“Living longer while

maintaining healthy, active 

and meaningful lives

demands of us to

Become better partners in

our own health.”

Dr Milla Duchovni

 

Our iSmile doctors have the following tips for being a better partner in your dental health:

 

Ask a ton of questions.

One of the best ways to be a good patient is by following your prescribed treatment or prevention plan.

According to research, if you understand the rationale behind your doctor’s recommendation, you are more likely to embrace it and autonomously engage in a treatment… says Dr Milla Duchovni.

This is because internal sources of motivation are stronger than external rewards or threats.

It was found by researchers that people who ask the most questions about the treatment recommended are also the ones most likely to follow them and achieve the best health outcomes.

Take time to participate as a full partner in your dental treatment and iSmile team members will be happy to find appropriate answers to help you.

 

Automate your health routines.

According to statistical data, only half of all Australians manage to take medications correctly and consistently.

We are even worse in embracing behavioural changes, for example flossing and brushing daily, quitting smoking or losing weight.

Implementing those changes requires exercising willpower and self-control.

Making health habits more of a routine, will demand less will power and will make it easier to maintain them.

Dr Milla Duchovni suggests giving yourself environmental cues like putting dental floss in a spot that is easily seen every morning and night.

You may find smart phone reminders useful as well.

 

Consult Dr Google.

Using the Internet for research and self-education rather than self-diagnosis can be beneficial.

 

Give us the whole story.

The iSmile doctors cannot diagnose or treat you optimally if you do not tell the whole truth.

“I take you are brushing and flossing daily?”

……Do not be embarrassed to tell us in detail about your dental health condition.

Best results will be achieved when you choose to PARTNER with our dental health providers rather than expect us to “FIX “your health issue.

 

Let’s Tango.

 

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Exercise for good looking faces!

Beautiful faces and captivating smiles are

shaped  by a balanced activity 

of the muscles responsible for facial expression,

swallowing and mastication. 

• Nasal breathing with lips sealed
• Proper tongue and lip posture at rest and  in speech
• Correct chewing
• Correct swallowing

Characterise faces of beautiful and healthy people.

Habits detrimental to beautiful and healthy  faces are:

• Mouth breathing
• Prolonged use of pacifiers
• Thumb and finger sucking
• Cheek and lip biting
• Finger nail biting
• Tongue sucking
• Noisy chewing,smacking,gulping food
• Messy eating
• Clenching and grinding teeth

Aberrant oral and facial muscle activity and posture at rest associated with these detrimental habits impact on development of dental arches and contribute to bad bites, thus negatively influencing facial aesthetics and function. 

Authorities suggest that OMD (oral myofunctional disorders) may be  directly caused by the above mentioned habits or be a result of :

• Restricted nasal airway due to obstruction from enlarged tonsils and adenoids and/or allergies
• Structural or physiological abnormalities such as tongue tie (ankyloglossia )or abnormally large tongue (macro glossia)
• Neurological or developmental problems

Orofacial myology is motivational as well as muscle training therapy. It is  aimed to normalise harmful habits and to reinforce techniques of positive behaviour.

Oral myofunctional training involves individualised regimen of exercises to re-pattern oral and facial muscle activity.

These exercises aim to establish correct posture of the tongue and of the lips at rest and to help development of correct and consistent chewing, swallowing and breathing patterns.

Researchers highlighted that 81% of the subjects with OMD (oral myofunctional disorders) displayed speech problems as well.

Most common speech error was related to /S /sound, others are/z/,/sh/,/ch/,/j/,/d/,/t/,/n/,/l/and/r/.

It is very difficult to rectify speech problems with speech pathology training only in cases where they co-exist with OMD.Combined therapy approach is recommended in these cases.

At iSmile Studio we routinely screen for OMD.

We offer our clients individualised oralmyology training programs.

But most  of all we love the challenge of helping your child to quit thumb sucking.

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HPV positive throat and tongue cancers are taking off in men.

Head and neck cancers associated with HPV are on the rise.

