Some things are just best left to the professionals...!

I take my car for oil changes to the nearest QuickLube... get my hair cut at SodaSalon, ...go toPat Musto, CPNP at North Fulton Pediatrics for my pediatric care, ...call a handy man to get work done at the house... go out for sushi(not good for homemade food!)...when somebody does something every day, they are bound to get good at it.
For this reason, you should see us regularly for dental check ups and cleanings , work done as recommended. Remember, it is proven every day , a small cavity only gets worse, a big cavity will break and leave you hoping for a crown and not a bridge or implant... missing teeth will cause trouble with your bite/the rest of your teeth... jaw pain untreated with a splint, can be an early sign that you are grinding your teeth and can cause widespread cracking of many teeth,you get the idea. Simple changes/treatment can save you in the long run.
When Dr Johnson recommends treatment, you really need it. When we refer you to a specialist, you can bet, we would go there ourselves! Our area has great providers for all health care needs and we have developed great relationships with our team of providers. We have a list of trusted professionals on our website.
As 2010 draws to an end, have you taken care of your teeth? Do you want to use that last bit of dental insurance/flex spend money before it evaporates? Don't wait too long... December only has 16 dental care days in it!

Debbie Johnson


Brian D. Johnson, D.M.D.,PC
Family and Cosmetic Dentistry
1240 Upper Hembree Road
Suite C
Roswell,GA 30076
www.brianjohnsondmd.com

"Sharing is Caring"

I was a restaurant recently with our daughter, and she ordered a hot chocolate. When the warm delicious drink was brought to the table, it was almost to pretty to drink, piled up with whipped cream, sprinkled with chocolate chips....after many oohs and ahhs, the waiter said..." Sharing is Caring!". Isn't this true of everything in life?

We were just finishing our candy drive that we are so proud of. The very basis of this was children and parents sharing their left over/unwanted candy. I thought, how we all care and share all the time...each time we donate unwanted/outgrown clothing, we are sharing .... buy a bag of food at the grocery store to donate to a charity.... drop a few dollars in the collection plate at church...smile at a stranger... you get my drift.

Sharing is Caring may be my newest, most favorite quote. We hope that when you are caring for and sharing with your friends, you'll drop our name as a great dentist office every now and then.

Hope you have a great Thanksgiving, and Christmas season!

Dr Johnson and Debbie

I grind my teeth... does it damage my teeth?

Most adults and some children grind their teeth. While there is nothing necessary to do for children who grind their teeth, adults should talk to their dentist. Below is an article written by staff of the Mayo Clinic. Grinding ages your teeth and can cause problems like wearing and breaking of your teeth as well periodontal/gum problems. We recommend using an appliance called NTI splint. The NTI splint is a custom splint that fits over either the upper two or lower two teeth. It disengages the jaw muscles and allows them to rest. Of course, if you have a question, call us! Find us on FB, LinkedIn, and Twitter...

Dr Brian Johnson

1240 Upper Hembree Road

Suite C

Roswell,GA 30076

770.993.9809

http://www.brianjohnsondmd.com/

Symptoms of teeth grinding/bruxism

By Mayo Clinic staff
Signs and symptoms of bruxism may include:
Teeth grinding or clenching, which may be loud enough to awaken your sleep partner
Teeth that are worn down, flattened, fractured or chipped
Worn tooth enamel, exposing deeper layers of your tooth
Increased tooth sensitivity
Jaw pain or tightness in your jaw muscles
Enlarged jaw muscles
Earache — because of severe jaw muscle contractions, not a problem with your ear
Headache
Chronic facial pain
Chewed tissue on the inside of your cheek
Indentations on your tongue

See your doctor or dentist if:
Your teeth are worn, damaged or sensitive
You have pain in your jaw, face or ear
Others complain that you make a grinding noise while you sleep

Causes:

Doctors don't completely understand the causes of bruxism. Possible physical or psychological causes may include:
Anxiety, stress or tension
Suppressed anger or frustration
Aggressive, competitive or hyperactive personality type
Abnormal alignment of upper and lower teeth (malocclusion)
Changes that occur during sleep cycles
Response to pain from an earache or teething (in children)
Growth and development of the jaws and teeth (for children)
Complication resulting from a disorder, such as Huntington's disease or Parkinson's disease
An uncommon side effect of some psychiatric medications, including certain antidepressants.

Complications:

In most cases, bruxism doesn't cause serious complications. But severe bruxism may lead to:
Damage to your teeth (including restorations and crowns) or jaw
Tension-type headaches
Facial pain
Temporomandibular disorders — which occur in the temporomandibular joints (TMJs), located just in front of your ears and felt when opening and closing your mouth.

What we do to help:

Tests and diagnosisBy Mayo Clinic staff
During regular dental exams, your dentist likely will check for physical signs of bruxism, such as:
Unusual wear and tear on your teeth
Continued breakdown of dental restorations, including loss of crowns
Tooth fractures
Tooth sensitivity
If you have any of these signs, your dentist will look for changes in your teeth and mouth over the next several visits to see if the process is progressive and to determine whether you need treatment.
If your dentist suspects that you have bruxism, he or she will try to determine its cause by asking questions about:
Your general dental health
Your daily medications
Whether you routinely drink alcohol or caffeinated beverages, especially during the evening
Your sleep habits, especially about any unusual grinding sounds heard by your roommate or sleeping partner during the night
To evaluate the extent of bruxism, your dentist may check for:
Tenderness in your jaw muscles
Obvious dental abnormalities, such as broken or missing teeth or poor tooth alignment
Damage to your teeth, the underlying bone and the inside of your cheeks, usually with the help of X-rays
A dental examination may detect other disorders that can cause similar jaw or ear pain, such as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, other dental disorders or an ear infection. If your dentist suspects a significant psychological component to your teeth grinding or a sleep-related disorder, you may be referred to a therapist, counselor or sleep specialist.

