Tag Archives: Hillsborough NJ dentist

Expressions Of Gratitude From Members Of Our Team

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The holiday season means different things to different people. For some, it may be that they look forward to celebrating and spending time with family and friends. For others, it may be a time for faith and devotion.

 We’re Reflecting On The Things We’re Most Grateful For…

Everyone on our team has taken some time to reflect on her (or his) life and to list some of the things we’re grateful for.  We want to share those thoughts with you!  FYI, there was no collusion amongst we participants…

 What we are thankful for:

 Dr. Nadler

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“I’m thankful for having found my wife, Elizabeth, thirty years ago!  And, for our many friends who provide our lives with so much joy and meaning.  And, finally, for my dental practice which has been my raison d’etre for three decades…”

Liz

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“I am most thankful to have found my best friend, my soul mate, my husband, Richard.”

April

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“This year I’m most thankful for my family. Having a baby changes your life and I’m so thankful to have the continuous support from my loved ones.”

Remi

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“I am thankful for my beautiful family and wonderful friends, also for our freedom, the Country that we live in and everyone that helps keep us healthy and safe.  I am thankful for my daughter Sara, she is my sunshine and she makes me smile every day!  I am grateful for learning new things every day and being able to find humor in the craziest places.  And Lastly, I am thankful for my Parents.  When I became a Mom I gained a priceless appreciation for all parents!  Wishing everyone a Great Thanksgiving!”

Maria

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“This year, I am most thankful for my family, friends and life. I’m thankful for my husband, the love of my life and my best friend. I am thankful for my beautiful daughter that I love unconditionally and am so proud of everyday.  I’m thankful for my supportive parents who sacrifice a lot in order to give me and my brother a better life.  But above all, I am most thankful to have a great job that I love, and work together with amazing colleagues that I respect and appreciate.”

Allison

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“I am thankful that I have the opportunity to spend this holiday with my loving family and reconnect with great friends that are visiting during this time of the year. I am also thankful for all of the wonderful opportunities I have had throughout my life including schooling, traveling, and being involved in my favorite sports and activities.”

We Would LOVE To Hear From You Too!

As the holiday season approaches, what are you grateful for? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.

 One More Thing…

We’re so grateful for each of you—our wonderful patients and friends! Because of you, we love working here each day. We’re thankful for our relationships, and for the trust you place in us each time you visit and reach out with your health concerns and feedback.

We wish you a very happy holiday season!

What Are Loupes And Why Must Your Dentist Wear Them?

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Dr. Nadler and Zora Circa 2003

Dental loupes are the magnifying glasses that dentists wear to enlarge everything that they see in the mouth. There are two basic reasons why these glasses are worn. First and foremost, vision is improved simply because everything in the field of view is so much bigger. Secondly, loupes are worn to allow dentists to have a more “physiologic” posture while working, and thereby minimize the slouching which dentists are historically known to develop.

 

Why is it important to have an enlarged view of the working area? The most obvious answer is that a better and enlarged view of the treatment site automatically results in more precise dental work. Dentists are better able to see the shapes that they are carving or preparing in the natural teeth as well as in the final restorations which they are providing for their patients. Perhaps even more importantly, dentists are better able to make more accurate and complete diagnoses of what is occurring in each patient’s mouth.

 

As an example, I was testing out a new product which was touted to assist in better diagnoses of oral cancer. This system required the wearing of colored lenses used in conjunction with a special light. Using this system, I would be unable to wear my loupes. I first examined a patient using this new system without magnification. And then, put on my loupes and re-examined the patient. There was no comparison between the two examinations. Without magnification, even with the special light effect, much more was visible and apparent with magnification.

 

I began wearing loupes back around 1990 while I was taking advanced classes at the L.D.  Pankey Institute in Florida. It was at this time when I truly feel that the quality of the treatment which our office provided moved to an entirely new and higher plateau. Not only was I learning some amazing skills, but also the use of the loupes alone allowed significant improvement in my ability to provide excellent treatment.  Since that time, the loupes that I use have gotten increasingly longer and provide more magnification. These glasses are simply addictive to any dentist who is serious about doing his or her absolute best work.

