The Arcadia Dental Arts Blog

We’ve all woken up with morning breathe: an intolerable odor that generally goes away once you brush your teeth, floss and use a little mouthwash. Most of us have also had horrible breath after eating something like onion or garlic; but again, this too is easily solved with a mint or gum. But what if your bad breath stayed with you, no matter how much you brushed or how many packs of gum you went through in a day? This is what is medically known as halitosis.

It’s no big deal when bad breath is a temporary problem; but when the problem lingers, it’s obvious that something is out of whack. Halitosis is commonly caused by poor dental hygiene and in some cases can be a sign of a brewing health problem. So what really causes bad breath?

When we eat, the food we chew and consume is broken down in the mouth. All food is eventually digested and then absorbed into the bloodstream. This means that some of the particles enter the lungs and are given off each time you breathe. At the same time, bad breath can also be caused by poor dental hygiene. Irregular brushing and flossing can allow food particles to build up in the mouth, which then causes excessive bacteria growth on the teeth, between the teeth, as well as on the gums and the tongue. These bacteria, to no surprise, stink! Certain habits, such as smoking or chewing tobacco, can also lead to smelly breath.

Health Problems – Causes and Effects

When considering halitosis, the problem can be both a cause and effect condition. For example, persistent bad breath can be caused by gum disease in which bacteria causes toxins to flourish within the mouth. Oral yeast infections and other infections can also cause bad breath. On the other hand, halitosis can be the result of certain health conditions. Dry mouth, bronchitis, diabetes, acid reflux, and respiratory infections can all cause one to have breath that reeks for days – literally!

If smelly breath has been plaguing you for some time now, don’t hesitate to call Dr. Pappas’ office to schedule an appointment. Halitosis isn’t just unpleasant; it could be the sign of a very serious infection brewing in your mouth.

When most people think of dental and oral health problems, they probably automatically picture cavities, fillings, tooth loss, gum disease, and other well-known conditions that affect the teeth and mouth; however, there are many other problems that can occur within the mouth that many patients do not know about. Take TMJ, for instance. Though not very well known, TMJ disorder is a condition that affects the jaw joint and causes a variety of symptoms including jaw pain, neck pain, headaches and others.

Generally, one of the most obvious tell-tale signs of TMJ disorder is grinding or clenching of the teeth. When the teeth constantly grind or are clenched at night – which causes excess pressure and tension on the teeth as well as the jaw joint – a patient could develop TMJ. To fix teeth grinding and clenching, patients can wear a mouth guard at night, which will protect the teeth and prevent further damage.

When a patient grinds or clenches his or her teeth, the added pressure and tension can damage the dentition, which leaves the teeth and jaw vulnerable to added damage. To ensure that damaged dentition doesn’t result in TMJ disorder, early detection and treatment is a must. Patients who recognize that they clench or grind their teeth at night should seek treatment immediately.

Don’t Let a Treatable Condition Cause More Oral Health Problems

The key to preventing TMJ is awareness. Patients should be aware of their clenching and grinding at night and need to know that treatment is a must have. TMJ disorder is a treatable condition when the underlying causes and precursors are quickly acted upon. Early detection requires the skills and experience of a dentist, such as Dr. Pappas. To learn more about TMJ treatment and prevention, call Dr. Pappas’ office today. Patients can also email us here.

In 2011 we thanked our patients who “Liked” us on Facebook by giving away 5 Sonicare electric toothbrushes. The lucky recipients were drawn at random and received their toothbrushes a few months ago.  Congratulations to Steve, Ronho, Dillon and Carrie!

We truly appreciate the testimonials our patients leave for us on Facebook and Google Places.  Not only is it nice to read, but it really helps us reach perspective new patients, something very important to the health of our practice.  Please rate us on Google and leave your comments!

We recently started carrying the Sonicare line of ultrasonic toothbrushes because we were so impressed.  The literature shows that the 31,000 brushstrokes per minute lead to much better dental health than manual tooth brushing.  We also unanimously felt that the Sonicare toothbrush left our mouths feeling cleaner than other sonic brushes that we’ve used.  If you’re interested in a Sonicare toothbrush for yourself or a family member let us know (we carry a supply of Sonicare products here in the office).

While bone is naturally very rigid, it isn’t necessarily permanent or unalterable. In fact, bone is known to be highly dynamic, as it constantly goes through a cycle of regeneration and resorption. In this latter cycle, the osteoclasts break down the body’s bones – including the jawbone – to release needed minerals, such as calcium, into the blood. However, the process is often interrupted when teeth are missing from the mouth which can lead to many negative consequences.

Jaw bone are known to keep their structure, size, and volume through natural activities such as chewing; however, once the teeth are no longer present, the body thinks that the calcium once in the teeth is no longer needed, which then causes the bone resorption process to occur. During resorption, the bone growth and maintenance stops at the site where a tooth or several teeth are missing. A section of the jaw bone that holds the teeth in the mouth, known as the alveolar bone, will no longer receive stimuli, which then causes bone resorption.

