Do you ever find yourself eating lunch on the run? Do you get a heaviness in your stomach like you have rocks in there? Believe me, I’ve been there too. What we just did is skip the digestion that happens while we’re chewing. It’s so easy to get caught up in everyday issues and not think consciously about the food while we are eating. So chew on this: slow down during your meals and try to get the food in your mouth as close to a paste as possible before swallowing. Does it mean chewing 20 or 30 or 50 … Continue reading “Digestion Begins in the Mouth”

You may have heard, “You only have one chance to make a first impression.” This is so true as I look into someone’s mouth.  I can almost always tell whether he or she has an eating disorder from the reflection staring back at me from his or her teeth and gums. While anorexia, bulimia, binge and compulsive overeating disorders are by nature of the illnesses — closely guarded secrets — for the millions of people suffering, the teeth are often tattle tales, AND gums and tongues never lie to me!  We often single out women and teen aged girls when we think … Continue reading “National Eating Disorders Awareness Week”

Summer is almost here and now my patients tell me they are wanting even brighter, whiter teeth to play in the sun, but I often ask them when we discuss their need for better dental hygiene, “What good are white teeth when your mouth is in a state of decay? Haven’t we all found ourselves trapped in a conversation with someone with bad breath? We stop and wonder for a minute, “Does my breath smell?” Well, for more than half of the population, many of us will suffer from bad breath at some point in their lives. Almost all cases of bad breath … Continue reading “What To Do About Bad Breath”

In this video, I explain all about my work as a periodontist. “I am a periodontist”, I say to someone I had just met at a social event. Most people don’t know what a periodontist is, or does, but the older you get, the more likely you will know what a periodontist is. Why, you may ask? Because the risk of getting a periodontal problem increases with age, whether it is gum inflammation, loose teeth, a missing tooth that requires an implant, gum recession or God-forbid, a gum lesion or growth. “Perio-dontics” means simply dealing with “around the teeth”. At … Continue reading “You are a Peri-what???”

It was a beautiful Sunday-spring-is-in-the-air afternoon, where I was enjoying a pool side brunch in Los Angeles. As I was mingling with the friends who were there, I noticed a mom with her 2-year-old son, holding a plate of food, mostly meat. She looked around to see if anyone was watching, as she took pre-chewed food out of her mouth and gave it to her son. My light and upbeat mood suddenly took a 180 degree dive in the other direction, as I thought, “Yuck! What if she has periodontal disease?” Those bacteria could transfer right to her son. After … Continue reading “Chew on Better Health Choices For Your Child”

It’s summertime and vacation travel brings with it the challenges of keeping up your healthy food plan while you are away. The first step to clean eating on a trip starts for many of us when we step onto the airplane. Airline food is no longer as limited as it was back in the day–when the only options were “beef” or “chicken.” You will now find most airlines provide a variety of meals that cater to all sorts of  personal preference diets, medical needs and religious food plans. You must select your entrees ahead of time and schedule your meals … Continue reading “Airplane Food: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!”

Going to the dental aisle of electric gadgets nowadays can be quite overwhelming. Even an online store such as Amazon.com, has quite a few choices, so how does one know what to choose? Some people go by price, some by reviews, or even by the warranty or the reputation of the company. Choosing The Right Brush Many patients ask me “which one is best?” These are my tips to choose an electric brush: 1. Make sure the electric toothbrush you want to purchase is backed by research to show its effectiveness. Ask your dentist or periodontist about this and you … Continue reading “Electric Toothbrushes: Which One Is Best?”

NO WAY! you say, because that’s just gross! All those bugs living on those bristles are just dying to find another warm place to live, like someone’s mouth! I remember when i was in college I saw many kids sharing toothbrushes by just disinfecting them with a little mouthwash. After all, Listerine kills 99.9% of germs, right? Well, although that may be true, there are other diseases that can get transferred via your toothbrush. Take, for example, viruses like mononucleosis or Hepatitis C or HIV. If someone’s gums are bleeding, then the virus can survive on the bristles and re-infect … Continue reading “Do You Share Your Toothbrush?”

Summer is almost over, and many of us in Southern California got to enjoy the sunshine at the beach or out and about. Prior to oral surgery, I ask many of my patients: “do you know your vitamin D level?” A common response I get is that we live in Southern California we get lots of sunshine, so, “I’m sure my vitamin D is fine”. But that’s not a guarantee. Even myself, I spend much time outside over the weekends and I had a low vitamin D level of only 29. Research shows that most of us are low in vitamin … Continue reading “Do You Know Your Levels of Vitamin D?”

With Halloween almost here, it’s hard to keep the kids and even the adults, from eating those caramels and sugary sticky treats. I see it everywhere I go: at the gym, at the bank, and even at the dental office. So if you want that piece of candy, go ahead and eat it. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you gave in to the temptation, as long as it’s in moderation. Those negative thoughts of ‘I’m bad for having this’ are more detrimental to our health than having that piece of candy. And don’t forget to give yourself some … Continue reading “The Waterpik Water Flosser – the Ultimate Sugar Buster”