Marathons. Triathlons. Tough mudders. Whatever your endurance sport, training and performing is a major plus for your body. From your heart to your muscles to even your mental health, physical activity has a holistic positive effect on all the systems of the body. But there’s one area of your body that may not be so lucky if you’re not careful. It’s your mouth, and endurance training can really put it through the ringer. If you participate in any kind of endurance sports – or even just put in a grueling workout at the gym – here’s what you should know about protecting your oral health. Dr. Alexandra George is a dentist from Wexford, Pennsylvania. She says participants in endurance sports need to be extra mindful of their oral health. "It’s natural when straining your body to grit or grind your teeth," she says. "That is why it's imperative that when you are participating in endurance sports you wear a mouth guard. A mouth guard is also useful for protecting teeth against accidents like falls or being accidentally hit in the mouth while being active." Another natural thing to do when performing an endurance sport is to breathe through the mouth. This forceful breathing can be dangerous to the teeth because it dries the mouth out at a faster rate than normal mouth breathing or nasal breathing. If you breathe through the mouth while participating in sports, be sure to increase your fluids to compensate! "When performing in sporting events many people choose to drink sugary electrolyte-enhanced beverages that can be bad for the teeth," says George. "If you drink sugary sports drinks, the combination of dry mouth and excess sugar is upping your risk of cavities and bad breath. If you must drink sports drinks while active, be sure to alternate sips with water, or rinse your mouth out with water when your sports drink is finished." Because of the extra wear and tear on your teeth from endurance training, it is important that you visit your dentist more frequently than you might think. George recommends you stop by your dentist’s office at least two or three times a year to be sure that your oral health is solid and there is no damage to your teeth. Remember: Your oral health, or lack thereof, affects your total body health, which can affect your sports performance.

If you consider yourself a bit of a foodie, you’re probably familiar with trendy drinks as well as trendy foods. Right now, beverages from rose to kombucha are having their moment in the spotlight - and some of them even have purported health benefits. But are they true? And what’s the tradeoff? Can a good-for-you drink taste as good as one that isn’t healthy? Here’s the lowdown on some trendy beverages - and whether they’re really as good for you as they claim to be. Kombucha. It’s got a funny name, but this trendy fermented tea beverage supposedly packs a wallop of probiotics and prebiotics, substances that stimulate microorganism growth. Unfortunately, however, it also packs something else "Kombucha is very acidic," says Dr. Alexandra George, a dentist from Wexford, Pennsylvania. "And that acid can be very bad for your teeth." Not only that, but studies have shown it doesn’t really do much for your health. "It probably won’t hurt your health, but there’s been no proven benefits to your health, either," says George. "Experts say if you really want to get the benefits of pro- or prebiotics, you should stick to yogurt or yogurt smoothies." Another trendy beverage that claims to be better for you than the rest of the pack is sparkling water. You know the brand. But again, even though it's lower in sugar than traditional soda, sparkling water is still really acidic, and acid erodes your teeth, causing enamel damage that leaves teeth susceptible to cavities. So, is there a trendy beverage that actually is good for you? Yes! It’s called matcha green tea, and believe it or not, it’s everything it claims to be. "Matcha green tea’s only real threat to your health is that it could discolor your teeth a little bit," says George. "But otherwise it's got some great benefits." Those benefits include a ton of antioxidants, reduction of oral inflammation, and a bunch of antibacterial properties that can help kill off some of that nasty oral bacteria responsible for cavities and bad breath. Basically, matcha is everything kombucha aspires to be. Even better, matcha isn’t just good for your mouth - it’s been popping up as an ingredient in everything from face masks to smoothies. "Matcha green tea really is a wonder ingredient, as long as you use it wisely," says George. That means brushing your teeth well after drinking to avoid staining, and if you do drink it, not overloading your tea with sugar or honey, which will feed the very bacteria you’re hoping to eradicate by drinking matcha in the first place. Recent studies have also shown that drinking too-hot tea can cause throat cancer, so be sure to indulge in your matcha green tea at a reasonable temperature.

