Are Your Gum Measurements Lucky Numbers?

We see numbers everywhere, every day. There are lottery numbers, lucky numbers, sleep number beds, ages, addresses, and phone numbers. Your gums have numbers too. When you visit our office, Dr Johnson or the hygienist will exam your gums and measure the "pocket depth" and call out a bunch of numbers. We do this every visit on every adult. Why do we think this is so important? Well if your gum measurements are  1-3mm, you are doing a good job cleaning your teeth on a regular basis. If they are 4-5mm, you have some work to do. You need to go get new floss and interdental cleaners; and, then get busy changing your oral hygiene routines. If the numbers are 6mm or above, you have a problem. At this point , tartar has built up and hardened. Many times it is well below the gum line. This means, even if you started brushing and flossing like crazy, you won't be able to remove it. This "plug" of calculus is
trapping bacteria in your gums. If the numbers are about about 7 or 8 , you may already be in danger of losing your teeth due to bone loss.

So, you see, regular visits to the dentist really is important. Some people seem to be  genetically programmed to build up plaque and calculus and require cleanings 3-4 times per year. Some can get by with 2 times per year. The important thing is to find out what your numbers are!

Call us today to make your cleaning appointment. If you are looking for a dentist, we welcome you to see what our patients think of us. Our patient testimonials are available for review.

Brian Johnson DMD
Family and Cosmetic Dentistry
1240 Upper Hembree Road
Suite C
Roswell, GA 30076
(770)993-9809
http://www.brianjohnsondmd.com/

Dental Insurance FAQs...

We are asked often what dental insurance plans we participate in and what plans we recommend. So , here goes...

We participate in Aetna PPO, Ameritas,Blue Cross Blue Shield, Delta Dental, Guardian, and Principal. We accept as out of network providers with Cigna, MetLife and United HealthCare. We are listed on a couple of "transparent fee" lists : Signature Dental Plan and GE Wellness.

Some employers who provide these plans : United Postal Service(Aetna), ADP(Aetna),MedAssets (Aetna), Fulton County BOE(Ameritas), Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta(Metlife), Microsoft Corporation (Blue Cross Blue Shield), Equifax (Aetna), Hewlett Packard ( Deltal Dental), Wendy's/Arby's Group ( Blue Cross Blue Shield).

Regarding the question of what insurance plan we recommend... that depends. If your employer offers options of dental coverage, then hopefully they are paying for a significant part of your deductible. If they offer choices, opt for comprehensive care that allows you to choose your own dentist. Stay away from "DMO" plans. These plans require you to select a dentist on their list and do not provide "out of network benefits" . We do not and WILL not sign up for DMO plans. If they offer a PPO option, that is usually safe because you can go "out of network" and still be o.k. In addition, we participate in many PPO plans. Most "open" plans allow you to go to your dentist of choice.


Are you unemployed, self employed, or retired and don't have dental insurance? No problem. I do not recommend that anybody pays the expensive premiums for dental insurance. Dental insurance is very different from medical insurance. It is financially irresponsible to not have health insurance. Not so for dental insurance. The average person only needs two cleanings and maybe a filling or two per year. The amount that you would pay for dental insurance premiums would likely exceed the amount that you would pay as a fee for service patient. Additionally, we offer as a courtesy to our patients a "fee for service" adjustment. The amount varies from 10-15% depending on payment method.
As always, I am happy to help you understand your dental benefits. I'm just a phone call or email away.
Debbie Johnson


Brian Johnson DMD
1240 Upper Hembree Road
Suite C
Roswell,GA 30076
770.993.9809
http://www.brianjohnsondmd.com/

Choosing a Dentist

What is important to you choosing a dentist? Location, type of practice, insurance, office hours? We pride ourselves on running a low volume practice. This allows us to get to know each patient. Many times we run into our patients in the grocery store, at the ball field, at school functions, and all over our community. Customer service is important to us and we think it shows in how we serve our patients. Please take a moment to browse through some of our patient testimonials to see what they say. We are excited and proud to read each of them.


