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Cure Sleep Apnea, Capital District

July 20, 2015

ThinkstockPhotos-460135143It’s Monday morning again. You wake feeling groggy, your head hurts, and you down numerous cups of coffee to help you concentrate for your drive to work. As you chug coffee at the kitchen counter, your partner enters and glares at you. Another sleepless night listening to your snoring. You shuffle off to work, but when you get there your head ache and exhaustion are overwhelming. It may be time to call Capital Smiles of Schenectady, NY to learn more about our sleep apnea therapies to help you get a better night’s sleep.

Sleep Apnea Explained by Your Capital District Dentists

Sleep apnea can go undiagnosed for years, especially if you don’t share a room or bed with anyone who can be disturbed by your loud snoring. Symptoms associated with sleep apnea like memory loss, severe headache, and weight gain don’t seem to have anything to do with your sleep habits, and physicians often diagnose other conditions. Sleep apnea occurs when a patient stops breathing during sleep. Everyone experiences apnea differently many patients have numerous short episodes of breathing cessation, while others have just a few episodes of extended breathing cessation sometimes for a minute or longer. Other patients experience a combination of apnea (full breathing cessation) and hypopnea, prolonged periods of shallow breathing.

These periods of breathlessness cause your brain to awaken the body to restore breathing. The repeated wakening throughout the night keeps your body from entering a state of restorative sleep which repairs damage cells and biological systems throughout the body. At Capital Smiles, our dentists are trained to diagnose and treat sleep apnea. If you’re feeling excessively tired throughout the day, keeping your loved ones up all night snoring, or frequently wake up gasping for breath, schedule a sleep apnea consultation with Dr. Erin M. Page.

Treating Sleep Apnea with Your General Dentists, Capital District

The first step to treating sleep apnea is diagnosis. During a sleep apnea consultation with your physician, you’ll be asked to discuss your experiences, symptoms, and concerns that lead you to believe you may have sleep apnea. If your primary care physician determines that you may be suffering from sleep apnea, the next step is to undergo a sleep study. There are many different types of sleep studies, and your doctor will work with you to determine what type will most benefit you. The results of the study will allow your physician to see how many incidences of apnea and hypopnea you experience throughout the night as well as their frequency and duration.

Based on these results, Dr. Page will work with you to develop a treatment plan. For many patients, a simple dental appliance worn at night can open the airway stopping or reducing the incidences of apnea throughout the night. The device shifts the jaw forward to open the airway. Many nightguards can be adjusted as you wear them, so you can determine what the optimal positioning is to sleep through the night.

Find Out More about Sleep Apnea, Schenectady

Don’t let another sleepless night impact your daily routine. Call Capital Smiles to schedule a sleep apnea consultation today. Our Schenectady, NY practice invites patients from throughout the Capital District including Albany, Schenectady, Niskayuna, Amsterdam, and beyond.

Capital Smiles: The General Dentist Capital District Residents Turn to for Cavity Repair

164144314Rare is the person who goes through life without a single cavity. (If you know of such a person, however, please introduce us!) Every day of our lives we eat foods and drink beverages that leave behind the culprits—mostly starches and sugars—that can cause cavities. When you have a cavity, the importance of having that cavity repaired cannot be overstated. Left untreated, the tooth decay that causes a cavity in one tooth can spread within that tooth or even to other teeth. The consequences can be harmful to teeth and gums. Dr. Erin Page at Capital Smiles in Schenectady, NY, repair cavities with tooth-colored fillings, so your smile is whole and white.

What Causes a Cavity?

Starches and sugars, also known as carbohydrates, are usually the cause of a cavity. Sticky foods also encourage cavity formation, because they attach to the surface of your teeth and promote bacteria growth. And if you happen to eat too many snacks, then you are at greater risk of developing cavities, because plaque (the sticky film that is constantly forming on teeth) develops more often when you eat more often.

