Pet Dental Problems

This month is National Pet Dental Health month. P. gulae is the bacteria responsible for causing gum disease in animals. Dental problems in pets can cause pain, discomfort, shyness, and irritability. Contact your vet if you notice any of these oral symptoms in your pet:

• Tartar buildup
• Bad breath
• Bleeding
• Difficulty eating or chewing
• Wincing when touched near mouth
• Red gums

How to Clean Your Pet’s Mouth

The World Health Organization reports that about 5% of dogs suffer from tooth decay, which then leads to other problems. Try these tips to help keep your furry friend’s mouth clean.

• Routine: Build up a regular schedule to brush your pet’s teeth. He may be scared at first, but keeping a consistent routine will help him adjust and know what to expect.
• Comfort: Place your pooch in a comfortable position so he can relax, and don’t force his mouth open. Begin by letting your pet sniff and taste the toothpaste. You should also brush gently to avoid injuring your pet.
• Products: Make sure you use pet-friendly toothpaste in a flavor your companion will enjoy. Don’t ever use regular human toothpaste because it can be toxic for animals. You can brush using your finger, a soft cloth, or a gentle animal brush. Some kibble and treats also have tartar-control ingredients to help fight dental problems, but brushing is generally more effective.
• Reward: After brushing, praise your pet and give him a treat or toy to encourage his good behavior.

By following these steps, you can ensure that all members of your household have healthy mouths.  When it comes to your oral care, Dr. Pate can show you how to prevent possible human dental problems. Contact Dentistry in Buckhead at (404) 266-9424 to request an appointment.  We serve patients in Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Vinings, Atlanta, and the neighboring areas.

Children’s Dental Health

To help improve the status of children’s oral care, take a look at some of the unfortunate statistics about current dental dangers.

• Tooth decay is the second most common childhood illness, following the common cold.
• Researchers found that about 80 percent of children are already infected with the cavity-causing bacteria, S. mutans, by the time they are two years old.
• Advertisers spend about $900 million each year on television ads aimed at children under age 12. More than two-thirds of this advertising promotes junk food, which can promote tooth decay.
• About 60% of injuries to the face occur on the playground.
• About 5 million children’s teeth are knocked out each year.

Give Kids a Smile

Each year, the first Friday in February is recognized as Give Kids A Smile Day. The program, sponsored by the American Dental Association, enhances the oral health of children in need by offering free or low-cost dental services to children of low-income families. Here’s how you can protect your child’s smile at home:

• Teach appropriate brushing and flossing techniques, with supervision.
• Monitor the intake of sugary foods and beverages.
• Don’t share cups or utensils with your baby to avoid passing along tooth decay.
• Don’t put sweetened liquids in a bottle before bedtime.
• Stop pacifier use and thumb sucking by age two to prevent long-term development problems.

Dental care is very important for children at a young age.  They should be exposed to and become familiar with visiting the dentist. Dr. Pate offers “Happy Visits” to help your child feel comfortable with our dental process, office, and team. At your child’s appointment, Dr. Pate will check for proper development, identify areas of concern, and teach effective hygiene behaviors.

To schedule an appointment for you, your little one, or your whole family, contact Dr. Pate at Dentistry in Buckhead at (404) 266-9424.

The Visual Parts

When you open your mouth, you can see a number of important features::

• Teeth: The white part of a tooth is called the crown. The roots of your teeth are located under your gums, and help attach your teeth into your jaw bone. You may notice that your teeth are different shapes and sizes to help with different parts of chewing.
• Gums: The pinkish tissue that supports your teeth is called your gums. When you look at your mouth, your teeth are attached to your gums. Red, swollen, or bleeding gums are signs of periodontal disease, which can eventually lead to tooth loss.
• Tongue: Your tongue is the long, pinkish muscle that rests in the bottom of your mouth. Your tongue hits your teeth to help shape sounds as you speak. The tiny bumps on the surface of your tongue contain your taste buds. Almost half of the bacteria in your mouth live on the surface of your tongue.
• Frenulum Linguae: The frenulum is the flap you see under your tongue when you lift it up. It helps connect your tongue to the floor of your mouth and lets the tongue move freely.
• Uvula: The flap of tissue that hangs down from the roof of your mouth near your throat is called the uvula. This muscle helps prevent food from going down your throat the wrong way and stops bacteria from entering your digestive tract.
• Palate: The hard palate is the front part of the roof of your mouth. It is a hard, bony structure that separates your mouth from your nasal passages. The soft palate, on the other hand, is the back part of the roof of your mouth. It helps separate your mouth and your throat.

