Dr. Mogell Dental Blog

Boca Raton Cosmetic Dentist

Wasting Water While We Brush!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Have you ever thought about how much water is wasted while we brush our teeth? Just take a moment and give this some serious consideration. Water truly is one of our most precious natural resources. It requires local municipalities to constantly be maintaining and upgrading their water purification systems. And it is just getting plain more expensive, according to the Environmental Protection Agency the average water bill for a U.S. household is approximately 0.5 of a households income.

My wife and daughter are constantly reminding me to turn off the water while brushing my teeth! Now the dental industry is answering the call with a “waterless” toothbrush which will be released this fall by according to Todd Spinelli of United Treatment Centers.

You may not save a lot of money but if everyone just turned off the water while brushing our teeth imagine the impact on our water supplies nation wide! So a new slogan for the conservationist; Just turn it off while you brush!

If you have any question about your oral hygiene and the various type of toothbrushes available to help you achieve the optimal dental health. Please do not hesitate to give us a call at 561-394-9000. We will arrange an appointment to help you clean and maintain your oral health.

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.

Dental Sleep Medicine and Children

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Help Diagnosing Sleep Apnea in Children

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) isn’t limited strictly to adults. Many children have OSA as well, however it can be a little more difficult to diagnose them. It is important to determine if your child is experiencing a sleep disorder to insure they get enough rest and to allow the proper growth and development.

One of the challenges to diagnosing OSA in a child is that an accurate diagnosis is hard to make without a sleep study. This normally requires that the child spend the night in a sleep center. As any parent knows - sometimes that can be easier said than done. But in the very near future OSA in children may be able to be diagnosed through a urine test!

A researcher at The University of Louisville, Dr. Saeed Jortani, has created a urine test that could be used to screen or diagnose OSA in children. Dr. Jortani was quoted, “Whatever the body does throughout the day, urine is basically a record of what’s going on for the previous several hours, and we thought if the child is under stress or if the child is having difficulty breathing, that has to affect some of the proteins in their body.”
He also shared that a stress related protein is seen in a high level in a child’s urine if they are indeed suffering with OSA. This urine test could minimize unnecessary over night sleep studies with a more accurate manner to screen patients.

OSA is a serious disease that can have potentially life altering consequences. If you suspect that your child, you or a family member may be experiencing a sleep disorder, please give us a call at 561-394-9000. We will arrange an appointment to help determine if your concerns are valid. Let us help you get a healthier nights sleep.

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.

Halitois and Food

Friday, February 19, 2010

Food and Bad Breath

Onions, garlic and many other foods can contribute to bad breath, otherwise known as halitosis. The source of the foul odors is from the sulfur components in the foods. Sulfur is one of nature’s special ways of creating nasty smells. The tainted odor from a skunk is made up of sulfur compounds! That is one of nature’s ways of creating a defense mechanism. Could bad breath be a way that nature defends your date from being kissed?
Well there are foods that you can eat that promote “date breath”.

Mouthwash is just masking the bad smell. Foul smelling foods can linger as long as 72 hours after being consumed according to the Academy of General Dentistry. Some suggestions to keep the problem to a minimum are to drink water to keep the mouth moist and to help rinse odor creating bacteria out of your mouth. Coffee is one of those beverages that will create an environment for bacteria to flourish. Fruit and vegetable are great sources with a high liquid content, celery is particularly good at helping to eliminate the whiff of odor producing bacteria.

Most importantly, to keep your breath kissing fresh is to brush, floss and have your teeth cleaned by your dental hygienist on a regular basis. The impact that periodontal disease has on your breath can be significant.

If it has been a while since your last hygiene visit please give us a call at 561-394-9000. We will schedule an appointment with Katherine or Sherri to get you on your way to a healthier mouth and fresher, kissable breath.

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.

Cosmetic Dentistry Fast or Slow?

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Cosmetic Dentistry – Fast or Slow?

Remember the childhood fable of the tortoise and the hare – today they are the turtle and rabbit. But the story remains the same – does fast or slow win the race? When a patient discusses the appearance of their smile with us the discussion often leads to orthodontics or instant orthodontics. That’s where the turtle and the rabbit come into play. In our society, immediate gratification often is the desire whether it is the best solution or not. In cosmetic dentistry there are opinions and values, no right or wrong, just emotions and the desire for a beautiful healthy smile. So what are the pros and cons?

