Healthy smile, healthy you: The importance of Oral Health

Regular dentist visits can do more than keep your smile attractive – they can tell dentists a lot about your overall health, including whether or not you may be developing a disease like diabetes.  For the Full Read click the link below:
http://bit.ly/1x1gWbL

-Dr. Cooper

859-266-2570

Cooper Family Dentistry

Cooper Family Dentistry is a dental office located in the Lansdowne Shopping Center on Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington, KY dedicated to helping you and your family achieve the best oral care.

Handling dental emergencies

Toothache?  Knocked out tooth?  Chipped or Fractured tooth?  Check out this link from Delta Dental Insurance Company on what to do in case of a dental emergency.  http://bit.ly/1sep7L8

-Dr. Cooper

859-266-2570

Cooper Family Dentistry

Cooper Family Dentistry is a dental office located in the Lansdowne Shopping Center on Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington, KY dedicated to helping you and your family achieve the best oral care.

Snoring and Sleep Apnea Appliances

As you know, there are many people who snore - both male and female.  And, many options exist to help people who snore.  Studies show that snoring and sleep apnea are linked.  Sleep apnea is a chronic condition that disrupts your sleep.  This disruption has negative effects on your quality of sleep lending to day-time tiredness and high blood pressure.  To find out more about sleep apnea you can click the link here.  Three options to deal with sleep apnea are surgery, using a CPAP machine, and using a dental sleep apnea device.  Once you begin learning about the first two options, the third option starts looking pretty appetizing.   I make sleep apnea devices for patients routinely.  Basically, it moves your lower jaw forward only while you wear it at night giving better passage of air.  If you have any questions or concerns about snoring, please visit our website linked below or give us a call.

-Dr. Cooper

859-266-2570

Cooper Family Dentistry

Cooper Family Dentistry is a dental office located in the Lansdowne Shopping Center on Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington, KY dedicated to helping you and your family achieve the best oral care.

Enamel Erosion

Enamel erosion refers to wear of tooth enamel.  Excessive wear of enamel can be caused by a number of reasons including soft drinks, dry mouth, acid reflux, medications, and malocclusion to name a few.  Acid reflux is something a dentist may pick up on because the lingual portion of the lower incisors will show wear.  This is the only reason for wear on the lower teeth on their lingual side.  Treatment of enamel wear may include medicine to combat acid relux, or a biteguard.  If you are concerned about excessive wear on your teeth please visit our website at the link below or give us a call.

-Dr. Cooper

859-266-2570

Cooper Family Dentistry

Cooper Family Dentistry is a dental office located in the Lansdowne Shopping Center on Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington, KY dedicated to helping you and your family achieve the best oral care.

Back to School Dental Check

Every year our family has a huge adjustment with starting school.  The kids need physicals, get school supplies, backpacks, and clothing.  A dental visit before school starts is a good idea to add to the list of things to do in July or Early August.  A little prevention goes a long way.  A visit to the dentist may help find decay and gum disease that can be dealt with before the crazy times that come with starting the school year.  If you need to get yourself or your child in to see a dentist we are here to help and answer any questions you may have.  Please feel free to call us at the number below or link to the website to discovery more about who we are.

-Dr. Cooper

859-266-2570

Cooper Family Dentistry

Cooper Family Dentistry is a dental office located in the Lansdowne Shopping Center on Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington, KY dedicated to helping you and your family achieve the best oral care.

When to Crown a Root Canal Tooth

It is best restore it immediately to prevent leakage of oral fluids into the root canal space. If this can not be done, then a seal over the root canal area and a filling should be done as soon as possible.
Source: Glassman G, Bioactive Endodontic Obturation: Combining the New with the Tried and True, Oral Health, May 2014, Vol 9, No 4, pg 18-28.

-Dr. Cooper

859-266-2570

Cooper Family Dentistry

Cooper Family Dentistry is a dental office located in the Lansdowne Shopping Center on Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington, KY dedicated to helping you and your family achieve the best oral care.

