As of 2021 we are happy to announce that our office will be joining the digital revolution by accepting Crypto Currency as an additional method of payment. We will accept payments of (BTC) Bitcoin and (ETH) Ethereum via Coinbase for dental treatment. With this exciting new currency dominating financial headlines, we believe it is here to stay and we’re willing to put our money where our mouth is – Get it? Money, mouth. A little dental-crypto humor.

Short answer: YES IT IS!
Dentists from all over are taking extra precautions they can to keep you and the staff safe. From wearing extra protective gear, maintaining social distancing by reducing the number of patients in the office, disinfecting surfaces more frequently, or adding more equipment to ensure the reduction of aerosols, it is all to keep you safe and comfortable.
It’s important that you continue your routinely visits to the dentist especially if you were due for your checkup during the pandemic, or follow up with your continuing treatment. It is better to treat something sooner rather than later.

Contact us today to make your appointment.

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We are very grateful to have been selected to receive the 2019 Best Westwood Dentist Award. Thank you to the entire Old Hook Dental Team for helping us have a great 2019 and we hope 2020 will continue the trend and be even BETTER!!!

Below is a copy of the press release we received in regards to winning the 2019 Best Westwood Dentist Award in the category : Dentistry.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Old Hook Dental | Dr. Philip Aurbach Receives 2019 Best of Westwood Award

Westwood Award Program Honors the Achievement

WESTWOOD December 23, 2019 — Old Hook Dental | Dr. Philip Aurbach has been selected for the 2019 Best of Westwood Award in the Dentistry category by the Westwood Award Program.

Each year, the Westwood Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Westwood area a great place to live, work and play.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2019 Westwood Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Westwood Award Program and data provided by third parties.

About Westwood Award Program

The Westwood Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Westwood area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.

The Westwood Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community’s contributions to the U.S. economy.

SOURCE: Westwood Award Program

CONTACT:
Westwood Award Program
Email: PublicRelations@2019city-bestofinformation.org

June is National Alzheimer’s awareness month.

We would like to take some time to address Dental concerns and problems related to those afflicted with Alzheimer’s and Dementia and suggestions to help them maintain good oral health.

     1) Notice the signs

Basic and routine dental care can be difficult and challenging for this population that has Alzheimer’s. Their teeth and gums often show signs of neglect and aging. Most of the time this is not directly their fault. Patients often

• Forget to brush their teeth.
• Dont remember how to use a toothbrush and paste.
  • Possibly be too embarrassed to admit this.
• May not recognize or be able to tell someone they are in pain.
• Have difficulty accessing areas of the mouth
• Have difficulty controlling or stabilizing a tooth brush

There can be signs and symptoms you can be on the look out for that may indicate someone you love with Alzheimer’s has a dental issue and needs assistance.

• Obvious swelling of the face and jaw
• Avoidance of hot or cold foods
• Having a swollen area or pimple on their gums or near a tooth
• Discoloration of a tooth/teeth
• Making faces resembling pain when chewing
• Biting of the inner cheek or lip
• Drooling or Bleeding from the mouth
• A white film present on tongue or gums
• Bad breath despite brushing
• Not letting you inspect their mouth

If you see any signs of swelling with fever or difficulty breathing – visit the nearest emergency room as soon as possible; these can be life threatening situations.

If any of the other signs present themselves, make an appointment to visit a dentist.

      2)  Common Dental Problems

Oral health care is not just about keeping your teeth healthy. A study out of NYU revealed that chronic gum disease may actually be linked to causing Alzheimer’s and increase the risks of cognitive dysfunction along with other serious health complications. Other studies have shown that high incidents of Pneumonia in patients with Alzheimer’s in nursing homes are correlated to poor dental hygiene.

There are some common dental problems usually found in the older population living with Alzheimer’s disease:

• Buildup of Plaque and Tartar which harbor harmful bacteria and can lead to decay, periodontal disease, infections, bad breath, etc…
• Cavities caused by not or improper brushing and flossing.
• Broken or loose teeth or dental work
• Dental abscess caused by extensive decay
• Dry mouth associated with medications

     3) How to assists someone with Alzheimer’s in their dental care:

• Provide short, easy to follow and simple instructions everyday
• Brush teeth 2x a day with a fluoride toothpaste
• Use a “watch me” technique of showing how to perform oral hygiene
• Use a soft bristle tooth brush with a small head to reach difficult areas
• Keep the teeth and mouth clean if they have difficulty
• Try different types of toothbrushes with angles that may be easier for them to use
• Floss regularly or implement use of a water pick if they have difficulty
• If they wear dentures clean them and take them out every 4 hours
• Be aware of potential mouth pain and monitor for problems
• Keep up with regular dental visits for as long as possible.
  • This will help with hygiene and prevention and can provide an opportunity for intervention before they become serious problems.

Click here for more information from the Alzheimer’s Association

https://www.alz.org/help-support/caregiving/daily-care/dental-care

It seems as if there is a new holiday or national awareness for every day, week and month of the year. While some may be silly from national Donut day to the more important ones that bring awareness to serious conditions and diseases, the intention is always good. May has been designated as National Dental Care Month.  Are you as excited as we are?

