The Oral-Systemic Connection

As a provider of dental care in St. Louis, Carondelet Park Dental Care understands how important the well-being of the gums is. However, a lot of people do not understand that oral health is about more than being able to eat and speak effectively. The oral-systemic connection is a vital aspect of your overall health, and going to our practice twice a year is the best way to protect it.

What Is the Connection?

The oral-systemic connection is the relationship between the health of the mouth and the health of the body. If the mouth’s health falters, your likelihood of developing certain diseases increases dramatically. This relationship is not one-directional; certain health conditions can make your smile more prone to decay and disease as well.

Diabetes

One of the best-known examples of the oral-systemic connection is the influence diabetes and gum disease have on each other.

When you have gingivitis or periodontitis, your body has a much harder time regulating your blood sugar. As a result, your risk of developing diabetes increases. If you already have diabetes, gum disease exacerbates your existing symptoms.

The reverse is also true; having diabetes makes it easier to develop gum disease. Your body has a diminished ability to fight off gingivitis and other infections.

Cardiovascular Health

There is also a strong correlation between having periodontitis and an increased risk for several cardiovascular diseases. The most common conditions made more likely by gum disease are heart attacks and stroke. However, some evidence points to Alzheimer’s being influenced by this infection as well.

The exact connection is still being studied, so it is unfair to say gum disease causes these conditions. However, keeping your mouth healthy seems to encourage your heart to stay healthy.

Contact Us for St. Louis Dental Care

Carondelet Park Dental Care serves the oral health needs of the St. Louis community. These treatment options include the general cleanings and exams which prevent and treat gum disease. For more information, call us today!

Implant Supported vs. Traditional Dentures

Missing teeth in your smile not only affects your oral health, but your smile’s beauty and the confidence that image brings as well. However, if you are missing a whole arch of teeth, there are treatment options for you to choose from. Traditional full and partial dentures and implant supported full and partial dentures are two viable options that can effectively return the function and look of your smile.

Traditional Dentures

Dentures are removable prostheses that can replace a full arch (full dentures) or several missing teeth throughout an arch (partial dentures). These restorations can be made up of porcelain, but are usually made of acrylic resin for its durability and it secure binding to the denture base. Additionally, certain polymers can be used to create a flexible partial denture for patient comfort.

The dentist will make an impression of the patients gum to create a wax model to make sure it is suitable for the patient’s mouth.  However, diet and speech are affected with the use of dentures while the patient gets used to wearing them. Additionally, these prostheses may not fit as properly as you continue to wear them, due to jaw resorption; relining the dentures for a continuously effective fit is an element to the treatment.

Implant Supported Dentures

The main difference between dentures and implant supported dentures is the stability and comfort the implants provide, for these hold the dentures in place without laying against the palate. This means implant-supported full and partial dentures tend to be less obstructive within the mouth than their traditional counterparts.

Implant-supported dentures also prevent the decline of the jaw bone, as the dental implant posts give the bone something to support. With titanium implants integrated into the jaw bone, it’s just clicking dentures into place and your smile is renewed. Your diet doesn’t change, your speech is renewed, and the bone in your jaw is supported.  Implant supported dentures are convenient, reliable, and an effective way to restore your smile by stabilizing the prosthetic.

The only downside to implant-supported dentures is the initial cost; receiving traditional dentures is less expensive than receiving the implants to support dentures. However, when the constant relining that must be done for traditional dentures is considered, implant-supported dentures tend to be the less expensive solution for long-term budgets.

Contact Us Today!

 

Whether you choose traditional or implant-supported dentures, contact our St. Louis dental practice for either treatment. Carondelet Park Dental Care serves patients in St. Louis through restorative dentistry services, including dentures and dental implants.

Comparing Sleep Apnea Treatments

Obstructive sleep apnea interrupts an individual’s sleep by inhibiting a person’s ability to breathe properly. There are different methods that can treat your sleep apnea, and some may be better than others depending on your case. Serving St. Louis, Carondelet Park Dental Care can provide one of these treatments for you: sleep apnea appliances.

CPAP Machine Treatment

For mild to moderate cases of obstructive sleep apnea, oral appliances or the CPAP machine are often recommended. However, there are some major differences between the two treatment options that may affect the results of your treatment.

CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure, is a machine that delivers air pressure through a mask that you wear over your nose and mouth while you sleep. This pressure is greater than the air around you, and is able to keep your airway passages open, effectively preventing apnea and snoring. This is often considered the gold standard of treatment, and unlike oral appliances, can also a viable treatment for severe obstructive sleep apnea cases. However, many patients may find it too uncomfortable, if not claustrophobic, to wear the mask necessary for a CPAP treatment. CPAP machines are also inconvenient for travel, so patients living a mobile lifestyle might not get the benefits of their sleep apnea treatment regularly.

 

Oral Appliances

 

Oral appliances, such as the appliances used by our St. Louis dental practice, are able to treat mild and moderate sleep apnea cases for CPAP-intolerant patients. The mouth guard-like splint brings the lower jaw forward and inhibits the movement of the tongue. With this positioning, the muscles within the jaw are inhibited to contract, which would have caused snoring and apnea episodes. Oral appliances are travel friendly, easy to clean, and comfortable to wear at night. However, oral appliances are not usually able to effectively treat severe or extreme cases.

Surgical Treatment of Sleep Apnea

The most invasive and expensive treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, surgery is only recommended in extreme cases.

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPP) is a common surgery used to removed excess tissue to widen the air way. This will allow air flow to move freely, preventing obstructive sleep apnea altogether. Tissues that are removed through this surgery are the uvula, the soft palate, and the tonsils. There are other surgeries that target other excess tissue, but these are all extensive treatments with significant recovery times.

Contact Us for Oral Appliances

The dentists at Carondelet Park Dental Care are here to answer any and all of your questions regarding oral appliance treatments for sleep apnea. Contact our St. Louis dental practice for a consultation regarding your treatments today!

Signs & Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

A good night’s rest is important to one’s overall health. However, how do you know if you’re really getting a good night’s rest? There are more than 200,000 cases of sleep apnea in the US per year, affecting all ages and genders. Carondelet Park Dental Care in St. Louis, MO is a comprehensive dental office that provides sleep apnea studies, which help you get the treatment you need.

Signs and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which there are pauses in breath while you sleep. These instances can occur 30 or more times during your usual sleep schedule. These pauses are usually accompanied by a choking sound or snore.

Although it’s necessary for a sleep physician to diagnose sleep apnea, there are some symptoms that may tip you off to this condition. If you have a sleeping partner and they have expressed that you have been snoring loudly or have gasping sounds as you sleep, you may have sleep apnea. Some other symptoms and signs include:

-          Short awakenings that occur when there is a shortness of breath (which you may not always remember)

-          Dry mouth or sore throat

-          Insonmia

-          Daytime sleepiness

-          Irritability

-          Morning headaches

If you feel that you’ve always had loud snoring, or you notice that you have been continuously fatigued, irritable, or sleepy during the day, there is no trouble with speaking to your doctor about your sleeping patterns, especially if their accompanied with shortness of breath or silence.

Our Dentists and Sleep Apnea

Drs. Marc and Greg Boivin of Carondelet Park Dental Care can provide a take-home sleep study to help detect sleep apnea symptoms, such as snoring. After analyzing the results, our St. Louis dentists can refer you to a sleep physician for further diagnosis and treatment. As dentists who have experience with related problems such as teeth grinding or TMJ, Drs. Boivin and Boivin can help treat your sleep apnea condition with oral appliances.

Contact Us Today!

Do not take chances with snoring — if you suspect you have sleep apnea, it is imperative to seek diagnosis and treatment immediately. Not only can prompt treatment save your life, but it can also improve your sleep quality and overall health. Call Carondelet Park Dental Care today to schedule your sleep study appointment — Drs. Boivin and Boivin are here to serve your health needs!

Dr. Marc Boivin discussed "Cristal Veneers"

Dr. Marc Boivin and Dr. Greg Boivin are dentists and brothers that practice general family dentistry in Saint Louis, Mo.  Dr. Marc Boivin has been in the same location since 1987.

One of the options Dr. Marc Boivin and Dr. Greg Boivin, offer their patients are Aurum's Cristal Veneers.

