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There are lots of reasons that people have routinely been given antibiotics before having dental work. Over the years the guidelines for antibiotic use have changed and recently The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Dental Association came out with new guidelines for patients who have had joint replacement.
Joint replacement is pretty common. In 2010 there were more than 302,000 hip replacements and 658,000 knee replacements. Dr. David Jevsevar chaired the committee that reviewed the data about joint replacement patients and antibiotic use, “It has been long debated that patients with orthopaedic implants, primarily hip and knee replacements, are prone to implant infections from routine dental procedures.” He continued “What we found in this analysis is that there is no conclusive evidence that demonstrates a need to routinely administer antibiotics to patients with an orthopaedic implant, who undergo dental procedures.”
Does this mean that if you have always gotten prophylactic antibiotics before dental work that you won’t in the future – it depends. This decision needs to be discussed with your dentist and your physician so please don’t make this decision on your own!
When you contact Rothfus Family Dental in Medford, OR at 541-858-7994 to schedule your appointment please let us know about any changes to your health status or current medications.
Teeth that are sensitive to hot, cold, sweet or sour foods and drinks make life miserable for a lot of people. Researchers have reported in the American Chemical Society journal ACS Applied Materials a novel advance toward dealing with sensitive teeth using ideas from Mother Nature.
Our teeth become sensitive, especially as we get age, because the enamel and the underlying layer of dentin is worn away. Why does this occur? Enamel is lost over time because of acids we consume in substances like soft drinks, energy drinks and sugary snacks. There are special toothpastes and sugar free gums that can help with tooth sensitivity but the researchers wanted to find a substance that would help rebuild both enamel and dentin at the same time.
The research team got their inspiration from a sticky substance that allows mussels to attach to rocks. This is a very strong, sticky substance that stands up to water and the washing action of waves. They believed that the sticky substance could help keep minerals in contact with dentin long enough for the rebuilding process to occur. Otherwise the minerals would wash away in saliva. The scientists performed tests that involved bathing human teeth with worn enamel and dentin in a liquid containing the sticky substance and minerals. The teeth reformed both dentin and enamel. However when the teeth were bathed in minerals only, they reformed only the enamel layer.
This research might also help prevent tooth decay. When our tooth enamel is weakened, the bacteria that cause tooth decay can do their damage! This research might help both tooth sensitivity problems and tooth decay.
Please contact Medford, OR general dentists at Rothfus Family Dental today at 541-858-7994 to schedule your appointment if you are experiencing sensitive teeth or tooth decay.
Find out more about protecting your teeth by contacting
Have you ever chipped a tooth? Don’t feel bad, chipped teeth are a common cosmetic repair that we see in our practice.
The reasons for a chipped tooth range from accidents to people who grind their teeth so severely they cause breakage How we repair the damage depends on the size and location of the chip, which tooth is chipped and the overall oral health of the patient.
Options for repairing a chipped tooth include bonding or dental veneers. For a tooth that is badly chipped or cracked a full dental crown may be needed.
For smaller chips dental bonding may be sufficient. A tooth colored restoration material is bonded to the damaged surface and carefully sculpted to look just like your original tooth. The technique has some advantages and is less expensive but it is also subject to staining and may not last as long as a dental veneer.
Dental veneers are thin pieces of ceramic material that are created in a dental lab. They are matched to your tooth color and provide a very lifelike appearance. The dental veneers are bonded to your natural teeth and allow for the correction of chipped, discolored or misshapen teeth.
If you have chipped a tooth please contact Rothfus Family Dental in Medford, OR today at 541-858-7994 to discuss your treatment options.
Like the commercial says “There’s an app for that…” and we’ve found some apps to smile about. Usually you don’t think of smartphones and smiles – unless you are using your phone to take a photo of a smile…
While the apps discussed here are available for iPhones there are similar apps available for other Android and Google phones.
You know that you are supposed to brush for two minutes every morning and at night – but do you time it? There are apps that will time you while you brush your teeth – using songs from your own playlist (Brush DJ). There are apps about flossing. The Philips Zoom virtual whitening app lets you to take a picture of your smile and shows how you would look with whiter teeth and then share the photo on Facebook or Twitter. These are both free apps and the Brush DJ would be really good for kids. Give us a call about your whitening appointment!
