosmetic Dentist practicing with a Biological and Biocompatible philosophy in Shelby Township, Michigan. Our practice provides a full range of Family and Cosmetic Dentistry services for your entire family including, professional cleanings and oral cancer screenings, tooth restoration, porcelain veneers, crowns, bridges, root canal therapy, tooth whitening, and dentures.  We are a mercury free and mercury safe dental practice and latex free practice.  HPS Advanced Dental Care, PC easily serves Macomb and Oakland Counties.  We are easily accessible from many metro Detroit cities including: Shelby Township, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Macomb Township, Oakland Township, Washington, Birmingham, Troy, Sterling Heights, Clinton Township, and many more.

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Did you know that every time you visit our office for your routine hygiene therapy appointment you are screened for oral cancer?  Screening for the early warning signs of oral cancer is one of the most important reasons why you should visit our office on a regular basis.  More than 34,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year. It will cause over 8,000 deaths, killing roughly 1 person per hour, 24 hours per day. This is a number which has not significantly improved in decades.  In fact, recent statistics published by the American Cancer Society indicate that while the incidence and death rates for cancers overall have decreased, both the incidence and the death rate for oral cancer have increased.  Early detection and diagnosis are essential in successful treatment of the disease.  Oral cancer is 90% curable when found in its early stages.

As your dental team, we are the front line of defense in early detection of this disease.  It is estimated that only about 50-60% of the US population visits the dentist every year.  Unfortunately, only about 15% of those who visit a dentist regularly, report having had an oral cancer screening. This is unfortunate and unacceptable in my opinion, when you consider that historically, the greatest strides in combating most cancers have come from increased awareness and aggressive campaigns directed at early detection. It is now commonplace to annually get a PAP smear for cervical cancer, a mammogram to check for breast cancer, or PSA and digital rectal exams for prostate cancer.  Oral cancer is no different.  Actually, it is easier to follow through with oral cancer screenings, since unlike many other cancer screening procedures, there is no invasive technique necessary to look for it, no discomfort or pain involved, and it is very inexpensive to have your mouth examined for the early signs of disease.

It is our goal to have 100% of our practice family screened for oral cancer on a yearly basis.  It is important to realize that a visit to our office is no longer about a filling, a crown, or “just a cleaning,” but is actually a matter of life and death. Dental examinations, when properly done and which include a screening for oral cancer will save lives.  How do we do it?  At our practice we utilize a 3 pronged approach:

1. A comprehensive visual examination of the oral cavity, head, and neck by Dr. Heather and Suzy
2. At least a yearly screening with the Vizilite Plus Oral Lesion Identification and Marking System
3. Comprehensive Oral Cancer Risk Assessment with the Previser™ Risk Assessment Software

Please help us reach our goal of screening 100% our practice family for oral cancer every year by starting with you and your family. Call our office today to schedule your regular routine hygiene therapy appointment and oral cancer screening today.

About HPS Advanced Dental Care, PC

Dr. Heather Pranzarone Stratton is a Family and Cosmetic Dentist practicing with a Biological and Biocompatible philosophy in Shelby Township, Michigan. Our practice provides a full range of Family and Cosmetic Dentistry services for your entire family including, professional cleanings and oral cancer screenings, tooth restoration, porcelain veneers, crowns, bridges, root canal therapy, tooth whitening, and dentures.  We are a mercury free and mercury safe dental practice and latex free practice.  HPS Advanced Dental Care, PC easily serves Macomb and Oakland Counties.  We are easily accessible from many metro Detroit cities including: Shelby Township, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Macomb Township, Oakland Township, Washington, Birmingham, Troy, Sterling Heights, Clinton Township, and many more.

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