Happy New Year

It is time to make your smile great again!

Last year was "Make America Great Again", now its your smile's turn. Almost everyone makes new years resolutions about losing weight, working out, or some other way to take care of themselves, but very rarely do I hear anyone talk about taking care of their oral health in the new year. I can't ever remember someone saying that their resolution is to floss every day, or get the much needed dental work done! What we need to remember is that our mouths are our #1 source of input into our bodies. We eat, drink and breath every day, and if our mouths aren't healthy, we are also letting bacteria into the rest of our bodies when we do.

Overall Health Starts In The Mouth

There have been numerous studies that have linked oral health to various health problems, such as Heart Disease, Alzheimer's, Osteoporosis, even problems during pregnancy! However most of us are worried about how much cardio we get, or skipping leg day, even though we forgot to brush our teeth last night(not me, I remembered). This article by the Mayo Clinic shares some more information about some of the health problems that have been linked to poor oral health.

So instead of buying that gym membership that you won't use after January 20th, put the money where your mouth is, and start saving for your health. After a few visits to the dentist and getting that treatment taken care of, you can keep it up and improve your health for years to come. Make 2019 the year that you resolve to take care of yourself!

Call your dentist now, or call us to schedule a new patient exam at (916) 781-6688, or visit our website: www.dralanpan.com

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Whitening Solutions

Hello again everyone, one of the most popular cosmetic procedures that people request is tooth whitening. There are a lot of different products out there but we will focus on a few of the basic methods and how whitening works.

Whitening works through the application of either Hydrogen Peroxide(HP) or Carbamide Peroxide(CP), which penetrates the tooth surface and breaks down the chemicals that accumulate in the tooth, causing the staining. The higher the concentration of either Hydrogen Peroxide or Carbamide Peroxide increases how quickly it works as well as how many shades whiter you get per treatment. There are many many different products out there that claim tooth whitening, but they generally fall into a few different categories:

1. Toothpastes and rinses
2. Whitening Strips
3. Take home custom trays
4. Professional In Office whitening

Whitening toothpastes and Oral rinses are made by most of the big companies like Colgate and Oral-B. There are even a few holistic brands that clai…

Oral Hygiene!

Hello again everyone! It occurred to us that after the lecture on Periodontal Disease last month, it might be a great idea to talk about prevention. Today we will go over dental Hygiene 101, the best practices, and some useful tools to keep your mouth as healthy as possible between your professional cleanings.

Order of Operations! You may not remember PEMDAS from math class, but pretty much everyone knows that you should brush, floss, and rinse with a mouthwash, but what you didn't know is that you are doing them in the wrong order! Dr. Pan recommends first flossing, then brushing, and finally rinsing with a non-alcoholic rinse. Flossing comes first because it helps to loosen any stuck food or plaque in between your teeth and down to your gums, which is then removed by brushing. Finally, the rinse helps to kill any stubborn bacteria around the gums and rinse anything you missed when you spit out your toothpaste. A family member taught her son the acronym FBS to help him remember:
F…

Chewing Ice

Lately, we have notice that many of our patients are chewing ice, so Dr. Pan was interested in finding out if there was possibly a cause. Chewing ice can have severe consequences when it comes to your teeth. Due to the temperature and hardness of the ice, it can fracture your teeth, prematurely loosen or break your dental crowns, or cause micro fractures which develop over time into sensitivity and decay.

Dr. Pan found that one possible reason for chewing ice was due to iron deficiency. Iron deficiency can cause a burning sensation in your mouth, leading to a craving(called Pica) for ice. Pica is a craving for any substance that has no nutritional value, and has other causes, but Dr. Pan was interested and concerned about the iron deficiency because it can cause other systemic issues. Iron deficiency can cause low red blood cell count(anemia), frequent infections due to suppressed immune system, hair loss, and extreme fatigue or exhaustion. Low iron has also been linked to a much hig…

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