A holiday on the island of Majorca will cost you three times more for food and drink than in Bulgaria.

A family of four heading to Palma Nova, Majorca, would splash out £100.70 for drinks, dinner with wine and lunch compared with a total of £35.73 at Black Sea resort Sunny Beach.

A price barometer reveals savvy holidaymakers can help their pounds stretch further at the bargain Black Sea resort of Sunny Beach, where a meal and drinks for four is around £28.77 – compared with £89.91 in Corfu.

According to the Post Office Travel Money report, hotspots like Majorca and Italy will also burn a hole in pockets for everyday food and drink such as a cup of coffee, soft drinks and snacks.

Majorca is more expensive for family holidays (Image: Getty)
A family of four heading to Palma Nova, Majorca can expect to splash out £100.70 for drinks, dinner with wine and lunch compared with a total of £35.73 at Sunny Beach.

And they will pay four and a half times more at the picturesque Italian resort of Sorrento where the bill for a day of eating out is a budget busting £163.20.

The shocking gap in value for money is highlighted in a cost of holiday living comparison across 15 destinations popular with Brits which found overall Sunny Beach the cheapest while Sorrento was the dearest.

The 32 ‘crimes’ that Brits commit every year – including pocketing incorrect change and parking on the pavement

Sunny Beach on the Black Sea (Image: Getty)
It revealed lunch for a family of four cost a rock bottom £3.36 in Bulgaria, £8.98 in the Algarve, Portugal and £11.70 on the Costa del Sol rising to £14.20 in Majorca, £15.20 in Cyprus, £16.20 in Corfu and a hefty £21.58 in Italy.

Portugal had the cheapest cup of coffee at 63p compared with £3.25 in Limassol, Cyprus while a bottle of beer was just 72p in Bulgaria but cost £3.15 in Corfu.

Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money said: “The best advice to families heading overseas is to do their homework on prices and set a realistic budget for the resort they are visiting.

“Buy currency before leaving home to avoid poor airport bureau rates and take enough to avoid incurring hefty charges for using credit and debit cards abroad.”

Cost of holiday living

Cup of coffee, bottle of beer, glass of wine, can of Coke, three course meal for a family of four with a bottle of house wine and soft drinks, snack lunch of a family of four:

• Sunny Beach, Bulgaria – £35.73
• Costa del Sol, Spain – £58.15
• Algarve Portugal – £61.62
• Costa Blanca, Spain- £78.41
• Sliema, Malta – £79.40
• Porec, Croatia – £80.55
• Crete, Greece – £81.39
• Limassol, Cyprus – £82.06
• Marmaris, Turkey – £83.71
• Paphos, Cyprus – £88.35
• Palma Nova. Majorca – £100.70
• Corfu, Greece – £116.91
• Nice, France – £138.13
• Ibiza – £144.86
• Sorrento, Italy – £163.20

The post A holiday on the island of Majorca will cost you three times more for food and drink than in Bulgaria. appeared first on AllDental Travel.

Los Algodones Dentist: 50 Tips to Get Awesome Dental Work in Molar City, Mexico

When Somebody’s Snoring

Identifying (and Responding to) Sleep Apnea

Besides the sound of your house being sawed in half, what happens when you snore? Your tongue’s so relaxed, it caves in to the throat, blocking air passages. In rare cases, when snoring is extreme, sleep apnea is the diagnosis.

The Greek word apnea literally means without breath. Three types of apnea exist: obstructive, central, and mixed. Despite their differences in root causes, in all three, people with untreated apnea stop breathing repeatedly—sometimes hundreds of times a night for a minute or more.

In fact, a recent study found people who have obstructive sleep apnea have a higher risk of sudden cardiac death while asleep at night, a time typically not considered risky.

Sleep apnea is very common (as common as adult diabetes) and affects 15 million Americans. Are you an overweight man over 40? You can be at risk. Yet sleep apnea can strike anyone, even children.

Untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, memory problems, weight gain, and headaches. But fortunately, it can be diagnosed and treated. You or a family member need only listen for the symptoms!

Fight the Snore!

For the serious snorer, we have an array of ways to treat sleep apnea. And among the best are simple oral appliances that clear the airway of obstruction. Close to 100% of our patients report positive results. And, no surprise, the rest of the family does so as well.

