Too much of a good thing could be bad...

The Department of Human Services announced on January 7^th that revisions were made to the recommended optimal levels of fluoride in community drinking water.  Historically, the recommended optimal level for water fluoridation has been 0.7-1.2 parts per million (ppm).  The new recommendation for fluoride levels is 0.7ppm.  The federal government is not recommending that communities stop adding fluoride to drinking water, rather, it has recalibrated the recommended amount needed in drinking water to reduce the incidence of decay while minimizing the rate of fluorosis. 

Fluorosis is a condition caused by a child receiving too much systemic fluoride (fluoride in drinking water) during tooth development.  The critical period of exposure is between 3 months to 8 years old.  In its mild form, fluorosis appears as tiny white streaks or specks that are often unnoticeable.  In the most severe form fluorosis is characterized by black or brown stains and cracked and pitted enamel.  Severe fluorosis can pose difficulties when your dentist performs restorative procedures (filling, sealants, and crowns etc).  The mottled or pitted enamel does not bond as well to filling and sealant material as does healthy enamel. 

Lubbock’s municipal drinking water comes from Lake Meredith and is optimally fluoridated to the Federal government’s specifications, in 2010 the average level of fluoride was 0.77 ppm.  The fluoride (and other mineral) levels are tested daily to insure that municipal drinking water has enough fluoride to be effective and safe.  If your drinking water is from a well, the amount of fluoride can vary vastly.   Water from a well goes though several layers of rock and soil before it gets to the well.  Rock and soil in west Texas is very fluoride rich, so many families drinking well water are ingesting too much fluoride from their drinking and cooking water.  Our recommendation is to have your well checked frequently for fluoride levels, because they can change from year to year, and wells that are close together can have very different levels of fluoride.  We also recommend balancing the amount of fluoride that your kids take in from well water, for instance, cook with well water, but drink bottled water.  Potentially your kids will be getting enough fluoride to be effective, and not too much that can cause fluorosis.  If you live in Lubbock and have municipal water service, drink and cook with tap water, the amount of fluoride in Lubbock water is effective and safe. 

If you or kids already have fluorosis, it is important to receive topical fluoride treatments to strengthen the enamel of the affected teeth.  Your dentist may prescribe a toothpaste or mouth rinse with higher levels of fluoride for prevention of decay.  It is also extremely important to maintain oral hygiene.  It is easier for plaque to stick to the roughened surfaces of enamel affected by fluorosis than normal enamel that is smooth. 

Please let us know if you have any concerns for yourself or children, we would be happy to take a look and make sure all is well!!

Check out this article in the Lubbock Avalanche Journal:

http://lubbockonline.com/health/2011-02-07/area-waters-fluoride-level-too-high

See pics of "fluorosis":

http://www.google.com/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=fluorosis&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=BUdQTcrAL4ycgQfAg5kk&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&ved=0CDoQsAQwAQ&biw=1024&bih=664

Confusion About Dental X-rays

Over the holiday break Shay, one of our amazing dental hygienists, watched a Dr Oz show regarding medical and dental x-rays.  Dr Oz said that he would not have dental x-rays done unless he had some sort of dental pain.  His reservation is due to the risk of thyroid cancer from the radiation needed to expose dental X-rays.  We couldn’t disagree more!

With this recent controversy in the media regarding dental X-rays, we wanted our patients to know our position on the topic and give you some helpful information from reputable publications to aid in your decision in receiving a dental x-ray examination.

Dental X-rays provide valuable information that helps your dentist evaluate and diagnose your oral condition.  Many diseases of the teeth and surrounding tissues are not in plain sight.  X-rays aid in diagnosis of decay in between your teeth and below existing fillings and crowns, infections in the bone of your jaw, periodontal (gum) disease, abscesses or cysts, developmental abnormalities, and some types of tumors.   Finding and treating dental problems at an early stage can save time, money, and possibly decrease the severity of disease.

The concern with dental X-rays is the associated radiation dose.  The amount of radiation that we are exposed to from dental x-rays is very small compared to our natural daily exposure from things like cosmic radiation, sun light, a cross country flight, or even cooking with natural gas.  The American Dental Association reported in 1995 that an annual full series of dental x-rays (conventional x-rays, not digital x-rays) expose a patient to 0.150 mSv.  Average annual radiation in the US from natural sources a person is exposed to is 3.00 mSv.  Just for a reference, some medical x-rays, such as lower GI tract radiographs, can emit up to 4.06 mSv of radiation!! 

Radiation safety should, and is, always a primary concern in our office. X-rays and radiation exposure should always be kept to a minimum.  Although newer dental x-ray units, like ours, have very little scatter radiation (the radiation that gets away from our target), a lead apron is still used to protect other areas of the body from any additional radiation. There is also a continuous strive in dentistry and medicine to decrease radiation used at all.  With digital x-ray systems radiation exposed to the patient is one fourth the amount used to expose conventional films!! 

When you weigh the pros and cons of dental x-rays, we find that in virtually every situation, a conservative yet thorough exam is in the best interest of the patient.  X-ray exams will vary in frequency and number of x-rays taken from patient to patient.  Seeing what lurks behind gums and in between teeth is so important to treat early so that little mouth problems will not turn into a big systemic health problem!

