50 27th Street West Suite D Billings, Montana 59102

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  Contact : 406-655-7970

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dental implants billings mt

A Bright White Smile is A Confident Smile

When most people view the Best Celebrity Smile List and see Vanessa Hudgens with her delightful demeanor, they think white, straight teeth. A bright-white healthy smile is a confident smile.  Cosmetically the white smile is important in our society. There is a good reason for that, a bright smile is a sign of good oral health.

According to WebMD.com, tooth enamel changes as we get older. Our teeth get fine lines and cracks as we age and what we eat can get into the crevices and stain our smile.

Research from Melbourne University’s Oral Health Cooperative Research Centre states that sugary drinks and sweets are harmful to teeth because of their chemical composition. Sugar can destroy teeth when its fermented by bacteria that produces acid that leads to decay.

Snacking throughout the day makes it difficult for our mouth to be rid of food debris. When food debris builds on the teeth and in the mouth, plaque spreads.

Plaque isn’t the only thing that we need to worry about when it comes too discoloration of our teeth. Simple everyday drinks like coffee, tea and wine can stain our teeth.
Coffee, tea and wine have pigments that attach to the enamel of the tooth.  Tea causes more discoloration than coffee. Red wine may be great for your health, but not so much for your teeth. Red wine is acidic and its color can stain your teeth. As we age, discoloration of our teeth increases.

The enamel on our teeth thins with age and it reveals the softer inner layer beneath called Dentin.  Dentin naturally yellows as we age. The added discoloration from what we eat and drink only compounds the issue.

So what can you do to keep your teeth whiter as you age?

  • Brush your teeth right after you have any food that may discolor your teeth.
  • If you can’t brush your teeth, at least rinse your mouth with water after drinking coffee, tea or wine.
  • Use a straw so that the discoloring liquids bypass your teeth.
  • Some tooth discoloration can be removed with regular dental cleanings. Schedule regular teeth cleaning appointments with your dentist.

If you’re infectious smile is no longer white, contact Periodontal Specialists of Montana today!

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dental implants billings mt

Do you have an indentation in your gums after a loss of a tooth?

Did you know that tooth loss can cause an indentation in the gums and jawbone where a tooth used to be. The reason that this occurs is because the jawbone recedes when it no longer is holding a tooth in place. The indention is not only unnatural looking, but it also requires that the tooth be replaced with an  implant, so that you don’t have further dental issues down the road from the loss of your tooth.

Loss of Tooth

Ridge augmentation can fill in this defect recapturing the natural contour of the gums and jaw. A new tooth (implant) can then be places that is natural looking, easy to clean and beautiful. (AAP)

For all of your tooth loss needs and for all of your dental needs, contact Healthy Gums Montana today!

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Periodontal Disease Treatment Billings MT

Periodontal Disease Is Linked to Diabetes and Heart Disease

Did you know that Periodontal Disease is more than bacteria in your mouth?  It’s true, but we don’t often think of periodontal disease when it comes to Diabetes and Heart Disease. Inflammation within the body is responsible for both oral disease and other systemic bodily diseases, which means that it is vital to your health to treat the inflammation from periodontal disease as well as inflammation from other diseases.  Here are a few reasons that periodontal disease can occur if you have one of these diseases.

Diabetes

Periodontal disease is common in diabetics.  The cause of periodontal disease in diabetics is the bodies inability to fight infection.  If you have diabetes, you are at greater risk for Periodontal Disease.  In order to manage periodontal disease, it is recommended that you manage your diabetes well. On the flip side, if you don’t manage your periodontal disease, it may be more difficult for you to control your blood sugars.

Heart Disease

Periodontal Disease is also common in people who have Heart Disease. If you don’t treat your gum disease, then it could increase your risk for heart disease, it’s that simple. If you have heart disease and you’re not treating your gum disease, then it can exacerbate your existing heart conditions.

