Martha is a dear patient of mine in her late 60s. She is the caretaker of her husband, Bob, who is in his early 80s. He used to be a teacher, and was never active. His muscles started atrophying at his balance slowly went downhill. He is unfortunately confined to a wheelchair now, and slowly declining in his health. Martha was telling me that he had two falls in the last six months and both times he knocked out his teeth. The first time on the right side and the second time on the left side, where he had a dental bridge made it just in the last two years. Martha is very frustrated now because of the expense she is incurring.

According to a new study, falls among the elderly are on the rise, by almost 30%. Falls are the real leading cause of fatal injuries, not only tooth related, but also fractures, subluxations, and worse, internal bleeding. Falls result in more than 2.4 million injuries treated in the emergency departments annually, out of which approximately 21,000 result in death.

The Center for disease control and prevention gives the following advice to prevent falls:

• get regular exercise to improve strength and balance
• some medications may cause dizziness, make sure you read the label.
• get your eyes checked and where are your glasses on a regular basis
• remove things that you can trip over at home, such as shoes on the floor and small rugs.
• install handrails and lights on staircases
• use tape to keep rugs from slipping
• put the grab bars in the tub, shower and next to the toilet
• put nonslip mats in the tub and shower
• improve the lighting in your home
• avoid wearing slippers and going barefoot in the house
• think about wearing an alarm device that will bring help in case you fall and can’t get up

But how do we prevent dental injuries? I suggested to Martha that we make him a day guard, which is similar to a nightguard, but a little bit thinner, that Bob could wear throughout the day. It is almost like a sports guard, that would protect his teeth against an impact, in case of falling. I also recommended her to hire a personal trainer, who specializes in elderly. Bob can slowly get his balance back this way.

If you have someone in a wheelchair who is prone to falling, ask your dentist about a day guard, to protect their teeth, and their pocket book from expensive dental work.

In great health,
Dr. Sanda

To discuss your situation and dental options one on one, contact Dr. Sanda Moldovan to schedule a personal consultation.

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Stress – every single one of us experiences stress at least once in our lives, but let’s face it, some of us deal with it more often than we’d like. Many of my patients nowadays are stressed every single day due to a job or family situation. Take Adam J. for example. He is a financial executive for a major company and works long hours. He needs to produce results at work and all that stress is showing up as wear on his teeth from grinding and clenching.

April is Stress Awareness Month. Become aware of your stress and where in your body it shows up. What stresses you the most? Are you able to release the stress or do you bottle it up in some area of your body? I, for example, hold on my stress the upper part of my body and my neck. The way I release it is through exercise, yoga and massage. But if you’re like Adam and manifest your stress through grinding and clenching, it could rack up your dental bills quite a bit. Grinding can cause cracks in the teeth which can lead to tooth loss. It also causes wear, which can cause collapse of the bite and pain in the TMJ, right in front of the ears. Here are some tips to help you relieve the stress manifested in your teeth and jaw:

– If you grind your teeth at night, take the time to stretch your jaw muscles in the morning – do mouth yoga! 5 minutes go a long way! Open your mouth wide and massage the sides of your jaw. Close and repeat.

– Get a custom made night guard. The over the counter ones can do more harm if the bite is not in balance. A night guard will act like a shock absorber between your teeth and will prevent cracks. If you find yourself clenching during the day, wear your night guard as a day guard.

– If you are a gagger, try a lower night guard instead of an upper one. It’s much easier to wear from my own experience.

– Try meditation. Five minutes a day can go a long way. You can easily download a guided meditation/hypnosis app on your mobile device and listen to it before bedtime. One of my favorites is Dr Marc Schoen’s audio files. http://marcschoen.com/products/

– Use lavender essential oils in a cold diffuser or on the back of your neck to help you relax.

Now let’s talk about the effect that stress has on the rest of your body. Researchers from UCSF found that poor sleep leads to accelerated aging and a decreased performance of the immune system, especially in those who are obese. Poor sleep decreases the effectiveness of daily function, not only at the office, but also inside our cells. It is only normal that we see how poor healing is related to stress. When I was a student at the Ohio State University, a study was conducted to show that students during final exams heal a lot slower from oral surgery, than during spring break. So if you’re planning on having any kind of surgery, try to plan it during a period when you can take time to heal. Try to find at least a couple of days after your procedure where you can rest.

In great health,
Dr Sanda

For more tips on managing stress and healing from periodontal surgery contact Dr. Sanda Moldovan to schedule a consultation.

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Many of us have New Year’s resolutions for different reasons: we want a job that pays more, we want to lose weight, perhaps quit smoking. Unfortunately, many of these resolutions are forgotten at the end of January already. Some of us don’t even make it that far!

One important thing in making the resolutions stick, is to get more specific about your desires and write them down. Make them as specific as possible such as: instead of saying “I’m going to take better care of my mouth”, say “I’m going to water floss every night before bed” or “I’m going to brush two minutes twice a day and water floss daily”. Instead of saying “I’m going to lose weight”, say “I’m going to lose 10 pounds in the next four weeks by eating smaller portions and exercising four days a week for 30 minutes.” Getting specific about your goals and setting a timeline will give you a better direction of where you’re going. Setting a plan of action is also important. But be realistic, be kind to yourself. Don’t set goals or plan of actions that will cut out your enthusiasm from the start. Once you’ve made a specific goal write it down in bold letters. Post it somewhere where you could see it every day: post it on the refrigerator door, bathroom mirror, by your coffee maker, by the make up station, in the car, or wherever you get a chance to see your goal at least daily.

