Your Health is Our Top Priority

State-of-the-Art Sterilization for Health and Safety

Sterilization is a high priority our office. In addition to cleaning and sterilizing all instruments after every use, single-use tools are utilized as necessary. Instruments are sterilized after use with a special machine called the autoclave, which is regularly tested by an independent lab to make sure of the highest level for safety and cleanliness. We don’t take any chances with your health at our practice.

Siranli Dental  
Samantha Siranli, DMD, PhD, FACP
2112 F St. NW, Suite 605
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 466-4530
SiranliDental.com

Good Food for Dental Health: Water

Water Rules
Water, especially fluoridated water, is the best beverage for maintaining your oral health. That's because fluoride helps to make teeth more resistant to the acid attacks that can cause cavities. As of 2012, nearly 75 percent of the U.S. population had access to fluoridated water, so drinking water from your own kitchen sink can help prevent dental problems. 

Above article from: MouthHealthy.org

Siranli Dental  
Samantha Siranli, DMD, PhD, FACP
2112 F St. NW, Suite 605
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 466-4530
SiranliDental.com

Good Food for Dental Health: Fruits & Veggies

Fruits and Veggies Pack an Extra Punch
Fruits and veggies are an important part of any balanced diet, and they are also good for your teeth. Since they are high in water and fiber, they help to balance the sugars they contain and help to clean your teeth. Chewing also helps to stimulate saliva production, which washes harmful acids and food particles away from your teeth. 

Above article from: MouthHealthy.org

Siranli Dental  
Samantha Siranli, DMD, PhD, FACP
2112 F St. NW, Suite 605
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 466-4530
SiranliDental.com

Wellness Dentistry

What Does Wellness Dentistry Mean?

Let’s say you become sick and go to a doctor for care. And let’s assume you are treated and recover. That’s all great! But what if instead you met with your doctor when you weren’t sick and learned how to stay healthy? Wouldn’t that be even better? That’s what we call “Wellness Care,” and it’s what we employ in our practice. We can get your teeth and gums to health and repair damage like any dental office. But we go even further and show how to avoid dental problems in the first place.

We begin by giving you a very thorough examination. Many patients say they’ve never had such an extensive oral exam. We check out your bite and how your teeth mesh together, we look for oral cancer signs, gum disease, wear on the tooth structure, and any problem that you might encounter in the future. We want to stave off any problems and make your smile healthy so you will be spending less time at the dentist!

Siranli Dental  
Samantha Siranli, DMD, PhD, FACP
2112 F St. NW, Suite 605
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 466-4530
SiranliDental.com

Good Food for Dental Health: Nuts

Nourishing Nuts
Nuts contain protein which help strengthen and protect your teeth. Also, chewing helps to stimulate saliva production, which naturally cleans your mouth. Remember: Not only is a balanced, nutritious diet essential to healthy living, your eating patterns and food choices play an important role in preventing tooth decay and gum disease. You may eat with your eyes first, but your mouth, teeth, and gums are more than just tools for eating.

Above article from: MouthHealthy.org

Siranli Dental  
Samantha Siranli, DMD, PhD, FACP
2112 F St. NW, Suite 605
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 466-4530
SiranliDental.com

Tooth Cavities

Tooth cavities aren't uncommon - but with the right dental health know-how, you can help prevent them. It all starts with proper brushing, daily flossing, and fluoride. Get the details right here.

What Causes Tooth Cavities?
Cavities are holes in the teeth resulting from acid attack. They generally start in the enamel, but can spread to the softer inner layer of the tooth. Tooth cavities are caused by decay that can occur when foods containing carbohydrates become trapped between teeth, and are not completely removed with brushing and flossing. Bacteria living in the mouth digest these foods, generating acidic byproducts that can eat away at tooth enamel.

Help Prevent Tooth Cavities
Fluoride, which is found in most public drinking supplies, some mouth rinses, and Crest toothpastes, helps prevent tooth cavities by slowing the breakdown of enamel and speeding up the remineralization process. Check with your dental professional to see if your drinking water is fluoridated. If it isn't, he or she may recommend that you use high concentration fluoride treatments.

To help strengthen weak spots in tooth enamel, and help prevent the early stages of tooth decay, brush regularly with a fluoridated toothpaste, floss daily, and visit your dental office regularly for professional cleanings.

Above article from: Crest.com

Siranli Dental  
Samantha Siranli, DMD, PhD, FACP
2112 F St. NW, Suite 605
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 466-4530
SiranliDental.com

6 MouthHealthy Holiday Snacks (That Are Almost Too Cute to Eat) (3 of 3)

Below is an excerpt from an article found on MouthHealthy.org

Sweet as the holidays may be, sugar-packed treats can wreak havoc on your pearly whites. This season, ring in the festivities with healthy and fun holiday snack options that fill your mouth with joy.

