Sleep apnea is a dangerous disorder that affects individuals during the night, causing the sufferer to stop breathing numerous times during sleep. Breathing can stop for as long as several minutes before the brain triggers the body to wake up and resume breathing. Often considered a disorder that plagues the overweight, sleep apnea can affect even the most fit individual and can cause serious health concerns, and sometimes, even death. At my dental office in Modesto, we’d like to educate you on a few signs and symptoms of sleep apnea, explain its dangers, and talk about the importance of getting treated.

One of the most common symptoms of sleep apnea is chronic snoring. While snoring has been long labeled as simply a nuisance, it can actual indicate that something is seriously wrong. Snoring typically occurs when the soft tissues in the back of the throat collapse, making it difficult for air to pass through and reducing the amount of oxygen delivered to your organs. Individuals who have sleep apnea may snore loudly, and then actually stop breathing for periods of time. The body will then wake the person and breathing resumes. This can happen hundreds of times a night.

People with untreated sleep apnea often report:

• Excessive daytime sleepiness and even unintentionally falling asleep during the day
• Waking up feeling unrefreshed
• Insomnia
• Waking up choking or gasping for breath
• Chronic fatigue

If you or a snorer you know have experienced any of these signs, it’s important to get checked for sleep apnea to stay healthy.

Sleep apnea has been linked to several serious health conditions including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, increased risk for car accidents caused by drowsy driving, diabetes, depression, and several other concerning problems.

At my dental office in Modesto, we strongly encourage anyone who may be experiencing sleep apnea to get checked as soon as possible. Once an official diagnosis is complete, suggestions for your treatment may include a CPAP, a mask that’s worn during the night and forces air into your nose or mouth; a mouthpiece that’s designed to keep your airway open; or a combination of the two. Whatever treatment is right for you, it’s important to follow through on getting treated appropriately. It just might save your life.

Serving patients in Modesto, Riverbank and Oakdale.

While some urban legends are meant to scare and haunt us in our sleep, other legends can actually affect your health. Some of these legends revolve around the world of dentistry and at my dental office in Modesto, we want to set the record straight on some common misconceptions to let all of our patients know the truth and to relieve any potential fears.

Dental Cleanings Cause Tooth Sensitivity

One of the most bothersome legends is that dental cleanings cause tooth sensitivity because the “scraping” is too hard and it’s done too often. The team at my Modesto dental office not only wants to make sure that this myth is debunked, we also want to explain the importance of regular cleanings and how sensitivity actually happens.

Regular cleanings with your dentist in Modesto are extremely important to your oral health. They make sure dangerous plaque is removed, that your gums and smile are healthy, and that there are no problems lurking in your mouth. They most definitely do not cause sensitivity. Tooth sensitivity is most commonly caused by gum disease (which can be avoided and treated with regular cleanings), brushing too hard, or eating too many acidic foods.

Root Canals are Extremely Painful

In fact, root canals often relieve extreme pain, not cause it. Root canals are needed when a tooth becomes infected or badly decayed – two things that can cause a whole lot of pain. The truth is, many people who have had a root canal experience little or no pain. The discomfort that’s often experienced with a root canal is the pain before the procedure is actually done, not the root canal itself.

Coca-Cola Dissolves Teeth

This legend states that a cup of Cola will dissolve a tooth overnight. While coca-cola can be bad for your teeth due to its acidity, it won’t completely dissolve a tooth overnight. Coca-Cola and other sodas are full of sugars and acid and can absolutely cause damage and discoloration to the tooth enamel. For this reason, at my dental office in Modesto, we always encourage our patients to drink more water.

With so many urban legends out there, the best thing we can do is research what we hear before jumping to any conclusions. There are plenty more dental urban legends than we have talked about here, so if you hear anything that doesn’t sound quite right, just call my Modeto dental office. We’ll be sure to explain the truth to you and get you smiling again.

Serving patients in Modesto, Riverbank and Oakdale.

Dental problems can happen anytime, anywhere. Even when you’re on vacation. Whether it’s a broken tooth, a lost filling or crown, or even a knocked out tooth, there are things you can do to keep your dental problem from ruining your vacation. At my Modesto dental office, we’re full of tips and tricks that can help.

If you’re planning a vacation out of town, the first step you can take to help avoid dental problems is to schedule a visit with your Modesto dentist before you leave. A pre-vacation checkup will make sure your mouth is healthy and no potential problems are lingering, just waiting to explode when you embark on your relaxation getaway. Even if you do schedule a checkup before your trip, there is still a chance a dental problem will occur.

