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New! Single Appointment Dental Crowns in Nanaimo | CEREC

Do you need a crown but dislike the thought of two trips to the dentist with a two week period of wearing an uncomfortable temporary crown in-between? Anyone who has had a crown, knows that this is just part of the process. But does it have to be?

With CEREC, or same appointment dental crowns, it all gets done in one visit!

CEREC, or single appointment crowns, are a sophisticated computer-aided system for producing durable high-quality ceramic restorations. It is simple to use, fast and is excellent for conserving the natural tooth. CEREC is ideal for patients who want a solid ceramic, authentic tooth-coloured alternative to traditional crowns made in a dental lab – all completed in one visit.

Are CEREC crowns new?

CEREC technology is not new. In fact, it has been around for nearly 30 years. Then why are they not offered by every dentist? Many dental offices have not invested in this technology, due to start-up costs and additional training in computer dental assisted design and milling.

Dr. Mahara at Downtown Nanaimo Dental Group, however, has chosen to invest in this valuable CEREC Crown technology so that all of our patients can minimize their time spent away from work and family yet also receive optimal restorative results.

Benefits of CEREC

CEREC crowns allow tooth restorations to be completed in a single session but there are several other benefits. First of all impressions are done with super accurate digital impressions. This means no more putty-like material in your mouth to get an impression.

Secondly, the tooth is prepped and the crown fitted during the same visit, so there is no need for a temporary crown. Temporary crowns, typically worn for about two weeks with traditional crowns can come loose or weaken during wear. This is a thing of the past with CEREC technology.

Since CEREC crowns are made of a solid block of ceramic, they are considered to have a very strong structure.

Not only are CEREC crowns known for being strong, but ceramic provides a very natural looking crown which reflects light in a similar way to our natural tooth structure. Additionally, the ceramic blocks come in a wide variety of shades and colours, so your crown can be selected to blend in naturally with your surrounding teeth.

Limitations

Like every great thing, it may not work in every situation. CEREC technology is not right for all patients in all situations. Depending on the circumstances and location of the tooth to be restored, other types of crowns may be more appropriate.

Conclusion

CEREC crowns are convenient and offer benefits such as excellent structural strength and natural appearance. They are not offered by every dental office and there are some limitations to their application. Downtown Nanaimo Dental Group is proud to bring CEREC technology to our patients. Please call to book an appointment with Dr. Mahara today.

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New Technology Reverses Dental Freezing

Do you dread that after dental treatment freezing that seems to linger too long – impeding your ability to go back to work, talk properly or to eat?

Your dentist works hard to ensure that you are comfortable during your treatment and this often means dental freezing which usually encompasses not only the nerves of the tooth being worked on, but the tongue and lips too. Unfortunately the freezing lasts much longer than the dental procedure so it’s difficult to go back to work or any other activity until the freezing dissipates – up to two hours later!

Now there is a new technology that can reverse the freezing process and leave you freezing-free in under half the time! It’s called OraVerse and Dr. Mahara and his Downtown Dental Group team are proud to offer it to their patients.

How does it work?

After your dental procedure, your dentist simply injects OraVerse in the same way as dental freezing is administered. There is no pain involved since the area is already numb from the dental freezing. The injection reverses the effects of numbness after a dental procedure and accelerates the return of normal sensation and function.

Why choose it?

If you’ve had unwanted and unnecessary lingering numbness in the lips and tongue after routine dental procedures, you know the following symptoms all too well. A loss of sensation can result in accidentally biting the inside of the lips or cheeks, difficulty with smiling, drinking, and speaking and possibly even uncontrolled drooling. Effects range from annoying and embarrassing to painful!

How quickly will the freezing go away?

Research has shown that freezing will go away in under half the time with this treatment. In clinical trials, the median time to recovery of normal sensation in the upper lip was 50 minutes for OraVerse patients vs. 133 minutes for the control group, and in the lower lip was 70 minutes for OraVerse patients vs. 155 minutes for the control group.