Veneers have the following benefits for the patient :

1) Instantly reshapes and whitens

2) Ultra-thin (0.3mm)

3) Custom crafted for the patient

4) Bonded to front of the existing teeth

5) No pain

6) Minimal adjustments of tooth surface

7) Incredibly natural

8) Protected by full five year warranty against chipping or breakage.

There is a painless, gentle and incredibly realistic looking way to reshape and permanently restore your teeth.  Each Cristal Veneer is custom crafted for the patient.  Their perfect shape and bright new shade compliments your unique facial features and blends beautifully with surrounding teeth. 

The “Cristal smile” is incredibly strong and will last for years with each veneer carrying a warranty for a FULL FIVE YEARS against chipping or breakage. 

It is a perfect remedy for a wide range of major complaints of patients:

·         Narrow smile

·         Small teeth

·         Worn and/or aged teeth

·         Stained teeth

·         Chipped or cracked teeth

·         Slight misalignments

·         Misshapen teeth

·         Gaps between teeth

Unfortunately, everyone is not a candidate for Aurum’s Cristal Veneer but they do offer an alternative for many patients. 

Reviews:

THANK YOU Dr..Marc Boivin and staff for taking care of my dental needs.   Dr, Boivin you are the greatest!  I am 58 years young HA HA!  I could not find a dentist to take care of my teeth properly until now.  I felt that the last I had was like a used car salesman, selling me what  I didn’t need.  That’s why I had not been to a dentist for over 3 years.  I did not know what to do as my teeth were deteriorating and needed much attention.  I hate to say it by I picked up the phone book and looked for a dentist close to work, so I wouldn’t lose to much time from work.  What a lucky pick!!!  Dr. Marc Boivin’s approach to my dental needs were outstanding.  Dr. Marc Boivin took care of my teeth in an unbelievable short period of time and looked forward to every dental visit and the awesome results and changes I saw.  I was so impressed with your staff also very competent and organized.  I could not believe every dental visit, you took me on time or even before my appointment time and went right to work, not keeping me in dental chair for a lengthy time, which I have experienced many time in the past.  My next appointment is in November and will be looking forward to it .   Regards forever:  D.M.

Dr Marc Boivin, thank you for the veneers and my new lease on a beautiful smile!!!!.  I was always so self conscious of my smile and tried invisalign with an orthodontist and was not completely happy with the results.  My veneers gave me the confidence to smile in pictures!  I always had smiles  hiding my teeth and I never looked comfortable or happy for that matter, in family pictures .  I always looked like something was holding me back.  We  just  had a family picture taken and I finally look happy!!!.  .I  now have confidence in social situations and actually welcome them.  This has not only changed how I feel about myself but how I interact with others.

Thank you Dr. Boivin,  D.B. 

Porcelain veneers are a non-specialty interest which require no specific training to promote these services.  Although, Dr.  Marc Boivin and Dr. Greg Boivin have taken continuing education training in porcelain veneers.

Sealants: Procedures for protecting against tooth decay

Sealants
A sealant is a thin, plastic coating applied to the chewing surface of molars, premolars and any deep grooves (called pits and fissures) of teeth.  More than 75% of dental decay begins in these deep grooves.  Teeth with these conditions are hard to clean and are very susceptible to decay.  A sealant protects the tooth by sealing deep grooves, creating a smooth, easy to clean surface.

Sealants can protect teeth from decay for many years, but need to be checked for wear and chipping at regular dental visits.

Reasons for sealants:

Children and teenagers – As soon as the six-year molars (the first permanent back teeth) appear or any time throughout the cavity prone years of 6-16.
Adults – Tooth surfaces without decay that have deep grooves or depressions.
Baby teeth – Occasionally done if teeth have deep grooves or depressions and child is cavity prone.
What do sealants involve?

Sealants are easily applied by your dentist or dental hygienist and the process takes only a couple of minutes per tooth.

The teeth to be sealed are thoroughly cleaned and then surrounded with cotton to keep the area dry.  A special solution is applied to the enamel surface to help the sealant bond to the teeth.  The teeth are then rinsed and dried.  Sealant material is carefully painted onto the enamel surface to cover the deep grooves or depressions.  Depending on the type of sealant used, the material will either harden automatically or with a special curing light.

Proper home care, a balanced diet, and regular dental visits will aid in the life of your new sealants.

For more information visit  www. carondeletparkdentalcare.com