Orthodontics is the turtle. It takes time to move teeth to the best position. This is accomplished over a period of months or years, depending on the severity of the case. Orthodontic success is achieved with a series of wires, brackets and bands being placed on or over your teeth. With specific engineering the dentist will shift the teeth to help you achieve your goal of a beautiful smile with gorgeous straight teeth.

Instant orthodontics isn’t actually orthodontics at all. This is the rabbit of achieving a beautiful smile. With 2 -3 appointments your dentist can give the smile you have always desired. This is achieved with restorative dentistry such as porcelain veneers. The appointments usually are 2-3 hours in length and depending on the goals, some reshaping of the teeth may be required.
Instant orthodontics not only will give you the straight teeth you are seeking but it will allow you to change the shape, size and color of your teeth as well.

Should you have any questions regarding orthodontics or instant orthodontics, please do not hesitate to give our office a call at 561-394-9000. We will arrange an appointment that will work best with your schedule and get you on your way to a beautiful smile.

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.

Dental Health and Coffee

Monday, February 15, 2010

Coffee can do more for your teeth than stain them!

For many of us there are few things more important first thing in the morning than a cup of steaming hot coffee. From a dental point of view, you can always tell who the coffee drinkers are. At a cleaning appointment the coffee drinkers are exposed due to the presence of heavy staining on there teeth! Fortunately the stain is easily removed when your teeth are polished.

But now it has been found that an ingredient in coffee can actually be beneficial to one’s dental health. There ia an element in coffee called “trigonelline”. Trigonelline helps prevent the bacteria that cause cavities, streptococcus mutans, from attaching to our teeth. While this component of coffee gives coffee its distinctive taste, there is a surprising cavity fighting aspect to the beverage.

Now this doesn’t mean if you are a 3 cup a day coffee consumer that you should stop brushing and flossing, but it is nice to know there this added benefit in drinking coffee. If you should have any questions about your dental health and what you can do to improve it, please give us a call at 561-394-9000. We will arrange an appointment that works best with your schedule to get you on your way to achieving your dental health goals.

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.

Fish Oil For Your Teeth

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Fight Dental Disease with Fith Oil

Our patient’s are constantly asking us what else they can do to help maintain a health mouth. We always speak of brushing, flossing and having their teeth cleaned on a regular basis. Here are some additional suggestions that could raise your level of dental health another notch.

Changing your tooth brush regularly, make sure that when the bristles begin to lose their upright vertical nature, it’s time for a new one. Another recent study demonstrated that fish oil may help to support dental health and prevent dental disease. This was published in a recent issue of Nutrition. The study performed in Japan demonstrated that a inadequate amount of Omega-3 fatty acids, which is found in fish oil, had strong links to periodontal disease.

Many of us take fish oil on a daily basis for its positive effects on our helping to lower our cholesterol. Now we have we have another reason to take fish oil every day!
If you have any questions about periodontal disease and the impact that your diet can have on the health of your mouth, please do not hesitate to give us a call at 561-394-9000. We will arrange an appointment that works best with your schedule so we can get you on your way to a healthier mouth.

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.

Sleep Apnea Causes Car Accidents

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Dental Treatment For Sleep Apnea

Sleep Apnea is beginning to reach epidemic proportions in our country. It is estimated that 2% of women and 4% of men suffer with Sleep Apnea. It is one of the most under-diagnosed conditions in the United States today.
Studies have shown that nearly 90% of the Sleep Apnea suffers have not been diagnosed or treated.

One of the disastrous effects of Sleep Apnea is excessive daytime sleepiness. A recent study, performed by the University of British Columbia Sleep Disorders Program, shows that people with sleep apnea are twice as likely to have a car crash compared to people without sleep apnea, and three to five times as likely to have a crash resulting in personal injury.

The Federal Motor Safety Administration has become so alarmed that it is highlighting sleep apnea as a key issue in the next set of regulations for the trucking industry
Sleep Apnea is a serious life-threatening condition that can have potentially lethal consequences if left untreated. Please call our office at 561-394-9000 to arrange a consultation appointment. We will find a time that works best for your schedule to get you on your way to a healthier nights sleep.

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.

Root Canal or Dental Implant...which is best?

