Dr. Sarah Po :: Elite Sacramento Dentist

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Space Maintainers

Posted by: Dr. Sarah Po | Comments (0)

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

A patient asked recently, “What is a space maintainer?”. I told him that this can be vital to your child’s dental health.

If your child loses a baby tooth early through decay or injury, the child’s other teeth could shift and begin to fill the vacant space. When your child’s permanent teeth emerge, there may not be enough room for them. The result is crooked or crowded teeth and difficulties with chewing or speaking.

To prevent that, your dentist can insert a space maintainer to hold the spot left by the lost tooth until the permanent tooth emerges. The space maintainer might be a band or a temporary crown attached to one side of the vacant space. Later, as the permanent tooth emerges, your dentist removes the device. And presto! Your child is ready for a lifetime of smiles.

Keep in mind that not every lost tooth requires a space maintainer. Depending on which tooth and where it is located in the mouth, your child may or may not need a space maintainer. Talk to your dentist about your individual situation.

Thank you for reading. I encourage you to leave questions or comments below. For more information on my practice, please visit www.elitesacramentodentist.com

Your friendly dentist,
Dr. Sarah Po
Sept. 1, 2010

Source: http://www.ada.org/3011.aspx?currentTab=1

Categories : Dentistry

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School Lunches and Your Children’s Teeth

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Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

A healthy school lunch can help maintain good oral health and establish good nutritional habits in kids and teenagers. The following tips can help you learn how to prepare a lunch that best meets your child’s dental and nutritional needs.

For snacks, send fruits, vegetables or cheese in your child’s lunchbox.
The best fruit choices are those containing more water, such as: apples, grapes, pears, cantaloupes, and other melons.
Any type of aged cheese is a good choice, such as: Swiss, Cheddar or Monterey Jack. You can also use cookie cutters to cut the cheese into fun shapes. Some studies have suggested that aged cheese can actually help to prevent tooth decay.
Raw broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, cucumbers and celery are excellent vegetable choices.
Try some different healthy foods or low carb snacks that your children may like.

The following foods are sticky and/or chewy and should be avoided because they stick to the teeth and saliva is unable to wash the sugar away.

Raisins
Honey
Dried figs
Peanut butter cookies
Jelly beans
Lollipops
Hard candy

We cannot follow our children around all the time to make sure they are eating healthy and brushing their teeth, but we can have some peace of mind knowing that we are helping to promote good oral health by providing them with their nutritional needs while they are at school.

Thank you for reading. I encourage you to leave comments or questions below. For more information on my practice, please visit www.elitesacramentodentist.com

Your friendly dentist,
Dr. Sarah Po
August 18, 2010
Source: http://dentistry.about.com/od/childrensdentistry/a/kidsnutrition.htm

Categories : Healthy Teeth

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How is the Economic Recession Impacting Dental Health?

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Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

With tax revenue still declining as a result of the recession and budget reserves largely drained, the vast majority of states have made spending cuts that hurt families and reduce necessary services. These cuts, in turn, have deepened states’ economic problems because families and businesses have less to spend.

When states cut spending, they lay off employees, cancel contracts with vendors, reduce payments to businesses and nonprofits that provide services, and cut benefit payments to individuals.

Where I practice in Sacramento, the state government remains by far the largest employer and a large percentage of the population is comprised of state workers. California’s budget cuts have a significant impact on state workers and their ability to utilize the benefit of their dental insurance. Between furlows, pay cuts, and layoffs, this is detrimental to dental health overall.

In light of this, our practice has come up with several different options to help people afford their dental treatment. It is important to still utilize whatever dental benefits your employer offers you. If you are a current patient or are interested in becoming a patient, please call our office at 916-922-2027 to find out how we can help.

Thank you for reading. I encourage you to leave questions or comments below. To learn more about my practice, please visit www.elitesacramentodentist.com

Your friendly dentist,
Dr. Sarah Po
August 11, 2010

Categories : Dentistry

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Are there different types of mouth protectors?

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Thursday, August 5th, 2010

Earlier this week I discussed the advantages of using a mouthguard during any activity that could result in a blow to the face or mouth. A properly fitted mouthguard can help prevent broken teeth and injuries to the lips, tongue, face or jaw.

