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It’s amazing how advanced today’s diagnostic tools are, and nowhere is this more true than with dentistry and oral care. Current technology allows for all sorts of conditions to be diagnosed with simple, painless tests, and these tests can give the dentist a wealth of information about the best way to move forward with your Personalized Dental Plan. This, in turn, will help you enjoy better oral health, and can make you aware of any issues or concerns that may arise in the future.

One of the most effective diagnostic tools is the DNA test, which is conducted by using a saline rinse to obtain saliva from the mouth. The test takes less than a minute, and te results of the test can tell the dentist what kinds of bacteria are living in your mouth, and how dangerous the quantities are. While it may seem that this is not a very useful tool, it can actually help determine your risk for developing periodontal disease, as well as other, more serious conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

Although many patients who come in for a DNA test present symptoms of gingivitis such as bleeding gums or persistent bad breath, such symptoms are not necessary in order for the test to be helpful, and in fact catching issues before they arise is a good plan for those who want to have a healthy mouth for as long as possible. The earlier these dangerous bacteria can be detected, the better the chances for avoiding serious issues down the road.

Another helpful test is the HPV saliva test. Detecting HPV viruses in the early stages can help with subsequent early detection of oral cancers. However, the HPV test is not something to fear – in reality, most oral HPV infections to do not lead to cancer. The purpose of the test is rather to become aware of any infections so that those patients who are at high risk can be monitored. As HPV infections are often free of symptoms, a patient may have the virus and not be aware of it. Again, the test involves a saline rinse, and takes less than a minute, and the knowledge from the test results can be invaluable for future treatment.

These tests can be scheduled by contacting us and making an appointment. Don’t let your oral health be plagued by question marks!

Quality dental care is not just about going to the dentist when an emergency rises; it’s a comprehensive system of keeping your teeth and mouth healthy on an ongoing basis. Of course, when it comes to your smile, there’s also the aesthetic aspect to think about – not only do you want everything to be healthy, you also want to have the brightest and nicest-looking smile you can possibly have.

If you know that your smile does not look as good as it could, now is a great time to start thinking about setting up a cosmetic dentistry plan for 2013. What better way to start the new year than with a resolution to finally do something about those cosmetic issues that have been bothering you for so long?

Regardless of the level of care you need, we can set up a plan to help you get the most beautiful and radiant smile you can have. You may benefit from procedures like dental bonding, gum re-contouring, or the latest porcelain veneers, which look like natural teeth and are resistant to staining.

For those who need a more involved level of care, our smile makeover can help improve your confidence and raise your self-esteem to new highs. Ideal tooth shape and length are taken to account, and whether reaching that ideal requires minor procedures or full mouth reconstruction, Dr. Rye will discuss the most appropriate options to get you the results you want.

It’s important to recognize just how much the appearance of your teeth affects your feelings about yourself. Your smile is one of the first things that people notice about you, and if you’re embarrassed about how your teeth look, you may hide your smile, or feel apologetic about showing it to others. The good news is, no matter how little or how much work you need, you can have the smile of your dreams, and all it takes to get started is an initial consultation, where you can discuss what you want and start making plans to achieve those goals.

Now is the perfect time to get the ball rolling – with the holidays quickly approaching, give yourself the gift of a better 2013, with the smile you deserve!

For some people, the very thought of having to go to the dentist triggers a panic attack. But even for those who don’t have a full-blown phobia, there can still be a lot of anxiety about making a dental appointment. This reasons behind this fear are the subject of a new study being conducted at West Virginia University, in conjunction with several other research facilities. The goal is to determine what causes patients to avoid proper dental care, which sometimes leads to even worse problems, rather than simply making an appointment and seeking help.

The researchers are hoping to develop a therapy-based solution for those with extreme dental phobia, i.e. those who refuse to make a dental appointment under any circumstances, and let tooth decay other issues get to a critical point where tooth loss is inevitable. Some of the subjects in the study have been suffering from dental problems for longer than two years, avoiding proper care because their fear keeps them from seeking help.

The good news is, if you are someone who suffers from dental anxiety or have fears about visiting the dentist for major procedures, there are already systems in place that can help you get through your dental appointment in the most comfortable and relaxed way possible. Sedation dentistry is something we have been offering at our practice for more than three decades – we began providing it in 1981 because we saw how many patients were anxious about their dental appointments, and we wanted to give them a more pleasant experience.

Sometimes a fear of the dentist comes from a bad experience in the past. Sometimes it’s about a fear of needles or having injections. Sometimes the sounds and smells that come along with a dental appointment can trigger unpleasant feelings. If any of these apply to you or you have any other reason for fearing your dental appointments, it’s important to share your concerns so that a solution can be reached and you can receive the best and most pain-free dental care available.

Even if you have a severe dental phobia, it’s important to seek help when you need it. Sedation dentistry has helped countless patients for more than thirty years, so if you feel like you’re too anxious to have a necessary procedure done, let us discuss options with you to help make you more confident about restoring your smile to its original, healthy state.

