How would you like to trade a bag of candies for some fatty fish? Experimental biology researchers say that the barter somewhat makes sense – especially when you’re dodging the dentist and those Long Island dental implants.

Though a direct link yet has to be established, there is a growing body of literature suggesting that fish oil can fight gum disease and maintain overall health. There also appears to be a shift from treatment of the disease to damage control and prevention.

4 Ways to Shove Those Healthful Fatty Acids into Your System

Tip #1: Include cold water fish in your menu.

Take your pick from mackerel, herring, salmon, and tuna. Some studies recommend no more than 3 grams daily. To an Australian team of researchers, the ideal target is 500 milligrams weekly – or roughly just two pieces of fish.

Tip #2: Take omega-3 supplements.

They might smell funnier than your typical supply of Vitamin C capsules. Still, fish oil soft gels are convenient to take. Additionally, they do not require any preparation in the kitchen.

Tip #3: Mix them with dairy.

Fish oil and goat cheese are a weird combo, but not for food scientists at the Universityof Maine. Published in the Journal of Food Science, the February 2012 study maintained that pairing the two items preserves the oil longer and neutralizes the fishy smell.

Tip #4: Get them intravenously.

The treatment worked for intensive care unit (ICU) patients in UK three years ago. Subjects who were given omega-3 fatty acids intravenously healed faster and had less inflammation than the control group.

Remember

Although it is tagged as the silent epidemic, gum disease is avoidable. A healthful diet can help prevent the process. In case you have already lost some teeth to periodontitis, relax. Dr. David Scharf can help.

Dr. Scharf is a three-peat winner of Long Island’s best dentist award. From providing expert advice on treating bad breath to using laser surgery and placing Long Island dental implants, he is your to-go professional for gentle and effective oral care. Reach him today at (631) 661-6633 for an appointment, or visit him at his Babylon clinic.

The past few days had been an exciting time for health professionals as a controversial statement divided the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP).

On April 18, the AHA released a scientific statement on Circulation where a group of researchers announced the absence of any “conclusive evidence” directly linking gum disease and heart disease.

The same statement downplayed the role of dental professionals (such as your favorite periodontist in Long Island) in using oral care to mitigate the risk of stroke.

The AAP and the AHA See Each other Eye to Eye

It turned out that the “rife” was exponentially hyped and many of the story headlines a tad misleading. The AHA statement in fact does not rule out that there is an association between the two diseases.

What is suggested is that the cause-and-effect link has yet to be proven. There was never any claim made that gum disease directly causes heart problems.

If any at all, the disagreement was actually a difference in forecast. While the AHA hypothesized that should a link be established in the future, such connection will be “minor,” the AAP believed that there will probably be “stronger” ties.

Flossing is Still a Healthy Habit to Keep

America’s top killer and the nation’s silent epidemic are too complex to resolve with a single floss. Still, flossing your teeth is a healthy habit worth keeping.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away in the same way that regular flossing helps to keep plaque build-up in check.

You see, failing to provide clear answers on the direct relationship between your gums and your heart does not make periodontal disease any less serious. Gum disease afflicts approximately 80% of the American population.

It remains a risk factor for many serious health conditions, including stroke and diabetes. According to the American Dental Hygienists’ Association in fact, whether or not a causal link exists, gum disease patients are two times more susceptible to develop coronary artery disease.

Pamper Your Gums Today

Healthy teeth begin with healthy gums. To give your mouth a well-deserved treat, plug tooth loss and gingivitis before they break your heart (figuratively speaking). Schedule an appointment with Dr. David Scharf at (631) 661-6633. He is an experienced and trained periodontist in Long Island who advocates painless, gentle, and minimally invasive dental procedures like laser gum surgery.

It isn’t always that you get to hear complaints about failed dental implants.

The treatment has a 90% chance of success, according to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. With a skilled and experienced Long Island periodontist performing the procedure, the percentage can even reach 95%.

Still, if you’re curious to know what usually happens with the 5%, this blog post is for you. The reasons behind titanium implantation failure range from the bizarre to the ordinary.

1: Implant Quality

Implants are made of titanium, but there are different grades of the material. Moreover, not all 340 types can stand up uniformly to chewing and grinding.

Choosing them from a dentist who gets his supplies from reputable manufacturing company is key. Don’t settle for something cheap that doesn’t work.

2: Bacteria-Induced Peri-Implantitis

There are occasions when the dental implant does not properly integrate with the bone and causes the parts around it to be inflamed.

