Afshin Salamati, DDS, MS – Blog

Sever gum infections with bone and teeth damage is called periodontitis. It has been never been linked to heredity at least not until now. Heredity is so important whether or not you get an illness. Groups of dental scientist’s are trying to find a link between the destructive process of periodontal disease and the genes which run in a patient’s family.

If you have had a heart attack or some other related issue, one of the first things the doctors will ask is if it runs in your family’s history. Now, for people with severe gum disease, doctors are asking the same questions.

Patients who have periodontitis, their mouths look like their parents. The disease damages gums, teeth and bone. Their family history suggests that a gene or genes may be at work and finally, doctors are looking for the link.

The idea of examining these gene patterns is something that has never been done. Not every patient will respond to the same treatment. A certain grouping of genes may tell who will benefit, and who will not.

To check someone’s gene profile, doctors take a sliver gum tissue under local anesthesia, and send it to the lab for analyzing the DNA.

A gene chip separates the genes, comparing one patient to another, looking for differences to explain why a treatment improves one but not both. For most patients, surgery, brushing and flossing were the things that worked for them.

It might be 5-10 years before your dentist will take a cheek swab to send for gene analysis, but at the speed with which this kind of research is moving it may shorten the time from the lab to dentist’s office.

According to the new Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC study, poor oral health, dental disease, and tooth pain can put kids at a serious disadvantage in school. After examining nearly 1500 socioeconomically disadvantaged elementary and high schools, children in those schools have found to have a lower academic achievement and attendance records with poor oral health. Children who have reported having recent tooth pain were four times more likely to have a low grade point average – below the median GPA of 2.8 – when compared to children without oral pain according to study results. Poor oral health doesn’t just appear to be connected to lower grades, Mulligan said, adding that dental problems also seem to cause more absences from school for kids and more missed work for parents. On average, elementary children missed a total of 6 days per year, and high school children missed 2.6 days. For elementary students, 2.1 days of missed school were due to dental problems, and high school students missed 2.3 days due to dental issues. That shows oral health problems are a very significant factor in school absences. Also, parents missed an average of 2.5 days of work per year to care for children with dental problems. A factor in whether children miss school due to dental health issues was the accessibility of dental care. 11% of children who had limited access to dental care have missed school due to their poor oral health, as opposed to only four percent of children who had easier access to dental care. It is very important to maintain good oral health along with seeing Dr. Salamati every 6 months or as recommended.

For some people the dentist is a scary thought. It’s an even scarier thought with the prospect of replacing a missing tooth with a dental implant. Fortunately dental implants do not have to be as scary as they perceive to be. As a matter of fact over 70% of patients who’ve taken a survey have reported that they were either “pleased” or “extremely satisfied”. Dental implants proceed to grow in popularity as a permanent solution to tooth loss.

A majority of people are afraid of the dentist are really not afraid, they just experience “fear” or “anxiety”. For those who believe the procedure is “somewhat painful or uncomfortable” is only a little number of 33% of all people. People, who have previously received a dental implant, have reported “very little to no pain or discomfort” and that is more than half. From what information that the American Academy of Periodontology has gathered we can say that the reality is that the actual experience is nothing something to be frightened of.

A main factor of why we are afraid of the dentist is due to fear of either the dentist or a certain dental procedures that either we gained in our minds while we were in a young age and held on to it up until now. Whatever the cause may be it is very important to face your fears and overcome this fear. If your dental provider recommends dental implants it’s very important to take him or her seriously and contact Dr. Salamati so you can feel comfortable and face those fears. You will never have to fear the dentist again after meeting with Dr. Salamati. Seeing Dr. Salamati regularly and trusting his advice will help you to best maintain your oral health, and minimize expense, time, and discomfort.

Dr. Salamati will explain the procedures to you so that you will know exactly what will occur when the dental implant is placed and that will help ease your mind. If you still aren’t 100% comfortable with the procedure there are more options. Dr. Salamati has several different techniques to control pain and stress, such as medications, anesthesia, sedation, or relaxation techniques that can make your treatment virtually painless. Call Dr. Salamati today and set up your FREE Consultation. (310) 275.1090

Most would say that women tend to experience more pain than men, is that true and why? Researchers have said that the differences in anatomical, physiological, and hormonal features between a man and a woman give us plenty of reason that can explain why women tend to experience more pain than a man.  Researchers from the Journal of Orofacial Pain did a study on 11,000 patients and found that, for several diagnoses, women’s average pain score was at least one point higher than the men’s score. Even though it is only one point higher that is clinically a meaningful difference. They also found in another study that the level of pain felt by patients during an endodontic treatment is “significantly correlated” with gender and pulp status, and that practitioners should be prepared to use supplemental local anesthesia in women more often than men.  Of course, self-reports can’t account for the fact that people may define tolerable and intolerable pain in vastly different ways but the fact that a gender difference emerged from such a large number of patients suggests that the effect is real.

