Archives for 2009

Dr Schwan’s Tooth Saving eMax/Cerec 3D CAD/CAM Crowns

September 26, 2009 by drbob

As a West Chester, PA Dentist, we are pleased to offer the best natural tooth colored restorations available. By using our Cerec 3D CAD-CAM acquisition (photo impression) and milling system, in addition to the Empress pure porcelain restorations we have placed for more than eight years, we now have the remarkable IPS e.Max Lithium Disilicate which is the next generation of crown and bridge material.

The e.Max material is a monolithic glass ceramic block. With monolithic crowns we do not have to worry about the porcelain chipping or fracturing from the gold or zirconia substructure. In a recent study at New York University, e.Max proved to be three times more resistant to material failure than the next strongest zirconia layered crowns and five times stronger than porcelain over gold.

Even more important, the microscopic particles are round which results in minimal wear against opposing teeth compared to layered porcelain which when worn or broken can be very abrasive.

In additon, since there is no metal involved, Cerec restorations offer thermal protection to the remaining tooth structure and virtually eliminate that annoying line between the natural tooth and the new restoration be it a crown, onlay or veneer.

We are truly excited to offer the Cerec 3D restorations as the best tooth-saving technology.

SmileSaver – Dr Schwan’s Discount Dental Plan

July 22, 2009 by drbob

NO INSURANCE – NO PROBLEM! Check out Dr Schwan’s Discount Dental Plan @ www.SmileSaver.info

Dr Bob’s Life Extending Pearls Of Wisdom

July 21, 2009 by drbob

We hold these truths to be self evident but unfortunately many times we don’t live by them. What follows is a brief list of “Dr Bob’s Life Extending Pearls Of Wisdom.

Reduce Stress:

Go to bed and get up the same time every day with a combination of sleeping or just staying in bed for any multiple of 1.5 hours- 4.5, 6, or 7.5 since we sleep in 1.5 hour cycles. Keep track & try it.
Eat breakfast and a total of three or more small meals a day and stop eating after 7 pm.
Stop eating or drinking the artificial crap that get’s foisted upon us by the “food industry”.
Stay with wholesome and natural foodstuffs: fruits, vegetables, whole grains and protein.
Exercise with every move you make by doing so with vigor; for example drying yourself with a bath towel or walking. Do some sustained aerobics at least three times a week or daily for 20 minutes. Do some specific weight training to maintain your bone strength.
Go ahead and have that one drink at the end of the day to just settle-I emphasize ONE!
Take a multiple vitamin, Calcium supplement, Coenzyme Q, and Flaxseed Oil.
Drink eight-eight ounce glasses of water a day or its equivalent.
Nurture your companionship needs.
Say your prayers and be honest with yourself and God.
Have a good bowel movement.

Make a list of things on your mind:

Cross out all the things you can have absolutely no effect on the possble outcome.
Take the remaining items and reduce them to the five most important.
Get at least one of those taken care of every day.

Become a Positive Force:

Trash the things that drag you down and start treating yourself to positive thoughts & actions.
Everyone you meet-the first thing that should come out of your mouth should be a complement.
The best way to feel good is to first make someone else’s day.

Above all else KISS- Keep It Simple Stupid, JUST DO IT!

Snap-On Smile Not A SNAP!

May 18, 2009 by drbob

“Snap-On Smile” is a patented product that is anything but a snap. They are the best costume teeth available but like any artificial covering, they have specific limited applications and many significant prohibitions. There are also several brands of the same basic concept; a few are of good quality and many are only one time use costume teeth that are blatantly cheap in all aspects.

The main application that I recommend is only after having a dental exam and clearance that the teeth and gum tissue are stable and healthy. The quick smile concept is in fact a reversable, trial or transitional device used by qualified dentists to primarily:

Evaluate how much change can be made to badly worn or poorly formed teeth in order to achieve the best results toward normal function and satisfactry smile esthetics.
Evaluate the potential options for cosmetic improvements to the size, shape, color and position of your teeth.
Temporarily replace missing teeth while waiting for a more durable result from implant supported crowns, conventional bridgework or a durable removable appliance.
Evaluate the potential effect of cosmetic changes to the size and location of the gum tissue framing your teeth.

The serious prohibitions include but are not limited to:

Increased Bulkiness of something foreign in your mouth
Snap in is no guarantee that they’ll stay in during eating, sleeping or kissing.
They can break!
Potential to initiate or aggravate tooth decay or gum infection.
There must be healthy intact teeth available to hold on to.
Eating while appliance is in place is not easy or recommended.
Cost that could be applied to final restoration.