Is it safe?

The safety of OraVerse has been evaluated in 5 clinical trials involving 777 adults, adolescents and children. To date, over 4,500 dentists have purchased OraVerse. The adverse events reported since the introduction of OraVerse have been consistent with those seen in clinical trials.

In the clinical trials, the most common side effects with OraVerse compared to the control group were pain after the procedure (6% vs. 6%), injection site pain (5% vs. 4%), increase in heart rate (5% vs. 6%), headache (3% vs. 4%) and decrease in heart rate (2% vs. 0.3%). The majority of side effects were mild and went away within 48 hours.

Who should not receive OraVerse?

OraVerse is not recommended for use in children less than 6 years of age or weighing less than 33 lbs. In addition, OraVerse has not been studied in pregnant women, and it is not known if OraVerse is passed to the baby while nursing so caution should be exercised if a pregnant or nursing woman is considering using OraVerse. Please consult with your doctor or dentist.

There are no known drug interactions with OraVerse but you should always inform your dental professional about all medications you are taking.

Ask us about OraVerse at your next dental appointment at Downtown Nanaimo Dental Group.

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Invisalign Promotion | Save $500 + Free Whitening!

Between October 15th – December 1st 2015 receive $500 off your Invisalign treatment  and get a free teeth whitening with Invisalign at Downtown Nanaimo Dental Group!

Call us today to book your free Invisalign consultation with Dr. Mahara: 250-754-4322!

Watch these videos to learn more about how Invisalign can straighten your teeth and greatly improve your oral health.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuEdiXmdkLc&height=80&width=180

 

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Hike for Nepal Fundraiser Completed!

Dr. Mahara and his team at Downtown Nanaimo Dental Group and the Rotary Daybreak Club of Nanaimo recently combined efforts to raise more funds and awareness for the earthquake victims of Nepal. On Saturday, September 26th, blessed by warm weather and sunshine, Dr. Mahara rallied a group of 21 hikers up to the summit of Mount Benson.

Although the weather was good, the hike was still a challenge for many of the participants and Dr. Mahara and the event organizers were tremendously proud of all of the hikers! With steep sections and some loose ground in spots, the 2 hour hike up to the summit of Mount Benson felt like climbing 4000 stairs! The additional 2 hour hike downward proposed its own challenges – although less of a cardiovascular workout, tricky footing and impact to the knees and joints was felt by most. There were a fair share of minor slips but everyone arrived at the bottom of the hill exhilarated and safe.

Financially, the hike was a huge success, with over $2,000 dollars raised through pledges that the hikers received from supporters from around Vancouver Island. This will be added to the $4,000 plus dollars raised through Nepal t-shirt sales and then matched by funding at both National and International levels of Rotary.

The Rotary Daybreak Club, of which Dr. Mahara is a member, plans to use the funds raised from the hike and from t-shirt sales as seed money to leverage “Rotary International” matching grant scheme to create the maximum value that can be used to support a project to rebuild the basic services in a village in Nepal. Basic services include access to safe housing and drinking water and education.

Traveling to Nepal on a Rotary Club mission to fund some schools in the country of his origin, Dr. Mahara found himself in the middle of the major earthquakes and after-shocks which occurred in April / May 2015.

Arriving back in Nanaimo a few weeks later, Dr. Mahara wanted to help the people of Nepal.  Through his Downtown Dental Group office he held a candle light vigil, designed and sold Nepal t-shirts and now has completed the Hike for Nepal.

To support the ongoing rebuilding needs of Nepal, Dr. Mahara is planning the Hike for Nepal as an annual event held in September of each year. Visit the Hike for Nepal Facebook page to keep up to date with the planning and to participate in the 2016 event! Also, a limited number of Nepal T-shirts are still available for just $20.

Thanks to everyone who supported the Hike for Nepal in one way or another. We couldn’t have done it without you!

