By Dr. Matt Miller  May 16, 2012  

Over the past few years, we have seen a disturbing increase in the amount of new tooth decay found in our high school and college-aged patients. Recent studies are giving us a glimpse into  one of the causes that might be contributing to this increase in decay.

Last week, the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) issued a press release about a study that was published in May/June 2012 issue of General Dentistry, showing that the alarming increase in the consumption of sports and energy drinks, especially among adolescents, is causing irreversible damage to teeth.  Specifically, the study focused on the high acidity levels in the drinks, which cause significant erosion to the enamel, the glossy outside layer of the tooth.

A reported 30-50% of U.S. teens consume energy drinks and as many as 62% consume at least one sports drink per day.  Researchers found that damage to enamel was evident after only five days of exposure to sports or energy drinks.  Damage caused to tooth enamel is irreversible, and without the protection of enamel, the teeth become overly sensitive, prone to cavities, and more likely to decay.  These teens don’t realize that something as seemingly harmless as a sports or energy drink can do a lot of damage to their teeth.

We recommend that our patients minimize their intake of sports and energy drinks.  We also advise them to chew sugar-free gum containing xylitol or rinse their mouth with water following consumption of these drinks.  Both of these suggestions will increase saliva flow helping to neutralize the acidity levels in the mouth and return their pH levels to normal.

by Dr. Chris Miller, May 10, 2012         

Over the years, many of our patients have asked me what the going rate is….for The Tooth Fairy!?!

I guess that since we are in the “teeth” business, one automatically assumes we have a direct “hot line”to her majesty, which is definitely not the case!

By virtue, however, of our many conversations over the years with our patients here in North Texas about what the tooth fairy brings, I can pass on to you the unofficial data I have compiled.

It seems the consensus is the tooth fairy likes to reward $5 for the first tooth and $1 for each tooth thereafter.  This could fluctuate upward for the degree of difficulty or downward depending on the flaws in the tooth, like a decayed or filled tooth.  One mother reported that her daughter got $20 once because the tooth fairy didn’t have change!  Another fast thinking mother told her son the morning after the tooth fairy “failed to show” that rewards aren’t left in a room that is not picked up!  Research has also found that a $1 coin is more popular than a $1 bill!

For those who don’t  know, kids can start losing their baby teeth at the “gullible” age of 4 and can lose their last baby tooth as high as the “skeptical” age of 15.  Even at age 15, a child expecting a reward from the tooth fairy, must live by the same rules as did my children…In order to receive you have to believe!

By LeeAnn WInkler, RDH, BSDH May 30, 2012 

On a crystal clear evening the night before the Texas Rangers opening day, in the shadows of the Ballpark, with the smells of hotdogs and baseball chalk lingering in the air, Michelle Smith, Dr. Chris’s assistant,  and Monte Walker said “I do.”  Michelle was accompanied by her son Jake and Monte by his son Mahlon.  The 4 joined hands for the ceremony as family and friends looked on. After Michelle and Monte said their vows and shared a first kiss, Jake and Mahlon threw out the first pitch to begin their lives together.

by Chris Miller, DDS March 25, 2012          

Risk is defined as “the quantifiable likelihood of loss or less-than-expected return.”  We all know that risk is the part of everyday life that is almost unavoidable, but we must accept it and try to minimize it as best we can.

When I started looking into the relative risk of dental x-rays, I found two sources that monitor our exposure to radiation and quantify it to our everyday life.  They are:

• The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and
•  The BEIR Committee (Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation)                        

Each has its own way to measure our non-occupational exposure to radiation.  The ICRP measures x-ray exposure in microsieverts (mSv) and recommends that we should not be exposed to more than 1,000 mSv per year.  Using the ALARA Principal (see our previous blog on radiation) and our philosophy of minimizing radiation exposure to our patients, our digital dental x-ray exposures are:

• Digital bitewing X-rays                                                                                    5.6 mSv (Once a year)
• Digital Panoramic X-ray                                                                               24.3 mSv (Once every 3-5 years)
• Digital Full Mouth Set of X-rays                                                                   34.9 mSv (Usually on initial visit only)
• Cone Beam 3-D X-ray                                                                                 74.0 mSv (Usually only taken if a surgical procedure is expected)

To put that into perspective, the dose of background radiation one receives from traveling in an airplane is roughly 3.9 mSv per hour.  So a plane trip from San Francisco to New York exposes a traveler to 72 mSv of radiation -or- from San Francisco to Paris, 156 mSv.  If you had decay detecting x-rays for 12 straight years, it would still be less radiation than you would get in an airplane flying across the country just once!

The BEIR Committee quantifies risk in what they call Loss of Life Expectancy (LLE) which is measured in days, hours, or minutes.  For each risk it it simply estimates how much your life expectancy is shortened.  For example:

• The LLE of a cigarette smoker  is measured by the loss of……………..2,300 days
• Being overweight by 30+ pounds you lose………………………………….900 days
• Background exposure (daily living) you lose………………………………….30 days
• Drinking 2 cups of coffee a day you lose……………………………………..27 days
• Being struck by lightning you lose…………………………………………….20 hours
• A single dental -x-ray exposure you lose…………………………………2.1 minutes
• A single dental panoramic x-ray you lose…………………………………..5 minutes

Although we take your exposure to radiation seriously, I hope this gives you some perspective on the relative risk of dental x-rays.  Unfortunately, the risks we most often think about are those publicized by the media, whose coverage often omits quantification which results in an inaccurate guide to the actual damages.

For more information listen to the pocasts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OK2X1-emkWE&feature=youtube_gdata_player and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq36MZKKzpg

By Chris Miller, DDS April 16, 2012

As many of you know, there aren’t many things that Matt and I are more passionate about than Kansas Basketball!  So, since the championship game last Monday night, many of our patients have sent condolences knowing that we would be disappointed about the outcome, Kentucky 67 – Kansas 59.

 Although we need to congratulate Kentucky and their coach on an amazing season, we couldn’t be more proud of our Jayhawks.  After losing four starters from last years’ team, we had lowered our expectations for this year’s team.  They exceeded these expectations because we had underestimated their will, heart and desire!

Here are some of their accomplishments:

• KU won the BIG 12 regular season title again the 8^th straight year…by two full games!! 8str8 !
• Earned a number ‘2’ seed in the NCAA Tourney.
• Beat UNC in the regional final to advance to the Final Four.
• Came back to beat Ohio State in the semi-final to get to play for their 6^th National Championship.
• Hung in against Kentucky after being down by 19 points in the second half.

Congratulations to Bill Self and the KU Basketball team!  Are we disappointed? HECK NO!!

It’s never been a better time to be a Jayhawk! ROCK CHALK!

by Matt Miller, DDS April 16, 2012           

A study published on Tuesday, April 10, 2012, in a scientific journal of the American Cancer Society, associates yearly or more frequent dental x-rays with an increased risk of developing meningioma, the most commonly diagnosed benign brain tumor.

The American Dental Association (ADA) issued a press statement about the study and even though it notes that the results of this study are at best unreliable, it does cite the ADA’s longstanding position that dentist’s should order dental x-rays for patients only when necessary for diagnosis and treatment.

Once we at  Miller and Miller DDS make the decision to obtain radiographs, please be assured that we follow the ALARA Principle (As Low as Reasonably Achievable) to minimize the patient’s exposure to radiation.  Examples of some of the good radiological practices we utilize include:

• We use digital x-rays that emit only about 10% of the radiation used in the past when old x-ray technology and slower speed films were the standard.
• We use lead aprons and thyroid collars.
• Our x-ray units are collimated to limit the amount of scattered radiation to almost zero.
• Determining how often dental x-rays should be taken depends on the patient’s oral health condition, age, risk for disease, and any signs and symptoms of oral disease that our patient might be experiencing.