The bacteria in this plaque produces acids that attack tooth enamel. Because plaque is sticky, the acids remain in contact with your teeth and over time the enamel breaks down. Then, tooth decay begins and a cavity forms. To repair the cavity and restore your tooth’s form and function, we use tooth-colored fillings made of composite resin materials. Drs. Page can blend these materials to match the color of your tooth, so when the filling is complete your smile isn’t marred by the noticeable dark spot of a metal filling. We can also replace old metal fillings with composite resin fillings.

Most of the time, our Capital District dentists find cavities during regular checkups, when they are small and just starting to develop. Other times, we spot decay on a digital x-ray before it becomes visible to the naked eye. You may even notice increased tooth sensitivity when you eat sweet, hot, or colds foods and drinks. If this happens, then it’s time to visit the dental office Capital District residents rely on for the highest quality restorative dentistry in a friendly, comforting and relaxing atmosphere.

Call Our Office Today

If you suspect that you might have a cavity, or if it’s time to schedule a dental checkup, then call Capital Smiles. We proudly serve patients in Schenectady, NY, as well as from Albany, Schenectady, Niskayuna, Glenville, Amsterdam and beyond.

Sedation Dentistry in the Capital District

June 30, 2015

Millions of people in the United States and around the globe suffer from dental anxiety or phobia. This fear can range from minor discomfort to total terror. Some patients are able to overcome their fears to undergo necessary dental procedures, but many avoid visiting the dentist for even checkups or cleanings. Luckily the professionals at Capital Smiles are here to help you overcome your fears. While we want you to know that you will receive the gentlest, skilled treatment with us, you shouldn’t have to experience anxiety to have a great smile. Sedation dentistry at Capital Smiles in Schenectady, NY can help any anxious patient relax and let us care for their oral health. Call to schedule an appointment today.

Safe Sedation Dentistry at Capital Smiles

Sedation dentistry provides patients with a safe, relaxing atmosphere to receive dental care. Our dentist Erin M Page are certified through the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation (DOCS). This certification ensures that our dentists have been trained to safely administer oral conscious sedation for their patients, and will be able to provide you with excellent dental care while you safely relax.

Our office provides two types of sedation: oral and nitrous oxide (laughing gas). With Oral Conscious Sedation, we will prescribe and administer sedatives that quickly relax you. Patients often fall asleep or enter a sleep-like state throughout the procedure, and report not remembering much if any of their visit. Effects of sedation typically wear off 12 to 24 hours after taking the drug.

Nitrous oxide is commonly referred to as laughing gas because it causes a sense of euphoria. Patients who use nitrous oxide for sedation are able to relax during the dental procedure, but generally remain awake and remember their visit. The dentists are able to constantly control dosage to maintain your relaxation throughout. Additionally, the effects of laughing gas diminish quickly. Most people return to their daily routine after a few hours.

Who Should Have Sedation

Sedation dentistry is not just beneficial for phobic patients. Patients with sensitive gag reflexes, those who have very sensitive teeth or gums, those who experience pain from other bodily injuries when in a dental chair, and those who need extensive work should also consider sedation dentistry before treatment. At Capital Smiles, your comfort is our first priority, and sedation dentistry is just another way we put you first.

Find Out More

If you haven’t visited the dentist for one or more years due to dental anxiety, don’t put it off one more day. Call to schedule an appointment with our sedation dentistry certified dental professionals. We’ll work with you to develop a safe, effective sedation plan to help you relax and improve your oral health. Our capital district dental office welcomes patients throughout the Capital District including Schenectady, Albany, Rotterdam, Troy, Niskayuna, and beyond.

Capital Smiles in Schenectady has Heart

April 30, 2015

5th Graders with True Heart! Source: http://stambroseenglish.weebly.com

5th Graders with True Heart!
Source: Ms. Izzo’s ELA Class

At Capital Smiles, we believe our work goes beyond the four walls of our practice in Schenectady, NY. In fact, we consider it a privilege to be part of the great community that is the Capital District. The generosity and care exhibited by our fellow citizens never cease to amaze. So, when Dr. Erin Page see an opportunity to help fellow citizens in their efforts to help one another, the dentists are ready, willing and able. Especially when those citizens just happen to be children.

