Community Service in the Dominican Republic

This is another blog that has nothing to do with dentistry, dental implants or dental sedation.  Pictured is my daughter, Kendall Jordan Caputo in the Dominican Republic with many of her 8th grade classmates from Berkeley Preparatory School, Tampa, Florida.  This trip was taken by the school to visit with sister school in the Dominican Republic.  The primary objective was to make these water filters for the families there.  

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Tooth #8 extraction, bone graft and flipper

Now the first surgical phase is complete.  To recount, from the beginning, This young lady presented to my Palm Harbor, Tampa Bay FL area dentist office in late December 2011 with the chief complaint of a loose tooth #8.  After clinical and radio graphic examination it  was noted that previously crowned tooth #8 was hopelessly fractured.  After discussion of all treatment options, the treatment choice was to 1) Fabricate a dental flipper for tooth #8 so after the Christmas / New Years holiday time period we could proceed with the definitive care plan.  2)  Extract tooth root #8 and do site preservation bone grafting – this picture shows the completion of this phase.  3) This step will be to place the dental implant into tooth #8 site.  4)  The last step is to restore the dental implant with a dental crown – the dental flipper will be worn until the completion of this last step.

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Tooth #8 extraction, bone graft and flipper

Most people here in the USA do not want to walk out of a dentist’s office missing a front tooth.  After the surgical phase of this dentistry is completed in my Dentist office in Palm Harbor, Tampa FL area, the flipper needs to be re-inserted.  This picture shows me putting the tooth #8 flipper back in place.

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Dental Bone Graft tooth #8

 

Almost done.  The root of tooth #8 has been extracted, the post extraction socket has been grafted.  A resorbable membrane trimmed and placed to contain and protect the graft.  Seen in this picture is after suturing has been completed and before the dental flipper is re-inserted.

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Fear of the Dentist

This is a very good article about Dental Phobia:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/06/dental-phobia-fears-dentist_n_1257277.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl10%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D134635

 

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Bone graft tooth #8 site

This picture shows the post tooth # 8 extraction site bone graft with a resorbable membrane complete just prior to suturing.

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Bone graft tooth #8 site

Processed human bone has been placed into the post extraction socket of tooth #8.  

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Bone graft tooth #8 site

The procedure is moving along very smoothly.  The adjusted resorbable membrane has been tucked between the reflected palatal tissue and the palatal bone.  The instrument in my hand is holding the reflected buccal gingivae.  The intact buccal plate of bone as well as the post extraction tooth socket are clearly visible.  The next step is to place the bone graft material into the socket.

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Bone graft tooth #8 site trimmed resorbable membrane

The membrane has been trimmed to fit between the adjacent teeth (#’s 7,9.)  Next I will place one end between the palatal tissue and the bone.  Subsequent blogs will show this.  Note the nasal canula, this patient is sedated.

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Dangers of Untreated Sleep Apnea

DANGERS OF UNTREATED SLEEP APNEA

 

Untreated sleep apnea is a serious condition that can have devastating effects on the body and mind. Sleep apnea’s most noticeable side effect is leaving the person feeling drowsy and fatigued throughout the day. A person may feel as if he/she is never able to get a good night’s rest no matter how long one “sleeps”. This is because people with sleep apnea stop breathing at night, anywhere from a few seconds up to minutes at a time. Therefore, a person is never able to engage in the deeper levels of sleep, such as the REM and Delta stages.

 

Sleep apnea causes a buildup of carbon dioxide in the blood which causes the heart to pump harder when trying to remove the carbon dioxide. In return, this causes a significant amount of stress on the heart. When untreated, sleep apnea can increase the chances of stroke, high blood pressure, and pulmonary hypertension. Many sleep apnea candidates have high blood pressure due to the extra work the heart has to perform in order to compensate for the lack of oxygen. If the condition is never treated, the strength of the heart begins to deteriorate and the heart pumps blood at a lower force than what the body needs.

 

Typically the heart is the first organ that experiences and shows signs of untreated sleep apnea. According to Neomi Shah, MD, at Yale University, having untreated sleep apnea for 4-5 years raises a person’s risk of having a heart attack and death by 30%.

 

While the heart is the most important concern as far as the effects of sleep apnea, other areas of your body and life can be affected as well. Many people who go through life with untreated sleep apnea are far more accident prone than those who have proper sleep at night. This is because sleep apnea patients can wake up hundreds of times per night fighting to catch their breath. They constantly feel tired and have trouble focusing during the day which leads to higher rates of accidents. Patients with sleep apnea have decreased reflex time due to the lack of energy. The reflexes and hand-eye coordination depend greatly on being well rested enough to focus.

 

There is a growing awareness of sleep apnea contributing to a wide range of health problems. By seeking medical attention and treating sleep apnea, you will not only feel better and more energized, but you’ll also be decreasing the chances of other health problems in the future.

 

If you think you or your partner may have sleep apnea, please contact our office immediately so we can schedule an appointment and take the necessary next steps to treat this deadly disease.

 

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