One of the best ways to deter a dental emergency while on vacation is to be careful what you eat. Popcorn, sticky sweets, and ice cubes are all dangerous for your smile and can cause some unwanted problems. You should also avoid using your teeth to rip open packaging or to hold objects when your hands are full.

If a dental emergency does happen, following the tips below can help keep your vacation intact.

Dental Emergency Tips:

• Chipped or Broken Tooth – First rinse the mouth and any broken pieces with warm water. Relieve any bleeding by applying gauze and a little bit of pressure to the area. Swelling and pain can be reduced with a cold compress.

• Knocked Out Tooth – Act fast. If you can find the tooth, only handle it by the tooth crown, not the roots. Try to replace the tooth into the socket. If you can’t, place the tooth in milk and get to a dentist. Your tooth has the best chance of survival if it’s returned to the socket within an hour.

• Object Stuck Between Teeth – Whatever you do, don’t use anything sharp when attempting to remove the pesky piece. Simply use some floss to gently wiggle between your teeth and dislodge the particle.

• Lost Filling – Dental cement found over-the-counter, or sugarless gum (it has to be sugarless or it can cause pain!), can temporarily fill a cavity.

• Soft-Tissue Injury – These types of injuries tend to bleed easily and for awhile. Try rinsing your mouth with warm salt water to clean the wound, then hold a damp piece of gauze to the site of injury while applying some pressure. Pair that with a cold compress on the side of the mouth.

Planning your summer vacation? Give my Modesto dental office call to schedule a visit before you leave! We’ll make sure your smile is vacation ready, healthy, and ready for the getaway. We can also talk about more dental emergency tips at your appointment.

Serving patients in Modesto, Riverbank and Oakdale.

Almost all of us have experienced a toothache. The pain and inconvenience often associated with a toothache is enough to really put a kink in your plans and your life. And while we’re always happy to help relieve toothache pain at my Modesto dental office, a toothache can also strike on a weekend or at night when we aren’t open. If this happens, here are some tips you can try to help ease the pain of a toothache.

Before we launch into what is alright to use for a toothache, all of us at my Modesto dental office feel strongly that we need to urge you to not try one common remedy. People often place Aspirin directly to the painful area. Don’t do this! Since Aspirin is an acid, it can burn your gums and cause greater harm to your mouth. If you’d like to use a pain reliever like Aspirin, just swallow it.

Some at-home remedies you can try include:

• Onion: Some people believe that a piece of raw onion placed on the affected area can ease the pain of a toothache. However, this remedy will probably cause you to have onion breath.
• Salt Water: Mix a cup of warm water with a tablespoon of salt and swish it around in your mouth. The mixture can actually pull the fluid away from the affected area and reduce pressure on the nerve endings. Do not swallow the mixture. Repeat as needed.
• Cloves: Oil of Cloves is actually a common ingredient in a lot of dental products. It has antimicrobial properties as well as pain-relieving properties that can help reduce a toothache. All you need to do is mix 2-3 drops of clove oil with olive oil or another cooking oil and soak a piece of cotton with the liquid. Then place the cotton on the bothersome area and bite down.

Although these few tricks may help with your pain, it’s important to know that a toothache is your mouth’s way of telling you that something is not right. Please don’t ignore it! It’s never wise to assume that easing the pain is enough. In its early stages, a toothache could be the result of a minor dental problem that’s easily fixed by your Modesto dentist. If let go, a simple problem can turn into something major and can even begin to affect the rest of your body.

If you’re experiencing a toothache, don’t assume that it’s not a big deal and don’t let it go! Call my Modesto dental office as soon as you can. We can help you determine what’s causing the pain and get it fixed for a healthy, pain-free smile.

Tooth grinding, also known as bruxism, affects around 30 million children and adults. And most of the time, those individuals don’t even realize that they’re doing it! Sometimes it happens only at night. Other times, subconsciously throughout the day. While grinding or clenching your teeth may not seem like a big problem, it can actually cause damage to your smile and makes visiting my dental office in Modesto even more important.

While bruxism is often viewed as a habit, or a result of stress, it can be caused by other things as well. For example, your teeth grinding can be a result of having a bad bite, or when your teeth do not line up or come together properly. Bruxism can also break restorations, cause damage to teeth, and wear away enamel. That’s why if you’re a grinder, it’s important to see your dentist in Modesto.