Dental Care HD is not free, but at 99 cents it gives tutorials on brushing, flossing, contains sections about dental problems and even gives nutritional information for optimal oral health. Sounds like it could be worth the money!
Rothfus Family Dental is happy to be a part of the Medford, OR community and we invite you to “Like” us on facebook. Please contact us today at 541-858-7994 to schedule your next visit.
Are sleepy co-workers costing your company money? No, I’m not talking about time off for naps, it has been estimated that the total cost to American businesses for fatigue related incidents is about $31 billion each year. Sleepy workers can cost companies money due to errors and accidents. A recent survey suggested that insomnia was linked to a 40% higher risk of accidents that cost a company $500 or more.
This data from the American Insomnia Survey found that people with insomnia were 90% more likely to report costly accidents at work and 40% more likely to have made an expensive error on the job (researchers adjusted for age and other factors). Insomnia is estimated to be the cause of about 7% of workplace accidents overall.
Insomnia is not the only sleep disorder that leads to excessive daytime sleepiness and increased accidents! Patients with obstructive sleep apnea get to sleep just fine and they think they are getting a full night’s sleep. They don’t understand why they are so sleepy and fatigued during the day. Sleep apnea is a condition that causes the sleeper to stop breathing during sleep. This happens many times each hour throughout the night causing fragmented sleep as the patient briefly wakes to begin breathing again. They don’t remember these wakings or gasping for air during sleep. Signs of sleep apnea include snoring, excessive daytime sleepiness, overweight and gasping or choking sounds during sleep. Left untreated, sleep apnea is linked to increased risk of heart disease, stroke and mood disorders.
Sleep apnea can be treated by using a CPAP machine but many patients have difficulties using CPAP and abandon treatment. There is another highly effective treatment available from a dentist who is specially trained in dental sleep medicine. A custom oral appliance can be used to keep the airway open throughout the night is effective and comfortable.
To find out more about obstructive sleep apnea and oral appliance therapy please contact Rothfus Family Dental in Medford, OR today at 541-858-7994. We’ll be happy to schedule a consultation to find out if you are a candidate for oral appliance therapy.
What do you think about a filling that actually regenerates tooth structure? A cavity in your tooth happens when the mineral content of the tooth has been dissolved. The oral bacteria living in the plaque on your tooth surface secrete acids which eat away at the tooth. Even when a dentist removes the decay from the tooth there are still some bacteria left behind. A new filling material may change that.
Scientists at the University of Maryland are working on a new material that may change filling cavities in the future. The new fillings are designed with special antibacterial agents that kill harmful bacteria remaining in the tooth and regenerate tooth structure lost to decay. This new dental filling at the University of Maryland is still in the research stage and will be a huge leap in caring for dental decay.
Dental fillings have come a long way since the mercury based silver amalgam of yesteryear. The tooth colored composite fillings we use today not only look nicer but are far superior to those old silver fillings. Composite filling materials avoid mercury exposure for both dentist and patient, they are long lasting and don’t expand and contract when exposed to hot or cold substances like old style fillings did. This expansion and contraction often led to cracked fillings or even broken teeth.
Prevention is the key to a healthy smile but cavities can happen. When they do remember to contact Rothfus Family Dental in Medford, OR at 541-858-7994 to schedule your appointment.
Staying awake and alert during long drives is difficult for anyone, but for people with sleep apnea it can be impossible. A Texas woman just won a $3.25 million lawsuit against a trucking company because one of their drivers fell asleep at the wheel and rear ended a stopped car at 65 mph – the woman’s husband died in the accident. Evidently the driver had been terminated from a prior job because he refused to get tested for sleep apnea.
The problem of sleep apnea in the trucking industry is not a secret but what is surprising is just how common the problem is. An Australian study showed that 41% of the truck drivers there have obstructive sleep apnea. When asked, less than 5% of the drivers said they had previously been diagnosed with sleep apnea. This study only looked at Australian truck drivers but the findings that 49% smoked, 50% were obese and 36% were overweight probably would match with the American population of drivers. NPR had previously reported that up to 33% of truck drivers in the US had sleep apnea.
