Dr. Mogell Dental Blog

Boca Raton Cosmetic Dentist

Does Thanksgiving Turkey Really Make You Sleepy?

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Do you feel sleepy after your Thanksgiving turkey dinner? Yes, turkey contains the amino acid, tryptophan which is a precursor to the sleep hormone, melatonin.

Eating a turkey dinner won't make you sleepy though. Why?

You would need to eat about 46 pounds of turkey to get enough tryptophan to affect your sleep. Plus, tryptophan doesn't work well with protein and since your turkey breast is a protein.... you get the idea.

The urge to nap after the Thanksgiving feast probably has to do with the wine, the exhaustion after all the preparation and perhaps, a little bit of avoidance behavior so you don't have to talk to the relatives that are really annoying!

Have a wonderful turkey and get some sleep.
If feeling sleepy during the day is an ongoing problem you may have a sleep disorder. Contact us today at 561-394-9000 to find out more.

Labels: sleep apnea

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Sleep Apnea - Why Don't More People Get Tested?

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Researchers believe that only 10% of people who has a sleep breathing disorder like obstructive sleep apnea have been diagnosed. So why don't the other 90% get tested for sleep apnea?

They don't know that sleep apnea exists.
They don't know they have a problem. They have been feeling so sleepy and exhausted, every day, for so long that they don't remember NOT feeling that way. These folks probably live alone so they don't have someone complaining about their loud snoring!
They know they probably have sleep apnea but are in denial about it being a serious health problem.
They know they probably have sleep apnea but have heard such horror stories about sleep studies and treatment with CPAP that they are avoiding the whole thing!

Do you, or a loved one, fit one of these descriptions? Sleep apnea is serious but it can be treated without using a CPAP machine. Oral appliances are highly effective and very comfortable.

Find out more about sleep apnea by contacting Florida sleep apnea dentist Dr. Kenneth Mogell at 561-394-9000. Proud to be only one of 3 board certified sleep apnea dentists in the State of Florida! Treating sleep apnea patients in Boca Raton, Vero Beach, Jupiter and Port St. Lucie.

Labels: sleep apnea

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Preventing Cavities In Kids

Tooth decay among children is skyrocketing after almost 60 years of reduced rates. What has happened that preventing cavities in kids is no longer working?

Rates of childhood tooth decay started to go down when municipal water supplies started adding fluoride. Today, more and more kids are drinking bottled water (or other beverages) instead of tap water. This has dramatically reduced the amount of fluoride they are receiving.

There are lots of things you can do to protect your kids, and yourself, from tooth decay. Delta Dental, the insurance company, studied more than 90 million claims and found:

More than 70% of kids ages 6 to 18 are not receiving 2 fluoride treatments per year
More than 60% of kids ages 6 to 9 did not get sealants on their first molars
More than 80% of kids aged 11 to 15 didn't get sealants on their second molars

These are low cost, preventative measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of tooth decay. Here are a few more things you can do at home to protect your kids (and your own) teeth:

Avoid drinking soda, sports drinks and energy drinks. The acid and sugars destroy teeth!
Avoid constant snacking. This is good for everyone's waistline and their teeth. Having sugary or high carbohydrate snacks throughout the day keeps oral bacteria well fed and growing - not something we want.
Limit sugary treats to mealtimes.
Chew sugarless gum. The chewing action helps remove debris from the teeth and the xylitol in the gum has been shown to help prevent bacteria from sticking to teeth.

Remember, you won't know when you have tooth decay! By the time a tooth starts to hurt because of a cavity it means that the decay has become very advanced which means a larger filling or perhaps a root canal and crown. All members of the family should visit the dentist regularly for cleanings and checkups. Yes, we do need to take x-rays every so often because there is often decay that we can't see.

Contact Dr. Ken Mogell at 561-394-9000 to schedule your next visit.

Labels: mercury fillings, tooth decay

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Put Out The Light - Tips To Get To Sleep

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Since I treat so many patients with sleep breathing disorders like obstructive sleep apnea, I spend a lot of time talking to people about sleep.

Not surprisingly, lots of people have problems getting to sleep or staying asleep. What can you do at home, without drugs, to help?

Did you know that the color of the light around you affects your melatonin production? True - red light helps promote the production of this essential sleep hormone and blue light suppresses it. The big problem in modern life is that we are surrounded by blue light.

Do you read on your tablet computer before sleep? Blue light right in your face. Do you check Facebook one last time before lights out? Again, blue light in your face.

Watching TV before sleeping is no better - it is another source of blue light. The best thing to do before bed is read a good, old fashioned book made from dead trees!

Check the bulbs in the lamps next to your bed - some light bulbs offer more light in the red spectrum and some (cool white) offer more blue light. Also look at all of the LED displays in your bedroom. There is probably a light on the cable box, one on the TV, another on the alarm clock, and they are all probably blue! A small piece of electrical tape can solve that problem.

If you feel very sleepy during the day but got a full night of sleep the night before, it may be time to be checked for a sleep disorder. Contact us today at 561-394-9000 to schedule a consultation.

Labels: sleep apnea

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Catching Up On Sleep?

Monday, November 11, 2013

The website CareerBuilder did a survey about why people call out sick.

Almost 20% of survey respondents said that they had called in sick to catch up on sleep. Which is a good thing, I guess. You don't want a sleepy employee deciding whether or not you get your house loan or a sleepy lab tech running your tests...

