Dr Gatti's Blog a Lawrence Dentist Reflections

We often receive comments such as this. These comments mean a lot to us and we thought we would share it today.

Dear Team Gatti,

I must admit that every time I see my smile I am so glad that I had you work on getting it so pretty. Thank you.

Regina

Electric toothbrushes have come a long way since their initial appearance in the market, they are not just a gadget anymore. Using an electric toothbrush with the proper size of brush head will result in a more thorough brushing and better plaque removal compared to a manual toothbrush.

You have a variety of options to choose from; oscillating brushes, sonic brushes, rechargeable or battery powered, timers, sanitizers, full brush head or compact, timers, sanitizers, the list goes on….. With so many choices how do you know which one is best for you?

Which toothbrush you choose depends on your individual needs. Remember that the most important part of good oral health happens at home. What you do every day has a greater impact on your overall oral health than what we can do for you. It is essential to brush and floss properly every day. I can also tell you that all of us at the studio, as well as our family members, use powered toothbrushes. At your next hygiene visit we will be glad to discuss what type of powered toothbrush may work best for you.

Sleep apnea cognition and brain function

I recently attended a seminar on the impact of sleep apnea on cognition and brain function. Hard to believe, but it was rather fascinating and shed light on how important it is to treat sleep apnea at an early stage.

Generally when looking at an overnight sleep study to areas are evaluated; one being the sleep fragmentation (the number of times you awaken) and the other being recurrent hypoxia (the desaturation of oxygen in the blood.) These two factors lead to excessive daytime sleepiness, depression, attention and concentration problems, cardiovascular and an entire host of medical complications.

During this seminar the focus was trying to identify specific cognitive domains that improve with treatment and which ones did not improve. In general, treatment of sleep apnea improved attention and fatigue in most studies and consistently did not improve psychomotor functioning. So, fatigue is improved, however complex thinking and problem solving did not improve. The theory is that sleep deprivation can directly impact cognitive and brain function permanently.

As with all things, there are varying degrees of severity. Bottom line, it is not just about feeling tired, it is about treating the disease before long term, irreversible damage is done. Once again, obstructive sleep apnea is a serious player and should be evaluated and dealt with as soon as possible.