Preventing Osteonecrosis of the Jaw

Dentists are a part of a patient’s medical care team, and at All Coast Dental in Pacific Beach, we’re proud to say that we conduct oral cancer screenings. Patients battling cancer know they can rely on our services, but to ensure everything goes well for them, patients should be aware of how sharing information with us will help them to avoid osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ).

ONJ is a term used to describe the death of jaw bone tissue. When a tooth is extracted, the jaw bone at the base of the socket is briefly exposed to air before the socket clots over. This is usually only a problem if the patient is on bisphosphonate medications. Bisphosphonates are anti-bone resorption drugs given to people with osteopenia or who are undergoing chemotherapy. Almost all cases of ONJ occurred in cancer patients taking heavy doses of bisphosphonates intravenously.

It is important for patients to fully inform us of all the medications they are on. ONJ can be treated by scraping decayed material and applying anti-biotic rinses, but it is best for people who are anticipating needing dental extractions to coordinate care between their dentists and oncologists.

Drs. Julie and Joseph Boulos operate All Coast Dental at 2180 Garnet Ave, Suite 1-K, Pacific Beach, California, 92109. To schedule an appointment, call 858-270-4904 or visit All Coast Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Back to School Check-Ups

If your children haven’t been to the dentist recently, there’s no time like the present. No child should have to start off the academic year with tooth decay, and a check-up is the perfect time to assess their long-term care needs

Children are the demographic with the highest rate of tooth decay. This is often due to difficulty brushing and flossing. While a toothache is bad news for anybody, it is especially harmful to children. Sleep deprivation can have far-reaching consequences for their academic performance and temperament. In young children, toothaches can also cause speech to be delayed. At the same time, children may brush too vigorously and damage their gum tissue. At a check-up, we can correct children’s hygiene mistakes and remove infected tissue.

Another potential cause of toothaches is an impacted adult tooth. X-rays allow us to determine whether a tooth is stuck and if it or a baby tooth needs to be extracted. If your child plans to play a sport, we can also provide athletic mouthguards or refit an old one to account for changes in their growing jaw structure.

Drs. Julie and Joseph Boulos operate All Coast Dental at 2180 Garnet Ave, Suite 1-K, Pacific Beach, California, 92109. To schedule an appointment, call 858-270-4904 or visit All Coast Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Pacifiers and Teeth

Parents often struggle with weaning their child off a pacifier.  Infants are soothed to a sense of security by pacifiers, and when the time comes it is one of the hardest habits to break.  It can require a great deal of persuasion, but because of the effect they can have on the growth and development of the teeth and mouth children should stop using pacifiers by the age of two.  At All Coast Dental, we always welcome new pediatric patients, especially those who have yet to wean off of the pacifier.

Prolonged pacifier use can cause changes in the shape of the roof of the mouth, prevent proper growth of the mouth, and create problems with tooth alignment.  Narrowing of the roof of the mouth and misalignment of the jaws can also occur.  Using a pacifier too long can also lead to a variety of complications including tilting in of the bottom teeth, and slanting in of the top and front teeth. Until the age of two, any alignment problem with the teeth or developing bone is usually corrected within six months after pacifier use has stopped.  We can help and support parents having any trouble weaning their child off a pacifier before that age.

If you have questions about pacifiers and teeth development, visit www.allcoastdental.net for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at All Coast Dental in Pacific Beach, CA, call 858-270-4904.  

Pediatric Patients

All Coast Dental is proud to serve the families from our community, and we want them to know it’s just as important for children to have regular dental visits.  A child’s first dental visit should be scheduled when the first baby tooth appears, or around the child’s first birthday.  Baby teeth eventually come out, but their growth and development is important for overall oral health for the child and the development of their adult teeth.

Baby teeth should be brushed and cared for like adult teeth, and it’s important to monitor their growth and development.  Missing any tooth for too long can change the development of surrounding teeth and compromise the structure of the jaw bone, but regular checkups can keep a child’s tooth development right on track.  Our dentists are skilled and experienced in administering dental care to children.  If your child has seems nervous about seeing a dentist for the first time, we recommend going through a brushing routine with them at home, and talking about the dental visit before you arrive.  Once we get your child’s oral health off to a great start, we offer a full range of services for child patients including dental cleanings, fluoride treatments and sealants.