Your treatment can only be determined after a consultation and evaluation, so contact us today!

The post When Somebody’s Snoring appeared first on Complete Dental Care.

Uh-oh! A Dental Emergency

A child learning to ride a bike loses their balance and falls, or perhaps even an adult on a “misadventure” gets in an accident and knocks out a tooth. What do you do?

If the tooth is replaced in the tooth socket immediately, the chances are good that this tooth can be maintained for many years.

Do Something and Do It Now!

The success of this replantation procedure is directly related to how soon the tooth is replaced in its socket. If possible, just rinse the tooth with tap water and gently replace the tooth in its socket and come to the office. Otherwise, wrap the tooth in a clean, moistened cloth (or put it in a cup of water or milk) and get to the office, now. Never scrape the tooth or allow it to dry out.

Remember, Time is of the Essence

If the tooth is left out of the mouth for more than 30 minutes, the chance for successful replantation drops significantly.

For children, we consider replantation successful if we can keep the tooth in position at least during the growth period. By maintaining the space, the replanted tooth prevents movement of adjacent teeth. If it’s necessary to replace the injured tooth, it’s much easier to do it when the child is older—when all the permanent teeth are in.

The good news is that we have bonding and implant techniques today for tooth replacement and new materials to fill in for a lost tooth.

If a dental emergency should happen, please remember to act quickly, stay calm, and come visit us with the tooth replanted or kept moist in transit. We’ll take care of you immediately.

The post Uh-oh! A Dental Emergency appeared first on Complete Dental Care.

Costa Rica Low Cost Dental Implants

Dentist in Costa Rica

Costa Rica low cost dental implants

Losing your teeth is not only an embarrassing experience; it also can negatively impact the quality of your life. Although you may want to improve your smile, it may not be in your budget. Fortunately, due to a new trend in the dentistry and travel industries, there’s a unique way to get the Costa Rica low cost dental implants you need.

If you live in North America and need dental implants or another expensive dental procedure, you might want to consider taking a “dental vacation” to Costa Rica. If you enjoy traveling to warm, tropical places, you could travel to Costa Rica and get Costa Rica low cost dental implants while enjoying the beautiful views. Dental tourism is the way of the future and is quickly becoming a big trend and for good reasons. Now you can get affordable dental care while enjoying the beautiful scenery of places like Costa Rica. If you’ve always wanted to go to Costa Rica and you need to get a cosmetic procedure done, you owe it to yourself to explore our practice, Colina Dental, as an option. Our practice, Colina Dental provides exceptional yet very affordable cosmetic dental care. When you choose our practice, we’re certain you’ll be more than satisfied. Our professional dental staff members are experts in all types of procedures. Whether you need dental implants, crowns or a full-mouth reconstruction, we can help you. You’ll not only receive the high quality cosmetic dental care you deserve but you’ll receive it at a much lower cost than in the U.S., all while enjoying the relaxing, beautiful environment that Costa Rica has to offer.

To learn more about taking a “dental vacation” to get your Costa Rica low cost dental implants, contact us today. Our associates look forward to speaking with you soon.

400 mts south of Scotia Bank
San Rafael de Escazú, Costa Rica
US (888) 398-5435
CA (418) 948-3393

Why is the dental tourism so popular in Bulgaria?

Dental tourism is an increasing trend with more and more foreigners who combine a holiday to Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast with a visit to the dentist. Bulgaria, especially the bigger cities along its Black Sea coast, has started to cash in from a growing number of foreigners, the majority of whom Britons and Greeks, who cannot get treatment on the NHS or cannot afford to pay huge bills for going private, doctors say.