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The Surprising Causes of Dental Erosion

We all know how important our teeth are to our overall health.  Once we realize that enamel, the hard outer surface of the tooth, does not contain living cells and therefore does not have the ability to repair itself, it becomes a priority to protect it.

Dental erosion refers to the enamel of the tooth being worn away –forever.  As the enamel of the tooth erodes, the tooth is weakened and prone to a host of dental problems.

What causes dental erosion?

There are a number of causes for tooth erosion, however, all of the causes relate to an acidic condition of the mouth which then erodes the enamel.

Some of the causes are:

Dry mouth – since saliva helps balance acidic levels in the mouth, this condition greatly reduces the body’s ability to maintain a healthy environment in the mouth

Medications –aspirin and antihistamines for example

Environmental factors –including wear and tear and accidents that cause tooth damage

Researchers have recently discovered, however, that the biggest causes of dental erosion are frequent consumption fruit juices and soda!

Why are fruit juices and soda so bad for our teeth?

Sugary drinks such as, diet and regular sodas, carbonated drinks, flavored fizzy waters, sports drinks, fruit and fruit juices, cause damage to our teeth when they are consumed too often.  This is because acidity levels in the mouth are not given enough time to restore itself when these drinks are consumed too often.

Better alternatives

Although fruit juice may be a nutritious drink, the high concentrations of sugar and acid can lead to severe dental damage if these drinks are consumed often each day.  Meanwhile, sodas have no nutritional value, so there is not much of a case to include them in a person’s diet.

Two beverages that are safe to drink and show up regularly in the research as a trend among those people with less enamel erosion, include milk and water.

Dr. San Mahara, comments that, “drinking milk or water are great choices for the good of our oral health.  But if we do drink sugary drinks, keep in mind that it is how often we consume them that causes the most concern – for better health try to reduce how often you reach for these drinks.”

Conclusion

Dental erosion can occur at varying levels of severity and does not always need to be treated. With regular check-ups and advice your dental team can prevent the problem getting any worse and the erosion going any further.

Severe cases of tooth wear can result in the need for major restorative dental work, so it is important that we keep to a good oral hygiene routine to help ensure that these challenges do not arise in the first place.

Contact us at Downtown Nanaimo Dental Group to book an appointment for questions about dental erosion or any of your family’s dental needs.

 

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Does the Sugar in My Medications Cause Tooth Decay?

It is nearly impossible to find a medication that does not list a host of possible side effects. Sometimes the potential effects are minor, like drowsiness or an upset stomach, other times more severe. But when it comes to liquid medicines, the possible damage to oral health are rarely mentioned.

New research conducted by the American Dental Association suggests that the sugar (sucrose) used in various common liquid medications may, over time, result in tooth decay. Read on to learn more about the sugar found in both everyday over-the-counter and prescription medications, and what you can do to keep your teeth healthy.

Why does sugar exist in medications?

Sugar is added to liquid medicines as a means of camouflaging the bitter or unpleasant taste of the medicinal ingredients. The sucrose also helps patients who experience difficulty swallowing their medications.

How does the sugar cause damage?

Like any other source of sucrose, the sugar found in medications is converted to an organic acid when broken down by bacteria. Most of the sugar is swallowed with the rest of the medicine, but some, naturally, remains behind in the mouth. The acid then, slowly over time, breaks down the surface of the tooth by eroding the enamel.

Since saliva contains repairing elements like calcium and fluoride, a natural counter-attack against the destruction of sugar already exists in the mouth. That healing process, unfortunately, takes time, so ensuring that the rate of damage does not overcome that of the repairing is important for good oral health.

Which medications contain the most sugar?

This particular study investigated a wide range of drugs and determined that over fifty liquid medicines contain between one and four grams of sugar per five-milliliter dose.

Codeine was found to contain one of the highest levels of sugar, at 4.3 grams (approximately one teaspoon) per dose. The study also considered the number of does a patient may be required to take in a day; codeine can be taken every four hours. Acetaminophen with codeine also contains a high sucrose level (three grams/dose).

