We are walking to support MS in Virginia Beach.

You can donate your time and walk with us.

 Or donate $10 and give to help research and support services

and programs for National MS society.  Partners In Dental Health

is walking at Mount Trashmore April 15th.

You can come to one of our offices in Virginia Beach or Norfolk

and donate with credit card or cash/check.

Or you can Donate online here

Removing metals and mercury from our patients mouth is performed by the guidelines of the IAOMT to reduce the exposure to mercury vapor or heavy metals.

By far the most exposure to mercury vapor can occur during the removal of dental amalgam fillings.

In our Virginia Beach and Norfolk offices we uses specialized air filters and suction to reduce the airborne vapors.  We protect the patient with oxygen and the staff with respirators.  When possible we will isolate areas of the mouth to further reduce exposure.

The smart approach is a preventative approach and at Partners In Dental Health we try to be a good steward of your oral and total body health.

The KOR Whitening system takes the uncertainty out of removing stains from your teeth.

There are a lot of products out there to bleach your teeth but which one is worth it and will it work?  Will my teeth be really sensitive?  Worse, will bleaching my teeth, damage my teeth?

KOR Whitening products were developed by a dentist with an innovative approach to the chemistry of Peroxide to overcome previous technique mistakes.

Its simple:  Get a specialized well fit bleaching tray that prevents any saliva from touching the Peroxide.

Use a high quality Peroxide that is safe for the mouth and will last a long time.

Use an effective desensitizer to protect and enhance the bleaching process.

Here is an example of KOR Bleaching on a patient with Tetracycline stains.

Bleaching your teeth is safe and will not damage your teeth.  The process is simply removing microscopic stain particles from the slightly larger pores in your teeth.  The structure of the tooth is maintained and unchanged.

Would you like a whiter smile?

Dr. Mathew Kent

Courtesy of KOR Bleaching

Partners In Dental Health has teamed up with Muscular Dystrophy.  Brandi is our valiant spokeswomen to help raise $3000 for the children and adults with Muscular Dystophy.  Its an easy goal we can reach by Sept 15 and we need your help.

For example it is an important factor in the healing of wounds and formation of teeth.

It is a basic constituent of collagen, a cement like glue, that literally holds the body cells together.

It is a safe detoxifier.

It has been shown to be effective in treating the common cold at the proper doses of Vitamin C (Dr Linus Pauling).

Studies have shown there is a connection between vitamin C intake and a person’s ability to maintain a proper level of blood sugar (glucose)

Vitamin C promotes the integrity and strength of capillary walls and helps prevent a person from bruising easily.

The International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (www.IAOMT.org) includes in their protocol the use of Vitamin C after mercury filling removal because of its detoxifying qualities.

The more toxic our environment, the more we need vitamin C, especially of persons who smoke or live and work in highly polluted areas.

Vitamin C, however, is the most perishable of all vitamins.  Cleaning, slicing, cooking, peeling and boiling of fruits and vegetables promote loss. Other contributors to loss are air, sun, water and a prolonged storage.  Experts agree it is practically impossible to get too much vitamin C. Vitamin C is water soluble and the body loses it quickly. Any excess is simply washed away in the urine.

It is important to get adequate amounts daily of Vitamin C since the body cannot store it. Many nutritionists recommend a daily amount of
1000mg.

Following mercury removal a comprehensive heavy metal cleansing program should include, 5000 mg of Vitamin C for 3 days. If you are suffering from a cold or flu, 1-3000mg daily is recommended.

A high quality chelating system should follow that removes heavy metals that collect in your organs or intestinal tissue.  Heavy Metal Max is the easiest high quality system.

Dr D Kent

Composite Filling

Composite resin is a biocompatible material that is commonly used as a filling material and even reconstructing a tooth or creating crowns with the resin.  This has a compressive strength of 250 -300 Mpa.

Porcelain is a Biocompatible material that is stronger then composite resin and can be used for indirect procedures, such as Crowns or Large fillings that require making an impression of the tooth.  They have a flexural strength of about 400 Mpa.

All Ceramic Crown

Zirconium oxide is a Biocompatible ceramic material that is stronger then Porcelain and can be used for Crowns. They have a flexural strength of 1200 -1400 Mpa.  They cause less wear to the opposing teeth then porcelain ceramic material, yet are not as natural looking for front teeth.

Zirconium Crown

Your natural back teeth that grind and help you chew can generate up to 1000 psi  and over time natural teeth can break or crack.  Below is a link comparing convention porcelain fused to metal crown to the newer Zirconium crowns.

Video

How to Clean Your Baby’s Mouth

• Be prepared! Have a soft, wet cloth (gauze) or facecloth right beside you.
• Hold the child in your arms. Wrap the damp cloth or gauze around your pointer (index) finger.
• Gently wipe the child’s gums from back to front, rubbing them and taking away any leftover milk or formula.
• A small wet and soft toothbrush can be used as soon as teeth begin to appear in the child’s mouth.