For Easter, the students in Ms. Izzo’s fifth-grade class at St. Ambrose School showed true heart by making soft and comfy pillows for cardiac patients at Ellis Hospital. And not just any kind of pillows. These were heart shaped. Giving from one heart to help heal another heart.

To help the children with their mission of giving from the heart, Capital Smiles provided funding for the stuffing material the children needed to make the pillows. Moms and aunts sewed the pillows, and then the children went to work stuffing the pillows and designing get well cards to attach to each pillow.

Delivering Love

On Easter Day, classmate Jennifer and her aunt delivered 25 pillows to grateful nurses in the ICU at Ellis Hospital. The pillows were immediately brought to cardiac patients who were overjoyed by the children’s demonstration of care and love for complete strangers. Another 25 were delivered the following week, and 50 more were delivered sometime after that.

Jennifer was able to personally deliver a pillow to one of the cardiac patients. When asked how she felt after making the delivery, she said, “My smile is too big for my face.” And at Capital Smiles, there’s nothing we enjoy more than big smiles.

Good job, kids!

Call Our Office Today

If you would like to learn about how Capital Smiles can give you a big smile, schedule an appointment today. We proudly serve patients in Schenectady, NY, as well as from Albany, Rotterdam, Troy, Niskayuna, and beyond.

The Capital Region’s Choice for Cosmetic Dentistry

March 25, 2015

78294804When you see your smile in a photograph or in the mirror, do you see the smile you want or the smile you have? Is there something you’d like to change about your smile, but you don’t know how to even begin to go about making a change? At Capital Smiles, our dentists have mastered the art of cosmetic dentistry in order to give you the smile you want. Capital Smiles in Schenectady, NY, is the capital region’s choice for cosmetic dentistry.

We offer a variety of cosmetic dentistry procedures, so no matter what your smile goal is, we have a treatment to help you achieve that goal. Our cosmetic dentistry services include:

For a smile that needs a brightening boost, we offer in-office teeth whitening with Venus teeth-whitening gel and a special light that activates and speeds the whitening process. On the other hand, if you prefer to whiten at home, we can give you a take home kit with professional grade gel and custom-fitted trays.

Cosmetic Bonding and Porcelain Veneers

For teeth that don’t respond to teeth whitening, as well as for teeth that are chipped, slightly cracked, misshaped, crooked or have gaps between them, Capital Smiles offers either cosmetic bonding or porcelain veneers. With cosmetic bonding, Dr. Page artfully reshapes your tooth with tooth-colored composite resin. Porcelain veneers are thin layers of dental porcelain that are bonded to the facial side of teeth to conceal the flaws in your smile.

Invisalign and Six Month Smiles

For patients who need orthodontic treatment, we can use either Invisalign or Six Month Smiles to give you the straight smile you’ve always wanted. Invisalign utilizes clear plastic aligners to gradually and almost imperceptibly straighten teeth. Six Month Smiles uses traditional orthodontic methods, but the brackets are clear and the wires are tooth colored.

Gum Contouring and Smile Makeovers

Some patients have a beautiful smile hiding behind excessive gum tissue. With gum contouring, we remove the excess and reshape the remaining gum tissue for a more attractive appearance. Smile makeovers combine some or all of Capital Smiles’ cosmetic dentistry procedures to design and build a beautiful new smile.

Schedule an Appointment Today

If you would like to learn more about the capital region’s choice for cosmetic dentistry, then call Capital Smiles today. We proudly serve patients in Schenectady, NY, as well as from Albany, Rotterdam, Troy, Niskayuna, and beyond.

The Innumerable Benefits of Dental Implants: Restore and Rebuild Your Smile

August 18, 2014

177257483Over the past decade, dental implants have rapidly become the preferred tooth replacement option for patients seeking a restored smile and improved functionality. At Capital Smiles in Schenectady, NY, Dr. Erin M. Page provide patients with an all-inclusive range of restorative dental solutions supported by the latest technology in the industry, including dental implants.

Why Choose Dental Implants?

