Dr Romano's Blog

SNORE – S + IG = IGNORE This May Not Be An Option Anymore

Just about everyone snores occasionally. Even a baby or a beloved pet may snore! However snoring can affect the quantity and quality of your sleep. Poor sleep can lead to daytime fatigue, irritability, poor behavior, trouble with relationships and increased health problems.

Sleep also affects your mood. People who chronically lack sleep are also more likely to become depressed. Sleep disorders deprive you of a “good night’s sleep”, chronic daytime exhaustion, and long-term cardiovascular stress.

Snoring is a most common problem plaguing the world. Studies show that almost 46% of the male and 30% of the female populace in the world snore on a regular basis. The question remains as to how snoring can affect your marriage. For many it most certainly can. But before diving into that topic, let us first know what is snoring.

If you snore regularly and experience these symptoms, you may have a condition called sleep apnea. It is as widespread as Asthma and Diabetes; however sleep apnea often remains undiagnosed.

What is sleep apnea?

Under normal conditions, the muscles that control the upper airway relax during sleep. If they relax too much, the upper airway becomes narrow and some people begin to snore. If the airway becomes to narrow, this may cause difficulties in breathing. Sometimes the airway becomes completely blocked and the person temporarily stops breathing – experiencing obstructive apnea. Apnea means without breath. This can last for 10 seconds or more. It may happen frequently or even several hundred times a night.

If you have this condition, every time an apnea occurs, you struggle to breathe, placing stress on your brain and heart.

Research shows that snoring and sleep apnea are associated with many serious conditions. Left untreated, they are a contributing risk factor in high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke diabetes and depression.

So don’t IGNORE the symptoms if you SNORE.

To learn more about snoring and sleep apnea visit www.drsamromano.com

Samuel Romano, D.M.D.
USA drsam@verizon.net

How Vitamin D Affects your Body and Dental Health

This past year one of my patients, at our Madison, NJ office, had a small basel cell removed. Being fair she has always tried to protect her skin from the sun. The advice of her surgeon was to stay out of the sun. A recent routine blood test indicated that her Vitamin D level was deficient. It was interesting that all her medical doctors told her to avoid the sun but none, until the blood test, told her about supplementing her Vitamin D intake. As a dentist, we care about our patients overall health as well as their Dental Health.

Vitamin D’s health benefits have been in the news a lot lately. I took the time to understand the effects of Vitamin D on dental health. I want to share some information I have learned with all of my dental patients and more.

Many people understand that Calcium helps build strong bones ands teeth. However, most probably don’t know the relationship Vitamin D has with Calcium and your dental health. So, what does Vitamin D do for the body? Vitamin D helps our bodies absorb the calcium we need for optimal bone and teeth development. Without enough Vitamin D in childhood, bone deformities can develop. If we do not get enough in our adult life it can lead to reduced bone density, osteoporosis & increased risk of bone fractures.

The latest research suggests that Vitamin D plays a role in helping to prevent a variety of health conditions, including multiple sclerosis. It can also reduce the risk of breast cancer in women. So you are probably wondering, what about how it benefits your mouth? The importance of Vitamin D for your teeth is very significant and almost completely overlooked in the medical field. How often have you been told to take Vitamin D for the prevention of periodontal/gum disease and the formation of cavities? Probably not very often. Since we were kids we have heard about the importance of Calcium, but, the relationship of Vitamin D is just as important. For many of our patients, brushing regularly, flossing daily and seeing our dental hygienist twice a year hasn’t always stopped all of periodontal disease. As a dentist this is very discouraging.

When patients suffer from this disease they have a weakening of the bone that anchors teeth into their socket. This leads to redness, bleeding, inflammation (also known as gingivitis), which if untreated can eventually lead to loss of teeth. Vitamin D is also important because it acts as an anti-inflammatory. It is an important stimulator of our immune system. When your immune system health is at its best, you are less likely to get bacterial infections in your gums and elsewhere.

So how does it all work? Calcium is stored in bones and teeth. This stored nutrient is always in a state of movement. When the body needs more Calcium in the bloodstream due to low levels, the body extracts it from its storage in bones and teeth. When there is an abundance of Calcium in the bloodstream, it is put back into bones and teeth, thus making our skeleton very strong and resilient. Vitamin D acts as the regulator of this whole process. When Vitamin D levels are too low, no Calcium is put back into bones and teeth. Then our bones become weakened and susceptible to fractures. Low levels of Vitamin D can be a contributing factor to osteoporosis and periodontal disease.