Some like it hot – their tea, that is. But if the findings of a new study are any indication, it may be best to let that cup of tea, coffee or bone broth cool down quite a bit before drinking it. That’s because, according to a research study recently published in the International Journal of Cancer, drinking scalding-hot tea could do more than just burn your mouth: It can cause esophageal cancer. Esophageal cancer is admittedly not the most common type of cancer. In fact, in the United States, esophageal cancer only affects 1 percent of the population. But rates of the disease are much higher elsewhere on Earth - mostly in Asian countries like Iran and China, where tea drinking is not only much more common, but teas are also served much hotter than they are in America. "The theory behind the increased risk in cancer is that the hot tea is causing cellular damage by repeatedly injuring the tissue in the esophagus," says Dr. Alexandra George, a dentist from Wexford, Pennsylvania. "Think of it like getting skin cancer from repeated sunburns, except it’s from hot liquid." In the study, researchers took several temperature measurements of participants’ tea. They measured the tea’s actual temperature as well as the temperature at which the participant chose to consume their cup of tea. A staggering 317 new cases of esophageal cancer were diagnosed during the study. What the researchers found was that the hotter the tea, and the less time that passed between the tea being poured and being consumed, the higher the risk for esophageal cancer. The results were then compared with samples from people who drank 700 ml of tea each day at lower temperatures. Individuals who drank the hotter tea (over 140 degrees Fahrenheit) had a 90 percent higher risk of developing esophageal cancer than those who did not. "It's important to note that this is not exclusive to just tea," says George. "It can happen with any hot beverage. Tea was used in the study because it is the second most popular drink in the world – the first being water. It’s also important to note that drinking too-hot tea once or twice probably won’t cause esophageal cancer. The study followed regular tea drinkers who regularly drank tea above a certain temperature."

Over time, our teeth can become worn down and the edges softened. This is normal wear and tear on teeth, and it can happen no matter what we eat – especially if we eat a lot of hard or crunchy foods. But what isn’t normal is chipping or cracking of the teeth. Imagine this. You just finished lunch and decide to chew a piece of sugarless gum to help clean your teeth and freshen your breath. No harm there, right? But as you chew, you feel a crunch. Uh oh! Your tooth just cracked. Now, granted, it probably wasn’t caused by the gum, but gum can loosen old fillings, and an already weakened tooth can crack with very little pressure. Now what? Should you leave that chip alone, or should you fix it? Depending on the size of the chip and the location of the tooth itself, it may not seem worth it to get it fixed. But believe it or not there are valid medical reasons for getting a chipped or cracked tooth fixed. Protect Your Enamel Depending on the location of the chip, when you damage a tooth you can chip into the tooth’s outer protective layer, the enamel. Chipped enamel may not look like a big deal, but it can leave the tooth vulnerable to decay and cavities. That’s why it’s important to have the tooth evaluated by Dr. George, even if you think it's no big deal. Go Back to Your Roots Enamel damage can not only harm the surface of your teeth, but can also lead to infection of the roots of your teeth. That’s because when the enamel is damaged, bacteria have an easier way into the dentin and roots of your teeth. Keep Growing A chip may not seem big now, but remember that wear and tear? Well, if your chip gets worn down naturally or the tooth itself is weakened, the chip can get a lot bigger, a lot faster. It Looks Bad Depending on where the chip is located it might just look bad, and honestly, that’s enough of a problem to warrant fixing it. You are entitled to a beautiful, healthy smile, and that includes having all your teeth completely intact. To have a chipped or cracked tooth repaired, call Dr. George at 724-220-2347.

Do you or a loved one suffer from the debilitating joint condition known as temporomandibular joint disorder (or TMJ disorder for short)? Do you have young children with either crooked adult teeth or seemingly straight baby teeth? It may be time for an orthodontic evaluation. While it may seem a tad premature to be worrying about realigning the teeth of a child, dentists and orthodontists recommend that children be evaluated for orthodontics as young as age 7. This is because at age 7, the bones of the roof of the mouth are still not completely fused together, making it much easier to treat common orthodontic problems and ward off a potential pain: temporomandibular joint disorder. Temporomandibular joint disorder is a condition of the temporomandibular joint wherein a misaligned bite stemming from the jawbone or surrounding muscles can cause severe pain. It is categorized by a clicking or popping sound while opening and closing the jaw; jaw pain and stiffness; tinnitus; muscle aches in the back, neck and face; and even headaches. But getting to the root cause of TMJ disorder is not so simple. While we don’t know for sure if temporomandibular joint disorder is genetic, we do know there are some genetic predispositions to the condition. Thus, if a parent or someone in the family has TMJ disorder, others in the family – including children - may also be genetically predisposed, even if they currently exhibit no signs of the condition. But helping to diagnose TMJ disorder is not all an early orthodontic evaluation can do for your child. Orthodontic visits can help predict the growth pattern of adult teeth and either begin a treatment plan or develop a future treatment plan for your child. This enables you to get a head start on warding off any orthodontic trouble, and it may even make your child’s orthodontic treatment less painful and much shorter than it might be at a more advanced age - namely after the jawbones fuse around age 9. Remember, orthodontic intervention can prevent more than just cosmetic issues like crooked teeth. It can prevent problems like TMJ disorder, sleep apnea, snoring and more. To schedule an orthodontic evaluation for your child, call Dr. George’s office at 724-220-2347.