One explanation is that people react differently to titanium. Oral care specialists suspect that the same bacterial strains that cause periodontal disease may be to blame.

3: Health Conditions

Titanium implants work for almost everyone, yet the odds of failure are greater when you are diagnosed with chronic diabetes or osteoporosis.

Diabetes can complicate healing and needs to be controlled. Soft bones are too weak a foundation for the dental implants, so if you smoke, consider lighting that last stick or at least abstain from cigarettes a few days prior to treatment.

4: Poor Oral Hygiene

Fake teeth that don’t rot does not absolve you from regular flossing and brushing. To maintain healthy gums, you still need to visit your dentist.

5: Dental Shortcuts

Yes, it is disheartening, but there may be skilled practitioners who cut corners with the treatment. Some do not follow the proper procedure. Others use cheap implants so they could charge you lower service fees.

Here at the clinic, we do not take short cuts. To inquire from Dr. David Scharf whether you are an OK candidate for dental implants, feel free to reach us today at (631) 661-6633. Dr. Scharf is a Long Island periodontist who performs gum surgery with a laser instead of a knife.

Not all tooth cases have to end with painful gum surgery. There are two ways to save yourself from the Long Island periodontist’s scalpel:

- Make preventive maintenance a daily habit.

- Opt for LANAP or laser-assisted new attachment procedure.

Option 1: Fluoride Massage

The easy route is the path less taken.

Starting good habits early is by far the cheapest and least difficult recourse, because it does not cost a cent to adopt a healthy lifestyle that’s also good for your gums and teeth.

Forgetting to bring your toothbrush to the office is no excuse either. A study done in Sweden is suggesting that if you’re not a whiz with the brush, you can at least improvise with your fingers.

Researchers from the University of Gothenburg recently discovered that massaging your gums and your inner cheeks with fluoride-rich toothpaste without a brush can still lower your risk against plaque.

The 16 respondents of the study used toothpaste with a fluoride concentration of 1,450 and 5,000 parts per million.

The conclusion: When you brush your teeth thrice a day and also massage your gums with toothpaste at least once, your teeth and gums are four times less prone to tooth decay and gingivitis.

Option 2: LANAP

The corrective route does not have to be sore and slow.

Sadly, the 800,000 people who rush to the emergency room for dental treatment each year is proof alone that not everyone is serious about preventive maintenance.

If you are already suffering from bleeding gums and are in danger of serious bone loss, your best recourse is to opt for gum surgery.

The LANAP has given periodontitis patients hope in restoring their dental health painlessly and quickly.

According to Dr. David Scharf, the innovative procedure which began only in the early 1990s can reverse 20 years of gum damage in as little as 24 to 48 hours.

The best part is that LANAP neither hurts nor involves down times like traditional gum surgery does. Interestingly, the treatment is priced competitively too.

Dr. Scharf is a multi-awarded Long Island periodontist advocating non-invasive alternatives to cut-and-stitch gum surgery. He is one of the pioneers of LANAP in Babylon, New York. For inquiries and appointment requests, call Dr. Scharf at (631) 661-6633.

This short video,made by Long Island periodontist Dr. David Scharf explains what gum disease is and how it progresses.

Many people with gum disease on Long Island NY wonder exactly what gum disease if. This video by Long Island Periodontist Dr. David Scharf helps explain gum disease. Gum disease starts when plaque accumulates around the teeth. This causes the gum to be inflamed. This is called gingivitis.

In stage 2 of gum disease the gums start to separate from the tooth. Here the pockets start to get deeper and they open. This allows more bacteria to get further under the gums. This is still gingivitis as there is no bone loss yet.

In the third stage of gum disease the disease spreads deeper to the bone and the bone is destroyed. This is called periodontitis. As this stage the pockets are getting deeper still and there is bone destruction. Many people will chose to see a periodontist on Long Island like Dr. David Scharf at this point. Dr. Scharf treats gum disease with a laser rather than a scalpel.

If gum disease is not stopped at stage 3 it goes to stage 4. At this most advance stage the bone loss is more severe and the pockets are deeper. Maybe in the 6-9mm range. This video explains what pockets are and how they get deeper. Left untreated even further the bone loss advances to a point where it is lost.

This progression does not have to happen. Many people avoid treatment for gum disease on Long Island because they do not want gum surgery. The are worried about pain after gum surgery and are searching for alternatives to gum surgery. This is where the gum laser is helpful.