 

A few years after beginning to wear them, I decided to try a headlight mounted right on the  loupes. After the first patient to be seen with this light, and in spite of the discomfort of extra weight on my nose, there was no turning back. The benefits of the light are nearly as significant as those of the loupes themselves. As good as the overhead dental light is, there are still shadows as we lean in as well as from the lips and tongue, etc.  Whereas, wearing the loop-mounted headlight, the light shines exactly where I am looking.

 

I don’t see how any dentist can work without either magnification or head-mounted lights. I believe that dental schools should teach the use of this equipment as mandatory – at least in the final year of dental school. If you’ve ever seen the intraoral photographs that we take for our patients, you’ll know what it’s like to look through loupes with light. It’s just so easy to see!

 

If you have not had the opportunity to see an intraoral photo of your teeth, please ask us for a demonstration at your next appointment. It will only take a moment and can be quite eye opening. If you have any questions or concerns please visit us online at www.DesignsForDentalHealth.com or call us at 908-359-6655.

Free Sleep Apnea Screenings Offered in November

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Again this year, we are offering free Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) screenings during the month of November. This is our way of giving thanks for all the blessings which we have received during the year, and it is our hope that we may potentially save a life by providing this service.

 Sleep apnea is a serious condition with potentially life-threatening side effects. Most people are not at all aware of this condition and certainly do not think that it affects them.  People who have Obstructive Sleep Apnea are at risk for various medical conditions including:

  •  Adult onset diabetes (the #1 growing disease currently in the US!)
  • High blood pressure (especially when resistant to treatment)
  • Anxiety and depression
  •   Daytime sleepiness
  •  Heart attacks and strokes
  •   Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD)

In addition, OSA patients are prone to daytime sleepiness which places them at risk when driving. Also, these patients may struggle with diet-resistant weight gain.  Such patients frequently lose significant weight when treated for their sleep apnea condition.

If you have any of the above symptoms or conditions, or have been told that you snore or stop breathing while asleep – or you just sleep poorly – perhaps finding out if sleep apnea is the problem may be the prudent thing to do. The screening is very quick and easy. It involves a history form and a brief examination, after which a preliminary diagnosis can immediately be made.

This offer is available to all of our patients as well as their friends, family, and coworkers. Please take advantage of this service! The first step is to determine if you are at risk for sleep apnea.   Once a diagnosis is established, there are various ways to control the condition, allow you to sleep better, live healthier and feel great!

Call us at 908.359.6655 or visit our website at www.DesignsForDentalHealth.com to schedule your free screening.

Have a wonderful holiday!

Richard M Nadler DMD, FAGD and the Designs For Dental Health Team

Does Your Posture Make You Look Older?

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As we discussed in an earlier blog article, many people develop poor posture for one reason or another – sleep apnea (often undiagnosed), slouching over a desk, poor physical condition, etc.  Whenever we treat patients for Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMD), their posture must be addressed.  Simply by changing the position of a person’s head, the bite will change.  Try it for yourself.  Tap your teeth together while sitting or standing with your head level.  Now, tap the same way with your head tilted back and notice how differently the teeth meet.   Since a “bad” bite is the most common cause of TMD, the posture must first be “aligned” as we address the TMJ problem, and we do this using various techniques one of which will be highlighted in this article.

The simplest way that we employ to help correct the posture involves an exercise used to correct forward head position.  You may have read our earlier article about “Upper Crossed Syndrome” in which the head and neck are angled forward giving the appearance of “hunching” over.  Not only is this posture not proper for comfort and  physiology reasons, but people who carry themselves this way look older and less attractive.

 We ask our patients to address this posture problem while we are analyzing and treating their TMD problems by having them correct their hunching in this way:  Make believe that there is a string coming out of the top of your head.  Now see this string being pulled straight up so that you are being stretched taller.  Just sit or stand straighter, not military-style with the shoulders back, but just longer.  Finally, keeping your head level, tuck your chin back bringing your ears in line with your shoulders.  This exercise may be done during the day to help correct an acquired poor posture, while, at the same time, helping you to look younger and more “conditioned.”

Here is a link to a great video which demonstrates this exercise:  http://www.posturevideos.com/posture_video/forward-head-posture-correction/

If you have any questions about posture and TMD feel free to call us at 908.359.6655 or contact us via our website at www.DesignsForDental Health.com

I Learned First Hand What Being a TMD Patient Feels Like! AND, It’s All About the Bite!