How do you choose a dentist? This can be very stressful. Many people ask their friends who their dentist is and if they recommend them. If you have just moved and can't do that, we welcome you to see what our patients say about us. You can click on this link to read all of our recent reviews.
I have included one from a patient here:

I have seen Dr. Johnson and his staff three times over the past year. I have seen him for two cleanings and I had my very first filling in 28 years a few months ago. I was extremely nervous but Dr. Johnson and his staff made me feel very comfortable and attended to my every need. I would without a doubt recommend this dental office to everyone! Dr. Johnson is a very kind and gentle dentist. When you walk in Debbie greets you like you have known her for years! The rest of the dental team have great personalities and are just the absolute best! LOVE these guys!! :)

Some need to use a dentist within their dental insurance network. We understand the need to maximize dental benefits and participate in many dental insurance PPO plans. If you don't see our name listed on your plan, we encourage you to call our office anyway.
 
So, if you have just moved to the area and need to find a new dentist, or just need to find a different office for other reasons; we hope that you will call to see how easy we can make it for you. We welcome you!
 
Debbie Johnson
 
Brian D. Johnson DMD
Family and Cosmetic Dentistry
1240 Upper Hembree Road
Suite C
Roswell, GA 30076
770.993.9809
http://www.brianjohnsondmd.com/

Celebrating 20 Years of Marriage and Dentistry

Debbie and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary this month. I celebrated a different kind of anniversay as well. I graduated from Medical College of Georgia in May 1990.  In January 1991, I bought into a dental practice in Roswell, GA. Since that time, I have continued in the same practice. My practice has certainly changed over time. I started out as an associate dental to Dr John Mathews. Soon after, practiced in a partnership until 1999. Since that time, I have practiced alone. We relocated the practice in 2008. We have watched the North Fulton area change along the way.

It has been my pleasure to serve the dental needs of my community for the last 20 years. I look forward to the next phase of my practice!

Brian D. Johnson, DMD
Family and Cosmetic Dentistry
1240  Upper Hembree Road
Suite C
Roswell, GA 30076
770.993.9809
http://www.brianjohnsondmd.com/

Changing of the Toothbrush

Hopefully you know to change your toothbrush...every 3 months. Do you know why? Beyond the obvious that it gets worn out, the toothbrush also can trap bacteria.
A few reasons to toss the old brush:

• you get a canker sore
• you get an oral herpes lesion
• strep throat
• a recent bout with the flu or cold

While it may seem costly to change your toothbrush so frequently, it is far better than missing days of work due to illness.

On a side note, you should NEVER share toothbrushes with anyone! See above for reasons.

Brian D. Johnson, DMD
Family and Cosmetic Dentistry
1240 Upper Hembree Road
Suite C
Roswell, GA 30076
http://www.brianjohnsondmd.com/
770.993.9809

Free Teeth Whitening - Roswell Dentist Summer Special

Every week for the rest of the summer, we will have a drawing for a free at home teeth whitening.

How can you get your name in the drawing? Refer your friends!

When they schedule and come in for their new patient appointment, we will put your name in the drawing. . Your name will be entered every single time you send us one of  your friends. Already have a kit? We'll give  you a free refill kit!
Clearly, this extra special offer is for our patients only. If you become a patient, then you can qualify as well!
I'm guessing almost every one of our patients knows one person who needs a dentist and is embarrassed to to admit that they haven't visited one in too long. You can help your friends...give them back their smile and brighten yours at the same time!

We try to make it easy to refer your friends...forward any email you get from us, share our FaceBook posts, heck you can even just say to friends, coworkers, neighbors, playgroup friends..."I have a great dentist!"

Debbie Johnson
Brian D. Johnson, DMD
1240 Upper Hembree Road
Suite C
Roswell,GA 30076
www.BrianJohnsonDMD.com
770.993.9809

Secret to Fresh Breath...Shhhh!

I am letting you in a well kept secret to have the freshest breath possible. Ready?

• Brush and floss your teeth
• Clean your tongue
• See your dentist and dental hygienist as recommended.
• Drink plenty of water

Pretty complicated...


