So you discovered you were pregnant and can’t begin to announce how excited you are! In fact for so many new moms to be there is a similar excitement. Many begin to step up their attention to overall health and become proactive in their care. But do these same moms know the risks of untreated gum disease? Long Island Periodontists aim to educate expecting moms on the link between periodontitis and preterm labor.

A recent study conducted and funded by Proctor and Gamble looked at 262 expectant mothers with gums disease. 71 were asked to rinse twice a day for 30 seconds with Crest Pro Health mouthwash, which does not contain alcohol. The remaining 155 women were instructed to rinse using only water.

The results were amazing:

• Among the water-only group 1 in 5 mothers delivered their babies prematurely
• In the mouthwash group only 1 in 20 mothers delivered their babies prematurely

Gum Disease and Pregnancy

The link between gum disease and preterm labor is nothing new. In fact numerous studies have continued to support a definite correlation between the two. However few studies have actually evaluated the effects of treating gum disease and the delivery outcome. This is exactly what the mouthwash study aimed to look at.

While the research team couldn’t why mouthwash had such a positive impact Dr. Marjorie Jeffcoat, lead author of the study and a professor at the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Dental Medicine did explain that gum disease involves a hormone-like substance prostaglandin E2 which is the same chemical involved in labor.  Her hypothesis is that gum disease leads to a higher circulation of this prostaglandin E2 in the body, which may lead to early labor.

If previous studies weren’t enough to motivate you the outcome of this one certainly shows substantial cause for being proactive in your oral health. To help lower risks of gum disease you should:

• Be sure to brush and floss twice daily
• Include the use of an alcohol free mouthwash twice a day
• See your dental practitioner for a pregnancy safe treatment plan
• If you have any questions call your dentist right away

Periodontitis during pregnancy doesn’t have to mean complications.  If you have gum disease Long Island Periodontist Dr. Scharf can help using a noninvasive laser therapy. To learn more call Dr. Scharf today at (631) 661-6633 or visit him on the web at http://drscharf.com.

Exposure to the sun comes with its ups and downs. Everyone enjoys a warm sunny day that can be spent on the beach or at the local park. But many are unsure of how much “exposure” to the sun is safe or even what time of day we should stay inside. However if you ask your Long Island dentist you might be surprised to hear him tell you to spend some quality time in the sun during when it is highest in the sky at solar noon.

Sun exposure and dental health is really nothing new. Since the mid 1800’s researchers have been evaluating the relationship between sun exposure and dental cavities. In fact during the Civil War the number of men rejected to do lost teeth was much higher in cloudy regions versus the sunnier regions.  But it was studies like the one completed by Clarence Mills and Bio East that linked sun exposure and the prevalence of tooth decay.

In addition to their study several studies from the 1920’s and 1930’s looked specifically at the relationship between Vitamin D and teeth. Beginning with dogs and then moving on to children researchers looked closely at the effects of Vitamin D and cavities, which revealed that appropriate levels of Vitamin D did in fact have a positive effect on the prevention of dental cavities.

Protecting the Health of Your Teeth

Maintaining good oral health doesn’t have to be a tedious job day in and day out. By following a few simple and practical techniques you can help ensure your teeth stay at their best.

• Brush and floss daily. The best way to keep your teeth and gums healthy is to ensure you keep them clean by brushing and flossing away built up food and plaque.
• Don’t forget the mouthwash. Studies have shown that adding mouthwash to your daily brushing and flossing routine can help kill bacteria and wash away and food particles that were loosened by not completely removed when brushing.
• Eat healthy every day. By consuming a daily intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, drinking plenty of water and avoiding sugars and acids you’ll be steps ahead in the prevention of tooth decay and gum disease.
• Avoid alcohol and tobacco use. It has been shown countless times that excessive use of alcohol and tobacco stain the teeth, lead to inflammation of the gums and the potential break down of your tooth’s surface.
• Add some Vitamin D. Numerous studies dating back to the mid 1800’s have shown that a daily intake of 1000-4000 IU/d of vitamin D3 or 15-20 minutes of sun exposure with 20-30% of your body surface exposed can dramatically help in the prevention of cavities.

