Patient Education Archives | Page 2 of 14 | Diamond Dental of Sacramento

About Nitrous Oxide

The search for a substance that would let a patient slip into merciful oblivion during surgery has been one of mankind's goals for centuries. In North America, we can thank a dentist, Horace Wells of Connecticut, for the development of nitrous oxide as a form of dental anesthesia. During the early 1840s, Dr. Wells was looking for ways to make his patients more comfortable during procedures. While watching a demonstration of a popular intoxicant, a drug called "laughing gas," Dr. Wells saw the possibility [...]

By Diamond Dental of Sacramento|2024-09-02T14:50:16-07:00September 3, 2024|Patient Education|

How Old Is Your Smile?
How Old Is Your Smile?

Patient Education

How Old Is Your Smile?

The concept of dental age is surprising to people when they first ear it. Dental age is independent of chronological age. From a biological stand point, we are youthful until we reach maturity around thirty, we are adults from thirty to sixty years, and elder from sixty on. From a dental stand point, we are youthful at any age as long as we have close to a full compliment of teeth or its equivalent and the supporting tissues are in good health. An adult [...]

By Diamond Dental of Sacramento|2024-09-02T14:49:13-07:00August 20, 2024|Patient Education|

What is Sleep Apnea?
What is Sleep Apnea?

Patient Education

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a potentially dangerous disorder with fairly benign symptoms—loud snoring at night, and morning headaches or daytime bouts of sleepiness. The cause? Intermittent periods throughout sleep when an individual actually stops breathing. Breathing cessation, or apnea, lasts from seconds to nearly a minute. When breathing resumes—the brain senses lack of oxygen and wakes you up—snoring is loud, sometimes explosive. In the morning, the build-up of carbon dioxide in the blood causes headaches. And the lack of deep, relaxing sleep has you drowsy, [...]

By Diamond Dental of Sacramento|2024-09-02T14:48:41-07:00August 13, 2024|Patient Education|

Facing Chemotherapy?

Tell Your Dentist Anyone facing cancer therapy already knows—chemotherapy for the treatment of cancer is a serious response to a serious condition. What they may not know is that a dental appointment scheduled at least two weeks before treatment begins can reduce the risk of complication and help preserve salivary glands. The reason is this: with radiation treatment and chemotherapy, changes in saliva occur that can encourage decay and dry mouth, diminish taste, and thicken soft tissues—to name a few. All these side effects [...]

By Diamond Dental of Sacramento|2024-09-02T14:44:40-07:00June 25, 2024|Patient Education|

Alcohol and Your Teeth
Alcohol and Your Teeth

Patient Education

Alcohol and Your Teeth

Dentally speaking, is drinking alcohol a good thing or a bad thing for your teeth and gums? As with everything alcohol related, there are positives and negatives. On one hand, a mixer-free shot of vodka is probably less hazardous than caramel candies, which coat the teeth with a sticky goo that practically begs for cavities. On the other hand, every kind of alcohol—most notoriously drinks with sugary mixes—are chock-full of their own types of sugar. Sugar is the main source of energy for plaque [...]

By Diamond Dental of Sacramento|2024-09-02T14:44:17-07:00June 18, 2024|Patient Education|

Sunshine For Healthy Teeth and Bones
Sunshine For Healthy Teeth and Bones

Patient Education

Sunshine For Healthy Teeth and Bones

We don’t hear a lot about vitamin D. It’s crucial for healthy teeth and bones because it helps you absorb calcium. And the easiest way to get your minimum daily requirement is—take a walk in the sun! Vitamin D is called the “sunshine vitamin” because natural sunlight converts a chemical in your skin into a usable form of vitamin D. Experts at the Mayo Clinic write that, for most people, as little as 10 to 15 minutes of natural sunshine three times a week [...]

By Diamond Dental of Sacramento|2024-09-02T14:42:10-07:00May 14, 2024|Patient Education|

Medicine & Your Mouth
Medicine & Your Mouth

Patient Education

Medicine & Your Mouth

The medicine you take for one physical disorder may literally rot your teeth. This is one of many reasons we need to know your medical history and current treatment. For instance... Chewable vitamin C supplements are a good idea for a lot of people, but check your brand for sugar content. For children especially, a liquid form does less damage to tooth enamel, and natural sources of the vitamin—oranges, green vegetables—are even better. Calcium channel blockers (Procardia, Cardizem, Adalat) cause swelling of the gums in [...]

By Diamond Dental of Sacramento|2024-09-02T14:41:45-07:00May 7, 2024|Patient Education|

Osteoporosis: The Calcium Connection
Osteoporosis: The Calcium Connection

Patient Education

Osteoporosis: The Calcium Connection

Osteoporosis—porous bones—is a fragile, frightening reality for at least 15 million North Americans. What begins as a slow and initially painless decrease in bone mass eventually leaves bones weakened and susceptible to fracture. It turns strong backs into weak; healthy strides into shuffles. From a dental viewpoint, the disease is evident in loss of tooth strength and jaw erosion. Osteoporosis, most common in middle-aged women and the elderly, is particularly insidious in that it is rarely diagnosed until the damage is done. Evidence suggests [...]

By Diamond Dental of Sacramento|2024-09-02T14:41:11-07:00April 23, 2024|Patient Education|

Bulimia, the “Private Problem”
Bulimia, the “Private Problem”

Patient Education

Bulimia, the “Private Problem”

Not So Private Anymore If you recognize yourself or someone in your family in this piece, you share a problem with over 500,000 other people. Bulimia. Do you worry about how much you eat—all the time? Do you start a new diet almost every day? Do you perceive everyone else as thinner than you are? Do you make time in the day to eat in solitude—ice cream, doughnuts, pies, cakes, soft drinks—then vomit or take laxatives? Eating disorders have become so common in this [...]

By Diamond Dental of Sacramento|2024-09-02T14:40:17-07:00April 9, 2024|Patient Education|

Smoking and Still Smiling?
Smoking and Still Smiling?

Patient Education

Smoking and Still Smiling?

Say you've spent the time and effort to get your mouth and teeth in shape. You’re dentally hale and hearty. And you smoke. As if there isn't enough reason to give up smoking, your dental health suffers too. Dramatically. Aside from the tobacco stains on teeth (not to mention the bouquet), serious oral disease can develop. The evidence just keeps piling up. Gum Disease - Research is showing that the incidence of gum disease is increased in a smoker, even given good oral hygiene and the best dental [...]

By Diamond Dental of Sacramento|2024-09-02T14:39:51-07:00April 2, 2024|Patient Education|

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