Generations of Smiles | Issue 14

Generations Smiles

of Oral Health Means Better Health At Every Age and Every Stage

Minding Your Health From Gums To Gray Matter

Quality care from sea to shining sea.

Compassion Is Key to Dentistry for Neurodivergent People

“I’d rather get a root canal.” It’s a phase we’ve all used to describe unpleasant situations. (Honestly. I’ve even said it.)

But here’s the thing, most of us would actually get a root canal if we needed one. Because oral hygiene not only impacts our overall health, it’s also a key component of our overall well-being.

For some neurodivergent individuals, learning differences, or debilitating phobias, maintaining oral care can feel daunting or even impossible.

According to the National Institutes of Health,1 individuals with an intellectual disability experience higher prevalence of untreated cavities, gingivitis, and other periodontal disease than others.

In this issue, you will meet one of my incredible colleagues, Dr. Ashley Abaie, a talented and dedicated dentist from the Special Needs Office in Phoenix, AZ. She and her colleagues think of themselves as “solution solvers,” committed to helping their patients with love, compassion, and creativity. She transitioned from traditional dentistry to fully serve people with disabilities, “I was searching for more meaning and fulfillment in my life. I can't imagine doing anything different than what I’m doing now.”

Her work – and the work of other dentists like her – is making a tremendous impact on neurodivergent people nationwide.

So while “I’d rather get a root canal” is just a saying, know that if you need oral health treatment, it can be given with compassion, consistency, and love.

Until next time, Carolyn Ghazal, DDS

Contents

Parent And Caregiver Tips For Preparing For The Dentist

What’s the main secret to stress-free dental visits for neurodivergent people? Hint: it’s not what you think.

Clearing The Air(Way): A Visit To The Dentist Could Be The First Step In Discovering Sleep Apnea

Learn the symptoms of sleep apnea and how your dentist can help.

Focus On Flossing

Struggling to make flossing a daily habit? Help has arrived!

Smile Stories - charity: water

Here’s how we’re helping people get clean, safe water—thanks to charity: water and YOU!

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Parent Caregiver Tips For Preparing

for the Dentist

Special Needs Office dentist- Dr. Ashley Abaie has advice for parents and caregivers to help make trips to the dentist as stress-free (and maybe even fun) as possible for neurodiverse people. While not all of these tips will apply to everyone, one thing that is consistent across the board is this: Find a provider with compassion.

"Sometimes it takes 45 minutes to talk with a patient, to help them feel comfortable enough to undergo dental care. But it is so worth it,” Dr. Abaie said. “Taking the time to treat each patient as an individual sets them up for a lifetime of good oral health.”

What can parents and caregivers do to partner with dentists?

Communicate.

Talking with the dentist well ahead of the appointment can help you both strategize the best methods for maintaining your loved one’s oral health. Letting the dentist know about any medical equipment the patient uses will also prepare the dentist to modify their treatment or take a different approach to care.

Start early.

Some neurodiverse patients don’t see a dentist until adulthood. Incorporating dental care into a person’s regular medical routine will help limit the unfamiliarity of oral care and set them up for a lifetime of successful visits – and better health.

Role Play.

Your dentist may send kits home before the appointment to help desensitize your loved one and prepare them for the dentist. Toothbrushes, plastic versions of dental kits, bibs and other tools can help them prepare for their visit.

Discuss Sedation.

Except in rare cases, patients can receive treatment while under sedation. If this is the safest and most successful way to provide oral care for a patient, work with the provider to ensure that as many procedures/treatments as possible are done in one sitting. This will prevent patients from having to undergo sedation more times than necessary.

Clearing the Air (way):

A Visit To The Dentist Could Be The First Step In Discovering Sleep Apnea

You could say it’s breathtaking – in a different way.

You’re in the middle of a dream when suddenly, you’re gasping for air. Your partner sometimes wakes you, worried that you momentarily paused breathing while you were asleep. You often snore loudly. Sometimes, you wake up with a dry mouth or sore throat. These are symptoms of sleep apnea, a medical condition that affects 39 million adults nationwide and impacts other aspects of one’s health.

An estimated 80% of people in the US have undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the most common form of sleep apnea.1

OSA occurs when your upper airway narrows or collapses while you’re sleeping, preventing air from flowing. 2 If you’re experiencing any sleep apnea symptoms, it’s a good idea to bring these up in your next dental visit. Your dentist can play a vital role in identifying OSA by evaluating your medical history and conducting an oral exam.