Whether you are working with a Long Island dentist or doing some research on your own you can take steps to keep your smile at its best.  For patients needing a Long Island Periodontist Dr. Scharf offers laser therapy to comfortably treat gum disease regardless of phase. Contact him today at (631) 661-6633 or visit him on the web at http://drscharf.com.

When it comes to your mouth it is all too common for patients to report frequently bleeding gums. Long Island Periodontists spend many visits educating patients on the potential causes and why this symptom alone needs to be taken seriously and further evaluated. The reason, chronic inflammation could be leading to a more problematic phase of gum disease.

Our bodies were designed to use the immune and inflammatory response to protect us. In fact acute inflammation by itself is what tells the immune system to kick it up a notch and help restore the infected tissue. But when inflammation becomes chronic it’s a whole other arena, and more problematic.

Studies continually show that inflammation is a primary component in many systemic diseases and is thought by some to be the leading cause for symptoms specific to diseases like psoriasis, fibromyalgia, some cancers and you guessed it, gum disease.

Inflammations and Your Gums

To better understand exactly what happened to your mouth during the inflammatory response let’s break it down into three phases:

1. Phase One: Gums may appear red or swollen. It’s during this phase that most patients begin to notice frequent bleeding when brushing or flossing or a change in how their gums look along the tooth root. This is the beginning of gums disease and the easiest time to treat, however most patients pass the symptoms off as nothing to worry about.
2. Phase Two: Symptoms become more bothersome and a little harder to ignore. Your gums will begin to pull away from your teeth causing “pockets” to form. Bleeding often becomes more pronounced and the gums become tender. A bacterium fills the pockets and multiplies leading to an increased level of inflammation.
3. Phase Three: Inflammation leads to a break down in the soft tissue of the mouth, leading to loose or missing teeth if left untreated. During this phase gum disease requires more effort to treat however remains completely treatable.

Chronic inflammation is harmful to your body whether it’s in the mouth or elsewhere. If you ignore it you’ll find yourself with a much bigger problem that needs treating than if you had called your dental practitioner at the first signs of gum disease.

If you’re fed up with bleeding gums Long Island Periodontist Dr. David Scharf is ready to help. Contact him today at (631) 661-6633 to discuss your concerns or visit him on the web at http://drscharf.com. He can treat gum disease with a laser, not a scalpel, providing a comfortable yet effective approach to your treatment.

When it comes to being a smoker you tend to expect lectures about your health and how disgusting cigarettes are all around. As parents who also smoke you’ll even hear about the risks second hand smoke has on your child’s overall health, breathing and even sinuses. More recently studies are looking at second hand smoke and the risks to your child’s oral health.

According to a new study published in the Journal of Periodontology there is a correlation between environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), also known as second hand smoke, and gingival pigmentation. The study specifically looked at children whose parents were smokers and divided the children up into various age groups. What they found was the longer a child was exposed to second hand smoke the more likely their parents would be calling a Long Island Periodontist to evaluate the changes in their child’s gums.

The research team did express that while gingival pigmentation associated with second hand smoke was cosmetically unattractive it wasn’t actually harmful to your child’s mouth. However, harmful or not, the change in pigmentation should be enough for any parent to start thinking twice about the effects of second hand smoke in their child’s life.

Keeping Your Child’s Mouth Healthy

Whether pigmentation caused by ETS is a health concern or not your child’s oral care is important and any step you can take to improve it helps. For your child’s oral health consider:

• Smoking outside instead of in the house
• Never smoke in the car or other small space with your child
• Monitor your child’s brushing habits every time they brush
• Help your child floss his teeth for a complete clean
• Take your child to a child friendly dentist for his checkups twice a year

As parents it’s your job to ensure you child learns how to protect their teeth and gums early and this includes taking steps to ensure their oral health. If you can make a few changes to improve their chances of healthy teeth and gums wouldn’t you want to?