What does 150 pounds of candy look like?

We want to thank our patients, neighbors, friends, and even a few strangers to helping to make our first annual "Halloween Candy Buy Back" campaign a tremendous success. We shipped $150 pounds of candy to some very dedicated soldiers. Operation Gratitude will send most of the candy that we collected as part of their Care Packages. One special box will go to Jordan Johnson, a local Alpharetta young man stationed in Afghanistan. His brother is a dear friend of our son.

So, what does 150 pounds of candy look like? It fills 14 flat rate boxes. Those boxes stacked up were taller than Dr Johnson. They filled Debbie's car. Every bag delivered to our office was brought by someone wearing a huge smile. We had bags left by our office door, home door, and even in our home mailbox. Our entire family and staff really enjoyed the opportunity to see our community unite to share smiles with the men and women who are separated from their families and serving our country. We are so proud and excited to be able to share a smile or two from home. The moral of this story is that a small act of kindness like donating your candy can make many days brighter for so many.

150 pounds of candy looks like warm hearts and more smiles than we could measure! Thanks again!

Debbie and Brian Johnson

What kind of toothpaste should I use?

Walking down the toothpaste aisle at the local supermarket can be overwhelming. We are frequently asked for guidance in choosing toothpaste. Today, there are more options than ever. Toothpaste manufacturers provide so many kinds of toothpaste for two reasons. First, people have different dental problems and benefit from different toothpastes. Another reason is marketing; more kinds of toothpaste mean more shelf space for that manufacturer. Colgate (www.colgate.com) lists over 60 different kinds of over the counter toothpaste. All that toothpaste creates a big billboard right inside the local grocery store. That makes Colgate products much easier to find than Biotene which produces only two kinds of toothpaste.The dentist will ask you what you need toothpaste for. People who use toothpaste clean their teeth by brushing and flossing them. The mechanical action of the brush and floss loosens plaque. Plaque is the bacterial coating that forms on teeth and causes gum disease and cavities. Rinsing with water washes the loose plaque away. Toothpaste must provide an addition benefit.Procter and Gamble (www.crest.com) introduced fluoridated toothpaste with Crest in 1955. Now, most toothpaste contains fluoride. Fluoride from toothpaste seeps into the surface of teeth making them more resistant to decay. People who use toothpaste with fluoride get fewer cavities than those who do not.For people who have a very high rate of decay, their dentist may prescribe toothpaste that has a higher concentration of fluoride. Such a high concentration is able to reverse very small decayed areas.Young children who can not rinse and spit out should not use fluoridated toothpaste. They may swallow too much fluoride which may stain the permanent teeth. That is why some manufacturers market fluoride free toothpaste for children. Tom’s of Maine (www.tomsofmaine.com), known for their “natural” oral health care products offers fluoride free, strawberry flavor toothpaste for children.

Whitening toothpaste is generally safe for daily use, but excessive use might damage tooth enamel. If you're considering using a whitening toothpaste, look for a brand that has a seal of approval from a reputable dental organization — such as the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of Acceptance, which indicates that the toothpaste is effective at removing surface stains and reducing tooth decay. If you're not satisfied with the effect of whitening toothpaste, talk to your dentist or dental hygienist about more effective tooth whitening options.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/18779/choosing_which_toothpaste_you_should.html

Brian D. Johnson, D.M.D

1240 Upper Hembree Road

Suite C

Roswell, GA30076

770.993.9809

http://www.brianjohnsondmd.com/

Are you washing your hands properly?

The germ season has begun! The best way to stay healthy is to wash your hands frequently and properly. Use of hand sanitizer can help in the quest to ward the germs away. Diligent practices of hand washing, use of sanitizers when appropriate, and other simple practices can go along way to keep your family healthy this season.

The following article was posted on the Mayo Clinic website. Please take a moment to read.

Frequent hand washing is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick and spreading illness. Hand washing requires only soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer — a cleanser that doesn't require water. Find out when and how to wash your hands properly.
When to wash your hands
As you touch people, surfaces and objects throughout the day, you accumulate germs on your hands. In turn, you can infect yourself with these germs by touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Although it's impossible to keep your hands germ-free, washing your hands frequently can help limit the transfer of bacteria, viruses and other microbes.
Always wash your hands before:
Preparing food
Eating
Treating wounds or giving medicine
Touching a sick or injured person
Inserting or removing contact lenses
Always wash your hands after:
Preparing food, especially raw meat or poultry
Using the toilet
Changing a diaper
Touching an animal or animal toys, leashes or waste
Blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing into your hands
Treating wounds
Touching a sick or injured person
Handling garbage or something that could be contaminated, such as a cleaning cloth or soiled shoes
Of course, it's also important to wash your hands whenever they look dirty.
How to wash your hands
It's generally best to wash your hands with soap and water. Follow these simple steps:
Wet your hands with running water.
Apply liquid, bar or powder soap.
Lather well.
Rub your hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds. Remember to scrub all surfaces, including the backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers and under your fingernails.
Rinse well.
Dry your hands with a clean or disposable towel or air dryer.
If possible, use your towel to turn off the faucet.
Keep in mind that antibacterial soap is no more effective at killing germs than is regular soap. Using antibacterial soap may even lead to the development of bacteria that are resistant to the product's antimicrobial agents — making it harder to kill these germs in the future.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hand-washing/HQ00407


Debbie Johnson
Dr. Brian Johnson
1240 Upper Hembree Road
Suite C
Roswell, GA 30076
770.993.9809
www.brianjohnsondmd.com