Here we offer some tips to help the party animal in you celebrate May – National Dental Care Month.

1. Evaluate your home care hygiene routine. Proper dental care starts with YOU!! As Dentists, we are here to fix problems and help you maintain a healthy mouth and promote overall health. However, under normal circumstances we see you 2x a year for checkups and cleanings. The other 363 days are your chance to shine. Take charge of your dental health to ensure you keep your teeth, smile and ability to eat in tact for the rest of your life.
   1. Floss 2-3 x a day after meals.
   2. Follow up with Brushing 2-3x a day for 2 minutes.
   3. Rinse with mouthwash for that fresh and clean feel.
2. Keep or schedule an appointment with your dentist for your routine care.
   1. If you have not had a checkup or cleaning in the last 6 months, do yourself a favor and schedule an appointment.
   2. We always say : Dentistry is not expensive – Neglect is.
   3. Regular checkups and visits allow us to assist in maintaining a healthy smile and believe it or not save you money. They give us the ability to intercept small problems and treat them in a cost effective manner before they become large, painful, costly problems.
   4. Hygiene appointments give us a chance to re-inforce good home care practices, lower your risk of decay and other diseases, remove stains and build up and leave your mouth fresh and clean.
3. Throw out that tooth brush.
   1. If your tooth brush is over 3 months old – Toss it.
   2. If you have been sick recently – Toss it.
   3. Replace your tooth brush every 3 months with a soft bristle brush
   4. At Old Hook Dental, we will provide you with a goodie bag at cleaning appointments that has a new soft bristle brush already included – SEE, we just saved you a couple of bucks already.
4. Hate flossing? You’re not alone.
   1. There are many choices in dental floss these days. No need to grab a piece and wrap it around your fingers until they turn blue.
   2. Try disposable floss picks
   3. Water pics are also an alternative choice for those that have difficulty with regular flossing.
   4. Floss before brushing to loosen food debris stuck in between teeth followed by brushing to remove it.
5. Share your smile by using #NationalSmileMonth #NationalDentalCareMonth and don’t forget to tag us @OldHookDental and #OldHookDental

When you think of your overall health, most people don’t immediately think of their Mouth and Saliva as part of that equation.

However, your mouth is the beginning of your digestive system and the entry for “putting fuel in the machine”; the even lesser though of saliva also plays a vital part when thinking head – to – toe of staying healthy.

The enzyme in your saliva – (Amylase) helps the digestive process. Chewing mechanically breaks down food into smaller pieces, but, it must be broken down further into smaller components that your body can process and use for fuel, this is where saliva comes into play. Salivary Amylase begins the break down of starches in food to start the digestion process even before it reaches your stomach. Therefore it is extremely vital that your mouth is healthy and considered considered in part of your overall health. Something as simple as dry mouth can have a profound effect as you will see below.

Dry Mouth

If you experience dry mouth it may mean that food is not being digested properly for use by your body and food particles will not be washed away from oral and teeth surfaces. Food remaining on teeth, tongue and gums promotes a favorable environment for bacteria that can lead to cavities, gum disease, bad breath, infections and other health issues. Dry mouth is more prevalent in the aging population.

Examples of factors and habits that have been known to cause the decrease of saliva (aka – Dry Mouth, Xerostomia) include:

• Medications
• Certain Supplements
• Appetite Suppressants
• Smoking
• Dehydration
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Diseases & treatments of (ex… Parkinsons, Diabetes, HIV/Aids, Cancer)
• Sleeping and breathing with mouth open

In most cases you can relieve the lack of saliva by keeping yourself hydrated, avoiding alcohol/spicy foods/sugary drinks, limiting salt intake, avoiding caffeine and tobacco products. Other alternatives that may help include, using a humidifier when you sleep, chewing sugarless gum (Xylitol containing), sipping non-carbonated and sugar free drinks, breathe through your nose, use of saliva stimulating medications, OTC saliva supplements and rinses.

If you want to keep your self healthy – don’t forget your mouth is an extremely important part of you!!

We are happy to offer a New Dental Patient Special for 2019. See the flyer below for more details or contact the office for your appointment today!! We are now accepting new dental patients at Old Hook Dental.

As a Dentist, a common question we face is in regards to Fluoride in drinking water. Many people want to know – Is it safe? Am I getting too much? Why is it there? Fluoride has been proven over decades of research to be safe in controlled levels and provide a great benefit in fighting tooth decay. Fluoride is added to drinking water to provide an internal source to be combined with other external, topical sources such as toothpaste, rinses and professionally applied foams or gels containing fluoride. The resulting fluoride ion containing tooth has been proven to be more resistant to acid and therefore decay. When absorbed by the body during tooth development, (as it is in drinking water) fluoride replaces minerals found naturally in teeth to create Fluorapatite; when applied topically (as in toothpaste, gels) the fluoride is available during remineralization of teeth after an attack.

The statement below is from the CDC in regards to Fluoridation in drinking water.

Community Water Fluoridation

Many research studies have proven the safety and benefits of fluoride. For 70 years, people in the United States have benefited from drinking water with fluoride, leading to better dental health.

