As our White Rock – South Surrey dental office continues to grow and expand, so does our dental team here at Dr. Ron Regan & Associates.
This spring, you’ll see a new face at White Rock Dental Clinic.
Dr. Angela Demeter is a periodontal specialist. She attained her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at the University of Toronto. After completing a General Practice Residency in New York City, she continued her education at the University of British Columbia where she completed her specialist training in Periodontics and Implant Surgery.
She was awarded the “Nobel Biocare Achievement Prize” for outstanding theoretical performance and excellence in implant surgery. During her post-graduate studies, she worked at the Skidegate Dental Clinic in the Queen Charlotte Islands and participated in the Remote Areas Program providing dental care for an under-serviced First Nation community in Northern Ontario. Upon graduating from UBC, she completed the requirements for the Fellowship of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada.
In addition to working at the Downtown Periodontal Group with Dr. Dino Georgas, Dr. Demeter also works as a Clinical Assistant Professor at UBC. She is a member of the Canadian and the American Academy of Periodontology, the British Columbia Society of Periodontists, and the Vancouver & District Dental Society.
Please join me in welcoming her to the White Rock Dental Clinic..
If you have any questions you’d like me to answer here online, please write me at info@drronregan.com.
And if you are overdue for an examination or have any additional questions that you would like to discuss in person, please call 604.536.7606 Extension 2 to book an appointment at our White Rock – South Surrey clinic.
Sincerely yours,
Dr. Ron Regan
Just like teeth, dentures require regular cleaning in order to keep your mouth and gums healthy. Here are some helpful tips:
Cleaning
Although there are many brands of denture cleaning agents available, I recommend using dish detergent or liquid hand soap with a denture brush. Don’t use toothpaste. It is too abrasive to clean your denture.
After a cleaning, make sure to let the denture completely dry out each day.
Taking it out at night
Dentures should be left out of the mouth for at least a few hours a day. Many people who wear dentures leave them out at night. Dentures can be washed and left out to dry while you’re sleeping. In the morning, they can be rinsed under water and placed back into the mouth.
Some people clench their teeth at night. For denture wearers who leave their dentures out during the night, this can lead to jaw or gum pain. In these cases, it’s recommended that the denture is worn at night and left out for some time during the day instead.
Maintenance
Be aware of and make notes of pain or lesions, unusual food accumulation beneath the denture, obvious decrease in retention or stability, as well as distortion or cracks in the denture. For implant-retained dentures, check the attachments for any missing or damaged components.
Making repairs or adjustments yourself may damage your denture or harm your mouth.
If you are experiencing any of the above issues or have additional questions about denture care, please call 604.536.7606 Extension 2 to book an appointment at our White Rock-South Surrey clinic.
Regular visits with a hygienist are one of the best investments you will make during your life. These visits are also one of the best ways to maintain healthy teeth and prevent gum disease.
When you visit the hygienist, they will measure your periodontal pockets. These measure the height of the gum to where it attaches to the tooth. In a healthy mouth, they range from 0 – 4mm.
Pockets over 5mm are susceptible to bacterial colonies that can cause gum disease.
Patients who have deep gum pockets (5mm and over) are usually seen more frequently so the bacterial colonies can be disrupted and the pockets can be encouraged to shrink to a more healthy depth.
Pockets that don’t respond to more regular cleanings can be treated with antibiotics, laser treatments or surgery. Gum disease, if left untreated, can lead to tooth loss and may lead to other medical problems elsewhere in the body.
Studies suggest a link between gum disease with other systemic diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
When you’re in for your next visit with the hygienist, make sure to ask about the best ways to keep your teeth and gums healthy.
If you are overdue for an examination or have any additional questions about tooth decay, please call 604.536.7606 Extension 2 to book an appointment at our White Rock-South Surrey clinic.
Aesthetics aside, there are a few factors you need to keep in mind when selecting the type of material dentists use to repair a tooth, primarily: safety, durability and cost.
