*A dentist, in my opinion, should be a continuous student and take additional dental courses after graduation to be competent to treat the ever-changing phases of dentistry. I have received the award of Mastership in the Academy of General Dentistry, July 6, 2002 in Hawaii. To attain this award requires first receiving the Fellowship Award. The fellowship award--which I received in July 1995--is obtained by taking 400 hours of continuing education courses in dentistry then passing an eight-hour test that covers this material. Then I returned to the University of Iowa's Dental College and took 400 additional hours of participation courses. This took six years to complete. I have completed over 1100 continuing education hours of study. The mastership award has been earned by only 1% of the dentists in the USA. Few dentists make this type of a commitment, since I am a perfectionist that loves learning new things this enables us to do a better job of dentistry for our patients. It was fun, challenging, and rewarding.
The more knowledge a dentist has in all phases of dentistry, the more thorough your dental treatment. In our office cosmetic dentistry, TMJ treatment, implants, conscious sedation for dental treatment, natural colored fillings and crowns for all teeth, diagnosing abnormal lesions in the mouth, root canal treatment, surgical procedures, are standard treatment in our dental practice.
'I was raised on a farm in Iowa. The family moved to Des Moines, IA later and I graduated from high school in Des Moines. After attending and graduating from the University of Northern Iowa, I taught high school in a small northern town of Iowa. I was teaching business subjects and math subjects in high school and went back to the University of Iowa, Iowa City, to become certified to teach physics and chemistry. In so doing, I became qualified to enter dental school. After graduating from the Dental College at the University of Iowa, I served a year in Vietnam as a Navy dentist to a battalion of Marines south of Da Nang. When the military service was over, I set up a dental practice in Madison, WI.
Dentistry is an excellent profession that I enjoy. Meeting patients, getting to know them, attending courses on new techniques of treatment and working with a dental staff that have been together for many years make it a profession that is very enjoyable. My hobbies include ballroom dancing, physical fitness, attending plays in theatre, and reading. I have two sons: one in Boston, MA and one in Japan.'
Dry mouth is a common condition that often goes undetected. It occurs gradually in some cases and the person is unaware of the changes that the reduced saliva present. It results when the six large salivary glands that produce saliva in the mouth produce less saliva or no saliva. Their saliva production can be affected by the side effect of over 500 different drugs; 1 head and neck radiation for cancer treatment; autoimmune diseases (Sjogren disease); or other conditions (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes, infections, hormonal changes, stress, dehydration) 1
Saliva is important to maintain the integrity of a healthy mouth. The three pints of saliva the average healthy adult produces daily serves protective functions: it cleanses the mouth, aids in the swallowing and digestion of food, salivary antibodies, and proteins aid in removing microbes and other infectious agent, the bicarbonate in saliva aids in neutralizing the acids in the mouth, saliva provides lubrication and moisture for speaking, swallowing and taste. 1 We lose a wonderful fluid when saliva is not produced.
Normal saliva neutralizes the acid in 15 to 30 minutes from eating and drinking.2. Dry mouth extends this acid period from thirty minutes to hours depending on the lack of saliva, causing dental decay to be very costly. Long periods of acid, create long periods of demineralization resulting in lots of decay. The person with dry mouth must understand the conditions that cause dental decay and be on guard to prevent caries.
Despite the prevalence of xerostomia and its related discomfort, the signs and discomfort often go unnoticed by the patient. Dry mouth is a slow-progressing side effect of many conditions and medications, and most patients cannot pinpoint when it started. To identify their dry mouth conditions, it is helpful to review the patients medical history. Perform an oral exam for conditions of Dry Mouth, if conditions are present, it is best to access the severity of xerostomia by measuring the production of saliva over a period of a few minutes. Or using the Challacombe scale to assess the clinical conditions in the mouth that result from xerostomia. 1 Accessing the amount of saliva that is secreted by the glands, aids in determining the presence and severity of the Dry Mouth.
Relief from Xerostomia and management is possible. This can vary from lifestyle changes and over the counter solutions for mild discomfort, to prescription saliva substitutes, systemic medications, and lipid-based sprays for moderate to severe.
Patients experiencing mild discomfort and symptoms can sometimes be managed through lifestyle changes that aid relief. The American Dental Association (ADA) suggests sipping on water, sucking on ice chips, using lip lubricants frequently, and avoiding salty, spicy, sticky, sugary, or hard-to-chew foods. They also recommend chewing sugar-free gum or sucking on sugar-free mints that contain xylitol, and avoiding alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine. They also suggest using a humidifier at night.
The 3M Xerostomia Relief Spray is a lipid (fat type) that adhere to the surfaces of the mouthto form a protective film that moistens and lubricates the tongue, teeth, gums, throat while limiting water loss and restoring the elasticity of the cheeks. The spray delivers rapid and lasting relief. Unlike water-based products that tend to dissipate quickly, the lipid-based delivers proven relief for up to four hours.
Dry Mouth is a slow occurring condition in the mouth that takes place over time because different conditions effect the saliva glands. It can affect our susceptibility to dental decay and other health effects such as difficulty in eating, swallowing, speaking, tastes, and general discomfort. If present, it should be evaluated and treated.