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

Is Your Tongue Like a Shaggy Carpet?

I ran across this article on bad breath and oral health. I think it is quite good.
Brian Johnson
1240 Upper Hembree Road
Suite C
Roswell, GA 30076
770.993.9809
http://www.brianjohnsondmd.com/

According to WebMD:

Don't let your tongue become a dirty carpet.

Bad breath often strikes when people aren't properly taking care of their oral health. The odor is usually caused by decaying food particles and bacteria in your mouth. That's why brushing and flossing your teeth is so important, but don't forget to gently brush your tongue to get rid of even more bacteria.



A clean tongue goes a long way to warding off bad breath, says Stephen Z. Wolner, a dentist in private practice in New York City. "Your tongue microscopically is like a shaggy carpet. There are millions of filaments on your tongue that trap tiny food particles and bacteria," he says. Get in the habit of regularly cleaning your tongue using a toothbrush, the edge of a spoon, or a tongue cleaner. If you have any mouth guards or oral devices, make sure to clean them thoroughly before putting them back in your mouth.



Mouthwash isn't a bad idea, but it's only a temporary fix. Granted, a little mouthwash comes in handy before a romantic dinner for two, but it masks the odor instead of tackling the source of your problem.



Chew gum like it's going out of style.

Believe it or not, saliva is your best weapon against bad breath. That's why dry mouth, often caused by certain medications or medical conditions, leads to odor problems. By washing away food particles and bacteria, saliva helps to eliminate odor, too.



If you're wondering why your breath stinks in the morning, it's largely because saliva production slows while you sleep, allowing particles and odor to linger longer. That's where sugarless gum comes in handy, as chewing it will stimulate saliva production. Mints, on the other hand, don't usually stimulate saliva production and only temporarily mask bad odor.



"When you chew gum it makes you salivate, and the more saliva you have in your mouth the fewer bacteria you have. It not only mechanically washes bacteria out, but we have antiseptic and enzymes in our saliva that kill bacteria," says Wolner.



While anything that makes you salivate will improve your breath, a gum that is sweetened with xylitol is your best option. Xylitol is a sugar substitute that not only increases salvation but also works to prevent bacteria from replicating in the mouth.



Choose cinnamon -- it's sweeter.

A recent study of the cinnamon-flavored gum Big Red found that cinnamon might have breath-odor fighting abilities. Unlike other flavors, cinnamon is not just a cover-up, Wolner tells WebMD. In fact, he says, an ingredient in the flavoring appears to actually decrease the bacteria in your mouth. The only problem is that sugar gums are bad for your teeth, so stick to sugarless cinnamon-flavored gum instead.

Roswell Dentist Speaks Out on Bad Breath

What do Barney, Puff the Magic Dragon, Norbert ( Harry Potter), Elliot(Pete's Dragon), and Mushu (Mulan) have in common? Why they are all dragons, of course! So,...logic would tell us that they should have dragon breath. Let's let them have their claim to fame!
People shouldn't have dragon breath. It is not pleasant and can be a symptom of medical and dental conditions that require a visit to your doctor or dentist. The most common cause of bad breath is simply bacteria. Nice, right? Bacteria lives all over our body; but loves our mouths. Think about it, our mouths are dark, damp, and provides a food source for the pesky microbes. Guess what, bacteria in themselves don't smell. Only their waste products. Great. Here are some words for you to chew on , so to speak...

•Cadaverine - the smell we associate with corpses.

•Putrescine - the compound responsible for much of the foul odor produced by decaying meat.

•Skatole - the characteristic smell of human fecal matter.

•Isovaleric Acid - the smell of sweaty feet.
 
These all can be present in your mouth. Feel like running and brushing and flossing. I know I do just reading this!
 
Not to worry. Excellent home oral hygiene and regular visits to your dental hygienist will be a great step toward fresh smelling breath!

Brian D. Johnson, D.M.D.
1240 Upper Hembree Road
Suite C
Roswell, GA 3076
770.993.9809
http://www.brianjohnsondmd.com/