Related Links
A person's ability to educate themselves holds infinite possibilities. We are here to answer your questions, but if you would like additional information on your dental health, here are some tools to aid you in your search.
Academy of General Dentistry
www.agd.org/consumer/
The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) is a professional association of more than 35,000 general dentists from the United States and Canada. Founded in 1952, the AGD has grown to become the world’s second largest dental association. Check the AGD’s Web site to search more than 300 oral health topics, post a dental question, or find and AGD dentist.
American Dental Association
www.ada.org
The American Dental Association (ADA) is the professional association of dentists committed to the public’s oral health, ethics, science, and professional advancement. Consumers, students, teachers, and media can utilize this Web site to find oral health topics, learning tools, career resources and more.
American Dental Hygiene Association
www.adha.org/oralhealth/index.html
The American Dental Hygiene association (ADHA) is the largest professional organization representing the interests of dental hygienist. Visit this site for more oral health information, facts about dental hygienist’s, kid stuff, and more.
Academy of Laser Dentistry
www.laserdentistry.org/patients/overview.cfm
The largest international organization devoted to laser dentistry, the Academy includes among its members top clinicians, academicians and researchers in all laser wavelengths. The Academy is devoted to clinical education, research and the development of standards and guidelines for the safe and effective use of laser technology worldwide. To learn more about dental laser use, visit the Academy’s Web site.
Pankey
www.pankeydentist.org
Pankey-trained dentists are taught how to treat their patients as individuals, how to do complete examinations, how to take enough time to listen and answer questions fully, and how to create a practice that reflects their own personal values. Optimal care is the goal of Pankey-trained dentists, and this creates long-lasting comfort, function and naturally beautiful teeth. Your Pankey-trained dentist will discuss treatment options and counsel you on making appropriate choices. Visit this Web site to learn more about Pankey-trained dentists.
Sleep Apnea
www.sleepapnea.org
While snoring itself may be harmless, it can also develop into or be a symptom of a more serious medical condition known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). A dental appliance may help. Because it is a small plastic device, similar to an orthodontic retainer or an athletic mouth guard, it is worn in the mouth during sleep to prevent the soft throat tissues from collapsing and obstructing the airway. Dentists with training in this type of dental appliance therapy can design, construct, and fit these special appliances to meet their patients' individual situations and conditions.
In recent clinical studies, physicians and dentists have found that in a majority of patients, a well-made, well-fitted dental appliance can effectively reduce or eliminate snoring and may relieve symptoms of mild OSA.
Dental appliances work by bringing the lower jaw forward and holding the tongue forward thus opening the airway. Dental appliance therapy is not a new idea. It was in use as far back as the early 1900s, but it was not until the 1980s that physicians and dentists began to work together to study and develop this alternative form of treatment enabling more patients to benefit from it. Dental appliance therapy offers many advantages:
- The appliances are relatively small and easy to wear. The appliance weighs only a couple of ounces, and its small size makes it easy to travel with. Most people find it takes no more than a few nights to become completely comfortable wearing the appliance.
- They are relatively inexpensive. The total cost of therapy is considerably less than the cost of alternative treatments.
- Treatment with a dental appliance is reversible and non-invasive (it does not involve surgery)
Interested? First see your physician
If you snore heavily and are interested in trying dental appliance therapy, it's very important that you are thoroughly examined by a physician or a sleep specialist first. The examination may involve staying overnight at a sleep study center.
It's important that this examination is done first, because you may have sleep apnea without realizing it. In a study conducted at Stanford University in California, one out of three chronic, severe snorers were found to have a harmful degree of sleep apnea that could lead to heart disease and stroke.
ViziLite Oral Cancer Screening
www.vizilite.com
The ViziLite patient site is an informative place where you can learn more about oral cancer, its risk factors, and how the ViziLite oral screening technology could save your life. Please visit this important patient Web site.
Arestin
www.arestin.com
Periodontal disease is the #1 cause of tooth loss among American adults. To learn more about why periodontal disease occurs and how it can be treated, visit the consumer section of this informative web site.
Proctor & Gamble
www.dentalcare.com
Uncover the basics of dental health and discover how to help prevent tooth decay. For an array of information from patient education to consumer discounts, view Crest, Oral-B, and Fixodent’s extensive Web site.