Pre-Medication for Dental Work After Joint Replacement

What is pre-medicating? What do artificial joints have to do with dental treatment? Why is this related to my oral health and not just overall health?

Good questions! Although artificial joints can seem like a far cry from concerns with your dental health, the two are more related than one may think. When it comes to artificial joints, there is an increased risk of infection due to the inorganic material in the body that should be taken into consideration. This is true from the time of placement, but it may also play a role with future medical treatments. It has long been suggested that pre-medicating should be a standard prerequisite to dental and other procedures, but what is pre-medicating and why would it help?

Pre-Medication Before Dental Procedures

Pre-medicating is the act of giving medication prior to a medical or dental procedure, which is done with the intention of staying ahead of potential infection problems. The theory is that bacteria from the mouth can enter the blood stream, and those with artificial joints are already more susceptible to infection. Pre-medication is meant to help mitigate this risk prior to the procedure to keep your overall health in check from start to finish.

Sounds simple – what’s the dilemma?

Your replacement joints may not affect treatments at all! Many question pre-medication as it does not appear to be necessary. In fact, the ADA directly states “In general, for patients with prosthetic joint implants, prophylactic antibiotics are not recommended prior to dental procedures to prevent prosthetic joint infection.” That being said, as is often the case with medical procedures: effective treatment truly is developed on an individual basis. In order to ensure our office meets your personal needs, it is our protocol to ask the medical doctor who placed the artificial joint if they recommend we pre-medicate before dental procedures. In this way, we can be confident you are receiving quality treatment from all your medical providers.

Please be sure to let us know if you have artificial joints, or any out of the ordinary medical circumstances. We will be sure to take them into consideration when it comes to developing your treatment plan. For the most part, your artificial joints will not require special treatment on your end – we can treat you as we would any other patient to keep your smile looking sharp!

Nicole M. Ancich

2208 North 30th St., Suite 201

Tacoma, WA 98403

The Dangers of Crunchy Munchies

Easter means many things to different families everywhere, but one thing that remains consistent is the appearance of candy! Whether it’s hidden in eggs or just passed around, it comes at a nice nearly halfway mark in the year from Halloween. Sweets make for some excellent treats, and there is no reason not to indulge (in moderation of course)! However, all candies are not created equal, and it may be worth knowing which ones you can have relatively guilt free, and which could spell trouble for your wonderful smile.

When it comes to Easter indulgences, chocolate may make it onto the nice list – we know, this is great news to many of you. The less forgiving candies are the ones that make that all-too-familiar CRUNCH! Hard candies, like lollipops or jolly ranchers, can be an awfully tempting treat to bite. But best case scenario is they can pack hard-to-reach pieces of sugar into your gums that end up sitting there, as saliva can have a difficult time breaking them down. Worst case scenario, that crunch sound may be coming from a broken tooth, and sending you straight from your Sunday activities into our office. 

We do love seeing our patients, but not at the expense of their healthy smile! It happens more often than you think, and it’s not just because of the sugar – even some who are prone to absentmindedly crunching on ice have discovered the dangers of biting down on crunchy munchies when they find a piece of their tooth broken off. Your teeth are durable for normal eating and chewing, but anything that causes too much stress can run the risk of chipping or breaking one of your pearly whites. Before you try to impress your friends with breaking that jaw breaker in half, remember that it’s earned that name for a pretty good reason.

Even if you resist that satisfying crunch, there are still a few other points of concern for hard candies that you don’t run into with other options (like chocolate!). Hard candies that you suck on tend to spend a concentrated period of time in a single location, which over-exposes particular areas of your mouth to sugar and lead to a very concentrated build-up of acid, which can be a quick way to damage the enamel. Consider this next time you find yourself unwrapping that tootsie pop or after-meal mint, and perhaps enjoy a stick of gum instead. It’s not often that the solution for a sweet treat is yet another sweet treat, but you’re in luck because this time it is! After enjoying your holiday treats, consider enjoying a piece of sugar-free gum – the increased saliva productions while chewing can actually help dislodge and break down the remaining sugar in your mouth.

Overall, we don’t want to take the enjoyment out of candy-filled holidays – enjoy your time with your friends and family, and definitely don’t be afraid to pop open that plastic egg and see what treats hide inside. If you do find yourself going crazy for the crunchy candies, we hope you chew safely…and if things go wrong, you always have your friends at our office to set things straight (:

Nicole M. Ancich

2208 North 30th St., Suite 201

Tacoma, WA 98403

How to Help Your Kids Create Good Oral Hygiene Habits Now

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, and we’re dedicated to raising awareness! 

In America, 51 million hours of school is missed every year due to oral health issues. Although every month should be important when it comes to a child’s dental health, February is the one dedicated to it. Here are things to keep in mind when helping children become conscious of just how important dental hygiene is and exactly how to start creating good habits right away:

1. Keep the sugar intake to a minimum
2. Floss, floss, floss
3. Brush twice a day
4. When you brush, make sure you hit the 2 minute mark
5. Visit your dentist regularly

Have you ever seen that amazing “magic trick” when you ask your child “Did you brush your teeth?”  And they respond with a “yes” only because their toothbrush is wet?  Then come to find out, there was no brushing going on, they merely stuck their toothbrush under the faucet and wiped their front teeth once, maybe twice. Now is the perfect time to kick this bad habit!  Dental health can be fun for kids (and adults)!