What Causes Bone Resorption?

Generally, bone resorption occurs when teeth are missing or severely damaged due to an oral deformity, trauma, or disease, such as tooth decay. Tooth extractions, periodontal disease, and dentures have also been linked to causing bone resorption in the jaw.

Bone resorption is best prevented through proper dental care and hygiene. Patients who are missing a tooth or teeth should seek out a dentist, such as Dr. Pappas, who offers dental implants. Unlike dentures, dental implants are beneficial for the health in various ways. Dental implants are anchored to the jaw bone, which allows for the natural and mechanical stimuli of biting and chewing to occur. If bone resorption in the jaw occurs for a long period of time, patients may experience pain while chewing, eating, and talking due to an ever-shrinking jaw bone.

To protect your teeth, smile, and your jaw bone, be sure to schedule an appointment with Dr. Pappas today. Dr. Pappas will ensure that your mouth, as a whole, is healthy and that your jaw bone and other connected oral bones are structurally functioning as expected. Patients can call or email our office to schedule an appointment.

It’s been a busy and fun 2011 at Arcadia Dental Arts.  We love seeing new faces at our office and we love thanking our patients who refer their family and friends!

We had a lot of exciting contests and giveaways last year. The contest that generated the most excitement was our iPad giveaway.  In the third quarter of 2011, patients that referred their friends, family, or coworkers to our practice were put into a drawing for an Apple iPad, one of the hottest gadgets of the decade!

We are happy to announce that Angela B., a long-time friend of our practice, was the lucky recipient!  Angela, we hope that you are enjoying your new toy!

For the month of January, any patients who share their experiences and rank us on Google Places will be entered in our drawing for the Waste Management Phoenix Open, one of the most famous (or infamous) golf tournaments on the pro tour.  We will be offering general admission and Greenskeeper tickets to the lucky patients whose names we draw!  (To rate us, you’ll need to set up a Gmail account if you don’t already have one, but it’s easy, fast and free)

So please, tell others about some of the great experiences you’ve had with our team.  We love reading your complements, and you just might be rewarded!

All of us have moments where we check our teeth to look for anything that may or may not be wrong. In some instances, you may be able to detect a cavity at home either by looking at your tooth or recognizing the common symptoms associated with cavities. A cavity is a sign of tooth decay that often starts as a hole that over time, if left untreated, can expand and deepen.

This dental problem can cause a variety of symptoms, including tooth sensitivity, toothaches, pain when drinking something hot or cold, as well as pain when clenching and biting. If you experience such problems, seeking help from a skilled dentist such as Dr. Pappas is ideal. Ignoring proper treatment for a cavity only increases the severity of the problem. Untreated cavities can cause infections to spread throughout the body, which can have a negative effect on your overall health.

The best way to keep cavities at bay is to take proper care of your teeth at home by brushing and flossing, as well as ensuring that your dentist offers x-ray exams to check for hidden cavities. Even to a trained eye, finding and treating cavities between the teeth is quite problematic, simply because our eyes aren’t made to look at such small places. Daily flossing, brushing, and routine visits to the dentist for dental exams and x-rays are your best bets.

In most cases, cavities can be discovered and filled almost immediately; however, there are cases where the cavity is located between the teeth and can go unnoticed for a long period of time. But, with dental x-rays, your dentist should be able to determine if you have a cavity and what type of treatment is best for you.

For dental care you can trust, look no further than Dr. Pappas. Call or email our office today to schedule a routine appointment that includes dental x-rays.

If you’ve had a dental crown placed in your mouth, you know how troublesome the process can be.  Multiple visits, messy impression materials and plastic temporary crowns that can loosen and fall off at the most inopportune moment.  The extra visits needed for recementation of temporary crowns and final crown delivery can mean more time away from work, added travel time and an extra few days of post-op sensitivity.  At Arcadia Dental Arts, a recent investment in an innovative technology has done away with some of the aggravation associated with crown procedures.

CEREC is a tool that allows us to economically restore damaged teeth in a single appointment using the same high-quality ceramic material that dental labs use.  These beautiful and strong restorations match the surrounding teeth so well that they are often difficult to see. For our patients, this means natural looking, healthy teeth without messy impressions, temporaries and second visits.  The new restoration is designed and milled with our in-house CAD-CAM technology while the patient waits.  In some cases, this can be done in around an hour!

CEREC has over two decades of clinical research and is precise, safe and effective.  In fact, it’s the same technology used by the most advanced dental labs in the world.  If you’d like more information on CEREC technology or any of the services that Dr. Pappas provides, please contact us at our Phoenix office.