Chronic teeth grinding or clenching can not only cause damage to teeth and lead to tooth sensitivity, it can also be the reason for jaw pain, TMD (temporomandibular disorder), headaches, and facial pain. But if a lot of people who are chronic clenchers or grinders don’t realize they are doing it, how can they tell if some of their pain is a result of bruxism?

You may be suffering from bruxism if you experience any of the following:

• Unexplained contractions of the jaw muscles
• A grinding noise at night as described by someone you share a bedroom with
• Morning headaches
• Tight or painful jaw muscles
• Pain in the face
• Damaged teeth or injured gums

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s important to schedule a visit to my Modesto dental office as soon as you can. We will examine your mouth and check your bite. We may also take x-rays of your jaw and mouth to determine what the cause of your bruxism is. My team and I will then make the best recommendation to fix the problem. Several treatment options are available and can include using onlays or crowns to reshape the bite surfaces of your teeth, and making a mouth guard that fits over your smile and prevents further damage.

Don’t live with the pain of being a tooth grinder. My dental office in Modesto can help protect your smile and ease your pain. Give us a call today!

Many people walk to the fridge, pull out a can, and pop open the tab of a quenching can of diet soda when they’re thirsty. It’s better for you because it’s diet and there is no sugar in it, right? While you’re correct in the fact that there’s no sugar, it’s not necessarily better for you. At my dental office in Modesto, we want everyone to be aware that diet soda can be detrimental to your teeth.

In fact, excessive consumption of diet soda can cause damage to your smile similar to the damage caused methamphetamine or cocaine. All of them have high levels of acid, and acid can cause damage to tooth enamel. With the loss of tooth enamel, smiles are at greater risk for developing cavities, discoloration, sensitivity, and other damage like cracked or broken teeth. By keeping up on regular appointments with your Modesto dentist, you’re able to better protect your smile from the damaging effects of dangerous acid.

Even if you do maintain a healthy at-home hygiene routine and keep up with visits to my Modesto dental office, you’re still at risk for an unhealthy smile if you drink a lot of soda or use illegal drugs.

The similarity between diet soda drinkers and illegal drug abusers was found in a study published in a 2013 edition of the Academy of General Dentistry journal, General Dentistry. The study took three volunteers with different backgrounds and examined the damage of their teeth. One individual was a former cocaine user, another was a current methamphetamine addict, and the last was an excessive diet soda drinker. The results of the study showed strong similarities in the oral health of all three.

If you’re overdue for a dental checkup, or if you’re addicted to soda, already have damage caused by soda, or even damage caused by a past drug use, call my dental office in Modesto. We’ll conduct an in-depth exam, get to know you, and work with you to get your smile healthy and looking great.

Cancer treatment can cause some unwanted side effects in your body. It can also cause some dangerous problems in your mouth. Many of oral health side effects that occur as a result of chemotherapy can cause treatment to be delayed or even stopped. And when dealing with a serious disease like cancer, a proactive and regular treatment schedule is important, so decreasing the likelihood of these side effects is crucial to successful treatment. If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with cancer and will be starting treatment soon, it’s important that you see your dentist in Modesto about a month before treatment begins.

Chemotherapy drugs kill cancer cells. But they also harm normal cells in the body and mouth. When chemotherapy treatment negatively affects the cells in the mouth, side effects can include dry mouth; pain; difficulty eating, talking, or swallowing; and burning or swelling of tongue. Chance of infection also increases, which can be very dangerous when undergoing cancer treatment.

A checkup at my Modesto dental office prior to cancer treatment can help prevent these painful mouth problems and keep your treatment on schedule. Often, many of the oral health side effects that occur from cancer treatment happen to unhealthy mouths. And while not all side effects can be avoided, visiting your Modesto dentist prior to treatment ensures that your mouth is better protected from the dangerous side effects.

An appointment with us is crucial to getting your mouth in its most healthy state and ready for cancer treatment. When you arrive, we’ll check for any oral health problems, perform an in-depth exam, and thoroughly clean your teeth. We’ll also talk to you about the best way you can help make sure your smile stays healthy throughout your treatment.

An early dental appointment to make sure your mouth is healthy is one of the first steps to a successful treatment. If know someone who has been diagnosed with cancer, please give my dental office in Modestoa call as soon as you can. We’d love to be a part of your health care team.

