Can I Brush Too Much?

Dr. Koshki is often asked this question. We turn to our friends at Delta Dental to help us answer:

Watch out for too much of a good thing!

Brushing regularly is considered vital for healthy teeth and gums, but dental experts warn that you can overdo a good thing. Known as “toothbrush abrasion,” over brushing can lead to sensitive teeth and receding gums.

Vigorous brushing can wear down the enamel on the teeth as well as damage and push back the gums, exposing the sensitive root area. Receding gums can also lead to other dental problems such as periodontal disease and cavities on the roots of the teeth and may lead to the need for treatments such as fillings, root canals and tooth extraction. According to the Wall Street Journal, dentists estimate that between 10 to 20 percent of the population have damaged their teeth or gums as a result of over brushing.

The people most at risk for tooth or gum damage from over brushing are those who are particularly diligent about their oral care and those who use medium- or hard-bristled toothbrushes. Other factors, such as a genetic predisposition to receding gums, clenching or grinding your teeth or having had your teeth straightened with braces, can increase your risk for damage from over brushing.

Brushing vigorously isn’t necessary to remove plaque. “Plaque is so soft that you could remove it with a rag if you could reach all the surfaces where it hides,” says Dr. Kevin Sheu, managing dental consultant for Delta Dental. “Thoroughness is what is required for plaque removal, not aggressive brushing. You’re not going to achieve any extra benefit by brushing hard.”

Changing brushing habits can usually stop the problem from getting worse. In cases of severe toothbrush abrasion, Dr. Koshki can fill in the grooves with bonding material.

Dr. Koshki and his hygienists recommend soft bristle toothbrushes, or better yet, use a DiamondClean by Philips Sonicare for the most thorough yet gentle teeth cleaning action available.

brush

OCTOBER is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease. While most people are aware of breast cancer, many forget to take the steps to have a plan to detect the disease in its early stages and encourage others to do the same.

Dr. Koshki encourages monthly self examinations, frank discussions with your physician and timely mammograms. A healthy lifestyle is vital and to help, Dr. Koshki is offering $20 off of our Sonicare DiamondClean – Pink Edition during the month of October.

breast walk

CRP Training Is For Everyone

Dr. Koshki and his Team have just completed their biennial CPR and Basic Life Support training and re-certification. It’s important for all healthcare providers to be prepared to handle a medical emergency, in fact, it’s the law.  Dr. Koshki urges all of his friends and patients to get their certification too.

CPR saves lives. More than 300,000 people have cardiac arrests in the United States every year.  Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when an electrical rhythm problem occurs and the heart is no longer able to pump blood effectively to the rest of the body. You might see a person suddenly collapse, lose consciousness, and stop breathing. The longer the body goes without circulation, the lower the chance of survival. By performing CPR, you are able to help the person’s blood keep circulating until an ambulance arrives and more advanced tools can be used. We know that the chance of surviving a sudden cardiac arrest increases significantly, by more than double, when CPR is started early. Contact the American Heart Association or Red Cross for CPR certification – your training could save the life of someone you love.

CPR

About Periodontal Disease

OH NO: Dr. Koshki just told me that I have gum disease…..

Symptoms of periodontal disease include red and swollen gums, persistent bad breath, and receding gums and loose teeth. Smoking, certain illnesses (such as diabetes), older age, and other factors increase the risk for periodontal disease. Without proper treatment, periodontal disease can lead to tooth loss.

perio class

Often called a deep cleaning, scaling and root planing is the first approach for treating periodontal disease. This procedure is a deep cleaning to remove bacterial plaque and calculus (tartar). Scaling involves scraping tartar from above and below the gum line. Root planing focuses on eliminating tartar and plaque below the gum and detoxifying the root surfaces where the disease occurs. Obtaining smooth roots and flushing out the pockets allows for healthy reattachment of the gums to the root surfaces. Dr. Koshki and his hygienists will reevaluate the success of this treatment in follow-up visits. If deep periodontal pockets and infection remain, periodontal surgery may be recommended. Dr. Koshki is one of the few dentists certified in the use of dental lasers for the treatment of gum disease. Dr. Koshki and his hygienists (also certified in the use of dental lasers) find that adding laser treatment to regular deep cleanings is the next step to helping you achieve excellent oral health. We are always glad to answer any questions you may have about your periodontal conditions and treatments in our office.

Stop Chewing Your Finger Nails

With all the threats to your oral health out there, it’s enough stress to make you bite your nails. But of the many nervous habits, biting your nails is one of the worst for your oral health! Next time you find yourself tempted to chew your nails sider the following:

  1. Nail biting can wear down your teeth over time, causing enamel wear and uneven biting surfaces. Your teeth need a break between meals, but chewing your nails means they are essentially being used all day. This puts stress on your front teeth, which can cause them to become misaligned.
  2. Nail biting is bad for your jaw. It can contribute to Temporomandibular (TM) disorder, which causes jaw pain, headaches, and locking and popping of the jaw. Additionally, according to the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), people who bite their nails are at greater risk for bruxism, the unintentional grinding or clenching of the teeth, which brings its own negative effects.
  3. Beyond the effects on your teeth and jaw, there are also sanitary concerns. Even if you’re a compulsive hand-washer, your hands are still one of the most germ-laden areas of your body, and your nails are doubly so. When you bite your nails, you are exposing yourself to illness causing germs that transfer from your hands to your mouth.
  4. Need one more reason to stop biting your nails? Money.According to the AGD, people

who bite their nails pay an average of $4,000 in additional dental bills over their lifetime.