HPV (human papilloma virus)is the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease in western world and  worldwide, infecting just about ALL men and women at some point in their lives.

Although most  people clear the virus naturally, recurring infections with some virulent strains can lead to cancer 

Oropharyngeal cancers, affecting the back of the throat, tonsils and back of the tongue are on the rise.

At iSmile Studio we care about the rising  incidence of HPV among Australian population  and routinely perform oral cancer screen as part of our comprehensive dental examination.

The susceptible  patient  profiles point to younger men, often with no significant history  of the commonly recognised  risk factors of smoking or heavy drinking, which are risk factors for head and neck cancers.

In 2005  studies 73%of oropharyngeal cancers tested +to HPV.

HPV associated cancers make up 3.3% of all cancer causes among women and. 2 % of all such causes in men.

Experts predict that by 2020 incidence of HPV related oropharyngeal cancers will overtake incidence of cervical cancers, shifting the burden of HPV associated cancers from women to men.

Oral cancer claims around  700 lives a year in Australia.

Keep an eye out for red and white patches in your mouth or ulcers that won’t clear up within 3 weeks. See your dentist straight away.

Based on these statistics gender neutral or male – centric approach in vaccinations with GARDASIL  vaccine may be beneficial in prevention of HPV – associated cancers.

A win for all of us!

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Oil pulling is an ancient ayurvedic remedy that assists with  REMOVAL of a wide variety of impurities from the body. It consists of holding some oil in your mouth for twenty minutes, swishing it all around and between your teeth…
Try oil pulling and see if this suites your daily routine.

Oil pulling instructions

When you get up in the morning, do this very first thing, before brushing your teeth, eating or drinking anything. First, spit out anything in your mouth. Then take 1 tablespoon of oil and hold it in your mouth, tilt your chin up and slowly swish it around, pulling it through your teeth. Lifting your head up gets the oil to your back molars. Get it all round your mouth and tongue. Do this for at least 10 minutes but preferably 20 minutes. The oil should be a thin white foam when you finally spit it out. If it is still clear or yellow, you haven’t done it long enough. After spitting it out, rinse your mouth well. Complete the procedure by drinking 1 –2 glasses of lukewarm water.

Important:

• Do not swallow the oil. It contains bacteria and toxins.
• Do not gargle in the throat. The oil should be swished in the mouth only.
• Do it slowly.

If you want to detox faster, you can oil pull up to three times per day. Make sure you do it on an empty stomach –wait 4 hours after eating, or an hour after drinking.

It is highly unlikely that oil pulling will cause your dental fillings to fall out unless there was pre-existing damage or loose fillings.

The traditional Ayurvedic instructions say that sesame or sunflower oil should be used. Coconut oil is our favourite. However, one can obtain  good results with walnut, macadamia, olive and Udo’s oil. It also seems that after a couple of months of using one type of oil, changing it to a different oil renews potency of the oil pooling procedure.

 

How does oil pulling work?

I don’t think oil pulling “pulls”anything out of your body. Instead, it seems to infuse your body with essential fatty acids (EFAs) sublingually (under your tongue). These EFAs enter the bloodstream, bypassing the gastric juices in your stomach. It is a fast and effective way to get some of the components of healthy oils (omega-3 and omega-9 acids, for example) straight into your blood. This explains why many skin conditions clear up with oil pulling.

The oil dissolves plaque. This explains why your teeth look so white after you start oil pulling. (Much whiter than with toothpaste and conventional cleaning).

Bacteria in the mouth are attracted into the oil. Normally bacteria continually grow in your mouth, and you continually swallow them. Some of these bacteria are beneficial for good health.Unfortunately , many ailments occur when harmful bacteria proliferate and get out of control. If harmful bacteria proliferate in the mouth, they can provide a source of infection for organs all around the body.

The practice of  oil pulling provides a control over the bad bacteria and their ability to produce an infection. You are no longer continually swallowing them because,your mucus is soluble in the oil.