There are 8 reasons why you should take a look at travelling to visit a dentist in Bulgaria:

• You want to receive higher quality dental work
  Perhaps you need implants, but can only afford dentures at home. Or you would prefer to have full porcelain crowns, but can only afford metal crowns at home. By traveling abroad, you can receive implants and full porcelain crowns for less than the cost of dentures and metal crowns at home.
• You can’t afford your dental treatment
  Dental care costs too much in the United States and large number of countries in Western Europe. If you need major work done, and can’t afford the price your dentist quoted you, you could be a good candidate to save money by traveling abroad. Expect to save up to 70% on the total cost of dental by traveling to Bulgaria.
• You need dental implants
  One dental implant can cost up to $6000 in the US and Western Europe for the implant, the abutment, the crown, and all the x-rays and appointments. The total cost for one dental implant can cost as little at $600 – $1000 in another country. The dentists use the same materials and technology as back home. You can potentially save multiple thousands of dollars by receiving implants abroad without sacrificing quality of care.
• There is no dentist in your area
  If you live in a rural area, you may have to travel for quite a distance to have specialized dental work done. Your general dentist may not be able to perform the treatments you require. If you are travelling anyways, why not spend a few extra hours on the road or in the airport and save a significant amount of money?
• You need a vacation
  Has it been too long since your last vacation? Plan on getting some dental work done while you travel and you may be able to cover some of the costs of your vacation. The amount of money that you can save by having a teeth cleaning and a few fillings in Bulgaria can cover the cost of your airfare or hotel.
• You don’t have dental insurance
  If you don’t have dental insurance, the cost of even a few simple procedures can run into the thousands of dollars. Stop avoiding going to the dentist out of fear of what it may cost. Stop needlessly dealing with persistent tooth pain. Get treated by a dentist abroad with savings up to 70% and take care of your dental needs before they get out of control.
• You do have dental insurance
  Even if you do have dental insurance, benefits and maximums rarely cover more than $1000 – $2000 worth of dental treatment in one year. You can easily spend that much money on a procedure for one tooth! Luckily, your dental insurance company will most likely reimburse you for any dental work done abroad. That $1000 can buy you a lot more dental care abroad than it can at home.
• You are tired of paying for your dentist’s yacht
  Let’s face it: your dentist makes a lot of money. He/She probably works four days a week and never in the evening or on the weekend, when it might be convenient for you to visit. Stop overpaying your dentist. Vote with your feet. Outsource yourself and pay a fair price for your dental care.

The post Why is the dental tourism so popular in Bulgaria? appeared first on AllDental Travel.

Dental treatment in Bulgaria

Combine having a holiday in Bulgaria and solve your dental problems.

If you decide to combine having a holiday in Bulgaria with solving your dental problems you will get a highly professional dental services at considerably lower prices compared to those in the UK, the USA and a large number of countries in Western Europe. In many European countries dental treatment is very expensive, especially cosmetic and prosthetic dentistry. Dental tourism is the best way to combine your holiday with your dental treatment.

The Bulgarian school of dentists is among the best in the world for several reasons. First, there is a high standard of teaching at medical academies and faculties of dental medicine, as well as clinical experience with patients gained by students while studying. In fact, even the youngest dentists have had plenty of practical experience before they graduate, and because of this can start their own dental practices right away after graduation. Second, the big competition among the numerous dental practices guarantees a very high standard of dental service. Third, Bulgarian dentists are highly experienced due to a high and clinically varied flow of patients.

Dental materials and equipment are of paramount importance for the successful treatment of dental and gum diseases as well as in aesthetic dentistry. Bulgarian dental practices use well tested materials produced by renowned companies such as 3M ESPE, Dentsply, Degussa, HERA CERAM, GC.

Using high quality materials we achieve exceptional durability, natural opalescence, excellent corrosion stability, biocompatibility, and maximal aesthetics.

A large number of dental practices have dental equipment which allows modern painless treatment and physiotherapy.

Those who travel to Bulgaria on holiday or business can also use these dental services.

All Bulgarian dental practices are registered and rigidly controlled by the state, which guarantees a good and competent standard of service.

Dentists in Bulgaria are members of the Bulgarian Dental Union, the Bulgarian Dental Association and other professional organisations, as well as many international organisations such as ADA (American Dental Association), FDI (World Dental Federation), GDC (General Dental Council), etc.

Why should I choose AllDental Travel ?

Travelling to Bulgaria for dental treatment is not a decision to be taken lightly. Choosing the best dental clinic in Bulgaria is very important.

As a client of AllDental Travel you can take advantage of the professionalism of the largest Bulgarian agency offering a full range of services in dental tourism. You will receive our assistance before, during and after your dental treatment, including personal adviser and phone or email consultations.