Arthritis

In many ways, periodontitis and arthritis are very similar diseases.  Recent research is now indicates that periodontal disease may be a trigger for causing arthritis to attack other joints.   If you have family history of arthritis it is important to begin screenings for periodontal disease in your 30’s.

Other bodily conditions associated with Periodontal Disease

Open angle glaucoma has recently been associated with periodontal disease.  The bacteria that cause bone loss also cause the blood vessels on the eye to malfunction contributing to this sight robbing condition.

Osteoporosis is linked with a loss of bone in the jaw, which causes problems in your mouth.  You can lose your teeth due to osteoporosis because of bone loss; the foundation of all of the teeth in your mouth.

There are some respiratory diseases are linked to gum disease, because often bacteria in the mouth is inhaled into the lungs.  Which would make you put you at greater risk for pneumonia.

If you think that you might have periodontal disease, schedule an appointment today with your Periodontal Specialist.  As Benjamin Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

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Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMD, TMJ)

Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMD, TMJ)

TMJ, which is short for temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders—we’ll simply refer to it as TMJ from here on out, is a condition that can cause pain and or improper function of the muscles, which control the jawbone. For most people this isn’t a serious problem, although it can be more serious for some, while merely an annoyance for others. Often pain from TMJ is temporary, although it can continually occur in cycles.

Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMD, TMJ)

Several different things could cause TMJ disorders. Firstly, TMJ is caused by trauma to the jaw. But often TMJ just appears even if no trauma has occurred. It’s possible that oral disorders such as an overbite or other alignment issues can cause TMJ. Even orthodontic braces can cause TMJ to occur.

There are several symptoms that a person has TMJ: a radiating pain in the jaw or in the neck or the face, or, more obviously, in the jaw; if the jaw muscles feel overly tight; if the jaw is locked, or a person’s ability to move the jaw is limited—this could also be a symptom of a worse condition and treatment should be sought immediately; there’s a pain at the jaw when a person opens or closes their mouths and with the pain is a clicking feeling or sound; if a person’s teeth suddenly change, and the rows of teeth fit differently. These symptoms could all be signs of other oral issues, so it’s important to not jump to conclusions if you’re suffering from one or more of these symptoms. But, how will you know? It’s important if you’re suffering from any of these symptoms to consult your periodontist.

Treatments for TMJ vary with severity. For some, simple jaw-stretching exercises could relieve the pain, while others may require pain medications to subside the insistent cycles of pain. Anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxants can be used for worse case scenarios.

If you believe that you have TMJ disorder, it’s important to not immediately panic—remember the discomfort in your face or jaw could be from anything besides TMJ like, for instance, a sinus infection which is easily treatable. If you are suffering from TMJ please visit Periodontal Specialists of Montana today!

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dentist billings mt

True Regeneration™ World’s First FDA Clearance for Tissue Regeneration

PR Newswire, CERRITOS, CA, March 30, 2016
This world’s first FDA clearance for tissue regeneration is groundbreaking in that Millennium Dental has demonstrated that tissues lost to disease can be fully regenerated, including return to functional health. www.TrueRegeneration.com

The pathway of tissue regeneration researched and cleared was tissues lost and destroyed as a result of infectious, inflammatory periodontal disease. This suggests there may be other pathways to tissue regeneration in the body that could now be investigated.

Key Facts

  • First FDA clearance of functional tissue regeneration as a result of a protocol and device
  • True Regeneration of periodontal tissue lost to gum disease – new alveolar bone, new cementum, new periodontal ligament
  • 85% of U.S. adults have some level of gum disease (periodontal disease)
  • 50% of U.S. adults have moderate to severe gum disease. Of this group, 40% don’t know they have the disease, and only 3% accept traditional treatment.
  • True Regeneration only achievable with the LANAP® protocol
  • LANAP protocol = LAR (laser assisted regeneration)
“Our preliminary understanding is that we are able to stimulate and activate stem cells, in particular fibroblasts, to form the necessary cellular components that turn into regenerated tissues. This is the first example of functional regeneration as a result of a protocol and device, where regeneration would otherwise not occur,” states Robert H. Gregg II, DDS, co-founder of MDT, Inventor of the LANAP® protocol, co-developer of the PerioLase® MVP-7. “If we can regenerate tissues destroyed by infection and inflammation in a cesspool of saliva and bacteria, the implications for what else could be regenerated elsewhere in the body are worth investigation.” The PerioLase® MVP-7 received regulatory clearance using the LANAP®/ LAR protocol for:“Periodontal regeneration – true regeneration of the attachment apparatus (new cementum, new periodontal ligament, and new alveolar bone) on a previously diseased root surface when used specifically in the LANAP® protocol.”
(FDA 510(k)-151763).