We’ve long known the dental dangers of letting children and teenagers drink sugary, carbonated drinks, and most of us try to avoid them as adults, as well. However, staying off carbonated drinks may not be as much of an automatic safety net as previously thought, as there are other enemies to teeth that are becoming more and more popular: sports and energy drinks.

In the latest issue of General Dentistry, a study has been published showing the detrimental effects of some of the most popular sports and energy drinks. The elevated acidity level of these drinks erodes tooth enamel, causing damage to the teeth that is irreversible. As the study shows, some drinks are worse offenders than others, but none of them is particularly safe in terms of dental health.

What is worrying is that adolescents are the age group most likely to fall for the promises that sports and energy drinks offer. They look forward to higher energy levels and better athletic performance, and most believe that energy and sports drinks are actually good for them, or at least better than carbonated drinks.

The Academy of General Dentistry has Make an appointment for a dental checkup so Dr. Rye can see how your teeth are doing, and start incorporating more natural drinks like water into your daily intake.

Most of us have been in a situation before where one particular tooth experiences a momentary pain twinge for no apparent reason, and then it just goes away and everything is fine. Sometimes this happens only once, and could have been caused by any number of passing anomalies, but then sometimes the twinge returns and we continue to tell ourselves “maybe it’s nothing.”

The game of wait-and-see is a dangerous one if you have discomfort or pain in your mouth that keeps coming back. Even if it’s only occasionally, it might indicate a condition that could develop into much larger problems. In addition, neglecting problems in your mouth can not only lead to bigger mouth problems, but may also exacerbate or even contribute to the development of overall negative health conditions such as heart disease or diabetes.

The economy has forced many of us to cut back in a lot of areas, but it’s important to understand that getting prompt attention for a dental issue is actually the most economic way to handle the situation. Dental conditions rarely get better on their own, and often get much worse. When the problem escalates, usually the cost of fixing it does, too. It simply doesn’t pay to wait and see.

But cost isn’t the only reason that people avoid making a dental appointment. Sometimes when the pain or discomfort starts, you may hope that it’ll go away on its own because the thought of going to the dentist fills you with anxiety. Again, this is a situation where the longer you wait, the worse it’s likely to get. If you’re simply dreading the appointment and apprehension is overriding your logical realization that you need dental care, you can ask us about our sedation dentistry, which for three decades has helped even the most anxious patients have a relaxed and comfortable dental experience.

As with anywhere else in the body, pain is an indicator that something is wrong, and you should listen to what your body is telling you. Ignoring it and hoping it’ll go away on its own is never advisable, and the sooner you can get the problem looked at by the dentist, the better. We can set up an appointment for you at our Fairfax, VA dental office so that you can get small issues taken care of right away, before they turn into larger, more complicated ones.

Medical research continues to find more and more evidence that good oral health is connected with good health throughout the body. Some studies are even indicating that advanced gum disease can be linked to more serious illnesses like diabetes and heart disease. While the research is ongoing and more facts are being discovered every year, the general trend is undeniable: taking good care of your mouth is an important factor in taking care of your overall health.

There are various theories as to why gum disease is an indicator for other health conditions. One of the frontrunning theories is that dangerous bacteria in the mouth, if not dealt with, can enter the bloodstream and come into contact with deposits in the blood vessels. This in turn may lead to conditions that can contribute to heart disease.

Another theory involves the bacteria associated with gum inflammation. Patients who show an elevated amount of this bacteria also tend to show an elevated level of blood vessel thickening, which is in turn associated with heart disease.

Either way, making sure that you have a healthy mouth has a multitude of benefits. Aside from the obvious advantages of preventing oral conditions, you may be helping yourself out in other areas, too.

One area where most people could use some improvement is daily care. Brushing and flossing every day are important parts of your oral hygiene routine that shouldn’t be ignored. If you feel your daily regime isn’t doing what it should, make an appointment for a checkup so we can assess the situation and help you get the most out of your home dental care.

There are also some changes you can make in your lifestyle that will boost your health in all areas. Many people have a weakness for convenience snacks, which often have a high sugar content. This is not only bad for your teeth, it’s bad for the rest of your body, as well. With a little preparation, you can make healthy snacks just as convenient as sugary ones. This can be as simple as portioning out fruits and vegetables to take to work for snacks, or creating something more elaborate like salads or homemade yogurt cups with fresh fruit. Having the right snacks on hand can keep you from reaching for candy bars when you get hungry during the day, and that in turn can help prevent some of the most common oral health problems.

Lastly, if you’re not seeing the dentist every six months, you’re putting yourself at risk for developing conditions that can lead to bigger health problems later. Coming in for regular checkups and cleanings is not just recommended, it’s essential if you want to enjoy optimal oral health.

