Blog Posts by Dr. McGann
Oral Health and the Vulnerable Adult
David Sinclair, director of Harvard Medical School’s Center for Biology of Aging Research, recently stated that it’s very possible the first person to live to 150 has already been born. While any prediction of the future has to be taken as opinion and not fact, it is rather amazing to think about: could 75 soon be […]
Osteoporosis medications – Do I need to be concerned?
Osteoporosis is a condition that affects over 200 million people worldwide. Today, the most common medication used for treating osteoporosis is bisphosphonates (BPs). Initially developed over 100 years ago as a water softener, BPs came into prominence in the 1960s for the treatment of low bone density and other bone fragility disorders. The first generations demonstrated […]
Oral care for your kids
Many of you have likely heard the old adage that the cells in our body are completely replaced every seven years. In reality, some cells are actually faster at turning over and some are slower. For example, the cells in our colon are replaced every three to five days, while muscle cells can take 70 […]
Carbs: The good, the bad, and the sugary
I’m sure we’ve all spent some time checking out nutrition labels while grocery shopping, whether to make healthier food choices or to just to make a half-hearted attempt at doing so. “Hmm, these glazed, custard-filled donuts have 200% of my recommended daily intake of fat and sugar? Well they’re super yummy so I’m getting them.” Regardless, […]
Stressed out? Don’t let your teeth bear the burden.
Who can forget January 1st, 2021 when the entire world exclaimed in one unified voice, “Hallelujah! 2020 is over!” OK, maybe not, but most of us were thinking it. Agreeably 2020 was pretty awful, with the COVID pandemic, social unrest, and economic worries making all the headlines. And while it’s good to have 2020 […]
The great antibiotic debate
A noted medical researcher was recently asked what we will likely see first: a cure for cancer or a cure for bacterial infections. While confident that cancer will eventually be defeated, he believed the battle against bacteria may never be won. He explained that cancer cells begin when healthy cells mutate, and may even evolve […]
Are you stressed out? Your dentist can probably tell.
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” Fitzgerald, F. Scott, 1896-1940. The Great Gatsby. New York :C. Scribner’s sons, 1925. Our need for escape has been around ever since our ancestors first scrawled images on a cave wall to depict a recent hunt. Primitive as they were, […]
Healthcare Evolves. Again.
In an episode of the TV show Mad Men, one of the characters is at the doctor’s office for an exam. Set in the 60’s, the physician is shown with no safety glasses, no mask, and no gloves. While I found this amusing, the doctor then leans back and takes a puff from his cigarette. […]
What exactly does fluoride do for my teeth anyhow?
In the movie “This is Spinal Tap,” a fictional English rock band is followed through their tour of America and the viewer is given an insight into the highs, lows, and head-scratching commentary of the band. In one scene, Nigel, the lead guitarist, is explaining that his amplifiers go up to 11, not 10 like […]
How Technology is Transforming Dentistry
The technology we are using today would have been considered futuristic just ten years ago, and science fiction twenty years ago. I view dentistry as a blend of science and art, and with the care I provide I strive to satisfy both disciplines. Dental school provides a rigorous scientific training to assure that our work […]
Getting the most out of your dental insurance
In poll after poll, health insurance is one of the prominent issues on the minds of Americans today. “How do I get it, how much does it cost, what does it cover, and who do I have to see” are the common questions people have. While politicians struggle to come up with something that makes everybody happy […]
Drugs and Your Dentist
Most dentists have a license with the DEA to prescribe medications related to the work they do. The most commonly-prescribed drugs are antibiotics, but next on the list are medications to control pain, or analgesics. Included in the list of analgesics are the common over-the-counter types such as ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol), but sometimes […]
Three things you didn’t know about your dentist
1. We’re looking at more than just your teeth. A significant portion of our dental school education is spent on head/neck anatomy and pathology (diseases). Each time you come to see us we’re looking for anything out of the ordinary in our field of view, which includes all of the tissues in and around the […]
Why does my jaw hurt so much? Part 2
Nearly all of us have had a door at home that just doesn’t want to stay shut. You close it, and it pops right back open, almost as if it’s mocking you (maybe the faint “creak” in the hinge is laughter). Anyhow, we usually ignore it until it becomes annoying enough that we decide to […]
Why does my jaw hurt so much? Part 1
Headaches. Jaw pain. Aching teeth. Stiff neck. Popping and clicking noises. Migraines. Anybody who suffers from jaw joint (TMJ) issues has had one or more of these symptoms. They can be aggravating, progressive, destructive, and sometimes even debilitating. My patients will ask, “It’s just one small joint, why does it cause so much trouble?” The […]
Is sugar the new tobacco?