There are three types of mouth protectors:

Stock
Stock mouth protectors are inexpensive and come pre-formed, ready to wear. Unfortunately, they often don’t fit very well. They can be bulky and can make breathing and talking difficult.
Boil and bite
Boil and bite mouth protectors also can be bought at many sporting goods stores and may offer a better fit than stock mouth protectors. They should be softened in water, then inserted and allowed to adapt to the shape of your mouth. If you don’t follow the directions carefully you can wind up with a poor-fitting mouth protector.
Custom-fitted
Custom-fitted mouth protectors are made by your dentist for you personally. They are more expensive than the other versions, but because they are customized they can offer a better fit than anything you can buy off the shelf.

Talk to your dentist about the different options and see what works best for you.

Thank you for reading. I encourage you to leave comments or questions below. For more information on my practice, please visit www.elitesacramentodentist.com

Your friendly dentist,
Dr. Sarah Po
August 5, 2010

Source: http://www.ada.org/2970.aspx?currentTab=1#top

Categories : Healthy Teeth

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Sacramento Cosmetic Dentist, Dr. Sarah Po, Receives Testimonial

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Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

Categories : Video Testimonial

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Do You Need a Mouth Protector?

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Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

Anyone who participates in a sport that carries a significant risk of injury should wear a mouth protector. This includes a wide range of sports like football, hockey, basketball, baseball, gymnastics, and volleyball.

What are the advantages of using a mouth protector?
Accidents can happen during any physical activity. A mouth protector can help cushion a blow to the face that otherwise might result in an injury to the mouth. A misdirected elbow in a one-on-one basketball game or a spill off a bicycle can leave you with chipped or broken teeth, nerve damage to a tooth or even tooth loss. A mouth protector can limit the risk of such injuries as well as protect the soft tissues of your tongue, lips and cheek lining.

A properly fitted mouth protector will stay in place while you are wearing it, making it easy for you to talk and breathe.

Ask your dentist about having a custom mouthguard made specifically for you. This will fit well and offer the best protection for your smile.

Thank you for reading. I encourage you to leave comments or questions below. For more information on my practice, please visit www.elitesacramentodentist.com

Your friendly dentist,
Dr. Sarah Po
August 3, 2010

Source: http://www.ada.org/2970.aspx?currentTab=1#protector

Categories : Healthy Teeth

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Denture Overview

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Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

If you have lost all of your natural teeth, whether from periodontal disease, tooth decay or injury, complete dentures can replace your missing teeth and your smile. Replacing missing teeth will benefit your appearance and your health. Without support from the denture, facial muscles sag, making a person look older. You’ll be able to eat and speak—things that people often take for granted until their natural teeth are lost.

There are various types of complete dentures. A conventional full denture is made and placed in the patient’s mouth after the remaining teeth are removed and tissues have healed which may take several months. An immediate complete denture is inserted as soon as the remaining teeth are removed. The dentist takes measurements and makes models of the patient’s jaws during a preliminary visit. With immediate dentures, the denture wearer does not have to be without teeth during the healing period.

Even if you wear full dentures, you still must take good care of your mouth. Brush your gums, tongue and palate every morning with a soft-bristled brush before you insert your dentures to stimulate circulation in your tissues and help remove plaque.

Thank you for reading. I encourage you to leave comments or questions below. To learn more about my practice, click on the link www.elitesacramentodentist.com

Your friendly dentist,
Dr. Sarah Po
July 14, 2010

Source: http://www.ada.org/2996.aspx?currentTab=1

Categories : Cosmetic Dentistry, Dentistry

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Infection control – What should you expect from your dentist’s office?

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Thursday, July 8th, 2010

Concerned about contracting an infectious disease from your dental visits? Rest assured that your dentist and staff are required to follow standards of infection control.

Infection control procedures are precautions taken in healthcare settings to prevent the spread of disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), working with the ADA, has developed special recommendations for use in dental offices.

Before you enter the examining room, all surfaces, such as the dental chair, dental light, drawer handles and countertops have been cleaned and decontaminated. Some offices may cover this equipment with protective covers, which are replaced after each patient.

