Get Your Smile Ready for Valentine’s Day with Cosmetic Dentistry

by Joseph Marvizi

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – Feb. 14 is the day of love. Cupid’s arrows fly from heart to heart, and chocolates and flowers flatter lovers all day long..

Dr. Joseph Marvizi, a Los Angeles cosmetic dentist, wants your smile to be immaculate for your Valentine’s Day festivities. A beautiful smile can inspire a longtime lover or attract a new beau. These simple cosmetic dentistry procedures can give your smile a boost this Valentine’s Day.

Tooth Whitening
You may be dissatisfied with the wattage of your smile. Luckily this is an easy problem to fix, depending on the shade of discoloration. There are whitening products on the market, but a professional Zoom! whitening treatment will make your smile whiter and brighter in just an hour’s visit. We first cover your lips and gums, and then we apply the Zoom! whitening gel to your teeth. We activate the whitening gel with three 15-minute sessions of the Zoom! light. You’ll see an immediate difference in your smile, and your sweetheart will surely notice, too. One Zoom! treatment can lighten your pearly whites up to eight shades.

Invisalign
Our Los Angeles Invisalign patients love the freedom and flexibility of Invisalign. Invisalign can help you correct unwanted spacing in your smile, and it can even align crowded teeth. The beauty of Invisalign is that it uses comfortable plastic aligners to gradually shift your teeth into place. You can take the aligners out for your Valentine’s Day dinner date. You can also remove them to floss and brush, making Invisalign the ideal choice over traditional braces.

Dental Implants
Your missing teeth may cause you to smile less confidently. We want to boost your confidence by replacing your missing teeth. Dental implants can help you restore missing teeth, improving your smile and your self-esteem.

Veneers and Lumineers
You may be unhappy with the shape and color of your teeth. Dental veneers and Lumineers can shield these inadequacies to give you a Hollywood-worthy smile. Veneers and Lumineers go over your teeth to hide any imperfections, including chips, gaps and discoloration. You’ll need to have your teeth shaved down slightly for veneers, and the process is not reversible. Lumineers are much thinner – about the width of a contact lens – and they require much less invasive shaving. You may need a small area of your teeth prepared, but some patients don’t require any shaving for us to apply Lumineers. These procedures can last a while – a minimum of five years, but in many cases up to 10 or 20. Veneers and Lumineers can give you a stunning smile that you’ll be proud to showcase on Valentine’s Day.

Bonding
Dental bonding can quickly fix your chipped or discolored teeth, but the results aren’t as long lasting as veneers and Lumineers. Your dentist can most likely complete a bonding procedure in one visit, so if you’re looking for a last minute fix before your romantic date, dental bonding may be your answer.

Our team would love to get your smile ready for your Valentine’s Day date. Contact us to discuss opportunities to enhance your smile. Dr. Marvizi also practices pediatric dentistry in Los Angeles for the younger residents.

© 2012 Sinai Marketing and Dr. Joseph Marvizi. Authorization to post is granted, with the stipulation that Dr. Marvizi and Sinai Marketing are credited as sole source. Linking to other sites from this document is strictly prohibited, with the exception of herein imbedded links.

New Year’s Resolutions for a Lifetime of Beautiful Smiles

by Joseph Marvizi

LOS ANGELES AND LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA – The approaching New Year brings a time of reflection. You may be evaluating your current lifestyle and looking for areas to improve, and improving your oral health can also improve your overall health.

Dr. Joseph Marvizi, a los angeles and Long Beach cosmetic dentist, wants to help you and your family set reasonable oral care goals for 2013.

Set Oral Hygiene Goals
You probably know you should floss your teeth once a day and brush at least twice a day. You may skip nights when you’re exhausted, or you may forget to brush your child’s teeth before bed. Use tools to help you succeed, such as flossing and brushing charts from the Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives Campaign. Follow through on your goals, and make sure you spend two minutes brushing during each session. You can play your favorite song or set a timer to ensure you spend enough time removing food and bacteria from your teeth.

Set Lifestyle Goals
Evaluate your other habits. Do you smoke or use smokeless tobacco? Tobacco use puts you at higher risks for developing gum disease and oral cancers. It also dulls your taste buds. Quitting tobacco will gain you more health benefits, too, such as decreased risk of heart disease, stroke, lung disease and emphysema.