Pita Tree Appetizers

The low-fat sour cream in this recipe is a source of vitamin D, which strengthens bones and teeth.
Get the recipe >> 

Grinch Poppers

Be good for goodness sake to your teeth with these Grinch Poppers. For a healthier and more MouthHealthy alternative, swap the sugary and sticky marshmallow for another piece of banana. 
Get the recipe >>

To read the entire article with all healthy snacks please visit MouthHealthy.org

Siranli Dental  
Samantha Siranli, DMD, PhD, FACP 
2112 F St. NW, Suite 605 
Washington, DC 20037 
(202) 466-4530 
SiranliDental.com

What is Plaque?

Plaque is a sticky, colorless deposit of bacteria that is constantly forming on the tooth surface. Saliva, food and fluids combine to produce these deposits that collect where the teeth and gums meet. Plaque buildup is the primary factor in periodontal (gum) disease, including gingivitis.

How to Get Rid of Plaque

To help prevent plaque buildup, be sure to brush your teeth at least twice a day with an anti-plaque toothpaste such as Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste for around the clock protection against plaque buildup, and floss once a day.

Adding a mouth rinse such as Crest Pro-Health Multi-Protection Rinse to your routine can help against plaque buildup, without the burning sensation of alcohol. Eating well-balanced meals and brushing after snacks will reduce the formation of plaque. Visit your dental office regularly for oral exams and cleanings, during which your dental professional will scrape away any accumulated plaque with a special instrument.

Above article from: Crest.com

Siranli Dental  
Samantha Siranli, DMD, PhD, FACP
2112 F St. NW, Suite 605
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 466-4530
SiranliDental.com

Sports Safety: Avoiding Tooth and Mouth Injuries

A few years ago, a dental newsletter published what seemed like an unusual story. A boy snagged his teeth on a basketball net while doing a slam-dunk.
A freakish accident? Not quite. After the article appeared, nearly 40 dentists wrote in with their own stories. They all told of would-be Michael Jordans who sacrificed their front teeth in pursuit of the perfect dunk.
In older children and adults, sports injuries are common. Dentists estimate that between 13% and 39% of dental injuries occur while playing sports.
About 80% of all dental injuries affect at least one of the front teeth. Damage to the tongue or cheek is common, too.
Basic Protection
Even if a tooth has been knocked out, it often can be saved if you get to a dentist quickly enough. Minor chips and cracks can be repaired. Dentists use tooth-colored materials that are nearly as strong as the original tooth. However, even "minor" injuries can cause serious and costly damage. If you enjoy sports or other high-risk activities, protect yourself. The use of mouth guards among football players, for example, is believed to prevent about 200,000 mouth injuries a year.
Depending on the sport, two types of protection are available:

• Helmets- A helmet is a must for activities that involve speed or impact. These include football, hockey, skating and bike riding. The helmet should fit correctly. It should also be appropriate for the sport you are playing.
• Mouth guards - Wearing a mouth guard is one of the best ways to prevent injury to your teeth, tongue and lips. A custom-fit mouth guard from your dentist is recommended. This type of mouth guard usually fits better than a ready-made one (found in sporting-goods stores). That means it may protect your teeth better.

If a custom-fit mouth guard isn't an option, try a "boil-and-bite" mouth guard. You can buy one in a sporting-goods store. You place the mouth guard in boiling water. Once the plastic is soft (but not too hot), you bite down on the mouth guard and mold the softened plastic around your teeth. If the mouth guard doesn't fit comfortably the first time, you can reheat it and do it again.

©2002-2013 Aetna, Inc. All rights reserved.
09/25/2013

The above article is from: Colgate.com

Siranli Dental  
Samantha Siranli, DMD, PhD, FACP
2112 F St. NW, Suite 605
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 466-4530
SiranliDental.com

6 MouthHealthy Holiday Snacks (That Are Almost Too Cute to Eat) (2 of 3)

Below is an excerpt from an article found on MouthHealthy.org

Sweet as the holidays may be, sugar-packed treats can wreak havoc on your pearly whites. This season, ring in the festivities with healthy and fun holiday snack options that fill your mouth with joy.