Dental Insurance Coverage Facts

Understanding insurance can be tricky. Here are some facts that may help you understand your dental insurance a little better.

 Our office typically submits a claim or estimate of benefits to your dental insurance company. The first thing you need to do is look closely at the EOB (Explanation of Benefits) that your insurance company sent back to you and your dentist to determine exactly why the procedure is or is not covered.  

Nearly all dental benefit plans have what is referred to as an “Exclusionary Period” or time frame in which replacements are not reimbursable by a dental insurance plan. This period of “non-benefit” depends on the specific plan that you have with your insurance company. Most plans have exclusionary period of 2 years for fillings, and seven to ten years for crowns.

Dental insurance typically has a "dental maximum' that the insurance company is willing to pay out for any given calendar year, or until the plan rolls over.  This amount varies but generally is $1000 or $1500.

If you have more questions about dental insurance, please call our office at the number below or visit our website for more information about what we can do to help your dental health.

-Dr. Cooper

859-266-2570

Cooper Family Dentistry

Cooper Family Dentistry is a dental office located in the Lansdowne Shopping Center on Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington, KY dedicated to helping you and your family achieve the best oral care.

Unmasking Sleep Apnea Treatments: What to Try If CPAP Doesn't Work for You

Many people don't like and can't get used to wearing a CPAP.  There are alternatives.  Click here to read the full Article.  For any questions you have please call our office below or visit our website.  We have made snoring appliances for many people who now sleep better than ever.

-Dr. Cooper

859-266-2570

Cooper Family Dentistry

Cooper Family Dentistry is a dental office located in the Lansdowne Shopping Center on Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington, KY dedicated to helping you and your family achieve the best oral care.

Implant Supported Dentures

Dentures are a wonderful way to restore function for an individual when no other way exists to save a patient's teeth.  Dentures made today need not be loose and ill-fitting.  Because of the advent of dental implants we have ways to stabilize and support dentures that were not feasible 20-30 yrs ago.  I have patients that wear dentures without the concern of losing them during a meal or evening out with friends. Patients appreciate the added retention implants provide.  Typically, I am even able to retro-fit older dentures to accommodate the implants for added retention.  If you have questions about dentures or implants in general, please visit our website at the link below or give our office a call to schedule an appointment.

-Dr. Cooper

859-266-2570

Cooper Family Dentistry

Cooper Family Dentistry is a dental office located in the Lansdowne Shopping Center on Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington, KY dedicated to helping you and your family achieve the best oral care.

Acid Erosion of Teeth

Part of examining a patient's mouth when they come to our office is to check out all surfaces of existing teeth.  Once in a while I have a patient who presents with erosion on the backside (tongue side) of teeth.  This is typically something that patients don't realize is happening or can see until a dentist points it out.  It is concerning to me, especially when patients aren't aware of the issue.  Erosion of teeth is a symptom of a larger issue -- GERD.  GERD stands for Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease.  Essentially, stomach acid is making its way up the esophagus and into the oral cavity where erosion of the teeth is happening.  This can cause a bad taste or bad breath upon waking.  There are ways to control GERD so I encourage patients to seek care from their primary care doctor.  If you have concern about possible acid erosion or just need a regular checkup please visit our website at the link below or give us a call to schedule an appointment.

-Dr. Cooper

859-266-2570

Cooper Family Dentistry

Cooper Family Dentistry is a dental office located in the Lansdowne Shopping Center on Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington, KY dedicated to helping you and your family achieve the best oral care.

Best Time to Crown a Tooth After Root Canal

The best time to crown a tooth after a root canal is immediately.  The fact of the matter is that I typically wait until symptoms calm down.  Sometimes the root canal procedure can cause the tooth to be achy.  As soon as the tooth settles down I like to get a crown on the tooth because the temporary filling that the dentist places after root canal treatment has a good chance of leaking sooner than later.  If you have more questions about crowns, root canals, dental insurance or dental concerns, visit our website below or call us.

-Dr. Cooper

859-266-2570

Cooper Family Dentistry

Cooper Family Dentistry is a dental office located in the Lansdowne Shopping Center on Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington, KY dedicated to helping you and your family achieve the best oral care.

