Monday, August 5, 2013

Gum Recession-Crystal Lake Dentist


Gum Recession 




Is it normal for gums to recede?

No.

What Causes Gum Recession?

It is thought to be caused by a combination of improper tooth brushing and stress on the tooth from hard biting or tooth clenching.Other causes can be attributed to crooked  teeth out of position. There is a genetic tendency as well causing some people to have less attached gingiva (the gum tissue at the base of the tooth most resistant to receding). In addition some areas of the mouth may have muscle attachments from the lips that pull on the gum tissue during certain movements causing recession.

Is Gum Recession Bad?

yes, recession of the pink gum tissue means that the bone is also receding at least 3 mm more below the tissue. The bone is the foundation for the tooth root and when a sufficient  amount is lost, the tooth can be lost as well. In addition to this, recession can lead to severe tooth sensitivity, wear or the root and cavities.A tooth root exposed by recession is also esthetically ugly as well.

Can Gum Recession be Corrected?

yes. there are several grafting techniques to recover the tooth root today. These graft techniques help protect the tooth root from the return of recession and can eliminate sensitivity and improve the appearance.

Gum Recession before                     After treatment


When Should Gum Recession be Treated?

In our office, we recommend treatment when:

  •  there is 2 mm or more of gum recession and less than 2 mm of attached gingiva
  • when there is a definite frenum attachment causing the recession, the frenum needs to be treated and any recession  corrected
  • when the gum tissue is so thin that you can see through it
  • when the recession is causing tooth root sensitivity

Is Gum Recession treatment Painful?


No .Recently new membrane technology has changed the way this procedure is done. In the past a donor site was needed which meant an area of the palate was used to take a piece of tissue from. this piece of tissue was placed on the site needing the graft. Today we use a special safe donor membrane as the basis of this procedure and the graft site heals with almost no discomfort.

Where can I go for this procedure?

We have been providing this procedure for several years. We are excited to offer an improved technique  utilizing a great new product called Perioderm. Call us for a consultation or an appointment to get started.

 815 459 2202


Call us today to find out more about this great service

815 459 2202

 Dr. Neal answers all of your questions about Gum Recession at Crystal Lake Dental Associates.


Your comments are welcome



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Monday, July 15, 2013

Interceptive Orthodontics Crystal Lake Dentist

Why do so many people need braces?


Answer in a nutshell OUR DIET! 

Change in the way we collect, store, and serve food.


Our diets have changed drastically since humans began farming and organizing into a more "civilized society". The industrial revolution and other "improvements" in farming, food processing, cooking, manufacturing,  refrigeration, etc  have taken us in a new direction when it comes to our diets. Over time we have become addicted to FAST FOOD from birth on. The highly processed, high calorie foods are put in our bodies begins with baby formula.

Problem.

High calorie manufactured and processed foods are responsible for rapid growth in children except for one area ... the MID and LOWER  FACE where the nose, tongue, and teeth reside. 

Old way... (our ancestor's diet). 

Nursing for at least 12 months helps develop the tongue and other muscles. After weaning the act of chewing hard unprocessed foods continues the development of the chewing muscles. Raw unprocessed foods requires more time, energy,  chewing effort to get the same calorie content. The harder working  muscles in turn guide greater jaw development and there is now room for all of the teeth including the wisdom teeth. 

New way (our modern convenience diet). 

Bottle feeding early and formula use leads to a poor tongue muscle tone and improper swallow habits. The high calorie content of these artificial foods leads to larger babies in all areas except the mid face. The continuation of high calorie "Fast Food" (easy to chew or drink) through the growing years leads to continued fast growth in all areas except the mid and lower face. 

Result. 

End result from a dental standpoint is crowded teeth, open bite, deep bite, crossbite, TMJ disorders, mouth breathing, gum disease, cavities, and tongue thrust swallowing. From a medical standpoint, there are a host of disorders arising from poor mid and lower face development. These can lead to a poorer quality of life, many doctor visits, and even shorten a person's life by up to 12 years. 

Difficult to go back to the way our ancestors ate.