Antibiotics were studied as well and some, such as azithromycin, cefuroxime, and erythromycin, among others, were found to contain at least three grams of sugar per dose. Also flagged for a high sucrose content include Nyquil, fluoxetine (antidepressant), senna (laxative), and carbamazepine (anticonvulsant).

What do the experts recommend?

If you are unable to swallow the pill form of your medication, don’t be alarmed—there are things you can do to lessen the chance of tooth decay from taking liquid medicines.

For everyday over-the-counter medicines, look for sugar-free versions or ask your pharmacist for types that are low in sucrose. If you are concerned about your prescription medication, bring those questions up with your doctor.

It is also recommended to avoid taking liquid medications after brushing your teeth before bed; the longer the acids remain on your teeth, the more potential harm. Therefore, taking surgary medicines right before bed is not ideal.

Since it an important matter, be sure to discuss your concerns with your dentist upon your next visit. This is especially recommended if your dentist feels you may be at risk for tooth decay.

We look forward to you contacting us at Downtown Nanaimo Dental Group for all of your family’s dental needs!

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My Invisalign Experience

Pre-Invisalign

For adults looking to straighten their teeth, nothing could be more of a blessing than a relatively new technology in orthodontics called Invisalign.

I was lucky not to have needed braces as a teenager, as my teeth were naturally quite straight.  In my early 20’s, however, my wisdom teeth came in fully and put the squeeze on my front upper and lower teeth making them slightly crooked.  I didn’t like it, but I didn’t see an alternative to fix it – until I discovered Invisalign.

What is Invisalign?

In brief, Invisalign is a removable system of braces which are nearly invisible.  An Invisalign technician creates a series of aligner trays (that look like thin, snugly fitting mouthguards) that are worn for two weeks each.  Each set of aligners moves your teeth one step closer to the straight position you want them in.

It’s almost like a dream come true – teeth straightening without juvenile looking braces!  I like the fact that I can remove them on my own to eat, clean my teeth and if I just feel like it.  On lookers can hardly even notice that I’m wearing them.

Challenges and opportunities with Invisalign

Although the aligners fit snugly on the teeth and don’t have much thickness, it does take some practice to speak normally.  In my first week I found myself with a lisp, which I used as an opportunity to tell everyone that I was doing some orthodontic work.

For any dentists out there, please note that it’s a great marketing tool to set your Invisalign patients out there to help you spread the word.  Several coworkers were immediately interested in learning more about Invisalign once they saw how non-intrusive it was.

Keeping the teeth constantly clean is another challenge with Invisalign.  I’ll write more about that in my week one experience.  In brief, it really makes you notice how often you snack or consume any sort of beverages besides water because you are supposed to brush and floss each time after doing so.

Why I chose Invisalign

I have to thank Dr. Mahara and his team for encouraging me to go for Invisalign.  Jenna, my hygienist, had mentioned it to me a couple of times during hygiene treatments since plague builds up around crooked teeth.  In fact, after hygiene I often felt like a space the size of the “grand canyon” had opened up in-between my crooked lower teeth.  Did she remove some of the tooth or what?  Nope, just lots of hardened plaque known as tartar.

Dr. Mahara also encouraged me to try Invisalign and he let me know that most of the people on his dental team, including himself, had used or were currently using Invisalign.  There’s nothing like leading by example.

In addition I already knew that Dr. Mahara was constantly undergoing professional development for himself and for his dental team – including extensive post-doctoral training at the prestigious LVI.  There was no doubt for me that he had the skills and experience to do a great job.

I was also swayed by Dr. Mahara’s philosophy which goes something along the lines of, “why just fix up your teeth, when you can transform the health of your mouth and the beauty of your smile?”

Without being pushy, Dr. Mahara gives you your options, including the best treatment option available. I simply chose to take the best option.

Stay tuned for my next Invisalign experience blog post where I’ll describe the fitting process and first week review!

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How Important is a Good Nights’ Sleep?