Dr. Scharf was the first periodontist on Long Island to use a laser rather than a scalpel to treat gum disease on Long Island

The protocol for the laser is called LANAP which is an acronym for Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure. Dr. Scharf was the first periodontist on Long Island to be trained in this FDA-approved breakthrough procedure.

The first step of LANAP is to accurately probe the periodontal pockets. This is done with the patient completely numb so they don’t feel anything. LANAP can only be done with an Nd:YAG laser. It canot be done with a co2 or diode laser. In the first pass of the laser, the laser fiber tip is gently placed into the gum pocket. This pass of the laser removes only the diseased tissue and leaves the heathy tissue unharmed. It also kills the bacteria in the pocket and loosens the tartar. After this pass the laser is set aside. A piezo scaling unit is used to remove the bacteria and tartar from the rot surface. This cleaning must be very thorough. Then the scaler is set aside and the laser is used again. This time it is used on another setting. This pass of the laser heats the blood in the pocket for hemostasis. This stable blood clot allows for new bone and gum tissue to grow and heal .

The next step is to adjust the patient’s bite to reduce any harmful biting forces and to direct the forces in the long axis of the teeth. Finally, a night guard is made to reduce the harmful biting forces that can be generated at night.

The American Academy of Periodontology has some great information on periodontal disease.

Limitations of Tooth Replacement

Periodontal disease is not an end in itself. It could be a symptom of a bigger problem. This is precisely why it’s essential for patients to understand the limitations and advantages of dental implants Long Island oral care professionals use.

1. Titanium implants are no match for natural teeth.
2. They do not eliminate the need for proper oral hygiene.
3. They do not replace your dentist and medical doctor.
4. They cannot save your mouth from dryness and your gums from bleeding.

If these two symptoms persist, the problem could be more than periodontitis. Dr. Nancy Snyderman, chief medical editor of NBC News, said this week that these two are “unusual” but often overlooked conditions which in fact require serious attention.

Sjogren’s syndrome which tennis player Venus Williams was diagnosed with in 2011 is often characterized by a parched mouth and dry eyes. On the other hand, research shows that bleeding gums and gingivitis are early symptoms of leukemia in kids.

Advantages of Titanium

Dental implants are not without any merit. There’s a lot to like about them actually.

1. The success rate for implants is 95%. This means that the procedure is much safer than getting a root canal, according to New Yorkdentist Dr. Marcus Sperber.
2. The implants are attractive. They look like real teeth, and most people can’t tell that you’re flashing a fake toothy grin.
3. They are versatile and durable. They can support a bridge, a crown, or a denture. They can last years, provided you do your part.
4. They do not require sacrifices. A bridge needs the support of two good teeth to hold it in place. Your dentist need not grind other teeth for a dental implant.
5. They feel more natural and are easier to clean than dentures. The implants are anchored firmly on your jaw bone. You can bite firmly, floss, and brush.
6. They do not decay. Unlike your bone, a titanium implant cannot be eaten away by bacteria or by the acid which they secrete.

The dental implants Long Island has are only as good as the professional that placed them. To find out if titanium aides  are for you, talk to a New York periodontist today. Reach Dr. Scharf at (631) 661-6633.

The early onset of gum disease is so stealthy and quite painless that most people don’t even realize they have a problem.

Have your mouth checked by a periodontist on Long Island though, and what the good dentist can tell you might just blow your mind.

Your gums and teeth have a lot of tales to tell actually. Stories linking gum disease to pneumonia and other complications are becoming commonplace these days.

According to one preventive dentistry officer, the reason is that early symptoms of major ailments manifest first in your mouth.

A Routine Gum Check Can Tip You Off on Brewing Health Menaces

To date, a number of health complications have caught the attention of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Dental Hygienists’ Association.

Read on to explore the connection between the state of your mouth and your overall health.

Anorexia Nervosa. Are you dieting to unhealthy extremes? You may not realize it. Dry and red lips as well as suspiciously thin tooth enamel are common to people who suffer from eating disorders like anorexia nervosa or bulimia.

Cancer. Don’t take recurrent mouth sores lightly. Studies in the early 2000s warn that candidates for oral cancer are two times more apt to sport lesions and tongue tumors. The likely culprits are pathogenic viruses and bacteria in your mouth.

