Seaside Family's Dentistry Blog

It’s surprising to think that just a couple months ago, your child was excited to get off the bus and enjoy their summer break. Now, they’re already looking forward to going back to school, and you’re buried under a list of things you need to do before their first day. There’s one thing that you probably forgot to put on your back-to-school to-do list though, a checkup and cleaning with your dentist in Fort Lauderdale! Making sure your child is healthy before you send them off to do their best in school can prevent possible distractions and give you peace of mind you need as a parent. Read on for four reasons to move their semi-annual dentist appointment to the top of your to-do list before school starts again. (more…)

You might be a pro at remembering to brush and floss your teeth every single day. That’s great, but it isn’t all you need to do to be sure that your oral health stays in good shape. You also need to see your dentist every six months for a regular checkup and cleaning. It might be scary, but the risks of skipping your appointments can get a lot scarier down the road. Let’s look at 4 bad things that can happen if you avoid seeing your dentist in Fort Lauderdale.

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You’re excited about the warmer weather and going out with your friends more often, but summertime means more pictures being taken and meeting new people. You’re embarrassed by your grin and feel like you have to hide it. There’s good news though, your dentist in Fort Lauderdale offers 3 cosmetic services that can repair your smile so you can unabashedly let it shine. This summer, boost your self-confidence and enjoy socializing by getting a refreshed smile. Read on to learn about 3 solutions for discolored and damaged teeth. (more…)

Dental Consumer Products Overview: Denture Products

If you have dentures, or even if you haven’t, chances are you’ve seen TV advertisements for denture products. Because dentures and teeth loss can be emotional topics, it’s no surprise that the advertisements try (let’s call them) unconventional approaches. Sometimes they try too hard to be funny, sincere, or authoritative. Other times they go for realness and end up somewhere closer to too-much-information.

But for all their flaws, these ads are speaking to a sizable market. Over 60 million people in the US lack teeth, and according to the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, there will be 37.5 million people wearing full dentures by 2020. For people with dentures, consumer products on the market attempt to address two primary needs:

• Keeping dentures clean
• Keeping dentures in your mouth (preferably comfortably!)

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Cleaning products come in a few varieties. Martha Raye, denture wearer, advocated for a brand of dissolving tablets that killed bacteria and remove stains. There are also pastes, much like toothpaste, that patients can use to brush their dentures—once the dentures are safely out of your mouth. Ultrasonic cleaning appliances can remove stains from dentures, although they are more expensive and also require the use of a special cleaning fluid. For patients concerned with chemical cleansers, homemade solutions using lemon juice, vinegar, or baking soda can all help remove stains and re-whiten dentures.

Denture adhesives include pastes or gels that come in a tube, like toothpaste and adhesive strips. These adhesives are meant to keep dentures in patients’ mouths comfortably while eating and talking.

Dentures are meant to fit comfortably in the mouth—and not require adhesives—because they are molded specially to the patient’s jawbone and palate. However, without teeth anchored in the jaw, the bone deteriorates over time, and its shape changes. This eventually leads to dentures that don’t fit, or that cause discomfort, requiring adhesive. Even cleaning dentures, which requires them to be removed from the mouth, could conceivably cause patients to experience negative feelings.

However, changes in dental technology can reduce these issues for patients. Fixed implant dentures use dental implants to secure replacement teeth permanently to the jaw. Patients can brush them in their mouth, just like teeth, and the implants themselves help the jawbone avoid further deterioration. Although implants do tend to be more expensive than traditional dentures, for many they are an appropriate, life-long solution to their dental needs.

About the Author

A Florida native, Dr. Alan Kellner earned his dental degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in Philadelphia. After that, he completed his residency at the State University of New York in Stonybrook. Following his father’s footsteps, Dr. Kellner returned to Florida and now takes great pride in providing top-tier dental care to his patients in Fort Lauderdale. If you would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Kellner, you can contact his staff through his website.

Five Signs You Might Have Sleep Apnea… and One Thing You Can Do About It

At one point in time, maybe even only a few years ago, sleep apnea was not well-known among the public. Now, thankfully, public awareness of sleep apnea is much higher. After all, it is a dangerous condition, and because it is a disease that affects sleep, many people who have sleep apnea aren’t even aware of it.

If you suffer from sleep apnea, you will temporarily stop breathing during the night—up to hundreds of times! The health implications are quite serious, as sleep apnea is linked to many cardiovascular diseases, including high blood pressure, heart failure, stroke, and heart arrhythmias. So if you have sleep apnea, it’s important to get treatment.

So what are some signs or risk factors for sleep apnea?

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