Black Olive Penguins

These penguins will waddle their way into your heart - especially because they’re filled with cream cheese, which has calcium. 
Get the recipe >>

Cheesy Reindeer

Rich in calcium, cheese is always a MouthHealthy favorite. To get perfectly round eyes and noses, the author of this recipe used a juice box-sized straw to cut round pieces of black olive and a larger straw for the red pepper nose.
Get the recipe >> 

To read the entire article with all healthy snacks please visit MouthHealthy.org

Siranli Dental  
Samantha Siranli, DMD, PhD, FACP 
2112 F St. NW, Suite 605 
Washington, DC 20037 
(202) 466-4530 
SiranliDental.com

Tooth Anatomy

What Are the Different Parts of a Tooth?

• Crown- the top part of the tooth, and the only part you can normally see. The shape of the crown determines the tooth's function. For example, front teeth are sharp and chisel-shaped for cutting, while molars have flat surfaces for grinding.
• Gumline- where the tooth and the gums meet. Without proper brushing and flossing, plaque and tartar can build up at the gumline, leading to gingivitis and gum disease.
• Root- the part of the tooth that is embedded in bone. The root makes up about two-thirds of the tooth and holds the tooth in place.
• Enamel- the outermost layer of the tooth. Enamel is the hardest, most mineralized tissue in the body - yet it can be damaged by decay if teeth are not cared for properly.
• Dentin- the layer of the tooth under the enamel. If decay is able to progress its way through the enamel, it next attacks the dentin - where millions of tiny tubes lead directly to the dental pulp.
• Pulp- the soft tissue found in the center of all teeth, where the nerve tissue and blood vessels are. If tooth decay reaches the pulp, you usually feel pain.

What Are the Different Types of Teeth?
Every tooth has a specific job or function (use the dental arch in this section to locate and identify each type of tooth):

• Incisors- the sharp, chisel-shaped front teeth (four upper, four lower) used for cutting food.
• Canines- sometimes called cuspids, these teeth are shaped like points (cusps) and are used for tearing food.
• Premolars- these teeth have two pointed cusps on their biting surface and are sometimes referred to as bicuspids. The premolars are for crushing and tearing.
• Molars- used for grinding, these teeth have several cusps on the biting surface

The above article is from: Colgate.com


Siranli Dental  
Samantha Siranli, DMD, PhD, FACP
2112 F St. NW, Suite 605
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 466-4530
SiranliDental.com

Tooth Decay and Sensitivity

What Causes Tooth Enamel Damage?

What happens when tooth enamel is damaged? The exposed part underneath becomes vulnerable to decay. Cavities aren't the only problem.

Teeth with damaged enamel can become sensitive to extreme temperatures. Suddenly, eating ice cream or sipping hot coffee can be painful or unpleasant.

Above article from: WebMD.com/oral-health

Siranli Dental  
Samantha Siranli, DMD, PhD, FACP
2112 F St. NW, Suite 605
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 466-4530
SiranliDental.com

Dental Implants

Teeth in a Day

Traditionally, dental implant surgery and the restoration of the implants is a two-stage process. However, in selected cases, implants can be restored on the same day of implant surgery. With proper planning and provided there is enough bone, a patient can have implant surgery in the morning and walk out in the afternoon with a beautiful smile already screwed into his implants. It is teamwork between the surgeon and the prosthodontist. Today you can walk into our practice with a set of dentures or failing teeth and leave a few hours later with implants and a brand-new smile attached to them!

Siranli Dental  
Samantha Siranli, DMD, PhD, FACP 
2112 F St. NW, Suite 605 
Washington, DC 20037 
(202) 466-4530 
SiranliDental.com

6 MouthHealthy Holiday Snacks (That Are Almost Too Cute to Eat) (1 of 3)

Below is an excerpt from an article found on MouthHealthy.org

Sweet as the holidays may be, sugar-packed treats can wreak havoc on your pearly whites. This season, ring in the festivities with healthy and fun holiday snack options that fill your mouth with joy.

Egg Snowmen

These adorable snowmen - made with hard-boiled eggs, carrots and peppercorns - will melt your heart before melting in your mouth. Eggs are a source of Vitamin D, which is needed to help absorb, carry and deposit calcium in the bone that supports your teeth. Carrots - which are crunchy, firm and full of water - help to scrub your teeth clean like a natural toothbrush.
Get the recipe >> 

Spinach Artichoke Frittata Trees

You won’t need to cut down on these trees! Dairy products like milk contain calcium, eggs are a source of Vitamin D and leafy greens like spinach are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. (Just be sure to floss before flashing a smile beneath the mistletoe!) 
Get the recipe >> 

To read the entire article with all healthy snacks please visit MouthHealthy.org

Siranli Dental  
Samantha Siranli, DMD, PhD, FACP 
2112 F St. NW, Suite 605 
Washington, DC 20037 
(202) 466-4530 
SiranliDental.com