Non-disposable items like the dental tools or handpieces are cleaned and sterilized between patients. You may not be aware that sterilization and other infection control precautions take place before your dental visit because many of these procedures occur in another area of the dental office. Disposable items like needles or gauze are placed in special bags or containers.

Infection control precautions also require all dental staff involved in patient care to use appropriate protective wear such as gloves, masks, and eyewear. After each patient, disposable wear like the gloves and masks are discarded. Before seeing the next patient, the treatment team washes their hands and put on a new pair of gloves.

Talk to your dentist if you have further questions about their infection control procedures. Your health and safety is of utmost importance.

Thank you for reading. I encourage you to leave comments or questions below. To learn more about my practice, click on the link www.elitesacramentodentist.com

Your friendly dentist,
Dr. Sarah Po
July 8, 2010

Source: http://www.ada.org/3106.aspx?currentTab=1

Categories : Dentistry

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How do I quit using tobacco?

Posted by: Dr. Sarah Po | Comments (0)

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

Mark Twain once said, “Quitting smoking is easy. I’ve done it a thousand times.”

Quitting tobacco is difficult because all forms of it—cigarettes, cigars and spit (chewing) tobacco—contain nicotine and nicotine is the agent in tobacco that’s capable of causing addiction or dependence. However, you can quit once and for all. Here are some suggestions:

Set a date to quit and stick to it. Choose a “low stress” time to quit
Enlist the support of your family, friends and co-workers.
Ask your dentist or physician about nicotine replacement therapy for use in cessation attempts. Using these medicines can double your chances of quitting for good.
Remove tobacco and tobacco paraphernalia from your home, office and car.
Seek tobacco-free environments to curb your temptations.
Exercise. It may make you feel better about yourself and your decision to quit smoking.
When you crave a tobacco—exercise the 4 D’s:
- Delay—craving will pass in 5–10 minutes
- Drink water—it will help to wash the toxins from your body
- Do something else—distract yourself by being active.
- Deep breathing—deep inhalations and exhalations are relaxing.

Anticipate problems and have a realistic plan to deal with challenges. Call 1-800-QUITNOW or go to www.smokefree.gov for help. If you live in the Sacramento area, you can also go to http://www.sacdhhs.com/article.asp?ContentID=105 to learn more about the local Tobacco Education Program.

Thank you for reading. I encourage you to leave comments or questions below. To learn more about my practice, click on the link www.elitesacramentodentist.com

Your friendly dentist,
Dr. Sarah Po
July 6, 2010

Source: http://ada.org/3013.aspx?currentTab=1

Categories : Healthy Teeth

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Cancer Treatment and Oral Health

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Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

An estimated 400,000 of the 1.2 million Americans diagnosed with cancer each year may develop painful and debilitating oral complications from their cancer treatment. Persons who undergo cancer treatment are sometimes unaware that a dental examination is a critical step in maintaining their overall health.

Someone who is receiving radiation therapy of the head and neck area, or has a history of such treatment, may develop certain complications including dry mouth, sensitive lesions in the oral cavity, hypersensitive teeth, rapid tooth decay and difficulty swallowing. Chemotherapy can also have significant effects on the oral cavity.

To help prevent, minimize and manage such problems, your dentist and oncologist can work together—before and during your cancer treatment.

During the treatment period for head and neck cancer, gently brush your teeth twice a day unless your dentist recommends otherwise. Your dentist may recommend a mouth rinse in addition to daily brushing. If you develop a condition called dry mouth, your dentist may recommend a saliva replacement, an artificial saliva that is available over-the-counter at pharmacies. Frequent fluoride applications may also be recommended.

Because any mouth infection may have serious implications, contact your dentist or physician immediately should any occur. Your dentist and physician both want your treatment to be as safe and effective as possible.

Thank you for reading. I encourage you to leave comments or questions below. To learn more about my practice, click on the link www.elitesacramentodentist.com

Your friendly dentist,
Dr. Sarah Po
June 30, 2010

Source: http://www.ada.org/3032.aspx?currentTab=1

Categories : Healthy Teeth

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