Your preferable location determines the dental clinic in Bulgaria that you are supposed to visit.
We have dental clinics in all big cities in Bulgaria – dental clinic in Sofia, dental clinic in Varna and dental clinic in Bourgas.
Some patients fly into the capital city airport whilst others fly into Varna and Bourgas. Alldental Travel do offer complimentary airport transfers to our international patients.

As soon as you arrive by plane at the airport you will be greeted by our representative who will be waiting with a sign with our logo and your name clearly written. You will then be transported to your hotel accommodation. Our practice is to give a mobile phone to our patients so they can be in touch with us throughout their stay in Bulgaria if they have any questions or need assistance. You get all with no extra charge for the agency !

Let us help you set your smile free!

Want to make a great first impression? Start by polishing up your best accessory – your smile.

If you have missing, damaged, or cracked teeth, give us a call and let’s discuss what dental treatments are right for you. At all AllDental Travel clinics in Bulgaria, it would be our honor to help you set your smile free.

 

 

The post Dental treatment in Bulgaria appeared first on AllDental Travel.

Your Teeth Age Too!

Special Concerns for Older Adults

Along with those gray hairs and inevitable smile lines, your mouth undergoes natural changes over the years, as well. Among them:

Cutting edge of teeth are worn flat by chewing or grinding.

Remember to keep regularly scheduled hygiene appointments to check for cavities. Consider dental sealants to prevent decay, or a nighttime mouthguard if you experience grinding (bruxism).

Jawbones supporting teeth or dentures can shrink by as much as two-thirds!

Loss of bone mass is a fact of aging, especially in women. When teeth are missing, osteoporosis (bone thinning) is accelerated. A diet rich in calcium (milk, green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits) can help put the brakes on bone loss.

Tooth enamel becomes thinner, more brittle, more translucent.

There are many way to strengthen a damaged or compromised tooth. Bonding, porcelain veneers, or crowns can all provide structural support and repair imperfections. Discolored or stained teeth can also be whitened!

Xerostomia (pronounced zero-stomia), or “dry mouth,” affects people of a certain age.

This can be a problem because lack of saliva can increase susceptibility to infection, decay, and gum disease. Dry mouth can also interfere with chewing, swallowing, even speaking. Xerostomia can be caused by prescriptions such as sedatives, heart and blood pressure medications, and others. Radiation therapy has the same effect as well.

If you’ve got chronic dry mouth, consider saliva substitutes, sugarless gum or sugarless lemon drops. You may want to consult your doctor.

The post Your Teeth Age Too! appeared first on Complete Dental Care.

An Ounce of Prevention…

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. You’ve heard that a million times—because it’s so true! Our office really wants you to avoid painful, costly dental procedures. The way you can do this is through regularly scheduled dental exams. The idea is to discover a problem when it’s large enough to be observed—and small enough to be contained!

Two dental visits a year are average. But you—are not average! More appointments may need to be scheduled when mouths build tartar fast, cavities multiply, or teeth and gums experience change.

The American Heart Association has reported that the BEST indicator of your chance of having a stroke is your number of teeth. Not cholesterol, blood pressure, or bad diet. The more teeth you lose, the higher your risk of stroke.

The main purpose of a hygiene appointment is the prevention of periodontal disease. Our hygienist removes deposits from your teeth and measures the pocket between your gum and teeth with a probe to detect periodontal disease.

You’ve got a lot at risk. We can help. It’s as simple as scheduling a dental hygiene appointment. The benefits extend far beyond your teeth and gums!

Please schedule an appointment with our office today for your overall health.

The post An Ounce of Prevention… appeared first on Complete Dental Care.

The Long & Short of Gum Disease

Surprising but true: the major cause of tooth loss in adults is not decay, but periodontal disease. More than half of all people over age 18 have at least the early stage of periodontal disease. After age 35, about three out of four adults are affected.

Some people seem to be more susceptible to gum disease than others. Anything from pregnancy, systemic disease (like diabetes), and certain medications can contribute to its development. Smoking increases the likelihood dramatically (and renders treatment less effective). Some unlucky folks are inherently more susceptible because of unique bacterial/chemical mixes in the mouth that encourage plaque.

The results of gum disease aren’t pretty. Early stages of disease show up as persistent bad breath and red, swollen gums. Eventually, if the disease progresses without treatment, tooth loss is inevitable.