Here are 5 ways to incorporate some fun and giggles into children’s daily oral care:  

Toothpaste – a plethora of choices

Let’s start off with toothpaste.  There are gels, pastes, and so many different flavors; such as cinnamon, vanilla, bubble gum, and variety of different mint flavors.  Let your child choose which one they would prefer.  

Flossing – 40% of cleaning your teeth comes from flossing*

Floss comes in different flavors as well and also had a variety of textures.  There are waxed, woven, and even the hand held pick form to name a few.  

Toothbrush – the master tool

Choosing a toothbrush will probably be your child’s favorite thing to do.  Not only are there options as far as handheld or battery operated, there are TONS of different designs now!  Your child can pick their favorite cartoon character or stick to the basics-like their favorite color.  

Brushing Timer – brush 2min 2x a day

While the tiny sand timers you flip upside down are always fun for kids to watch, there are now toothbrushes with built in timers. The brush will alert timer markers with a beep or a vibration for 2 minute duration, some even play a popular song. 

Giving Kids Something to Look Forward To

This is the perfect way to create a morning and nighttime routine to get your child excited about developing healthy habits.  Getting your child involved in the decision making of choosing some cool and fun dental products makes them more apt to look forward to brushing and flossing daily.  

Starting off good oral hygiene practice at a young age will propel your kids into the future for a lifetime of healthy pink gums and bright shining smiles!  A healthy smile is a smile you can be proud of! 

References

http://www.ncohf.org/resources/tooth-decay-facts

http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/features/still-not-flossing-more-reasons-why-you-should

Nicole M. Ancich | (253) 383-5636

2208 N. 30th St., Ste. 201

Tacoma, WA 98403 (map)

Take A "Bite" Out Of Hunger

Did you know that 1 in 5 Washington families are dealing with hunger and the fear of not being able to feed their children? The high cost of housing, health care, childcare and fuel make it difficult for low-income individuals and families to have enough money to pay for food. And our very own local communities suffer from this troubling scenario. Families in our area are in dire need of a helping hand and we are truly excited about assisting our neighbors in any way we can.

So, Dr. Ancich and our practice are very happy to announce a community service initiative we think everybody can get on board with! We've teamed up with some of your other favorite local businesses to create an initiative called the Take A "Bite" Out of Hunger Food Drive. Proceeds will be donated to Fish Food Banks of Pierce County and you can get involved in a couple of really easy ways!

From now until November 13, you can stop by any of the following locations to drop off a donation of food, non-food items, or even a small cash donation (a $1 donation can actually provide $7 DOLLARS worth of food!):

Bayview Optical, The Spar, Hawthorn Tea Room, Cafe Divino, Treos Cafe, Farmers Insurance, Columbia Bank, Dr. Nicole Ancich

In addition, we'll be hosting an open house at our office on November 6th to celebrate our community and really give this initiative our best efforts! So join us in November for fun and refreshments (and of course, bring a donation!).

We thank you all for teaming up with us to lend a helping hand to our greater Tacoma community.

Dr. Nicole Ancich
2208 North 30th St., Suite 201
Tacoma, WA 98403

National Children's Dental Health Month

Each February, the American Dental Association (ADA) sponsors National Children's Dental Health Month to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. NCDHM messages and materials have reached millions of people in communities across the country.

Developing good habits at an early age and scheduling regular dental visits helps children get a good start on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.

In support of the American Dental Associations Campaign, Dr. Ancich visited Tacoma pre-schoolers, 1st graders and Kindergartners at Commencement Bay Academy, Saint Patrick's and First Presbyterian to talk about the importance of good oral hygiene.

Nicole M. Ancich, DMD, PLLC
General and Esthetic Dentistry
(253) 383-5636 | DrAncich.com
2208 North 30th St., Suite 201
Tacoma, WA 98403


 

 

Mouthguards Aren't Just for Professional Athletes

Who should use mouth guards?

Mouth guards aren’t just for professional athletes; they should be worn by anyone playing contact sports. However, even those that are participating in noncontact sports benefit from wearing a protective mouth guard because accidents can happen during any physical activity. The advantage of wearing a custom mouth guard during sports is that it stays in place and helps limit the risk of teeth and other oral injuries.  

Why are the ArmourBite® Mouthguards special?

The mouth guards do more than just protect your teeth. They can also enhance your performance by reducing athletic stress and reducing dental impact.

How to get the ArmourBite® Mouthguards

Call our dental office to schedule your appointment or request one online. Together we’ll determine which mouth guard model is right for you. Then, getting an ArmourBite® mouth guard takes three simple steps:

1.      We’ll take your bite impressions to ensure a snug fit

2.      The impressions are shipped to our lab and created just for your athlete

3.      Once the finished appliance is shipped back to our office we’ll have you back for a final fitting. The wait is a short 7 – 10 business days.

At our Tacoma dental office, we believe that all athletes should wear a mouth guard while participating in sports, that's why we donated a custom Under ArmourBite® Mouthpiece to the ExperienceTacoma.com auction which helped raise money for the Cross District Association of Tacoma.

Nicole M. Ancich, DMD, PLLC

General and Esthetic Dentistry

(253) 383-5636 | DrAncich.com

2208 North 30th St., Suite 201

Tacoma, WA 98403