We love to see good oral hygiene habits formed early and make lifetime patients out of kids from our community!  To learn more about pediatric dental care and all the services provided at our practice, visit www.allcoastdental.net for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at All Coast Dental in Pacific Beach, CA, call 858-270-4904.  

Caring For Your Retainer

Many orthodontic patients require a retainer at the end of orthodontic treatment.  Removable retainers are an easy step to take to preserve a straight smile.  All Coast Dental provides retainers for patients, and caring for your retainer properly is important so that it functions and lasts as long as possible.  A silly but common mistake people make with their retainers is trying to cut corners -- don’t try to clean or brush your retainer while it’s still in your mouth!  The retainer cannot be completely cleaned of debris this way, and toothpaste can also be abrasive to the plastic of the retainer.  Always remove your retainer before cleaning thoroughly with water and your toothbrush. Use a mild dish or hand soap to help clean off debris- never abrasive toothpaste.

You should clean your retainer daily, and also treat it weekly by soaking.  Soaking helps maintain the cleanliness of the retainer and keep it from drying out.  To soak the retainer, dissolve denture cleaning tablets in water or add a little baking soda to water to make a solution.  Storing your retainer properly is also important for its longevity.  Get in the habit of always using and carrying a case.  Many retainers have disappeared while folded up in napkins!

To learn more about caring for your retainer, visit www.allcoastdental.net for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at All Coast Dental in Pacific Beach, CA, call 858-270-4904.  

Reasons for Dental Extractions

We understand that tooth extractions are a source of anxiety for many people. But at All Coast Dental, Dr. Julie Boulos and Dr. Joseph Boulos make this procedure as safe and comfortable as possible. Dental extractions are only recommended when absolutely necessary, but there are several situations in which they might be recommended.

Many problems with misaligned bites are ultimately due to overcrowding. We offer ClearCorrect orthodontic treatment to realign patients’ teeth, but for major corrections, an orthodontist may request that a dentist remove some teeth to make room for others. This is most commonly done with wisdom teeth, which are the largest and last to erupt, but it is also sometimes done with one of the sets of premolars or with other redundant teeth that have gotten stuck.

Sometimes, teeth need to be removed because they are badly damaged. Skilled dentists can repair cracks and chips, but when a tooth is fractured all the way through the crown and root, it must be replaced. If a tooth’s pulp is infected, it can be saved by means of a root canal, but sometimes root canals fail to remove all the infected material. When teeth do need to be extracted, we can replace them with implant-supported crowns that are identical to natural teeth.

Drs. Julie and Joseph Boulos operate All Coast Dental at 2180 Garnet Ave, Suite 1-K, Pacific Beach, California, 92109. To schedule an appointment, call 858-270-4904 or visit All Coast Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Bleeding Gums

Our compassionate, nonjudgmental care at All Coast Dental is based on recognizing the unique oral health needs of our patients. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a condition which puts patients at increased risk for gum disease, and in order to help them get the best care, we want to help them understand why they experience gingivitis so frequently.

A Johns Hopkins study recently found that 70% of people with RA have gum disease. People whose arthritis has advanced have difficulty using ordinary toothbrushes and floss, but the high rates of gingivitis among people whose disease had not reached an advanced stage suggests a bigger problem than poor hygiene. RA is the result of the body’s immune system attacking synovium, which is a tissue that lines the joints, causing it to painfully swell. Another study recently found that synovium has a similar cellular structure to gum tissue, indicating that the diseases might share a common cause.

RA is the result of genetic and environmental factors. One of the most important steps people can take to prevent it is to not smoke. If a patient is suffering from RA-related gum disease, we can instruct them on the use of electric toothbrushes and water picks that will allow them to maintain their oral hygiene more easily.

Drs. Julie and Joseph Boulos operate All Coast Dental at 2180 Garnet Ave, Suite 1-K, Pacific Beach, California, 92109. To schedule an appointment, call 858-270-4904 or visit All Coast Dental and fill out a contact sheet.