True Regeneration returns function to diseased areas naturally
Repair, for example, is not regeneration. Regeneration is return to normal architecture and functional health; repair is not. True Regeneration can be obtained despite the presence of periodontal disease – one of the most stubborn, persistent, and widespread infectious diseases according to the Surgeon General and the CDC 2010 NHANES report in the Journal of Dental Research on the prevalence of periodontal disease. (J Dent Res 89(11):1208-1213, 2010).

The LANAP/LAR procedures with the PerioLase MVP-7 achieve these results with:

  • No biologics
  • No growth factors
  • No exogenous bone grafts
  • No foreign membranes
  • No scaffolding
  • No stitches

MDT has trained 2,000 credentialed LANAP regenerative specialists that include general practitioners and periodontists alike. LANAP regenerative specialists are found in every U.S. state and major metropolis, as well as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.

Quotes
Dawn M. Gregg, DDS, Director of Training for the Institute for Advanced Laser Dentistry, states,
“This new FDA indication for use changes the meaning of ‘return to periodontal health.’ No longer is return to periodontal health defined by filling holes or cutting away tissue. The FDA clearance reflects what we understood from two human histological studies – the LANAP protocol produces both periodontal tissue regeneration and function to previously diseased tissues.”

Andrew Sullivan, DDS, Chair of Periodontics at Rutgers, says, “As Chair of the Periodontics Department of Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, I was delighted to learn Millennium has received acknowledgement from the FDA that LANAP can achieve the “Gold Standard” in periodontal therapy – true periodontal regeneration. Rutgers periodontal residents are trained in the most advanced techniques, including the LANAP protocol.”

ABOUT MILLENNIUM DENTAL TECHNOLOGIES INC.: Headquartered in Cerritos, Calif., Millennium Dental Technologies, Inc., is the developer of the LANAP® protocol for the regeneration of periodontal tissues destroyed by gum disease, and the manufacturer of the PerioLase® MVP-7, the world’s first pulsed Nd:YAG digital dental laser. By providing a patient and doctor friendly experience with virtually no pain, bleeding, or post-procedure infection, MDT’s FDA-cleared and patented LANAP® / LAR protocol removes the fear from gum disease treatment, offering a vastly less painful and less invasive, full-mouth regenerative treatment alternative to conventional scalpel/suture flap surgery. The PerioLase® MVP-7 is a 6-watt, free-running, variable-pulsed Nd:YAG dental laser featuring digital technology and 7 pulse durations in the 1064 nanometer wavelength, giving it the power and versatility to perform a wide range of soft- and hard-tissue laser procedures. The PerioLase® MVP-7 is also developed for the LAPIP protocol, for the treatment of ailing and failing implants. Established in 1994, the company’s founding clinician, Robert H. Gregg II DDS, and wife Dawn M. Gregg DDS, continue to operate the company with the founding vision: “The Patient Comes First.” For more information, visit www.lanap.com.

CONTACT:
Rachel Moody
Millennium Dental Technologies, Inc.
(562) 860-2908
rmoody@lanap.com

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3D Dental x-rays Billings MT

The Benefits of Technology in Dentistry

Planmeca Promax 3D

From tablet computers to smart phones, Google to Uber, there is no question that our daily lives have been more than reshaped by technology. Some of these changes have been truly beneficial while some have been more a case of technology for technologies sake alone. Dentistry has not been left out of this revolution. Over the last 15 years technology has redefined many aspect of dentistry as well.

