ToothTalk On-Line

Welcome to Caesy

No... Caesy is not a new employee. Caesy is our new patient education DVD. We've set up a station inside Dr. Fudge's office solely to let you browse through hundreds of topics of interest in dentistry. Enclosed in this newsletter is a list of all the topics covered in Caesy. Presentations are concise, informative, and less than two minutes long. So spend some time before or after your appointment getting acquainted.

Musically

Two great concerts are coming up in April. The Choral Union will present Haydn's Creation on April 2 and Mahler's Second (Resurrection) Symphony on April 16. Both concerts are with the Ann Arbor Symphony and will be held in the newly renovated Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor. These should be two moving displays of choral-orchestral artistry.

From your hygienists

Change your toothbrush whenever the bristles show any sign of wear, including fraying, breakage, or spreading. This could be as often as every six weeks. Use a gentle, circular motion with a soft brush. Clean does not have to mean well scrubbed.

"A healthy body starts with a healthy mouth." It only makes sense, doesn't it? For nearly a decade we have had data that links periodontal health with cardiac health. Now we have a link between periodontal bacteria and pneumonia. It seems that the same bacteria of periodontal disease have been isolated in lungs of patients with pneumonia. So get out the brush and floss and get healthy.

Eat!

I don't know whether it's a holdover from old-fashioned hospital anesthesia, but occasionally patients will skip the meal before their appointment. If the appointment is then late in the morning or afternoon, they get light-headed and faint because of low blood sugar. Please follow your regular eating schedule (neither too much nor too little) when you have an appointment with us. You'll feel better.

Factoids

They now have a non-lead lead apron to protect patients during x-rays. Does anyone else wonder why? (It costs twice as much and weighs half as much.)

Fortune magazine, April 19, 2004, reported on a study that said if you got stress under control you added 1.5 years to your life; blood pressure under control added 1.3 years; taking the right vitamins added 10 months; and brushing and flossing added 5 months. Live longer!

Dr. Fudge & Staff Attend ADA

In October, Dr. Fudge and staff attended the American Dental Association Annual Session in Orlando. Here are some notes and pictures from our experience.

Wow!

There isn't a day that doesn't bring a new patient into our practice. Last month we had a Monday with six new patients and a Tuesday with five. Thank you so much for helping our practice grow and thrive.

Benefits of dental x-rays

"You can't find a fever if you don't take a temperature" has a corollary. "You can't diagnose decay and periodontal disease if you don't take an x-ray." X-rays show us decay, bone height and quality, tooth and root malformations, impacted teeth, sinus masses, cysts and tumors, deviated septa, and abnormal TMJ's. All of these problems are either invisible or unconfirmed to just a visual exam. X-rays are an important diagnostic tool. We take them to keep you healthy.

A Cleaning is not just...

A cleaning is not just a cleaning and can be often taken for granted. But it includes many aspects which you may not recognize as services for you. It includes a health history review, updating medications and changes in your health that may affect your dental care and safety. It may include a blood pressure screening and x-rays to check for decay and periodontal disease. It includes periodontal charting and evaluation of gingival health. Your teeth are checked visually, with x-rays, with transillumination, and then are cleaned of all tartar and plaque. A fluoride treatment may be given if you're under 15 or an adult with a dry mouth. Most importantly, an oral cancer exam is performed and all tissues checked. Lastly, you get to ask questions and advice from some very experienced, knowledgeable professionals.

Handwashing

There is no single measure that prevents passing germs and viruses better than handwashing. During this cold and flu season, wash often. If you can't wash, use one of the non-water hand disinfectants. We'll have some available for you at our front counter.

Appointment Help

It may be a semantic exercise, but you will understand: Please notify us of a cancellation at least one business day prior to the cancellation to avoid a cancellation charge. This will give us sufficient time to call and appoint someone on our waiting list. We understand that problems do arise and will allow for the unavoidable.