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Giving back is always important, but at this time of year it seems to become particularly relevant, especially as many of us are enjoying time with our families, plenty of food, and good health.

This year, we didn’t have to look very far for opportunities to help people in our communities – our patients brought us some excellent ideas!

One of our patients, Daryl Mackin, recently founded A Soldier’s Child, an organization which assists the children of our fallen and overseas servicemen and women, providing them with birthday and Christmas gifts when their own parents can’t.  So this year, instead of doing our usual office ‘Secret Santa’ gift-giving, we raised money to provide a family of 5 with Christmas gifts.  We’re pleased to say that we were able to get the family all the items on their Christmas wishlist – including a present for mom.

Another of our patients recently came to us with the story of a Salvation Army worker, struggling with cancer, who is unable to afford the extensive dental work which will allow her to eat more healthily.  And we’re happy to help, especially since we know that better dental health will aid her recovery.

It’s just our small way of saying ‘thank you’ to our patients and community members.  We hope you had a very happy and healthy holiday season!

Toothpaste and lip therapy on sale!

Dr. Nate’s toothpaste and lip therapy make great Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers – and now they’re even better!

During December only:

Toothpaste – $6 (+ shipping)

Lip Therapy – $5 (+ shipping)

Order before December 20th for delivery before Christmas (in the continental USA).

Click here to start shopping!

The other day, we offered some tips about overcoming dental phobia.

Well, for those of you with iPhones, there may be some help at hand.

British hypnotherapist James Holmes has developed an iPhone app which provides a combination of hypnosis, relaxation techniques and dental phobia tips to help people overcome their fear of the dentist.  It’s supposed to help you prepare for and relax during, your appointment.

We haven’t tried the app yet, but at only 99 cents, it might be a good investment if your fears are standing in the way of a long-overdue dental appointment!

Learn more about the app here.   (And if you do try it, let us know what you think!)

New research suggests tooth pulp could be used to repair spinal cord damage.

Teeth are useful for all sorts of things:  Chewing, opening plastic bags, smiling, talking – all of these would be much harder without a set of teeth.

But now teeth are being used as a source of stem cells that can help rebuild spinals cords, by regenerating severed nerves, stopping nerve cell death, and encouraging the growth of other cells surrounding the spine.

Scientists at Nagoya University in Japan extracted stem cells from the tooth pulp of adult wisdom teeth and injected them into people with severe spinal cord injuries, with positive results.

The great news is that these stem cells come with few ethical concerns:  They’re extracted from the adult wisdom teeth, purified and injected into the same patient.

The treatment is still in the early testing stages, and it remains to be seen whether tooth pulp stem cells can be taken from one patient and used in another.  But researchers are hopeful that this hitherto under-utilized source of adult stem cells will provide effective long-term therapeutic uses.

Just another reason to get excited about tooth health!

Scared of visiting the dentist? You don’t have to be.

Hardly anyone actually looks forward to visiting the dentist (though it should be said that we definitely look forward to seeing you!).  But for an estimated 7-13% of the population, dentophobia – literally, ‘dental phobia’ – can get in the way of regular checkups.  And that can lead to worse problems later.

The good news is that these days, dentistry is easier, less painful, and faster than ever before.  And many dentists and hygienists have advanced training on how to make your dental visit as stress-free as possible.  Here’s how to help combat your dental phobia – or just feel a little more positive about visiting the dentist.

5 tips for overcoming dental phobia

1.  Choose a dentist – and dental office – you like.

You don’t have to go the dental office that happens to be the closest to your house, or the one your Aunt Mabel goes to.  If you haven’t had great dentistry experiences in the past, maybe it’s time to shop around for a new dentist.  Feel free to make an ‘introductory’ appointment with more than one dentist, ask to meet the staff and even take a tour.  Is the waiting area friendly and inviting?  Does the staff make an effort to greet you and put you at ease?  Does the equipment look clean and modern?  Most importantly, do you like the dentist?

Good dentists – and their staff – will be happy to accommodate a request like this.

2.  Communicate your concerns.

Once you’ve selected a dentist you like, let the staff – the receptionist, hygienist, and dentist – know that you have a dental phobia.  Some patients are afraid of needles, others are concerned that dental work will hurt, and others just don’t like being lectured by hygienists.  The more the dental staff knows about your preferences, the better they’ll be able to make your visits stress-free.

3.  Arrange a ‘stop’ signal with the dentist/hygienist.

If you’re concerned about not being able to communicate pain or discomfort while you’re undergoing treatment, arrange a signal – a hand wave, even a noise in your throat – that will tell the dentist or hygienist that you need to pause or take a break.  Dental healthcare practitioners don’t want you to be in pain or uncomfortable, and they’ll be happy to accommodate you.

4.  Choose an appointment time when you’ll be the least anxious.

Some people feel most positive first thing in the morning; others are most relaxed later in the day.  Most dentists have flexible hours, so schedule your appointment at the time of day when you’ll be least stressed out.

5.  Schedule something ‘fun’ for after your appointment.

Some of our patients ‘reward’ themselves by going for a manicure right after their appointment; others have a friend pick them up to go for coffee.   If you have something to look forward to while you’re sitting in the dental chair, you’ll focus less on the appointment and more on the ‘afterwards’.  This can make the appointment seem less like the Big Horrible Thing in your day, and more like a quick errand.

6.  Take your iPod!

Lots of dentists have televisions and music playing in the treatment rooms, but you should feel free to take your own iPod (with noise-reducing headphones, if those help) in with you.  Many of our reluctant patients listen to soothing natural sounds to relax, or audiobooks to take their minds off what’s going on in their mouths.  We’ve even had patients fall asleep in the chair while we’re filling a cavity!