If you are diagnosed with periodontal disease, we’ll start you on an appropriate treatment program, but we’ll depend on you to continue the work at home. It’s critical to the success of your treatment!

Perio Patients Should Be Sure To:

• brush and floss twice a day
• come in regularly—we’ll want to see you every three months to monitor your progress and keep your motivation strong.
• maintain a healthy diet

The good news is we can treat the disease at every stage. If you notice any signs of gum problems, call us for a periodontal exam.

The post The Long & Short of Gum Disease appeared first on Complete Dental Care.

Dental Myths, Fabrications, and Falsehoods

Originally, these ideas held because no one really knew how to maintain a great smile over a lifetime. Unfortunately, “popular wisdom” still prevents some people from recognizing how modern dentistry can keep teeth natural, attractive and pain free. Do any of the following notions sound familiar? If so, get ready for a little relief!

A woman can expect to lose a tooth for every child

The Reality: This myth used to be true in many cases, but thankfully with modern medicine and dentistry, there’s no longer need for you to lose a single tooth.

The Reason: Moms used to lose teeth partly because their calcium was being diverted during pregnancy for fetal development. Chances were, she wasn’t taking enough vitamin C “for two”—or maintaining her normal level of daily oral hygiene. We strongly encourage moms-to-be to make an appointment for a tooth-preserving hygiene and oral examination.

Protecting your teeth may be important for baby as well. A recent clinical study suggests there is a link between gum disease in pregnant mothers and low birth weight or premature babies. Treating your perio early in pregnancy just might benefit the newest family member!

Today’s toothache is tomorrow’s extraction

The Reality: Not true! There are many different things that can cause a tooth to ache, but many of these conditions can be treated and your natural tooth saved.

The Reason: Even if the pain is caused by an infected nerve, modern root canal techniques can usually save the tooth—while definitely relieving the pain. Often cracks, broken teeth, and painful gums can be treated long before tooth extraction is the only remaining option. The secret is to visit your dentist before the pain gets worse!

Some unlucky people just have ‘soft’ teeth

The Reality: This myth may seem true, but it has very little to do with the teeth and more to do with the environment in your mouth. Every mouth is different, and some are more decay-resistant than others. Some are tartar producers, others have antibodies that fight plaque more effectively. But regardless, no tooth today need be considered naturally cavity prone.

The Reason: No matter what the chemistry of your mouth, dentistry can help preserve, protect, and defend teeth! Veneers, crowns, bonding, better fitting removable appliances can all make you feel great about your teeth.

Mouthwash cleans teeth and gums

The Reality: Mouthwash, largely alcohol, can kill some bacteria and freshen the breath temporarily. But it can’t dislodge plaque or prevent decay.

The Reason: Mouthwash temporarily masks mouth odor, but persistent halitosis is almost always a signal of something seriously wrong. If you are troubled with persistent bad breath, a dental appointment can help determine the real cause. A Band-Aid approach—gargling with mouth-wash—may allow the condition to go from bad to worse.

The post Dental Myths, Fabrications, and Falsehoods appeared first on Complete Dental Care.

Food and Diet After Dental Implants

After restoring your shining smile with dental implants, one of the first things you might want to do is to go out for a festive meal at your favorite restaurant. But not so fast – oral surgery is serious business, whether you were anesthetized/sedated or not, and adjusting your diet during the recovery period is one of the most important things you can do to help your mouth heal. You should eat a soft food diet for 5 to 7 days after having tooth implant surgery.

At AllDental Travel Ltd., our world-class professionals will revive your bright smile, but it’s up to you to ensure your recovery is comfortable, swift, and free of complications.

Day of dental implant surgery

During the first 24 hours, confine your food intake to liquids, such as smoothies and milkshakes, but DO NOT use straws – sucking can dislodge blood clots and cause more bleeding. Also, avoid carbonated beverages and very hot foods or drinks. Have juices, milk, broth, protein shakes and even meal replacement shakes.