Oil pulling is very gentle. If you wish to increase its antibiotic potency for a short period, add one drop of oregano oil to the tablespoon of the  chosen oil. Oregano oil is a powerful anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agent.unfortunately, it tastes terrible and makes the procedure unpleasant. If you add oregano oil,your healing and detox may go into overdrive. We suggest ,that you do not do this for more than one week in every couple of months.

 

Oil pulling is a traditional remedy for these ailments:

 

Allergies. Arterial diseases. Arthritis. Asthma. Bad breath. Cancers (various). Chronic infections. Constipation. Eczema. Tooth decay. Varicose veins.

Gingivitis. Heart disease. Insomnia. Kidney diseases. Lung diseases. Migraines. Sinus problems. Skin complaints (various). Stiff joints. Tartar (calculus). Toothache.

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Our Madeline is not a schoolgirl in the blue Cape and a yellow straw hat, who is perpetually testing boundaries and is fearful of Miss Clavell!

In fact, she is not a schoolgirl at all. But a petite and well groomed centenarian, wearing a freshly pressed blue floral shirt, pale blue skirt and a big engaging smile. She grins at the ever young dental assistants with a twinkle in the corners of her eyes and asks, while settling gradually into the dental chair for a regular preventive visit…

 

…”Do you know how old I am?”

 

And indeed, looking at Madeline’s pearly whites, one would never guess. Her dentition is the envy of most baby boomers.

“How do you keep your teeth healthy till you are 100?” we ask with admiration.

Here is Madeline’s story.
Our heroine was born and raised in a paradise on Earth; the beautiful Seyshell Atoll Islands over 100 years ago.
Her diet was based on fresh seafood, and home grown and home-prepared produce. Madeleine’s family bred turkeys and rabbits, and they baked their own bread.

They had a relaxed and “well-paced” lifestyle.

Here are Madeline’s simple tips:

• Don’t worry, be happy!

• Be meticulous in oral hygiene

• Visit the dentist on a regular 6-month basis and you will succeed in keeping your teeth in good condition till you are 100 too!

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Our digestive tract is constantly exposed to an enormous amount of toxins and pathogens. The digestive tract is the first point of contact when we ingest something. It acts as a barrier to undesirables, so a healthy gut is so important for wellbeing. Our bodies produce enzymes that carry out their own detoxification routines in the digestive system. Through bad diet and lifestyle choices, the amount of these enzymes are decreased and the lining of our gut wall no longer serves as a strong barrier. This leaves our immune system to pick up the slack and eventually disease prevails.

The liver requires many nutrients to carry out detoxification effectively. These nutrients include protein, B vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and it is for this reason that a healthy, wholesome and clean diet is paramount for good health.

Microflora in the gut also have an important role to play in our body’s overall health and wellbeing. Pathogenic bacteria can inhibit the detoxification of our body by inhibiting absorption of important nutrients, releasing toxins into our system, and much more. These toxins are then stored in our fat cells. The longer these organisms are in our body, the more toxic exposure our body s to endure. During a proper detox, these pathogenic microorganisms are destroyed, flushed from the body then replaced with beneficial bacteria though probiotic supplementation. When we have an unhealthy digestive tract, we don’t absorb nutrients as well as we need to, which can lower our metabolism and will in turn cause weight gain.

Not all probiotics are the same. Each species and strain performs different functions in the body. This table shows some common probiotics and what they are commonly used for.
Probiotic	May assist in:
Lactobacillus acidophilus (NCFM)	Healthy digestive function, vaginal flora and general gut health
Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG	Preventing atopic dermatitis in children, decreasing diarrhoea caused by antibiotics and reducing the risk of gastrointestinal infection
Lactobacillus plantarum (299v)	People with IBS, decreasing flatulence and bloating
Saccharomyces cervisiae	Preventing and treating traveller’s diarrhea and yeast over growth in the digestive system
Bifidobacteria lactic (Bi-07)	Preventing intestinal yeast infections and helps with flatulence.

• See your natural health practitioner for information on the best pro-biotic for you.

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If you are having issues sleeping, click the following link for ideas and gadgets that will help you get a good night’s sleep!

iSmile Studio – Sleep Blog

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