Both silver (amalgam) and white fillings are considered safe for use in the mouth, although both have been suspected of health issues. Silver fillings contain mercury. White fillings are polymers that contain phenols.
As for durability, let’s start with silver fillings. They are harder and generally last longer. Over time however they swell and can crack the supporting tooth structure, which may result in the tooth cracking and then needing a more complex restoration such as an onlay or crown. Amalgam restorations are less expensive and easier to place.
There are two types of white fillings; the most commonly used is called composite.
When composite is used to restore tooth decay, the filling is typically smaller than a silver filling because it can be bonded directly to the tooth. It wears more quickly than amalgam, but can often be repaired without removing the entire filling. In contrast, when a sliver filling fails it almost always requires the complete removal of the entire restoration.
Over time, composite is less likely to cause a tooth to crack. They are, however, more expensive, in part because they are also more difficult to place in the mouth than silver fillings.
Generally, I recommend composite in any tooth that has new decay because less healthy tooth structure is removed in order to restore the tooth.
Following that, I recommend the patient decide their preference based on cost and aesthetics unless I feel the tooth is susceptible to fracture with a silver filling.
The safest materials used to restore tooth decay are gold and porcelain. Any filling can be done using these materials. They require two appointments and are much more expensive.
If you require a filling, you and the dentist can determine what material would best suit your needs.
For more information, please contact White Rock Dental at 604.536.7606 Extension 2 to book an appointment at our White Rock-South Surrey clinic.
Tooth decay is the leading cause of tooth loss in children and adults, which is why it is so important for my patients to understand that a balanced diet and proper oral care will keep your teeth healthy and strong for life.
When left untreated, tooth decay can cause cavities and gum disease, which in turn can lead to major dental health concerns in the future.
Although using a fluoride toothpaste and having regular dental check ups are two crucial steps you can take to prevent tooth decay, the best way you can protect your smile begins with your diet.
Did you know that the number one cause of tooth decay is sugar?
What’s important to note is that it is the frequency in which we eat sugar rather than the amount that makes our teeth more susceptible to decay.
An analogy I like to use with my patients is that drinking a glass of apple juice quickly at lunch doesn’t carry the same risk for decay as sipping from a glass of apple juice all day long.
That’s because it’s the time that sugar is in your mouth that causes bacterial build up on your teeth, which in turn causes tooth decay and cavities to develop.
Sure, mints are a great way to freshen your breath, but they are also one of the worst things for your teeth as they saturate your mouth with sugar over a long period of time.
Other foods that can cause decay include: dried fruit, soft drinks, candies, marshmallows, licorice, toffee, chips, cookies, tarts, pies, donuts and pudding.
If you are overdue for an examination or have any additional questions about tooth decay, please call 604.536.7606 Extension 2 to book an appointment at our White Rock/South Surrey clinic.
For more information on tooth decay, please visit American Dental Hygienists’ Association.
Our dental office is growing every day, in more ways than you’d first think. New dental care professionals, new dental procedures and a newly expanded office—it’s definitely been a busy year.
We’ve made these changes to ensure that the quality of care you’ve come to expect from our team continues to improve and grow just as our office and staff continue to expand and grow to better serve your dental needs.
One of the new faces you’ll see during your next visit belongs to Dr. Renée Duprat.
Since 2004, she has been active as an associate dentist in White Rock, in the Haidi Gwaii and at the Vancouver General Hospital.
She’s also given back to communities around the world by joining global dental missions like Kindness in Action (Nicaragua 2003, Belize 2004), Operation Smile (Vietnam 2003) and Global Smile (Peru 2008).
Throughout my career, I’ve looked for ways to make sure that the continuum of care I give my patients extends beyond their regular visits to our dental office.
The goal of this blog is to help give you the tools and information to keep your smile healthy and bright for life.
Over the next few months, you can expect to see a variety of posts here that will help explain some of the more confusing aspects of dentistry.
And if you have any questions you’d like me to answer here online, please write me at info@drronregan.com.
Sincerely yours,
Dr. Ron Regan and Associates