Foods to eat on the day of the clinical procedure:

• Water
• Juice
• Milk
• Coffee/tea (not hot)
• Broth
• Non-chunky soup such as tomato
• Protein shakes
• Meal-replacement shakes

First few days after the clinical procedure

You can transition to pureed foods after the first day of recovery, but it’s still important to avoid using straws and consuming extremely hot foods. To avoid any unwanted complication, it is better to try out the following:

Foods to eat during the first few days after dental implant surgery:

• Yogurt
• Pudding
• Oatmeal/Cream of Wheat
• Custard
• Mashed potatoes
• Jell-O
• Ice cream
• Applesauce
• Cottage cheese
• Chunkier soups pureed in a blender
• Applesauce

Two weeks after dental implant surgery

You will feel better so you can move onto soft chewable food. But remember that not all soft foods are advisable. Rice, quinoa and other small grains can get lodged in the surgical areas, and of course, stay far away from anything crunchy like nuts and chips that can cause trauma to your gums. If the list of recommended soft foods sounds too confining it might be helpful to chop heartier food into small pieces or puree in a blender.

Foods to eat up to two weeks after the clinical procedure:

• Scrambled eggs
• Soft bread
• Steamed vegetables
• Soups
• Forcemeat
• Baked or broiled fish
• Broiled or stewed chicken (finely chopped)
• Pasta
• Tofu
• Soft fruits like bananas, mangoes, peaches and pears

Foods to AVOID for the first week following surgery:

• Spicy foods
• Crusty breads, bagels, cookies
• Foods that are difficult to chew (steak, poultry, deli meats)
• Popcorn, pretzels, potato chips
• Alcoholic beverages
• Fruits with seeds (raspberries, strawberries, etc.)

Foods to eat during your recovery from dental implant surgery

Don’t skip meals. If you’re diabetic, talk with your doctor about specific dietary recommendations. Changing your entire diet for a couple weeks might seem daunting, but keeping nourished is crucial to your recovery. Proper nourishment will help you feel better, gain strength and heal faster, so eat up and save that festive dinner for later.

Considering dental implants?

Dental implants is the best alternative to overcome your natural tooth loss. Improve your self-confidence by replacing your missing teeth by this safe and modern treatment procedure. Results of this treatment last lifelong, providing you with the true value for your money.

At AllDental Travel Ltd., we’ve been performing dental implant procedures for more than decade and we can answer all your questions, whether you’re just beginning to consider dental implants or you’re ready to book an appointment. If you want to boost your smile give us a call!

The post Food and Diet After Dental Implants appeared first on AllDental Travel.

Crown and Bridge Treatment

Maintaining the integrity of your mouth

Teeth are tough. Formed from the hardest substances in the body, they’re harder even than bone. But they’re not indestructible. Throughout life teeth are subject to injury—maybe it will be a blow from a hockey puck in your twenties. Or a luckless chomp on an unseen popcorn kernel in your thirties. Or a molar that’s had one too many fillings in your forties.

Whatever the scenario, at some point most of us will need repair for a weakened or broken tooth. For such situations, crowns and bridges are the workhorses of restorative dental care.

Crowns and Bridges: What are They?

“Crown and bridge” is a collective phrase for a broad range of treatments. We rely on crown and bridge treatment to replace missing teeth and rebuild damaged ones. The goal is to return a blemished smile both to good function—eating and speaking efficiently—and to good looks.

The parts of the mouth are dynamically balanced. So when even a single tooth is lost or broken, the whole machine goes out of kilter. The teeth on either side of a disintegrated or missing tooth begin to drift into the resulting space, or the opposing tooth will grow longer. Such tilting, shifting teeth are prone to gum disease. The bite is compromised. And the integrity of your mouth is gone.

How Crowns Work

When a tooth has sustained extensive damage and is still healthy enough to save, we place a crown. A crown, or “cap,” is a restoration that covers the biting surfaces and sides of a tooth, binding it together for strength.

A crown is all finesse, an exacting creation. A well-fitting crown is precisely tailored to match adjacent teeth. It must mesh well with opposing teeth so your bite works efficiently.

Building Bridges

Bridges are an exercise in creativity and engineering. Bridgework recaptures a stable oral environment, preserving the strength and integrity of the dental arch. A bridge can span a single missing tooth, or many. Conventional bridges usually involve crowns at either end. A false tooth, or “pontic,” fused to the crowns, fits in between. In new designs, the bridge can sometimes be bonded to neighboring teeth without crowns.