Nowhere in dentistry has these technological changes been more evident than in the case of X-rays. We are all acquainted with the standard drill of holding x-ray film in the mouth while an X-ray machine exposes the film or sensor.  This is an inconvenience for most of us and quite literally a real pain for others.   Jaw anatomy is not always conducive for comfortable placement of the film or sensor, not to mention the problem with gag reflexes. Over the past 20 years technology has replaced the use of traditional X-ray film with digital substitutes but the practice of placing something in t the mouth to capture the image has remained the same.

Extra-oral X-rays, those taken with the film outside of the mouth have been in existence for decades as well.   These too have become digitized and capable of conveying more information including three-dimensional CT X-rays that have been a boon to implant dentistry. Again these technologies have been digital modifications to what we already doing rather than being a revolution in how we obtain information.

Recently these worlds of intra-oral and extra-oral X-rays have started to merge. Planmeca, a medical equipment company from Finland recently released its new series of Dental CT X-ray units that is capable of obtaining intraoral, extra-oral and 3-D CT dental X-ray images all using a sensor that goes around the patient’s head. The most important aspect of this advance is not just that the days of placing a sensor in the mouth to get X-ray images is coming to an end but that all of this is being accomplished with dramatically reduced exposure to X-rays as well.

The new Planmeca Promax is equipped with an ultralow dose HD setting that can produce a full 3D image with less radiation than an X-ray series taken with conventional sensors. It can also produce regular 2D images with less radiation than two regular intraoral X-rays. In addition to a faster and more comfortable experience for patients, this also means better and more complete information for diagnosis with reduced need for follow up up X-rays and less overall radiation exposure.

Please schedule an appointment today with Dr. Marnhart for all of your periodontal needs!

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Microbiome and Artificial Sweetners, Dentist Billings MT

The Wide-Ranging Role of the Microbiome: “We Are What We Eat”

It is well known that the gut serves as the largest immune system in the body. Recent research, however, has extended our understanding to the

links between the immune system and the host microbiome, as well as the subsequent effect this may have on a broader range of disease activities. The focus of this paper is on how exactly existing diet and potential modifications to it may influence these effects.

 

The Real Risk of Artificial Sweeteners

While many understand the role of excess sugar increasing the risk for diabetes, it will come as a surprise to most that so do artificial sweeteners. Experiments with both mice and people indicate that artificial sweeteners can actually induce glucose intolerance (a pre-diabetic state) via alterations in the gut microbiome. The bacteria that are responsible are the same group that causes periodontal disease.

Asthma and Allergies

In the past several decades, there has been a dramatic increase in chronic inflammatory diseases, such as asthma and allergies. The association between asthma and the immune cell regulation by the microbiome is particularly striking.

The Western diet leads to an altered microbiome that increases symptoms of Asthma and the frequency of allergies. Again bacterial digestion of certain fibers produce compounds that turn down immune system stimulation and helps prevent problems with “leaky gut”.

The diseases mentioned here are very commonly treated with medications; in most cases powerful medications. Given this new information we need to also start considering diet as a potential adjunctive, if not primary, treatment for many of these diseases. Our drugs are minimally effective if we keep feeding the problem with inappropriate diets.

Excerpted from Medscape 10/15/15

Original article by David A Johnson, MD

Professor of Medicine, Chief Gastroenterology

Eastern Virginia Medical School, Nofolk VA

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BMI and Periodontal Disease Billings MT

Maximum, Not Snapshot, BMI Is Best Predictor of Mortality

 Pam Harrison January 12, 2016

Capturing an individual’s weight at a single “snapshot” in time significantly and consistently underestimates mortality risk attributable to obesity because it fails to factor in high-risk, illness-related weight loss in the formerly obese, new research indicates.