Do you consume lots of sugar in foods or beverages? Trade your soda for a refreshing glass of water. Drinking water increases your saliva production, which in turn keeps your mouth healthy and clean. Skip the sweets and opt for an apple. Crunchy foods like apples and carrots remove debris from your teeth, which keeps your gums healthy. These small changes are healthy for your mouth and your waistline.

Set Your Dream Smile Goals
Good hygiene habits and a balanced diet will keep your teeth clean and healthy, but you can see a Long Beach dentist to help you realize your aesthetic goals for your smile. Invisalign and Invisalign Teen can straighten your teeth without the bulk and hassle of metal braces. Tooth whitening will add glam to an already healthy smile, and straight white teeth will improve your confidence and self-esteem. Happiness sometimes means improving yourself, and cosmetic dentistry offers many health and aesthetic benefits.

Set Dental Appointments
This is a major step to improving you and your family’s oral health. Set appointments with your dentists every six months. Your hygienist will remove plaque and tartar from your teeth and gums, which is essential in preventing gum disease. Your dentist will examine your mouth for any oral health problems that may not be apparent. Visiting the dentist regularly will make you more accountable in flossing and brushing and also eating a balanced diet.

Our Long Beach dental team wants you and your family to enjoy a lifetime of beautiful smiles. Pledge that you and your family will make oral health a priority starting in 2013.

© 2012 Sinai Marketing and Dr. Joseph Marvizi. Authorization to post is granted, with the stipulation that Dr. Marvizi and Sinai Marketing are credited as sole source. Linking to other sites from this document is strictly prohibited, with the exception of herein imbedded links.

A Mouth Guide: The Names and Purposes for Each Tooth in Your Mouth

by Joseph Marvizi

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – You use your teeth every day to talk, smile and chew food. Your teeth and gums are integral to your daily tasks, but you probably don’t think much about how your teeth function throughout your life.

Dr. Joseph Marvizi, a family dentist in Los Angeles, wants you to understand each tooth’s function in your mouth. You should have 28 permanent teeth in your mouth by the time you’re 12 or 13 years old. Your wisdom teeth generally erupt in your late teens or early twenties, totaling 32 permanent teeth. Mouth Healthy, the American Dental Association’s patient resource, has a great tooth eruption chart online where you can follow along during our journey through the mouth.

Incisors
Incisors are generally the first teeth that erupt when you’re an infant. Your primary incisors come in when you are between six months and a year old, and they are chisel-like. You shed those baby teeth and erupt your permanent incisors when you’re between 7 and 9. These teeth are flat and semi-sharp at the tops. You have eight incisors in your mouth – four on top and four on the bottom of your mouth. Your two incisors located dead center on the top and bottom of your mouth are called central incisors. The incisors on each side of your central incisors are called lateral incisors.

Incisor Function: Your incisors are sharp, and they help you bite into things. Think about how you eat an apple or how you bite into a sandwich. You use your front teeth to help you cut through food cleanly.

Canines
You are probably able to point out your canine teeth. Canines are pointy with a single cusp. Many other species have canines as well, including dogs, baboons, walruses and wart hogs. Interestingly, males of certain species display larger upper canine teeth than the females. Your canine teeth are slightly narrower that your incisors, and they separate your incisors from your molars. You only have one canine tooth in each quadrant of your mouth. There are four canines total, and they are stable and strong with long roots. You may also know these teeth as other names, such as cuspids, fangs, dogteeth or eyeteeth. Your permanent canine teeth generally erupt when you’re 11 or 12 years old.

Canine Function: Your canines tear into food, helping you bite and chew.

Premolars
Beside your canines laterally are your premolars. You have eight premolars: two in the top left quadrant, two in the top right quadrant, two in the bottom left quadrant and two in the bottom right. They are wider than your incisors and canines, and they have more ridges. You will probably have all your premolars by the time you’re 12.

Premolar Function: Your premolars are used for crunching and grinding food. Your incisors and canines cut into the food, then the grooves in your premolars help further break down your food.

Molars
Your molars come in farther back in your mouth than your premolars. You have eight molars; four on top and four on the bottom. Your molars are even wider and stronger than your premolars. These teeth are sometimes called 6-year and 12-year molars, since that’s when they normally erupt.

