It doesn’t take a degree in rocket science or dentistry to know that people don’t want to come to the dental office for treatment. I can support that with conversations that I have every day with my patients. “I know you’re going to lecture me,” say a few. “Ready for my lashing,” says another. “I know what you’re going to tell me,” say the remainder. Some patients get right to it. “No offense, doc. This is the last place I want to be.” I get it. No one wants to be here. Yet they show up. I have some of… [ Read More ]

We want our patients to be well-informed, and make educated decisions about their care, especially when it comes to the proper use of antibiotic therapy. This is a link to the 2014 article from the American Dental Association regarding recommendations for antibiotic use in patients with prosthetic joint replacement.  For decades, the common practice has been for dental patients to take antibiotics prior to dental care to prevent a joint infection.  There has been a concern for many years that the risks of taking the antibiotics outweigh their protective benefits for prosthetic joints. But years of clinical and laboratory data have… [ Read More ]

Sensitive teeth can happen for many reasons. In this post, Dr. Rafoth addresses the 4 main causes of tooth sensitivity he sees in his practice. 1. Diet “Sometimes the diet we choose can make teeth sensitive. Foods and drinks that are higher in acids strip the protective layer of sludge (called the pellicle) from our teeth, exposing our teeth to more sensitivity with sweets or temperatures.” 2. Grinding and Clenching “Tooth grinding or clenching also makes teeth sensitive, because the supporting tissues of the teeth become inflamed. Inflammation can make teeth sensitive to biting, temperatures, sweets, sours, and spicy foods.”… [ Read More ]

Lyons Creek Dental Care offers an effective treatment for periodontal disease that uses Periostat. Periostat is a low-concentration doxycycline, which is an antibiotic used to successfully treat a number of infections. During this time of year especially, it is important to be mindful of the side effects, which can include photosensitivity (a higher risk of sunburn or skin sensitivity to sunlight). If you are being treated for periodontal disease with Periostat, you should be judicious about your time spent in the sun, and make an effort to wear sunglasses, hats, and even long sleeves. You should also, of course, apply… [ Read More ]

Dr. Rafoth wrote the following summary of this article:  The American Journal of Cardiology and Journal of Periodontology Editors’ Consensus, Vincent E. Friedewald, et. al., 7/2009  The human organism is complex. Abnormalities of almost any of its parts or processes have profound effects on multiple other body areas, exemplified by the process of inflammation. In recent years, the immune system, once believed to be only a vital defense against infection and a promoter of healing—except in the instances of a few uncommon connective tissue disorders—is now recognized as a significant active participant in many chronic inflammatory diseases (ID), including hypertension, diabetes,… [ Read More ]

We’re discontinuing Crest toothpaste products in our practice, and recommending that our patients consider an alternative to the Crest line. With the recent public presentation of polyethylene particles in Crest toothpastes, we conducted our own study of the product information and ingredients in Crest products. We feel that polyethylene is an unsafe and unnecessary ingredient for our patients, and our environment. There are countless ecological and physiological consequences of increased concentrations of plastic particles. Promoting these Crest products would not be in the best interest of our patients’ health, or in the best interests of promoting a healthy planet. Update… [ Read More ]

A patient recently asked me about an article they read which described the potential health risks of root canals. The article contends that root canals are the source of serious threats to your health. You can find the article here: http://humansarefree.com/2014/02/shocking-connection-97-of-all-terminal.html I would say that quackery is a sound description of the article. We’ll break down some of the high points of Mr. Mercola’s advice to the free world. But let’s go “big picture” for a minute. There are two goals in performing root canal therapy for patients. 1) eliminate the bacterial infection in a tooth in order to 2) maintain… [ Read More ]

Dr. Rafoth has been promoting environmentally conscious innovations in infection control since 1999.  Some of these included capturing amalgam before it entered the sewer system, and eliminating latex from all infection control barriers, equipment, and personal protective devices. Now we are introducing DentaPure, a dental unit waterline purification system. Using NASA technology, the DentaPure system eliminates the need for bleach tablets. DentaPure is an environmentally safe way to reduce biofilm and decontaminate water used at your dental visits. http://www.dentalproductsreport.com/dental/article/nasa-technology-treats-patient-use-water [ Read More ]