Orthodontics and Mouthguards

As providers of orthodontic treatment, we at Dr. Dipika Shah’s Holmdel dental practice want to make sure our patients are safe playing contact sport. Everyone who plays contact sport should wear Mouth guard, including those who are going through active orthodontic treatment. 

Most sports require players to wear a mouthguard, There are several kinds of mouthguards commercially available, including ones that are pre-fitted and ones that a patient bites down on after softening in hot water. All mouthguards are not same. Commericailly avalable ones do not protect you as well as the ones which are made by dentists. 

That's why dentists recommend that patients get their mouthguards custom-fitted. But this can be a problem for patients undergoing orthodontic treatment because their teeth are quickly shifting position. It is likely now that school is beginning that a teenager’s mouthguard from the previous year will not still fit them. In these cases, it is important to have the mouthguard regularly updated so that it will fit snugly over orthodontic brackets without needing to be forced on.

Dr. Dipika Shah, Master in the Academy of General Dentistry, operates at 723 N Beers St, Suite 2F, Holmdel, New Jersey, 07733-1512. To schedule an appointment, call 732-264-8180 or visit Dentist NJ and fill out a contact form.

 

Sleep Apnea and Alcohol

Holmdel dentist Dr. Dipika Shah offers custom-made oral appliances for people suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This disease can not only lead to teeth-grinding, it can also cause heart disease and oxygen deprivation to your vital organs. There are certain risk factors people can avoid to reduce their chance of developing OSA and we want to make sure our patients are aware of them.

Alcohol can cause OSA even in people who don’t normally suffer from it. OSA is the result of throat tissues or tongue not allowing air flow. People who have it commonly snore and move their jaws in their sleep in an attempt to get more air. As a muscle relaxant, alcohol makes throat obstruction likelier. It also causes people to take longer to wake up after they stop breathing, preventing their blood from getting vital oxygen and potentially contributing to sleep paralysis.

An oral appliance will prevent the patient from grinding their teeth and help them breath better. Patients can do their part by not drinking alcohol before bed. People with OSA often do not know they have it, but sleepiness d the day uring day time and grinding teeth can be major warning signs.

Dr. Dipika Shah, Master in the Academy of General Dentistry, operates at 723 N Beers St, Suite 2F, Holmdel, New Jersey, 07733-1512. To schedule an appointment, call 732-264-8180 or visit Dentist NJ and fill out a contact form.

 

Different Types of Dentures

If you have teeth that are weak or missing, there are different ways to replace missing teeth, namely Fixed bridge, dentures or implants. Cost and work involved for each procedure varies.  Dr. Dipika Shah, DDS may suggest dentures to restore your smile. Dentures come in different forms – full and partial – full dentures will replace the entire set of teeth, while partial dentures will only replace the teeth that are missing. Repairing a toothless smile with dentures will improve your appearance and help you eat and speak more comfortably.

Complete (full) dentures are used if you’re missing teeth in your upper (maxillary) or lower (mandibular) jaws. Partial dentures are used on patients who only have some teeth missing on either jaw. Complete dentures replace all of the teeth, while partial dentures fill in the spaces created by missing teeth and prevent other teeth from shifting position. Those dentures can also be supported with implants in order to give more retention and stability.  

If you have questions or concerns regarding restorative dental options, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at the practice, visit www.dentistnj.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Dipika Shah, DDS, here in our Holmdel, NJ office, call 732-264-8180. 

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Gum Disease

At Dr. Dipika Shah’s Holmdel dental practice, we recognize that each of our patients has unique oral health needs that require compassionate, nonjudgmental care. One of the most frustrating conditions for patients is rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which doctors have recently discovered is linked to gum disease in unexpected ways.

According to a Johns Hopkins study, gum disease is twice as common in people with RA as in the general population. While this could partly be due to the difficulty people with limited dexterity have maintaining their oral hygiene, the study found that gum disease is common even in people whose RA has not yet progressed to that point. RA is an autoimmune disorder that causes the lining of joints, called synovium, to swell because they are under attack from the body’s immune system. Another study found that synovium shares genetic and structural traits with gum tissue, suggesting they are being harmed in similar ways.

One of the most significant steps people can take to avoid RA is to not smoke. But if a patient is suffering from RA, they can maintain their oral hygiene more easily with electric toothbrushes and water picks, as well as by maintaining regular appointments at our office.

Dr. Dipika Shah, Master in the Academy of General Dentistry, operates at 723 N Beers St, Suite 2F, Holmdel, New Jersey, 07733-1512. To schedule an appointment, call 732-264-8180 or visit Dentist NJ and fill out a contact form.