We hope you have a wonderful day, and we look forward to seeing you soon!

Dental Anxiety?

Fear of the Dentist afflicts more than 80% of North American adults.  That is Sad!  More than half of those say fear may keep them from going to the dentist.  That’s bad and unnecessary.  This can lead to poor oral health which left untreated can lead to more serious and increasingly expensive problems.  Don’t let your anxiety keep you from benefitting from preventive, restorative or cosmetic dentistry.  We have many new innovations to help you to control your concerns including comfort items (blankets, pillows, etc.) to sedation options. Call for an appointment to discuss the options that are appropriate for you.  806-698-6684

From the mouth of babes...

From Racheal :
My son, Christian, had to go to the doctor to have his nose checked.  When he came home, I asked how his appointment went.  He said "they had to stick a stick up my nose and it kinda hurt. But mom, how come thier office is not like your office?" I asked what he meant. He said "well, nobody talked to me, it was very quiet, and the nurse left me alone after the doctor left." I explained to him that our office is a special place. We love to interact with our patients and have fun at work. Did I mention that my son is 11 years old?! It's funny that an 11 year old boy  notices efforts that we take for patient comfort!

We hope to see you soon!
     Racheal Z.
     ~ dental assistant

Sugary Drinks

Did you know... Sugar (such as those in energy drinks and soft drinks) mixed with the bacteria in your mouth produces acid. This acid attacks your enamel for up to 20 minutes after you take your last sip. When sugar is consumed over and over again, the harmful effect on teeth can be dramatic. And when the tooth decays from this, the enamel does not grow back. The only option once decay occurs is to see your dentist and have the tooth treated.  Make sure to limit sugary drinks and brush, floss, and rinse regularly!

Texas Dental Association

Last month our office went to the Texas Dental Association (TDA) annual meeting in San Antonio. This meeting allows us to get our continuing education requirements for the year, learn about and experiment with all of the newest equipment and dental materials, and just basically get excited about where dentistry is going. TDA is also a great time for the girls in the office to get a break from the everyday drill and fill and spend time together as a team. Reflecting back on this year’s meeting, and thinking about how much fun we had, we decided to share our experiences with you, our patients! Here are some things that the lovely ladies of Kathleen Nichols Dentistry had to say…

“I took a class about making our patient’s experience in the office better. I picked up a quote that I really thought was great “We cannot be 1000 times better than our competition, but we can be 1000 times better in small ways.”
Debbie Rice, Treatment Coordinator

“I took a forensic dentistry class, it was so interesting! Forensic dentistry uses scientific findings to legal and judicial issues. Dr Nichols and I work with the county coroner every so often, so it was really great to learn more about what we are doing!”
Shan Sherwood, Dental Assistant

“The classes that I attended at TDA reinforced our belief that being on top of technology is the most accurate and efficient way to inform and educate our patients”
Savannah Perez, Dental Assistant

“I really enjoyed my nitrous class. It was very informative, and the instructor made it fun and easy to learn.”
Sandra Estrada, Dental Assistant

“I always love going to TDA because it gives the girls in the office a chance to hang out outside of the office (and Lubbock!) We had a great time!”
Shay Tidmore, Dental Hygienist

“After sitting in several classes and listening to staff from other offices talk, I came to realize just how blessed we are here. Our office, and entire team ROCKS!”
Bandy Hightower, Dental Hygienist

“I learned about the strong relationship between periodontal disease and diabetes. Uncontrolled periodontal disease can worsen diabetes, and uncontrolled diabetes can worsen periodontal disease. Even for non-diabetics, uncontrolled or untreated periodontal disease can increase the risk of developing diabetes!”
Allison Nguyen, Dental Hygienist

“Being relatively new to the office, I didn’t quite know what to expect from these girls! We had a great time traveling together and I got to know them a little bit better out side of the office. It was so great to see each of the girls go on to the exhibit floor and do their own independent research on new products and find ways to make our office a better place to work, and for our patients to be comfortable and have a great experience! I got to do my own research about dental lasers and all of the really great things they will do! It’s so nice to have tools like this in the office to be able to give my patients the best, most advanced care available. I am so thankful to have such a great support system, the ladies of Kathleen Nichols Dentistry really are AMAZING! They make it fun to come to work!”
Beth Dannenberg, DDS

“As a member of the board of directors, I spent the majority of my time in the Texas Dental Association House of Delegates. This is the legislative body representing Texas’s dentists and dental patients. I also attended a continuing education course on emerging trends in cavity prevention. Yes, sugar-free gum IS actually good for your teeth! We had a great time as an office, and we look forward to next year!!”
Kathleen Nichols, DDS

This is the first of many blogs from our office so that we can better connected with you, our patients! Please feel free to comment or ask any questions, we will get back to you as soon as possible.

All the Best!
Dr. Kathleen Nichols & Dr. Beth Dannenberg

Dr. Beth Dannenberg

Dr. Beth Dannenberg is scheduling patients for Monday February 8th.  Stop by and meet her.  We know you are going to love her!