The Non-Visual Parts

There are other parts of your mouth that you can’t easily see, but are still very important. They are:

• Bacteria: Your mouth contains hundreds of bacteria. When you eat, oral bacteria feed and reproduce off the sugars and carbs in your mouth, forming an acid that can attack your teeth. Proper oral hygiene can help reduce the amount of harmful bacteria in your mouth.
• Oral Mucosa: Your mouth is lined with a mucous membrane that helps protect the inside of your mouth and protect against harmful bacteria that enter.
• Salivary Glands: Your mouth has three sets of salivary glands to produce saliva. Saliva helps break down food, keep your mouth moist, and rinse away extra debris.

Dr. Pate can help keep all components of your mouth clean and healthy. Contact Dentistry in Buckhead at (404) 266-9424 to schedule an appointment.  We serve patients in Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Vinings, Atlanta, and the neighboring areas.

Facts You May Not Know About Sleep

• Sleep is a necessity. Sleep deprivation can result in death before starvation. In as little as 10 days without sleep, you could be facing mortality.
• There are four stages of sleep that you progress through in your sleep cycle. The deepest stages of sleep help your organs and tissues repair from daily damage
• Outside of the four sleep stages, you enter Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep multiple times throughout the night
• In the past, researchers believed that humans only dreamed during REM sleep. However, recent findings have shown that we dream throughout the night, but REM dreaming is more vivid and strange.
• Before electricity was available in homes, people slept about 10 hours a night on average.
• Giraffes only sleep for two hours a day.
• Electronic devices and sedentary lifestyle contribute to sleep deprivation and reduce our quality of sleep.
• Some researchers are studying whether or not other mammals dream. So far the research is inconclusive.
• Sleep deprivation weakens your immune system, contributes to high blood pressure, and can increase your risk for heart disease.

If you feel you may not be getting the quality sleep you need because of snoring or sleep apnea symptoms, contact Dr. Pate today at (404) 266-9424. We serve patients in Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Vinings, Atlanta, and the neighboring areas.

What is Fluoride?

Fluoride is a natural mineral widely distributed in nature. Read more about it here.   In the middle of the 20^th century, after conclusive research, the United States and many countries in Europe began adding small amounts of fluoride to city water supplies. Although the amount is miniscule, the overall oral health of the country has improved.

How Does Fluoride Work?

Your tooth enamel is a thin covering that protects your teeth from acidic foods and particles. Once you lose enamel, it’s gone for good because it is not a living tissue like the other parts of your teeth. Fluoride is used to strengthen your enamel, in order to protect it. Another benefit to using fluoride is that it helps neutralize harmful and acidic bacteria present in your mouth. This acidic bacteria can infiltrate past your enamel and erode your teeth, ultimately causing cavities and decay. In addition, these harmful particles can infect and inflame your gum tissues.

Doesn’t Toothpaste Have Fluoride?

Yes, most toothpaste does contain fluoride. If you’re trying to purchase the best toothpaste for your needs, look for the American Dental Association’s seal of approval or ask Dr. Pate for a recommendation on which product to buy. Some patients may need more fluoride than others. If this is the case, Dr. Pate may provide fluoride treatments to help ward off tooth decay. He can also prescribe mouth rinses that contain more amounts of fluoride, if he believes it is necessary.

If you’re concerned about tooth decay and protecting your teeth, contact us at (404) 266-9424 to schedule a dental examination. We are happy to serve patients in Sandy Springs, Buckhead, and Atlanta.

