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Prevention and treatment of post-concussion syndrome
DR.JERRY GORDON
Prevention and treatment of post-concussion syndrome The potential for sports-related injuries is an unfortunate fact of life for today’s athletes, both amateurs and professionals. Dental and facial injuries generally include broken, displaced, or knocked out teeth, especially the front teeth, lacerations or tears of the lips, broken jaws, and damage to the TMJ or jaw-joint. A blow to the chin or other part of the head can give rise to a concussion, an injury to the brain that can cause loss of consciousness, dizziness, or more severe complications. Post-concussion syndrome involves a wide range of medical problems that can occur days, weeks, or months after a concussion occurs.
Problems with concussions have received a lot of publicity recently due to high profile former NFL players who initiated lawsuits against the NFL. These suits allege that the league hid the harmful effects of concussions until last year. The most common symptoms of post-concussion syndrome are headaches, dizziness, depression and mood disorders, and problems with sleep, memory, thinking and concentration. Treatment for post-concussion syndrome is based on which symptoms occur. Headaches and dizziness may be treated by a neurologist and depression by a psychiatrist. A new therapy, touted by NFL great Jack Youngblood, is called neurofeedback therapy. Neurofeedback
therapy involves brain training exercises that allow the brain to have improved function.
Football players can reduce the incidence and severity of concussions by having well fitting helmets and properly made mouthguards. Well-fitted, custom-made mouthguards are essential for most sports, especially those that are high contact, such as boxing, martial arts, kickboxing, wrestling, and street or ice hockey. They are also appropriate for soccer, basketball, baseball, softball, rollerblading, skateboarding, and mountain biking.
Not all mouthguards, however, are created equal. Store-bought, stock and boil-and-bite mouthguards provide some protection at low cost, but they are usually uncomfortable, ill fitting, and can make talking or breathing difficult. The best type of mouthguard is made by your dentist and his or her lab. It is composed of layered, heat and pressure laminated ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA). They come in a variety of different layers, and colors. They are strong, comfortable, and allow for easy speaking and breathing, but do cost more than those that are store-bought.
April is National Facial Protection Month
Dr. Eisner wants to remind parents, coaches and athletes to play it safe as they prepare to suit up for recreational and organized sports. A child’s mouth and face can be easily injured if the proper precautions are not used while playing sports. In fact, according to the Center for Disease Control, more than half of the 7 million sports- and recreation-related injuries that occur each year are sustained by youth as young as 5 years old. Last year, the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation forecasted that more than 3 million teeth would be knocked out in youth sporting events – yet, in a survey commissioned by the American Association of Orthodontists, 67% of parents admit that their child does not wear a mouth guard during organized sports. This raises a question: if mouth guards offer a simple and relatively inexpensive solution to help dramatically decrease the risk of oral and injuries, why aren’t more kids wearing them? Parents are encouraged to talk with their dental professionals about the right mouth guards for their young athletes, and to urge coaches to require that young athletes wear their mouth guards at every practice and every game.
Factors for Implant Success
Many times patients have asked “What is the success rate for my Implants?” Success in reference to implants would qualify by dental implants that end up permanently integrating to the bone in the patient’s jaw. While it is difficult to come up with a single percentage that covers everyone there are several factors that affect the implant success rate.
- Diet. How you eat after implant surgery plays a role in your implant’s osseointegration as well. It is recommended that patients maintain a soft food diet and to try to avoid chewing in the area of surgery for 3 months after implant surgery, or as indicated after your surgery. Keeping a healthy, well-balanced diet is also good for your overall health, and will aid in the healing process.
- Hygiene. Brushing, flossing and rinsing regularly will help reduce the chances of an infection developing and compromising the integrity of your implant.
- Smoking. Smoking is a factor that significantly impairs healing and decreases chances of implant success
- Bones. Solid and healthy bones are also necessary to perform dental implants. If a patient does not have sufficient bone to support a dental implant, there are several types of grafting procedures available to prepare the bone and make implant placement possible.
- Staging. The staging of a surgery is also another crucial factor. Studies suggest that staging the surgery in more than one procedure by extracting the tooth, waiting a few months after the extraction to ensure a properly healed site, and then placing the implant increases a successful outcome.