Sleepy transportation workers are dangerous and the problem is not limited to the people who drive the big rigs. Train operators, pilots and others all have reported experiencing a “near miss” because of fatigue. The cause of the fatigue is frequently an undiagnosed sleep disorder.
Does daytime sleepiness affect your work performance or your home life? If the answer is yes and you experience frequent daytime fatigue you may suffer from a sleep breathing disorder. Please contact Rothfus Family Dental in Medford, OR today at 541-858-7994 to schedule your consultation.
Yesterday the New York Times reported on the increasing number of preschool aged children developing cavities – lots of cavities! The story was picked up by the NBC Nightly News and is now spreading across the newswires. Hopefully this publicity will be a wake up call for everyone involved in protecting our kids teeth.
For the first time in 40 years the CDC reported an increase in cavities in kids – cavities had decreased dramatically once water was fluoridated but now people are drinking more bottled water. Other reasons for the increase include too much snacking, drinking juices and sweet beverages throughout the day, poor dental hygiene care at home and never visiting the dentist.
The Times article stated that an increasing number of children are presenting with so many cavities and decay so severe that they require treatment under general anesthesia. Decay in over half of the 20 baby teeth is not uncommon and sadly most of this decay could be prevented. Proper home care including brushing and flossing are important. Drink tap water instead of bottled or ask your pediatrician about fluoride drops. Placing sealants on the chewing surfaces of teeth help protect against decay.
It is important to bring your child to the dentist early. This enables us to gauge their current dental health and get an idea of what their dental future may hold. Children who visit the dentist early and often also avoid developing anxiety or fear about the experience because it is part of the routine.
Please contact Rothfus Family Dental today at 541-858-7994 to schedule an appointment for your child. Conveniently located in Medford, OR we love Making Smiles Happen, Daily!
Can dental X-rays predict which patients may be at risk of breaking bones at a future date? According to a Swedish study published in the journal Nature Reviews Endocinology the answer may be yes. This research showed that sparse bone structure in the lower jaw is an indicator that a person is at greater risk for bone fractures in the future.
The study used data from the Swedish Gothenburg study of women that has been running for over 40 years. The researchers believe that although the study data was about women, the same link will apply to men. The study also showed that the older the person, the stronger the link between the sparse bone structure in the jaw and bone fractures. Hopefully this research will translate into guidelines that can be used in dental offices since more people get regular dental x-rays than seek out bone density testing or other types of x-rays. A dentist could share x-ray data with physicians to help monitor those most at risk of fracture. One more reason to keep those regular dental visits and get dental x-rays when your dentist has them scheduled.
Dental x-rays are used for more than finding hidden cavities. Dentists already use the films to check on the health of the jaw bone and to look for oral cancers so they are an important part of your dental examination. Digital x-rays (radiographs) have reduced the amount of radiation drastically. You actually receive more radiation on a cross country airplane flight that you do from your dental x-rays!
Please contact Rothfus Family Dental in Medford, OR today at 541-858-7994 to schedule your next appointment. If you can’t remember the last time you had dental x-rays it is time to get them scheduled!
A British study reported that almost 90% of dental patients would like to be checked for oral cancer during their visits. Despite that number less than 20% of those surveyed said that their dentist had talked to them about the risks and symptoms of oral cancer. Hopefully dentists in the US are doing better at talking to patients about the importance of oral cancer screening than our colleagues across the Atlantic.
Oral cancer screening is a part of every comprehensive oral examination conducted here at Rothfus Family Dental. The rates of oral cancer have been increasing and it is vital for everyone to be screened regularly.
Oral cancers used to be seen primarily in older individuals who smoked and drank alcohol regularly. Unfortunately today we are seeing an entirely different group of patients being diagnosed with mouth and throat cancers — young adults. The primary cause for cancers in this age group appears to be HPV infection.
If you have not scheduled your appointment yet please contact Rothfus Family Dental in Medford, OR today at 541-858-7994. Your smile and your overall health are important, please don’t delay.
Our office is conveniently located and accessible all major roads.
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