To sum it up, Calcium and Vitamin D are critical for the general health and strength of bones and teeth. With the avoidance of sun exposure many people are becoming Vitamin D deficient. In the case of my patient, once skin cancer was detected, and the recommendation to stay out of the sun was made, the importance of supplementing Vitamin D was not suggested.
It is very important to make sure we get enough Vitamin D in our diet and from supplements. It is recommended to take 1,000 IU of Vitamin D daily for adults and 400 IU for children. Eating foods high in Vitamin D is also helpful. Such foods include milk, yogurt, salmon, orange juice, tuna, eggs, and cheese.

If you would like more information on how Vitamin D affects your mouth or your overall health please contact me atdrsam@drsamromano.com or visit our website at www.drsamromano.com

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Is Madison really Mayberry?

For years, I’ve heard how wonderful Madison is and how people who move here compare it to Mayberry from the Andy Griffith Show. (I can still whistle the tune). Having lived and worked in town all my life, I feel uniquely qualified to weigh in on their assessment of Madison. I was onlypartly right.

First of all, let me tell you a little about myself. I was born in 1959 and grew up on Bardon Street. My mother, who is 83, still lives there. I went to Central Avenue School,the Junior School, and Madison High, graduating in 1977. I went to Fairleigh Dickinson University for undergrad and UMDNJ in Newark for Dental School. I’ve lived in Madison all my life with the exception of a few years in Florham Park and a year in Chatham. Not exactly the world traveler.

I started to realize that Madison was special while I was in dental school in Newark.

When the doctors on staff found out I was from Madison, they would say “that’s a good town.” I never thought much about it, I was more focused on exams.

After I finished school and in the early years of my career, I worked at several practices in North Jersey, both urban and suburban settings. That’s the first time I started to “get it.”

You see, having never really lived or worked anywhere before, I thought every place was just like Madison. I didn’t know what I had because I didn’t know what others didn’t have.

When those newbies in town become so enamored with Madison, I remember thinking, “Yea, I remember when it really was Mayberry.” As a kid, if I rode my bike in a part of town that I wasn’t supposed to be in, my mother knew about it before I got home. And there were no cell phones back in those days! (Opie’s got nothing on me.)

A long time has passed since I began my career, and I have traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and even to Central America to practice dentistry. The places ranged from nice resorts to inner city hospitals and small remote villages. But for all the places I’ve been to, I realize that Dorothy in the “Wizard of Oz” had it right when she said, “there’s no place like home.”

As I start my fifth decade in town, I’m happy to see the storefronts in the downtown filled with new businesses. I’m happy many of my friends and fellow business owners are still around. They have ridden out the financial storm and have kept their businesses in town. In spite of a significant slump in the housing market, homes in town still keep selling.

My vision for the future of Madison is bright. I was disappointed that New Jersey Monthly didn’t include Madison in the top 100 towns in New Jersey!
(What’s up with that?) I know we have a parking problem. I know about the
budget. I know taxes are high. I know we have all the same problems as most other towns. I encourage those in town who have the responsibility of decision making to keep in mind the image of what Madison looked like in
the past and to see what the future needs to be and make decisions that support
that vision.

You know, I’ve never won the lottery. I don’t have much luck in Atlantic
City. I have enough losing raffle and 50/50 tickets that if I burnt them in the fireplace, I could heat the house for the month of February. But that’s OK, because I’ve been blessed to live and work in a great place: Madison. And I don’t even have to click my heels three times to get there.

For more information, please
visit our website at www.DrSamRomano.com

Thanks for the ride,

Sam Romano

“Pursuing Dental Excellence”

Dr. Sam Romano is recognized by Dr. John Kois at the 2011 Kois Center Symposium in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Romano was recognized for his creative vision which led to the publication of “Pursuing Dental Excellence” The book is written for patients to help them understand the level of commitment and dedication to excellence that graduates of the Kois Center have for dentistry. It was distributed to the 400 dentists from the U.S. Europe and Asia at the meeting last week. Please pick it up and give it a look the next time you are in the office. I’m very proud of it.