Periodontitis is a silent disease and people with this disease rarely experience pain, which they then do not know they even have this disease at all. To prevent this problem you should come in and see Dr. Salamati every 6 months so that he can reveal any incipient or progressive problems. If there happens to be a problem, Dr. Salamati will discuss the problem and provide you with treatment options. Other preventions would be to get regular teeth cleanings, brush your teeth correctly, and flossing daily. If you’re not sure that you are brushing your teeth correctly check out the steps below to help you keep your mouth clean and fight off gum disease and tooth decay.

The following are some recommendations for brushing:

• Use a soft-bristled brush that fits the size and shape of your mouth. Place the brush where the gum meets the tooth, with bristles resting along each tooth at a 45-degree angle.

 • Place the brush where the gum meets the tooth, with bristles resting along each tooth at a 45-degree angle. • Move the brush back and forth gently. Use short (tooth-wide) strokes.

• Begin by brushing the outer tooth surfaces, followed by the inner tooth surfaces, and then the chewing surfaces of the teeth. • For the inside surfaces of the front teeth, gently use the tip of the brush in an up-and-down stroke.

 • Brush your tongue to help remove additional bacteria.

• Flossing should finish the process. A mouthwash may also be used

Dental floss comes in many different forms such as unwaxed or extra-slippery, minty or plain. Make it a daily routine to floss. Floss is inexpensive and a good investment to help prevent yourself from getting gum disease, and not to mention help avoid other health problems.

Did you know that 1 in 12 adults have periodontitis, chronic gum inflammation and infections? It is more common than most think. Nearly half of adults at an early stage have gingivitis which you may be able to tell if you have the following red, swollen, and bleeding gums.

One of the main concerns is plaque, that colorless mix of food particles, gooey, saliva and bacteria that sticks to teeth like a magnet. Don’t worry because plaque is preventable with the following methods: Brushing and flossing. Both of them being very important but floss will help you get between the teeth where as your tooth brush might not be able to reach those areas. Floss will also whisk the plaque away from the gum line, which is where the gum disease starts. Go buy some floss today and prevent that gum disease from starting.

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Good oral hygiene consists of your teeth being clean, no debris, your gums are pink and do not hurt or bleed when you brush or floss. Bad breath is a sign that your oral hygiene isn’t very healthy or good. If you have bad breath or if your gums do hurt or bleed while brushing or flossing you want to see Dr. Salamati right away.

Dr. Salamati can help you eliminate any of the above problems. Maintaining good oral hygiene is very important to keep up and maintain. Visiting Dr. Salamati at least twice a year and among other things such as: bushing thoroughly twice a day, flossing, eating a balanced diet, and using dental products that contain fluoride will greatly decrease your risk of developing tooth decay, gum disease and other dental problems.

Below are 5 easy steps to help you practice good oral hygiene.

Spring Special! $99 ($695 Value) Treatment may also be covered by your dental insurance. Call and see if your insurance covers this for FREE. Treatment Includes: Comprehensive dental exam, Full Mout Digital X-Rays, Cleaning, & Custom made whiting trays with whitening gel.

Gum disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the supporting bone and tissues around the teeth. The inflammatory reaction is your body’s way of removing the toxins released by bacteria that live on your teeth and gums. However, when the inflammation lasts for too long or is too strong, it starts to break down the tissues around your teeth, including your gums and supporting bone. This may cause teeth to become loose and evenfall out.

Unfortunately, inflammation doesn’t only occur in your mouth. Several other serious conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis, are caused by the same chronic inflammation that causes periodontal disease.

The good news is that Dr. Salamati can help you reduce the inflammation in your mouth as a result of periodontal disease through treatments such as scaling and root planing. But you can also help to reduce the inflammation in your mouth and even in your entire body right at home.

Here are a few things you can try:

1. Exercise on a regular basis, those who maintain a healthy body weight and exercise regularly have been shown to have lower incidences of periodontal disease than those who do not exercise regularly

2. Eating the right foods like omega-3 fatty acids, such as oily cold-water fish and walnuts, have been shown to reduce inflammation in the gums.

 3. Brush your teeth twice a day and floss at least once a day. When you brush and floss it removes the bacteria on your teeth and gums that causes inflammatory response which leads to gum disease.

Dr. Salamati will ask the patient questions regarding symptoms and carry out an examination of his/her mouth.

Dr. Salamati will examine the patient’s mouth using a periodontal probe – a thin, silver stick-like object with a bend at one end. The probe is inserted next to the tooth, under the gum line. If the tooth is healthy, the probe should not slide far below the gum line. In cases of periodontitis, the probe will reach deeper under the gum line.

Dr. Salamati may order an X-ray to see what condition the jaw bone and teeth are in as well.