Among the OSA-related risk factors and features in your mouth your dentist may look for are a large tongue or tonsils; mandibular retrognathia (the lower jaw is set back further than the upper jaw) or micrognathia (the jaw is smaller than usual); high arched palate (the roof of the mouth is tall and narrow); large neck circumference; choking or gasping while asleep; obesity; loud or irregular snoring; breathing pauses while asleep. 2 If your dentist determines that you need further evaluation, you will be referred to a primary care physician or sleep medicine specialist, who may ask you to undergo a sleep study.

Why is it essential for you to be evaluated and get a diagnosis?

Left untreated, sleep apnea can adversely impact your health in many ways:

People with untreated OSA are more likely to have an abnormal heart rate, high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, heart disease and hypertension.

OSA can disrupt how the body manages blood sugar levels, raising the risk of type 2 diabetes.

People with OSA have three times the rate of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease as people without OSA.3

OSA can prevent your body from supplying enough oxygen to the brain, and in severe cases, lead to brain damage, manifested by memory problems, difficulty concentrating, and moodiness.

People with OSA are more likely to have postoperative side effects, including life-threatening complications. OSA makes anesthesia riskier because it slows down breathing and can make patients more sensitive to its effects; it also can make regaining consciousness and taking a breath after surgery more difficult.4

Drowsy driving is more common in people with OSA because they get lower-quality sleep. If they’re sleepy during the day and less able to concentrate, this puts them at risk of accidents.3

If you’ve been diagnosed with OSA, your physician and your dentist can help. Treatments range from lifestyle changes, changing sleep positions, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines that keep the airway open, oral appliance therapy (OAT) and less commonly, surgery. 2 Studies show that CPAP machines are the most effective treatment for OSA.

In cases of mild OSA or when patients aren’t able to use a CPAP, physicians may prescribe OAT.6 Dentists with specialized training oversee and monitor oral appliance therapy, which involves placing a custom-fitted dental device over your teeth to move your jaw forward, keeping your airway open while you sleep.7

From evaluating symptoms to considering treatment options, it’s important for everyone involvedyour dentist, sleep specialist and you – to collaborate. Working together will help you eventually get the kind of restorative sleep you need and prevent sleep apnea from affecting other aspects of your health.

Sleep Apnea is a health condition that exemplifies the Mouth-Body Connection®.

The mouth and airways help circulate oxygen throughout the body, while the medulla oblongata at the bottom of the brainstem controls breathing. The hypothalamus within the brain regulates sleep.

Focus On Flossing

“You need to floss every day.”

It’s one of the reminders we get at the dentist’s office especially after the hygienist has scraped off the plaque and tartar buildup from the crevices of our teeth. We’re sheepish and say something like, “You’re right. I know. I’ll do better.”

We often remember to brush twice a day, but somehow, flossing, in comparison, seems easier to forget and skip.1 Maybe it’s the mistaken perception that brushing is necessary,

while flossing is optional. Maybe it’s because the fresh feeling and the clean taste of toothpaste after we brush our teeth provide gratification and reinforcement, but flossing offers no equivalent reward.

Still, the value of flossing in achieving good oral health can’t be underestimated. A 2023 study from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine found that people who learned and consistently used proper flossing technique showed fewer indicators of potential severe dental disease than those who did not. 2

How to make flossing a daily habit?

Here are some tips:

Use your cellphone to schedule an audible reminder for a time when you know you’re available to floss. It doesn’t matter whether it’s scheduled for the day or night.

Maybe visual reminders work best for you. Place a sticker or a sticky note on the bathroom mirror.

Make floss conveniently available –in your purse or the cabinet of every bathroom at home that you use.

Give yourself smaller, realistic goals. Aim for flossing consistently for three days straight. Target one week. Then two. If you forget to floss, start over and continue until it’s a regular routine.

Floss after brushing. One study showed that people remembered to floss if the intention was made to floss specifically after a habit, in this case, brushing.1

Give Water, Give Health Smile

Over 703 million people around the world live without access to clean water. That impacts their health and a lot more. So, we’re partnering with charity: water to provide clean, safe water to people in Ethiopia—and 100% of every dollar donated will go toward clean water projects. Please join us in building a brighter, healthier future for all.

Generations Smiles of

A Smile Generation Magazine

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