Although many patients don’t think of it; the fact is our teeth and mouths say and determine a lot, both internally and externally. Our teeth not only show if we’re happy or not; healthy smiles and mouths often indicate an overall good state of health. That said, comprehensive dentistry involves more than just routine dental work, such as cleanings and fillings. Working closely with a dentist that offers a wide range of procedures can most definitely improve the quality of your life.

When most people suffering from toothaches, they will make time to visit their dentist to get a diagnosis and treatment. However, nowadays, many dentists offer a wide range of procedures that fix more than common problems. Take Dr. Pappas for example: a comprehensive dentist that not only offers general dentistry but also treatment for TMJ Disorder, gum disease, and even cosmetic dentistry. Each of these procedures can, in some way, make your life a happier one.

For example, TMJ treatment is known to make life easier and less painful. Since TMJ Disorder can cause painful symptoms that do not go away on their own, patients often experience a life full of discomfort that comes and goes. However, with TMJ treatment from Dr. Pappas, neck pain, jaw pain, headaches, and other symptoms associated with TMJ Disorder can be diagnosed and treated accordingly.

At the same time, Dr. Pappas also offers cosmetic dentistry. Though many cosmetic dentistry procedures can improve upon an existing smile, certain procedures can even be used to completely revamp the smile, which is definitely one way to increase the quality of your life.

Are you interested in a dentist that offers comprehensive treatment? Do you want to work with a dentist that can not only fill a cavity or routinely clean your teeth, but is also someone you can rely on with more serious conditions and complex treatments? If so, Dr. Pappas is a great choice! To learn more about the dentistry procedures we offer, call or email us today.

Laughing shows that you are happy, content and in an overall good mood; however, it can do more than that. Laughter has proved to be such a great thing, it has been used as therapy to help people feel better both physically and emotionally. Laughter is known to change the body psychologically as our blood pressure levels rise, which causes us to breathe faster, which then introduces more oxygen into the bloodstream. For some, laughter is truly the best medicine.

Unfortunately, though it may seem surprising, laughter can have a downside. People who laugh more are often seen as happier; but overall happiness can make people less aware of specific health conditions, especially problems such as TMJ, which causes on and off painful and uncomfortable symptoms.

Since laughter and happiness are therapies within themselves, TMJ patients who are happier may be better able to cope with the pain associated with the condition. But just because a patient doesn’t experience constant or extreme TMJ pain doesn’t mean he or she shouldn’t get help.

On the flip side, patients who suffer from TMJ may find that smiling and laughing become painful over time. Patients with TMJ often go through a downward spiral, especially as the symptoms become more and more constant. These symptoms, such as jaw pain, neck pain, and facial pain, can become a weekly or daily occurrence which then decreases a patient’s quality of life.

While laughing, smiling, and being happy are great ways to live, a positive attitude shouldn’t keep you from seeking the medical attention you need. Patients with TMJ may be able to grin and bear it temporarily, but as time passes, TMJ symptoms can negatively impact their lives and make smiling and laughing painful. To learn more about TMJ and the available treatments, contact Dr. Pappas’ office today.

For decades, health insurance has been a heated topic both in private and political debates. Some people say health insurance is a worthwhile must-have, while others see it as a scam that only eats away at their bi-weekly paychecks. When they go to a general practitioner for a routine health check-up or have to take an unexpected trip to the emergency room, many rely on their health insurance company to pay a majority, if not all of the medical costs, as long as the set deductible has been met.

In most situations where a person has health insurance, this is how everything usually pans out. But, if the same situation were applied to a dental check-up or an emergency dental situation, many find that their insurance company only pays a small percentage of the costs, which begs the question, “why?”

Though insurance companies seem to be right on par with today’s medical expenses; it seems that the same companies, when looking at dental fees, are still stuck in the Dark Ages. Past dental treatment didn’t cost nearly as much as it does now. Years ago, it only cost a couple hundred dollars for a year’s worth of routine check-ups or to have a dental crown placed. But, in today’s world, expenses for dental offices have grown immensely due to advanced techniques, products, materials, and administrative needs. These costs to the dental practice have forced offices to raise their prices for patients. What cost $1,000 then may now cost $8,000: a hefty increase.

Insurance companies also expect insured persons to choose a dentist based on cost, a.k.a Managed Care. Instead of seeking out a professional, experienced, and well-rounded dentist, insurance companies want their customers to look for the cheapest option, but many are well aware of the old saying, “you get what you pay for.” Not only do customers often lose with dental insurance, some dentists do, as well. Dentists who network with insurance companies sometimes have to deal with a 30 percent to 40 percent cut. Inevitably, these cuts affect the customer in some way.

Dr. Pappas strives to help all patients afford the dental assistance they need and desire. Our Phoenix office can help you to submit dental insurance claims, and we also work with financing providers that can help make affording dentistry a reality. Call or email our Phoenix dentist office today to schedule an appointment.