Ah, sugar. What a wonderful, simple little substance that makes our world so much sweeter. It adds flavor and energy to our food; yeast turns it into fuel for our cars and alcohol for our drinks; bees seek it out and pollinate our plants in the process; it’s plentiful, cheap and ubiquitous. Some say oil […]
Are my metal fillings safe? Part 2
A study was conducted recently where participants were asked a series of questions of varying difficulty, from easy (i.e. What is the capital of Minnesota) to difficult (i.e. What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow). Then they were asked to gauge the confidence in their answers, from ‘100% confident’ to ‘total guess.’ Of […]
Are my metal fillings safe? Part 1
Perhaps no other material in the healthcare industry is as controversial as dental amalgam. Despite being used around the world for decades as the workhorse of dental restorative materials, it has been plagued with controversy from the beginning and accused of causing everything from sensitive teeth to insanity. Still it has managed to survive, and […]
Your teeth – bringing you the best and the worst of what life has to offer
Wow, now that’s quite a headline. Am I really trying to tell you that your teeth can bring you the best that life has to offer and also the worst? Yes, I am. Why? Because I see examples of this on a regular basis in my profession. Your teeth are amazing little creations, something I’m […]
Brush your teeth … to help your heart?
We all know why the dentist wants us to brush and floss regularly, but someday soon our family physician may be recommending this too, albeit for a different reason. Recent studies are starting to build a link between your oral health and other conditions in the body, such as heart disease. Physicians have long been […]
Botox – a Primer
About a year ago I began my Botox education, taking multiple classes over dozens of hours learning how and where to treat patients for wrinkles on the face. However, when I first heard about Botox I was as alarmed as I’m sure most of you were: “You’re injecting what into your face?” Still, the trend […]
Top Three Dental Fears – Number One
When I first went into business for myself I had to meet with a lot of different service providers in order to get everything set up; people from banking, legal services, insurance providers, suppliers, and so on. I can’t say the meetings were all that fun, but they went smoothly enough and I learned a […]
3D is here!
In a world of 3D video games, 3D movies, and 3D printing, we are thrilled to have 3D imaging at our office! We added this technology not because it’s trendy, but because it allows us to visualize your teeth and jaws with better clarity than ever before. Being able to see better helps us to […]
What exactly is in my toothpaste?
Perhaps the most popular personal hygiene product in history is toothpaste, or at least some version of it. Throughout the centuries different substances and combinations have been used, some based on science, some based on personal beliefs, and others based on superstition or just plain quackery. Modern toothpaste is the result of years of scientific […]
New technology is great, but here’s where the experts get it wrong
In 1804 a man by the name of Richard Trevithick built the world’s first fully-functional steam locomotive, ushering in the era of mass transit for people and goods. Ninety-nine years later the Wright Brothers were “First in Flight” with the launch of their flying machine, taking the world of mass transit across oceans and continents […]
To Floss Or Not To Floss
To floss or not to floss? Flossing. We all know we should do it but none of us like to. “It’s messy, it makes my gums bleed, and it takes too long” are common objections. And now with a recent report coming out that flossing hasn’t been proven to do any good, for some of […]
Top Three Dental Fears – Number Two
The number two dental fear patients have is pretty obvious, but may surprise some people that it’s not number one. I see it on the faces of many adult patients, but only the kids will actually blurt it out: “Is this going to hurt?” At this point I’d like to relate a story about a […]
Top Three Dental Fears – Number Three
Throughout my years of practice I’ve always had the mindset of constant improvement: learning new procedures, improving on the procedures I already perform, adding new technology when it can improve outcomes, and many other avenues. While all of these are important to help achieve better clinical results, perhaps the most important skill I can seek […]
Don’t like needles? Neither do I!
I’m guessing there’s a number of people out there who would love the chance to stick a needle in their dentist instead of the other way around. “I just hope he knows what it feels like so he can be extra careful with me” is probably the feeling they have. While you may never get […]
A frog in hot water
There’s an urban legend out there that claims a frog placed in a pan of boiling water will quickly jump out, while a frog placed in a pan of room-temperature water, with the heat then slowly increased, will just sit there until cooked. While I have my doubts as to the scientific accuracy of this […]