A study published in the March 2019 edition of Pain: The Journal of the International Association for the Study of Pain has made some remarkable discoveries that could shine a brighter light on temporomandibular joint disorder and why it affects more women than men. Temporomandibular joint disorder is a painful medical condition that occurs when the temporomandibular joint gets out of alignment. It can cause everything from a popping and clicking jaw to tinnitus, teeth grinding (or bruxism), headaches, upper-body aches and even the inability to open or close the mouth. The article studied 999 cases and a control group of 2,031 persons without temporomandibular joint disorder from a previously conducted study, the Orofacial Pain: Prospective Evaluation and Risk Assessment (OPPERA) study. Researchers examined case data for patients to better understand if there is a genetic component contributing to who gets temporomandibular joint disorder and who does not. The study yielded some surprising answers. "They found that there definitely is some gender-based reasoning why more women suffer from temporomandibular joint disorder than men," says Wexford, Pennsylvania, neuromuscular orthodontic practitioner Dr. Alexandra George. George specializes in treating patients with temporomandibular joint disorder and says the condition is much more common in women. George is right: Statistically speaking, an estimated 90 percent of temporomandibular joint disorder sufferers are women in their childbearing years - a phenomena that has left many scratching their heads. "There have been many theories as to why women are so much more frequently affected by temporomandibular joint disorder," says George. "Everything from women just report it more to women lead more stressful lives. These could still all be contributing factors." But there could be something else at play, too. According to the Pain study, some men may have a genetic predisposition to high pain tolerance and may simply not notice they have temporomandibular joint disorder in the first place. Researchers were able to locate what they call a single nucleotide polymorphism, located on chromosome 3 in men with temporomandibular joint disorder. The men were found to have what is known as a trait locus with decreased expression on a muscle near their temporomandibular joint. This is known as a MRAS expression, and it affects the resiliency to chronic pain in men. Thus, the more men who have this MRAS expression, the fewer who would notice the pain associated with temporomandibular joint disorder. It’s fascinating science that answers a long-held mystery - and a breakthrough in temporomandibular joint disorder research to boot.

A recent article on the lifestyle blog Refinery29 featured a young woman who delayed her impending nuptials to undergo an extensive (and expensive) smile makeover. But the woman didn’t do it just for fun - she did it to look better in her wedding photos. The makeover ultimately cost the young bride $25,000 and stretched her engagement out to two and a half years, following the completion of the full-mouth reconstruction she underwent. So, what does a $25,000 full-mouth reconstruction include exactly? In the case of the story’s author, it included braces, dental implants, teeth whitening and a temporary bridge. With the average wedding now costing $25,714, this young bride spent enough on her teeth to get married twice! "I think the full-mouth reconstruction is absolutely a better investment," says Dr. Alexandra George, a cosmetic dentist from Wexford, Pennsylvania. That’s because, according to George, investing in your smile is investing in something that not only lasts, but also gives you confidence and makes you look and feel better. And with the average marriage only lasting 15 to 18 years, a beautiful smile may just last longer. "For patients with dental implants or orthodontics like the bride in the story, those should last a long time." According to George, orthodontic treatment should last a lifetime if well maintained. The average dental implant can last an average of 15 years, but with excellent maintenance can last much longer. So, what’s empowering this new generation of brides to take the appearance of their smile so seriously all of a sudden. Believe it or not, it may be something a lot less serious (and maybe more fun) than you think. "Brides are turning to social media for inspiration and getting motivated to perfect their appearances by seeing selfies of other brides and celebrities," George says. But why social media? After all, television and magazines have been around for ages, and both are known to showcase swarms of celebrities with perfectly aligned business-card-white teeth. George, for her part, thinks it could be due to a few things. First, the lack of airbrushing creates a sense of realness when looking at others’ photos. Second, these are "real" people with really great smiles "So it gives you that feeling of ‘I can have this too'," says George. And don’t underestimate those trendy filters, either. "Sometimes seeing a photo of yourself through a filter can show you what your potential is," George says. "If you see how good your own smile could look with some adjustments, that could be enough to encourage someone to finally take action." https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2018/11/217081/bride-teeth-whitening-wedding-smile