Typically you’ll find useful educational information in our blogs. And sometimes we’ll even talk about certain dental conditions and how you can help keep them at bay. But it’s not always so clinical here at Vintage Dental in Modesto. In fact, we like to make dentistry for our patients enjoyable too, so we’re taking a different approach for this blog and sharing some fun and interesting dental facts.

• On average, people spend approximately 48 seconds a day brushing their teeth. And while we’re happy to hear that they’re brushing, 48 seconds is just not long enough! The Academy of General Dentistry recommends spending at least 2 minutes brushing each and every time, at least twice a day.

• Have you ever stopped to think how much saliva you produce? Surprisingly, the typical person produces about 25,000 quarts of saliva during their life. That’s enough saliva to fill 2 swimming pools! And the point to all that saliva? It actually helps neutralize acid and keep tooth decay away.

• Your teeth are pretty amazing things if you think about it. From having prints that are unique to you, to beginning the digestion process through chewing, your teeth are responsible for a lot. That’s probably why your enamel is the hardest substance in your body! But they aren’t to be used as tools to open or rip anything. Doing that can lead to broken or chipped teeth in Modesto.

• Say cheese! Yes, cheese! Cheese is good for your grin — the calcium and phosphorous in cheese actually reduces the pH level in plaque and helps to remineralize enamel.

At Vintage Dental in Modesto, we’re all about getting and keeping your smile in tip-top shape while educating you along way. But we’re not just here to teach and guide; we also like to make dentistry fun. If you’re looking for a dentist in Modesto, or if you’re overdue for a check up, give us a call to schedule an appointment today. We’re sure to make you smile!

We all have the common knowledge that cavities are bad for our teeth. However, even though we know that cavities should be avoided, there are some widely accepted beliefs about cavities that are actually myths. At the Modesto dental office of Vintage Dental, we want to alleviate some of the confusion that goes along with trying to separate cavity myths from reality.

One of the most commonly accept myths about cavities in is that sugar is the #1 cause. While there is a bit of truth to it, the sugar itself doesn’t cause the decay. It’s actually the acid that’s created when carbohydrates like sugar are eaten. When you eat carbohydrates, the bacteria in your mouth are triggered to make acid. It’s this acid that makes eating sugar and other carbohydrates so dangerous for your smile — it eats into your teeth creating cavities.

A second myth that we’d like to debunk is that cavities in baby teeth are nothing to worry about. In reality, if cavities in baby teeth are left untreated, they can develop into abscesses and can cause a lot of pain. Additionally, not only will it be painful, the infection can also actually spread to other areas of the body.

An alarming myth for our Modesto dental office is the one that states you’ll know when you have a cavity. In reality, mild tooth decay doesn’t have any symptoms. It’s when the decay becomes more advanced and begins to cause nerve damage that you can feel pain. This is one reason keeping up with exams in our Modesto dental office is so important. If we can catch a cavity before it causes pain, we can not only keep you pain free, we can also help you avoid more in-depth procedures like a crown or even a root canal.

If you’re overdue for a check up, call Vintage Dental today. We’ll perform a comprehensive exam, work with you to treat any cavities that may be developing, and get your smile healthy and pain free.

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, all of us at the Modesto dental office of Vintage Dental want to talk a little bit about whether kissing is good or bad for your smile and how it can affect your oral health.  Even though taking a lesson in kissing from your dentist in Modesto may seem odd, we are the experts at keeping your mouth healthy.

We all know that we can catch colds from a kiss. But did you know that the act of kissing can also potentially lead to dangerous dental concerns? The same way that a cold virus can transfer from one person the other, other types of bacteria, and even some dental diseases, can be caught through kissing. Many of the most common oral problems that can be caught through kissing include cold sores, Mononucleosis (or Mono, the kissing disease), and gum disease.

Now that we’ve made kissing a bit scary, let’s talk about some of the benefits to kissing. Believe it or not, kissing serves as more than just a way to show someone that you love them. In fact, kissing increases saliva flow, which is a good thing for your teeth and mouth. Increased saliva helps to remove plaque and wash it away. Kissing can also improve your mood and strengthen your relationship, which is always good for your overall health.

So before you launch into some serious smooching with your loved one this Valentine’s Day season, make sure both of your mouths are healthy. The best way to ensure a kissable mouth? Maintain routine professional cleanings and checkups with your dentist in Modesto. These important visits help keep bacteria at bay and are great at aiding against gum disease. Need to schedule a cleaning or checkup? Call Vintage Dental today!