Cardiovascular Diseases. Even though you don’t have a history of heart disease in your family, the bacteria behind gingivitis can make you a moving target for stroke. Researchers found that the same strain that causes caries could also clog your carotid arteries.

Diabetes. Of all connections, this one is the easiest to understand. Diabetes and gum problems work both ways. The American Diabetes Association disclosed that 95 percent of patients with diabetes also have periodontal disease.

Are you itching to know what serious ailments your body is secretly harboring? Start with your mouth. Call (631) 661-6633 to schedule your routine dental checks with Dr. Scharf.

The multi-awarded periodontist on Long Island, NY carefully pre-screens all his patients prior to any procedure so that you won’t just get your teeth cleaned or your laser surgery performed. You’ll also get a preview of your overall health on each visit.

As people age and dental insurance becomes unobtainable, the tendency to completely stop seeing an oral care professional becomes a harmful habit. It won’t take long for these folks to complain about tooth decay, gum disease, and the affordability of Long Island dental implants.

While it’s true that as you grow older, your saliva contains less of the substance necessary to fight bacteria, a recent story published at the New York Times revealed that even the mouth of pre-school children can host an army of bacteria – massive enough to cause an average of 6 to 10 cavities per kid.

Root Cavities: the Usual Culprits

In 2011, researchers found out that most people aged 66 and older have root cavities where gums have retreated. The common causes included:

- Having too many sweets

- Drinking too much alcohol

- Brushing improperly

- Flossing inadequately

- Taking diuretics

Do these causes seem familiar? At one point or another, you may even find yourself guilty of failing to brush your teeth following a sweet snack.

From Gums to Teeth: Bacteria’s Attack Plan

Regardless of what you did or failed to do to fight tooth decay and gum disease, the attack plan of bacteria is quite predictable.

- They form plaque around your teeth and gum lines.

- The plaque hardens to become tartar.

- Both plaque and tartar harbor more bacteria.

- Bacterial secretions infect the gums.

- Soft, swollen gums are no longer secure enough for teeth to anchor on.

Gingivitis can progress to periodontitis, but the effects aren’t just limited to your mouth. Bacterial infection affecting the gums is also linked to heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes.

Taking Action

So, how exactly can you avoid coughing up the cash for implants?

Ask any dentist, and you will be told that most gum and teeth problems can be prevented by observing good oral hygiene at an early age and by maintaining healthy dental habits.

You may be interested in a related post that teaches you how to say goodbye to your periodontist in six easy steps.

For professional advice, expert care, and Long Island dental implants (should you badly need them), set an appointment with Dr. Scharf today. Dr. Scharf is the current and a three-peat best dentist in Long Island awardee.

Is visiting a Long Island periodontist for a tooth check-up the least of your priorities? Studies show that you aren’t the only one.

• In the UK, 400 out of 1,000 people would rather not see a dentist.
• In the US, more than 800,000 individuals land in the ER for the simplest reasons as a toothache.

Keeping Tabs

If dental fees are keeping you from booking that appointment today, think again. The money you saved up from dodging semi-annual check-ups might not be enough to cover your total obligations to the ER.

Consumer Health Ratings indicate that a typical visit to the ER can cost you at least $1,300. Since you don’t usually know how much you need to pay until after the treatment or until the bill arrives, you may be in for a shock.

Factoring in Modern, Unhealthy Habits

The real risks of postponing dental visits and preventive maintenance are sadly more than a financial concern.

When you combine zero dental check-ups with the following “modern” habits, the results can be disastrous:

• Brushing – Scrubbing your pearly whites too often, too long, and too hard wears away the enamel.
• Drinking – Hydration is essential to the body, but loading up on coffee, fruit juices, energy drinks, and soda slowly erodes outer teeth covering.
• Clenching – Whether it’s office politics or mounting paperwork that’s stressing you out, clenching your teeth won’t help. The activity can lead to tooth loss over the long term.

Addressing the Risks

Taking your teeth for granted can take a serious toll on your health. A simple toothache can escalate to gum disease and heart problems.

People usually learn about the importance of regular dental visits and preventive oral care the hard way though.

Some learn to live with a missing tooth or two. Others cough up thousands of dollars for invasive gum surgery just to feel normal again.

If you haven’t already, now is the best time to give your teeth some TLC. Visiting a Long Island periodontist regularly can save you from that expensive trip to the ER. For starters, try New York dentist Dr. Scharf. He specializes in non-invasive laser surgery and also caters to patients who need a basic tooth check-up or cleaning.