Molar Function: Your molars grind your food up very finely so your tongue can easily sweep the food down your throat. Molars cover lots of surface area and this fine chewing helps you better digest your food.

Wisdom Teeth
Your wisdom teeth are also called your third molars. They come in at the back of the mouth; you’ll have to open wide to see all four of them. Some of you may not have wisdom teeth, or you may have fewer than four. Los Angeles dentist Dr. Marvizi is skilled at wisdom teeth extraction, though you don’t necessarily need your wisdom teeth removed. Modern dental care providers usually suggest you remove your wisdom teeth because they’re far back in your mouth and difficult to clean. But if your wisdom teeth are not impacted and have room to grow, there’s no need to remove them. You’ll notice your wisdom teeth erupting as a late teen or early twenty-something.

Wisdom Teeth Function: Your wisdom teeth aren’t necessary to your chewing, but if your mouth has room for them, they do no harm. Researchers believe wisdom teeth used to be helpful when our jaws were larger and we needed more chewing power.

Please contact us for an appointment today to have your teeth thoroughly cleaned and examined. Dr. Marvizi helps many patients achieve their dream smiles as a cosmetic dentist in LA. Whether you’re interested in tooth whitening, Invisalign treatment or porcelain veneers, our team can help improve your smile.

© 2012 Master Google and Dr. Joseph Marvizi. Authorization to post is granted, with the stipulation that Dr. Marvizi and Master Google are credited as sole source. Linking to other sites from this document is strictly prohibited, with the exception of herein imbedded links.

Smokers: Make Plans to Quit Tobacco for the Great American Smokeout November 15

by Joseph Marvizi

LOS ANGELES AND LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA – Every year, the American Cancer Society uses the third Thursday in November to inform Americans on the dangers of tobacco and to urge them to quit. This year the Great American Smokeout is scheduled for Nov. 15.

Dr. Joseph Marvizi, a cosmetic dentist in Long Beach, takes this opportunity to remind you of the dangers of tobacco. Tobacco increases the risk of many health issues, and it negatively affects your oral health. Tobacco stains your teeth and dampens your sense of smell and taste, but that’s only the beginning of tobacco’s wrath.

Mouth Healthy, a patient resource brought to you by the American Dental Association, outlines several health issues that smoking tobacco can cause or exacerbate. The tar and nicotine in cigarettes stains your teeth and causes bad breath, and they can even cause gingivitis, oral cancer and leukoplakia. Gingivitis is the first stage of periodontal disease. In its early stages it’s reversible, but if it progresses to periodontal disease it can cause serious damage to your teeth, gums and bones. Leukoplakia is a white sore on the tongue, in the mouth and inside the cheeks that could progress to cancer. Our Long Beach dental staff screens patients for oral cancer at every regular visit.

Smokeless tobacco is also dangerous to your health. You may experience tender, receding gums from smokeless tobacco, which could progress to gum disease and tooth decay. Smokeless tobacco also increases your risk of developing oral cancer.

Smokers lose more teeth than nonsmokers. While procedures such as dental implants and dental bridges may replace missing teeth, it’s best to keep all your natural teeth healthy and strong. Cosmetic dentistry has come a long way to help replace teeth and restore smiles, but smoking can increase your healing time after dental procedures.

Make plans to quit tobacco this Nov. 15 or plan ahead of time and quit on that day. Contact your local ACS branch to find Great American Smokeout events and support near you. The ACS reports that people who have support are more likely to quit tobacco successfully. Some ways to support your loved ones include: providing encouragement and inspiration, helping them find counseling, supplying nicotine products to help cravings, and finding support groups, such as online groups, in-person groups or telephone hotlines. You can also visit Smoke Free to find resources on quitting tobacco.

Kicking your cigarette habit will reduce your risks of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, high blood pressure and oral cancer, says Long Beach CA dentist. You’ll also regain your sense of taste and smell after putting down the cigarettes. Visit us for a thorough cleaning and examination, whether you’re a smoker, nonsmoker or somewhere in between. We wish you luck kicking this serious habit.

© 2012 Master Google and Dr. Joseph Marvizi. Authorization to post is granted, with the stipulation that Dr. Marvizi and Master Google are credited as sole source. Linking to other sites from this document is strictly prohibited, with the exception of herein imbedded links.