Under the right circumstances, the “Snap In” type smile fix can be very useful when properly used.

STROKE DAMAGE CAN BE REVERSED

May 18, 2009 by drbob

STROKE and its devastating effects can strike at any age but its victims are not always aware of what’s happening. Neurologists have a high success rate of REVERSING THE EFFECTS IF stroke victims can be RECOGNIZED, DIAGNOSED AND TREATED WITHIN THREE HOURS.

To recognize a stroke, remember the first four letters of the acronym, S,T,R,O and ask four simple questions.

S – SMILE; should be even

T – TALK a simple sentence coherently.

R – RAISE both arms; difficulty indicates a stroke

O – stick OUT the tongue; deviation to one side indicates a stroke.

If a person has trouble with any of these tasks, dial 911 and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

Please share this life saving information.

Secret Killer Revealed-INFLAMMATION

April 22, 2009 by drbob

In 2004, Time magazine featured “INFLAMMATION-The Secret Killer” which continues to be a proven link between Periodontal Disease in the mouth and a host of other diseases including heart attacks, cancer and alzheimer’s.

The mouth offers a window on the health of the entire body. As a dentist, I have been able to provide an early warning that an unhealthy condition was developing somewhere else in the body because the mouth does mirror these problems.

Undiagnosed and untreated tooth or gum disease in the mouth is an all too common source of or evidence of chronic inflammation elsewhere. So not only can the mouth indicate a developing health problem but it can be the source of bacterial, viral or fungal infection which can easily spread to other tissues, organs and other people. Heart disease, stroke, diabetes, premature births, respiratory ailments and joint replacement infections are just a few of the serious conditions that have been tied to periodontal disease.

As we get older, the mouth doesn’t produce as much saliva coupled with some medicines which also tend to cause dry mouth. The net effect is a much higher risk of periodontal disease and tooth decay. This can be alleviated with flouride treatment and a variety of artificial saliva products.

A dentist and/or a hygienist can evaluate all of these factors and provide the most appropriate way to achieve the best oral and systemic health possible.

Migraine Headaches and TMJ Pain Relief With the NTI-tss

March 31, 2009 by drbob

The NTI-tss stands for the Nociceptive(perception of things that could be harmful) Trigeminal(the fifth cranial nerve that branches to the eye, upper jaw and lower jaw) Inhibition; t(tension) s(suppression) s(system). The NTI-tss is a small, virtually invisible mouthpiece that covers only your upper or lower incisor teeth while you sleep. The NTI-tss is custom fitted by your dentist in about a 30 minute visit.

The NTI-tss is the only dental appliance approved by the FDA for the relief of migraine headaches. It has a 70% success rate. It also has been used by myself and other dentists to successfully treat TMJ problems.

The key to the NTI-tss is the anterior bite plane (DE=Discluding Element) which sends feedback to your brain even while your asleep that reduces the level of masticatory muscle tension.

It is truly amazing to have a patient come in for a post insertion visit and remark that they had no idea how tense their oral muscles were until they used the apppliance and their muscles finally started to relax.

For a more detailed explanation of the NTI-tss, go to my web site www.drschwan.com or www.headacheprevention.com. So how do you spell relief? NTI-tss.

Snoring/Sleep Apnea Alert: Stop Snoring Before It Stops You!

March 31, 2009 by drbob

Snoring can kill you. The struggle for breath can result in soaring blood pressure that can cause heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. 30% of the population under 40 snores, while 50% over the age of 60 does. Sleep Apnea is the direct cause of over 40,000 cardiovascular deaths per year.

So while snoring can be annoying to the significant other, it can be deadly to the person doing the snoring. If you snore and have obvious signs of sleep deprivation such as morning headaches, feeling sleepy during the day and your snoring is very irregular, you are well advised to get a professional opinion.

Usually the first step is to be screened by your physician or dentist who will determine whether you should be referred to a sleep diagnosis center. The sleep center will be able to determine the level of severity of your sleep apnea and recommend an appropriate range of treatment options.

For treatment of low to moderate levels of sleep apnea, I have found the “silent nite” appliance to be the most comfortable and effective. This has been confirmed on many of our patients who have obtained very good results using the “silent nite” during follow up sleep center studies.

Please don’t risk your health on magic drops or low budget self fitted appliances. Just like parachutes and life preservers, a properly chosen and fitted appliance based on thorough diagnosis is where you want the best available.

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