Fun Smile Facts

• It takes fewer muscles to smile than it does to frown. Being grumpy is more work!
• Smiling is universal among people throughout the world.
• When you smile, your body releases endorphins which boost your mood and energy.
• Females tend to smile more often than males.
• Newborn babies are even able to smile.
• People with a pleasant smile are more likely to be promoted in their careers.
• Forcing a smile can lower stress levels which then positively affects your immune system and blood pressure.
• If you smile often, people will smile back. Psychologists believe we mimic the behavior of people around us.

Is a Lack of Confidence Keeping You From Smiling?

Perhaps if your teeth were a little whiter, or a little less crooked, you might smile more. Dr. Peter Pate wants to help boost your self-esteem so that you are happier and have more pleasant experiences. He offers a variety of cosmetic dental services. From a smile makeover to a simple whitening procedure, he has the experience and equipment to get you smiling more often in no time! Now that you know how beneficial smiling really is, contact us today at (404) 266-9424 to schedule a cosmetic dentistry consultation. We are proud to serve patients in Buckhead and the surrounding Atlanta neighborhoods.

Unlike Kermit, we think it's easy being green! (Image from muppet.wikia.com)

At Dentistry in Buckhead, we make it a priority to conserve the environment as we care for our patients’ smiles. Atlanta dentist Dr. Peter Pate and his team want to keep Atlanta beautiful while keeping the smiles of you and your family beautiful as well.

Go Green

To do this, we employ a number of green practices, not only in the way we provide dental care for our patients, but also in our front office. Our green practices include:

• Recycling: You’d be amazed at how much waste a dentist office produces. To do our part and help the environment, we abide by a multi-faceted waste and recycling system. First, we recycle anything and everything that is recyclable by taking it to local recycling centers. Second, we use products produced from recycled materials whenever possible, and this includes some of the products used in your dental care. We’ve found that it’s healthier for you and the environment if we use disposable and recyclable dental tools when available. After your appointment, we discard these tools, creating a cleaner, more sanitary environment for you and less non-decomposable waste for the planet.
• Chartless: While we’re still in the process of going completely paperless, we are chartless! To maintain this standard, we use an advanced system of digital records and claim filing to reduce paper waste. This system is also more efficient and convenient for you as our patient. With digital files, your records can easily be shared between us and your other medical care providers, as well as with your insurance company for easy filing.
• Digital X-rays: On the same note, our X-ray technique has gone digital, as well. This technology eliminates the need for hazardous chemicals to be released into the environment, as well as lowers radiation exposure for you, so it’s a win-win decision for both our patients and the planet. Digital X-rays work hand-in-hand with our digital filing system and can be sent via email.
• E-Waste Disposal: Believe it or not, even electronic waste can pile up fast. Because electronics of all kinds contain carcinogen-causing chemicals that can harm the environment, specifically the water supply, we make an effort to dispose of all electronics according to regulation and recycle with a local e-waste company.

Beneficial for Our Patients and the Planet

As you can see, all of the green practices that we employ in our Atlanta dental office benefit the environment and our patients. We’re very proud of our efforts to go green, and we hope that you’ll help us in our quest to maintain a healthy planet for future generations.

For more information about green dentistry or to reserve appointments for you and your family, call Dentistry in Buckhead at (404) 266-9424 or visit us online at patedds.com.

What is sleep apnea?

Over 18 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea and over 40% of adults snore when they sleep. As we learn more about this sleep disorder, we have discovered that sleep apnea is more common than we thought. While you are sleeping, the soft tissues in your mouth relax. As these tissues relax, they can cause obstruction of your airways. Most patients with sleep apnea are disrupted by breathing cessation during their rest. For a few seconds, or even longer than a minute, you can stop breathing. During the short periods throughout the night that you stop breathing, you awaken from sleep. Some patients also experience choking and gasping during these periods.

So, sleep apnea prevents me from resting?