Digested Coconut Oil Could Combat Tooth Decay

by Joseph Marvizi

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – New research suggests that digested coconut oil has natural properties that inhibit oral bacteria that cause tooth decay. Researchers from the Athelone Institute of Technology in Ireland present their results at the University of Warwick at the Society for General Microbiology’s Autumn Conference.

Dr. Joseph Marvizi, a dentist in Los Angeles, is interested in how this natural antibiotic keeps your teeth free from decay.

The team tested natural coconut oil and coconut oil modified with enzymes that mimicked digestion to see how they interacted with bacteria commonly found in our mouths. Our mouths harbor many strains of Streptococcus, including the major acid-producer Streptococcus mutans. The researchers found that the enzyme-modified oil hindered the majority of the strains from growing. The oil was also damaging to Candida albicans, a yeast that can potentially cause thrush.

The study was sparked by a similar study where enzyme-modified milk was shown to inhibit S. mutans from sticking to our tooth enamel.

The research team is advocating an integration of coconut oil into dental products to fortify our teeth against bacteria.

“Dental caries is a commonly overlooked health problem affecting 60-90 percent of children and the majority of adults in industrialized countries,” says lead researcher Dr. Damien Brady. “Incorporating enzyme-modified coconut oil into dental hygiene products would be an attractive alternative to chemical additives, particularly as it works at relatively low concentrations.”

As a Los Angeles implant dentist, Dr. Marvizi understands the importance of keeping teeth healthy and bacteria free. Decayed teeth may require fillings or even extraction in more severe cases. Teeth can be repaired with restorative and cosmetic dentistry, but preventive care is best for your oral health.

How can you get more coconut oil into your diet? The flavor of coconut oil works well in Thai and Indian dishes, but some people don’t enjoy it with Italian flavors. Coconut oil can easily be added to smoothies, since juicing and blending drinks are gaining popularity. Many people enjoy the taste of coconut oil added to hot tea. Coconut oil can also be incorporated into baked goods, though consuming too much sugary treats isn’t good for your teeth.

Our office also offers Invisalign and Invisalign Teen to straighten healthy teeth and boost your self-confidence. We care about your oral health, and we encourage our patients to practice good oral hygiene. Contact us to schedule an appointment or discuss your oral care.

© 2012 Master Google and Dr. Joseph Marvizi. Authorization to post is granted, with the stipulation that Dr. Marvizi and Master Google are credited as sole source. Linking to other sites from this document is strictly prohibited, with the exception of herein imbedded links.

Brush, Floss, Rinse and Chew for National Dental Hygiene Month

by Joseph Marvizi

LONG BEACH AND LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – The American Dental Hygienists’ Association and Orbit gum maker Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company have partnered to observe National Dental Hygiene Month this October.

Hygienists and dentists in Long Beach remind patients how important dental hygiene is not only to your oral health, but also to your total body health. LA cosmetic dentist Dr. Joseph Marvizi is spreading the ADHA’s message and encourages you to keep your teeth clean and healthy. Long Beach Invisalign patients already enjoy straighter smiles, and good oral health can keep those straight teeth sparkling clean.

The NDHM tagline is: “Keep them healthy. Keep them clean.” In line with the tagline, the ADHA lists four simple steps to keep a healthy, clean mouth: brush, floss, rinse, chew.

October is a good time to review oral health. The holiday season is approaching, and many families come together for food and sweet treats. Halloween is centered on sweets, Thanksgiving’s main event is the food, and families generally feast on Christmas and Hanukah. Keep your teeth clean and healthy through the holiday season, and remind your children to brush and floss regularly.

Make oral health fun for children. Let your children choose their own toothbrushes and toothpastes – just make sure the toothpaste contains fluoride. Change your toothbrush every few months when you’re healthy, and get a new toothbrush after you’ve been sick. Your toothbrush can harbor microbes that can potentially cause viruses or even gum infections.

Brush, Floss, Rinse, Chew
All brushing is not created equal. Review proper brushing techniques with your family. Some good brushing habits include holding your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to your gum line, moving your brush in small circles and brushing the inside, outside and top of each tooth. Proper flossing includes using a generous amount of floss, guiding the floss between each tooth, running the floss between the gum line in a C-shape and repeating for each tooth. Dr. Marvizi’s Long Beach dental staff is happy to discuss these techniques at your appointment.

