March 2013

Signal Hill Dental Centre - children dentistry Many adults are unsure of when to start bringing their children in to the dentist. If the teeth are not bothering the child and he or she has good overall health, parents may not see it necessary at all until a later date. It is a good precautionary step to bring your child to the dentist when he or she reaches the age of two. Most often, treatment is not needed but these visits allow for the child to become acquainted to the dentist and the dental environment in a calm and friendly way. By introducing your child to the dentist in this manner, your child will establish a stronger more trusting relationship with the dentist and be more at ease with each visit. If a child has their first dental experience only when they have their first toothache, the pain and unfamiliar surroundings are traumatic and may create fearful and uncomfortable associations with subsequent visits. These negative associations can carry-through until adulthood, causing perceived dreadful visits to the dentist.

Snoring is a big problem for many sleepers, and an even bigger problem for their sleeping partners. However snoring can be a sign for an even bigger problem, OSA. OSA stands for obstructive sleep apnea, a breathing disorder that occurs during sleep due to the narrowing and or total closure of the airway. When you fall asleep your muscles relax, including those that control your tongue and throat. Soft tissues at the back of your throat sag, and can cause a narrowing in the airway. Not only does this cause blocked airway cause a loud and disturbing snore noise, but it significantly affects your general health by the lack of oxygen entering your body. When your brain detects a lack of oxygen, it prompts a momentary arousal of sleep to draw breath. That is why many patients suffering from OSA wake up feeling tired and unrested. Other long term consequences of sleep apnea are diabetes, heart disease, stroke, depression, and death. A frightening 40 - 80% of stoke sufferers also suffer from OSA. Patients of OSA are also four times more likely to have a heart attack. A surprising 1 in every 5 people are affected by OSA, and an even more shocking 90% of those patients go undiagnosed. How can this problem be solved?