I have always been an advocate of helping children, especially in the Richmond area.  Every year I have been fortunate enough to have been able to participate in the Give Kids A Smile program.  This year, Jessica came to assist me at the Boys and Girls Club where approximately 1200 children were seen.  It was a great success and we all had a fantastic time!

Do you brush and floss your teeth daily?  If so, how well are you doing?  Are you up for the plaque challenge?  Did you know you can test how well you and your children are doing with your home care on a daily basis?  Give yourself a plaque challenge with the use of disclosing tablets!

Disclosing tablets are made of a harmless vegetable dye that stains plaque bright red. You can purchase these tablets at any convenience stores like Kroger and Walmart.

The main cause of cavities and periodontal disease is the accumulation of plaque. Plaque is the sticky film of food and bacteria that forms constantly on your teeth. It’s hard to see plaque, but it really shows up after being stained with disclosing tablets.

You must completely remove plaque each day, or it will build up and calcify to become tartar, also called calculus. It takes a professional to remove tartar. There’s no way for you to remove it at home—a toothbrush or floss won’t even budge it.

Disclosing tablets can help you prevent cavities and periodontal disease by helping you see the plaque that hasn’t been removed. Then you can remove it before it hardens to become tartar or causes tooth decay.

After brushing and flossing, simply chew a disclosing tablet, swish it around your mouth for about 30 seconds and spit it out.  Gently rinse your mouth out with water.  Using a small dental mirror, check your teeth for any signs of red, especially near the gum line. Brush and floss these missed areas and you can be confident that your teeth are plaque-free.

When teaching your child how to brush their teeth or when checking to see if your child has brushed properly, the disclosing tablets are very helpful. They reveal the areas that are missed when brushing which can improve your child’s technique significantly since he or she can “see” where the plaque is located.  Removing plaque properly on a daily basis, then helps to prevent cavities and maintain good oral health.

I must say 2008 was a great year for me.  I was able to celebrate my 1 year anniversary with my husband, obtain my very own dental practice, see Niagara Falls and participate in a life changing dental mission in Belize.   I feel so fortunate to have had another year spent in good health with my family and friends. 

While most of my time in 2008 was dedicated to my practice, that I love and cherish, I neglected to find the time to set more personal goals for myself.  I always strive to find ways to improve, professionally and personally.  Sometimes it is hard to find a good balance between the two. 

My main New Year’s Resolution for 2009 is to run 1 race/marathon for every month of 2009.  I joined the Richmond Runner’s Club last month and started training.  Today, I started with the New Year’s 10k.  I was able to successfully run my first race ever and already I feel accomplished!  I have never been a runner, and look forward to a new challenge every month to keep me motivated to achieve my goal!  If you are interested in running as well, check it out at www.rrrc.org.  There are several local races to join every month!  It is a great way to stay in shape while having the reward of crossing a new finish line every month! 

I hope everyone has a Happy and Healthy New Year!  Here’s to 2009!  Let’s make it one to remember!

At first glance, it looks like a portable power drill you’d get at a local hardware store.  However, The Nomad™, a cordless handheld intra-oral X-ray device from Aribex, is among the latest developments in portable X-ray systems.

The Nomad weighs only 8 pounds, requires no cords and runs on a rechargeable 14.4-volt NiCd battery.  Unlike traditional X-ray machines, the Nomad can be held directly up to a patient’s mouth during X-rays without the risk of excess radiation exposure to the patient or dentist.  This saves time, shortens the time the patient has to sit still with film or a sensor in their mouth, and reduces retakes.

Aribex has conducted numerous studies to show that the Nomad is safe for users and patients alike.  Authors of a paper published in Dentomaxillofacial Radiology (February 2008, Vol. 37:2, pp. 109-112), for example, concluded that “Our data have shown that the Nomad presents risks that are no greater than with standard dental radiography units to the patient or operator and the measured doses are well below recommended levels.”

We strive to keep our practice up to date with the latest technologies for our patients.  If you are interested, feel free to stop by and check out the Nomad at our office! 

For more info/source:  Company Website is www.aribex.com

In the 1980s, artificial sweeteners in blue and pink packets, diet soda and sugar-free gum set the standard as “healthy” alternatives to their sugar-laden parent products. Today, there’s another low-calorie sweetener called “xylitol.” It has a sweet-as-sugar taste, and studies show that it may help reduce and prevent cavities.

A natural sweetener found in plants and fruits, xylitol was approved as a food additive by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1986 and is now appearing in sugar-free gum, mints and toothpaste.

Xylitol has been shown to have decay-preventive qualities, especially for people at moderate to high risk for decay when used as part of an overall strategy for decay reduction that also includes a healthy diet and good oral care.

Research indicates that xylitol most likely inhibits the growth of Streptococcus mutans, the oral bacteria that causes cavities, according to Allen Otsuka, PhD, author of a study in the July/August 2002 issue of General Dentistry, the clinical, peer-reviewed publication of the Academy of General Dentistry.