Please talk to us about why you’re getting x-rays and what we are doing to help protect you!

Click on the link below to learn about the revolutionary new way to floss.  Sonicare is introducing Breakthrough Microburst Technology with their new AirFloss.

http://www.sonicare.com/professional/dp/SonicareVideos/AirFlossComparisonVideo.aspx

For information from the American Dental Association on the Benefits and Safety of Dental Radiographs please click on the following link.

www.ada.org/3067.aspx?currentTab=1

XYLITOL

The Sweetener that Prevents Decay  

What Is Xylitol?

Xylitol is a white crystalline powder with a sweet taste.  Though unlike sugar, Xylitol has been shown to have both preventative and therapeutic effects.

Xylitol Explained

Xylitol is a naturally occurring five-carbon sugar alcohol compound that can be found in many plants, vegetables, and fruits.    Sugar alcohols are carbohydrates that resemble sugar, but without the harmful effects of sugar.  Xylitol has the same sweetness as sugar but with 40% fewer calories and none of the negative tooth decay or insulin release effects of sugar.

Preventive and Therapeutic Effects of Xylitol

Dental decay is the most common chronic infectious disease of children ages 5-17.  It is a largely preventable disease, but the large amount of sugar in our diet stimulates plaque growth and promotes tooth decay.   Xylitol is a natural dental antidote for sugar.  Xylitol also is safe for diabetics as it does not trigger an insulin reaction in the body.

â  Xylitol helps prevent tooth decay by reducing plaque formation

â  Blocks the acids that demineralize tooth enamel

â  Inhibits the growth of the bacteria that causes cavities

â  Reduces gingival inflammation

â  Has a glycemic index of 7, making it safe for diabetics to use as a sugar alternative

â  Has 40 % fewer calories than sugar

â The benefits of Xylitol can be passed from expectant mothers to their children

How do I add Xylitol into my diet?

Xylitol is a normal part of everyday human metabolism.  Our bodies produce 5-10 grams per day while metabolizing carbohydrates.  Unfortunately, since this occurs in the gut it does not provide the oral benefits.  Xylitol has been approved in over 35 countries for use in foods, pharmaceutical and oral health products.  To be most effective the use of Xylitol containing products should be spread out throughout the day.  Xylitol can be found in gum (such as SPRY which is 100% Xylitol sweetened), mints, toothpaste, candy, and mouthwashes.  Xylitol also comes in a powdered form that can be used in the place of sugar. Xylitol can be used in baking in equal amounts that the recipe calls for sugar.  Though it can not be metabolized by yeast so should not be used in recipes that call for the dough to rise.  Also it does not caramelize like sugar so can’t be used to make hard candies.

Look for Xylitol containing recipes in future blogs.

For more information on Xylitol go to www.xlear.com. 

Thanks to Susan Clark, RDHEF and Xlear for allowing us to share their information.

This year for our office Christmas party, Drs. Chris & Matt arranged for us to go on a private tour of The Ballpark in Arlington,  Home of the ALCS Champion Texas Rangers, followed by lunch at Olenjack’s Grille.   The staff had shown some real support to the Rangers during the play-offs by wearing Ranger shirts on game days.  We were so excited, we could hardly wait (some of us were even jumping up and down in anticipation).  It was a beautiful December day.  Our tour guide, Billie Ball was the best!!  What a wealth of knowledge she has about the team.  We got to go into the pressbox, one of the suites, the dugout, the batting cages, and then we went into the locker room.

Little did we kow what awaited us on the other side of the door……  We already were having the best party ever and then………

JOSH HAMILTON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He was there signing a box of fan mail.  He came over and shook all our hands. It was surreal.¬† How did we get so lucky?  He is genuinely a very nice, down to earth guy. He took pictures with us and spent about 15 minutes just talking to us.  He was trying to finish up with all of his fan mail and get it out by Christmas.  This was the best party ever!!!!