For more information on Dr. Sam Romano visit www.drsamromano.com

DNA

According to the American Dental Association, an estimated 75% of all Americans over the age of 35 have some form of periodontal disease. Furthermore, science is showing a direct link between oral health and overall health. Specifically, there has been shown to be a link between periodontal disease and heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and some forms of cancer.
Periodontal disease is caused by a bacterial infection. A simple DNA test can now determine the specific type and quantity of disease-causing bacteria in your mouth! These bacteria, if left untreated can cause periodontal disease, tooth loss, and also affect your risk for developing other systemic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes (among others).
Swishing a small amount of sterile saline throughout the mouth for 30 seconds performs this gentle oral rinse procedure.
A lab report will identify the presence or absence of bacteria associated with periodontal infection, and allow development of a personalized treatment plan!

Sedation Dentistry. “What’s up with that”?

As one of the very few dentists licensed to administer IV sedation in NJ (other than Oral Surgeons there are less than 100 IV sedation permits in NJ) I get a lot of patients calling the office for the service. They come from throughout northern and central NJ looking for something that almost all don’t and can’t offer.

Do you need to be Sedated?

There is a lot of talk these days about Sedation Dentistry. It has become a life changing experience for many. Millions of people avoid going to the dentist each year because of fear, anxiety, negative childhood experience, gag reflex to name just a few. Many people have asked me to talk about the topic. Sedation dentistry is the fastest growing alternative to traditional dental treatment. When your body gets into the anxious mode it releases hormones and chemicals that can leave your muscles tight and tired. While sedated, your body is relaxed and all those corrosive chemicals are absent. You wake up feeling refreshed and relaxed. You can get more dentistry done in one visit rather than multiple visits making it convenient and less stressful. IV Sedation, may be a more appropriate alternative for people who are nervous or apprehensive about dental procedures or who require complicated or lengthy treatments.

This sedation will allow you to be relaxed throughout the entire procedure. You will remain conscious (unlike general anesthesia) but you will be in a complete state of relaxation. Your vital signs are constantly monitored. When you awake you will feel refreshed and have little memory of the procedure.

For more information about Dr. Sam Romano please visit my website www.drsamromano.com

Symposium on bone and soft tissue grafting

Dr. Sam Romano and Dr. Mike Pikos

I Just got back from a symposium on bone and soft tissue grafting by Dr’s. Pikos, and Salama. They are world famous for their work in the area. One of the additional speakers was Dr. Eduardo Anitua from Spain. His presentation was amazing. His pioneering research will change how we do things in regard to growing bone in areas that are currently deficient. The good news is the future is now. I’m really excited to be bringing some of his techniques into the office in the next couple of months.

SEDATION DENTISTRY/Serving Morris County NJ

Understanding Dental Phobias
First of all, you need to understand that dental phobia is very common among a lot of people. The main cause of triggers of dental phobia may be the fear of shots, hearing and fearing dental drill, and also the typical cold atmosphere that people would normally experience inside the dental practice. Other triggers are strong gag reflex, difficulty in becoming numb, previous traumatic experience during dental treatment, and sensitive teeth.

If you are interested in our Sedation Dentistry services, please contact Dr. Romano and his team today in Madison, NJ and schedule a consultation.

ORAL DNA

As you may be aware, the past 10 years have provided much insight into what has come to be called… “The Oral / Systemic Connection”. There does appear to be a link to chronic inflammatory periodontal infections and systemic diseases such as:

•Heart disease
•Diabetes
•Stroke
•Some forms of cancer and other diseases
The National Institute of Health (NIH) and other research facilities are aggressively pursuing this link as well. For More information regarding the Oral/Systemic Connection, visit the following links online:

•National Institutes of Health: nha.gov
•American Dental Association: ada.org
•Academy of Periodontology: perio.org
•American Dental Hygienists’ Association: adha.org
As we continue to learn more about the severity of periodontal infections and how closely linked they are to your overall health, having detailed information about your genetic susceptibility (MyPerioID® PST®) and the bacteria that are present in our mouth (MyPerioPath®) will be critical in determining your oral and overall general health.

To find our more about oral DNA contact Dr. Sam Romano in Madison, New Jersey, or visit our website at drsamromano.com