When you lose a tooth, the bone tissue within the jaw where the tooth once stood begins to deteriorate over time. This can lead to the loss of additional teeth and an increased risk for periodontal disease. The shape of the face can begin to change, promoting a sunken appearance that can make you look years older than you actually are. While dentures and bridges can help patients by restoring their smile and their ability to chew many foods, the absence of the root structure continues to present a problem unless it is replaced as well. This is one of the primary advantages of dental implants.

Dental implants are small, biocompatible posts that are placed within the jaw bone. By taking the place of your missing tooth’s root, an implant effectively preserves the bone tissue that comprises the jaw. Deterioration of the bone stops, resulting in improved stability and overall oral health. Through a process known as osseointegration, the implant fuses with the bone, making a dental implant a superior anchor for restorations like dentures, bridges, and single crowns.

The Dental Implants Process

First, a consultation with our doctors will determine your candidacy for dental implant placement. When we’ve formulated your unique treatment plan and prepared the area, the implants will be strategically placed as needed to support a crown, a bridge, or a full denture. After a brief period of healing and osseointegration, you’ll visit our office for the placement of your custom restoration.

There are many ways that dental implants help patients more fully enjoy their smiles and their lives.  Dentures secured with dental implants won’t slip or slide when you speak or eat, and the overall appearance is considered to be far more natural and aesthetically appealing.  To replace a single missing tooth, a dental implant avoids preparation of the two surrounding teeth required with a bridge.  Dental implants can also be used in conjunction with bridges to replace several teeth in total, also preserving more of your natural dentition.

Experience the Difference for Yourself

Whether you are missing a single tooth, multiple teeth, or are in need of tooth replacement for an entire arch, the experienced team at Capital Smiles can help. Contact our office today to schedule your consultation and to learn more about the wide range of possibilities afforded by dental implants. We look forward to sitting down with you to develop a comprehensive treatment plan that suits your individual needs and your lifestyle. Our primary goal is to rebuild your smile and restore optimal oral health for life. Conveniently located in Schenectady, NY, our state-of-the-art dental practice warmly welcomes patients from throughout the Capital District, including Niskayuna, Troy, Albany, Rotterdam, and more.

Dr. Page Explains Xereostomia (Dry Mouth)

February 25, 2014

Filed under: Uncategorized — Dr. Erin Page @ 10:05 pm

What is xereostomia?

Xerostomia, also known as dry mouth, is an oral condition marked by low salivary production.  Without sufficient saliva, your oral health can become compromised – lubrication and digestive enzymes are absent and your mouth can not maintain a healthy pH.  This condition leads to an increased susceptibility to microorganisms (which could impact your entire body, in addition to your mouth), cavities, fungal infections, and denture retention problems.  Symptoms of xerostomia include a hoarse voice, frequent sipping of water, trouble eating and swallowing, cracked lips, swollen salivary glands, frequent oral yeast infections, and inflamed cheeks, tongue and gums.  Although xerostomia is often overlooked or ignored, proper management is essential to prevent further complications.

Your prescription medications may cause xereostomia…

Causes of xerostomia include Sjorgen’s syndrome, radiation to the head and neck, uncontrolled diabetes, nervous system disorders, depression, Sarcoidosis, and HIV, but most commonly as a side effect of medications, as noted among 400 commonly prescribed medications.  Currently, nearly half of all Americans use at least one prescribed medication, nearly one third use 2-3 medications and approximately ten percent use five or more medications.  With greater prescription drug use, the occurrence of xerostomia is increasing.  Such medications include drugs for cardiac conditions (alpha, beta, and calcium channel blockers, diuretics), anti-depressants, central analgesics, anti-Parkinson’s drugs, anti-allergy meds, and antacids.  Often, when a prescription drug does not cause dry mouth when used alone, it may when used in combination with other medications.

Xerostomia can be experienced by anyone, but impacts the elderly most frequently.  If not managed properly, dry mouth can lead to tooth loss, a poorer diet, and a decreased overall health.  Treatment for xerostomia includes good home oral hygiene and regular recalls to your dentist.  Stimulation of salivary flow with rinses, lozenges, and gels can also be used, and alcohol mouth rinses should be avoided.

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