Monday, February 08, 2010

Root Canal or Dental Implant…that is the question!

If you are being confronted with a decision on how to treat an infected tooth, what should you do? If the tooth is badly decayed your options may be limited. Often your decision is to save the tooth or remove it!

As a rule of thumb, when it is possible to save a tooth, it is usually the best solution. But there are always scenarios that lend to other ways to resolve the problem at hand.

By saving the tooth, root canal therapy might be needed. Usually following a “root canal” a crown is usually needed to restore and protect the tooth. Depending upon which tooth is culprit and how “sick” the tooth is might require considering to extract the tooth and place an implant. This too will require a crown after the implant has become one with the bone.

In today’s dental world, an implant is preferable to a fixed bridge and the implant is the closest option to a natural tooth. One nice thing about implants, since they are made of titanium, you can never get decay with this “tooth”.

Should you have any questions about root canal therapy or dental implants, please do not hesitate to give our office a call at 561-394-9000. We will arrange an appointment that works best with your schedule to get you on your way to helping your maintain a healthier mouth!

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.

Early Detection For Oral Cancer

Thursday, February 04, 2010

Oral Cancer Screenings Once A Year!

For many years the manner in which a dentist screened for oral cancer was with the mirror, light, and their own hands and eyes. Today that has changed as has the incidence of oral cancer.
While the occurrence of many cancers has decreased, the frequency of oral cancer increased by 11% in 2008. 40 % of those diagnosed with oral cancer didn't have the typical contributory factors such as smoking, smokeless tobacco or excessive alcohol. With early detection there is an 85-90% survival rate!

Finally dentists have the advanced technology to enhance early detection of oral cancer. Several different companies have produced the means that allows the dentist to identify areas that may be the first signs of oral cancer.

One such way is Vizilite. With this system the patient swishes a raspberry vinaigrette-like solution for one minute. The mouth is then scanned with a special fluorescent light. If there are suspicious areas the tissue in that area will “light up”. Early detection is the key in the success of treating any form of cancer.

We offer this service to all of our patients and ask them to participate on an annual basis. We are concerned about your entire health, not just your teeth! If you have any questions regarding early detection of oral cancer, please do not hesitate to contact us. Call us at 561-394-9000 and we will arrange for an appointment.

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.

Dental Health For Our Pets Is Important!

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

We all are aware of the importance of taking care of our teeth. The fact that periodontal disease has been shown to be directly related to cardiovascular disease, low birth weight babies and diabetes makes it even more imperative that we have our teeth cleaned on a regular basis. But what about our beloved pets teeth? According to Dr. Paul DeMars of Ohio State University Veterinary Clinic, dental disease is the number one disease for healthy pets. He recommends that we clean our pet’s teeth on a daily basis. Just like us, pets can have dental procedures such as fillings, root canal and crowns.

Horses as well need dental care on a regular basis. Dr. Lyndi Gilliam of the OSU clinic advises that horses have oral examinations every 6 months until they are 10 years old. From chewing horses create sharp points on their teeth which due to the way they chew can cause painful sores in their mouths. These points need to be shaved down to prevent those ulcerations.

February is National Pet Dental Health Month. Let us remind ourselves to give our pets the dental care that they deserve. If you haven’t had your teeth cleaned recently, please give us a call at 561-394-9000 and we will arrange for you to have your teeth as clean as your pets.

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.

Dental Sleep Medicine

Monday, February 01, 2010

Dental Sleep Medicine

Sleep apnea is known to be potentially dangerous and fatal to the person suffering with the disease. One of the major effects of this sleep disorder is excessive daytime sleepiness. This is such a serious component to sleep apnea that in the state of Ohio, an individual who drives a school bus may be required to have a sleep study, a polysomnogram, before obtaining their license.

Excessive Daytime Sleepiness can lead to motor vehicle accident with fatal consequences as was the case in Canada where a woman fell asleep while driving killing two people. In the trial was driver was acquitted because she was unaware of the sleep disorder.

If you are experiencing the symptoms of a sleep disorder which may include excessive daytime sleepiness, gasping for air during sleep or snoring, please give us a call at 561-394-9000 we will arrange for a consultation to help you determine if you are suffering with sleep apnea. Don’t take this lightly, you could save someone’s life or maybe even your own.

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.