Why you should choose Dr. Eisner for your dental implant treatment
Dental Implants
are designed to be a permanent fixed replacement for your missing teeth. Choosing the right place, the right doctor and the right treatment plan for you is critical to insuring the successful surgical placement and biointegration of your dental implant for a lasting result. In the long run, this decision can save you time, money, and minimize potential health complications.
Most people only consider price when they’re researching where to get their dental implant surgery, and end up choosing the option that is the lowest price. While the price is always an important factor, there are many other factors that are just as important to consider.
These are just a few of the questions you should ask when researching dental implants for yourself or your loved one:
• How much experience has your dental implant provider had with performing dental implant surgery?
• What kind of diagnostic equipment, implant and materials does the person performing the surgery use?
• Is your bone density sufficient to support a dental implant, or does your anatomy require special treatment for successful implant placement and integration?
• Is your dental implant provider local so that he or she can take care of you through the work up and follow up process?
Dr. Jeffrey Eisner is a pioneer of dental implant surgery with over 25 years of successfully providing patients from South Florida, and worldwide with dental implant treatment. Dr. Eisner realizes that not all patients are the same. That’s why he tailors implant treatment based on his patients’ individual anatomy and needs.
“A pioneer of dental implant surgery”
Here’s why you should consider Dr. Eisner to perform your dental implant surgery:
• Over 25 years of specialized dental implant surgery experience and training.
• A local expert provider and a skilled supportive staff who will be there for you through every step of the implant process.
• Works closely with every patient to deliver a truly customized treatment plan based on the patient’s individual anatomy and physiology.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR DENTAL BENEFITS
Dental insurance is not exactly insurance – it’s more like a gift certificate.
It’s important for you to know the basics about your plan, however only you and your dentist should decide what treatment best meet your dental needs. Most dental insurance policies are designed to provide only basic care for specific dental services. The services which are selected are based on the cost of the policy to your employer and the negotiated arrangement with the dental insurance company.
Dental insurance companies rarely pay 100% of any dental fee. Most plans use what is called “usual, customary and reasonable,” or UCR. Exceeding the plan’s UCR fee does not mean that your dentist has overcharged for the procedure. The plan pays a set percentage of the dentist’s fee or the plan administrators UCR fee limit, whichever is less. These limits are the result of a contract between the plan purchaser and the insurance company. There is generally a dollar amount that the plan will pay out each year. Once this limit is reached, no other services will be paid. It is our goal it to help you achieve and maintain the best dental care possible. We know that dental insurance may be difficult to understand and are committed to assisting you to maximize the benefits in which you are entitled.
Patient Testimonial
We love to hear from our patients, whether it’s positive praise or constructive criticism. Your feedback helps us grow and better serve our patients.
Infection ControL
Infection controls and universal precautions are set to protect patients and staff. Everyone benefits from rigorous infection control — you, your dentist, and the dental team. The cornerstone in a good and safe dental practice is the element of trust. You should feel free to discuss this topic with the Dr. & staff and receive a straightforward answer.
Dr. Eisner and our entire team follow procedures recommended by several federal agencies: the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). These measures include:
- Disinfectant hand soap
- Gloves and face masks
- Chemical disinfection of counter-tops and surfaces
- Sterilization of all instruments before every use
- Disposable materials
We sterilize all non-disposable instruments, including dental hand-pieces. We use an autoclave, a device that kills bacteria and viruses by steam, heat and pressure.
The best defense against disease is information. The more you know, the better equipped you are to make wise decisions about your health care. The more you know about our daily procedures and policies, the more comfortable you will feel and healing is much faster.
Are antibiotics going to cure my infection?
Your dentist has prescribed an antibiotic due to an infection. Does that mean it will resolve the issue?
In most cases the answer is No.
Many infections stem from cracked, abscessed or deeply decayed teeth.
Antibiotics may help the symptoms subside a bit, but they are not curing the root of the problem.
Once antibiotics are started it is important to finish them as prescribed. Most antibiotics are prescribed for a week to ten days. Even after you start to feel better, don’t stop taking the antibiotic just because your pain or swelling reduces or goes away. Not finishing the full dosage of the antibiotic, even leaving one or two pills, can leave your body resistant to future antibiotic treatment.
The antibiotic serves as a temporary fix to buy you the time needed to schedule your appointment with our office. The sooner we see you after you have started your antibiotics the better.