Dr. Scharf is a skilled Long Island Periodontist with years of experience in the field. Whether you have questions about gum disease or need information on appropriate treatments contact Dr. Scharf today at at (631) 661-6633 or visit him on the web at http://drscharf.com.

Have you been trying to conceive and wanting to make sure you’re doing everything you can to ensure an easy and successful conception? Have you been struggling with trying to conceive but can’t find any real reason for it? Perhaps you should consider seeing a Periodontist on Long Island for a detailed evaluation of your gums.

A Western Australian study called SMILE looked at 3737 pregnant women and analyzed their pregnancy planning and outcomes. It showed that those with gum disease took an average of two months longer to conceive than those without disease.

Professor Roger Hart, Professor of Reproductive Medicine at the University of Western Australia and of Western Australia said, “Until now there have been no published studies that investigate whether gum disease can affect a woman’s chance of conceiving so this is the first report to suggest that gum disease might be one of several risk factors that could be modified to improve the chances of pregnancy.”

How Gum Disease Spreads

Gum disease begins with a plaque buildup around the base of your teeth. This buildup causes the gum to pull away from the teeth, resulting in a pocket along the gum line. Food gets trapped in these pockets and provides the perfect environment for bacteria to grow.

Over the next few stages inflammation begins and spreads to adjacent teeth and gums.  While the disease spreads the bacteria can enter the blood stream and spread through your entire body, affecting various organs like your heart, kidneys, even possibly the reproductive organs.

Although gum disease is destructive and can spread through your entire system it’s fairly easy to prevent or treat. To prevent gum disease you should:

• Brush and floss daily. Be sure to clean on all surfaces of the tooth, even the hard to reach places.
• Consider using a mouthwash after you brush to help rinse out residual food and plaque
• Be sure to eat a healthy diet with fresh fruits and vegetables
• Drink plenty of water
• Avoid excessive use of tobacco, alcohol and sweets
• Visit your dentist twice a year for a thorough cleaning

Treating gum disease is easier if caught early. As soon as you notice signs of gum disease contact your dental practitioner right away. If you’re looking for a Long Island Periodontist who offers modern and effective treatment options contact Dr. Scharf. He offers laser therapy instead of a scalpel. Call today at (631) 661-6633 or visit him on the web at http://drscharf.com.

Have you ever sat back and wandered if you were more prone to disease than the person sitting next to you? If you’re a woman did you ever think that you were more likely to develop certain diseases just because of your gender?

Researchers at Friedrich Schiller University Jena asked these very questions in relation to men and woman, wanting to know if woman were more susceptible to inflammatory disease than man. Inflammatory diseases could include rheumatoid arthritis, chronic kidney disease or perhaps less obvious gingivitis.

Dr. Carlo Pergola shared, “In a series of analysis we have shown that cells from men and women react in a different manner to inflammatory stimuli.” The analysis looked at certain immune cells and found that women’s cells produced almost twice as many pro-inflammatory substances than those of men.

And so researchers aimed to find the molecular basis for this difference. What they uncovered was the enzyme phospholipase D in a man’s cells is less active than a woman’s. To further look at this difference researchers treated the woman’s cell with testosterone, which actually reduced the activity level of their enzyme phospholipase D. In other words, male testosterone is the key to reduce inflammation!

Inflammation and Your Gums

So what does this mean for women’s oral health? If your gums become inflamed the end result is gum disease as the inflammation breaks down the soft tissue of your mouth. But there are measures everyone can take to protect the health of their teeth and gums:

• Brush and floss twice daily to remove food and plaque
• Eat a healthy diet and be sure to drink plenty of water
• Fresh fruits have been reported to reduce inflammation such as strawberries and cherries
• Visit your dentist twice a year for a professionally cleaning of your teeth
• Monitor your mouth daily for any changes and discuss these with your dental practitioner right away.

By be proactive in your oral health care it doesn’t matter if you are at higher risk for inflammation because you’ll be one step ahead all the way.

Want to make sure you stay ahead in the prevention of gingivitis? Contact Dr. Scharf, a licensed Periodontist skilled in the early diagnosis and treatment of gum disease using a laser not a scalpel. Call today at (631) 661-6633 or visit him on the web at http://drscharf.com.