Yes, sleep apnea disrupts your body’s natural sleep cycle. While you sleep, you progress through stages of light sleep to deep sleep. If you are awakened during a deep sleep phase by sleep apnea, you are preventing your body from the beneficial effects of deep sleep. While you are in these sleep phases, your body is rejuvenating and repairing your organs and tissues. Disrupting this phase can ultimately prevent your body from the rest it needs.

What are the symptoms of sleep apnea?

• Waking up with headaches
• Feelings of fatigue
• Memory loss and inability to function
• Choking or gasping throughout the night
• Irritability
• Depressed mood
• Snoring

What should I do if I think I have sleep apnea?

If you think you might have sleep apnea, contact Dr. Pate at (404) 266-9424 for an evaluation. He will assess your situation and recommend treatments to get you feeling rested again. We happily serve patients in Sandy Springs, Buckhead and metro Atlanta.

Buckhead dentist Dr. Peter Pate knows the importance of a beautiful and healthy smile. Take a look at the dental characteristics below and see if your dental traits match your personality traits.

The Shape of Your Teeth

Your front two top teeth are called the central incisors and serve as the center of your smile. They also indicate age. Younger people tend to have rectangular-shaped central incisors with rounded corners, while the central incisors of older people often become square with square corners as they shorten with age.

The teeth to the immediate left and right of your central incisors are called lateral incisors, and they indicate gender. Women have lateral incisors that are slightly shorter than the central incisors and rounded at the tips. Men, on the other hand, tend to have lateral incisors that are close to the same length as the central incisors and are more square-shaped.

The teeth to the immediate left and right of your lateral incisors are called the eye, or canine teeth, and they indicate personality traits. Aggressive and powerful people tend to have pointier, more prominent lateral incisors that are longer than the eye teeth. Passive people tend to have flattened or rounded cuspids, which make the eye teeth less prominent, while people who are classified as “pushovers” often have small teeth in general.

We Want to See You

Do your teeth match your traits? We want to see you in our Atlanta dentist office this year for all of your dental needs, whether they are general and preventive, restorative, or cosmetic. To reserve an appointment with Dr. Pate, call Dentistry in Buckhead at (404) 266-9424 or visit us online at patedds.com.

Toothbrush:Some travel brushes have hard bristles—make sure you pick one with soft bristles. If you’re traveling with others, be sure to label the toothbrushes, or get different-colored brushes to avoid mix-ups.   You can even take your power toothbrush on the road. Sonicare has released the DiamondClean model that conveniently charges from your computer with a USB connection.

Toothpaste: You can find travel-size tubes of most kinds of toothpaste at your grocery store or pharmacy. Ask Dr. Pate for a sample if you don’t see yours at the store.

Mouthwash: Find a travel-size container or fill an empty travel bottle with your favorite mouthwash. If you use a prescription mouthwash, fill and label a small travel container. 

Floss: This is the one dental care item most people forget! Try a new variety of floss while you’re on vacation. If you use floss picks, find a small plastic baggie and bring more than you think you’ll need.

Sugar-free chewing gum: Bring a sugar-free gum sweetened with xylitol; this tooth-friendly sweetener helps prevent cavities. When cavity-causing bacteria interact with xylitol, the bacteria can no longer stick to your teeth. The bacteria also can’t digest xylitol the way they digest sugar, and so many of them die. Chew gum with xylitol after meals.

You might also want to take:

Brush-Ups: These are tooth wipes that fit over your finger; use them to remove plaque on the go. You’ll also freshen your breath as you wipe! No rinsing is required after using these wipes.

Breath strips: There are several different brands of breath-freshening strips that dissolve in your mouth. Most of them need to be kept away from extreme temperature, so you’ll want to keep them in your carry-on luggage.

Whitening kit: Keep your smile bright while you’re on vacation! You can order more whitening gel from Dr. Pate for your custom-fitted, at-home whitening trays.

Dr. Pate and the team at Dentistry in Buckhead would like to wish you and your family a healthy and happy holiday season. If you need oral care products before vacation, or if it’s time to schedule your next appointment, call us today at (404) 266-9424. You can also visit our website at www.patedds.com.