Chicago Dentist

Thomas K. Barber co-wrote an influential article in the late 1950s that advocated early and proactive orthodontics work on children based on projections of how their adult teeth would come in. A longtime professor and later an adjunct faculty member at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s dental school, Dr. Barber, 84, died Thursday, July 24, in California of complications following heart surgery, UIC spokesman William Bike said. He was a resident of Arroyo Grande, Calif. Dr. Barber received his dental degree and a master’s in pediatric dentistry from UIC in 1949. Two years later, he joined the school’s faculty and in 1965 was named head of its Department of Pediatric Dentistry. With UIC colleague Earl Renfroe, an orthodontic specialist, he wrote a 1957 article for the Journal of the American Dental Association that stressed the need for “interceptive orthodontics”—guiding the shape of a child’s bite and adult teeth formation at an early age.

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Dental flossing technique. The information found on this page provides instructions for what we would consider a good tooth flossing technique. It’s one that is thorough and one that should be able to keep you in good dental health, if practiced daily. We’d suggest that you study our description of this technique and then demonstrate your interpretation of our instructions to your dentist or dental hygienist. This way they can refine your flossing technique as needed, and also give you tips and pointers that may help you use dental floss more effectively in specific locations in your mouth.

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When using dental floss, think in terms of using the floss to scrub as much of the surface of each tooth as is possible. When reading Dental-Picture-Show.com’s flossing instructions take note of their description about pulling the dental floss up against the side of each tooth being cleaned. The vast majority of people, including those who do use dental floss regularly, simply do not have a grasp of this concept. Dental floss is intended to clean teeth by way of scrubbing dental plaque off their surface. Effective flossing is not accomplished by just placing dental floss between teeth. Effective flossing involves placing dental floss between your teeth and then drawing it up against the side of each tooth individual tooth and scrubbing as much of its surface as is possible.

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Childhood obesity rates have tripled over the past two decades. The calorie-dense, fatty, salty diet eaten by American children, combined with the serious lack of physical activity means that 25% of kids under 10 years of age have high cholesterol, high blood pressure or some other contributor to heart disease. A new report has issued a stark warning that children’s lives will be shorter than their parent’s if this trend continues. While extreme calorie reduction is not advisable for children, a balanced diet of whole foods and reduced dietary fat is recommended. The biggest challenge is finding a way to make what’s nutritious delicious enough to satisfy kids’ craving for sweets.

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ABC’s Good Morning America did a piece last month on dental bleaching at kiosks in malls. They claim that the kiosks are popping-up in malls across the country. I have not been in a mall since probably 1996 but I will assume they are correct and report what they found. ABC News’ Cincinnati affiliate WCPO investigated some mall bleaching kiosks using hidden cameras to uncover what goes on in the booths. The promise? Whiter teeth in just 30 minutes for a fraction of the price a dentist would charge. It’s not a dentist office, it’s a mall. People are getting their teeth whitened in a corridor, wedged between a jewelry story and a makeup shop.

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Bad Breath is an embarrassing problem. Many of us would have suffered from bad breath at some point in our lives. Bad Breath is usually caused by the breakdown of proteins by bacteria somewhere in the mouth. Bad breath is not contagious, meaning you cannot catch it from someone else. Chronic bad breath, known as Halitosis, does not come from the stomach. The only odor that comes from the stomach is when you burp. Food eaten such as garlic and spicy foods once absorbed into the body can release odor through the lungs when you breathe. Food odors are transitory and should not be confused with bad breath. Human’s sense of smell has the ability to adjust to odor. Therefore, most people with halitosis are not aware of their bad breath.

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Bad breath is breath that has an unpleasant odor. It’s also known as halitosis. This odor can strike from time to time, or it can be long-lasting, depending on the cause. Millions of bacteria live in the mouth, particularly on the back of the tongue. In many people, they are the primary causes of bad breath. The mouth’s warm, moist conditions are ideal for the growth of these bacteria. Most bad breath is caused by something in the mouth. Some types of bad breath are considered to be fairly normal. They usually are not health concerns. One example is “morning mouth.” This occurs because of changes in your mouth while you sleep. During the day, saliva washes away decaying food and odors. The body makes less saliva at night. Your mouth becomes dry, and dead cells stick to your tongue and to the inside of your cheeks. When bacteria use these cells for food, they produce a foul odor.

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How Does What You Eat Affect Breath?

Basically, all the food you eat begins to be broken down in your mouth. As foods are digested and absorbed into your bloodstream, they are eventually carried to your lungs and given off in your breath. If you eat foods with strong odors (such as, garlic or onions), brushing and flossing - even mouthwash - merely covers up the odor temporarily. The odor will not go away completely until the foods have passed through your body.

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The last time Barbara Stepp of Homewood visited her dentist, she told him about her ongoing kidney infection. “He immediately plopped me down in the chair and started doing acupuncture,” said Stepp, 70. Stepp’s dentist, John Rothchild in Hoffman Estates, is a longtime member of the American Dental Association. He uses the latest high-tech equipment to take X-rays, remove teeth and whiten smiles. But Rothchild’s practice is based on a holistic philosophy that says the health of your mouth can affect your entire body.
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In addition to acupuncture, his integrative treatment portfolio incorporates the use of mercury-free fillings, cranial therapy and homeopathic remedies. The ADA maintains that “silver” amalgam fillings, which contain mercury that can leach into the environment, are not a human health threat. And it considers muscle testing (or applied kinesiology) techniques, dental homeopathy and craniosacral therapy to be “unconventional” and not yet supported by science. Dental acupuncture, meanwhile, needs to be supported by a major research effort, the ADA says. But mounting research supports what holistic dentists have long believed: Although the mouth may not be the window to your soul, it can reveal potential medical problems in other parts of the body, including the heart, lungs and brain. And as the connection grows stronger, dentists who focus on treating the whole body as well as the teeth and gums—with prevention, education and nutrition playing a central role—may one day assume the role of a “primary care doctor.” “The ADA teaches brushing and flossing to control ever-present disease,” Holistic Dental Association President Tim Gallagher recently wrote in the group’s journal. “Instead, we teach brushing and flossing to check effectiveness of cellular immunity.” More than 75 percent of Americans over age 35 have gum or periodontal disease, an infection that can trigger an inflammatory response not just in the gums but throughout the body.

Your mouth speaks volumes about overall well-being — chicagotribune.com

Contrary to popular belief, flossing isn’t just a way to dislodge food wedged between your teeth. Regular flossing reduces cavities, gum disease and bad breath by helping to remove the bacterial film called plaque that forms along the gum line.

How To Floss Your Teeth | eHow.com

Levi Spear Parmly (1790-1859), a New Orleans dentist, is credited as being the inventor of modern dental floss.  He encouraged people to use silk thread to floss teeth as early as 1815. 
Despite the fact that dental floss is an idea almost 200 years old, most people do not make flossing a part of their regular dental care practices.  Failure to floss leads to both dental decay and bad breath.