If you have had esthetic enhancements to your teeth or are fortunate enough to have your own set of perfect teeth, you may be wondering how to maintain your smile. To maintain a healthy smile, you have to know what might damage your teeth. Identifying and eliminating bad oral habits is the key to retaining a great smile for many years. Some habits which may be harming the health of our teeth:
• Grinding your teeth
• Casually biting your fingernails or a pen
• Crunching ice?
• A diet high in sugar (such as soda, chewing gum and candy)
• Drinking coffee, red wine and tea. Smoking or chewing tobacco
• Forcing your tongue against your upper teeth
We can’t predict the exact effects bad oral habits will have on your perfect teeth, however, the longer the duration of the habit, the greater negative effect it will have on the longevity of your smile.
How Can I Eliminate My Bad Oral Habits and Protect My Perfect Teeth?
The first step to eliminating a bad habit is to identify and acknowledge that you have one. If your habit is crunching ice, you must alter or eliminate it from your day-to-day routine.
Other habits are harder to break like grinding your teeth. Grinding the teeth is generally an involuntary action and usually occurs when asleep. Because the habit is difficult to break, a plastic nightguard is the best solution to prevent excessive wear of your teeth.
A nightguard is a clear plastic mouthpiece that is custom-fitted to snap over your teeth, much like an athletic mouthguard. The nightguard is designed so your teeth grind on the plastic, not your teeth. The nightguard will wear out, but your teeth will not.
Do not neglect your teeth, especially if you have had esthetic enhancements. They will not last forever, so in order to preserve your perfect teeth, have regular dental check-ups and do your best to eliminate bad oral habits.

Contact us at Rye Smiles for Life by calling 703-352-2010 if you have any questions about how to protect your teeth and your smile so that your perfect smile will last a lifetime.

The risk of adult tooth decay is on the rise due to the trend in bottle water and the high percentage of people on medications (OTC,RX and Herbal Supplements). These medications are proven to cause a reduced salivary flow resulting in an increase in cavities.

We have attended numerous courses raising our awareness on this matter.

Who Needs Fluoride?

1. Everyone – If you have a pulse
2. High Risk Group
a. Tooth Sensitivity
b. Gum Recession/Bone Loss
c. Prescription Medications
d. OTC Medications (Especially allergy/sinus meds)
e. Herbal Supplements
f. 60 years or older (naturally have a reduced salivary flow)
g. Decay within the past 2 years
h. If you drink more bottled water than tap
i. If you drink soda (diet or regular)
j. A diet high in sugar
k. Cosmetic or full mouth dentistry patients
l. An extensive dental history, resulting in numerous crowns, bridges, veneers
m. Orthodontics or Invisalign

At Rye Smiles for Life we take pride in our role as our patients’ preventative care specialist to help them achieve your maximum oral health. We provide an Adult Fluoride treatment after each Preventative Care appointment. We determine the frequency that best meets our patients’ needs (1-4 times per year).

Contact us at 703-352-2010 if you have any concerns about your oral health.

Should you Replace Your Bridge or Get Implants?

Recently one of my patients was struggling with the decision of whether to replace an existing bridge with a replacement bridge or with dental implants. I explained the pros and cons to her and she is considering her options. With the increasing popularity of dental implants (due in large to technology improvements which enable dentists to place dental implants with more predictable results than in the past), there are many people in her situation, grappling with the question of what is the best solution to their dental problem. Here are the considerations when trying to decide whether to replace your bridge with a replacement bridge or dental implants:

Pros of Replacement Bridge:

1. A replacement bridge will be less expensive than dental implants.
2. You are familiar with the functionality of and care for a bridge, so you won’t experience much change in your oral hygiene habits.

Cons of Replacement Bridge:

1. The average life of a new or first bridge is about 12 years, although some of our patients have bridges that have lasted 30+ years). Life span length is dependent on care & supporting natural teeth stability.
2. The average life span of a second bridge is about 9-12 years. The second bridge life span usually is not as long as the patient’s original bridge. This is because the factors that contributed to the original bridge failure have been exacerbated with function over time.
3. A replacement bridge can fail, 60% of the time due to the loss of one of the two teeth that support it.
Pros of Implants
1. Easier to maintain & perform home care
2. Implants have a 95-98% success rate over a 30 year time span (dependent on patient care)
3. Stabilizes bone & reduces or eliminates loss
4. Lower “Lifetime” cost

Cons of Implants
1. Higher Initial Cost
2. Known risks associated with any oral surgical procedures

If you are wondering whether implants are the best solution to your dental problem, contact us at (703)-352-2010. We will provide you the information you need to decide on the treatment plan which best meets your needs.

Many people fear their semi-yearly trips to the dentist. The prospect of a cavity and the dreaded reality of a filling weigh heavily on many minds. Add in the possible need for a crown or veneer to repair damaged teeth, the dental visit quickly goes to the bottom of the “to do” list.

Thankfully, innovation in dentistry has made tooth restoration easier, more convenient, more accurate and overall less worrisome for patients. Our office uses CEREC® equipment, which provides for on-site creation of natural-looking ceramic fillings – in a single visit. We use a digital camera to take an optical impression of the damaged tooth, design the appropriate restoration using CAD software and mill tooth-colored ceramic on-site in about 10 minutes. There’s no need for a temporary and return visit. From tooth preparation to placement and bonding, a patient can have his or her smile restored in less than an hour.

CEREC is a shining example of recent advances in the dental profession and we at Rye Smiles for Life are proud to be among the first in the metropolitan Washington, DC area to offer patients this new approach to tooth restoration. Contact us at Rye Smiles for Life and find out how this new dental technology can improve your smile and your life today.