Rinsing with an anti-microbial mouthwash after brushing will help keep plaque buildup at bay while also thwarting gingivitis. Chewing sugar free gum increases saliva flow. Saliva is important in fighting plaque buildup and tooth decay. Chew gum after eating and drinking when you don’t have access to your toothbrush or floss. Remember to choose sugar free gum to keep your teeth healthy and strong.

Instilling good oral hygiene habits will help keep your children healthy throughout their lives. Oral health affects many other health aspects, including heart disease, diabetes and oral cancer. The ADHA outlines the connection between oral health and total body health in a succinct fact sheet.

© 2012 Master Google and Dr. Joseph Marvizi. Authorization to post is granted, with the stipulation that Dr. Marvizi and Master Google are credited as sole source. Linking to other sites from this document is strictly prohibited, with the exception of herein imbedded links.

Ad Council Makes Children’s Oral Health Simple: Brush for Two Minutes Twice a Day

by Joseph Marvizi

Los Angeles dentist on brushing oral healthLOS ANGELES AND LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA – The Ad Council and the Partnership for Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives launched a children’s oral health campaign on Aug. 14 to encourage children to brush their teeth.

Dr. Joseph Marvizi, a dentist in Los Angeles, believes children are capable of assuming a more proactive role in their oral health, and he thinks this campaign will help spark interest in brushing and flossing.

The Ad Council has created the well-known campaigns since the 1940s. You may remember their slogans “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires” with Smokey Bear and “Take a Bite Out of Crime” with McGruff the Crime Dog. This campaign is the first from the Ad Council that encourages children to be involved in their oral health routine.

The bilingual campaign will use a variety of public service announcements to educate children and parents about the seriousness of oral health. PSAs will reach their target audience through TV, print, radio and digital platforms. The campaign’s website features a Watch & Brush section of 2-minute videos encouraging children to grab their toothbrushes and brush while they watch. Children can watch clips from Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry and Elmo while thwarting plaque buildup.

Parents can download a brushing checklist to encourage their children to brush twice a day, says the Long Beach dental expert. The chart will be a visual reminder to brush, and it even lists a reward that will urge them to action.

The campaign focuses on how much time children spend on various activities. Ad Council advertisements makes observations such as, “Kids will spend 13 minutes watching gerbils ride a train,” and, “Kids will spend 11 minutes dressing Spike up like a princess.” The follow-up is a suggestive question: “How about two minutes to brush their teeth?”

“The messages in this campaign may seem simple, but their impact will be felt for years to come,” says Dental Trade Alliance Foundation CEO Gary Price.

The messages do appear simple, but that speaks to the simplicity of good oral hygiene. It doesn’t take long to brush and floss daily, so why not do it properly? Two minutes of your time spent on your child’s teeth could make lasting impressions on your child’s health.

The Partnership for Health Mouths, Healthy Lives includes more than 30 dental foundations, including the American Dental Association, the Hispanic Dental Association, the California Dental Association and the Academy of General Dentistry.

Dr. Marvizi is a Los Angeles Invisalign and Invisalign Teen provider. He also offers dental implants, crowns and bonding to fortify your smile. Contact our office to set an appointment for you and your child or to discuss proper oral hygiene practices.

© 2012 Master Google and Dr. Joseph Marvizi. Authorization to post is granted, with the stipulation that Dr. Marvizi and Master Google are credited as sole source. Linking to other sites from this document is strictly prohibited, with the exception of herein imbedded links.

Overhaul Your Smile with Cosmetic Dentistry Options

by Joseph Marvizi

LOS ANGELES AND LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA – You’re probably familiar with general dentistry procedures, such as dental cleanings, cavity fillings and root canal treatments.

But many people are curious as to what cosmetic dentistry entails. This area of dentistry includes all the procedures that improve the appearance of your teeth, gums and smile.

Dr. Joseph Marvizi, a cosmetic dentist in Los Angeles, wants patients to feel beautiful inside and out. We like to say that cosmetic dentistry is not just a science – it’s also an art. Beautiful teeth may mean different things to different patients, and together we help patients smile their ideal smiles.

Let’s review some popular cosmetic options to overhaul your smile.