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First, I believe that this is one of the most important articles that I’ll write.  For the past twenty plus years, the study of occlusion (how the teeth meet plus A LOT more) has been my passion.  It is very difficult to explain to patients how the bite can be responsible for so many dental issues.  And, it is even more difficult for patients to understand that fixing the bite does not generally mean just getting braces (orthodontics).

richardtensTENS To Relax Muscles

Having just returned from a three-day advanced TMD (Temporomandibular Disorder or TMJ disorder) program, I learned updated techniques to assist in the establishing of proper bites for patients –  especially those who suffer form head, neck and facial pain.  We were able to see objectively with the help of computer analysis how getting the jaw position right results in muscles which RELAX, and, therefore, STOP HURTING!

 And that is the big paradigm shift that is difficult for patients to understand.  Occlusion involves a system which includes the teeth, the upper and lower jaws, muscles, ligaments, nerves, etc.  And, when this system is out of balance, there may be a variety of signs (what the dentist sees) and symptoms (what the patient experiences) which develop.

If a person’s occlusion is out of balance, he or she may develop loose teeth, sensitive or painful teeth, worn and broken teeth, headaches, neck and shoulder pain, facial pain, dizziness, clicking or popping jaw, ringing in the ears, tingling fingers, and much more.  Most people, if told that they have problems due to their bite, assume that the only way to fix it is by having orthodontics or braces on their teeth. 

Orthodontics is a dental specialty which addresses how to straighten teeth and how to make the upper and lower teeth fit together.  It does not address the position of the jaw nor the muscles and other “soft” tissues which support the jaw.  And it is the jaw position and the muscles which need treatment to solve most bite-related problems.   Picture the jaw just hanging from the skull by muscles and ligaments.  As we close our mouths, we bite to bring our teeth together as best we can.  If our ideal “physiologic” jaw position and the tooth biting position do not match, the jaw is forced into a ”bad” position requiring muscles to work overtime.  Muscles which are over-worked build up lactic acid and begin to hurt.  Most people experience such pain when they begin a new exercise program.   So, just straightening the teeth without regard for jaw position nor muscle relaxation will not solve most problems of occlusion.

 Please do not misunderstand the value of orthodontics.  Due to various hereditary and environmental conditions, children develop crooked teeth which require straightening.  Such “malocclusions” are best treated early and after a thorough analysis of how the problem developed.  Orthodontists provide an excellent service and help both children and adults to look great and function well.  Having dabbled in orthodontics, I have a real appreciation for the amazing work that they perform.

richardk7Establishing a Correct Bite

But this article is intended for those who have true “occlusal” issues which tooth straightening alone will not resolve.  A thorough examination including a complete history, comprehensive examination, necessary xray evaluations, and diagnosis by a doctor or dentist who is well-versed with occlusal issues is the first step to successful  treatment.

 I am very excited about the wonderful advances that are being made in this field, and I welcome your comments and questions.  I plan to continue addressing this subject in upcoming blog articles.  Please let me know if you have specific questions which you will find interesting and pertinent.  You may contact me by calling the office at 908.359.6655 or through our website at www.DesignsForDentalHealth.com .

Dr. Nadler Lectures at SMC

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This past Thursday evening, I had the pleasure of speaking to the Diabetes Support Group at the Somerset Medical Center.  The title of the talk was “Diabetes in Dentistry –What You Need To Know.”  Two themes were emphasized during the hour-long lecture.

First, all systems and organs in the body are connected.  And, in this case, diabetics are at risk for more severe periodontal infections than the general population.  In addition, uncontrolled periodontal disease actually aggravates the diabetes as well as the reverse.

Second, it’s all about prevention.   Those with diabetes often have xerostomia or “dry mouth.“  So, not only do diabetics have a compromised ability to fight infections, butdry mouth also contributes to an increased risk of decay and gum disease.  As a result, cavities and gum disease can progress rather quickly in these patients.  And, by the time a person realizes that a problem exists, the issue is often quite advanced and requires more aggressive, costly and involved treatment to be addressed.  Prevention through regularly scheduled care  as well as proper home care is the best way to avoid such major problems. 