Crown and bridge treatment brings a lot of satisfaction to both patient and dentist. Integrity is the watchword: properly conserved and restored, your teeth will reward you with great dividends in comfort, pleasure and good health. It’s enough to make you smile.

The post Crown and Bridge Treatment appeared first on Complete Dental Care.

When Diseases Cause Oral Complications

We have come a long way in the treatment of serious, life-threatening systemic diseases. Part and parcel of healing more aggressive diseases are—more aggressive therapies. And sometimes as a result of forceful care, complications arise that demand attention of their own: oral problems.

When an individual is very sick, nutrition becomes more important than ever. Oral problems can interfere with normal function—eating, speaking, swallowing—just when the patient needs it most. Early evaluation by a dentist can help preserve a patient’s oral health. So please, be aware of the possibility of oral disorders in those you care for and care about.

If You Have:	Be Concerned About:
Leukemia	Red or tender tissue, bleeding gums, white patches, ulcers
HIV	Fungal infections, gum infection problems, dry mouth, tumors, white patches on tongue
Rheumatoid Arthritis	Tooth loss, gum inflammation, changes in salivary function
Breast Cancer	Ulcers, fungal infection
Parkinson’s Disease	Tooth loss, soreness, problems with lips and cheeks, change in taste, craving for sweets

The post When Diseases Cause Oral Complications appeared first on Complete Dental Care.

Preventing Cavities in Your Baby’s Teeth

Eating & Drinking

• Don’t let it continue throughout the day. Limit to 4 or 5 periods.
• This especially includes apple juice, raisins. Residual fruit sugars easily damage baby teeth.
• Restricting unlimited contact between food and teeth is the most important factor in preventing cavities!

Brushing

• Remember: thorough brushing is more important than frequent brushing.
• Thorough flossing is just as important.
• Most kids under 7 are going to need assistance.
• Regular hygiene is the second most important factor in preventing cavities!

Fluoridation

• Important for teeth that haven’t broken through the gums!
• Available as tablets or drops, or in most municipal (not private) water supplies.
• Use fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash with teeth that have broken through.
• Fluoride is the third most important factor in preventing cavities!

The post Preventing Cavities in Your Baby’s Teeth appeared first on Complete Dental Care.

Mystery Pain & Phantom Toothache

There’s only one good thing about a visibly damaged tooth: here, clearly, is where the pain’s coming from and where our response will be focused.

But complaints of “tooth pain” without a clear source or origin—now, that’s something else entirely.

Say you’ve been good with your hygiene, faithful in your checkups, and you wake up one morning with a vague pain. You can’t see a crack or cavity, but something’s just not right, so you schedule an appointment with our team.

What gives? A morning toothache might not even come from damage. Could be the aftermath of all-night grinding (bruxism). Usually treatable with a simple sleeping appliance.

Sometimes after a new filling or crown there’s a lingering sensitivity to hot or cold. This should disappear after a few days. If not, perhaps another look is in order.

Almost always, we can detect and correct even microscopic cracks. But (as is the case with the rest of your body) there can be “pain phantoms” which come and go for reasons unknown. If it can’t be located and identified, it can’t be treated. Thankfully, we see very, very few of those.

The post Mystery Pain & Phantom Toothache appeared first on Complete Dental Care.

Costa Rica Root Canal Treatment

Importance of Oral Hygiene Following a Root Canal in Costa Rica

Costa Rica Root Canal Treatment

If you have a tooth that has damaged or infected pulp in its center, you will need to have a root canal treatment in order to save the tooth. After you have a root canal treatment at our excellent dental practice, Colina Dental, it is important that you practice great oral hygiene in order to maintain the benefits of your Costa Rica root canal treatment.

When you come to our dental practice, you will be seen by one of our top-notch dentists, one of whom is Dr. Julian Conejo Gutierrez. If you have a toothache when you eat something that is hot or cold, or when pressure is placed upon your tooth, you most likely have a tooth that needs to be saved by a Costa Rica root canal treatment. During this treatment, all infected or damaged pulp is removed from the center of the tooth. The root canal system and tooth is then thoroughly cleansed and sealed. It is extremely important that you practice excellent oral hygiene following a root canal treatment to help ensure that reinfection does not occur. There are several ways a root canal problem can develop problems even after an excellent root canal procedure, and keeping your teeth clean will reduce the risk that the tooth will become re-infected. Since the tooth does not cause pain after a root canal procedure is completed, you will not know if the tooth is having any type of dental problems. If bacteria enter the tooth through a dental cavity, the only way it will be discovered is by a dental exam. You also want to make sure that your gums remain healthy following a root canal treatment so that the tooth can better stay in place. For all these reasons, you want to make sure that you carefully brush and floss your teeth every day after a root canal treatment.