Veneers and Lumineers
Some patients worry that chipped, gapped or discolored teeth are ruining their smiles. Veneers give you a movie star smile that will look and feel natural. Applying veneers takes several steps. Your dentist will prepare your teeth for veneers, and then he will take molds of your teeth. You will wear temporary veneers while your custom veneers are fabricated in a dental laboratory. You’ll then return and your dentist will bond your veneers to your teeth. Porcelain veneers resemble your natural tooth color, and porcelain is good at resisting stains.

We also offer Lumineers, which are thinner and less invasive than normal veneers. Lumineers can usually be applied in one office visit, so our patients see results immediately. Veneers and Lumineers give our patients something to smile about.

You may want to steer clear of staining foods and beverages such as tobacco, red wine, tea and coffee to keep your teeth nice and white. If you have discoloration, we can help that, too.

Tooth Whitening
Many patients desire whiter teeth. Bright white teeth are attractive and easily achievable with in-house bleaching. Our Long Beach dental office provides Zoom! whitening treatment to brighten your teeth up to eight shades. We cover your gums and apply whitening gel to your teeth. Then we activate the whitening agent with the Zoom! light. After three 15-minute sessions your teeth will sparkle and shine.

Some dentists offer take-home whitening kits that allow patients to achieve whiter teeth while relaxing at home.

Dental Implants
A missing tooth not only hinders your smile, but it can also cause other teeth to shift into its place. A dental implant will replace the root of your missing tooth, while a crown on top of the implant will replace the tooth. You will feel much more confident with a dental implant in place, and your surrounding teeth and bone will be supported.

Invisalign Treatment
Our patients achieve their dreams of straight teeth with Invisalign treatment in Los Angeles. Invisalign uses clear plastic aligners to gradually move your teeth to their optimum positions. Patients enjoy the flexibility Invisalign offers, as the aligners can be removed to eat, drink, brush and floss normally. Dr. Marvizi is a certified Invisalign provider.

Tooth Bonding
Dental bonding is used for restorative and cosmetic dentistry. Dental bonding is used to fill cavities in decayed teeth, and it’s also used to shield exposed tooth roots when gums recede.

For cosmetic procedures, dental bonding can fix small imperfections in teeth. Bonding can correct teeth with chips, cracks or discoloration. It can also change the shape of your teeth, either by lengthening your teeth or filling space between gaps. Bonding is a quick and simple procedure, and in most cases anesthesia isn’t needed. Bonding can also be done in the office, while veneers and crowns may be manufactured in a dental laboratory.

Cosmetic dentistry goes beyond general dentistry to improve your confidence and your self-esteem. We want you to look and feel your best, and these simple cosmetic procedures can redefine your smile and improve your overall look. Call us today to discuss cosmetic options to enhance your smile.

© 2012 Master Google and Dr. Joseph Marvizi. Authorization to post is granted, with the stipulation that Dr. Marvizi and Master Google are credited as sole source. Linking to other sites from this document is strictly prohibited, with the exception of herein imbedded links.

British Dental Foundation Encourages You to Spit – Not Rinse – After Brushing

by Joseph Marvizi

oral care long beach dentistryLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – The British Dental Foundation has partnered with Save Water Save Money and multiple water companies to encourage citizens to spit, not rinse, after brushing their teeth.

Long Beach dental pro, Dr. Joseph Marvizi is interested in how this campaign will affect oral health and water savings. Dr. Marvizi provides expert care to patients, including Invisalign in Los Angeles, dental implants, tooth whitening and comprehensive general dentistry.

These organizations believe that spitting over rinsing not only conserves water, but it also improves your oral health. Most toothpastes contain fluoride, which keeps our teeth strong and helps us fight tooth decay. There’s no need to rinse that helpful fluoride out of your mouth. After brushing you can go straight to mouthwash.

“By spitting the toothpaste out and not rinsing with water, this ensures that the fluoride found in 90 percent of toothpastes and mouthwashes will remain on the teeth and therefore continue to remain effective,” says Dr. Nigel Carter, British Dental Health Foundation Chief Executive. “The long term effects will help to preserve teeth and save water.”