Augmented reality. It’s one of those futuristic, high-tech-sounding terms we’ve all heard once or twice but have no idea what it really means. Well, augmented reality is a little bit like virtual reality, except it changes what is already there - in other words, it allows you to see a projected image of something over an already existing thing or image. This fascinating technology is already being used in everything from video games to car repair and civil engineering – and it soon may have a new use: at your dentist’s office! You read that right - augmented reality could be coming soon to a dental clinic near you. Here’s why. Imagine you are preparing to invest in something you’ve wanted for a long time: a healthy, beautiful smile. But in order to do so, you need to invest in a full-mouth reconstruction – a deluxe smile makeover, if you will. The problem is, for the amount you’re investing, how can you be sure you’ll get the results you want? That’s where augmented reality (or AR) steps in. A new startup in Switzerland is developing software that uses augmented reality to superimpose an image of a made-over smile onto the faces of patients seeking to undergo cosmetic dentistry procedures, and it could change the whole industry. "Being able to show patients what kind of results they can expect will be a game changer," says Dr. Alexandra George of Wexford, Pennsylvania. "For some patients it's hard to imagine what that might look like." George performs everything from teeth whitening to full-mouth reconstruction in her Pennsylvania practice. She says the new software will be a useful tool for dentists. "The software doesn’t just superimpose an image – you can actually adjust that image," says George. "So if the patient doesn’t like what they see, they can make changes." And that’s very good news for both patients and dentists. "We want patients to be satisfied with their smile," George says. "If they’re able to get a better idea of what they can expect, that will eliminate any surprises in the end. And if they see something they don’t like, it empowers the dentist to be able to correct the treatment plan before the treatment even begins." That can save valuable time, money and frustration. "Bottom line, it’s your smile, and it's your money," George says. "We want you to be satisfied with our work, and if this software can create realistic expectations of what your final outcome looks like, everyone wins."

Surviving a cancer diagnosis and completing a successful chemotherapy treatment is cause for celebration. But after the celebration ends and life begins to return to its new normal, many chemotherapy patients are left feeling - and looking - very different than they used to.

Invisible aligners have revolutionized the way we realign teeth and treat dental disorders. Years ago, the often painful and cumbersome wire-and-brackets style of braces were the only options available for straighter teeth. Nowadays, patients have a choice. But could those choices come at an unexpected cost?

We all want sparkly, beautiful teeth. But how far would you go to get them? If you’re a celebrity like Kim Kardashian or money is simply no object, you may opt for the newest wave of those once-popular tooth "grills."

For older generations, getting a mouthful of very obvious metal braces was somewhat of a rite of passage - bonus points if you had to wear headgear. But today’s teenagers have it comparatively easier. Sure, many teens still have to wear braces, but the braces of today aren’t like anything most adults had as teens.

Whether you have just completed your full-mouth reconstruction or are still in the middle of the process, the final outcome will be well worth the investment. But what will you do to celebrate once your treatment is complete? Here are some fun suggestions!

If recent reports are to be believed, we can expect a boom in sales for orthotic devices to treat temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. These orthotic devices fit into the mouth to help reposition the bite and realign the temporomandibular joint, which is the joint responsible for helping to open and close the mouth.

A man in Pune, India, recently made headlines for an oral surgery he received at the MA Rangoonwala College of Dental Sciences and Research Centre. But this wasn’t your typical oral surgery. The man, who is only 39 years old, had been unable to open and close his mouth for 38 years due to an injury he received as a 1-year-old. As a result, he developed a condition called temporomandibular joint ankylosis, a very rare disorder where the bones in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) fuse to the skull with fibrous, bony tissue, making it nearly impossible to open and close the mouth.

An assistant professor at the Tipton, Georgia-based Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College recently won a $2,700 grant to study temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ disorder for short. The assistant professor, Leslie Pryor-McIntosh, won the Gail Dillard Faculty Enrichment Fund award for her research paper, "You Are What You Eat: The Effects of Chewing on Bone Health in the Temporomandibular Joint."

A woman in Charleston, West Virginia, is garnering national attention after suing a snack-food brand when she broke her tooth on a safety pin found in one of the company's products. The woman alleges that her implanted crown broke when she bit into the safety pin while snacking and watching television, and that she subsequently suffered loss of wages, pain and suffering, medical expenses, and temporomandibular joint disorder.

Patients with the painful chronic muscular disorder fibromyalgia may soon get some relief if the findings of a new study are put to good use. Fibromyalgia is categorized by pain and tenderness in the body; the condition can even appear in conjunction with secondary conditions such as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome and migraine headaches.

A research study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association details new insights into the painful condition known as temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ disorder. The study outlines two rounds of research conducted by a team of chiropractic specialists, headed by James W. DeVocht, DC, Ph.D., an associate professor at the Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research in Davenport, Iowa. The initial research was conducted in 2003 using nine volunteer patients. In this study, DeVocht and his team attempted to treat TMJ disorder with chiropractic adjustment.

Believe it or not, 2019 is just around the corner - yes, really! - which means it's time to tie up loose ends from 2018. For some, this means using up the remaining money in their flexible spending account before that money is gone on January 1, 2019. But what do you spend it on?