Have you ever wondered if Long Island dental implants could help you improve your smile? With new advancements in dental technology more people are able to enjoy the benefits of a more natural alternative to tooth replacement. 3D imaging is one of those advancements that put efficiency and simplicity at the fingertips of Periodontists worldwide.

In 1995 conjoined twins Hannah and Bethany Rainey had to undergo a delicate surgery to separate them. The attending surgeons used a computer designed three dimensional model of the girls skeletal features to guide them through the surgery. Dr. Stephen Schmitt recognized the potential of 3D imaging in dentistry and teamed up with Dr. Benjamin Young to operate Vxelogix, a company that is part of the emerging field of digital dentistry.

With the use of 3D models and other technological aids dental practitioners are better able to improve tooth replacement and functional use of those new teeth. According to Dr. Young, “It’s a method of digital design to restore a person’s mouth.” These models enable dentists to use computer models when designing dentures or implants. The end result is a better fitting option with more functional life.

The Implant Procedure: What to Expect

Traditionally implants begin with a thorough evaluation by a Periodontist who will assess the health of your gums and jawbone, determine if you have sufficient enough bone mass to secure an implant and address any other illnesses or concerns. The steps typically involved include:

• A detailed exam of your existing teeth and gums
• Complete a health questionnaire to address any other potential concerns
• Receive a detailed x-ray to assess the stability of your jawbone
• Go over the results and discuss possible treatment options

Implant dentistry has proven to be a more natural approach to tooth replacement for years. With a growing number of options available more patients are able to enjoy a natural smile rather than bulky dentures.

As the industry continues to grow technology such as 3D imaging continues to improve and widen the appeal of cosmetic dentistry. If you’re missing a single tooth or multiple teeth and have been contemplating Long Island dental implants contact Dr. Shcarf to discuss your needs. With years of experience in implant dentistry he can effectively determine the best approach for tooth replacement options. Call today at (631) 661-6633 or visit him on the web at http://drscharf.com.

Living with diabetes can be a challenge at times, especially if you if you’re struggling with getting your blood sugar under control. It’s crucial to follow your specialist’s instructions when it comes to the amount of insulin to take and dietary recommendations but what if there is something more you could do to get your diabetes under control? It is possible that your Periodontist on Long Island may be able to help.

Studies have consistently shown a connection between your oral health and that of your body. In fact diabetes is one of the illnesses directly linked to oral disease. To further support this claim is one man’s story of years of uncontrolled diabetes that finally became manageable after removing his decaying teeth and treating oral infection.

This patient had been struggling for years to control his diabetes and get his insulin levels under control. He worked closely with his specialist with little success. In just 10 days after treating his oral infections he experienced a sudden drop in blood sugar that lead to a trip to the ER. It was soon determined that his current insulin dosage was too high.

Treating Oral Disease Lowered Blood Sugar

So what changed? For years the insulin was forced to battle both his diabetes and the oral infection. Once his dental practitioner removed the decaying teeth and treated the infection his body no longer required the high doses of insulin.

If you want to effectively manage your diabetes it’s crucial to consider the health of your mouth as well. This begins with a daily monitoring of your teeth and gums for any signs of disease including:

• Red or swollen gums
• Tender spots on your gums
• A change in the way your teeth fit in your mouth
• Gums pulling away from the teeth
• Frequent bleeding while brushing or flossing
• Persistent bad breath

If you have questions about the connection between your oral health and the management of your diabetes talk with your specialist. Ask what they think and how they feel about the need to treat gum disease and if they can give you a recommendation for a local Periodontist. Take charge of your medical care and stay ahead of your diabetes.

If you need to see a Periodontist on Long Island Dr. Scharf offers new and innovative approaches to laser therapy using a laser not a scalpel. Give him a call to discuss your needs at (631) 661-6633 or visit him on the web at http://drscharf.com.

