Dr. Schlang’s Blog

Did you know that the state of your oral health has a profound effect on your overall medical health?

We are all aware, of course, that tooth pain and sensitive gums are signs of oral trouble that require a dentist’s care. But the decay or disease that can cause these often exist without these symptoms – going undetected and, much worse, untreated. In this case, oral infection may go unchecked for years, which puts the person’s overall health quite seriously at risk.

These problems are often compounded in seniors. For one thing, as we’ve noted, seniors may have immune systems that have grown less vigorous with the passing years, making them even more susceptible to the many health problems that poor dental health can contribute to. In addition, seniors may feel that oral discomfort may just be one of those irritating but unavoidable troubles that comes with aging, and so may not bother telling anyone about their dental problems. And finally, seniors with cognitive challenges like Alzheimer’s disease or dementia may not be able to tell anyone if their mouths are hurting.

If infection is present, it can cause pain which inhibits the ability to chew and dampens the appetite. This drains away the basic quality-of-life pleasure of enjoying one’s meals, and can even lead to malnutrition.

In addition, many of the medications often prescribed for older adults can lead to conditions like xerostomia, or “dry mouth,” that can contribute to the onset of oral infection.

“The Window to Health”

There’s a good reason why the Surgeon General has referred to the mouth as the “window to your overall health.” Gum disease can allow bacteria to enter your bloodstream and travel to the heart, lungs, kidneys and other vital but vulnerable parts of the body. And oral examinations can detect dangerous conditions including nutritional deficiencies, general infections, immune disorders and even some cancers, problems than can lead to painful, debilitating, expensive and even life-threatening illnesses.

For these reasons and more, regular dental care is important to your overall health. And the older we get, the more vital this care becomes. Oral health is an important element of nutrition, quality of life and longevity. Regular checkups are an important weapon against a wide range of serious health issues.

So remember, dental care isn’t just about dealing with the occasional toothache or sore gums. Dental care is an important factor for health, happiness and overall quality of life.

Simply put, regular professional dental examinations and cleanings are the most cost-effective oral healthcare you, or your loved one, can receive. So see a dentist regularly, get your teeth cleaned every three to six months, and be sure to receive the treatment you need in a timely fashion. And if you have a senior in your care, make sure they’re receiving frequent dental care as well.

It is generally well recognized that the skin of smokers appears prematurely aged when compared to nonsmokers. We all recognized higher rates of periodontal disease and lower rates of implant success in smokers. Oral bone and soft tissue grafts in smokers fail at alarming rates.

What is the commonality in these adverse effects of smoking?

The reality is that one of the chemical effects of nicotine and other substances in cigarrete smoke is vasoconstriction. Nicotine causes vessels, particularly capillaries, to constrict for varying amount of time after each cigarette is smoked. The more frequently one smokes, the less time the capillaries have to recover and in a short period of time, capillaries atrophy and disappear. Thus, the smoker has a reduced blood and oxygen supply throughout all areas of the body when compared to the nonsmoker. With reduced blood supply, they are less able to repair the normal everyday damage sustained from the environment and the activities of daily living. For example, normal trauma to teeth that is generally subclinical and easily repaired at the microcellular level in the smoker is not repaired to the same degree due to a decreased blood supply to the area.

The skin of the smokers exposed to sunlight and other oxidative stress is less able to reserve and reapir these challenges and, therefore, ages at an accelerated rate when compared to a nonsmoker of similar age and background.

Bone and soft tissue grafts, which in essence are transfers of tissue to a recipient bed in the mouth, are at tremendous risk of failure in the smoker due to decreased vascular bed to nourish these grafts. If they do not become incorporated, they simply become infected or atrophy.

Finally, dental implants, which depend on bone ingrowth at the microscopic level in order to integrate, fail at higher rates in smokers due to compromised blood supply which then compromises the bone’s ability to grow densely into the implant surface.

Ironically, if smokers can cease smoking for three months prior to these procedures, the majority of the capillary density is reformed and bone, soft tissue and implant success rates rival those of people who have never smoked.

As dental professionals, we have the opportunity to advise our patients as to the specific risks of smoking as it relates to their oral health. By explaining to patients how smoking affects our ability to heal and accelerates our aging, especially as it relates to the oral cavity, we as professionals can improve not only our patients’ dental implant success rates, but also overall health.

Doing so may not only add years to their lives, but also life to their years!

The hygienic benefits of Invisalign

It’s removable for good hygiene

You can brush and floss normally, which can help prevent tooth decay and gum disease.

Healthier Gums

Properly positioned teeth are easier to brush and floss than teeth that are crowded, crooked, or spaced too far apart. Research has shown that periodontal tussue health may improve after Invisalign treatment reducing the risk of periodontitis and gingivitis.

You can still eat what you want

Because the aligners are removal and should be removed when you eat, you don’t have to worry about what you can eat.

Cleanings are quicker and easier than with traditional orthodontics
There are no brackets or wires to clean around as with traditional braces.

Dear Dr. Schlang,
The porcelain veneers on my front teeth appear to have discolored over the years, I have always had regular cleanings and I don’t drink a lot of coffee, but they look yellow to me……. is it possible to bleach them?

Thank you,
Alice from Texas

Dear Alice,

To give you a definite answer regarding the color of your porcelain veneers, I would need to see you, but it sounds like the glaze has been damaged over the years by polishing during dental cleaning visits which is a very common problem.

As bleaching wont work to restore the color, you best bet is to have a cosmetic dentist use special diamond polishers to try and restore some of the luster.

Best of Luck

Dr. Schlang

David Connors, Beverly Hills, CA - November 18, 2010
Dr. Schlang and his staff are kind, attentive and good natured. The dental hygienist is GREAT and Maria from the administrative staff is AWESOME as well. I DEFINITELY recommend Dr. Schlang to all that are reading this. He is an EXCELLENT dentist and a good person!

Anonymous, Beverly Hills, CA - December 1, 2009
Dr Schlang made my visit today easy and painless, not sure now which tooth he worked on… Thanks doc!

For all of our patients that may not be aware, our services now  include CEREC crowns and restorations.

These restorations can be completed in one visit, contain no metals, and are fabricated using a digital impression and a computer. If you have any questions, please call (310-477-2488) or e-mail us at info@drschlang.com