Drinking fluoridated water keeps teeth strong and reduces cavities (also called tooth decay) by about 25% in children and adults. By preventing cavities, community water fluoridation has been shown to save money for families and for the US health care system.

Oral health in the United States is much better today than it was many years ago. But cavities are still one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood. Community water fluoridation is the most cost-effective way to deliver fluoride to people of all ages, education levels, and income levels who live in a community.

Most water has some fluoride, but usually not enough to prevent cavities. Community water systems can add the right amount of fluoride to the local drinking water to prevent cavities.

Community water fluoridation is recommended by nearly all public health, medical, and dental organizations. It is recommended by the American Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, US Public Health Service, and World Health Organization.

Because of its contribution to the large decline in cavities in the United States since the 1960s, CDC named community water fluoridation one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.

As most of you have heard, the effects of flossing have caused quite a bit of controversy based on media information. Below is a press release from the Government as well as the ADA in regards to it. At Old Hook Dental, we are still adamant about promoting flossing and will never tell you otherwise. Think of this, if somehow they were able to do a study that showed little to no benefits from flossing (which I personally would greatly doubt), the worst case scenario – you’d have wasted a few minutes of your day by flossing. Being that the most common place we as dentists probably encounter cavities is between the teeth, that should stand for something, but we’ll leave the evidence to the scientists.

Federal Government, ADA Emphasize Importance of Flossing and Interdental Cleaners

August 04, 2016

CHICAGO, IL – Recent news reports question whether existing scientific research support oral health benefits associated with flossing. The bottom line for dentists and patients is that a lack of strong evidence doesn’t equate to a lack of effectiveness. As doctors of oral health, dentists are in the best position to advise their patients on oral hygiene practices because they know their patient’s oral health status and health history.

The news story also implies that by not including flossing in the 2015 U.S. Dietary Guidelines, the government has changed its stance on flossing, however, this is simply not the case. The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) made a deliberate decision to focus on food and nutrient intake (i.e., added sugar).

The Dietary Guidelines have no bearing on the longstanding recommendation from the Surgeon General, the CDC, and other health agencies to clean between teeth daily. In fact, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reaffirms the importance of flossing in an Aug. 4 statement to the ADA, which states:

“Flossing is an important oral hygiene practice. Tooth decay and gum disease can develop when plaque is allowed to build up on teeth and along the gum line. Professional cleaning, tooth brushing, and cleaning between teeth (flossing and the use of other tools such as interdental brushes) have been shown to disrupt and remove plaque. At HHS, NIH’s National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), CDC’s Division of Oral Health and Healthy People 2020 have additional information and resources about efforts to address and improve oral health.”

According to the American Dental Association (ADA), interdental cleaners such as floss are an essential part of taking care of your teeth and gums. Cleaning between teeth removes plaque that can lead to cavities or gum disease from the areas where a toothbrush can’t reach. Interdental cleaning is proven to help remove debris between teeth that can contribute to plaque buildup.

More than 500 bacterial species can be found in plaque; some are good and some are bad for your mouth. Together with food debris, water and other components, the plaque buildup around the teeth and on the gum line will contribute to disease in teeth and gums.

Whether you use floss or another interdental cleaner is a personal preference, but it’s very important to understand the proper technique for each tool so that it is effective. Patients should talk to their dentists about how to use interdental cleaners to ensure efficacy.

To maintain good oral health, the American Dental Association continues to recommend brushing for two minutes twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, cleaning between teeth once a day with an interdental cleaner and regular dental visits advised by your dentist.

*The original study was published in the Journal of Dental Research (July 27th -2016)
Dental Endodontic root tip infections are relatively common, can be painful or symptomless and new research has shown there may be a link to an increased risk for heart disease.

More than half the participants in a study of heart disease patients in Finland also had Endodontic infections according to researchers at the University of Helsinki. This research adds to already growing evidence that there may be a direct correlation between dental problems and an increase in risk for heart disease.

Previous studies have shown that numerous dental problems such as those caused by inflammation and periodontal disease can already be linked to heart disease.

An Endodontic infection is originally caused by cavities, once they deepen and infect the dental pulp, your body mounts an immune response. The infections can either be painful causing a dental visit where it is diagnosed or it can be symptomless and go unnoticed for some time until a routine examination accidentally finds it via X-ray or other problems develop.

In this study which was published in the Journal of Dental Research, the researchers took angiograms of 508 patients with a mean age of 62 who had symptoms of heart disease, 123 of whom did not have heart disease, 184 had stable heart disease and 169 had acute coronary syndrome.

The researchers reported that 58 percent of the participants had one or more inflammatory lesions in their teeth or jaws, finding high levels of serum antibodies linked to infection in participants with one or more lesion.

Having a root canal may remove the infection but more research is needed on whether the treatment reduces the actual risk of heart disease. Why take that chance by not having Root Canal Therapy to correct a known problem, even as a precautionary measure to remove an active infection?

“Acute coronary syndrome is 2.7 times more common among patients with untreated teeth in need of root canal treatment than among patients without this issue,” John Liljestrand, a researcher at the University of Helsinki, said in a press release.