Setting goals for the new year is important but how we do it is equally important, so we are left empowered.

What’s your New Year’s goal and your plan of action? Don’t forget to write it down and post it where you can see it daily.

In great health,
Dr. Sanda

To discuss how to achieve your oral health goals contact Dr. Sanda Moldovan to schedule a consultation.

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Photo by einalem

It’s summertime and vacation travel brings with it the challenges of keeping up your healthy food plan while you are away. The first step to clean eating on a trip starts for many of us when we step onto the airplane. Airline food is no longer as limited as it was back in the day–when the only options were “beef” or “chicken.”

You will now find most airlines provide a variety of meals that cater to all sorts of  personal preference diets, medical needs and religious food plans. You must select your entrees ahead of time and schedule your meals during the booking process, because most flights don’t have the special meals on the plane as they are prepared as special menus.

While on my computer checking in for my 15 1/2 hour flight to Australia, I wanted to really think through my options in advance for what would be the equivalent of two full days of eating. I was given the options of vegetarian, gluten free, vegan and octo-lacto vegetarian. I prefer to maintain mostly a gluten-free diet which is void of wheat, flour, barley, oats, rye, sauces, gravy, stock cube, sausages, or sausage meats and pasta. My protein comes from fish, eggs and legumes.

So, what’s this girl to do, when faced with the following decisions: should I check vegetarian–knowing I’m going to get a pasta dish full of gluten? Or do I choose gluten free, and then it’s going to be all chicken and beef, which I respectfully do not eat? Instead of ‘where’s the beef?’ — as in the familiar old Wendy’s fast food restaurant ad–where are the meals suitable for those of us who are fish-atarians and gluten-free? And, a salad alone is not going to fill me up for the entire flight.

I spent a lot of time on these food choices, before going with ovo-lacto vegetarian. Sure enough, pasta shows up on my plate when my tray is served for dinner on the flight. I knew this would be the case, so I took several enzymes which assist in gluten breakdown. This always prevents me from bloating which comes after a pasta dish.

I countered the temptation of sweet biscuits, cakes pastries or cookies by bringing snacks with me. I had an arsenal of apple slices, raw sprouted almonds and my mom’s homemade grain-free crackers. As a result, I felt satisfied and my energy level was stable, even better than if I had indulged in any of the treats the airline provides. Let’s face facts and accept their desserts are not going to be homemade and will most likely be full of over processed ingredients. They are not worth the calories and there is usually zero nutritional value.

Since flying can be stressful all on its own, l want to share some travelers’ tips to stay the course and start your trip out right, by staying in the healthy eating zone.

1. It’s okay to say no. Assert yourself and know that it’s okay to politely decline when the airline attendant stops at your seat offering inflammatory foods.

2. Prepare your favorite healthy snacks ahead of time. Pack protein bars with less than 11 g of sugar and nuts.

3. Most shops in the airport sell raw almonds. If you forget or find you didn’t have time to stash some snacks away, being in a hurry doesn’t mean you have to worry.

4. Drink loads of water to stay hydrated. Liquids will help with jet lag and help prevent blood clots on long travels.

5. Take chewable vitamin C. It will help satisfy your sweet tooth and keep you from getting sick.

Have an amazing time– knowing you are starting your trip with the optimal health you and your family enjoy at home!

In great health,
Dr. Santa

For more tips on maintaining your oral and nutritional health while traveling contact Dr. Sanda Moldovan to schedule a consultation.

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Diabetes is well on its way to becoming the new ‘norm,’ since it’s estimated that 1 in 3 million American adults will have diabetes by 2050. It kills more people in our nation than Breast Cancer and AIDS combined.

If you are having lunch with two other people today, look to your left, then look to your right. One of the three of you has pre-diabetes.

On Tuesday, March 25, the American Diabetes Association celebrates its 25th annual Alert Day. Alert Day, which is recognized the fourth Tuesday in March each year, is a one-day “wake-up call” encouraging Americans to take the Diabetes Risk Test to find out if they are at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.

Why is there such a concern that people be in the know about their diabetes state? Diabetes can reside within us without obvious symptoms. There are an estimated 79 million, or one in three American adults, walking around with pre-diabetes. There are approximately 26 million Americans with diabetes, but about 7 million aren’t even aware that they have it.

Unfortunately diagnosis often comes seven to 10 years after the onset of the disease, allowing complications time to develop. Early diagnosis is critical.

Pre-diabetes is what may have been referred to in the past as “a touch of sugar” or having “borderline” diabetes. There is no such thing as borderline diabetes — either you have it or you don’t.

Pre-diabetes is having blood glucose (sugar) that is higher than normal, but not high enough to meet the criteria to be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. This state of pre-diabetes indicates a relatively high risk for developing diabetes.

What can you do to prevent diabetes or even reverse Type II diabetes?
– adopt a paleo diet with less grains, and minimal fruits
– stop sugary drinks, including fruit juices.  switch to unsweetened flavored water
– start exercising to build more muscle
–  look for  sugar alternatives, such as stevia, yacon and coconut sugar.

Take a few moments for yourself this week to take the Diabetes risk Test to find out if you are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. If your results show you are at high risk, see your health care provider and start creating new habits to make the lifestyle changes necessary to lessen your odds of contracting the disease.

To take the test, click here:
http://www.stopdiabetes.com/get-the-facts/risk-test.html

In great health,
Dr. Sanda

To discuss new habits and lifestyle changes with an award-winning periodontist and nutritionist contact Dr. Sanda Moldovan to schedule a consultation.

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