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The entire lecture as well as the questions and answers segment that followed was videotaped.  It will be on the hospital television channel as well as online at www.somervilletv.com under “Live TV.”

If you have any questions about diabetes and dentistry, it will be my pleasure to answer them.   I can be reached in the office @ 908.359.6655 or online at www.DesignsForDentalHealth.com  

 

Need a Dose of Commitment?

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Need A Dose Of Commitment?

If you had plans to change or improve or evolve in some way this year, I would love to know how you are doing!

Year after year, all of us who are regulars at the gym witness the “January Phenomenon.”  For about six weeks beginning at the end of December, there are too few parking spaces near the gym entrance.  It seems like long walks in the cold wearing only gym clothes is the norm until mid February.  Similarly, those of us who like to take classes – and I do love spin class – must arrive very early to claim an available bike as classes are generally full during that same time period.  Those that arrive in the nick of time are often bikeless and very disappointed.

Maintaining my commitment to exercise has never been an issue for me – I enjoy both working out as well as the people I’ve come to know at the gym.  As reported to you earlier this month, I began the “Clean” nutritional program again this year for the second time.  I felt great and had lost most of the holiday pounds which had been gained.  Then, came my birthday last week!  My wife loves to travel that week, so we went away for five days to “celebrate.”  Boy did we celebrate!  We traveled with two of our closest friends and played golf, ate great food, drank some nice wine, and forgot the cold weather – and our commitments.  Actually, for the first few days, except for some really nice wine, I ate only foods which were on the program and did not overindulge even a tiny bit.  On my birthday, fuggettaboutit!  What the heck, it was my birthday!
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That one day turned into a four-day food fest, and I felt like the prior two and a half weeks were wasted.  But, not true!  On Monday I started the program in earnest all over again without any signs of withdrawal!   So, I’m back on track with goals in tact and a plan to succeed.  The discomfort in my arthritic knees and the mirror in my bedroom are all I need to stay on track.  In the back of my mind is always the thought that a little compromise grows into a big one resulting in a loss of focus and the end of commitment.  Rewarding one’s self is another story and can help us meet our obligations to ourselves for the long haul.  That’s my view.

So, I wonder.  What can you share about your commitments?  What helps you to meet your goals or resolutions?  What experience can you share to help others?  I’d love to hear from you!  You may add a comment on this blog, send me an email via our website at www.DesignsForDentalHealth.com , or post a comment on our Facebook page.  May you all enjoy smooth sailing in the direction you have chosen for your lives!  All the best in 2013!

Happily Ever After: A Snoring Appliance Leads to Love

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Editors Note: This story is from a peer of ours who attends our same post-doctoral institute. We all know about the dangers of drunk driving; but, in fact, sleepy drivers are perhaps more dangerous and more common!  The patient described in this story realized he needed a snoring appliance for just that reason.  In the end, it helped him far more than for just getting a restful night’s sleep to drive safer…

I will never, make that NEVER, forget the second “snoring device” I ever made was for a guy sitting in the next operatory. He overheard me as I was describing the first snoring device I had ever made.  He came into the room and said, “I have to have one of those!  I just fell asleep during a red light on my way over here!”

This was 1984-5 and this was a “Snoring Appliance”.  I was, to indulge in some understatement, blithely unaware of all the health-related issues that this entailed.

While discussing his problem at the appointment the next day, he looked at me in that vulnerable, sleepy-eyed, basset hound way and said words to this effect: 

“Doc, I am serious about a woman. We have both been married and divorced, and have been dating for a couple of years. We think it is the real thing and we want to get married. We really love each other. So, we took the trip of a Lifetime together to Hawaii. It was a wonderful trip except………

 

the first morning I woke up and there was a note on her pillow:

 

Dear XX,

I love you dearly.  But, I cannot marry you and sleep in the same bed with you because of your snoring. I am in room #201, call me to discuss this.

 

Doc, can you help me?”

Well, I made him the appliance that I knew at the time. And it, luckily, stopped him from snoring. I got a call from the newly wed Mrs. XX, who called and said, graciously, “Thank You”. She also shared with me what a dilemma she faced when confronted for the first time as an adult sleeping with a freight train sound next to her. And that this crazy device saved their relationship and they got married after all!

THE END

True story.  And because it happened so early in my efforts, I have always believed we can help, at least in some way or another.