7.  Don’t arrive too early.

Some patients say that spending too much time in the waiting room before their appointment can increase their anxiety.  Aim to show up exactly on time for your appointment to minimize the time you have to wait.  (If your dentist is the sort who tends to run a bit late, call ahead and ask the receptionist when you should arrive.  If they know that you’re combating dental phobia, they can ensure they whisk you right from the front door to a treatment room.)

Fresh fruit is always good for you – right?

Well, according to a recent study in the UK’s Journal of Dentistry, fruits which are high in acidity can cause erosion of dentin, which is the layer of calcified tissue between tooth enamel and tooth pulp.

It’s long been known that acidic substances – like soda pop, corn syrup, and vinegar – can damage teeth, which is one of the reasons dentists are always telling you to cut down on the Coke (the sugar doesn’t help, either!).

The study found that fruits like apples, and fruit juices, which are highly acidic, can do more damage than soda pop.

But it’s not all bad news, and no one is telling you not to eat fruit or drink fruit juice!  The key is to make sure that you’re not nursing a glass of fruit juice all day, and rinsing your mouth with water after consuming fruit or fruit juice will remove the acids from your mouth and allow your natural saliva to counteract the acids.

From the ‘strange but true’ department…

One of John Lennon’s molar’s sold for $31,000 at auction last week.  The buyer is reported to be a Canadian dentist, but his/her name hasn’t been made public.  (Would you want to know that your dentist had just spent more than $30k buying the tooth of a dead person?)

Apparently he gave it to his housekeeper in the late 1960s – with the full knowledge that it was going to be kept as a souvenir by her niece, a big Beatles fan.

The good news?  The tooth is too fragile to be used as a source of DNA, so we can safely assume that the buyer won’t be trying to make any John Lennon clones in the near future…

I know that visiting the dentist isn’t at the top of everyone’s ‘fun things I should do’ list, but there are good reasons why regular dental checkups are a good idea.  Today, I explain a little more about how often you should be visiting your dentist, and why.

1.  General rule of thumb for everyone:  Get a checkup every 6 months

Generally speaking, everyone should get a full dental checkup every 6 months.  During this visit, the hygienist does a thorough cleaning of your teeth (including removing tartar that normal brushing simply can’t remove, and the plaque that has built up in places where it’s hard for you to floss).  More importantly, the hygienist, and then the dentist, makes a thorough examination of your teeth and gums, which allows small problems (cavities, gum recession, etc.) to be identified early on.   Remember, a cavity which is spotted and dealt with at an early stage is less likely to turn into a painful – and costly – root canal later!

2.  For kids:  Every 6 months!

It’s really important for children to have dental checkups every 6 months starting almost as soon as they have their baby teeth.  It’s a great way to help teach children about the importance of brushing, flossing, and good nutrition, and that going to the dentist is just a normal part of life, not something they need to be afraid of.  Dentists can also help ensure that your child’s teeth are developing normally, can identify potential trouble spots (including orthodontic issues) early.  Remember, oral health and overall health are closely linked, so a dental checkup can be a good indicator of your child’s health.

3.  For pregnant women:  Every 3-4 months

Regular checkups are especially important for pregnant and trying-to-get pregnant women.  Pregnancy can cause gums to soften slightly, which can increase the chances of gum infection, which in turn can lead to premature labor.  There are some dental procedures that you should not undergo while pregnant (you shouldn’t have x-rays while pregnant, and most dentists will not perform procedures involving needles during the first trimester), but a regular checkup does not pose a problem.  We recommend that pregnant women visit us once a trimester, just to make sure everything is fine.

4.  For people with exceptionally high tartar buildup:  Every 3-4 months

Some people just naturally seem to get more tartar buildup than others.  The problem is that tartar buildup can lead to inflamed gums, which can lead to gum infection and gum recession, and those can cause serious problems.  So if your dentist has told you that you’re one of those people who seem to get a lot of tartar, you should be getting a thorough cleaning every 3-4 months.  I know it sounds like a lot, but I guarantee you it’s easier – and cheaper – than having to deal with serious gum problems later on.

5.  When in doubt, ask your dentist!

It’s important to speak with your dentist about your personal situation, lifestage, and overall health, so that he or she can make appropriate recommendations about how often you should be coming in for checkups.  If money is a concern, don’t hesitate to discuss that with your dentist as well – most dentists will work with you to come up with a long-term, sustainable plan that will get you the oral healthcare you need.   But if there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past 20 years, it’s that an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure when it comes to your teeth and gums!

Thank you for nominating us as Best Dentist in the 17th Annual Ruthies Awards!

You can support us by clicking here to vote for Dr. Nate Schott and the Murfreesboro Dental team.

In the past couple of weeks, a number of patients have asked me about the abrasiveness of Xylitol, and I wanted to clear up any misconceptions.

We use Xylitol in our toothpaste for two reasons:  It’s a naturally-occurring (first derived from birch trees 100 years ago), very low-calorie sweetener that helps the toothpaste taste better;  more importantly, its alkaline-enhancing properties means that it helps prevent bacteria from forming on teeth, which means it’s a good cavity-fighting alternative to fluoride.

But is it too abrasive for use during brushing?  No.

Yes, raw Xylitol comes in a powdery-crystal form, but once it’s put into a toothpaste it emulsifies.  So it’s definitely not too abrasive.  (And it’s worth mentioning that patients we’ve seen, who have been using Dr. Nate’s for years, don’t have any problems with toothpaste abrasion.)