Can’t stop biting your nails? Ask your pharmacist to recommend special treatments to

apply to your nails which might help break your nail munching habit.

nail biting

What Do Tongue Colors Mean?

Just by looking at your tongue, Dr. Koshki can give a fair assessment of your health. So what do the various tongue colors mean?

  • Red Tongue: A red tongue can mean that you are low on vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is necessary for red blood cell production, which helps carry oxygen throughout the body and plays a vital role in maintaining brain function. If vitamin B12 levels stay low for too long, there’s a possibility for neurological problems to develop. Talk with your dentist about ways to improve your diet and prevent vitamin deficiencies from damaging your body.
  • White Tongue: A white tongue can be a sign of bacterial or debris buildup on the surface of the tongue. This can be caused by mild dehydration, smoking, dry mouth, or illness. A white film on the tongue could be a sign of oral thrush, which is a type of yeast infection.
  • Black Tongue: A black tongue could be caused by a variety of factors. A “black hairy tongue” is a harmless overgrowth on the tongue, usually when the papillae (tongue hair) traps bacteria and other tongue debris. A black tongue could also be a sign of improper oral hygiene, excessive use of tobacco, antibiotics, mouthwashes, or even Pepto-Bismol type stomach medications. These usually resolve itself on its own, but it black tongue lasts for longer than 10 days than you should consult Dr. Koshki.
  • Yellow Tongue: A yellow tongue, similar to black tongue, can also be a sign that bacteria is trapped within the papillae. Simply improving oral hygiene can often return your tongue to its normal color.

 

If you think your tongue color is off, or you have additional symptoms like burning, swelling, change in taste or difficulty moving the tongue, make an appointment with Dr. Koshki as soon as possible.

tongue

Insurance Watch: What You Need To Know Now!

Our office receives many inquiries regarding dental insurance.  My office manager (Vicki) and I have both been in the dental profession for over 25 years, and in that time we have seen tremendous changes in dental benefit coverage. When the first company offered dental insurance in 1950, the policy covered an individual for $1000 in benefits per year. Many people have a similar annual limit 65 years later! There is a lot of misinformation being disseminated about dental insurance, and I thought it would be a good idea to address some of these points:

 

Q:      Why doesn’t my insurance cover the procedures that Dr. Koshki tells me that I need, like a night guard or an implant?

A:      Dental insurance isn’t really insurance after all.  It is a pre-determined benefit which allows a reduction of fees (if within a PPO network), and a specified amount a year to be used to help cover the costs of dental care.  It is not based on individual needs or diagnosis. The insurance company never sees your health assessment, nor do they change benefits for individuals based on any criteria. All benefits are the same for all members of a group and are fixed and created to make fiscal sense to the employer or group offering the plan.

 

Q:      I don’t have insurance, what plan can you recommend for me as an individual?

A:      There is no individual policy that will pay well or give you comprehensive coverage. Any individual policy available will either be a simple discount plan (with extremely low reimbursements paid directly to you after you pay us in full), or the few PPO’s that exist for individuals have extensive limitations, exclusions, downgrades and significant waiting periods that devalue paying for any such policy.

 

Q:      What should I do then? Are you telling me I can’t get help to pay for my dental care?

A:      Unlike medical care, dental care is still affordable for most people. The important thing is to keep up with excellent home care (brushing and flossing, following instructions given by Dr. Koshki or his Hygienists). See us for preventive care at least twice a year, and barring emergencies, your expenses should not present a burden. If you need more extensive dental care, we have interest free financing for extended periods of time to help you budget.

 

Q:      My group dental policy booklet says that all procedures are covered at 100%, why do I still have to pay out of pocket when I see Dr. Koshki?

A:      The details of many plans are complex. Keep in mind that your insurance is a contract between you, your employer and the insurance company.  There are deductibles, exclusions, frequency limitations and downgrades that are ever changing. This office does everything it can to help understand your plan, but we cannot know every detail of your contract.   

 

Q:      I have double coverage, will all of my services be covered at 100%?

A:      There have been changes in “Coor­di­na­tion of Ben­e­fits” poli­cies that your insur­ance com­pa­nies may fol­low, and even though you have dou­ble cov­er­age, you may still need to pay out of pocket for some of your treat­ment charges.

 

Q:      Will you still see me if I have HMO plan?

A:      We will wel­come you as a patient and you will need to pay 100% out of pocket for all ser­vices provided.

Here at the office of Dr. Moeiz Koshki, you will be treated with the utmost respect and consideration. We provide all dental treatments with prevention at the forefront of care. We offer the same level of excellence regardless of any or no insurance involvement.