Cavities form when plaque – consisting of oral bacteria – builds up on the teeth and eats into the outer enamel. In the presence of xylitol, bacteria lose the ability to adhere to the tooth, stunting the cavity-causing process. With xylitol use over a period of time, the quality of the bacteria in the mouth changes and fewer decay-causing bacteria survive on tooth surfaces. As a result, less plaque forms on the teeth and the level of acids attacking the tooth surface is lowered.

Xylitol is found most often in chewing gum and mints. You should look at the list of ingredients to know if a product contains xylitol. Generally, for the amount of xylitol to be at decay-preventing levels, it must be listed as the first ingredient. Health food stores can be a good resource for products containing xylitol. Additionally, several companies provide xylitol products for distribution over the Internet.

Xylitol products should be used immediately after meals and snacks to help reduce plaque, inhibit adhesion of bacteria to the teeth and reduce contact time of sugars on teeth. Because duration of exposure is important, gum should be chewed for approximately 5 minutes and mints should be allowed to dissolve. For best results, follow the instructions on the package for each xylitol product you use.

Sources:  Gum-Chewers Have Reason to Smile. Academy of General Dentistry

Mission of Mercy dental project visits Emporia

 By Staff Reports

Published: December 2, 2008

A Mission of Mercy dental outreach project was held in the Greensville County High School gymnasium in Emporia, Va., from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008.

The MOM project is a collaborative effort of the Southside Dental Society, the Virginia Dental Association and the MCV/VCU School of Dentistry. Held in response to the shortage of dental-care access in Southside Virginia, the event provided more than $241,655 in donated dental care.

More than 50 treatment chairs were used by at least 53 dentists, 22 hygienists, 39 dental assistants and 55 dentistry and dental hygiene students to provide care to more than 447 adults and 39 children. In all, at least 225 volunteers donated their time and efforts.

A wide range of dental services were provided, including basic restorative, hygiene, oral surgery, patient education and referrals for extended treatment.

Additional support was provided by Benco Dental; local community service organizations, such as the Emporia Rotary Club and Beta Sigma Phi Sorority; and family and friends of local dentists.

Funding for the MOM project was made by grants from the Virginia Dental Health Foundation and the Greensville Memorial Foundation. A coalition of community service organizations was coordinated and mobilized by Jamie Neal, wife of Emporia dentist Harold Neal.

To get the event under way, meetings were held with the directors of social services in Greensville, Southampton and Brunswick counties. The three directors assisted in securing funds for the production and distribution of brochures describing the MOM project. The brochures were distributed to physicians’ offices, health departments, area churches and to children in the counties’ schools to take home to their families. Ministers were encouraged to include the MOM project in their sermons.

Patients were screened and pre-registered for the event starting Friday night, Oct. 31, and by 9 a.m. Saturday, more than 75 people had to be turned away because of the huge response. One young man traveled from Florida to receive oral surgery.

More than $14.4 million in donated dental care has been provided to the underserved in Virginia through 37 MOM projects since the program’s inception in 2000.

The Virginia MOM project serves as a model for projects in eight other states. If you are interested in volunteering in a MOM project, visit the VDA’s Web site at www.vadental.org.

The Tri-Cities and Chesterfield County dentists who participated in the program were:

Dr. Richard Bates, Dr. Shannon Bowman, Dr. Reed Boyd, Dr. Wayne Browder, Dr. Bill Callery, Dr. David Ellis, Dr. Jonathan Ellis, Dr. David Ferry, Dr. Sam Galstan, Dr. Scott Gerard, Dr. Mike Hanley, Dr. Tommy Leftwich, Dr. Marci Morris, Dr. Ellen Oertel, Dr. Wright Pond, Dr. David Prugh, Dr. Randy Ragsdale, Dr. Richard Roadcap, Dr. Jay Slagle, Dr. Earl Shufford, Dr. Ronald Terry, Dr. Brad Trotter, Dr. Kelly Vernon, Dr. Sharone Ward, Dr.  Melanie Wexel, Dr. Kent Yandle

This blog is my opinion.  I am not intending to practice dentistry over the internet, nor am I claiming that our practice is better than any other.  Although I try to be as accurate as possible, I don’t want anyone to think information presented here is the best out there. 

All information and pictures used are thought to be non-copyrighted or intended for public access.   If you see something here that is your work and wish for it to not be used, please let me know. 

If you are a patient of mine, you know that I love my practice and dentistry.  I have created this blog for my patients; to keep them informed with dental tidbits and our practice.   I have tried to stay within the boundaries of state law and ethical standards.

We welcome your comments and thoughts.   Feel free to stop by often so that you stay up to date with us!

Yours in dental health,

Marci S. Morris DDS and team