Are you sleeping well?

It is no secret that a good night's rest is crucial to our health, but sometimes getting the needed rest is impossible.  Sleep apnea is a real problem in the United States and affects an estimated 12 million people.  What is sleep apnea?  Sleep apnea is the stopping or shallowing of your breathing during sleep.  The most common form of sleep apnea is called obstructive sleep apnea.  With obstructive sleep apnea you aren't able to get enough oxygen through your nose and mouth while you sleep due to a collapsed airway.  Treatments for sleep apnea range from simple solutions for mild sleep apnea patients like sleeping on your side rather than your back, or for cases of severe sleep apnea patients are given a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure).  Although effective for helping with oxygen flow, the CPAP compliance rate is low, meaning patients who are diagnosed with sleep apnea and given a CPAP rarely use it the way it is prescribed.  There is another alternative treatment for sleep apnea, and can be helpful to patients that have been diagnosed anywhere from mild to severe but non-compliant with the CPAP.  This treatment involves an oral appliance you wear while sleeping that helps to bring your jaw forward therefore opening up your airway allowing better oxygen flow.  This applience can be made for you by Dr. Kearney.  If you have trouble getting enough sleep, if you snore, if you feel tired after "sleeping" all night, or in the worst case scenario, if someone has told you that you quit breathing during your sleep, you need to come in and talk with Dr. Kearney about this.  Even though it may seem strange to discuss your sleeping habits with your dentist, Dr. Kearney may be able to help.  Getting the sleep your body needs just might improve the quality of your life!  Keep that in mind next time your visiting our office, and as always, if you have questions please call us!  We are here for you, our most valued patients!

~Trisha

Always remember; Keep your teeth healthy and don't let them take a bite out of your life! ;)

Dental X-rays and radiation

With the recent news coverage about dental x-rays and radiation, I thought it might be helpful to link to an article that shows actual radiation numbers.  Here at Austin Bluffs Dental we use digital x-rays which minimize patients radiation exposure over traditional film x-rays.  We only take x-rays when necessary to uphold our standard of care and we keep all of our equipment up-to-date to provide our patients with the safest experience possible.  Please feel free to read the following information as published by the American Dental Association regarding dental x-rays, and if you have any further questions we are here for you and can be reached at Austin Bluffs Dental (719) 593-8488.

X-Rays - American Dental Association - ADA.org

I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable weekend!

-Trisha

Always remember: keep your teeth healthy, and don't let them take a bite out of your life! :)

Ever wonder why Easter moves around so much? Well, I did!

Here is an answer I found online as to why Easter moves around the calendar so much.  Kinda interesting...

How is the date for Easter calculated each year?

It's time to "Spring" Forward!

It is almost unrealistic that this weekend it will already be time to move our clocks forward 1 hour, but it is true!  On March 11th (officially at 2am) we will need to set our clocks ahead 1 hour, essentially losing 1 hour.  Even though I do have a hard time adjusting to the loss of that hour, I sure do enjoy the extra daylight in the evening.  I am a fan of just keeping Daylight Savings time year round, are you with me?  I wanted to share a link for a website I found which discusses this more in detail, so if you are at all interested in the history of daylight savings time or other interesting facts, check it out.

                                                           www.timeanddate.com

I wish everyone a fantastic weekend, it is supposed to be gorgeous weather this weekend so enjoy!

-Trisha

Always remember; Keep your teeth healthy and don't let them take a bite out of your life! ;)

Strange facts about Leap Day

Since today is Leap Day, and since Leap Day only happens once every four years, I thought what better to post about today than the strange traditions and facts of Leap Day!

Did you know:

The chance of being born on Leap Day is 1 out of 1,461, and if lucky enough to be born on a Leap Day it is said that you will have special talents or powers. 

Leap Day was traditionally the only day that women could propose to men.  Although many women propose throughout the year now, their are still many women who use Leap Day, also referred to as Sadie Hawkins Day, to ask for their mate's hand in marriage!

There is an official Leap Day cocktail. Google it and you could be indulging tonight!

Hugh Hefner opened the first Playboy Club in Chicago, IL on Leap Day 1960.

Workers who have fixed annual salaries pretty much work for free on February 29th as most employers do account for the extra day. 

Oh what fun!  I do love Leap Year!

-Trisha

Always remember; keep your teeth healthy and don't let them take a bite out of your life! ;)

Dental Extractions, just the facts!

Most of us have either been in the situation or will face the decision at some point in our lives; should I try to save my tooth, or should I just have it extracted.  There are several factors that go into making this decision.  The first thing you should always do is seek the opinion of your dental professional.  There are some cases that saving a specific tooth may not even be an option.  If a tooth is compromised due to periodontal disease resulting in significant bone loss, attempting to save said tooth is really a no win situation.  That being said, many times treatment options are available to save even a severely decayed tooth and although the options might seem more expensive in the short term, in the long run those options might actually save you money.  If a tooth is extracted, the teeth surrounding the now missing tooth will start to shift to try and fill the void.  This may not sound like a huge problem, but the shifting teeth can affect your chewing ability and jaw joint function. (See animation below)

  

I feel it is always best to try to save our natural teeth, but if it is not possible, then most likely the dentist will recommend you replace the extracted tooth as soon as possible (depending on healing time) with either a bridge, a partial denture or a dental implant.  The biggest thing to be aware of is there are options available to you, so talk with your dentist, and come up with a treatment plan that you can live with!  For more information or if you have questions, please call! 

-Trisha

Always remember:  Keep your teeth healthy and don't let them take a bite out of your life! ;)

Vitals - FDA warns of toothbrushes that mess up your face

Check out this article posted to the MSN blog Vitals:

Vitals - FDA warns of toothbrushes that mess up your face

Who knew that brushing your teeth could be so dangerous!

P.S. I still reccomend brushing your teeth, just wanted you all to be aware!

-Trisha

Always remember: Keep your teeth healthy and don't let them take a bite out of your life! ;)