Did you Know...

Did you know toothpicks haven't always been made of wood. In ancient times, people used combination "tooth/ear pickers" made of bone, quills, silver, or gold. These "detiscalpias" were used freely by even the best-mannered citizens.

-Dr. Cooper

859-266-2570

Cooper Family Dentistry

Cooper Family Dentistry is a dental office located in the Lansdowne Shopping Center on Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington, KY dedicated to helping you and your family achieve the best oral care.

Braces and Brushing

Many more kids are sporting braces these days than when I was growing up.  I'm pretty sure that my parents would say the same thing about their childhood.  Braces are a great tool for bringing the teeth into ideal alignment.  I've seen increased incidence of cavities when teeth aren't ideally aligned, so I encourage braces.  But, with during the period of wearing braces comes the hassle of increased chance of decalcification of teeth and subsequent cavities.  It is important to brush and floss at home.  I advocate use of an electric brush and air flosser.  Both of these make oral care much easier on children.  I also believe it's important to get to the dentist regularly for cleanings and checkups.  With braces gums get inflamed and teeth harbor food.  If you have concerns about your child's teeth and want to get them in for a dental cleaning, please visit our website listed below or call our office for an appointment.

-Dr. Cooper

859-266-2570

Cooper Family Dentistry

Cooper Family Dentistry is a dental office located in the Lansdowne Shopping Center on Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington, KY dedicated to helping you and your family achieve the best oral care.

Cracked Tooth Treatment

Saving teeth is what I do.  But, there are times when I'm forced to decide the fate of teeth due to cracks.  Cracks in teeth can present gradually or all at once.  For example, if a person bites into their steak for dinner and crunches down hard on a bone it is possible a tooth will form a crack.  Gradual formation of a crack can occur in teeth of a grinder or just someone who is rough on their teeth.  As for treatment of a crack it depends on the severity of the crack.  If the crack extends minimally into the tooth or down the side of the tooth I might be able to place a filling or crown the tooth to help hold it together.  If the crack extends too far down the tooth's side or too far into the tooth, I would find it unrestorable and get it out.  That leads into replacement of the tooth which is beyond the scope of this post, but the point I make is that the ability to restore a cracked tooth depends upon the extent of the crack.  If you are concerned about your teeth and oral health, please call our office at the phone below or visit the website at the link below.

-Dr. Cooper

859-266-2570

Cooper Family Dentistry

Cooper Family Dentistry is a dental office located in the Lansdowne Shopping Center on Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington, KY dedicated to helping you and your family achieve the best oral care.

Triclosan linked to Cancer

If you have been keeping your ear to the ground lately you likely have read about Colgate toothpaste and the ingredient Triclosan.  Triclosan is used in Colgate toothpaste to combat gum disease.  The Daily Mail came out with an article August 11, 2014 informing people of a Freedom of Information Request that was filed, and finally approved, to find out the truth behind Triclosan and cancer.  

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2722289/Chemical-used-Colgate-Total-toothpaste-linked-cancer.html

Fox News posted this article on August 21, 2014 to try and downplay the divulged information: 

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/08/21/setting-record-straight-about-colgate-total-toothpaste/

which defends Colgate's position but trying to calm the "storm" with repeatedly emphasizing safety of Triclosan.

In the end, the FDA and ADA are still on board with Triclosan (as of today's post).  It's important to read the articles for yourself and know the potential any chemical may impose on your body.  Each institution that writes an article on Triclosan or other topic will try and skew you to believe one way or another.  Again, read these linked articles and do more research to find truth for yourself and your family.  At some point I will likely write an article on another topic of growing interest -- Fluoride in our water systems.

-Dr. Cooper

859-266-2570

Cooper Family Dentistry

Cooper Family Dentistry is a dental office located in the Lansdowne Shopping Center on Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington, KY dedicated to helping you and your family achieve the best oral care.