For the very best dental care, including a Costa Rica root canal treatment, when necessary, simply contact our office for an appointment.

Colina Dental
400 mts south of Scotia Bank
San Rafael de Escazú, Costa Rica
US (888) 398-5435
CA (418) 948-3393

The Truth About Smoking

While nobody enjoys getting lectured about a bad habit, it’s important to have all the relevant information available to you, especially when it involves health implication. So if you need any extra motivation to help you quit smoking, we’ll discuss some of the lesser known problems it can cause.

It isn’t just your lungs that suffer! Of course, anyone can understand the relationship between smoking and lung cancer, but there are serious oral health implications too. Gum disease significantly increases with smoking, as nicotine seems to discourages the growth and regeneration of these tissues. Once gums disease sets tooth loss isn’t far behind.

Not to mention oral cancer… smokers are 10% more likely to develop the disease.

Additional Hazards of Smoking

• Fire – The leading cause of burn deaths in the US are fires started by lit cigarettes.
• Low birth weight babies – A report issued by the Centers for Disease Control concluded that if all women quit smoking during pregnancy, about 4,000 new babies would not die every year.
• Wrinkled faces – Smoking causes tiny facial blood vessels to constrict. This restricts blood flow and contributes to premature wrinkling that’s often irreversible. Help is abundant—get it and quit!
• Fractured bones – Study after study links a history of smoking with osteoporosis, the brittle bone disease that affects primarily elderly women.

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Sterilization In Our Practice

Dentistry, like any other science, has evolved over time. We’ve come a long way from the old days of “drill and fill” to a new era of sophisticated technology and technique. And along with this growth has come a new understanding of sterilization and infection control.

With a variety of serious illnesses that can be cross-communicated, sterilization protocols have been dramatically refined. And for our practice, there is no “enough.”

For starters, we use physical barriers over every possible surface. We use disposable products wherever we can one use. And all surfaces are wiped clean and disinfected between patients, every time. All instruments are ultrasonically treated, bagged, and steam-autoclaved.

No virus, no spores, no bacteria.

We’ve made a substantial investment in our safety program, but time and money aren’t our highest priority. Your safety is. To that end, our greatest safeguard is people. I’m proud of our team. They’re experienced, well-trained, and committed to careful, caring dentistry. because the best sterilization system in the world is only as good as the people who make it work.

All these safety measures don’t come cheap. Along with the use of disposables and our investment in the best equipment, the cost of performing quality dentistry over the years has, predictably, gone up. But let’s not lose sight of why we do all this. It’s for your health. And we can’t place a dollar value on that.

Quality dentistry in a caring, safe and concerned environment. That’s what we strive to provide.

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Nighttime Grinding

And the Stress Factor

Dentists and researchers aren’t completely agreed about the cause of nightly tooth-grinding, or bruxism. But they are aligned on two points:

1. at least partly, it’s related to daily stress, and
2. it’s happening to more people.

It may sound funny, but it’s no joke: without food to absorb the impact, teeth can grind by night at ten times the force required to chew a steak, researchers estimate. The result: front teeth can be worn nearly to the gumline while molars can be chipped and cracked.

Two responses to tooth-grinding are possible. One is dental, the other is biochemical.

If you’re aware of a nightly grinding habit, we can fit you with a special mouthguard, or nightguard, that resists damaged teeth.

But if your grinding is stress-related, reducing the stress can relieve the problem altogether.

Biochemically, you can lower your body’s stress response by breathing deeply and exhaling completely. With mouth closed, slowly inhale until you cannot take in any more air. Then slowly exhale until your lungs feel empty.

What you’re doing is increasing the oxygen you take in, and that forces you to relax. Try it the next time a stressful occasion arises, or just before bed.

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