True or false: the negative effects of sleep deprivation are so great that people who are drunk outperform those lacking sleep. sleep dentistry nanaimo True! According to research findings from the Division of Sleep Medicine at the Harvard Medical School, sleep deprivation has severe consequences on your abilities.

Why is sleep so critical?

During sleep, your brain removes toxic proteins from its neurons. Not allowing your body to do its work during sleep has several negative effects, including: slowing your ability to process information and solve problems, reducing your creativity, and increasing stress levels.

How does sleep relate to overall health?

Besides greatly affecting your ability to function in your daily life in everything from work to relationships, sleep deprivation is linked to a variety of serious health problems, including: heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.

Lack of sleep also has a host of negative health effects on your immune system, makes you look older, and for men, not sleeping enough reduces testosterone levels and lowers sperm count.

6 ways to improve your sleep

1. Limit caffeine intake

Caffeine is a powerful stimulant that interferes with sleep by increasing adrenaline production. Since caffeine takes a full 24 hours to work its way out of your system, a cup of coffee at 8 a.m., will still have 25% of its effect by 8 p.m. Any caffeine in your bloodstream makes it harder to fall and stay asleep – and when you do fall asleep, caffeine interferes with the quality of your sleep.

2. Avoid devices that produce “blue light” near bed time

Sunlight contains high concentrations of this “blue” light which halts production of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin and makes you feel more alert. By the evening, your brain does not expect any blue light exposure and is very sensitive to it.

Unfortunately, most of our favorite evening gadgets such as laptops, tablets, televisions, and mobile phones—emit short-wavelength blue light. The best thing you can do is avoid these devices for at least an hour before bedtime – though television is okay for most people as long as they sit far enough away from the set.

3. Stop working late

Work in the evening stimulates the brain when you should be winding down and relaxing in preparation for sleep. Recent surveys show that roughly 60% of adults check their work emails up until they go to sleep. This can interfere with sleep.

Instead of checking in on work right until bed time, set a limit at which time you put away your work and allow your body to relax.

4. Take short naps

Most people feel sleepy in the early afternoon.  This is mainly due to a peak in melatonin production between 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.  In fact, you’re better off taking a short nap than relying on caffeine to keep you awake. A short nap will give you the rest you need and you’ll sleep much better in the evening than if you drink caffeine or take a longer afternoon nap.

5. Be aware of snoring or sleep apnea

A snoring spouse or sleep apnea could be robbing you of quality sleep.  If snoring is an issue, a sleep specialist can test to determine whether or not sleep apnea is occurring.

Dental sleep appliances can be used to treat snoring and even sleep apnea cases. The dental appliance is used to keep the jaw forward and reduce the partially blocked airway that makes the sound of snoring.  Contact our dental team at Downtown Nanaimo Dental Group for more information about dental sleep appliances and read more about dental devices for sleep apnea on our website.

 

 

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Newest Exhibitor at the Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce Business Expo

Downtown Nanaimo Dental Group is proud to be a new member of the Chamber of Commerce in Nanaimo and to be participatinghamber Business Expo 2014 as an exhibitor at the 2014 Business Expo.

The Chamber’s Business Expo is an opportunity for businesses to interact face-to-face with clients and other business owners in order to develop solid and long-term relationships. In 2013, 110 businesses showcased their services and operations. This event shows the strength of the business community in Nanaimo and the Chamber of Commerce in particular.

At the Expo, Downtown Nanaimo Dental Group will be showcasing its orthodontic expertise, especially Invisalign, a popular orthodontic treatment for adults and teens.  As well, the Downtown Dental Group team will be conducting a draw for a free in-office whitening treatment valued at $450.

Dr. San Mahara and his team of Nanaimo dental professionals are committed to their mission: “To provide ‘Life Enhancing Dentistry’ delivering state of the art dental care and services, exceeding the expectations of our valued patients while inspiring the personal and professional growth and stimulating satisfaction of our dedicated team.”