Nobody wants to walk around with a defective smile or missing teeth. While many feel forced to settle for dentures or partials more are discovering they can rely on Long Island dental implants to replace their missing teeth. This natural, permanent option is growing in popularity and practitioners continue to study implant dentistry to improve success rates for patients. A recent study found genetic indicators that may have an impact on the success rate of implants.

How well implants fuse with the natural bone in your mouth depends in a large part on the health of the surrounding gum tissue. If your gums are inflamed or weakened in any way your chances of success reduces. For some patients the risk for failure may be predictable, even before they receive the implants!

Your Genetics and Implant Success

According to a recent study some patients are what is referred to as genotype positive, meaning the genetic makeup actually leaves them more susceptible to gum tissue destruction and inflammation. Both of these conditions minimize how effectively an implant can heal in the oral cavity.

Any patient is at risk for deterioration or gum inflammation however being genotype positive increases the likelihood of having these complications. Additionally, these patients don’t respond as well to treatment efforts to save the implants making it difficult for Periodontists to eliminate the inflammation and save the new tooth.

This study was published in the Journal of Implantology and concluded that:

• Experienced great gum tissue destruction
• Had increased discharge from tissues
• Exaggerated local inflammation
• Had lower response to treatment
• Genotype negative patients who developed inflammation responded well to treatment
• There were statistically significant differences between both groups

As more and more research continues to be completed around implant dentistry patients are able to enjoy the many benefits that come from it. Practitioners are more aware of patient needs and proper preparation to ensure success with a new beautiful smile. With continued advancements in cosmetic dentistry studies like this one will help dental practitioners find ways to increase the success rate of dental implant procedures for everyone.

To find out your success rate Dr. Scharf is available to answer any of your questions. He’s provided Long Island dental implants for years and can offer his expertise in deciding whether implants are right for you. Call today at (631) 661-6633 or visit him on the web at http://drscharf.com.

Developing a solid plan to maintain oral health can sometimes prove challenging for women, especially considering that oral changes take place frequently with our ever changing hormones. The reality is the female mouth will experience episodes of acid erosion, dry mouth, gum inflammation and excessive salivary flow at various times throughout their lifetime. Whether you are striving to prevent periodontal disease on Long Island or somewhere else it’s vital to understand the various changes you’re up against.

The most common change women are up against is inflammation of the gums. This typically occurs around their menstrual cycle but often goes unnoticed. Inflammation weakens to soft tissue in the mouth and can open a window for gum disease. It’s important to recognize it early one and take some extra steps to reduce the increased inflammation.

During pregnancy is another major change in hormones and often leads to increases acids in the mouth, which in turn break down tooth enamel and weaken your gums. Acid is possibly one of the most damaging changes that occur in women’s mouths and needs to be reduced immediately.

Developing an Oral Plan that Rolls with the Changes

Your oral hygiene doesn’t have to necessarily change excessively or even at all if you develop a strategy that can protect your oral health across the board.  For a base routine consider:

• Daily brushing and flossing, both morning and night
• Eating a healthy diet daily with plenty of water
• Avoiding foods known to break down teeth and gums
• Avoid tobacco and alcohol use

For those times when a little special attention is needed:

• Dry Mouth: Try taking frequent sips of water throughout the day or chew some sugarless gum
• Excessive Saliva: try to identify what is causing it and address those areas
• Gum Inflammation: Be sure to thoroughly brush your teeth during increased levels of inflammation and rinse thoroughly with water. You can also try eating strawberries and cherries to your diet as each have shown anti-inflammatory agents.
• Acidic Erosion: During times of increased acids it’s crucial to avoid all foods and drinks that contain acid and rinse your mouth with water frequently. Acid eats away at teeth and gums at rapid speeds and can lead to disease.

For the most part your daily routine stays the same but when hormone changes occur you can stay ahead of infection and gum disease. Stay on top of your oral health and keep an eye or your mouth for signs of change.

If you’re struggling with periodontal disease on Long Island and need to see a Periodontist contact Dr. Scharf. He can treat your gum disease with a laser, not a scalpel offering you a pain free option to a healthy mouth. Contact him today at (631) 661-6633 or visit him on the web at http://drscharf.com.