Elevated dental plaque acid is a risk factor that contributes to cavities in children. But eating bran flakes with raisins containing no added sugar does not promote more acid in dental plaque than bran flakes alone, according to new research at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Some dentists believe sweet, sticky foods such as raisins cause cavities because they are difficult to clear off the tooth surfaces, said Christine Wu, professor and director of cariology research at UIC and lead investigator of the study.

But studies have shown that raisins are rapidly cleared from the surface of the teeth just like apples, bananas and chocolate, she said.

In the study, published in the journal Pediatric Dentistry, children ages 7 to 11 compared four food groups — raisins, bran flakes, commercially marketed raisin bran cereal, and a mix of bran flakes with raisins lacking any added sugar.

Sucrose, or table sugar, and sorbitol, a sugar substitute often used in diet foods, were also tested as controls.

Children chewed and swallowed the test foods within two minutes. The acid produced by the plaque bacteria on the surface of their teeth was measured at intervals.

All test foods except the sorbitol solution promoted acid production in dental plaque over 30 minutes, with the largest production between 10 to 15 minutes.

Wu says there is a “well-documented” danger zone of dental plaque acidity that puts a tooth’s enamel at risk for mineral loss that may lead to cavities. Achint Utreja, a research scientist and dentist formerly on Wu’s team, said plaque acidity did not reach that point after children consumed 10 grams of raisins. Adding unsweetened raisins to bran flakes did not increase plaque acid compared to bran flakes alone.

However, eating commercially marketed raisin bran led to significantly more acid in the plaque, he said, reaching into what Wu identified as the danger zone.

Plaque bacteria on tooth surfaces can ferment various sugars such as glucose, fructose or sucrose and produce acids that may promote decay. But sucrose is also used by bacteria to produce sticky sugar polymers that help the bacteria remain on tooth surfaces, Wu said. Raisins themselves do not contain sucrose.

In a previous study at UIC, researchers identified several natural compounds from raisins that can inhibit the growth of some oral bacteria linked to cavities or gum disease.

Source: University of Illinois at Chicago

Did you know that the ocean covers 71% of our planet?  There are more than 100 fish teeth in the ocean for every single animal tooth on land!  Dolphins have 96 teeth and whales have more than 1,000. Barracudas have several rows of teeth, and so does a shark. Sharks eat all day long, they never brush, they never floss, and they never see the sharky hygienist!

There has never been a single cavity found in the ocean!  In fact, on land we find only two groups of animals that experience tooth decay:  Human beings (and their domestic pets), and bears.

Have you figured out why so many people have needless cavities that require fillings?  There are two reasons.  First is our diet.  Bears eat gallons of honey at a time.  In over 22 countries, humans consume more than 120 pounds of sugar a year-per person!  This causes a lot of tooth decay.  Dogs and cats in the wild never get a cavity; but when you feed them human food, they can get cavities.  In some countries, like China, most people eat such small quantities of sugar that entire cities are cavity free.  In fact, guess which country has the most cavities per person.  That’s right:  The United States of America.  So, if you never want another cavity, quit consuming sugar!

The second reason that fish don’t get decay is  that the ocean is one part per million fluoride solution.  Fluoride is the 13th most common element on the planet.  Fish and their teeth are constantly soaking in a fluoride solution!  This is why cities around the world adjust the fluoride in their drinking water to that of the ocean.  Make sure that your children’s growing teeth are not deprived of fluoride benefits.  Reverse osmosis home water filters take all the fluoride out of the water; activated charcoal filters leave it in.  (If you are not sure about the exact fluoride level in your water, bring a sample in to us and we will check it for you.  You can also buy mineral water with fluoride in it, or obtain supplements, from your dentist or pediatrician.) ADA fluoride facts

Once your teeth are formed, don’t forget your fluoride treatments every six months at the time of your regular cleaning appointments, which will reduce decay significantly or get custom fluoride trays and an at-home fluoride solution from us.  If used properly one time per week for four minutes, this will prevent nearly 100% of decay-provided you also quit consuming sugar.

Lastly, ask about dental sealants, which if applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth prevent decay on the chewing surfaces nearly 100% of the time.  In these days of modern preventative dentistry, people who get cavities must really want them-because they’re hard to grow!

In conclusion, don’t tell yourself or believe that your family has bad teeth.  Instead, know that your family consumes so much sugar that their teeth are rotting.  Do not think that just because you have your teeth fixed you can neglect them.  Studies by the American Dental Association show that most crowns only last about eight and a half years.

The dentist can fix your tooth, but only you can change the behavior that led to the cavity in the first place:  cut back on the sugary soft drinks, candy and gum; and try to eat more of what all the other animals that have perfect teeth eat.

Dr. Davis

Dr. Dean Kent