Not really a new perspective, but definitely a different perspective.  Katy Family Dentists brings you a story of a country obsessed with flossing!

Brasil.  Home of great music, beautiful beaches and – dental floss.  Flossing is a long-standing custom or personal habit in Brasil.  If you think you can explain this one, please comment on this posting.  They really have the right idea.  Maybe this will help you adopt a new habit.  Go to a steakhouse in Rio de Janeiro or San Paulo and you will find on the wall either outside or inside the restroom – a dental floss dispenser!  Not just the finest restaurants, but the lunch spots and the family places. 

They think nothing of washing their hands and pulling out a few feet of floss from the dispenser, to take a few moments and fix their smile and their dental health. 

And, they have another innovative approach that has gained popularity in Brazil, it’s a packaging innovation called the floss card.  It is a little bigger than a business card, made of plastic, and it contains enough floss for about a week, or the next few days at least.  The floss card is available in drugstores and convenience stops for about $2 and is little bit more convenient than the small plastic box here in the US that holds a reel of floss for a bigger supply of this dental healthcare tool that is second to none.

So take the glamour and the intrigue as part of the dental floss mystique- and adopt this important habit today.  Give us a call at Katy Family Dentists for a checkup and a lesson on the quickest, most effective way to floss each day.  281 398 3432

Katy Family Dentists is here to remind you about some great preventative measures available to everybody.  Flossing is one of those health practices not to be taken for granted.  The returns are too great.  You can avoid gum disease, tooth loss, halitosis and, possibly, heart disease.  It’s all about the habit, and sometimes to create a good habit in your life, you need more information and you need a different perspective. 

More information:

A recent survey showed only 14% of 622 dental patients actually flossed daily.  60% of those who did floss were doing it wrong.  Here are five rules to follow to get the most out of this valuable habit:

1. Do it once a day (at least)  Healthy gums can actually progress into gum disease within 24 hours.  Once infection and inflammation have started, it takes days or weeks to reverse it.  The best time to floss is before bed.  Your body’s main defense against bacteria in the mouth is saliva, but during sleep your salivary glands slow down and take a rest.  Flossing before bed gets the bacteria out before your saliva glands take a break.

2. Try not to snap the floss between the teeth.  Every move should be gentle. Hard snapping of the floss tends to damage the attaching tissues where the gum meets the teeth.  Instead, gently glide the floss between the teeth, and if your teeth are too close together, use the waxed floss or the floss made from smooth plastic. When you’re in the store, look for floss made specifically for tight teeth.

3.  Use the C shape instead of simple saw motion.  Don’t just thread the floss and pull it in and out, you won’t get the real benefits of a healthy mouth.  Get into the crevice between the gum and each tooth – that is where the most harmful bacteria gathers and multiplies.  Instead, hold the floss in a C shape and cup each tooth, and each side of each tooth.  Then move the floss in and out making sure you are getting below the gumline all the way around the mouth, top teeth and bottom teeth, one at a time..

4.  Substitutes won’t cut it.  Using objects like paper clips or your fingernails or other sharp objects are a good way to gouge your gums and cause damage.  The number one tool is dental floss, either waxed or unwaxed.  In the store you can find other tools like:  round end toothpicks, plastic toothpicks with floss on the end, or a set of small picks with brushes on the ends.

5. Brushing is not more important than flossing. Studies do show that many more people brush than actually floss.  But if it comes down to choosing one or the other, flossing is the more valuable way to spend your dental care time, and that’s because the majority of gum disease begins between the teeth, and flossing is the only way to effectively reach that area.

Here at Katy Family Dentists you will discover that having a good relationship with a dentist is important for your overall health and the health of your family.  We are often reminded that the mouth is the gateway to good health, and here is how a good dentist sees it.

Regular dental visits are the best preventative strategy for avoiding oral diseases such as tooth decay and periodontal disease.  But did you know that many other diseases and conditions show early evidence of onset inside the mouth, even when they primarily affect other areas of the body?  Coming in for checkups on a regular basis is a good way to increase your chances of early diagnoses of other sometimes life-threatening medical problems.