Downtown Nanaimo Dental Group are Certified Invisalign Providers and offer digital x-rays to increase their patient’s comfort and safety.

Dr. Mahara has specialized dental training in the following areas:

  • Cosmetic Dentistry
  • Neuromuscular Dentistry & TMD treatment
  • Sports Dentistry featuring performance enhancing mouth guards
  • Orthodontics with Invisalign
  • General and Family Dentistry
  • Teeth Whitening
  • Sleep Apnea Dentistry

Dr. Mahara’s professional background includes training at the world renowned Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies and the UBC School of Dentistry. He is Invisalign certified and a Member of the International Association of Orthodontics. Dr. Mahara and his staff are committed to make your dentistry experience as comfortable and rewarding as possible.

Downtown Nanaimo Dental Group joined the Chamber of Commerce to be a part of its mission to play a vital role in the business community and be an advocate and leader for business interests in the Nanaimo region.

The Chamber’s mission statement, to “enhance the quality of life by providing opportunities for businesses to succeed” connects to the core values of Downtown Dental Group and makes the team happy to be a part of the Chamber and to join the excitement at the Business Expo in 2014.

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How do Electronic Cigarettes Effect Oral Health?

The electronic cigarette (e-cig) introduced in 2007 has been marketed as a safe alternative to tobacco smoking but to date there has been little research on the impact of e-cigs on public health.  Dental professionals are concerned about the effects of e-cigs as the chemicals contained in the vapor of an e-cig first enters the body through the mouth.

How do e-cigs work?

E-cigs use a heating device to vaporize nicotine and other ingredients which provide the effects of smoking without the need for tobacco. Even without tobacco present, nicotine is known to be harmful to the body and associated with addiction and toxicity.

E-cigs use nicotine cartridges, each of which can provide 200 to 400 puffs or the equivalent of two to three packs of cigarettes. When liquid nicotine is heated inside the mechanism of the e-cig, it turns into a vapor that smokers inhale.

There are other differences with traditional smoking that could be negative health factors as well.  E-cig users tend to inhale more frequently and with greater depth which could mean that they absorb higher concentrations of nicotine and other toxins than conventional tobacco smokers.

Dental research on e-cigs

One of the challenges with e-cigs is that there is little research available on the health risks to users and non-users and very little on the oral effects of the contents and emissions of these nicotine delivery systems.

According to the American Dental Association:

“The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, one of the National Institutes of Health, proposes filling the research gap to better inform regulators, health care professionals and consumers about the effects of e-cigarette aerosol mixtures on the mouth, the gums and tissue that constitute the periodontal epithelia.

“With the growing social acceptance of ECs as an alternative smoking product, an urgent need exists to determine their true biological effects on oral tissues,” said an NIDCR announcement proposing research initiatives and inviting comment on the proposed themes, one of them “Effects of E-cigarette Aerosol Mixtures on Oral and Periodontal Epithelia.”

“Currently, the effects of long term exposure to ECs are completely unknown and present a potential oral cancer and periodontal disease risk for users, due to their higher exposure to these chemical mixtures,” the NIDCR said. “

(Excerpted from the American Dental Association news:  NIDCR proposes e-cigarette research September 05, 2014)

Preliminary conclusions about e-cigarettes

The general advice for patients considering using e-cigarettes is to use caution.  According to the British Dental Journal:

  • “The long term safety of e-cigarettes is not yet established
  • E-cigarettes are likely to be less harmful than tobacco cigarettes
  • The effectiveness of e-cigarettes as either a smoking cessation tool or a harm reduction tool is not yet established
  • Advice to patients who are unable or unwilling to use licensed NRT products is that although the safety of e-cigarettes cannot be assured they are likely to be a lower risk option than continuing to smoke.
  • Advise patients that there is the potential for advice about e-cigarettes to change as findings from research about the safety and effectiveness of e-cigarettes is published.”

(Excerpted from: British Dental Journal: Patients are asking about e‑cigarettes. What do we tell them? July 2014)

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