Today it is impractical for many Americans to change their children's diets from birth on. Starting am infant with 12 months of  breastfeeding exclusively does not fit into the lifestyle of most families. Finding and feeding of the  roughage that our ancestors ate to our growing children though ideal is also impractical if not impossible for most families. 

Good News!!! We can correct the problem. 

The growth problem is correctable at an early age with interceptive orthodontics.
Using of specialized orthotic appliances, we correct the growth and save the family a lot of money normally spent on extractions and 2 or more years of conventional braces. 

More Good News!!!Added Benefits. 

The added benefits or Interceptive Orthodontics... Reduction or elimination of:

·        need for braces and oral surgery
·        cavities
·        clogged nasal airways
·        mouth breathing
·        speech problems
·        gum disease
·        clenching and grinding
·        headaches
·        neck and back problems from poor head posture
·        TMJ disorders
·        tonsillitis
·        ear infections
·        allergies
·        impacted wisdom teeth
·        snoring
·        Sleep Apnea
·        ADHD, ADD
·        poor self image from an ugly smile


Call us today to find out more about this great service

815 459 2202
 Dr. Neal answers all of your questions Invisalign, conventional orthodontics and Interceptive Orthodontics  and dental care at Crystal Lake Dental Associates.


Your comments are welcome

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Thursday, June 6, 2013

Invisalign Patient Appreciation Crystal Lake Dentist


Invisalign®



Invisalign® Patient Appreciation Special



The week of 6/10-6/14 we are offering $1000 off our regular fee for Invisalign®, and  Invisalign Teen®.



In Addition we are offering $1,000 off  Conventional Orthodontics as well as $500 off Adolescent  Interceptive Orthodontic Procedures.

Call 
815 459 2202 Today

 Dr. Neal answers all of your questions Invisalign, conventional orthodontics and Interceptive Orthodontics  and dental care at Crystal Lake Dental Associates.


Your comments are welcome



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Monday, May 20, 2013

Invisalign Improved Crystal Lake Dentist

Invisalign®

Better than  ever now with SmartTrack™ aligner material


 Invisalign® has tested over 2,400 different materials for their aligners and have now developed the SmartTrack™ material.

 Advantages over previous aligners are:


IMPROVED CONTROL
A study of 1015 patients treated with aligners made with the SmartTrack material showed...
  • a significant improvement in control of tooth movements such as rotation and extrusion (p< 0.001)*
  • % of patients on track with treatment was significantly higher at 5 months of follow-up (p< 0.001)*
*Data on file at Align.


MORE PRECISE ALIGNER FIT
Flexible SmartTrack material is designed to more precisely conform to the tooth morphology, attachments, and interproximal spaces to improve control of tooth movement and finishing.
When the aligner is stretched, highly elastic SmartTrack material returns more closely to the programmed aligner shape to improve tracking.
  • Flexible SmartTrack makes it easier to insert and remove aligners, even with multiple attachments
  • Lower initial insertion force provides improved patient comfort

*Statistically significant at greater than 99.9% confidence level. Compared to patients treated with aligners made with previous Invisalign material.



HIGHER ELASTICITY

When the aligner is stretched, highly elastic SmartTrack material returns more closely to the programmed aligner shape to improve tracking.




IMPROVED PATIENT COMFORT
  • Flexible SmartTrack makes it easier to insert and remove aligners, even with multiple attachments
  • Lower initial insertion force provides improved patient comfort


CALL

 815 459 2202


 Dr. Neal answers all of your questions Invisalign, and dental care at Crystal Lake Dental Associates.


Your comments are welcome


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Monday, May 6, 2013

Win an iPad 4 Crystal Lake Dentist

Win an iPad 4








Check out our latest contest...



 to enter
1) Like us on facebook

and

2) Write a Google review


Login to your facebook account and search for  Crystal Lake Dental Associates, hit the like button

Open your browser and search for Google maps , type in Crystal Lake Dental Associates, click on reviews and  write a review.... (derogatory reviews will not be counted)

email us with proof of your entry and we will include you in the contest.

send email proof to crystallakeda@heartlanddentalcare.com

drawing 9/8/2013 (Dr. Neal’s birthday)

CALL
 815 459 2202

 Dr. Neal answers all of your questions about dentistry dental care at Crystal Lake Dental Associates.

