About 30 million Americans have diabetes, and another 89 million are prediabetic. Diabetes has a significant relationship with periodontal disease. Diabetes lends to a compromised immune function, which becomes a key factor in patients with periodontitis, also known as gum disease. In our office, we’re interested in the optimal treatment of diabetic patients. When we first meet patients, we identify patients at risk for diabetes, even if they do not have a formal diagnosis. On occasion, we may provide an in-office test to assess for diabetes for at-risk patients. We refer patients to local physicians for diabetic control. We continually review… [ Read More ]

Everyday in our practice, we interview and screen patients for heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). We can identify heartburn on the teeth where acid has eroded potholes into the teeth. Often, we can diagnose GERD before a patient or their physician is aware of it. We counsel and refer patients for the proper care when GERD is suspected, and we reinforce how GERD can be a contributing factor not only to tooth damage, but also to some types of oral and pharyngeal cancers. Now some new information has come to light. The link between chronic GERD and some head… [ Read More ]

I’m Chris Rafoth, the dentist at Lyons Creek Dental Care. This video explains the patient benefits of high tech dentistry. The first time you encounter high technology is in your examination. We can use digital x-rays, which are much more accurate than conventional x-rays. We use intraoral cameras that are high-resolution digital cameras that provide us a tour of your mouth much more clearly in real time. We also use laser and light fluorescent technology to discover tooth decay. We take the guess work out of deciding whether or not you got a stain on your tooth or a true… [ Read More ]

Osteoporosis is a bone disease that affects an estimated 12 million Americans and another 40 million are at risk for developing the disease. One of the troubling things about osteoporosis is that it is rarely detected before a fracture occurs. At that point, the disease is more advanced and bones have already lost much of their density. Luckily, dentists are on the lookout for early signs of osteoporosis. “The first sign of osteoporosis is usually discovered when we do a thorough gum and bone examination,” says Dr. Rafoth. Depending on what the dentist finds in the examination, taking into account… [ Read More ]

A recent local news report on King5.com’s Healthlink, illustrates how serious the problem of dental decay is in children. It also shows a simple strategy for parents to reduce the risk of tooth decay in their kids: “Tooth decay is largely preventable, but it remains one of the most common diseases of childhood — five times as common as asthma, and seven times as common as hay fever, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC says 42% of children ages 2 to 11 have had cavities in baby teeth; 21% of those ages 6 to 11 have… [ Read More ]

I like to have a visit where I simply get to know the patient and their parents. That way I can best understand the patient’s level of autism, their level of tolerance, and how to communicate and interact with them. It also helps to build trust with an autistic patient, and jumping into care right away can be a negative experience without preparation and familiarization. I encourage parents to allow comfort items to come along for the visit—a stuffed animal, a blanket, a toy. My office is an active place during business hours, but it’s calm and collected, and everybody is… [ Read More ]

Traditionally, dentists and physicians have used 2-dimensional x-rays to diagnose patients’ problems and aid in treatment. With the advent of 3D cone beam CT (CBCT) images, has come a superior means by which to identify problems, plan treatment, deliver treatment, and avoid critical failures. In the case of dentistry, CBCT has made it easier for doctors and patients to successfully deliver all types of dental care. In fact, there are so many advantages to using CBCT, that it is now considered the standard of care in many parts of the country. This image shows how we can use 3D to… [ Read More ]