A good dentist can get a general idea of your overall health with an oral exam, and sometimes find early evidence of diabetes, cancer, eating disorders and other health issues.

Diabetes

In the US alone, over 25 Million people suffer from diabetes.

“With diabetes, the body’s immune system is weakened and more vulnerable to infection, which can show up as inflammation of the gums and gingivitis.  This condition is connected to the presence of bacteria in plaque”  says Dr. Julie Ann Barna, Spokesperson for the Association of General Dentistry.   In addition to bacterial infections, oral fungal infections and persistent bad breath are signs worth investigating more closely, as a possible indicator of diabetes.

Oral Cancer

In the U.S. a very common type of cancer is actually oral cancer.  Here we have approximately 35,000 new cases of oral cancer reported each year.

Dr. Barna says “dentists are able to see changes in the way teeth fit together, possible thick hard spots or lumps in the mouth, and bleeding sores.”

What is interesting is that oral cancer can be tougher to spot, or to self-diagnose than breast cancer, which is an excellent reason to have your dental examination at regular intervals.   At Katy Family Dentists we look and feel for lumps or irregular tissue changes in your neck, head, cheeks, and oral cavity and we thoroughly examine the soft tissues in your mouth, specifically looking for any sores or discolored tissues.

Eating Disorders

“Anarexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and other disorders usually rob the body of vitamins and minerals,” says Dr. Barna. “These are important for oral health, and without proper nutrition, the gums tend to lose their pink color, become increasingly soft and tender, and bleed easily.”

Eating disorders that involve frequent vomiting, such as bulimia, eventually cause erosion and discoloration of the teeth from the constant contact with acid from the stomach. People who have eating disorders may also experience their salivary glands swelling up, sensitive teeth, dry mouth, and loss of tooth enamel.

Regularly scheduled dental exams help dentists to monitor your health.  Diseases harm our overall health and in addition, specific oral health issues can provide clues to determine which disease may be affecting us, and what phase of a disease a patient is experiencing.  

“Patients should inform their dentists about any and all medical conditions and medicines that may affect their oral health, as well as any changes in their medical history,” says Dr. Barna. “Remember, maintaining a healthy body includes taking care of your oral health.”

So you are in the middle of some dental work, and in between visits to the dentist you’re looking at your insurance statement and making decisions about the monthly budget.  What about this dental insurance?  Katy Family Dentists is primarily a “fee for service” dental care provider, which means we have not built up a major part of our practice dedicated to complying with the many insurance providers’ rules and procedures. 

We believe this has helped us keep our prices reasonable, and our quality of care high.

Dental insurance is a good employee benefit.  Anytime you get quality health care at a lower cost it’s a good thing.  You, like very many people need to know about how it works to make the best choices.  Your employee benefits coordinator is the best source of information on your dental insurance.  Give them a call for details. 

We can give you some tips on how the system works in general, but there are as many different kinds of benefit plans out there as there are employee benefit contracts.  Your employer negotiated a contract with an insurance provider, and prices were agreed upon which the insurance company will pay for different procedures, and the premiums were agreed upon that your employer must pay every month, to keep you “covered”.

But it is really not insurance in the traditional sense, where an accident happens and the damage is assessed and an amount is paid for that accident.  Instead, it’s simply a schedule of costs:  filling = x dollars, crown = y dollars, teeth cleaning = z dollars, etc.  And it is a list of procedures agreed to be paid for.   Your dental benefit may be listed as 100%, but it actually means 100% of a negotiated maximum cost. 

Most often these maximums are below what your dentist charges.  For example if your dentist charges $80 for an exam, and your insurance says it pays 100%, but the negotiated “UCR” rate is only $60, then they will pay the full $60 and you will need to pay the remaining $20.    “UCR” is listed on many statements and it stands for “Usual, customary & reasonable” price, but it really is simply the price the insurer will pay, for the premium agreed upon by the employer. 

So make the best of your benefits, and be aware of how the process works.  If you are also interested in cosmetic dentistry, and the wonders that come with improving your smile, your looks and your confidence – be sure to call Katy Family Dentists.  (Most cosmetic procedures are not included in the employee benefits plans!)  281 398 3432