Your comments are welcome





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Saturday, April 13, 2013

Patient Appreciation week CRYSTAL LAKE DENTIST


SMILE

Patient Appreciation Week

Patient Appreciation week

In recognition of Dr. Neal's 36 years in practice, he is hosting 

Patient Appreciation Week.

Dr. Neal wishes  recognize our patients and thank them for their loyalty and patronage over the years.

To do so we are offering:
$200.00 off every unit of crowns, bridges, dentures, and veneers started the week of
 April  22-25.


CALL
 815 459 2202

 Dr. Neal answers all of your questions about dentistry dental care at Crystal Lake Dental Associates.

Your comments are welcome




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Sunday, April 7, 2013

Oral Cancer Awareness Crystal Lake Dentist





April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month 

Great News!!!

From April 8-11, we are offering half off our low regular fee on all Velscope VX™ Oral Cancer Screenings

Rates of Oral Cancer occurrence in the United States

Close to 42,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year. It will cause over 8,000 deaths, killing roughly 1 person per hour, 24 hours per day. Of those 42,000 newly diagnosed individuals, only slightly more than half will be alive in 5 years. (Approximately 57%) This is a number which has not significantly improved in decades. The death rate for oral cancer is higher than that of cancers which we hear about routinely such as cervical cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma, laryngeal cancer, cancer of the testes, and endocrine system cancers such as thyroid, or skin cancer (malignant melanoma). If you expand the definition of oral cancers to include cancer of the larynx, for which the risk factors are the same, the numbers of diagnosed cases grow to approximately 54,000 individuals, and 13,500 deaths per year in the U.S. alone. Worldwide the problem is much greater, with over 640,000 new cases being found each year. Statistics on worldwide occurrence Oral cancers are part of a group of cancers commonly referred to as head and neck cancers, and of all head and neck cancers they comprise about 85% of that category. Brain cancer is a cancer category unto itself, and is not included in the head and neck cancer group.

Oral Cancer on Tongue

Death Rate from Oral Cancer

Historically the death rate associated with this cancer is particularly high not because it is hard to discover or diagnose, but due to the cancer being routinely discovered late in its development. Today, (2013) that statement is still true, as there is not a comprehensive program in the US to opportunistically screen for the disease, and without that; late stage discovery is more common. Another obstacle to early discovery (and resulting better outcomes) is the advent of a virus, HPV16, contributing more to the incidence rate of oral cancers, particularly in the posterior part of the mouth (the oropharynx, the tonsils, the base of tongue areas) which many times does not produce visible lesions or discolorations that have historically been the early warning signs of the disease process.

We recommend the Velscope VX™ at all recall visits to screen for Oral Cancer


Velscope VX™ in action


The dark spot on the palate is Oral Cancer


Oral Cancer must be detected early

Often oral cancer is only discovered when the cancer has metastasized to another location, most likely the lymph nodes of the neck. Prognosis at this stage of discovery is significantly worse than when it is caught in a localized intra oral area. Besides the metastasis, at these later stages, the primary tumor has had time to invade deep into local structures. Oral cancer is particularly dangerous because in its early stages it may not be noticed by the patient, as it can frequently prosper without producing pain or symptoms they might readily recognize, and because it has a high risk of producing second, primary tumors. This means that patients who survive a first encounter with the disease, have up to a 20 times higher risk of developing a second cancer. This heightened risk factor can last for 5 to 10 years after the first occurrence. There are several types of oral cancers, but around 90% are squamous cell carcinomas. It is estimated that approximately $3.2 billion is spent in the United States each year on treatment of head and neck cancers. (2010 numbers)

 (The data above courtesy of the Oral Cancer Foundation)






CALL

 815 459 2202


 Dr. Neal answers all of your questions about dentistry dental care at Crystal Lake Dental Associates.


Your comments are welcome





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About Me

My photo
Born in the Midwest. Married with 6 children and 3 grandchildren. Attended Maine West High School, Harper Jr College, Northern Illinois University, the University of Illinois College of Dentistry. Practice in Crystal Lake, Illinois.