New Video Tour of Cooper Family Dentistry

-Dr. Cooper

859-266-2570

Cooper Family Dentistry

Cooper Family Dentistry is a dental office located in the Lansdowne Shopping Center on Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington, KY dedicated to helping you and your family achieve the best oral care.

Tooth Pain From a Heavy Bite

Lately I've seen a number of patients that seem to have tooth pain related to their bite being "off".  The history of a patient's tooth pain is just as important as the objective testing I do such as taking an x-ray and tapping on the tooth.  The story I usually get is one that includes a history of a filling done within the last 6 months.  I typically test the tooth with cold air, pressure, and checking the bite.  I've found that a tooth that is heavy in occlusion(the bite is high) will lead to a pain in that very tooth or the one opposing it.  If you have issues with your bite or merely have questions about your dental health in general or want a cleaning, please give our office a call or follow the link below to our website to schedule an appointment.

-Dr. Cooper

859-266-2570

Cooper Family Dentistry

Cooper Family Dentistry is a dental office located in the Lansdowne Shopping Center on Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington, KY dedicated to helping you and your family achieve the best oral care.

Toothpaste Allergy or Taste Sensitivity to Toothpaste

It's not very common, but sometimes I run across a person who has an allergy to an ingredient in toothpaste. And, sometimes I find people, especially kids, who don't like the flavor of toothpaste.  In the past I know companies have tried cinnamon flavor in toothpaste to remedy that, although cinnamon can cause irritation to gums and cheeks occasionally.  An 'old-time' recipe for toothpaste we recommend at our office is:

1 part baking soda
1 part salt

Mix the 2 together and wet the mixture enough to make it a paste.  This mixture also works well for inflamed gums, but remember is no substitute for visiting your dentist for a checkup.  Flavor is obviously compromised here.  But, You can find flavoring online at Ebay or Amazon, as well as in stores like Michael's that sell cake making products.  This is a way to make toothpaste that is effective and also tastes like pina colada.
If you have further questions about your dental health or need a checkup, visit our website or give us a call.

-Dr. Cooper

859-309-6052

Cooper Family Dentistry

Cooper Family Dentistry is a dental office located in the Lansdowne Shopping Center on Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington, KY dedicated to helping you and your family achieve the best oral care.

Electric Flossers

I've pointed out the importance of flossing in recent blog posts.  Flossing keeps cavities from forming between teeth as we as keeps bone loss and gum inflammation(gingivitis) from occurring.  Some individuals need extra help flossing from lack of ability to clean adequately.  Some people love flossing aides such as Reach's Flosser or Plackers that are very portable.  Electric flossers are used primarily at home in front of your sink.  They use a stream of water to flush debris from between teeth much like a water gun could.  Being either a/c powered or battery powered gives the user the ability to push a button making flossing much easier.  Waterpik is a classic example.  Typically, Waterpiks come with a high pressure and a low pressure tip for the user's preference.  Waterpiks work well under dental bridges or around teeth that have significant bone loss.  If you have any more questions about a Waterpik or about improving your oral health and scheduling a regular checkup, please give us a call or visit our website at the link below.

-Dr. Cooper

859-309-6052

Cooper Family Dentistry

Cooper Family Dentistry is a dental office located in the Lansdowne Shopping Center on Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington, KY dedicated to helping you and your family achieve the best oral care.

Partial Dentures

Partial Dentures are an affordable way to replace teeth that you are missing.  This is because whether you are missing 1, 2, or 6 teeth, the price of the partial doesn't change.  By definition a partial denture is a denture that replaces as many teeth as needed right short of a complete denture.  I have made partials for people that replace only 1 tooth, and partials that replace most of a person's teeth.  Partials are custom made to fit your mouth and feel as natural as possible.  If you're interested in getting a partial to replace teeth, have further questions about partials, or need to get a dental checkup, please check out our website at the link below or give us a call.

-Dr. Cooper

859-309-6052

Cooper Family Dentistry

Cooper Family Dentistry is a dental office located in the Lansdowne Shopping Center on Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington, KY dedicated to helping you and your family achieve the best oral care.