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WE UNDERSTAND THAT we’re your orthodontic practice, not your general dentist. However, as one of your lifelong health partners, we’re concerned here at our practice about your complete oral health. That’s why we feel like it’s important to provide relevant and useful information that’s often not orthodontics specific.

Did you realize that women have special challenges when it comes to oral health? Hormonal cycles can affect the way women’s bodies react to bacteria and plaque inside their mouths. If you’re a woman — or if you’d like to pass this information along to a woman who could benefit from it — our team encourages you to learn more about these important dental facts.

Hormonal Cycles Can Affect Gums

Puberty, pregnancy, and menstruation cause increased progesterone and estrogen levels, which can lead to increased gum sensitivity. There’s also a condition known as menstruation gingivitis, which can cause some women to experience increased bleeding and swollen gums right before menstruation. This condition is typically not serious and clears up quickly. Gingivitis during pregnancy can be more severe, and may even cause non-cancerous oral tumors. That’s another reason why it’s important for women to keep their regular checkup appointments with their general dentist during pregnancy.

Oral contraceptives also increase hormone levels in women’s bodies, which can cause increased sensitivity and vulnerability to gum disease. During menopause, hormonal fluctuations can also create oral health problems including dry mouth syndrome, which can significantly add to a woman’s tooth decay risk.

Other Oral Health Problems That Are More Likely To Affect Women

• Women are almost twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with TMD (Temporomandibular Disorders). TMD causes strain on one’s jaw joint and potential damage to teeth, often as a result of clenching and/or teeth grinding.
• HPV is becoming more common, and research is increasingly suggesting a link between HPV and oral cancer. Regular oral cancer screenings are important whether or not a woman has high risk factors.
• Women are much more susceptible to osteoporosis than men, which can cause jaw bone loss and associated periodontal disease problems.

The Great News? Women Take Better Care Of Their Oral Health!

As you might expect, a helpful remedy in many instances is to simply maintain good dental health habits! Fortunately, women are better at this than men! A recent study of over 800 young men and women shows:

• Women are more consistent when it comes to regular checkups
• Women exhibit better attitudes toward dentistry in general
• Women have better personal dental habits

Questions? 

If you are a woman and you have questions about your oral health, please visit us at Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, California. Call us at 925-757-9000 to schedule your complimentary exam. Visit us at www.clubbraces.com. If we don’t have the answer, we’ll go out of our way to point you in the best direction to find the answer! There are lots of easy ways to connect with us — and we promise to be very responsive! You can make a comment below, or even connect with us on our Facebook page.

Women need to take time to care for themselves and their oral health. Your smile is our inspiration.

Top image used under CC0 Public Domain license. Image cropped and modified from original.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

VALENTINE’S DAY IS THE PERFECT time to look and feel your very best. Nothing will make you feel happier and more confident than a gorgeous new smile!

If you are an adult, your Valentine’s smile makeover may require comprehensive dental care. Here is your smile makeover action plan!

Love Your Gums, Love Your Smile

First, see a periodontist for a thorough soft tissue evaluation of your gums and bones around your teeth. Your periodontist will get your teeth ready for orthodontic treatment. To find a periodontist near you, visit the American Academy of Perodontology at www.perio.org.

Love Your Face, Love Your Bite

An orthodontist will put your teeth in the correct position for the best smile makeover possible. Teeth will need to be spaced correctly for a cosmetic result and your bite will need to be correct for dental health and tooth stability. To find an orthodontist near you, visit the American Association of Orthodontists at www.mylifemysmile.org.

Love Your Teeth, Love Your Smile

Finally, a cosmetic or general dentist will need to complete your final tooth treatment of either crowns or veneers as desired. To find a dentist with interest in dental cosmetics visit the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry at www.aacd.com.

This case was treated by orthodontist Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca, Gorczyca Orthodontics, Antioch, CA. Find us at www.clubbraces.com or call us at (925) 757-9000 to begin your Valentine's Day smile makeover.

Love is in the air. Happiness is your beautiful new smile!

DOES YOUR SPOUSE stop breathing in their sleep? Do they suddenly wake up gasping for air? If so, he or she may have sleep apnea and need a polysomnogram sleep study for sleep apnea treatment.

What Is A Polysomnogram?

The polysomnogram is a test which is diagnostic for sleep apnea. It is an overnight recording which documents how many times a person stops breathing and the duration of these episodes. Depending on the number and duration of non-breathing episodes, the patient is given a diagnosis of sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea Has Many Causes

One cause for a patient’s sleep apnea may be a small lower jaw. If so, your orthodontist can help cure sleep apnea by lower jaw advancement completed with surgery. To find an orthodontist near you, visit the American Association of Orthodontists at www.mylifemysmile.org.

Your dentist may be able to temporarily help your sleep apnea by creating a mandibular advancement device, a removable appliance which moves your lower jaw more forward during sleep. Oral appliances to advance the lower jaw can be effective, but only in patients with mild forms of sleep apnea, which must be established by polysomnography in a sleep laboratory and assessment by a qualified sleep apnea physician. Worn long term, five years or longer, removable sleep apnea appliances may produce permanent changes in your teeth and bite.

Sleep apnea may also be caused by extra body weight, soft tissue, or tongue position. In these cases, a CPAP machine can help by pushing air into your airway and soft tissues under a light pressure to help prevent sleep apnea episodes from occurring. This can help both you and your spouse can get a good night’s sleep.

We Can Help With Your Sleep Apnea Needs

If you have questions about sleep apnea, CPAP, or the ploysomnogram diagnostic test for sleep apnea, call us at Gorczyca Orthodontics, in Antioch, California (925) 757-9000. We can refer you for polysomnogram testing and get you the sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment you need.

You will feel better and perfom better after a good night’s sleep. Get your sleep apnea treatment today. You’ve never dreamed you could sleep so well.

WE MAY FEEL the dropping temperature in our toes, but we shouldn’t be feeling it in our teeth! Some of us experience a shock of pain as we breathe in the crisp air or sip some hot chocolate. Tooth sensitivity tends to manifest in temperature extremes, so we notice it more during the winter season.

Sensitivity Is A Cry For Help

Tooth sensitivity is fairly common, but that’s no reason to ignore it! Tooth sensitivity could be your mouth’s signal that something is wrong — you may need to see a periodontist or an endodontist. For the most part, solutions are simple. And, as with most dental problems, sensitivity is best dealt with early on. In some cases, tooth sensitivity can be reduced by using a special toothpaste for sensitive teeth such as Sensodyne. This is available in your local grocery store or drug store.

Some Causes of Sensitivity Can Lead To More Severe Problems

Healthy teeth are guarded from extreme temperatures by the tooth’s enamel layer and by the gums. Sensitive teeth may signal receding gums as a result of gum disease or over-brushing. Sensitivity could also be caused by damaged enamel from a cracked tooth, acid erosion, decay, or demineralization due to improper oral health care while wearing braces.

We Can Help You Find A Solution

Whatever the cause of your sensitive teeth this season, it’s important to get it checked out by an orthodontic professional. We can help you determine the cause, and find a solution. It may be a simple change in your dental care regime. Other times, a dental procedure can relieve your discomfort.

No One Should Suffer From Tooth Pain

We believe that no one should suffer from dental problems without hope of a solution. Please talk to us if you ever have questions about your dental and orthodontic health. We consider it an honor to be your trusted health partner, and to keep your teeth healthy for life.

Let us help you with your teeth in any weather. Your smile is our inspiration.

Top image by Flickr user Jason Ippolito used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.