The most common reason people called in sick, other than actually being sick? Just didn't feel like going to work! Yup, a full one-third of respondents said they had called in sick just because they didn't feel like working that day.

I wonder if they also caught up on some sleep? If you are feeling sleepy during the day you might have sleep apnea. Give us a call to schedule your screening appointment at 561-394-9000.

Labels: sleep apnea

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Are Dental Veneers Right For You?

Dental Veneers, also callled porcelain veneers are an amazing advance in cosmetic dentistry.

Years ago, if someone wanted cosmetic improvements to their smile the only tool the dentist had was dental crowns. Remember all those old, Hollywood stars with the chiclet smiles?

Today we don't have to destroy perfectly healthy teeth to make them beautiful! A dental veneer is a thin piece of porcelain that is created in a dental lab.

Dental veneers are strong and durable and can be used to correct a number of smile defects.

Teeth that have permanent staining that cannot be removed by bleaching
Teeth that are misshapen or malformed
"Straighten" crooked teeth, aka "instant orthodontics"
Teeth that are too small

Take a look at our smile gallery to see some of our before and after photos. The photo above is an acutal patient - just look at the change! Cosmetic dentistry using dental veneers allows us to give patients the smile they have always dreamed of in just a couple of appointments. It is truly life-changing for some!

Find out if cosmetic dentistry using dental veneers is right for you by contacting Dr. Kenneth A. Mogell at 561-394-9000 to schedule your cosmetic consultation.

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Gum Disease Questions? Check Out This Video

Thursday, November 07, 2013

This WebMD video might help answer some questions about gum disease.

How does it start?
How can I prevent it?
What happens if I ignore my gum disease?

Just click on this link:

http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/video/dangers-gum-disease?ecd=wnl_orh_110413&ctr=wnl-orh-110413_promo_1&mb=

Contact us at 561-394-9000 to schedule your next hygiene appointment.

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Dental Insurance and New Patient Update

Do you have dental insurance? We've got some good news for you. Kenneth A. Mogell, DMD, PA is now a participating provider in some dental plans and we are accepting new patients!

Please remember that dental insurance is usually pretty good at covering preventive costs, like dental hygiene appointments. Dental insurance is not so good at covering larger restorative costs and typically has a limit of $1500 or $2500 worth of coverage each year.

This means that if you know you need a dental crown or filling in November but put it off until January you have lost that money for 2013. Don't go through the holidays with a chipped tooth or a loose bridge. There are still a few appointments left during December.

Find out more by contacting Samatha at 561-394-9000.

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Morning Headaches - Could Sleep Apnea Be The Cause?

In my last post I talked about morning headaches and teeth grinding. Another common cause, that is usually not diagnosed, is obstructive sleep apnea. There is some research that is beginning to suggest that the two might actually be linked in some cases.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep breathing disorder. During sleep, the soft tissues of the mouth and throat relax and fall back, blocking the airway. The sleeper actually stops breathing. This occurs many, many times throughout the night with the sleeper briefly waking to begin breathing again. Search YouTube for videos of patients with sleep apnea, it is frightening to watch.

Left untreated, sleep apnea has been linked to heart attack, stroke, diabetes, depression and weight gain.

The signs of sleep apnea include snoring, gasping during sleep, weight gain, a large neck size and extreme daytime sleepiness. Patients may wake with headaches or sore throats.

Sleep apnea can only be diagnosed by a physician but it can be treated by a dentist who is trained in dental sleep medicine.

I'm proud to say that I am only one of three dentists in Florida who are board certified by the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine. I work closely with area sleep physicians to ensure that their patients who are unable to use CPAP machines are effectively treated with oral appliance therapy.

Sleeping with an oral appliance is a simple and comfortable way to treat obstructive sleep apnea.

Find out more about obstructive sleep apnea and oral appliances by contacting our office at 561-394-9000 today.

Labels: obstructive sleep apnea, teeth grinding, TMJ

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Morning Headaches - We Can Help

Do you feel like you wake up every single morning with a headache? You aren't alone.

Two of the most common reasons for these morning headaches are teeth clenching during sleep and obstructive sleep apnea. Fortunately, we treat both disorders at our Boca Raton office. I'll talk about teeth clenching in this post and sleep apnea in the next.

Grinding or clenching your teeth is called bruxism. Many people grind their teeth and don't even realize it. A few grind throughout the day but the vast majority of teeth grinding occurs while we are asleep. Unless a bed partner complains about the grinding noises next to them all night, or teeth begin to crack and break, a night grinder will be unaware.

Bruxism not only damages teeth (I have seen cases where teeth have been worn down to almost nothing), but it also leads to painful TMJ symptoms, including headaches. The TMJ, temporomandibular joint, is your jaw joint and is one of the most complicated joints in the human body. Add to this the unbelievable strength of the jaw muscles and it is easy to see how the joint can become inflamed or damaged.

Night time grinding can't really be "cured" but we can stop further damage and put an end to the headache and muscle pain. By completing a full TMJ workup we can find the optimal "happy place" for your jaw and create an orthotic device that is worn during sleep. This orthotic will keep your jaw in the optimal position and prevent damage to the teeth.

Grinding may be caused by stress but in some cases it appears to be a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea! More about that in my next post.

Please contact 561-394-9000 today to schedule your TMJ consultation. You don't need to live with constant headache pain. The diagnosis and treatment of TMJ dysfunction has been an integral part of my practice for over 20 years.

Labels: obstructive sleep apnea, TMJ

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