Tuesday, March 31, 2015

WHNZ 1250: Jamie Meloni interviews Dr Amir Daoud

Jamie Meloni from 'That Business Show' interviews Dr Amir Daoud about his dental practice Feather Sound Smiles.

Please click on the link below to listen to the recorded show.


Monday, March 23, 2015

Enhancing the Patient Experience with Laser Dentistry

The word lasers alone conjures up images of precision, speed, and accuracy. When applied to contemporary dentistry procedures, lasers can truly benefit the patient in terms of safety, health, and comfort. This reliable, multi-faceted technology can tackle any number of dental issues – tooth decay, gum disease, biopsies, lesion removals and even teeth whitening. And, it decreases the need for patients to endure the dental drill, which is great news for kids and adults, alike.

Laser-assisted dentistry also offers other advantages:

  • Procedures may not require stitches.
  • Aids in clotting and minimizes bleeding  
  • Lasers sterilizes infected soft tissue
  • May not require anesthesia
  • Precision minimizes damage to neighboring soft tissue.

A dental laser heats, cuts, and vaporizes, making it a safe and useful tool for multiple applications.

Tooth Decay and Gum Disease: Through laser-assisted periodontal treatments, decaying, infected material can be cut and removed, minimizing the need for anesthesia and the drill. This technique can reduce a lot of discomfort and anxiety for all patients.

Root Canal Treatment: Lasers reshape gums, and remove bacteria in root canal therapies. The treatment provides a thorough and effective cleaning.

Laser-Assisted Tooth Extraction: The laser is used to cut away the bone around the affected tooth, allowing for a gentler extraction, which proves less stressful for the patient.

Biopsy: Laser-assisted biopsies involve removing a minute sample of tissue in order for a lab to examine for cancer; they can also remove lesions and help cauterize canker sores.

Teeth Whitening: The heat of a laser can be used to activate the active ingredients of a peroxide-based teeth whitening solution, which speeds up the bleaching process.

Efficiency and Precision

Laser-assisted dentistry reaps the rewards of decades of dedicated research – its flexibility, accuracy, and reliability make it an ideal solution for so many dental issues. For instance, specific laser technology, such as the built-in scanner-ready technology of the Fotana LightWalker Laser, can now be applied to dental fields such as dental implantology. The same laser is capable of procedures involving both hard and soft tissue, making it good for periodontic surgery, and endodontics.

If you are interested in laser dentistry for your next dental appointment, be sure to ask our Clearwater, FL dental office about the advantages of laser-assisted dentistry.

Monday, March 9, 2015

TMJ Disorder – Causes and Side Effects

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is composed of ligaments and cartilage and connects the skull and jawbone. The TMJ allows the jaw to perform functions including talking, chewing, and swallowing motions.

For most people, the TMJ functions as it should, but some people experience issues like consistent joint pain, that makes every-day oral function difficult. TMJ pain can be controlled with medication, but to solve your TMJ problems permanently, your dentist is the person to see.

What Causes TMJ Pain?

TMJ problems don't always stem from the same cause. For example, in older patients, a bone disease like osteoarthritis or osteoporosis might be a contributing factor.

However, TMJ pain can also be caused by improper jaw alignment. When the jaw is misaligned, it is unable to properly support normal biting, chewing, and even the ability to open your mouth wide, which produces discomfort.

There are also stress-related factors that can influence TMJ pain and contribute to involuntary jaw clenching and teeth grinding, which often increase while sleeping.

Side Effects of TMJ Dysfunction

When jaw muscles and ligaments become overworked because they're not supported, as is the case for TMD sufferers, this leads to symptoms such as pain and tenderness, difficulty chewing and talking, and chronic headaches.

Muscle spasms related to TMD cause patients to clench and grind their teeth. These involuntary actions create other side effects of TMJ, including significant wearing down of teeth's biting surfaces of teeth. This frequent pressure on teeth can even cause cracking and other structural damage.

When the problem is caused by improper jaw alignment, the solution is a customized orthodontic device, called a splint, which is worn to support the jaw. In the case of teeth-grinding and jaw-clenching, the solution is a device called an occlusal guard. It's similar in appearance to a mouth guard, and while it doesn't actually prevent grinding or clenching, it does prevent the tooth damage that these stress-related behaviors cause.

Seek Treatment for Your TMJ Dysfunction

If you're experiencing TMJ pain, it's important to get treatment. Without care, TMJ problems can cause excessive wear and tear on the teeth and chronic pain. If you think you might be experiencing problems related to your TMJ, please call our Clearwater dental office to schedule an appointment with Dr. Daoud. TMJ problems shouldn't be ignored, so make a commitment to getting treatment, ASAP.