June Giveaway Winner

Bill Holtzclaw was awarded the June giveaway, a free bleaching session this month. Congratulations! Bill's amusing dental experience won him a new smile. Below is his story that he shared to everyone.

"Back in the early '90s, while dealing with an ex-wife in Cobb Co., the judge was not amused with my attitude. He found me in contempt and ordered me to the Cobb Co. jail! I had a tooth bothering me and told one of the guards. Instead of giving me aspirin, they took me to the jail's infirmary, chained me to a dental chair and yanked my tooth out. I learned two lessons. First, don't make a judge mad; second, don't complain about anything in jail! I never replaced the tooth to serve as a reminder! I hope this story will get the remaining teeth white!"

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Veteran and Family of the Month

Military Veteran and Family of the Month Meet Herschel Reaid and Family, Veteran and Family of the Month Our office values our patients who have supported us through the years. To show our appreciation and respect, we select a patient of the month. Our office also has the opportunity to select an individual that we feel deserves recognition for their service to our country or in our communities. Typically these recognitions would have different awards and individuals represented. However, this month we would like to honor a family with both. For our "Honoring Those Who Serve Us" campaign, it is our pleasure to honor our long time patient, Herschel Reaid, a WWII U.S. Army  veteran and hero, as our Honored Veteran this month, as well as the entire Reaid Family as our Family of the Month. The Reaid Family have been patients in our practice for more than 50 years. Herschel and Sammie Reaid started with the practice in the late 1960s. Soon after, their children became patients. Children of Herschel and Sammie: Larry, Mike and Tony Reaid; as well as most of their own extended family members have been patients and many remain as patients today. We feel honored to have such nice families as the Reaid's as part of our dental practice. It is not often in today's world that four generations of one family stay in the same location, let alone stay in the same dental office.  It is our pleasure to know the Reaid Family and to be able to provide the family with quality dental care for so many years.    Herschel and Sammie Reaid with Dr. O'Shea Herschel Reaid was born on October 16, 1925 in Acworth, Ga. He was drafted into the military at the age of 18. He was a part of the Army Infantry as a Private 1st Class in Company I, 63rd Infantry Division, 6th Division. According to Herschel's son, Michael, Herschel served in WWII in the Pacific Campaign. He was injured by Japanese sniper fire and survived the ordeal to receive our nation's Purple Heart. Herschel is a very proud man who speaks respectfully about his service.  In sharing his combat experience with his children and others, Herschel has stated, "Everything that happened to me in the military that could have taken my life happened on a Sunday."    Herschel gives credit to God for watching over him and saving his life during some of the most trying times of the war. Herschel, we thank you for your service and dedication to our country, and for the sacrifices you made. We are proud to name you as our Military Veteran of the Month! Also, a congratulations to Herschel and his wife Sammie for their 65th anniversary!

Fluoride: Nature's Own Cavity Fighter

Have you ever wondered what fluoride actually is and how it works to fight cavities?

In order to better understand how fluoride helps to prevent tooth decay, it is important to first understand how a cavity is formed. Each day a dynamic process takes place where minerals are released out of the tooth structure into the saliva when oral pH drops below 7, and then are taken back up into the tooth once oral pH returns to 7 or above. This pH change happens due to a number of factors. For example, many of the foods we eat are acidic in nature, such as coffee, fruits, etc. As we eat these types of foods they cause the overall oral pH to drop to a level conducive to the release of minerals from our teeth.

Additionally, some of the bacteria which reside in our mouths and colonize on our tooth surfaces eat sugars found in the foods that we consume and create an acidic byproduct called plaque, a sticky white substance that encapsulates the bacteria which reside within it. The plaque becomes increasingly acidic if it is not removed regularly from the tooth surfaces. This pH drop is of particular concern when considering that many people have root exposure due to recession. The root material consists of a softer tooth structure called dentin which is more susceptible to the acid damage.

  

Minerals are released from dentin as the pH of your mouth drops from 7 to 6.7 and below. Enamel, which is said to be the body's hardest structure, requires oral pH to drop lower, to 5.5 or below, before its minerals are released through demineralization. Over time, with repeated acid attack, weak areas known as decalcifications develop that are basically porous areas on the tooth surface where minerals are missing. These decalcified areas sometimes appear as a chalky white or frosted spot on the tooth.

If acid exposure continues and the mouth is not allowed to stay at a pH level that is conducive to remineralization, these porous areas will eventually break down enough to form a small hole also known as a cavity. Before a true cavity is formed, fluoride, along with effective plaque removal and dietary changes, can facilitate the remineralization process.

So where does fluoride come in?

Fluoride is a naturally occurring active ion found in water and foods, formed from the element fluorine. When fluoride is applied to teeth, fluoride ions are drawn to areas that are weak and missing minerals. After adhering to these areas, fluoride will attract calcium and phosphate back to the tooth surface and repair the porous area, a process called remineralization. Research has shown that areas which have been remineralized with fluoride form a harder more acid resistant mineral compound, called fluorapatite, than teeth's normal mineral compound, hydroxyapatite. 

Not only is fluoride helpful to protect and strengthen our teeth it is very economical. It costs around $0.50 per year per person to fluoridate our water supply to a safe level for consumption of around 0.7-1.2, depending on the geographical climate.¹ Over the counter toothpaste carries an average cost of around $2.50 per tube consisting of approximately 1,000-1,500 parts per million (ppm).² The highest concentration of fluoride can only be applied professionally by a trained dental professional with a cost of around $25-30 per application and a concentration in the range of 11,000-24,000 ppm.  Taking these preventative measures will cost considerably less than a typical dental filling to restore a formed cavity at an average cost of $101.94, as well as conserving your natural tooth structure and leading to a healthier mouth throughout your life.³

Vanessa Childress, Hygienist 

Terry O'Shea DDS, PC

Photo #1- compendiumlive.com. Web. 28 May 2011.

Photo #2- Roberts, Michael, and Timothy Wright. "The Dynamic Process of Demineralization and Remineralization." Dimensions of Dental Hygiene n. pag. Web. 28 May 2011. <http://www.dimensionsofdentalhygiene.com/ddhright.aspx?id=5380>.

¹"Achievements in Public Health, 1900-1999: Fluoridation of Drinking Water to Prevent Dental Caries." Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 48.41 (1999): 933-940. Web. 28 May 2011. <http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4841a1.htm>.

²"Community Water Fluoridation." Center for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC, 06012011. Web. 28 May 2011. <http://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/other.htm>.

³"10 Reasons to Fluoridate Public Water ." American Dental Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2011. <http://www.ada.org/sections/newsAndEvents/pdfs/article_10reasons.pdf>.

It's Soon for the June Newsletter

Keep your eyes peeled for our June newsletter coming soon! It's filled with cavity prevention, commemorated patients, college-bound students and much more! Trust me, you won't want to miss this issue.

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A few kind words from a patient, Betty Petrie: 

I am blown away!  When Dr. O'Shea took over from Dr. Mintz 6 years ago, I never thought anyone could replace Dr. Mintz.  I was wrong.  Ken and I have moved to Dahlonega, not so far away as Dawn and Dan Adams, but still a little outside normal "commuting distance".  We've replaced our primary physician, auto repair shop, hairdressers, and other long-term relationships, but will not replace dentists as long as we can make the commute from Dahlonega to Acworth. Thank you, Dr O'Shea and your wonderful staff, for taking care of so many things outside your dental office.

-Betty Petrie

 Thank you Betty for staying with us at Terry O'Shea DDS. 

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