This campaign also affects Americans, as this summer has brought the onset of droughts, says LA implant dentist. The National Climatic Data Center reports 55 percent of the contiguous U.S. experienced moderate to extreme droughts by the end of June. Temperatures were above normal and precipitation was below normal, which negatively affected many crops.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Turn Off the Tap campaign educates Americans on how to save water. Letting the tap run while you brush your teeth twice a day wastes up to 8 gallons of water. In one year, that adds up to almost 3,000 gallons of water for one person alone. Long Beach dentists urge patients to turn off the tap while brushing to save our precious resources.

Save Water Save Money reports that conserving water doesn’t only save money on your water bill, but it also reduces the amount of water that needs to be heated. Conserving water also saves you some cash on your electricity bill. The organization also notes that of all the water on Earth, only 3 percent is fresh water, and of that, only 10 percent is available for use. The rest is hidden deep beneath the Earth’s surface or frozen in ice caps and glaciers.

Dentists in Long Beach, CA, want patients to enjoy strong, healthy teeth throughout their lives without wasting water. Try the spit, don’t rinse technique at home, and encourage children to turn the tap off while brushing. Your oral health and your planet’s health can coexist in harmony.

© 2012 Master Google and Dr. Joseph Marvizi. Authorization to post is granted, with the stipulation that Dr. Marvizi and Master Google are credited as sole source. Linking to other sites from this document is strictly prohibited, with the exception of herein imbedded links.

Review Suggests Trouble-Free Wisdom Teeth Should Be Monitored Before Removal

by Joseph Marvizi

los angeles dentistry wisdomLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – For years it has been a common dental procedure to remove wisdom teeth, even if those teeth weren’t crowding or impacting other teeth. A recent Cochran review now suggests that trouble-free wisdom teeth should be watched closely instead of immediately removed.

Los Angeles dentist Dr. Joseph Marvizi believes this is an important review. Your wisdom teeth may not be causing any problems in your mouth, and removing them could be unnecessary. Our Los Angeles family dentistry practice takes care to examine each patient’s needs individually.

Older patients who undergo surgical wisdom teeth removal have higher risks of pain after the procedure.

“In most developed countries, prophylactic removal of trouble-free wisdom teeth, either impacted or fully erupted, has long been considered as ‘appropriate care’ and is a very common procedure,” the report states.

The study’s objective was “to evaluate the effects of prophylactic removal of asymptomatic impacted wisdom teeth in adolescents and adults compared with the retention (conservative management) of these wisdom teeth,” says LA cosmetic dentist .The researchers wanted to know if this commonly adopted practice was beneficial to patients, or if it was unnecessary treatment of an otherwise healthy patient.

Some patients have problematic wisdom teeth, and their presence can cause certain complications to their oral health, as LA invisalign pro believes. Partially erupted wisdom teeth can cause gums to swell and grow tender, and in some cases the gum tissues flap over the tooth and form an effective trap for food and bacteria. Patients with partially erupted wisdom teeth can have higher risks of developing gum disease. In crowded mouths, wisdom teeth can erupt at irregular angles, causing pain and irritation in the mouth, gums and teeth. Some patients’ mouths don’t have enough room for wisdom teeth, and if these teeth erupt, they would cause serious crowding. Crowding makes good oral care more difficult, and in turn puts you at a higher risk for gum disease and decay. Dentists may call for removal of wisdom teeth that threaten to crowd your other teeth. Impacted wisdom teeth still call for removal, and with appropriate dental services you can have them safely removed.

But what if your wisdom teeth aren’t crowding your mouth? What if your mouth has room for your wisdom teeth? Should patients be removing teeth that aren’t causing any problems? We’re not discussing cosmetic dentistry or dental implants here, but instead we’re questioning the over-treatment of patients without serious dental issues.

The researchers of this study found that there wasn’t enough information to make a decision for or against the removal of wisdom teeth. They searched several research databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the treatment and subsequent quality of life in patients with removed verses retained wisdom teeth. No RCTs reported exactly that comparison. Only one case compared removal verses retention, but the effects were only evaluated on the patient’s crowding in the late lower teeth. Researchers suggest a more conservative approach: closely monitoring third molar teeth in patients without symptoms.

Long Beach dental doctor, Joseph Marvizi is interested in whether this review will spark studies that specifically examine removal verses retention.

© 2012 Master Google and Dr. Joseph Marvizi. Authorization to post is granted, with the stipulation that Dr. Marvizi and Master Google are credited as sole source. Linking to other sites from this document is strictly prohibited, with the exception of herein imbedded links.