The work shows that past obesity is a marker for higher death rates in the same way that former smoking can be, say the researchers.

“It’s not the case that intentional weight loss raises your risk for death,” investigator Andrew Stokes, PhD, Boston University School of Public Health, Massachusetts, told Medscape Medical News. “Rather, we found that weight losers as a group are at higher risk of dying because of illness-associated weight loss.”

“By using maximum body mass index [BMI], we were able to distinguish between low-risk individuals whose weight never exceeded the normal-weight category and higher-risk individuals who were formerly overweight or obese. This simple step shows that obesity is more dangerous than is commonly appreciated.”

The study was published online January 4 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Use Maximum Lifetime BMI for Highest Mortality Risk

Together with Samuel Preston, PhD, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Dr Stokes examined the association between excess weight and mortality using data from the 1988–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) that were linked to death records through 2011.

A key independent variable in their analysis was lifetime maximum BMI, based on a question in NHANES that asks respondents to recall their maximum lifetime weight, excluding weight during pregnancy. The sample was restricted to adults between 50 and 74 years of age at the time of the survey.

In total, 39% of NHANEs participants who had previously been in a higher BMI weight category had migrated down into the normal-weight category over time.

As Drs Stokes and Preston point out, this is a large volume of individuals and this downward flow from higher BMI classes to the normal-weight category clearly has the capacity to change survival outcomes of the normal-weight class.

They then compared the effect on all-cause mortality risk of using participants’ BMI at the time of the survey only (model 1) with the effect that maximum lifetime BMI had on all-cause mortality risk (model 2)

“In both models, each higher BMI category above the normal-weight category carried with it succeedingly higher mortality,” they point out.

“However, the degree of excess mortality associated with a particular BMI category was higher when that category referred to maximum weight rather than survey weight.”

When maximum weight was used instead of the one-time snapshot of participants’ BMI, the risks associated with overweight increased from 10% to 19% while for those in obese class I, mortality risk increased from 47% to 65% and for those in obese class II, mortality risk increased from 72% to 149%.

Hazard Ratios for All-Cause Mortality According to BMI at Survey vs Maximum Lifetime BMI

BMI category

Model 1: Survey BMI (Estimated HR)

Model 2: Maximum lifetime BMI (Estimated HR)

Normal weight

1.00

1.00

Overweight

1.10

1.19

Obese class 1 (30-34.9 kg/m2)

1.47

1.65

Obese class II (≥35 kg/m2)

1.72

2.49

Further Findings: Consider Past Weight

The authors also calculated hazard ratios for mortality using two other models that combined data on weight at the time of the survey and maximum weight.

In these, they differentiated between individuals who were at their maximum weight at the time of survey and those who were below their maximum weight at the time of survey.

Results showed that people who lost weight were at a greater risk of dying than those who remained in the higher weight class they had previously occupied.

Drs Stokes and Preston also examined the prevalence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease among participants.

For both conditions, people who had moved to a lower BMI class had a higher prevalence of both diseases than those who remained in a higher BMI class.

“The high prevalence of both diabetes and CVD among people moving to lower BMI classes demonstrates that weight loss is often associated with illness,” the authors emphasize.

“An analogy to smoking makes it clear why it’s important to consider past as well as present weight when studying the effects of obesity on mortality,” Dr. Stokes explained.

“If you were to compare smokers and nonsmokers, you might arrive at the conclusion that smoking is beneficial and the reason is that the nonsmoking group may include a large number of former smokers whose mortality risk is elevated,” he added.

To avoid this bias, Dr. Stokes points out that studies investigating the effects of smoking on death rates have long distinguished between nonsmokers who never smoked and former smokers (nonsmokers who smoked in the past and quit).

“Surprisingly, this distinction is rarely made in studies on obesity,” he observed. “And as a result, the effects of obesity on mortality have been consistently underestimated.”

Neither Dr Stokes nor Dr Preston had relevant financial relationships. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. Published online January 4, 2016. Abstract

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